The Hobbit Review and Discussion Questions

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a magical tale, in all the best senses of that phrase.  It tells the story of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, an every-man despite the fact that he isn't a man.  He deals with his unexpected adventure the way most of us would.  He's scared, cranky, and more often than not, wishing that he had stayed at home in his nice comfy hobbit hole.  But the fact that Bilbo didn't really want to be on this trip doesn't take away from the adventure, it adds to it because it is through Bilbo that the reader feels connected to the story.  It may be hard to relate to a wizard or a dwarf, but Bilbo is familiar to us, because in some way, he is us.  Bilbo is thrown into the midst of a party of dwarves looking to reclaim their homeland from the dragon, Smaug.  Along the way, they encounter giant spiders, men who turn into bears or vis versa, elves, goblins, and a magical ring.  Bilbo grows from a frightened hobbit to the leader of these brave souls.  He grows and is never the same again.

Reminder! Our Hobbit Meeting is Saturday!

Just wanted to send out a quick reminder that our in-person meeting for The Hobbit will be THIS SATURDAY from 1-3pm in the Ladysmith Branch Meeting Room!  I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this epic tale and I'm sure there is going to be lots of tasty treats at the meeting.  See you then!

Now a little aside courtesy of Jessica that blew my mind- In The Lord of the Rings, the dwarf that joins the fellowship is Gimli, son of Gloin- the same Gloin in The Hobbit.  Nerdy, but I had never put the two together.  Anyone else have some connections for us?

The Hobbit Updates

I love Martin Freeman's crazy face!

I hope that everyone is enjoying The Hobbit so far!  Since there is a lot of stuff out there because of the upcoming movie, I thought I'd share some of the best I've seen!

The Hobbit Official Page- http://www.thehobbit.com/
The go-to spot for all things The Hobbit.  I especially like the recipes from Middle Earth and the character quiz.  It turns out I am most like a Hobbit and I can live with that.  There are also videos, wallpapers for your computer and the Hobbit Blog.

Summary of some recent news- http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/uk-hobbit-premiere-idUSLNE8AQ01D20121127
This Reuters article does a pretty good job of summing up some of the recent articles about The Hobbit leading up to its premiere on Wednesday.

On all the makeup and prosthetics- http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/8000033/Creating-the-many-faces-of-The-Hobbit
A really cool article on all the work that it took to make the dwarves look like dwarves and the elves look like elves.  Who knew they had glue-on eyebrows?

TheOneRing.Net- http://www.theonering.net/torwp/the-hobbit/
The link I've provided is to the general info on The Hobbit, but click around.  They've got tons of stuff on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  They're also live streaming the premiere online.

The Noble Collection- http://www.noblecollection.com/index.cfm?fa=products.catagory&catid=91
Because Christmas is coming and I can't resist shiny objects!


That's it for now, I'll probably have some more stuff for you guys next week!

11/22/63 Update

Just wanted to send out this link really quickly before our Thanksgiving break.  Dallas is planning a memorial for the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/21/15329670-dallas-to-mark-50th-anniversary-of-jfks-assassination-with-memorial-ceremony?lite

Now that I've brought the room down, I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Our Next Book Is...

For the upcoming month, we'll be reading J. R. R. Tolkien's classic tale, The Hobbit!  The prequel to the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, it tells Bilbo Baggins's story of adventure, despite the fact that no other Baggins has every gone on an adventure before him!  He travels with a wizard and a band of dwarves, and along the way encounters elves, goblins, giant spiders, and the one ring of power.

We'll be meeting to discuss The Hobbit on Saturday, December 15th, from 1-3pm at the Ladysmith Branch Library Meeting Room.  I'll also be posting the review and discussion questions on the same day.  Since the movie based on the first part of the book is about to be released, I'll probably be posting some trailers and updates about the movie in the time in between.  Happy Reading!

11/22/63 Review and Discussion Questions

11/22/63 asks the question- if you could go back in time and change the past, would you?  More importantly, should you?  Spoilers about the past and future ahead.

Jake Epping is a recently divorced, high school English teacher who, according to his ex-wife, cannot cry.  One night while reading the papers of his Adult English students, he reads one that touches him and he does cry.  The story, written by the high school's janitor, Harry Dunning, describes the night that his father came home with a hammer and murdered his mother and two older brothers, put his little sister into a coma that she would never awaken from, and permanently crippled, both physically and mentally, Harry.

