Category: Bookclub Reviews

Book Club Review: “The Bletchley Riddle”

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Book: “The Bletchley Riddle” by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin

Publishing Info: Viking Books for Young Readers, October 2024

Where Did We Get This Book: The Library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act…

Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi’s Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.

The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother’s disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues which unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept?

Serena’s Thoughts

Other than the fact that this is a middle grade novel (I don’t tend to love reading this genre as an adult, which honestly makes me a bit sad!), this book was right up my alley! I enjoy both historical fiction as well as mysteries, and both are done so well in this story. I was also a big fan of the code-breaking and puzzle aspects. I enjoyed trying to put things together myself, but also was happy to simply follow along with the characters as they pieced it all together and then explained it to me later.

I have a long record on this blog of complaining about poorly executed alternating POVs, but this was a good example of how to do this right. One of my biggest complaints is that authors often have a hard time writing multiple characters in ways that make them feel distinct. This story was well suited for this, however, focusing on a pair of siblings, an older teenage brother and his younger middle grade sister. Between the age and gender differences, they both felt very distinct. It was also great following their different experiences with Bletchley Park and the roles they took on there.

I also thought many of the side characters were very good, and I appreciated the way the authors managed to weave in real-world historical figures throughout the text. It would have been nearly impossible to not include these figures, but there’s always the danger, when writing fiction, that any real-life characters won’t blend well with their fictional counterparts. Not the case here! I think both authors well understood the truth in the saying “a little goes a long way” in this area.

Overall, this was a great middle grade read! Not being a middle grade reader myself, I may not have enjoyed it as much as the target audience, but this would be an easy book to recommend to large swaths of younger readers!

Kate’s Thoughts

I too am not much of a middle grade reader unless the topic is VERY interesting to me, but I have loved basically every book I’ve read by Ruth Sepetys so I had pretty high hopes for this one. Middle grade or not. And I also find books about World War II’s ally home fronts interesting in general, especially for places like Britain that were dealing with the constant fear of invasion. And finally, I had some vague knowledge about Bletchley Park thanks to stories about Alan Turing, as well as the miniseries “The Bletchley Circle”. All of that combined to make this a potentially good match for me, and overall it was.

Now I’m not super good at codes and puzzles, but I really enjoyed the way that the authors not only explained the importance of Bletchley Park and the goals that it had, it also gives really accessible examples of codes and ciphers to contextualize what kind of work they were doing (and how daunting the Enigma Machine was even for the most skilled of code breakers). Similarly to how she writes historical fiction books for teens, Supetys really has a skill for bringing out the most interesting and sometimes complex topics and parsing out that information for her audience, this one being middle grade. I also liked how she not only touched on the British code breakers through Jakob’s work (and the important work of messengers like Lizzie, who could be young teens!), but also the code work that more in the thick of it countries were doing, like Poland.

I also generally enjoyed the sibling relationship between Jakob and Lizzie, who butt heads sometimes but always have each other’s backs even in the most stressful of times. We have not only the stress of being at Bletchley, the stress of being in a place that could be bombed at any time, AND the question of where their espionage adjacent mother is, who disappeared in Poland and who Lizzie is convinced in still alive (while British intelligence is convinced she is a traitor). Watching them not only try to figure out how they can help in any way they can at Bletchley but ALSO try and hold on without knowing where their mother is was at times emotional, and both Sepetys and Sheinkin bring their talents together to create an informative and gripping family story.

I found “The Bletchley Riddle” to be a well done World War II read that history buffs of ANY age may like!

Serena’s Rating 8: A great balance of historical facts and exciting adventure, perfect for any middle grade or young adult readers who are interested in learning more about the lesser-known parts of WWII.

Kate’s Rating 8: An accessible and entertaining historical fiction for kids about code breaking, World War II, and siblings fighting against Nazis and surviving a war in more ways than one.

Book Club Questions

  1. How familiar were you with the history of Bletchley Park before reading this book?
  2. Did the setting of World War II London ring true for you?
  3. We follow the Novis siblings, Lizzie and Jacob, with their voices alternating between chapters. Did you find these two characters voices different enough as you read the book? Did you like one perspective more than another?
  4. What did you think about the friendships in this book?
  5. How did you like the inclusion of real life figures like Alan Turing? Did it feel like it fit, or did it feel distracting?
  6. What were your thoughts on the mystery Willa Novis and her disappearance? What about the code mysteries?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Bletchley Riddle” is included on the Goodreads lists “World War Two England”, and “Books Set in Bletchley Park”.

Next Book Club Pick: “The Hacienda” by Isabel Cañas

Book Club Review: “My Best Friend’s Exorcism”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling genres from a hatch and matching them together in one book. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” by Grady Hendrix

Publishing Info: Quirk Books, May 2016

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate owns it

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Mix-and-Match Genres: Horror and Humor

Book Description: Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties, and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act….different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

Kate’s Thoughts

This was a re-read for me, and I was VERY curious to see how book club would like it given that I’m one of the few people who likes horror in our group. Well, it wasn’t a favorite, but it gave me an excuse to go on long diatribes about possession horror and demon horror and how its heydays line up with times of religious anxiety in this country, whether it’s Satanic Panic or the implementation of Vatican II or countless other examples. So, I had a fun time re-reading it and going into a TED talk for all of my oh so patient friends.

