LDS Ladies Book Club discussion

One of my favorite things about a challenge is I end up discovering new favorite authors! Pick an author you've never read before and check them out!

- What are you reading this week?
- Did you pick the book first or were you interested in a particular author?
- Do you read new authors often?
- How was the book?

1. What are you reading this week?
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2. Did you pick the book first or were you interested in a particular author?
I was interested in the book first. I've been wanting to read it for years, ever since I was in late high school or junior college. I just discovered that Jay Asher has written more books, so I'm most definitely interested in reading those now.

3. Do you read new authors often?
I think overall my reading tastes are a healthy blend of reading books by authors I know and trying out new material from authors I've never read.

4. How as the book?
Personally, I thought this book was phenomenal. There's a bit of controversy over it because it's about why a girl committed suicide. However, I think it brings about important discussions on how one person's action(s) can affect other people. Not only that, I think that discussion is a great segue into other taboo topics, like depression, cutting, etc.
Asher does a wonderful job of portraying both sides of the story: Hannah's pain that led her to take her own life, and everyone else's view of not quite understanding Hannah's cryptic signs of needing help. It's a beautifully written and heartbreaking book.
I recommend this book. Fair warning, though: there is some language and teenage fooling around.

What are you reading this week? Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
- Did you pick the book first or were you interested in a particular author? I picked the book first.
- Do you read new authors often? I hardly ever read a book for the author so I am reading new authors all the time. I have a few authors that I have read all of their books but l mostly choose books based on the plot not who wrote them.
- How was the book? This book was unbelievably sad. It was told as a story in a story, so while you are following an American Women in Paris you are also following a girl in Paris that was sent to a Nazi war camp and the events that followed. I truly loved the book while it was following the two stories an although it was very sad I had a hard time putting it down. I didn't love the end so much when it was just following the American women in Paris. Overall it was a good story and well written. I would recommend it if you like war stories.

- What are you reading this week?
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

- Did you pick the book first or were you interested in a particular author?
I picked up the book first. I'd heard so many good things about this book that I decided to read it.

- Do you read new authors often?
I'm always looking for new authors to read.

- How was the book?
Five stars. The book is historical fiction about people from the Baltic states (Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia) being arrested by Russia and forcibly relocated to Siberia during World War II. I hadn't know anything about this event in history so it was very eye opening, It was a very sad story and hard to read about the brutal conditions the deportees lived under. I definitely plan to read more by this author.

I picked for my new author Tamara Leigh and her book "Lady at Arms". I picked the author as it was based on medieval times and was under clean read. I try and look out for new authors as I feel each bring something new. I enjoyed the book and read the 2nd book to that series.

- What are you reading this week?
I read The Cottage in the Woods by Katherine Coville

- Did you pick the book first or were you interested in a particular author?
I picked the book first as I am interested in re-told Fairy Tales. This one looked interesting.
- Do you read new authors often?
I do, I usually read a mix of new authors and ones I really enjoy.
- How was the book?
This book was great. It was a very different yet creative imagining of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I loved how she weaved in other Fairy Tale and Nursery Rhyme characters throughout the story. It had adventure, mystery and romance.
I would like to read more by this author, but I think she only has one other book that just came out this year. It is her husband that has written a lot of books and she has been the illustrator. I hope she continues to write books herself.

I am reading The Lincoln Hypothesis by Timothy Ballard. the book has always looked interesting to me, but when I found out Timothy Ballard was speaking at time out for women, I decided I would check out the book. I'm only on chapter 4, but so far I have really enjoyed it.