Two years later, Jake is taken in the backroom of his friend Al's diner.  Although he had seen Al only the day before, Jake is taken aback by the changes he sees in Al.  Al tells him the truth- in his pantry, there is a passage to 1958.  Every trip back is the first time that you go and it only takes two minutes according to 2011, no matter how long you spend in the past.  He has been going back in time to buy meat for the diner, but had become obsessed with the Kennedy assassination.  He wasn't sure that he would be able to do it, so he went back to change the life of one girl who was crippled by a stray bullet.  It was in these attempts that he discovered that the past doesn't want to be changed.  But he was convinced that if Kennedy was to live, the world would be a much better place, so he keeps working.  His last trip lasted 4 years as he tracked Lee Harvey Oswald, but he had to return to 2011 when he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.  He then recruits Jake to finish his work and stop Oswald from killing Kennedy.  Jake is skeptical, but agrees to go back on a test run first to check the butterfly effect.  Remembering Harry Dunning's story, he decides to go back and save Harry's whole family.

Reminder- We Go Back in Time on Saturday!

Hello everyone!  Just wanted to drop a quick reminder that our meeting for 11/22/63 is THIS SATURDAY from 1-3pm at the Ladysmith Branch Library.  I hope to see you all there so that we can discuss the book.  If you can't be there on Saturday, I'll be posting the final review and discussion questions around the same time.



Hurricane Sandy Update

Hello everyone!  I hope that you're all safe and sound after the hurricane.  The Library closed early yesterday, but has reopened today, albeit a little later than usual.  Please stay safe out there and I'll see you in just a couple of weeks for 11/22/63!

11/22/63 Reading Schedule

Since it's been almost 2 weeks since our meeting, almost everyone knows that our next book is 11/22/63 by Stephen King.  It's got time travel, assassinations, and a little bit of romance- what more could you ask for!

We'll be reading this book for the month of November.  Very timely, don't you think?  Our meeting will be Saturday, November 17th from 1-3pm in the Ladysmith Library Meeting Room.  I'll also be posting our review and discussion questions here on that same day (I promise).  Happy reading!

Watchers Review and Discussion Questions

Just in time for Halloween, Watchers by Dean Koontz is a very scary book!  I will readily admit to reading it only in the daylight after a few too many nightmares.  The review and discussion questions follow below. Beware of spoilers- muahahaha!  (Cheesy-yes, but Halloween appropriate!)

Reminder- Watchers on Saturday!

Einstein looks suspiciously like a hand puppet

Just wanted to send out a quick reminder that we'll be discussing Watchers in person and online THIS SATURDAY!  The meeting will be from 1-3pm at the Ladysmith Branch Library.  There will be lots of goodies and we hope to see you there- books like this are a little less scary in a crowd!

We've Got a New Look!

In an effort to make the blog easier to read and to keep things fresh, I've updated the look of the blog.  Please let me know if you like the new look and/or have suggestions to make the blog better!

Updates on Some of Our Previous Reads

Hey there!  A lot of our previous selections are in the news and I wanted to share some it with you.  If you like this kind of post and would like to see more of them, please let me know in the comments section below!

A Song of Ice and Fire

I know it hasn't been that long since we were talking about this series, but I'm going to talk about it some more.  First, if you aren't already addicted to Sporcle, I don't recommend going there because it will suck away any and all free time you have.  They have a section dedicated to ASoIaF quizzes- including one called "Taking the Black" in which you have to figure out all of the words to the oath of the Night's Watch.  I played it for weeks before I finally got them all.  Check out all the quizzes here.

Second, although we are a book club, I would be remiss not to talk about the hit TV show that this series has spawned.  The show, Game of Thrones, has been nominated for 11 Emmy awards, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister).  E! Online ranked the episode "Blackwater" as the #1 must see before the Emmys.  It is an amazing episode.  Don't forget to watch the Emmys on September 23rd at 7pm to root for the show and the Imp!

More updates below!

Our Next Book is...

Our next selection is Watchers by Dean Koontz.  It is rated among the best of all of Dean Koontz's books and horror novels in general.  It should get us all in the mood for Halloween.  Check out its GoodReads page here.  Our in-person meeting is set for Saturday, October 13th from 1-3pm at the Ladysmith Branch Library.  I'll be posting the final review for the book on that date as well.  Hope to see you there!

Millie's Fling Review and Discussion Questions

After the epic wordiness of the Song of Ice and Fire, it was great to get a break with something light, like Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell.  What follows below is a review of the book as well as some discussion questions.  Spoiler alert for anything you read below the break.

Reminder- Millie's Fling is Next Saturday!