Me going on about Vatican II, the Warrens, and how the book version of “The Exorcist” was basically saying Reagan was taken over by a demon because Blatty wanted the world to know her Mom was a WHORE BECAUSE SHE WAS DIVORCED! (source)

This was a re-read for me, as I originally read it back in 2016 when it first came out, and it was fun to go back to it for a few reasons. For one, I still enjoy the story, and think that it’s a really enjoyable deconstruction of the possession trope by making the hero of the day not a religious authority, but a teenage girl who loves her best friend and wants to help her. I also still enjoy how Hendrix can capture the voice of teen girl characters, and how he made interesting comparisons between demons being cruel and teenage girls doing the same. And the 80s aesthetic is still fun (these days it may be a bit more played out than it was nine years ago). But it’s also interesting because after a re-read I realized that “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” probably isn’t my favorite Hendrix novel anymore even though up until my re-read I thought that it was. It’s still fun! It’s also very much a Gen X white guy fumbling some themes, but it’s also interesting because I noticed this because of the growth we’ve seen in his stories when it comes to these things. And it still has some truly scary beats while also being a bit bubblegum and joyful. It’s still a fun read.

“My Best Friend’s Exorcism” was a fun choice for book club that fostered a fair amount of conversation in our group.

Kate’s Rating 8: A fun re-read that still does a solid deconstruction of the possession trope with the power of female friendship at the forefront.

Book Club Questions

  1. How does this book compare to other demonic possession stories you have read or seen?
  2. What did you think of Gretchen and Abby’s friendship in the way it was written? Did it feel like a realistic teen girl relationship?
  3. Did the time period of the 1980s and the references bolster the story up, or did you find it to be a hindrance to the story overall?
  4. Hendrix has said that he rooted this story in the time of his youth. What do you think this story would look like if it had been set in a different time period?
  5. This book was picked because of the prompts horror and humor. What parts stood out as scariest to you? What parts did you find funny?
  6. Who would you recommend this book to?

Reader’s Advisory

“My Best Friend’s Exorcism” is included on the Goodreads lists “80s Flashback (Current Books with 1980s Settings)”, and “Horror With Retro Vibes”.

Next Book Club Pick: “The Bletchley Riddle” by Ruta Sepetys & Steven Sheinkin

Book Club Review: “Someplace Generous”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling genres from a hatch and matching them together in one book. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Someplace Generous: A Romance Anthology” edited by Elaina Ellis and Amber Flame

Publishing Info: Generous Press, May 2024

Where Did We Get This Book: the library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Mix-and-Match Genres: Romance and Short Stories

Book Description: In these pages, desire is centered and explored through queer, trans, Black, AAPI, Latinx, Jewish, disabled, and neurodivergent lenses, and the ages of authors and characters span generations.

The brilliant authors herein have spun lush, poetic tales featuring characters and perspectives historically excluded from romance narratives. Through a variety of styles, lengths, and subgenres–ranging from flash-fiction to short stories, speculative to satire to romcom–there is something here for every kind of reader.

Two Modern Orthodox Jewish women cross a magical threshold on the holiday of Shavuot. A Chinese American grandmother in a nursing home plays matchmaker, just in time for the Lunar New Year. A nonbinary sexworker with psychic abilities helps an older woman connect with her long-lost lover. Two disabled young adults find new levels of intimacy as they work to overcome shame. An enslaved couple jumps the broom and can see the future, which is freedom.

The lovers in Someplace Generous–whether they are sapphic vampires or undercover super-heroes, teenagers, or middle-aged mamas–choose each other, and along the way, they choose themselves, too.

Featuring twenty-two stories by twenty-two authors, Someplace Generous presents voices largely new to the genre of romance-fiction, each bringing a fresh take on what it means to tell a love story.

Kate’s Thoughts

I’ve had a generally okay run of short stories and anthology collections in recent years, so much so that I am not nearly as hesitant to pick them up as I had been in the past. And when book club picked “Someplace Generous” for a romance short stories collection I was actually kind of optimistic. I really liked the idea of a romance short stories collection that had a focus on diverse and own voices reads, as for so long romance was a genre that could have fairly narrow focuses when it came to story and characters (many genres really). So I was hopeful! Unfortunately, this one was disappointing.

There were a couple stories that I did like! I especially liked “How To Open A Door” by Sammy Taub, which centers on a gamer dealing with PTSD after a not so specified ‘incident’ who finds connections online through RPGs. She eventually connects with Hax, a fellow gamer, and they start to build a romantic bond. This one was sweet and I liked the progression of their relationship. Another standout was “Runner” by Rachel McKibbons, in which a woman obsessed and hyperfocused on true crime (specifically women disappearing) starts up an interaction with a stranger. There was just something really intimate to me about this story, and I found it to be soft and quietly bittersweet. There were a couple others that worked for me too, like a story about a seance with a psychic sex worker and a grieving widow, and a forbidden romance between two Orthodox Jewish women.

