BOOK CLUB #1 - Sam by Allegra Goodman

It's here!  The first Book Club of 2024.  I am very excited to hear thoughts on our first book SAM.

Before I begin, let me recap the details of the Teacher Chic's Book Club:

1. On the 17th of every month I will share a blog post with my thoughts on the book we read for the month. At the end of the post, I will announce the next month's book. Why the 17th? Well, it's just because it is one of my favorite numbers.

2. We will use the comment section to share our thoughts, opinions, and questions on the book we have read. Check back often to read what others are saying.

3. Rules - Be Honest, Be Respectful, and Have Fun! And... please share this virtual book club with all your book loving friends and family.

4. How will I choose each month's book? To be honest, I'll probably pick something that speaks to me. I will try to pick a variety of genres (thriller, autobiography, historical fiction, rom com, etc.) If I am having trouble deciding, I might take a poll. If you have already read the book, I would still love for you to show up, comment, and join in on the conversation.

5. These blog posts will contain spoilers - so be prepared if you haven't finished (or even started) the book.

6. I will use a 5 star rating. ⭐ I am very picky when giving 5 stars. If I give a book four stars, it means I really liked the book and highly recommend it. Feel free to give your rating in the comments.

So...

Here it goes...

Our book this month was -

SAM by Allegra Goodman

This book was on my TBR list for over a year, so I am so happy I finally took the time to read it!

My book rating was...

⭐⭐⭐

THREE out of FIVE STARS!

That is not a high rating for me because, well, I didn't LOVE this book.  It was enjoyable, and I am glad I read it, but it just wasn't a favorite for me.

First of all, I did not like the writing style.  The way Sam's point of view was captured through a limited third-person lens. Because I have taught English Language Arts for many years now, it felt more like I was reading a Young Adult novel. 

I also thought it was just slow. Nothing about it really made me unable to put it down.  I kept waiting for some exciting events to take place, but I continued to be disappointed in this area.

What did I like though?

I liked the way the author intertwined the subjects of class, parenthood, first love, grief, and education into the coming of age/self-discovery theme of the novel.

This was a simplistic book that dove into complex family and personal issues. Overall, it was a good place to start our year of reading. It was heartfelt, and at times heavy, yet had a powerful story of over-coming the odds.

Now it is your turn.

Have you read this book? What did you think? How do rate it? 

Please share your thought in the comments sections and check back often to see what others say.

It is time now to announce our next BOOK CLUB book. 

Drumroll please...

The Maid by Nita Prose

Here are some reviews:

“A murder mystery with tremendous heart.”—Lisa Jewell

“Excellent and totally entertaining . . . The most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time.”—Stephen King

These reviews make me excited to read this book. I hope you will join me. Our next BOOK CLUB will be Sunday, March 17th (St. Patrick's Day 🍀).

Okay, it's time to head to the comments section and share your thoughts, questions, feelings, and ratings about our February book 🢃

Happy Commenting xoxo

January Book Recap

 

It's time for the first BOOK RECAP of 2024!

January had a few heavy books with a light read mixed in for fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed them all, some more than others though.

Before I recap, don't forget that this year I am hosting on Online BOOK CLUB!!!

As a reminder, I will have a dedicated blog post for our monthly BOOK CLUB selection on the 17th of each month.  Check back on the February 17th and join in on our chat on our very first book SAM. I will also be announcing our next book on this day too!

On to the January 2024 Book Recap!

Before I begin, I rank books on a scale of one-five stars.  I reserve FIVE star books for the books I absolutely couldn't put down.  The ones I looked forward to all day to pick up and continue reading. So if I give a book FOUR stars, just know I really, really liked it and would highly recommend it. Okay, on to book one of the year.

Book #1

Cabin Fever by Michael Smith and Jonathan Franklin

This book started off my year.  It was a gift from my son for Christmas.  It is the true story of the of the cruise ship Zaandam at the brink of the Covid-19 lock downs. The ship set sail on March 6, 2020 from Argentina headed on a 14 day journey around the tip of South America. At the time of departure an outbreak on the ship seemed low risk and Holland America declared the trip would be safe. Within days, though, passengers and crew begin feeling unwell, and as a global lock down began, the Zaandam had nowhere to go. The ship wandered the oceans desperate for a port to accommodate their growing needs aboard the ship. With only two doctors on board, few medical supplies to treat this outbreak, and dwindling food and water, the ship became desperate for help. Will anyone be brave enough to help this ship and the people onboard before it is too late?

It is an intense story of survival that toggles between the lives of several of the passengers and crew. It was a good solid read and keep me interested. I gave this one FOUR ⭐s out of five.

