Hmmmm.....

Lu's lovely dining room awaiting us!

Well, another enjoyable evening is in the books and again the best parts of this book club shone through: friendship, healthy dissent, and good food. The books we discussed this week were Commonwealth by Anne Patchett and Our Life Off the Grid: An Urban Couple Goes Feral by J. David Cox.

First, we discussed Commonwealth. While most of the group agreed it was interesting enough to finish, there was no consensus that it was compelling. Bad parenting choices and kids gone wild were two of the book’s themes that seemed to keep some readers from really falling for the book. Those around the table who had read any of Ms. Patchett’s other books agreed that this one wasn’t her best effort. Some found the story plausible and interesting, while others thought it was sporadically engaging causing some difficulty in staying invested in the characters. The votes were primarily 3.5 stars, with a few 2’s, which averaged out to a solid 3-star rating.

Next up was Our Life Off the Grid: An Urban Couple Goes Feral, which was not well-received at all, raking in a whopping 1-star. The book was put on the list of options in hopes it would give some insight into why people choose to live off the grid considering how hard that life seems to be. Not only was this question not answered, it was barely addressed. Additionally, most found the author unlikeable, arrogant, self-centered, and somewhat stupid – all of which combined to make the book really difficult to finish and impossible to enjoy. One member of our group read Off the Grid by C.J. Box by mistake, which she enjoyed. We should have read that one, I guess.

The books for our next meeting on August 26 are Hot Milk by Debra Levy and News of the World by Paulette Jiles.

Helene will host. Hilarie is the book selector.