But there are a LOT of stories in this collection, and a lot of them didn’t connect with me at all. I think that one problem was that there were a lot of entries of ‘flash fiction’, which makes for VERY short stories with little time with the characters. This can be done successfully for sure, but it’s hard to pull off and in many cases the authors didn’t pull it off here. And even some of the longer stories felt half thought out and not really well explored, and I found my thoughts wandering while I was listening more than I was hoping for.

It’s a really good concept and an important imprint to be sure, but “Someplace Generous” was overall a miss of a short stories collection in my opinion.

Serena’s Thoughts

I second everything Kate said. Similar to her experience, I’ve had some recent successes with short story collections, which have shifted my generally pessimistic views more toward the positive. Plus, who doesn’t want more romance in the world? But this was a definite example of ambition outpacing talent, perhaps both on the editing and the writing side.

Like Kate said, there were certainly some standout pieces that I did enjoy (often these ended up being the longer ones, which speaks to an important point about the balancing act that must be struck in word count when writing a short story). The handful that I enjoyed were better able to capture a true sense of character—a necessity, particularly in the romance genre, as the characters and the relationships between them usually make up the majority of whatever plot there is.

However, the vast majority of these simply didn’t work for me. Many of them felt like ideas instead of actual stories. Kate mentioned the “flash fiction” entries, and these ones were true sticking points for me as well. I’ve only ever seen “flash fiction” work in fanfiction, and that comes down to the crucial point that readers go into the story already knowing everything there is to know about the world, characters, and their relationships. Here, we were given single-page-length stories where I was left feeling as if I’d read the writing prompt handed out to students at a college writing seminar instead of an actual story.

Beyond that, several of the stories simply didn’t have anything to say and weren’t very well written. I understand that the editors set out a bit of a tightrope before themselves: with a title like Something Generous, the concept of telling prospective authors to go back to the drawing board or simply, “No, we won’t be including that story,” has to be incredibly difficult. But, as they say, that’s why the editors get paid the big bucks (I know they don’t! And editors are criminally underpaid, but my point stands that the role comes with a lot of responsibility, and some of that is making the tough choices and having to deliver unwelcome news). All in all, this collection would have been better served had the number of stories been substantially cut down, allowing the gems to truly shine.

Kate’s Rating 5 : I love the concept and a couple of the stories did work for me, but too much flash fiction, and too many half baked stories made for an overall weaker collection.

Serena’s Rating 5: The only thing I really liked about this was the idea behind it, unfortunately, and the collection as a whole would have been better served with more judicious selection.

Book Club Questions

  1. What was your favorite story in this collection?
  2. What other kinds of themed story collections have you read over the years? Do you prefer a theme, or do you like a collection by a single author more?
  3. Are you familiar with the story telling structure of flash fiction, which is used a fair amount in this novel? What were your thoughts on it in this collection of short stories?
  4. Were you familiar with any of the authors in this book? Do you think you would read more stories by any of them?
  5. Who would you recommend this book to?

Reader’s Advisory

“Someplace Generous” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Romance Anthologies/Collections.

Next Book Club Pick: “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” by Grady Hendrix

Book Club Review: “Redshirts”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling genres from a hatch and matching them together in one book. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Redshirts” by John Scalzi

Publishing Info: Tor Books, June 2012

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate owns it;

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Mix-and-Match Genres: Science Fiction and Humor

Book Description: Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that:
(1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces
(2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations
(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

Kate’s Thoughts

I’m the one who pulled the two genres for this book, and while my immediate reaction was ‘oh no Science Fiction?!’, my second reaction was ‘oh that’s easy, I’ll pick “Redshirts”!’ When thinking of these two genres combined it was an easy conclusion, as it’s been touted as one of the funniest Sci-Fi novels of the past couple of decades. While I hadn’t read it, my husband has a copy (signed by John Scalzi, no less, with a very hilarious inscription), so it just seemed like a good excuse to pick up the book he had been so keen on ten years ago. Plus, I love “Star Trek”. It seemed like a no brainer.

And for the most part I enjoyed it! It is definitely very funny with its tongue planted firmly in cheek, and it was so fun seeing the references and winks about not only “Star Trek” but also cruddy cable or syndicated Sci-Fi shows that tried to desperately to be it. I enjoyed the hilarious ways that Dahl and the other more ‘expendable’ crew members would be put in ludicrous situations with ludicrous outcomes, and enjoyed the parodying of the more ‘important’ crew members and how absolutely insufferable they are with their plot armor. But what I really enjoyed about this book was when our ‘space crew’ came to the real world to confront their makers, as not only did it feel like a cute reference to “Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home” (my very FAVORITE “Trek” film), but it also turns into an interesting rumination on the way that characters can feel like they come to life and go their own way beyond their creators controls. And I also really liked the three separate codas at the end, each representing the first, second, and third person perspectives, and how they managed to add to the story but didn’t feel superfluous in spite of the fact they were kind of tangental.

“Redshirts” was fun!! I’m glad that I finally picked it up.

