You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Please read through the reporting thread carefully to ensure to report correctly to get your badge/s.

After you have read your chosen book(s) for this month's group theme read, please report in the thread below.

Please state what book you read (and link it), that you discussed it (and where), and briefly summarise what you thought of the book and/or link to your review if you have written one.

If you lead the discussion, please state this in your post.

Here is an example for how to report your read:
“I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and discussed it in the [Harry Potter/Buddy Read/Other books in theme] thread. I really enjoyed the book. I watched the film first so I already knew the storyline but I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book more as there was more detail involved. Plus I listened to the audio which was narrated by Stephen Fry who is a superb narrator. 4 stars.”

If you read more than one book which fits the theme, please report all your reads in the same post rather than in separate posts.

Please note, there are THREE different badges that can be obtained for group reads. Those reading and discussing one of the two chosen group reads will receive a colourful badge similar to those for previous group reads. Those reading and discussing any other book in the theme will receive a stamp. The discussion leader for the two chosen group reads will receive a badge stating they led the discussion. Maximum amount of badges you can receive for the group reads is TWO - one for the chosen group read/discussion leader and one for any other book in the theme.

In order to receive a badge you must:
1. have read the book(s) before or during October 2016.
2. discussed it in the relevant thread. Discussion must be more than "I read the book and I liked it". Discussion requires something more substantial and analytical of what you read, for example, thoughts, opinions, impact it had on you, what was your favourite part, was it what you expected it to be like etc. You may also like to review the book and post a link to the review in that thread.
3. Report that you have read AND discussed the book in the reporting thread below, along with a brief summary of what you thought.

I read The Sisters Brothers and have been participating in the group read discussion thread. I really enjoyed the audio version that I listened to. It is definitely the not the typical old west novel that I grew up with. It was dark, witty and gross at times. There were also some almost endearing moments. The human death toll is glossed over in the name of need. The need for the brothers to take care of each other and earn their pay as hired hands for The Commodore. That is how they make their living. I will not soon forget Charlie and Eli Sisters, the bad guys at the heart of this dark, funky story of 1851.

I also read True Grit and participated in the discussion thread. I was pretty sure I had read it years ago, but the ending seemed new to me when I got there. I decided that my mind preferred the 1969 movie ending over the actual book ending. The rest of the story, the characters, and the dialogue were just as wonderful as I have always remembered . It was fun to revisit it again and finally give it my 5 stars on my GR list.

I read The Sisters Brothers and participated in the group read discussion.

I enjoyed the book; the writing, dialogue, plot and setting are all very well written. The book is a gritty western, funny in parts and with a dreamlike quality - a bizarre combination I think but it works.
I gave it 3 stars

I read True Grit and I'm also the discussion leader.

I discussed it in the thread, and reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... It was my first western and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the whole setting, and there were some great characters in the book. It started off a bit slow for me and I was a little worried, but it soon picked up and I found it hard to stop reading.

I read True Grit and discussed it in the group thread.

I am not much of a western reader, but I really enjoyed this book. Mattie and Rooster are interesting characters, and the plot was unpredictable. I was hooked from the beginning, read it in one day, and gave it 5 stars.

I read The Sisters Brothers and discussed it in the discussion thread. It was a strange book, often difficult for me to read with several disturbing scenes. It definitely showed the Old West in its gritty and not-at-all-romantic glory.

I read The Sisters Brothers and discussed and lead (am leading) the discussion. This was a reread for me and while I didn't have the same intense experience as I had the first time reading it, I still loved it and enjoyed my time with the Sisters brothers. I will continue to rate it 5 as I did back in '12.

It's definitely an interesting twist on what you imagine a western would be like but I found it has a western feel of it's own. The writing style, the cast of characters, the violence, all of it, gives me that sense of a western still.

I read the The Sisters Brothers and participated in the group discussion. It didn't really grab me, the best part was Eli's affection for his horse Tub :-) I did get a sense of time and place in the Wild West and was glad it was selected for the group read to get it off my TBR where it's been sitting a long time.

I read The Sisters Brothers and awarded it 3 stars. This is the first time I've ever read a western and I would never have picked it up if it hadn't been for the buddy read.

The book was an ok read for me, but not one of my favourites. Violence belongs in the book, but I didn't really 'enjoy' the violent scenes. Eli was the most likeable brother, he loved his horse, but even he was a violent killer. The final third, where everything is brought together was the best section for me.

