Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Merra

Club Rating: 4.8

Some loved it because it showed survival and the story of fighting for each other even in a hopeless situation and loved all the characters - flawed in pain, lovely resilient. Others found it bleak and demoralizing, and felt that they had to trudge through it.

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskins

Club Rating: 3.6

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same.

Some wished there was a relationship with the college student and the man. Some felt that the story lines were too many and didn't focus on where they were hoping it would. It was reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morrie. Some had the twist figured out. It was a great escape.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Club Rating: 4.3

A fun beach read. Several people could relate to the characters from their days in the PTA.

The Marriage of Opposites by Anne Hoffman

Club Rating: 4.2

Rachel's was fascinating with her being married to an older man and then remarriage and fighting society. The imagery of the island life was very strong - the donkeys, the humidity, island life. The part with the son didn’t grab us as much. The characters were well defined. It was about women and their relationships but it didn't capture Rachel's relationships with her daughters/children. 

Some people didn't have compassion for Rachel after the first marriage. Others felt a compassion for her as she wanted love so much.

Wallace Stegner

Club Rating: 4.2

We read either Crossing to Safety or Angle of
Repose and discussed Stegner's style of writing as well as our favorite all-time books/authors and why.  Very interesting discussion.

New York by Edward Rutherford

Club Rating: 4.1

Everyone suffered under the weight of New York, so reads for the month were sparse

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Club Rating: 4.5

This was a fabulous discussion Women's roles in the war, how your children see you, who was the protagonist and was it clear (not always!), attitudes of risk vs. stable and the aftermath of the effect of the holocaust, favorite characters, etc.

Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

Club Rating: 4.5

At first glance, this seemed like it was going to be predictable but, it wasn't. Everyone loved this book. It made us wonder what we would do if we were given a second chance.

The Perfume Collector by Cathlene Detoere

Club Rating: 4.1

The club enjoyed the book and the flashing back/forwards in time and the fact that it wasn't predictable. They thought the character development was good and loved that it was set in France.  

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Club Rating: 3.9

She embraces and sees who she is going to be.  The story was cheezy but the premise was so good. The relationships and the people were very good. For some the book didn't sit well and it was a great idea but not plausible. 

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Club Rating: 4.1

Outstanding for a debut novel. Most didn't like the wife and found her weak. They felt that he knew that the mother was going to be taken care of by the neighbor. The police officer wasn't believable. An interesting point was raised that Mia could have told him that she was behind it at any point to change the outcome. Everyone liked that each chapter designated if it was BEFORE or AFTER and who was writing.  Some found the plausibility questionable and the character and story development.

Born To Run

Club Rating 3.8

Most thought there were parts that were very long and dragging and dealt too much with running but, you had to read that to understand the race. People related to the running who were not runners by thinking about dancing or some activity that they felt free and released through.