Love in the Time of Cholera, by Garcia Marquez

Average Rating: 7.8

Sara hosted a wonderful book club last night- we chatted about "Love in the Time of Cholera" and watched Desperate Housewives.

Here are the ratings and comments:

Sara: 8.5- Good book but didn't like America. Thought Florentino and America's relationship was gross. It made it difficult to like Florentino.

Rebecca: 8 - (on chapter 5)Thought the book was well written but difficult to read. The names were confusing, but it was a good story and a pretty story to read- would recommend it.

Erika: 8.0 - Liked the first part when the story was about their courtship. The middle part was difficult to get through- wished there was more of a plot in the middle part- would recommend it.

Tina: 8.0 - (on chapter 1) The book would be best read if a person had a few long sessions of reading instead of short reading sessions. The book requires a commitment from the reader.

Anne: 7.5 - Loved the first 150 pages. Loved the story of the courtship, but found the middle part quite slow. Was annoyed that the whole letter thing started up again towards the end. Well written book.

Dana: 6.0 - Liked the beginning and the story about Dr. Urbino and his life. Did not like Florentino and his compulsions- slow book. Also thought it was strange that there were so many parts in the book that were about animals dying.

Erin: 7.0 - Beginning was great- but the book was a very intense book to read. Some of the important plot ideas were not covered like what did Florentino do to get to the top of his company? Florentino was very pathetic.

Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

Average Rating: 7.9

Erin: 9.0 - Great characterization.

Rachel: 8.5 - Characters really were laid out. Great exposure to view things. Very tasteful.

Erika: 8.0 - Story development. Knew store from beginning. Could have gone quicker.

Tina: 6.0 - "Waiting for the crocus". History was interesting.

Dana: n/a - it was really good.

Anne: 8.0 - Liked family history. Dragged on. Wanted to know more about Callie.

Sara: 9.5 - Character development. Amazed a man wrote that. Best book club ever! Awesome sentences.

Rebecca: 6.5 - Well-written but didn't capture me. Story developed too slow. Like a greek myth, very interesting.

Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

Average Rating: 7.2
Menu: Grilled chicken salad

Rebecca: 7.5 - Overall thought it was fun. Parts were confusing and not enough Oz related.

Erika: 8.0 - (1/2 way) Love it so far. Disturbed/confused by goat murder.

Erin: 8.0 - Liked it. Slow read at times. Characters struggled and had themes.

Tina: 8.0 -Not enough Oz or consistency. Liked absolute truths and good versus evil.

Rochelle: 5.0 - Overly ambitious. Lots of interesting topics, too many.

Dana: 6.5 - Couldn't relate to characters. More about Elphie & Nessie's relationship.

Anne: 7.0 - Loved first two sections. Got lost in parts. Good thoughts - guilt you put upon yourself. Poor ending.

Becky: 9.0 - Issues with disconnect of Oz. Liked having so many unanswered questions. That defines good and evil.

Rachel: 6.0 - Have issues with non-human characters that talk. Too little about Oz/Dorothy. Too much in college years, but liked Elphie overall. She was MISUNDERSTOOD!

Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi

Average Rating: 3.2
Noteworthy: Molly's last book club

Tina: 2.0 - (pg. 26) BORING!

Molly: 4.0 - Expecting something to happen. 300 page short story.

Dana: 4.0 - (pg. 4) Wonderful secret language.

Rebecca: 3.0 - (pg. 19) Hard to get into. Felt repetitive.

Erin: 3.0 - (pg. 177) Author was "wannabe". Wanted to be a protester.

Erika: 3.0 - (pg. 30) Very slow. Had to reread pages.

Rachel: 4.5 (pg. 100) Style of writing boring. Had read Lolita. Enjoyed reading about western works.

Becky: 2.0 - (pg 128) Talked too much about books, didn't get to a point. Couldn't tell who was talking. Didn't know who characters were.

Anne: 4.0 - Was excited, but had hard time with authors style. Couldn't tell characters apart. Good idea for book, her story/memoir. Liked learning about being women, sexuality.

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Average Rating: 8.3

Rachel: 8.5 - Liked how it tied together. Amazed by how it was/is in Afghanistan.

