It’s FRIDAY and it’s also the 22nd which means…
…it’s time for BOOK CLUB #11!
I always love when WE CHAT BOOKS!!
Okay, today’s Book Club is extra special because it’s the final one for 2024.
I decided not to have a Book Club “meeting” in December so that we can focus on #alltheotherdecemberthings without the pressure of reading a book. I don’t know about you, but I have loved Book Club this year! I was so hesitant to do this, but thanks to your prompting, I went for it, and it has just really been one of my blogging highlights of 2024. Thank YOU to everyone who participated this year. I don’t know about you, but because of this little “club”, I read books this year that I never would have otherwise. This was truly such a blessing to me.
Before we get to our 11th and final Book Club of the year, let’s recap what we’ve read in 2024 together…
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Before we get to today’s book, let’s revisit the “rules” of Shay’s Book Club:
Here are the details:
1: On the 22nd of each month, I will share a BONUS blog post that is only about the book we read together that month. So, if it falls on a weekend, look for it that day, if it falls on a Tuesday, expect a food post, a normal lifestyle post AND third post just for the book review discussion.
2: I picked the 22nd because I want this post to come out BEFORE our normal monthly BOOK REVIEW POSTS. I will still share my normal monthly book reviews (where I average 4 to 6 books a month) at the end of each month. I will reference said “book of the month”, but I will not be reviewing it on that post, I will be linking back to the BOOK CLUB POST. Why? Because I want all of the content about the one specific book club book in one spot instead of spread out over multiple spots.
3: Each month at the end of the Book Club blog post, I will share what the book will be for the following month. This will give everyone one month to read this one particular book.
4: Let’s be real, I’m going to try to pick new/popular/relevant books every month, but I’m also going to pick books that speak to me. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share them with me. I’m going to *try* and make the books different genres each month. I would love for us to read a variety of fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, chick lit, thrillers, etc this year. That’s the *goal*.
5: What are the rules of the book club? I know a lot of book clubs have rules and perhaps I’ll add some as we go, but basically, if you want to read along with us, we’d love to have you and on the 22nd we’ll dive a little deeper in the comment section here about that one particular book. Easy as that! That post is the one place where we’ll discuss the book so that all thoughts/opinions/questions/etc can be in one location.
6: In this blog post and in the comment section, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING SPOILERS. If you are interested in reading this book, you might not want to read below this line. In NOVEMBER’S BOOK REVIEW later this month, I will give a quick recap and let you know if I recommend the book or not, so if you haven’t read it, you might want to wait until that official BOOK REVIEW because there will be no spoilers and based on that, you can decide whether or not to read the book. Anything below this though will include spoilers as everyone commenting here has already read the book.
Make sense?
Here we go!
This month’s novel was…
…Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout.
Okay, so yeah…I didn’t love this one. I hate ending our amazing year together in Book Club on a low note, but this novel just wasn’t my fave.
Was it terrible? No. Was it forgettable? Yes.
I just now went back to my notes to remind myself about it as time has passed and honestly, I just didn’t love it enough to retain all that much.
Here are my quick thoughts:
1: I felt bad for Diana. I just thought that whole storyline from beginning to end (especially the end) was so sad. She was a victim and obviously had dealt with this trauma her entire life, so even though that probably doesn’t justify killing her mother, her suicide at the end just seemed extra tragic. I wish the book had ended with her getting help. She needed help.
2: There were just too many characters. Way too many…and I really didn’t care about most of them.
3: It took me a long time to realize Bob was the “main” character. I don’t know? I just couldn’t quite figure out who this book was about, and then about a quarter of the way through I realized that amidst 598 characters, Bob was apparently going to be our lead.
4: I thought Bob’s relationship with basically everyone was also odd…but especially his relationship with Lucy. Um, you’re married Bob. Go walk with your wife instead.
I think the main theme of this one (but please correct me if I’m wrong as I was clearly not that engaged) was that there is a big difference between being broken and being evil…which is why I wish Diana would have been saved at the end.
