Bring on 2009

I am actually really excited that it is 2009 ... Hurray !!

I have been looking at my list of books to read and have been dying to dive in ... I have to say that I have struggled a wee bit on the 1% challenge partly my own fault for signing alot later than I should have done and then finding that the books that I choose are quite heavy going ... Lesson learnt for this year ... lol ...

I feel it is going to be a great year this year for reading and looking forward to getting together as a book club again !!!

I had a couple of favourite books for 2008 that really stood out for me that I loved ...

The Uglies Series - Scott Westerfeld

Twilight Series - Stephanie Meyer

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary-Ann Shaffer

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis

Dark Heavens Series by Kylie Chan

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I have a few more that I really liked but the above books just had that something extra ...

Anyway .... Happy Reading everyone .... And look forward to loads of reviews ..........

Discussion Questions for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Well I know that we are not meeting to discuss this book as it is one of our summer reads .... But it is a brilliant book !!! And I loved it !!! It has to be one of the best books I have read all year !!! Anyway here are the discussion questions for the book ... Enjoy !!!

1. What was it like to read a novel composed entirely of letters? What do letters offer that no other form of writing (not even emails) can convey?

2. What makes Sidney and Sophie ideal friends for Juliet? What common ground do they share? Who has been a similar advocate in your life?

3. Dawsey first wrote to Juliet because books, on Charles Lamb or otherwise, were so difficult to obtain on Guernsey in the aftermath of the war. What differences did you note between bookselling in the novel and bookselling in your world? What makes book lovers unique, across all generations?

4. What were your first impressions of Dawsey? How was he different from the other men Juliet had known?

5. Discuss the poets, novelists, biographers, and other writers who capture the hearts of the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. What does a reader’s taste in books say about his or her personality? Whose lives were changed the most by membership in the society?

6. Juliet occasionally receives mean-spirited correspondence from strangers, accusing both Elizabeth and Juliet of being immoral. What accounts for their judgmental ways?

7. In what ways were Juliet and Elizabeth kindred spirits? What did Elizabeth’s spontaneous invention of the society, as well as her brave final act, say about her approach to life?

8. Numerous Guernsey residents give Juliet access to their private memories of the occupation. Which voices were most memorable for you? What was the effect of reading a variety of responses to a shared tragedy?

9. Kit and Juliet complete each other in many ways. What did they need from each other? What qualities make Juliet an unconventional, excellent mother?

10. How did Remy’s presence enhance the lives of those on Guernsey? Through her survival, what recollections, hopes, and lessons also survived?

11. Juliet rejects marriage proposals from a man who is a stereotypical “great catch.” How would you have handled Juliet’s romantic entanglement? What truly makes someone a “great catch”?

12. What was the effect of reading a novel about an author’s experiences with writing, editing, and getting published? Did this enhance the book’s realism, though Juliet’s experience is a bit different from that of debut novelist Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, children’s book author Annie Barrows?

13. What historical facts about life in England during World War II were you especially surprised to discover? What traits, such as remarkable stamina, are captured in a detail such as potato peel pie? In what ways does fiction provide a means for more fully understanding a non-fiction truth?

14. Which of the members of the Society is your favorite? Whose literary opinions are most like your own?15. Do you agree with Isola that “reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones”?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society By Mary-Ann Shaffer (5)

Ok ... Firstly the main reason I picked this book up was because the cover caught my eye .... I am a sucker when it comes to covers .... If it is pretty and appealing I will pick it up

The second reason I picked the book up was because the title really enthralled me to find out more ...

I just loved ... Loved ... Loved this book ....

It is set just after WW2 and the whole book is set out in the form of letters ...

It tells about the occupation of the Germans in Guernsey during a 5 year period . When a group of residents of the Island ( who generally do not mix together ) find themselves by chance forming a Book Club ...

I have to say that in a few places I did Laugh out Out the main Character is female and she is fiery that you cannot help but fall in love with her ...

You will cry as some of the stories they relate of the war are heartbreaking but are told beautifully ....

This is a gorgeous book and one that I will read and re-read again .....

I rate this book *****