Rock the Vote !!!!.... The Book Club Vote That Is.

I think that enough time has past that we should all be done with Gone . I have collected second recommendations from most of you.So, now is the time to vote for what our next read will be .

A note on voting , I am not going to post the names of who suggested which book just the book synopsis . I have also spoken to a few of you and we have come to the common idea that voting for your own book should not be allowed, as this will result in many books with one vote. You can vote one of two ways . Put your vote in a comment to this post or email me at sk1265@gmail.com.

***Note*** If you still wish to answer the discussion questions for Gone they are Here

Ladies and gentlemen with out any further ado, the voting list for book #2:

1) The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards
2) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
3) Lunar Park by Brett Easton Ellis (On the site click on library in the top right)
4) The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger
5) The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
6) Greywalker by Kat Richardson
7) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
8) Clay's Way by Blair Mastbaum
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Just a thought...

MSN Encarta says these are 10 books that "You should re/discover" - maybe our next read could come from this list? Just a thought...

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/homework/?article=10BooksYouShould(Re)Discover



1. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans Ahh, adventures in Paris--what could be better? Madeline and 11 other little girls live "in an old house in Paris," under the care and tutelage of Miss Clavel. This edition captures their exploits in three-dimensional pop-up spreads of selected scenes from the book based on Ludwig Bemelmans's original illustrations.

2. Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James HiltonA gentle schoolmaster is ridiculed at first by his rowdy charges, but gradually his dignity and generosity gain the students' respect. Did you have a teacher you tortured, whom you later grew to admire? You're bound to identify your former teacher with Mr. Chips, who over the years has come to represent all beloved teachers, whose lessons extend beyond the classroom.

3. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett An heiress has a difficult time at boarding school after her father suddenly dies, leaving her penniless. No longer a "princess," she endures cruel treatment from the other students. Despite her change in fortunes, she remains determined to maintain her dignity and to give voice to her princess within.

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger What happens after Holden Caulfield flunks out of boarding school yet again? The school of hard knocks has some bitter--and often hilarious--lessons in store. Sixteen-year old Holden narrates this classic coming-of-age story, offering wry commentary on the "phoniness" of the adult world around him and hinting at the emptiness inside.

5. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh Harriet is a young girl determined to be a famous writer. To gather material, she faithfully writes in her secret notebook everything she sees and hears while walking her daily "spy route." She makes brilliant observations of life's absurdities, and her writing career seems assured--until the notebook is discovered by her classmates who read it aloud. Suddenly, she finds herself a social outcast and the target of her vengeful classmates.

6. The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling The unbelievably popular series about life at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry starts with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. As you must know by now, Harry's unbearable childhood is transformed when an owl delivers a mysterious letter inviting him to attend a school for wizards. The young wizard-in-training encounters one adventure after another, and confronts the great destiny that awaits him. While you're waiting for the next novel in the series, have you reread the first one yet?

7. A Separate Peace by John Knowles A tale of friendship and betrayal at a private New England school for boys during World War II. One is brainy and lonely. The other is handsome and athletic. The two form an intense bond that draws out both the best and worst in each. A Separate Peace is an unflinching look at the dark side of adolescence and a classic portrayal of the complexity of friendship.

8. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark An eccentric teacher in Edinburgh in the 1930s has a soft spot for all things Italian, including Il Duce. Is she liberating young minds or preaching fascism? A defense of individual thought in the face of unchecked conventionality, the novel explores Miss Brodie's intense, and ultimately dangerous, relationship with six of her students.

9. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier A teenager refuses to be bullied--into selling chocolate--and winds up in a larger battle. Did your school have fundraisers? Did you ever sell raffle tickets or wash cars? Well, things could be worse. When Jerry Renault refuses to sell chocolate for his school's fundraiser, he provokes such divisiveness that the entire social fabric of the school seems to come apart at the seams.

10. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy BlumeSurviving fourth grade and a rambunctious little brother isn't easy--can Peter do it? His little brother Fudgie is so disgustingly cute and so meddlesome that Peter's often not sure if he'll be able to make it another day. If you have a younger brother or sister, Peter's story may sound all too familiar--but this time it's fun.