One of the lovely beaches in Cornwall

 It's hard to believe that Labor Day is almost here!  Just a quick reminder that I'll be posting the review and discussion questions for Millie's Fling and we'll be having our in-person meeting NEXT SATURDAY, September 8th from 1-3pm.  There should be plenty of British goodies to eat and maybe a little birthday cake for our birthday girl!  I hope that everyone has a great holiday and see you next Saturday!

A Feast for Crows Review and Discussion Questions

http://g33kgirlz.com/2012/03/the-stark-family/

Again, there is no possible way I could review A Feast for Crows and do it justice so here are a few reviews that try.  As always, beware the spoilers.

UPDATED- Our Next Book Is...

After a bit of indecision, we've selected Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell as our book for September.  It will definitely be a much lighter read than A Song of Ice and Fire.  Check out it's GoodReads page here.  Our in-person meeting will be on Saturday, September 8th and I'll post our reading schedule some time later this week.  Happy reading!

UPDATE: Since this book seems to be a really short and fast read, I'm not going to do a reading schedule.  Instead, I'll just be posting a review and disscusion questions for the entire book on Saturday, September 8th to coincide with our in-person meeting.

Reminder- Saturday is our Meeting!

Don't forget that our in-person meeting to discuss George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is THIS Saturday, August 11th, from 1-3pm at the Ladysmith Branch Library!  Come in your house colors and feast with the whole realm!  There may or may not be a pie with a thousand live pigeons in it.  Hope to see you there!

A Storm of Swords Reviews and Discussion Questions

No one has complained about the way that we did the reviews last time so I'm going to stick with what worked.  Here are some good reviews I found online and the discussion questions follow.  As always, spoilers abound!

Looking Ahead- Our Selection for September

As I said earlier, it seems really early to be thinking about what book we'll read and discuss in September, but it'll be here before you know it.  So here are some suggestions on themes and books.  Links are to GoodReads lists that I think might be helpful.  Please, please, please add your own in the comments section below.

So last September, we went with a back-to-school theme, so that's where I'm kicking it off.

• Classics- Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, all the things we were supposed to read in high school
• Books from our Childhood- The Little House series, Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, etc.
• Twist on a Classic- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
• The Hunger Games- because nothing says back-to-school like teens trying to kill each other
• Something non-fiction

Not exactly in the back-to-school theme, but something we haven't read before- graphic novels.  There a ton of really good ones out there, and some are just as highly respected as a regular novel.

One last thing that September makes me think of- the return of fall tv shows.  We could go with a book that spawned a tv show or vis-versa.  Think the Heat Series (Castle), The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Temperance Brennan (Bones), etc.

Let me know what you think about these suggestions and please leave your own!

A Clash of Kings Review and Discussion Questions

Just one little tidbit of business before we get into A Clash of Kings.  I know it seems early to be talking about our book for September, but August 11th will get here sooner than you think.  Please be thinking about some titles and I'll have something posted by the end of the week.

I have been trying in vain to write a review for this book that wasn't a novel in and of itself.  So I've decided that I'm going to post links to some reviews that I think do a better job than I would ever do and then the discussion questions I've come up with.  Hopefully this works for everyone and please let me know what you think of this new format.  Some of the discussion questions and their answers may be a little bit spoilery so please continue reading after the break.

We're Going On a Field Trip!

Hi everyone!  It's time to start planning our field trip to see Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter!  So far, I haven't been able to pull up showtimes or anything like that, but it's probably a good idea for us to decide which theater we want to go to and what day we want to see it.  I've created two polls on the right for you to voice your opinion.  If you need to elaborate, add a different date or theater, or just make some sort of comment, feel free to do so in the comments section below.  Polls close at midnight on June 27th!

P.S. Is everyone else as ridiculously excited for this movie as I am?

A Game of Thrones Review and Discussion Questions

Just a few things to get out of the way before we get down to the nitty gritty.  First, if you haven't already seen it, there is an awesome cooking blog devoted to A Song of Ice and Fire called The Inn at the Crossroads.  They've even come out with the official cookbook!  Some of the recipes are really complicated, but it may give you some ideas for our meeting.

Speaking of meetings, so far it seems to be the general consensus that our in-person meeting will be Saturday, August 11th and that we'll get together June 29th or 30th to see our favorite president kick some vampire booty.  Please head over to the previous post to voice your opinions on the matter if you haven't already.

Now on to the review!  Spoiler alert as always!