There were some vivid scenes that will stay with me, one involving a spoon and an eyeball, one where a man falls into purple water in the moonlight and one where a man is 'lovingly' and quietly drowned in his bathtub.

I also liked the wry humour... it wasn't always 'laugh out loud stuff', but is what kept me reading.

It was really good to participate in the discussion. I was made aware of elements that I would have missed otherwise and enhanced the experience.

Oh... and the cover was cleverly done... very striking.

I opted not to read either of the two selected books this month. Instead, I read Epitaph, a story of the shoot out at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881. I discussed the book in the thread set up for alternate choices in the theme.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I was engaged in the story and characters and felt like I was an eye witness to the event.

I read The Sisters Brothers and have been participating in the group read discussion thread.

I was really into it when it began but somewhere in the middle it went a little slack. However, I felt close to the characters, especially Eli and was shook up by the end.

The two western books I read this month were True Grit and The Mysterious Rider. I discussed both in the appropriate threads. Surprisingly (to me), both books had a female main character, and the Zane Grey book was much a romance as it was a western. My previous notion of the western genre was that they were written primarily for and about men. The female MCs aside, both books met my expectations of the genre. I'm glad that the western theme was chosen this month, because I doubt I would ever have read a western otherwise. Both books were okay, but I doubt that I will be picking up another western anytime soon.

I read Chasing the Sun and discussed it in the Western thread. I'm not a big Western lover, if you're talking Louis Lamore style. This was more romance set in a western setting. I enjoyed how the female lead Character could try to find good qualities in everyone in the book, minus the villain of course. The book set in Texas featured Cowboys, Indians, cows, horses etc.

I read True Grit and discussed in the appropriate thread. I'm not a huge fan of Westerns in general, but this book ended up winning my heart. I would definitely recommend it to others. Now I need to go watch the movie!

I read The Sisters Brothers and really enjoyed it. I love the characters; especially Eli. A great story. 5 stars for me.

I read True Grit and discussed in the appropriate thread.

I'm always wary of reading classics (most I don't enjoy), plus Westerns are not really a genre I read often. However the 1969 John Wayne movie is an old favourite of mine so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm so glad I did, I really enjoyed it and felt like taking a trip down memory lane.

I discussed my book in the 'old western' thread. This is what I read:
Unwanted: Dead or Alive by Gene Shelton. I thought it was really funny, because everything the (likable) main characters do, fails. Typical western with lot of action, cowboys, guns and outlaws. 4 stars

I read True Grit during the Toppler and was just now able to squeeze in some of my thoughts about the book in the appropriate discussion thread.

Not what I think of as a typical Western, I thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it five stars.

Through Mattie Ross, Rooster Cogburn, Ranger La Beouf, even Frank Ross, "true grit" has many definitions.

Almeta wrote: "Not what I think of as a typical Western, I thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it five stars."

What did you enjoy about it Almeta?

Sarah wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Not what I think of as a typical Western, I thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it five stars."

What did you enjoy about it Almeta?"

I liked how each character was written to show their own type of grittiness, lending, for me, multiple meaning to the title.

Ah, that makes more sense. Thanks.

I read The Sisters Brothers but didn't like it all that much. On the plus side, it was creative and unusual. On the negative side, I didn't care about the characters or story. I just read it pretty much fast as possible to be done with it. I did like the inclusion of toothbrushing as a novelty in this historical period. Just not my cup of tea though I'm glad to have checked it out : )

Badges are posted. Let me know if I missed you.

Thanks for the badge Sarah, looks like Eli, Charlie and poor old Tub.

Sarah, I noticed today that i didn't get a badge (or whatever it is) for moderating The Sisters Brothers thread. Was I supposed to get something for that? thanks! :)

Tasha wrote: "Sarah, I noticed today that i didn't get a badge (or whatever it is) for moderating The Sisters Brothers thread. Was I supposed to get something for that? thanks! :)"

You have a badge on your wall already, in msg 153. :-)

oh boy, sorry...I missed it I guess. :)

I was confused, I see now it's a badge for participant and discussion leader. For some reason I thought they would be separate badges. Sorry! lol

No worries. It's the same badge each time, just with discussion leader on.