My Answers

OK, I think I need to preface my answers with... although I finished the book, and never felt like I was trudging through it, it left me somewhat unsatisfied. I've already forgotten the main character's name. I think it just isn't the style of book I would pick up again.

Anyway, without further ado...

1) Which characters did you find the most compelling and /or relatable, and why?
honestly, none of them. For me, they never left the page and became real for me.

2) Do you think this book would make a good movie?Why or why not?
Probably. Let’s see… Tom Hanks as the psychologist whose name I already cannot remember. Sharon Stone as the girlfriend psychologist, George Wendt as Milo, Sissy Spacek as the arts&crafts girlfriend, Glenn Close as the Nora Dowd, Bruce Willis as Brad Dowd, Billy Bob Thornton as the janitor cousin… that’s a good start.

3) What makes this book distinctive?
It had a pretty cover.

4) Were the plots and sub plots believable? Were they interesting ?
They must have at least been interesting, because I finished the book.

5) What did you like/dislikeabout the book? Were you glad you read it? Would you recommend it to a friend ? Would you be willing to read more books by this author?
I don’t think I would recommend it, but I think that’s just because after reading it I’ve realized I’m not a fan of this style of book. I think I would pass on reading more from him. There are too many other books that I MUST read to spend time reading ones that I’m fairly sure wouldn’t WOW me.

Spider's Spin...

1) Which characters did you find the most compelling and /or relatable, and why? Milo was an interesting one... like Scott, it was refreshing to find a gay character that was just an average man - no bizarre sex drive, not a hottie or a stud or an asshole, just an average cop with his own neuroses who happened to be gay. In my opinion, none of the sub-characters were developed very well - they were all very predictable and almost cookie-cutter...
2) Do you think this book would make a good movie? Why or why not? I am afraid that it would not make a good movie - it just doesn't seem like it would translate well to the screen - the plot bogs down at times, it repeats itself in themes and takes a long time to get going... there is really nothing here to make it a distinctive film...
3) What makes this book distinctive? Yikes - I think I answered this one above. Don't get me wrong - this was a great read and I enjoyed it and am glad I read it - just not a book that I will really remember in 6 months...
4) Were the plots and sub plots believable? For the most part they were... there were some "leaps of faith" tossed in there, but there always are in books like this. Were they interesting? Yea they were...
5) What did you like/dislike about the book? Again, it was an enjoyable read - I would have never read this or anything like it if it were not in this setting. Were you glad you read it? I sure am! Like a man, I can find SOMETHING I like in everything I read! Would you recommend it to a friend? If I knew they were a fan of this style of writing then I would. Would you be willing to read more books by this author? Probably not - but then again, one never knows!

This was a BLAST! I can't wait to start reading the next one! Scott, you are DA MAN for coming up with this idea!

Answers to Questions

O.k. Spider I can't believe we didn't even mention the book the whole time we were together. 1) Which characters did you find the most compelling and/or relatable and why. Well the character's are what did it for me in this book, they were all so colorful. I loved the interaction between the characters. The little love interest between Dr. Deleware was cool, it made his character real, and all he's going through, I enjoyed the relationship of the friendship between he and Milo, who I also liked. I guess I find Dr. Delaware more relatable, since I have a degree in psychology. I did have a hard time putting the book down, he has a remarkable eye for detail, but at times I felt I needed to go back and reread. Although I figured out the villain quite early, which I didn't think I would do. He does accomplish bringing the characters to life for me. I found the beginning kind of dragging, but midway I really got into it. I sort of got tired while Milo and Delaware visited one suspect after another.