A Song of Ice and Fire Reading Schedule

Before we get to the reading schedule, please take a minute to comment on this post as to your availability this summer.  I think we will probably stick to only one official meeting, but let me know if anyone wants to meet and when you'd be available during the summer.  Don't forget about our trip to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter- the movie comes out June 22nd, so please let me know when you'd be able to go as a group to the movies!

Since we are reading four books between now and August, the format for the reviews is going to be a little different this time.  I'm going to be reviewing each book we read as a whole instead of splitting it up into parts.  With the short time frame, I think this will work best for us; they'll be three weeks apart rather than every other day.  So here is our schedule!

• A Game of Thrones- June 9th
• A Clash of Kings- June 30th
• A Storm of Swords- July 21st
• A Feast for Crows- August 11th

Happy reading!

Fifty Shades of Grey Final Review

Our meeting on Saturday was a great success!  We had a blast and everyone was so creative with their food and apparel.  Thanks to everyone who came out to our meeting on Saturday, especially our three new members!

Here is our final review for Fifty Shades of Grey.  If you missed the first review, you can find it here.  As always, spoilers ahead.  Read at your own risk.

Winter is Coming... in the Middle of Summer!

Just a real quick little post before our meeting today.  Thanks to everyone who voted in our poll.  The people of Westeros have spoken and our Summer Reading Series will be....

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin!

There is one thing we need decide before we get reading- how many of the books are we going to read?  Currently, there are five books in the series.  The last one, A Dance with Dragons, is excluded because it's not yet available in paperback.  That leaves us with A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows.  Do we think that we can get through all four before we meet again?  Something to think about is that A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows are the same time period, just divided by points of view.  So technically, they can be thought of as one giant book.  However, if we read all four our page total will be 3,872 pages.  Let me know what your thoughts are and I'll post our decision along with the reading schedule next week after the in-person meeting.

Fifty Shades of Grey News and More!

Hello everyone!  Just wanted to remind you that today is the LAST day to vote for our summer reading series and that our in-person meeting for Fifty Shades of Grey is THIS Saturday!  We've got a lot of things going on right now, but I know we're all excited to talk about this book.

There's a lot of information out there about our current book club selection, so I thought I'd round it all up for you!  (More after the jump)

Fifty Shades of Grey Part 1 Review

If you will notice to your right, I've posted the poll for our summer reading series.  For some reason, it let me add more than four this time.  Don't ask me why.  You'll have until May 10th at 11:59pm to vote in the poll.

Below is the review of the first 249 pages of Fifty Shades of Grey.  With the last book, I was pretty specific with the review.  With this book, not so much.  Now- on to the review and beware of spoilers!

Looking Ahead- Summer Reading Series

Hopefully everyone is enjoying 50 Shades of Grey.  I know that we've just started reading it, but we already need to start looking at books for this summer.  Since the summer is a nearly impossible time to get together because of vacations, summer camps, etc., we'll be reading a short series or the first couple books of a series to cover us until August.  Of course, I'll be posting reviews along the way!

More after the break!

Fifty Shades of Grey Reading Schedule

As you all should have read, we'll be reading Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James as our May book club selection.  The in-person meeting for this book will be held at the Ladysmith Branch on Saturday, May 12th from 1 to 3pm.  Unfortunately, this doesn't give us much time to read and review the book.  So I'll be splitting the review into just 2 parts this time and posting them on the following days.

• Part 1- Chapters 1- 14 (pages 3-249)- May 2nd
• Part 2- Chapters 15- 26 (pages 250- 514)- May 12th

Happy Reading!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Part III and Final Review: President

Sorry for the delay.  Thanks to everyone who came out to the meeting in Ladysmith on Saturday.  We had a bloody good time!

This post contains the review for Part III of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and thoughts on the book as a whole.  If you haven't finished reading the book, read ahead at your own peril.

Our Next Book Is...

50 Shades of Grey
by E.L. James

This book is hugely popular right now, but it's definitely an adults only read.  I will post our reading schedule later next week, after the final review of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  It looks like the Goodreads page for this book has disappeared, so here is the link to it's Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Grey-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345803485/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334844634&sr=8-1

Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll.  Since the voting was so close, we might use some of these suggestions for future selections.  So if your favorite didn't win, don't worry- it may be back soon!

Reminders

Just a couple of quick reminders this week!

First, if you haven't done it already, tomorrow is the LAST day to vote for our book in May.  The poll to do so is just to the right of this post. The race is really tight. Your vote could make the difference!