Serena’s Thoughts

I was super excited when Kate picked this book! It’s been on my TBR list for forever, but for whatever reason, I’d never gotten around to it. And I really have no excuse; not only do I enjoy science fiction in general, but I also really love “Star Trek.” And boy did this book not disappoint!

While I think many of the sci-fi tropes being touched on would be easily recognizable to most general fans, this is definitely one of those parodies that is better appreciated the more knowledge of “Star Trek” you have. On top of the titular commentary of the “redshirts” who were only ever there to die terribly while the main cast sailed through the plot, there were also so many fun little references scattered throughout. And, like Kate referenced, it was particularly fun having the main plot call back to “Voyage Home,” one of the most popular of the films.

The humor and parody is central to the plot, and this was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was laugh-out-loud funny consistently throughout, but if you go in looking for much of the deeper commentary or more layered dynamics often found in science fiction, you won’t really find that here. I enjoyed the characters and the story itself, but, other than the comedy itself, nothing was particularly memorable. But I think for a book like this, that works fine! This is a fairly straight-forward story focused on sending up a beloved science fiction franchise, with all the love and ridicule it can muster!

Kate’s Rating 8: A fun and funny send up and love letter to “Star Trek” and campy Sci-Fi TV, as well as an interesting exploration of art and creation.

Serena’s Rating 8: A rollicking good time that will be especially gratifying for all of the “Ster Trek” fans out there!

Book Club Questions

  1. This book has been referred to as post-modern Science Fiction as well as meta fiction Science Fiction. Have you read any meta books before, Sci-Fi or otherwise?
  2. This book takes a lot of inspiration (and is a lovely send up of) “Star Trek”. If you have watched “Star Trek” did you enjoy this book? If not, did it still work for you even without the frame of reference?
  3. The original title of this book was “Redshirts: A Book With Three Codas”. Which of the three codas was your favorite?
  4. What do you think this book was saying about fate and free will?
  5. What do you think that John Scalzi as a writer was trying to convey about writing as an art form?
  6. One of the biggest praises of this book is the humor. What moment stood out as funniest to you?

Reader’s Advisory

“Redshirts” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best Comedic Science Fiction Books”, and “Humorous Space Opera”.

Next Book Club Pick: “Someplace Generous: An Inclusive Romance Anthology” by Elaina Ellis (Ed.) & Amber Flame (Ed.)

Book Club Review: “Starling House”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling genres from a hatch and matching them together in one book. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow

Publishing Info: Tor Books, October 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: We own it!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Mix-and-Match Genres: Dark Fantasy and Contemporary Romance

Book Description: Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland–and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

Kate’s Thoughts

Alix E. Harrow has been hit or miss for me in the past. I absolutely adored “The Once and Future Witches”, but didn’t really connect with “The Ten Thousand Doors of January”. But “Starling House” caught my eye back at ALA in 2023, and then I just neglected to actually read it until Serena picked it for book club! So that worked out!

Overall this was a pretty enjoyable read for me! True, it was a bit more on the fantasy side when it comes to what I expect from a Gothic tale with a strange/notorious house, but I greatly enjoyed the way that Harrow created a history of a place, gave it some mystery and tragedy, and built it up into more of a found family and Gothic fantasy with a lot of heart and emotional beats. I really loved Opal and Arthur’s relationship an seeing it grow and change, and I found it very easy to root for them as they come closer together as they try to unlock the secrets of Starling House and how that connects to them both. Opal was an enjoyable narrator and I really liked Arthur as well, so yeah, of course the romance was going to work for me. I just love an intrepid interloper and the brooding/strange caretaker of a creepy old house!

But what I also really liked was the way that Harrow ties in the sadness and darkness of the community in small town Kentucky that has been ravaged by economic hardship and a collapsing job economy. The discussion of small rural towns, especially in the Rust Belt, being left behind has been a topic of conversation for more than a decade now, and as we see the fallout from these sad truths and the way that communities dig in and cling to a past only to be forgotten or tossed aside is a HUGE theme in this book, and I found that to be very emotional and deeply engaging. It added a whole other layer to the story that brought in some more bittersweet undercurrents. Throw in some ruminations on the destruction these practices also bring to the Earth and the way that rot can keep cycling through both literally and metaphorically and you have some heavy topics that Harrow treats with respect and empathy.

I am so glad that I finally read “Starling House”! Add another winning read to my Harrow experience!

Serena’s Thoughts

Shocking no one, I still enjoyed this a second time around! I always feel a bit guilty picking a book I’ve read before for my own bookclub choice, but in this case, my prompt of genres to mix was a bit challenging. Without going straight to urban fantasy (the typical crossover you might see, though “dark” perhaps is questionable as far as the fantasy elements go), it was tough to find a book that fit the prompt. But here we have a contemporary story (check), a gothic house with a creepy past (check), and a romance (check!).

On that last point, I had forgotten just how strongly the book focused on the romance. I remembered there being a nice love story, but I had forgotten how central it really was, making up a majority of the “action” in the middle portion of the book. Yes, these two could have communicated more and solved most of their problems. But unlike the books where I often have this complaint, both Opal and Arthur had character-based reasons for not opening up quickly, which, to me, made their slow-burn romance all the more effective when it finally game together at the end.