Molly: 9.0 - Too convenient at end, but liked it. Afghanistan now/then.

Erika: 8.5 - Appalled kite part. Happy/sad emotions.

Erin: 6.0 - Interesting (Afghanistan). Didn't like Amir, no courage. Liked end.

Tina: 9.0 - Liked how it came together at end. Fiction should be what you want it to be. Main character bothered her but grew up that way.

Rebecca: 8.0 - Beginning tough to get into (p. 20) but liked it. First half mini stories more tied together than last half.

Dana: 8.5 - Beginning slow but then got into it. Liked father. Changed throughout the book. Didn't like Soharb's attempted suicide.

Becky: 9.0 - Taxicab conversation foreshadowing. Are we doing the right thing in Afghanistan? Hated Amir, coward, kept tallies. "You never knew Afghanistan" (cab driver to Amir)

The Dogs of Babel, by Carolyn Parkhurst

Average Rating: 7.0

Erika: 8.0 - Great character development.

Dana: 6.5 - Surprised written by woman. Surprised by his love for her. Liked overall.

Anne: 7.0 - Unresolved, doubtful by ending, unsatisfying.

Rachel: 7.5 - Liked character development, liked love story development, satisfied by conclusion.

Rebecca: 5.5 - Uncomfortable with dog mutilation. Didn't like pregnancy storyline.

Molly: 7.5 - Strange. Books saying odd. Dog mutilation and kidnapping bothersome. Taken too far.

Becky: 7.0 - Similar to last book. Search for the truth, baby, etc. Liked to read it because of Bailey. Didn't like mutilation, book titles. Wanted to know more about wife.

Erin: 7.0 - Liked the theme of wife struggling with identity - masks, girl at the pool in New Orleans. Liked the theme of acceptance -wife and dog.

Tina: 7.0 - Disappointed that the dog did not talk. Felt that the wife committed suicide. New Orleans situation, unsettling.

In the Lake of the Woods, by Tim O'Brien

Average Rating: 6.0

Becky: 7.5 - Liked mystery.

Molly: 7.0 - Got weird with no explanation - more background. Liked mystery. Thinks he killed her. Should of explained more of abortion past.

Tina: 7.0 - Wanted an ending. Forces you to be an outsider - didn't get.

Sara: 5.0 - Similar to Molly. More of love story than mystery. Not enough info.

Rebecca: 6.0 - Should have had more explanation. Knew end was open. Doesn't have a prediction. Apathetic. Not enough info.

Dija: 3.75 - Didn't like magical part. A lot of violence. Thinks he killed her.

Erika: 6.0 -Didn't like quote chapters. Knew of no ending. Either ran away together or he killed her.

Rachel: 6.5 - Liked hypotheses, but not quote chapters. Liked psychology parts. War out of proportion. He killed her, but lack of evidence.

Dana: 4.5 - Likes evidence parts. He was off beat and she deserved more. Convinced he killed her.

Anne: 6.0 - Didn't like evidence. Wanted it to be a great love story, but wasn't. Felt sorry for her for saving her happiness. Don't think they ran off.

A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey

Average Rating: 8.1

Molly: 8 - good, too long
Dana: 7 - good, doesn't know who she would recommend it to; empathetic
Rebecca: 7.5 - interesting; recommended to sister because she had liked a similar book; concerned it may be bad for alcoholics to read
Molly R: 8.5 - not a big believer in 12 step program; liked that he succeeded; shared his belief about 12 steps - thinks replacing the addiction with another
Tina: 9 - really liked it; sees point about problem with replacing one addiction for another; wouldn't give book to alcoholic
Becky: 9 - likes autobiographies; shares Molly's belief about addiction; does believe that in moderation some addictions are good.
Anne: 8 - liked book; raw account; couldn't believe it was true; liked "the fury"; liked that you could see that alcoholism affects everyone