Book #2

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Another amazing Kristin Hannah read! This book was a gift from a dear friend, Kim, for Christmas.

13-year old Leni Allbright knows her family is chaotic, but she never expected what would happen when her father inherits property in Alaska when a fellow Vietnam soldier he fought with dies.

The family packs their meager belongings into a VW bus and heads north to the last frontier. Little did they know the harsh realities of living off the grid, and their first winter proves dangerous. The dangers they face are not only found in the wilderness outside their cabin walls, but also lurks within. There is no one to save them; Leni and her mom must make decisions based on survival, not love.

Kristin Hannah is such a great story teller. She captures images beautifully of the Alaskan landscape. At times, though, I wanted her to hurry up and tell the story. I found myself getting impatient with her imagery often, especially toward the end. I also found a few action scenes lacking in detail (I know, a total contradiction). Again this was more toward the end of the book. Finally, a few times I was questioning the actions of the characters - would anyone really do that? So for these reasons I rated this book FOUR ⭐s.

Book #3

Drowning by T.J. Newman

A good thriller, but overall I liked her first book, Falling, better.

Will is escorting his pre-teen daughter to camp on a flight from Hawaii to the main land. After losing their oldest daughter in a tragic accident a few years earlier, he couldn’t stand allowing her to travel alone.

Only six minutes after takeoff, the flight experiences problems and is forced to land in the ocean. While everyone onboard tries to escape, fire from an exploding engine threatens to kill them all. Desperate, those still inside shut the emergency doors as the plane sinks 200 feet below the surface with 12 people trapped inside.

Will they survive and be rescued? Working against the clock, Chris, Will’s soon to be ex-wife, fights to save Will and their daughter.

This book had scenes that once again made me ask - Would someone really do that? There were some sad moments when characters made hard decisions. Overall I rated this book THREE ⭐s.

Book #4

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Birthday twins Alix (a popular podcaster) and Josie (a quiet homemaker) meet on their 45th birthday at posh restaurant. A few days later they bump into each other again and Josie suggests that Alix make her the subject of a new podcast series. Feeling dubious about this suggestion, Alix goes along with Josie’s idea. As Josie begins detailing her life for Alix, things begin getting stranger and stranger. Is everything Josie is telling Alix true? Is Josie beginning to cross a line between a working relationship and friendship? Who will get hurt in the end?

Wow! Just wow! I couldn’t put this down toward the end. A great thriller that was my first FIVE ⭐ book for 2024

Book #5

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Samantha Sweeting is a workaholic. She is aiming to become partner in one of London’s biggest and best law firms. That is until she makes a mistake so huge that she is faced with never practicing law again. Feeling distraught and confused, she boards a train and ends up in the middle of nowhere. While trying to ask for directions, she is mistaken for a candidate interviewing for a job as a housekeeper. In her daze, Samantha now has to figure out how to cook and clean as she puts her past behind her.

She make new friendships and begins to really feel at home in this sleepy little village until she one day figures out the truth behind her mistake. Will she avenge her reputation as a top lawyer or fade away from the stressful life she was living and live a simpler, easier life as the help?

This is sweet story reminiscent of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopiholic series. A good, fun chick lit book. I rated this book THREE ⭐s

Book #6

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alicia is a brilliant painter until one evening she becomes unhinged and murders her husband.

Sentenced to a high security psychiatric unit, Alicia becomes known as the silent patient. Since her husband’s murder, she has not spoken a word. In walks criminal psychotherapist, Theo, eager for the opportunity to work with such a high profile patient. He is determined (and even obsessed) to unravel the mystery and get her talking again.

Will he succeed or will this intensive work be the undoing of life as he knows it?

I wasn’t sure why everyone was loving this book so much…until I got to about the last 50 pages or so. Whoa, I wasn’t expecting it to end like that! I gave this book FOUR ⭐s.

Book #7

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

In the decades leading up to the Civil War, seven-year-old Lavinia becomes orphaned as her Irish family is immigrating to the United States. Sent to live and work as an indentured servant, Lavinia learns to cook, clean and serve under the guidance of the slaves whom raise her in the Kitchen House. Although her skin color sets her apart from everyone else, she learns the true meaning of love and family and the tragedies that anyone, regardless of skin color, can face. Lavinia struggles to navigate the world of the kitchen house and big house. What will her future hold and which side will she ultimately end up living?

This historical fiction book was near perfection! A MUST READ!!

FIVE ⭐s.

Whew! That wraps up January - TWO Five ⭐ books this month - WOW! I hope you discover a new book to read from this recap.  Comment and let me know how you felt about any of these books and don't forget to join me on the 17th!

Happy Reading xoxo