Summer Reading Book Club discussion

Hello,

Second round of SRBC starts today, June 14th. I hope you were all able to get your book.

I got mine via overlook through my local library a few days ago. I already started it.

Okay I'm slightly worried lol. I got a copy of this book for Christmas and now I can't find it. Like my bookshelf is meticulously organized and idk where it is. I know I didn't lend it to someone but books just don't go missing do they (though my copy of Amber House literally vanished to). I really hope I didn't accidentally give it away doing the book drive. Ugh.

OMG! I'd be devastated if I lost a book. I cry every time my husband makes my go through my book shelves to get rid of the books I have already read and he wants me to donate. I'm constantly finding excuses to keep them but with 4 - 6ft. x 12ft. Bookshelves full and some are double stacked, I kind of have too.

I FOUND IT YAY!! It was literally right in front of me HAHAHAHAHA. I hate donating books too but I don't mind giving away some of the really terrible ones lol.

I'm going to start reading it now. For those of you who have already started what do you think? How far into it are you?

Okay I'm only on page 7 and I already have two things to say.
1.) Annebelle is WRONG never marry a man named Bill. (It's seriously bad luck in my family haha)

2.) I think Emily made a good decision regarding her marriage. Normally I'm one to say work it out but you all know how I feel about cheating. Lol.

I'm not a fast reader. I am only on the 3rd chapter. So far I like it. I feel kind if sorry for her, however I thought that her husband was kinds of a douch the divorce papers were barley signed and he's getting remarried! I'm hoping that she is going to come out if this depression sometime soon. I find the book tends to drag a little because of her mood and it makes me sluggish. However, I am also reading the book for the YA - Contemporary session as well.

I'm a slow reader too but that's also because I have a habit of checking my phone every five freaking minutes haha. I think this is building up to a good story, or at least I hope so! I kinda figured the husband would re-marry quickly considering he left her for his mistress. I bet he comes back groveling once she's written her new best seller lol

Also who on earth invites their ex (newly divorced) to their wedding. WHO?!?

I know right! At least she has the decency to throw the invitation in the thrash. If it was me I would have burned it along with everything he owned.

Me too! I would have call him up and been like, "did you seriously mail me your wedding invitation." It's so cruel.

Anyone finished yet?

Nope about half way

I'm still on chapter 5. Whoops. lol How are you liking it so far?

It's OK. I'm having a hard time with her and this depression issue.

I just started.

I am hoping to start this one soonest, and still get in on some of the discussion.
I just finished 'The Interestings' for my other book club, and it was unputdownable.

Jessica wrote: "Also who on earth invites their ex (newly divorced) to their wedding. WHO?!?"

Exactly what I was thinking. There are *maybe* some circumstances I could see it, but his is definitely not one of them!

Jessica wrote: "Me too! I would have call him up and been like, "did you seriously mail me your wedding invitation." It's so cruel."

On the day she signed the papers, so much worse.

Just starting chapter 3. This book makes me want to move to the sea.

I am in the middle of reading her date with Greg. Is it it just me, or does he, and the whole date, seem creepy?

I finished last night. How far along is everyone? I don't want to post spoilers.

I'm somewhere between chapter 9 and 10. So far I like it. For me it started out slow because of all the depression from the divorce but I must say it has gotten remarkably better, I think the mysterious diary helps!

I'm in the first few chapters so it get better?

Yes much better. I didn't like it at first either and was ready to give it up but once she finds the diary it made me want to read more.

********Spoilers:************









I have to say I had high hopes for this book. It started well, I liked Emily, and the descriptions were enough that I almost wanted to move to the sea - or at least take a vaction there.

But it just seemed to slow way down. I was waiting and waiting for the story to get going and it just dragged and dragged and dragged.
I had most of the mystery figured out - a parent that isn't who you thought they were, that the diary was real not fiction - even that Bee was Frances by page 79.

None of the characters seemed to speak like real people, Evelyn's "that's the way of the island" was so over the top. As was Greg's instance that he wished he'd ended up with Emily after all of these years; and Jack's "he couldn't believe Joel had left her" on thier first date, after barely speaking to her.

On top of that, how is it that everyone changes their name in the last 50 years? Very convenient. As is nobody talking about anything until the last 50 pages of the book, because now the author has to draw everyting to a close. Honeslty, if Emily had really wanted to figure this all out an afternoon at the library would have made that possible - Oh wait - it did.

As for her romance with Jack - yuelch. Too many mistakes
1) The Seatlle trip that creates tension is actually not mentioned previously in the book (or not that I could find. I went back and looked)
2) They had approximately three dates, and no connection was shown on any on any of them. Classic telling us not showing us
3) They are engaged at the end of the book with a ring that fell down a storm drain 60 years ago.

Overall, the more I think about it, the worse this book is. Definitly won't be reading another by this author.

Well gee! Thanks for that, I did want to finish it.

Jennifer wrote: "Well gee! Thanks for that, I did want to finish it."

Sorry about that. I did put "Spoilers" at the top and left a good chunk of space below so you could avoid my post..

You asked how fast along everyone was. Then posted "I don't want to post spoilers". I would have thought that when one answers chapter 9 or 10, that you would not give a complete description of the book and ruin it for those who would like to at least try to finish it. But now what's the flipping point!

Finish it anyway - there's loads in the book that I didnt include.

There's no need for the snarky comments. There have been loads of times I've had things spoiled for me due to being on the internet (including Girl on the Train from the last book set), which is why I posted "spoilers" and left a large gap at the beginning of my post. I've seen this formating employed on this site many times for that exact reason.

I'm still not finished the book yet, I've got like 75 pages or so to go, but I feel like it's a really slow read. As for the spoilers that were posted it and the discussion that followed, there was enough space between the spoiler warning and the actual spoilers that you could scroll past without reading anything. Please check out our guidelines and rules for this page.

Okay so I finished it and I'm not really sure how I feel about it. It was a touching story but didn't really wow me you know? Anyone feel similarly?

I know this is super late, but I just finished the book today due to schoolwork and all that! Overall it was okay. I agree with Jessica, it was touching but it didn't wow me. Pretty cliche and I didn't like everything being spelled out. Like, when Bee and Jack are around each other for the first time, Emily notices they look uneasy but then she goes and says "I could tell there was some history" or something to that effect. Duh! I didn't hate it, but I don't think I'd read it again.