Like before, the house itself was probably one of my favorite characters. I’ll be curious to see how the “dark” thing lands for the other members of bookclub; this is a gothic fantasy story with a haunted house that reads more like a neglected puppy dog just wanting to be loved! I though there were some really nice reflections on what makes up family and home to be found here, especially Opal’s growing understanding of the love/hate relationship she has to the town itself.

As I’ve done an entire review of this book before (check out that if you want more of my detailed thoughts), I’ll wrap my portion up here. I think this book crosses over a ton of genres, even beyond the ones asked for by the prompt, making it a great book for a large variety of readers. Once again, I highly recommend it, especially to gothic fantasy fans!

Kate’s Rating 9 : A truly unique take on a Gothic strange house with a lot of heart and emotion!

Serena’s Rating 10: Still love this one just as much as before! I will say that if I was rating it purely as an audiobook this time, I’d drop it down to a 9, since I didn’t love this narrator’s reading of Opal’s personality/voice.

Book Club Questions

  1. The story is split between Opal and Arthur. What interested you most about each character’s arc in this book?
  2. Wanting vs. needing is a major theme of this book. How does this drive Opal and Arthur throughout the book? Did any particular insights on this theme stand out to you?
  3. Another theme explored in the book is that of story itself, both in how we remember history and how we remember own own stories. How did these themes come into play with some of the twists at the end of the book?
  4. There are a lot of interesting side characters throughout this book, including Starling House itself. Did any of these stand out to you and why? Would you like to know more about any of them?
  5. The mixed genres for this pick were dark fantasy and contemporary romance. Were these genres well-represented? Was one stronger than the other? Were there aspects of either that you enjoyed or didn’t like?

Reader’s Advisory

“Starling House” is included on these Goodreads lists: Gothic Fantasy and Sentient Houses.

Next Book Club Pick: “Red Shirts” by Jon Scalzi

Book Club Review: “A Master of Djinn”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling genres from a hatch and matching them together in one book. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “A Master of Djinn” by P. Djèli Clark

Publishing Info: Tor Books, May 2021

Where Did I Get This Book: Serena had a copy from ALA years ago!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Mix-and-Match Genres: Fantasy and Mystery

Book Description: Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city -or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…

Kate’s Thoughts

I have read P. Djèli Clark before, as I read and really enjoyed his novella “Ring Shout”, mostly because I love how he had a very real and specific time and place of the Jim Crow South and brought in cosmic horror and demons to make for a very fun horror story. So while I was once again the odd one out in book club who doesn’t really vibe with fantasy, I wanted to see what Clark would do with it.

And while it didn’t hit the way that “Ring Shout” did, I did appreciate the mystery at hand and the fun takes on djinn mythos. I am someone who has enjoyed djinn and genie mythology in the past, and I definitely liked how Clark took this concept and had fun with putting them into an alternate history of early 20th century Egypt. I am also just someone who likes the idea of an elite investigative group that takes on the supernatural, and watching seasoned agent Fatma delve into a mystery of murder and magic was entertaining, especially as Clark brings in themes of colonialism and imperialism given the setting.

But on the flip side, at the end of the day this is still pretty heavily fantasy, and that’s a genre that doesn’t REALLY hook me as easily. So because of that, I wasn’t as invested as I was with “Ring Shout”, because fantasy just isn’t really my thing. But it is definitely the kind of story that just has the kind of oomph that I could fully recognize why this was a well done fantasy tale. Clark has writing chops that excel across genres. I hope that he comes back to historical horror at some point!

Serena’s Thoughts

Well, it’s no surprise probably that I loved this book! All of the genres involved are right up my alley: fantasy, historical fiction, and a mystery at the heart of it all! It also features an incredible female protagonist who checks off a ton of my preferences as well: smart, action-oriented, and not standing for anyone’s BS.

Beyond the incredible main character and the cast that surrounds her, I really enjoyed the alternate history and world that this book establishes. The introduction of magic has changed the arc of history, with Egypt rising to a new level of prominence on the world stage. But we see that not all has been solved by magic; instead, new and even more complex situations have been created, with world powers vying for control of magic and with fantastical beings who may have their own agendas. However, even with all of these fantasy trappings, the heart of the mystery and the story itself comes down to the very human influences that drive us: distrust of others, cravings for power, and the necessity of overcoming all of these things to create a world where all can thrive.

It’s easy enough to see the bones of the novellas that came before this one, but I think Clark did an excellent job of introducing everything to a new reader as well. If anything, I caught these references to past works and now want to go back and explore the earlier stories as well! In particular, I’d love to go back and read the story where Fatma and Siti first meet!

This is now the second book I’ve read by this author, and I think they both ended up with a 9 rating from me. So I guess I have another must-read author on my list going forward!

Kate’s Rating 7 : While the fantasy genre isn’t really my thing, “A Master of Djinn” was entertaining and a fun exploration of djinn in an alternate history mystery.

Serena’s Rating 9: Full of steampunk vibes and badass female characters, this is an incredible historical fantasy read!