Agh, I just didn’t like this one. If I’m wrong, I’m sure you’ll tell me. This was the first time I’ve read a book by this author, so if I need to read another one, please tell me that too!!
That’s it for Book Club #11!
We will meet again for Book Club on January 22nd! I will announce that book (I haven’t quite decided on one yet) on my DECEMBER BOOK REVIEW at the end of the year. In the meantime, I actually read some amazing books in November, so stay tuned for those recs in my NOVEMBER BOOK REVIEW next week.
Please head to the comment section to share your thoughts on this one!
Have the best weekend, friends! xx
Kristen Thompson says
I’d give this book 1 star so I don’t think it’s just you. I hate to be negative but ugh this one was just BORING! I literally just wanted to be done with it from the first chapter. I kept waiting for the actual story to start. Way too many characters to keep up with, and I felt like there was zero point. I didn’t feel like anyone was likable, I didnt really understand the point of Lucy’s stories and also she was a pretty awful story teller for an author. My mom said she felt like she got dumber from reading it haha. She said she felt like it was written with the assumption that you didn’t understand how to follow a story if that makes any sense? If this was not a book club book I probably wouldn’t have bothered finishing it! Gosh I hate to be so negative, I just really did not like this one!
Mix and Match Mama says
I would not have finished it either if it hadn’t have been our Book Club read. And I lol at your Lucy comment because yeah, I didn’t get it AT ALL!
Cindi says
I didn’t finish it! I went back to the beginning after reading 20 pages or so, thinking I missed something. I didn’t, it was just a bunch of characters and it was boring. After reading your review, I’m not going to finish it. On to some Christmas books, until January’s book!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
DK says
Surprised you gave it only 2 stars and curious if you would enjoy Olive Kitteridge, the author’s Pulitzer Prize winner. I started with that one and loved it. This books isn’t as good but still enjoyed it. Maybe familiarity with the characters makes a difference, and it doesn’t read as well as a stand alone novel?
Yolanda McLean says
I loved Olive Kitteridge, but didn’t love this book. I hope others would give Olive a chance even if they didn’t love this book.
Susan Jeffries says
Book Club is one of the best things of each month!! I love following along with your club and enjoy discovering new books each month! I created a local book club with a friend of mine 4 years ago and we meet once a month! We do book cart donations, blanket donations, give aways, and we met each month to share 2 book selections, food, and great company! It is my favorite day of the month. Thanks for encouraging us all to read!
Mix and Match Mama says
Yay! I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed Book Club too!! I cannot wait to do it again next year. Happy Friday, Susan! xx
Kimberly M. says
Hi Shay!
Personally I LOVED this one but I totally get it! Strout is an author who has a very unique cadence and form to her writing and it takes some getting used to (I didn’t like the first book I read by her either). But, I would urge you to give her another try maybe? I have found myself connecting with the simplicity of her writing more and more. I like how her writing is simple but somehow captures a ton of emotion without spelling it out exactly. I find myself nostalgic (in a good way) when I read her books! I agree though lots of characters to keep up with. One I might look into is an older book of hers called Olive Kitteridge- she’s in this book and Strout tends to keep her characters showing up and you feel like you are literally aging with them! I hope you decide to do the Book Club again in 2025! I have loved it! Happy Thanksgiving to your beautiful fam!!
Laura says
Have to say that I am disappointed that there isn’t a December book. I have enjoyed this so much and now it means I have to find my own holiday read! LOL. Also, I think that you would have enjoyed this book much more if you had read any of the others in the “series”. While I do think it can be read as a stand alone, it makes a lot more sense and you are more invested in the characters if you had met them before. I highly recommend reading Olive Kittredge as it was a great book. I enjoyed Olive, Again as well! Olive is a really interesting character!
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank YOU for the rec!!
Sara says
I didn’t like this one at all; I don’t like this style of writing. When I added it to my Goodreads, I realized I had read another by the author and didn’t like it either.
Here’s to a fresh book start in 2025!
