Grimsby’s Comments (group member since Apr 01, 2020)

Grimsby’s comments from the Grimsby Public Library Online Book Chat group.

Well, it seems that we will be staying put for a while yet, so let’s armchair travel to the continent of Australia/Oceania. Did you know that 14 countries make up the Australia/Oceania continent?

Please share any books, authors or even stories of countries you have traveled to or wish to travel to in the future.

“[Australia] is the home of the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef, and of the largest monolith, Ayers Rock (or Uluru to use its now-official, more respectful Aboriginal name). It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else. Of the world's ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian. Five of its creatures - the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stonefish - are the most lethal of their type in the world. This is a country where even the fluffiest of caterpillars can lay you out with a toxic nip, where seashells will not just sting you but actually sometimes go for you. ... If you are not stung or pronged to death in some unexpected manner, you may be fatally chomped by sharks or crocodiles, or carried helplessly out to sea by irresistible currents, or left to stagger to an unhappy death in the baking outback. It's a tough place.” ― Bill Bryson, “In a Sunburned Country”

You may be right Gordon, you have over 700 pages ahead of you! No worries, you can come back to this discussion at anytime. Enjoy The Goldfinch!

GPL is sorry for accidentally deleting a comment by Peggy! Luckily we had a copy of it from an email and can re-post it here. We'll try not to hit the wrong button next time....technology fun!

"I almost always read the book first, then watch the movie. When my children were younger we always enjoyed reading the book first and then waited with bated breath to see how the directors transformed it into the movie. I think the one we discussed the most was"Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke and probably the most disappointed with "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman.

It was reported back in 2018 that the Flavia de Luce by Alan Bradley books were to be made into a series. No sign of them yet that I can locate, but if true I would love to watch." (Posted by Peggy 04/24/20)

Since it seems like we won't be traveling anywhere for a while yet, how about we armchair travel together through books? Every other week we can pick a different continent to delve into and share books, authors or even stories of countries we’ve traveled to or wish to travel to in the future.

Let’s start with the African continent, did you know that there are 54 countries in Africa?


“There are as many Africas as there are books about Africa -- and as many books about it as you could read in a leisurely lifetime. Whoever writes a new one can afford a certain complacency in the knowledge that his is a new picture agreeing with no one else's, but likely to be haughtily disagreed with by all those who believed in some other Africa. ... Being thus all things to all authors, it follows, I suppose, that Africa must be all things to all readers.

Africa is mystic; it is wild; it is a sweltering inferno; it is a photographer's paradise, a hunter's Valhalla, an escapist's Utopia. It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations. It is the last vestige of a dead world or the cradle of a shiny new one. To a lot of people, as to myself, it is just 'home.”― Beryl Markham, "West with the Night"

Miriam becomes a famous artist, marries Walter and has a big family. What did you think about how her life turned out?

The discussion questions for this title were sourced from:
https://bookclubchat.com/books/book-c...

Why do you think Heather was so persistent in finding out more about her grandmother’s past? What did she discover about herself as well?


The discussion questions for this title were sourced from:
https://bookclubchat.com/books/book-c...

Have you read a book that kept you up until the wee hours and you just couldn't put it down?

How about a book that you enjoy rereading from time to time, or one that you just had to buy after borrowing it from the library?

Well, we'd love to hear about it!

Please tell us about your all-time favourites and let’s share the love of reading.

Not sure what to read next? Never fear, we’re here!

Tell us about the kinds of books you like, perhaps some titles or authors of books you’ve really enjoyed reading in the past! Then with that information we will use our library magic powers and get back to you with a recommendation or two.

Welcome, we’re so glad you decided to join us! While we’re all staying close to home during this time, we thought it would be a great opportunity to still connect with our readers.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts as we read and explore the world of books together. Should you feel so inclined please take a moment and tell us something about yourself and your reading interests!

There’s an interesting dynamic of how each person views the royals. Ann’s sister-in-law is not impressed and Miriam doesn’t quite understand the fascination with them when she moves to London. Whereas Ann is a fan and is proud to work on the clothing for the women of the royal family. How do you think you would have felt about the royal family during that era? How do you feel about them now? Have you ever watched any of the royal weddings?


The discussion questions for this title were sourced from:
https://bookclubchat.com/books/book-c...

It’s that age-old debate, which is better the book or the movie (or TV series)?

Did you read the book first? Did you see the movie and then decide to read the book? Which did you enjoy more? Are there any upcoming book adaptations that you are looking forward to in 2020?

During these challenging and stressful times reading can be a form of escape. Now is as good a time as any to tackle that TBR (To Be Read) pile, take the GPL 2020 Reading Challenge or finally dive into that over 500 page book you haven’t had the time to read. It can also be a time to disappear into fantasy, or sci-fi, or travel back into historical fiction.

What are you reading? What books do you recommend? Are you reading more - or less - than usual?

The author Jennifer Robson really paints a picture of how bleak London was post-war. Why do you think the royal wedding seemed to boost morale for the citizens?


The discussion questions for this title were sourced from:
https://bookclubchat.com/books/book-c...