Book Club Questions

  1. What were your thoughts on the setting and time period in this novel?
  2. Did you enjoy the portrayals of the mythological beings in this book? Have you read many books that have creatures like djinn?
  3. Did you like the mystery in this story? Were there any parts of it that you found surprising as it unfolded?
  4. What did you think about the different conflicts between the various groups in the novel as the story was winding down towards the conclusion?
  5. What were your thoughts on the magical systems in this book? Did they feel well explained and explored?
  6. Who would you recommend this book to?

Reader’s Advisory

“A Master of Djinn” is included on these Goodreads lists: Fiction Novels Featuring Djinn/Jinn and Arabian, Egyptian, and Indian Fantasy.

Next Book Club Pick: “Starling House” by Alix Harrow

Book Club Review: “Matilda”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again reading books that have had film/TV adaptations and then comparing the two mediums. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Matilida” by Roald Dahl

Publishing Info: Viking, October 1988

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

What We Watched: “Matilda” (1996) & “Matilda: The Musical” (2022)

Book Description: Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she’s knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she’s a super-nerd and the teacher’s pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda’s world…

For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there’s the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Miss (“The”) Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will, and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

Kate’s Thoughts

“Matilda” was my hands down favorite Roald Dahl book when I was a kid. As much as I enjoyed other books of his, there was just something Matilda Wormwood that really connected with me (could it be that she was a strange and lonely little girl who liked to read? Possibly!). But I hadn’t revisited it until it was selected for our book club as our last adaptation read, and oh my goodness am I so glad that we picked this one. Because “Matilda” is still so, so utterly whimsical and a true delight.

Dahl really had a knack for writing such funny books that are funny for kids (eating a giant chocolate cake! A hat stuck on a Dad’s head!) while also being funny for adults (so much dry humor and English witticisms!). I highly enjoyed the over the topness of the experiences that Matilda was dealing with, be it her horrible parents, the INSANE Miss Trunchbull, or even the quirky and strange and oh so amusing classmates at her school. I also enjoyed revisiting the artwork of Quentin Blake, and I had forgotten that there are so many fun illustrations throughout the book, which really just added to my positive experience of revisiting this classic from my youth.

And I actually ended up watching the 2022 film adaptation of the musical, starring Alisha Weir as Matilda, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, and Emma Thompson as The Trunchbull. I absolutely adored it. I thought that it was a little truer to the spirit of the book than the 1990s film (though that one is still very charming and fun!), and I really love the music and basically all the performances from everyone in it. I also liked the way that it highlights the ways that Matilda was doing small things, or ‘a little bit naughty’ things, to fight back against the oppressive people in her life when feeling like she has no control (things I try to keep in mind these days). And I can definitely say that it’s kid approved, because my daughter watched it obsessively in the days after she watched it with me.

“Matilda” is still absolutely charming and sweet. So witty, so magical, so utterly enjoyable.

Serena’s Thoughts

I mean, can I just say “delightful” and then be done with my review? Sometimes you re-read books from your childhood and are shocked to find that perhaps the rose-tinted glasses have worn off. But then there are others that really just prove they are classics for a reason, and such was the case here! There is just so much to love about this story! The characters, the magic, the “British-ness” of it all! (That last one I may have appreciated more re-reading it now as an adult.)

It’s also the kind of story that is sure to connect with readers of all ages today as well! Though there’s also no denying that this is the sort of story that librarians are especially primed to love. Who can so say no to a story about a love for reading and how it can lead to only good things?? It’s also the sort of story that will likely speak to many kids who may feel out of place or lonely and who turn to books as a source of escape and comfort.

I also re-watched the 90s version of the movie. I watched it once as a kid, but hadn’t seen it since. It, too, was as delightful as ever! One of our bookclub friends mentioned that the movie “Americanized” the story, in that everything was bigger than ever, including the magic, and I think this is spot on. It’s still an excellent adaption, however, and I’m sure my kids will love to watch it whenever I get around to showing it to them.

Kate’s Rating 9 : Matilda Wormwood, icon that you are, you are still a fantastic children’s lit character and I’m so pleased that I was able to revisit your world again!

Serena’s Rating 9: Just as delightful as I remember it being!

Book Club Questions

  1. Did you read “Matilida” growing up? Did you experience it differently as an adult?
  2. Did you watch the movie or the musical? How did they compare to the original?
  3. In the book, the magical elements are a bit more in the background than they are in many of the adaptations. Do you think that one approach worked better than another?
  4. There is a good cast of secondary characters. Did any stand out to you in particular and why?
  5. How do you think Matilda will use her magic going forward after the events at the end of the book?

Reader’s Advisory

“Matilda” is included on the Goodreads lists: Favorite books from my childhood and Children’s Books I’ll Re-Read No Matter How Old I Am

Next Book Club Pick: “A Master of Djinn” by P. Djeli Clark

Book Club Review: “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again reading books that have had film/TV adaptations and then comparing the two mediums. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume

Publishing Info: Bradbury Press, 1970

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

What We Watched: “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” (2023)

Book Description: Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbrook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong.

But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.