Mix and Match Mama says
The writing style was very odd. I completely agree!
Kristin says
I love Strout’s Olive Kitteridge books, and I HATE her Lucy Barton books, so I have avoided this one. I HATE the way she write’s Lucy’s voice/thoughts and reading her books makes me very crabby. Olive also has a very distinctive voice, but for some reason, after a slow start with her first book, I did end up loving Olive and the books about her. Thanks for convincing me to definitely NOT read this one!
Kay says
I have never read anything by this author, but I have heard of her! I totally understand why you and others may have found it slow. But I actually loved this book so much! For me, the main takeaway was that the little conversations we have with those close to us, whether neighbors, relatives, or people we just interact with, are what makes a life. In a world that’s so divided right now, I really appreciated that subtle message. As in, we can disagree with neighbors or friends but let’s keep talking. Let’s be kind to people. Let’s hear people out even when we don’t agree with them. Let’s make an effort to visit an elderly neighbor who is lonely, or a friend who is hurting. Sometimes you feel like you have to have the “right” thing to say. But actually, just sitting with someone who is feeling down can make all the difference In their day!
I agree that Lucy-Bob was a bit, unsettling? I also felt like you did…talk to your wife!
I have absolutely loved your book club! I haven’t been in a book club in a long time as I’m so selective about what I read. But you and I have such similar taste that I just knew I would love your picks-and I really did! Thank you for putting the time and effort into this club. It brought me so much happiness and I’m excited to do it again next year.
Oh, and I agree with others that now I’m at a loss for what to read in December!! We need your next book review! Or give us a hint in the comments section!
Debbie Alsip says
I had a good reading experience with this book, but I would rate it three stars for its heaviness. Strout writes books that focus on character development. Bob progressed as a person and husband throughout the book. He rediscovered his attraction to his wife and helped other characters by simply showing up for him. Strout creates real and messy characters that represent people I see every day. Some times we wonder why people think and behave the way they do. I think Strout does a good job of portraying the whole character; we learn why Bob is full of self- doubt when she references that Bob was blamed nearly his whole life for causing his dad’s death, even though he was not responsible for it.
Corey Lincoln says
Taking this off hold at the library immediate. Ha!
Mix and Match Mama says
I support that 😉 .
Yolanda McLean says
Great decision!
Sarah says
I agree with you! There were way too many characters and I didn’t really care about any of them. The storylines were all pretty boring. Looking forward to your January pick!
Charlotte Place says
I really liked this book. I, personally, like the author’s writing style. As for who the book is about, the very first line in the book is, “This is the story of Bob Burgess…” That whole first paragraph tells us about Bob being the main character. Granted, there are a whole lot of characters. But I found their stories interesting and real. I don’t know, maybe it’s because I fall right in the age range of most of the characters that the book resonated with me? But isn’t that the very best thing about books and reading…we may not all agree on WHAT we like to read, but we can all agree that we DO love to read, and we love the variety of books & authors to choose from!
Jessica says
Not gonna lie, I got 1/3 of the way through and abandoned ship. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t follow it, I couldn’t relate to anyone, probably because I couldn’t keep track of them.
Looking forward to January’s Book!
Elizabeth Henry says
THANK YOU for having Book Club this year! I have looked forward to all of your picks and then for the 22nd to come! I can’t wait for the January pick. Frozen River is my #1 book in 2024 (I have recommended to SO MANY PEOPLE) and would not have picked it up if you had not put it in Book Club. Thank you for all that you bring to your community!
Kelli says
I’ve so enjoyed Book Club this year! It helped me get back into reading by not wasting time looking for what to read next… I often spend more time researching what to read next than actually reading! Jodi Piccoult’s book was the only DNF for me. The Frozen River was the best of this list, although All the Colors of the Dark was the best book of the year for me (so far). Looking forward to seeing what January’s book will be! Merry Christmas!
heather henderson says
Shay, you hit the nail on the head with your review. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what I disliked. You did it! I know she’s a Pulitzer Prize winner but that doesn’t mean she appeals to everyone.