2) Do you think this book would make a good movie?Why /why not? It just jumped around so much in the beginning, I think the viewers would lose interest. It has so much going on, I almost decided to start drawing a diagram of who was who. I personally say no.3) What makes this book distinctive? As I said earlier Kellerman's eye for detail, I think that his descriptions of each character are very detail and distinctive. The whole subplot seems distinctive as well.4) Were the plots/subplots believable? Were they interesting? Very, you seem to be asking the questions as I read them, seems I have described it in the question above. I think what I enjoyed the most was the last 5 chapters. It was very intersting by the time I was half way into the book. At first I was excited more because this was our first book in the book club. I really got into it half way. It really got wild towards the end.
5) What did you like/dislike about this book. Are you glad you read it ? Would you recommend it to a friend? Would you be willing to read more books by this author? Likes /dislikes: I disliked that the only character I was starting to like gets it. I really wasn't crazy about the other victims, I disliked that I figured out the villian so soon. Other than that no other real dislikes. Lots of. I liked the relationship growing between the doc and Robin, it gave something to the character, feeling maybe. I liked that I found myself actually talking to the characters. This is not a book, I'd usually read, but after reading it, I think I may have to read another one of Kellerman's books, to see if it grabs me like this one did. Maybe start from the beginning of the series.

My Answers to the Discussion Questions

1) Which characters did you find the most compelling and/or relatable and why.
I really liked the girl Michaela I thought she was cute and fairly funny , the way she was kinda coming on to Dr. Delaware in their interview. Wish she could have stayed around a bit longer. Also I have always liked the character of Milo Sturgis the cop. Most likely because he is just a regular guy who happens to be gay. Not a Gym Addicted, body issued, twink.The author makes it clear that he is not a beauty queen (lol) Just a cop who is gay.

2) Do you think this book would make a good movie?Why /why not? Maybe. The reason I say maybe is because,Yes it has alot of things going for it but alot of the narrative is basically getting around the city of LA/Hollywood I am not sure how that would translate into a good movie. Plus the whole taxidermy part may be a bit gross.

3) What makes this book distinctive? I think that alot of what makes this book so distinctive is the narrative. The way he describes the city of LA and Hollywood so in depth and his use of very discriptive language.

4) Were the plots/subplots believable? Were they interesting? Interesting yes they were. One of the reasons I love Mr. Kellerman is he keeps the pages turning and doesn't really let on what is going on until the last few chapters. For awhile there I thought maybe the other Dr he was investingating might have played a bigger role ( didn't really know how )but it kept me guessing. Believable, I am still on the fence about that. I think the whole taxidermy part was a little over the top, but who knows we were in LA/Hollywood. :)

5) What did you like/dislike about this book. Are you glad you read it ? Would you recommend it to a friend? Would you be willing to read more books by this author? Likes /dislikes: not very many dislikes on the whole I loved the book I wish we could have had more time with Micheala and perhaps met the guy she staged the abduction with. I love the fact that Dr. D and Robin got back together but you guys wouldn't understand their history unless you read some prior books. I am very glad you all allowed me to choose the first book . I hoped you all liked it . Uhmmmm..I did recommend it to a friend , a few friends actually ! I will most definately be reading more of his books I have read many of them and only a few have let me down .

Okay kids there are my answers to the questions for Gone. I really do hope you enjoyed this first book. As I have mentioned before I am still awaiting recommendations for book 2 from a few of you . If you liked this book and would like to read more of him on your own time I can recommend a few. Rage was very good as was The Murder Book.

Discussion Questions for "Gone"

Ok Boys and Girls it looks like the majority of us are done with our first book. Here are the discussion questions for the first one.

1) Which characters did you find the most compelling and /or relatable, and why?

2) Do you think this book would make a good movie?Why or why not?

3) What makes this book distinctive?

4) Were the plots and sub plots believable? Were they interesting ?

5) What did you like/dislikeabout the book? Were you glad you read it? Would you recommend it to a friend ? Would you be willing to read more books by this author?

If you feel like this it too amny questions let me know you don't have to do all 5 if you don't want to. Pick 2 good ones if you would like . I am still awaiting recommendations for the second book from a few of you (You know who you are)!

Me B Done

I finished this afternoon!

I was very surprised when the flock of magic pelicans flew in and saved the Queen.

Or should I not have typed that and spoiled the ending???

It's over

I finished it (and kept the library due date by the skin of my teeth)
It was good.