Margaret is funny and real, and her thoughts and feelings are oh-so-relatable—you’ll feel like she’s talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.

Kate’s Thoughts

I missed out on so much classic children’s literature when I was little, because I basically jumped from the likes of “Goosebumps”, “The Babysitter’s Club”, and “Fear Street” to full on adult novels, without really touching any contemporary books that are long enduring classics. So I never actually read “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume when I was a prepubescent girl, which was probably the best time to read it. But thanks to book club, I had the opportunity to read it, now at forty years old! Better late than never?

And I really enjoyed this book! I actually kind of wish that I HAD read it as a pre-teen because there were so many things that I absolutely would have been able to relate to when it comes to Margaret. I was a girl who was worried about making friends and fitting in, and I was a girl who was raised without any kind of religion, really, outside of major Christian holidays celebrated in the most secular sense (we did go to Church for a month when my Mom convinced herself that we needed that community factor in our lives and then remembered pretty quickly that oh yeah, Church was NOT something ANY of us wanted to do, least of all her). And even though the book was written decades ago, I thought that it still has a lot of pertinent and timeless themes like friendship, peer pressure, burgeoning sexuality, and the way that families can be complicated, even if we don’t fully see the big picture as children. Margaret is very realistic in her anxieties, whether it’s fitting in, her crush on a boy who may not be seen as ‘cute’ by her friend group, her worries about not getting her period yet, or her existential crisis when it comes to her family’s approach to faith.

And I have to say, the film adaptation was actually better than the book! I think that is due, in part, to the way that not only do we see Margaret’s point of view, but we also see the POVs of her mother (played by a delightful Rachel McAdams) and her grandmother (played by the ICONIC Kathy Bates). It made the story all the more emotional seeing three generations of women trying to figure it out through crazy changes in their lives. It also wrapped up a few things that I felt were left a bit hanging in the book (I was far more satisfied with how the Laura storyline ended in the movie). I really, really loved it.

I am so glad that I finally read “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret”! What a charming and delightful book that still speaks to the anxieties of adolescence.

Kate’s Rating 9: A charming, incredibly relatable, and at times emotional coming of age story. I really enjoyed this one!

Book Club Questions

  1. Have you read “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” before? If so, how does it compare reading it now? If not, what books were you reading as a pre-teen?
  2. Religion is a huge theme in this book. Why do you think religion and choosing one was suddenly so important to Margaret after not really thinking about it for so many years in New York City?
  3. When it comes to the adults in the book and in the movie, how did you feel that they were portrayed between the two mediums? Did you prefer one portrayal over the other?
  4. What were your thoughts on Margaret’s friend group in her new home?
  5. Do you think that this story could be updated to take place in the 2020s as opposed to the 1970s? Why or why not?

Reader’s Advisory

“Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best Coming of Age Stories”, and “Friendship Between Girls”.

Next Book Club Pick: “Matilda” by Roald Dahl

Book Club Review: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again reading books that have had film/TV adaptations and then comparing the two mediums. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer & Anne Burrows

Publishing Info: The Dial Press, July 2008

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

What We Watched: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”

Book Description: January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends – and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island – boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

Kate’s Thoughts

Hooray for book club! I genuinely feel this way all of the time no matter what the circumstance, but I also love how it will push me outside of my comfort zones when my fellow members pick our books each month. And that happened with “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Burrows. Because while I do read historical fiction, I generally don’t read WWII historical fiction. But bring it on, book club! Give me a reason to stretch my reading muscles!

I hadn’t realized until I picked it up that this book was an epistolary novel, but it was a pleasant surprise because I really do enjoy epistolary stories. I enjoyed reading the letters between the various characters and seeing their personalities come out through their letters, and I liked how it made for an interesting way for the plot to come together. I can certainly say that this book had a lot of charming aspects, from quirky characters to a tight knit community bringing and outsider into the fold, to some pretty funny bits in the letters. It was a breezy read, and it was engaging enough.

On the other hand, World War Two books aren’t usually my go to for reading, fiction or non-fiction alike. While it was unique in the sense that the island of Guernsey was occupied by Nazis, and therefore the citizens had to actually live with their enemies, it just wasn’t really my cup of tea. It didn’t really help that I had a hard time with the mentioned romance between Society Founder Elizabeth’s romance with a German doctor named Christian, as while I did appreciate that the authors did their due diligence to make it feel the least amount of whitewashing of Nazis (and actually I liked the book’s approach to this more than the movie, as the book did portray Christian as actively resisting in his own small ways), it still felt clunky. This combined with just a general ambivalence towards the genre made it a middle of the road read for me.

All in all it fostered good book club discussion and had its charming bits. But I’m probably not the target audience for this book. But if you like WWII fiction that feels somewhat cozy, this would be a solid choice!

Kate’s Rating 6: It was charming and engaging, but it’s not really my kind of book at the end of the day.