Thank you for book club. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to next year.
S Steckler says
This book was not a favourite read, although it felt relatable in that it was just stories about people’s lives be it beautiful or ugly, complicated or simple. There are a few little gems that I will hold with me: the difference between being broken and being evil (as you mentioned), the part about love always being love even in all it’s different forms, struggles and growth are just part of life for everyone, and kindness and relationship can have a more profound effect on people than we often know.
Have looked forward to the 22nd every month and enjoyed reading some new authors and books I wouldn’t have chosen on my own!
K.K. says
Shay!!! Thanks so much for doing this Book Club.
Overall, I wasn’t a huge fan of this book either. The one redeeming thing about it for me was that I was very happy to find that Bob and Lucy never engaged in a physical relationship. I felt like they teased it and toyed with that possibility so much, and there’s a part of all of us I think that want people who love each other to be together. I was so encouraged that they didn’t. And that it showed that people can go on and have very happy lives, even resisting emotional affairs. Never been involved in anything like that, but I was glad that my own emotional response to them not becoming a couple was relief. Hopefully that makes sense. I wish they wouldn’t have flirted with boundaries, but I’m so glad the author showed it wasn’t worth it.
Mix and Match Mama says
I agree!
Michelle H says
I didn’t care for this book. Starting from the first chapter there were too many characters and it didn’t stop there. Since this was a book series and this was the last book out of 5 maybe it would have been different if we had read the first 4 books. But overall I didn’t like it. Can’t wait to see what January brings.
S says
I too was underwhelmed with the storyline(s), way too many characters etc. It was so boring for me that I went to Goodreads to see how many stars it had after I finished and it had 4.2 stars which totally shocked me. I couldn’t think about a main theme as it drug on and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Book club has been so fun this year & I too read books I wouldn’t normally have picked up! Thank you!
~B~ says
I’ve been anxiously awaiting 11/22 as I so wanted to know what you and others thought. It wasn’t just you. I kept waiting for the story to start. Or wondered if I missed something as I was listening on Audible and thought maybe I somehow skipped ahead, or had missed a key component. Then I tried to “dive deep” and look into it from a more meaningful approach, as in how our lives connect with others, how everyone has a story and what meaning can we find in that. Even though I could find some of that, the character jumping made that a difficult.
My commute is anywhere from 50-60 minutes and listening to books on Audible (and podcasts, so enjoyed you and Erika’s!) is how I make that commute work. However, one thing I have found is…I am so swayed by the voice of the person reading the book. And for this one…the voice either reminded me too much of someone I know or just didn’t work for me. I forged ahead as I wanted to complete it, but I’d go 2 stars here also. I will say this – it was a different direction from the books I have been reading, so that I did appreciate. Thanks, Shay!
Martina Ingemarsson says
Didnt read the book yet …. Waiting for my sister to send me her copy… interesting to see how I like it… I am also more of an Olive Kitteridge fan.
Just wanted to say a big thank you for doing book club this year, so enjoyed it 😊
Jennifer S says
This was a one star for me. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author, and I just didn’t care for it or the style of writing at all. I found myself thinking that I usually love your book recs, but then I remembered you’re reading these selections for the first time also. On to Christmas books now! Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!
Christina says
I very much agree with your review. I actually abandoned ship around chapter 8. I just couldn’t get into it and life is busy, so I moved on. My first DNF of book club. Thank you for hosting the book club! I look forward to this every month and appreciate the participation in this group. Looking forward to January!
I actually read your monthly book review at the same time as this one and am happy that I was able to get 2 recommendations from that list for December. The Love & Respect book is on Kindle Unlimited incase anyone else might be interested!
Yolanda McLean says
I found this book very boring. I listened to the audio version and I hated the whole thing. I really enjoyed Olive Kitteridge a lot but this one didn’t land well with me at all. I thought about not finishing it but I trudged through at over 2x the speed to get through it.
I have so enjoyed book club this year and I look forward to your January pick.