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Average Rating: 8.3

Dana: 9 - Liked the characters, "too much sex" though; the bond was phenomenal between them
Dija: 9 - Very different from before, other books
Tina: 8.5 - Was very confused about the purpose of Gomez; very hard from Charisses's point of view
Erica: 7.5 - Took a long time to get interested; getting pregnant was intriguing point; knowing the ending = bias
Rebecca: 8 - Problems with knowing the ending; some events didn't make sense; some inconsistencies
Becky: 7.5 - (half-way through) thinking "What's the plot?" Then realized that time was the plot; Upset about issues...but was more about Clare - liked that
Molly: 8 - Thought it read quickly; some events/pages not necessary; Henry was favorite character;Liked the ending - old Clare
Anne: 8.5 - Like the book because of the love story; Put herself in Clare's position and couldn't imagine how she dealt with it

My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Piccoult

Average Rating: 9.2

Anne: 9 - family dynamics
Becky: 9.3 - one of the best books. What would you give up for someone else?
Tina: 9.5 - the sister bond - hard to read about kidney failure
Molly: 8.5 - didn't like the brother - good conversation starter
Rebecca: 9 - read the ending first - didn't like the way it was written
Dana: 10 - couldn't imagine not reading it - best book so far - watching the parenting style

The Tortilla Curtain, By T.C Boyle

Average Rating: 7.5

Jess: 9 - liked the way important themes were explored; some characters weren't always believable
Tina: 7 - likes it; thinks ending is anticlimactic
Rebecca: 6.5 - upset that they didn't meet sooner; why did Delaney hate Candido so much? Why not more contact at ending?
Dana: 9 - didn't like the ending; disliked Kyra - like Annette Bening character in "American Beauty" - conflicting feelings
Anne: 7.5 - ("I like halves") - difficult to figure out Delaney; liked class structure/hierarchy
Molly: 7 - liked beginning and portrayal of Delaney's hypocrisy; didn't like ending of the book - contrived
Becky: 6.5 - liked different sides, luck and choices - you don't do anything unless you really want to

The Feast of Love, by Charles Baxter

Average Rating: 8.0

Molly: (did not finish)
Anne: 7.5 - liked how life experiences were intertwined and how chapters began (did not finish)
Becky: 7.5 - very real, liked varying perspectives on one story (did not finish)
Jess: 9 - liked writing style, how stories intertwined (did not finish)
Dana: 7 - liked every "relationship has one really good day" (did not finish)
Rebecca: 9 - loved writing style, how characters were built
Tina: 8 - great character development. Liked how as the book went on, it felt like you got to know the people. (did not finish)

*** RATING CHANGED FROM 5 POINT SCALE TO 10 POINT SCALE ***

The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom

Average Rating: 3.9

Molly: 3.6 - expected more, wasn't as good as Tuesdays w/Morrie
Becky: 4 - happier view of after-life than Tuesdays w/Morrie
Dana: 4 - also liked beginning, soothing after Q died
Rebecca: 4 - loved first 50 pages (through 1st person), captain section was too long
Anne: 3.75 - wanted to get through book
Tina: 4 - liked writing style

Monster, by Kody Scott

Average Rating: 2.7
Menu: Dessert of individ pudding pies with red/blue fruit toppings

Becky: 6 - different perspective, learned from it but not great writing
Anne: 6 - did not take responsibility, did not change, was very defensive
Molly: 5 - everything was someone else's fault
Dana: 4 - didn't like character, bragged a lot
Rebecca: 5 - he didn't learn anything at end of story, rating is reflective of him
Tina: 6 - agree w/Becky
Jess: 5 - wasn't a great writer, did not have natural gift for writing. Got off on tangents, but had good story to tell. Was not an empathetic character.

Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk

Average Rating: 3.6
Menu: Fried Chicken

Anne: 4 - liked characters
Becky: 3 - predictable, reverse racism
Dana: 3.75 - liked Mary, mother figure, predictable
Jessica: 4 - liked Lily's character, good themes: Black Madonna
Rebecca: 3.5 - fun, easy to read, predictable
Tina: 3.5 - good, easy read, but kinda fluffy
Molly: 4 - not as good as expected

Overall - Discussion was kind of slow. Story did not provoke as much thought as past stories we've read.

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Average Rating: 4.0
Menu: Dinner and Chocolate Pie

Overall - Enjoyed the book as a whole, but didn't like the ending of the island part.

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, by Lorna Landvik

Average Rating: 4.4
Menu: Bon bons

Dana: 5
Molly: 4
Becky: 4
Anne: 5
Tina: 4