Book Club Questions

  1. How did you feel about the format of this story, and how does it compare to other epistolary novels?
  2. There is a large cast of characters in this book. Did any of them stick out to you? How did you like and dislike?
  3. What did you think of Christian and how he was portrayed as a romantic interest for Elizabeth in the past despite the fact he was a Nazi occupier?
  4. If you have read the book and seen the movie, what did you think of the changes that were made? Were there any you liked? Disliked?
  5. There are many WWII novels out there. What kinds of genre and sub-genres do you like with these stories? Any titles you like best?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” is included on the Goodreads lists “World War II Fiction”, and “Foreign Lands”.

Next Book Club Pick: “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume

Book Club Review: “The Princess Bride”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again reading books that have had film/TV adaptations and then comparing the two mediums. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Books: “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman

Publishing Info: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, September 1973

Where Did I Get These Books: own it!

Where You Can Get These Books: WorldCat.org | Amazon| Indiebound

What We Watched: “The Princess Bride”

Book Descriptions: What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be…well…a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad’s recitation, and only the “good parts” reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He’s reconstructed the “Good Parts Version” to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What’s it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it’s about everything.

Kate’s Thoughts

Even though I’m solidly an older millennial, I didn’t see “The Princess Bride” until I was in middle school, and didn’t really grow up with it as a result. I know that’s perhaps a bit outside the norm for my age group (clock Serena’s experience below), but I enjoyed it enough for what it was. Because of that I was curious, a few years later, to read the actual book by William Goldman, and have distinct memories of reading it while on a family trip to a rental cabin in Wisconsin. When Serena picked it for our book club book I was interested to re-read it after all these years, as I felt like perhaps I’d have a new appreciation for it. And I was, in general, correct.

What I appreciated a bit more this time was the way that Goldman was kind of sending up sweeping fantasy romances, but it never really felt in a condescending way (at least to me; I know there were people in book club who REALLY didn’t care for his sections). Whether he’d ‘redact’ sections that went way too long focusing on decoration, or food, or he would cut out long and rambling other aspects of the story and the backstory of the world it was set within, it felt like a tongue and cheek chuckle at both sweeping fantasy as well as stuck up academics who try to find meaning in so much only to miss some of the points completely.

But that isn’t to say that the story itself of Buttercup and Wesley and their friends and foes is lesser in book form. I still found the story to be very fun, and I am sure that that is part due to the fact that Goldman himself adapted his book into the screenplay. I also really liked that we got the back stories for characters like Fezzik and Inigo, who definitely have memorable roles in the movie, but don’t have much exploration. As a person who always preferred the side characters to Buttercup and Wesley (blasphemy? Maybe! But damn did Inigo do SO MUCH MORE for fourteen year old Kate…), I enjoyed having the extra exposition.

Overall it was a fun revisit with a bit of a new perspective after all this time.

Serena’s Thoughts

Like many people, I watched and loved the movie before I realized there was a book. I mean, I first watched this when I was quite young, so even if I had known there was a book, it probably wasn’t at my reading level! But once I discovered it, you know I gobbled it right up! And have re-read it a few times since! However, it had been a few years since I went back to it, so after we decided to revisit this bookclub theme, I knew that I wanted to select this as my title. Bonus that the movie adaptation is so great as well!

All of this to say, I have probably very few novel things to say about either the book or the movie other than wild gushing. I do love them both. However, as became clear during our bookclub discussion, while telling the same story, the book and movie are very different things. I’d say that the movie is a fairytale romance first and foremost. However, the book is more focused on its comedy elements. This can be seen in the “story within a story” of “The Princess Bride” itself, as well with the framework and the “character” the author portrays himself as, going back and “adapting” this “classic” work. With those expectations in mind, I think each excels at its goals! The movie includes extra scenes focused on the romance, like the reunion between Wesley and Buttercup after falling down the ravine. And the book adds a lot of comedic content with the inclusion of features like the “Zoo of Death” and more intricate backstories for the side characters.

I do think the movie is probably more approachable to general audiences. The casting is truly perfect, and this version reduces the framing device of the “story within a story” to a few wholesome scenes between a grandfather and his grandson. But if you’re looking for a more detailed version of the story with a stronger focus on comedy (especially a lot of jabs at the publishing and entertainment business), definitely give the book a go!

Kate’s Rating 8 : It was a fun revisit to a high school read with a somewhat new set of eyes. It’s both a fun send up but a well done fairy tale romance as well.

Serena’s Rating 9: I love them both! A perfect example of a story being adapted in two different ways, but succeeding in both.

Book Club Questions

  1. This is a story within a story. how does this framing serve the story? Do you think the central conceit works? What do you make of Goldman as a character himself?
  2. The structure of the story uses a lot of parentheticals and asides. Do these work for you?
  3. The book calls itself a “classic tale of true love and high adventure.” Which aspects of each stood out to you, romance and adventure? Was one stronger than the other?
  4. Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the movie. In what ways did he adhere to or later the original story? Were there bits you would have chanted or included/not included?
  5. Mot of the characters are well established in people’s minds based on the movie versions. Did the movie stay true to the versions seen in the book? Were there any that were better in the books? Better in the movie? Did you have a favorite casting?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Princess Bride” is included on the Goodreads lists Best Books Ever and The Best Fairytales and Retellings.

Next Book Club Pick: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer