Marigolds and Midnighters

It's that time again! Time to select our next books that we will be reading!!

This time, we will be posting the next 2 books that we will discuss so that everyone will have enough time to get the books!

First, we will be reading Once Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris. This story is part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. It is "Happily-ever-after turned upside down, inside out, and completely over the top!" Jennifer will lead the discussion for Once Upon a Marigold on April 24th.

Then, we will be reading Midnighters by Scott Westerfield (you'll probably remember him from Uglies). Here is an excerpt from the book:

"Jessica paused at the front door. This had to be a dream: Millions of diamonds filled the air, floating over the wet, shiny asphalt. Only a few inches apart, they stretched as far as Jessica could see, down the street and up into the sky. Little blue gems no bigger than tears. Jessica raised a hand to touch one of the blue gems. The little diamond wobbled, than ran into her finger, cold and wet, and disappeared. Then Jessica realized what the diamond had been. The floating diamonds were the rain, somehow hanging motionless in the air. Nothing moved on the street or sky. Time was frozen around her."

Natalie will hold the discussion for Midnighters on May 15th.

The Appeal

**Don't read this if you haven't read (and plan on reading) The Appeal!**


I have mixed feelings about this book! It was definitely NOT one of my favorites by John Grisham. I liked the "good" characters in this book, and I disliked the bad characters in this book. I think that was how we were supposed to feel, so that's why the end was upsetting!! I assumed the bankrupt underdogs would win! Isn't that how things are supposed to happen in fictional novels??? I guess I never knew how much I appreciated a happy ending!

I really didn't like Carl Trudeau, so I enjoyed seeing his interactions with his wife. Having a trophy wife can make you a little miserable and cost you a lot of money! Money, obviously, does not buy happiness.

I loved Wes and Mary Grace, which made the ending that much worse! They seemed like really good people, and they lost everything to fight the good fight. I really wanted them to get some sort of settlement so they could live the life they desired, which was so simple compared to Trudeau's!

I'm kind of torn over Fisk. He seemed like a good family guy who got into a not-so-great situation. He ended up selling himself short. As his partner said, "The Ron Fisk I remember had great respect for the law. Justice Fisk seems determined to change all of it." It was very sad about what happened to his son.

I reread most of Grisham's novels, but I probably won't reread this one. The ending kind of ruined the book for me.

Here are some questions for you!

What did YOU think of the book?

We've seen in different books and movies that political positions are often "bought," like Fisk and Senator Rudd. Do you think that really happens?

What do you think about suing? That's kind of a tricky question.... I think it probably depends on the case. Some people do get a little carried away, but there are definitely legitimate cases where there was gross negligence. Would you have sued in the case of Fisk's son?

What kind of judges would you prefer in the supreme courts? Someone who declares themselves conservative or liberal and always makes the predictable decision, or someone like Judge McCarthy who made her decisions based on the circumstances of each case?

What Should We Read Next?

I was reading through our past suggestions, and we have a pretty good list! Here are some of our options:

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Farris
Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
How to take the Ex out of Ex-Boyfriend by Janette Rallison
Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

I'll let you do your own research! :) Let me know what you think!

Stay tuned for The Appeal discussion.

The Appeal

The next book we will be reading is John Grisham's new book, The Appeal.

In a crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town’s water supply, causing the worst “cancer cluster” in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it. Who are the nine? How will they vote? Can one be replaced before the case is ultimately decided?

Go here for an exerpt from the first chapter of the book!!

Natalie will lead our discussion on February 28th.

Suggestions for Next Read

It's time for us to select the next read!

Let us know what you would be interested in reading next! The discussion will take place on February 11th.

Screwtape Letters

Well...I have to be honest...I didn't really like this book, which was really disappointing to me because I had heard such good things about it.

In previous reviews, everyone has posted what they enjoyed or found interesting about the book, but this time, I am going to just post a few questions and see what you all felt about the book instead.

1. Did you enjoy this book? Why? Why not?

2. Did you feel that the strategy of Lewis to write the book from the prospective of a devil trying to secure damnation of the 'patients' soul was effective?

3. Did your book have each word rewritten in pencil in Spanish above each line like mine did? :)

4. What do you think it is about God's relationship to man that Screwtape finds so unfathomable?

5. What were your thoughts of the book?

Screwtape Letters

The next book that we will be reading is, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.

This book is about a demon, Wormwood, who is being mentored by his uncle, Screwtape, to lead his "Patient" to sin. In the body of the thirty-one letters which make up the book, Screwtape gives Wormwood detailed advice on various methods of undermining faith and promoting sin in his Patient.

I have not read this book, but I have heard several people give great reviews on it. I hope we all enjoy it and Jen will lead our discussion on January 23rd.

Christmas Jars

First of all, I apologize for being so LATE posting the discussion! It has been a crazy few weeks.

I really enjoyed Christmas Jars! I got teary-eyed in many parts of the book. I loved Hope's relationships with her mother Louise and the Maxwell family. They were all very loving and forgiving; they wanted the best for each other.

I also really admired Hope's personality. She was a very determined person. She had a view of who she wanted to be, and she went for it. Her mom was responsible for this by instilling in Hope a strong work ethic and in supporting her so enthusiastically. I guess this personality trait could also be a fault, since she was going to publish something that she knew the Maxwell family would not approve of in order to reach her goal.

The tradition of the Christmas Jar really is an amazing thing. I loved how the book talked about how it wasn't the receiver of the jar who received the biggest blessing--it was the person who took time each day to think about the spirit of Christmas and giving.

This was a great, quick read. I liked the ending, but I did think it was quite syrupy. How often do things tie up so nicely in real life???? But I guess miracles do happen! It is easier to remember that at Christmas time. I can't believe the holiday season is over already!!!

The Christmas Jars website is neat. You can read real stories of people who have given and received Christmas Jars. Jason Wright also has a blog!

What did you think of the book? Do you have a Christmas Jar story?

Natalie