Second, our time with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is coming to an end.  I will be posting the final review and discussion questions this Saturday at 1pm.  This coincides with our in-person meeting at the Ladysmith Branch.  If you can make it, please come out and join us for discussion and lots of really great food!  We'll be meeting in the meeting room from 1 - 3 pm.  Hope to see you there!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Part II Review: Vampire Hunter

Just like the last post, if you haven't already read Part II, be warned.  Spoilers ahead.

New Trailer for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

If you've seen The Hunger Games in theaters, then you may have seen this new trailer for our book- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  It's got a lot more action than the last trailer and it makes me so excited for the movie to come out.  Enjoy!

Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter Part I Review: Boy

As this review will discuss plot points in the first part of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, there is a big, ol' Spoiler Alert on the following blog post.  If you haven't finished reading this section, you continue at your own peril.  If you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading here and watch the trailer for the movie version of AL:VH.

Looking Ahead- Now It's Time to Vote!

We've gotten a lot of good suggestions for our May book selection, so now it's time to vote!  Below is a link to each of the books that have been suggested and a brief blurb about them.  After you decide which book(s) you like best, vote for them on the poll in the right sidebar.  The poll will close Wednesday, April 18th and we will still accept suggestions until the very end.

50 Shades of Grey- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13509140-50-shades-of-grey
This book has recently become hugely popular.  More than a little racy, it seems to be the kind of book that people either love or hate.  This is definitely an adult book.

Dry Grass of August- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9429531-the-dry-grass-of-august
The story of a thirteen year old, Jubie, and her trip to Florida with her family and black maid, Mary Luther during the 1950's.  It deals with issues of race and segregation and growing up.

Good Omens- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12067.Good_Omens
A humorous take on the Apocalypse, written by two of the greatest fantasy writers of our time. 

Year of Wonders- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4965.Year_of_Wonders
Based on an actual village in England, this book tells the story of Anna, who faces death and love in the time of the Black Plague.

Looking Ahead- May's Book Selection

Hello everyone!  Hope that you're enjoying Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter so far!  Don't forget that we'll be discussing Part I next Tuesday here on the blog!

I know we've just started reading AL:VH, but the book club needs to pick a book for May already!  The time really is flying by, especially with all this nice weather we've been having.  Since the books we discuss are picked by you, the book club members, I need your suggestions on what you want to read next.  Please leave your suggestions in the comment box below and next week, I'll post the list of suggestions with links to their GoodReads page and a poll for you to vote on your favorite.  You'll be able to vote for more than one book, but please only vote once!  Here are some things to keep in mind when you're thinking of suggestions:

• Please only suggest books that are in print and available in paperback.
• Although this is a book club primarily for adults, please do not suggest books with offensive or obscene content.
• The book club is open to all genres, so don't be afraid to suggest a mystery, non-fiction, or any other kind of book!
• Literary reviews and reading guides should be readily available.

Our First Book- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter



Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln,_Vampire_Hunter

 The first Virtual Book Club selection is Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  Grahame-Smith first burst on to the literary scene with his re-write of a classic Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  The re-writes continue as he takes on the subject of our 16th president, but with the addition of vampires instead.  Equal parts humor and history and about to become a major motion picture, it will be a great first pick for our book club!

Since the book is already divided into three sections, we'll be using them as natural divisions for our reading schedule.  I'll be posting the reviews for each section on the following days:

• Part I: Boy (Chapters 1-4)- March 27th
• Part II: Vampire Hunter (Chapters 5-9)- April 10th
• Part III: President and the book as a whole- April 21st

April 21st is also the date of the in-person meeting if anyone would like to attend.  We'll be meeting in the meeting room of the Ladysmith branch from 1 to 3pm.

Happy reading!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Caroline Library Virtual Book Club!  Patrons of all Caroline Library branches are encouraged to join, as well as any other county residents interested in reading and discussing books in an online setting.  There is also an in-person meeting at the Ladysmith branch for anyone who is interested.

Each month, the members will choose a book to read.  As the month progresses, we will post reviews of a section of the book.  We hope that you will elaborate on the reviews by posting your own review, opinions, and comments on the book in the space provided.  Don't worry if you finish a section after it's reviewed- you can comment on the post for the current section or go back to the previous post to comment on that section.  We do ask, however,  that you keep all comments polite and appropriate.  Once the in-person meeting has occurred, we'll post our final review of the book.

We hope that this virtual book will be a new way to experience what the Library has to offer and open you up to some new titles and genres.  We hope that you will join us and enjoy the Caroline Library Virtual Book Club!