Black Coffee discussion

This is where we will be discussing April’s group read Deacon King Kong by James McBride.

I’m all set and ready to go.

Ohh wow!! I m7ght hold off reading until April!!

I’m in. I definitely won’t start early, since I have a couple of books to finish by month end.

Count me in, too.

I might have to do it from excerpts available online but I will be present. Stay safe.

I started it on the first. It’s hilarious. He’s got an offbeat and sometimes dark sense of humor, but I’m enjoying it.

Starting today

It started out funny anyway. There are many backstories.

Lulu. You sent me a message about Kindle. Please do that. Thanks.

Hmmm.... I’m not feeling this book. The first few pages were amusing, but now ....
How are you guys feeling?

It’s certainly not what so was hoping. I was amused in the beginning but not enough to be happy. I’m up to chapter 9 and can say with some relief that it has improved. It jumps around a lot.

I am finishing up McBride’s The Good Lord Bird and i appreciate the humor and skewering of history. Will be with Deacon King Kong on Monday. Wait for me!

Trudy wrote: "Hmmm.... I’m not feeling this book. The first few pages were amusing, but now ....
How are you guys feeling?"

I was worried in the beginning. I was like, wow, this book is kinda silly. So glad I kept reading

Me too Bernie, I’m glad I kept reading. What a relief! This style of writing reminds me a lot of the Good Lord Bird, which also took some getting used to. I have to say I was glad I read that book so I expect this to be a similar reading experience.

So far I think the best books he has written are The Color of Water and A Song Yet Sung, Song Yet Sung being my favorite of the two, unless I’m mixing up my authors.

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Me too Bernie, I’m glad I kept reading. What a relief! This style of writing reminds me a lot of the Good Lord Bird, which also took some getting used to. I have to say I was glad I read that book ..."

This is the first work, I have explored by this author. I have the audiobook GOOD LORD BIRD, but I have not listened to it yet.

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Me too Bernie, I’m glad I kept reading. What a relief! This style of writing reminds me a lot of the Good Lord Bird, which also took some getting used to. I have to say I was glad I read that book ..."

So, I’m on chapter 5. When did this book turn around for you guys? One of my friends is reading this also. She liked it from page one. She said the characters reminded her of people she knew.
Also, what’s up with the “cheese”?

I think it turned for me when the Governor went to visit the Elephant on the dock in the middle of the night. It got more serious when Earl went out looking for Sportcoat. I’m glad it turned, I wasn’t feeling the humor very much.

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "I think it turned for me when the Governor went to visit the Elephant on the dock in the middle of the night. It got more serious when Earl went out looking for Sportcoat. I’m glad it turned, I was..."

Thanks, Dosha. I’m reading the part about Governor now.

Okay, I’m convinced it’s just me. This book has such excellent reviews, but I just cannot get into it. So, I give! My focus is terrible. I’m anxious to read what you guys discuss, though. Will catch you all next month.

Hey, wait a minute Trudy, don’t leave. What chapter are you on? Is it that you are not feeling anything for the characters? It does make it hard to form a connection to a character when he is introduced and then dropped. You almost meet a new one each chapter, but he ties the new one into an old one you have already met.

This book keeps reminding me of The Good Lord Bird, which in my opinion was an ill attempt at humor but there was a story in it. It came later than I would have liked, but it did come. The story comes more early in this book.

I finished chapter 1 last night. Gonna dig a little deeper tonight.

You gotta give it some time to get better. I wonder what chapter Trudy made it to before she gave up.

I just finished this book. I enjoyed the book. It definitely was not the best book I have read this year, but it was pretty good. I will give it 3.5 stars.

I’m gonna jump back into it. It might have been more enjoyable if we read it before The Girl WTLV. That book was a hard act to follow.

I’ve gotta get back to it as well. I’ve been in such funk lately. Lol

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "I’m gonna jump back into it. It might have been more enjoyable if we read it before The Girl WTLV. That book was a hard act to follow."

Hi Dosha, you are so right,! The Girl....Voice was a very hard act to follow. BTW, I guit this book pretty early in the game. After that convoluted conversation between Elephante and the Irishman, I just couldn’t make myself continue.

Lulu wrote: "I’ve gotta get back to it as well. I’ve been in such funk lately. Lol"

Me, too. I haven’t read a book in almost a month. So unlike me. Sigh!

I’m starting the audiobook now. The book isn’t keeping my attention.

I finally finished today. I actually enjoyed it. It wasn’t the book, it was definitely me. Lol. I could see this being turned into a movie.

Lulu wrote: "I finally finished today. I actually enjoyed it. It wasn’t the book, it was definitely me. Lol. I could see this being turned into a movie."

Wow! You make me want to try again. Maybe I will after life settles down again.

I’m gonna finish it by the 30th. It’s certainly took a turn for the better once he stopped trying to be funny.

I just finished it. It turned out to be good! What a surprise. I can’t wait to discuss it.

I'm just past page 100. I'm enjoying it so far. McBride knows how to keep my attention and I'm eager to know what comes next.

Okay, so have we all finished the book yet? Is it time for the discussion?

Let’s discuss! I’m still looking for questions from the publisher or other book groups.

Talk to us! What’s on your mind?

Well, first of all I was so excited to have this on both audible and kindle so I could whisper sync. Hmph! How disappointing. First of all I couldn’t understand what I was listening to so I switched to text. That was better but then I was insulted by his insensitive use of painting the church folks as slapstick comedians, I thought it was degrading.

Then things began to happen. All of a sudden there is a plot and a story is being told, the humor becomes much less, felt like it to me, and I’m wondering what’s gonna happen next. Which is a good thing

So I switch back to audible while cooking and Bunch and his boy who kept saying Dig that over and over got on my nerves cause he kept dragging it out like dig thaaaat I had to go back to the written word. But the story kept becoming more and more interesting.

Whew! I was worried. I think Trudy just gave up. I understood. But I’m glad I trudged on cause it turned out to be very good. Or I was just so relieved that it got better I’m being too generous with a five star review. Thoughts?

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Well, first of all I was so excited to have this on both audible and kindle so I could whisper sync. Hmph! How disappointing. First of all I couldn’t understand what I was listening to so I switche..."

Dosha, I thoroughly enjoyed your impressions here. I got such good chuckles. Anyway I’m glad that you eventually enjoyed or kind of enjoyed the book. After reading everybody’s post, I tried to give it another go however, this book is just not for me. Like you I did have the text and the audio. That kind of expense has to be reserved for a book I really enjoy so I returned the audio book back to audible. I attempted to return the kindle book also however I discovered you cannot return Kindle book after seven days. I have a good friend who just finished and she liked it. I think I’m just going to let her tell me the story and move on. LOL!

I began enjoying the story, when interesting characters were introduced, without all the buffoonery, I saw in the church folk’s. I too, was annoyed, by the way, they were being portrayed. Coming across other storylines, was such a relief. A whole book, centered around a drunk deacon, who was conversing with his dead wife, was not going to hold my attention.

I'll say one thing about McBride though I've not read his other work. He seems to be the master of the metaphor. It certainly gave spots of humor that sometimes overwhelmed the story of people just trying to get by. I thought the ending was satisfying.

Wow, you read the book fast Dave. Amazing. How’d you like it, enough to read anything else by him?

What did folks think about Deacon Sportcoat? I thought he was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. At one point I almost thought he wasn’t as drunk as he made out to be sometimes and he was just hiding his intelligence from all the various danger around him.

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Wow, you read the book fast Dave. Amazing. How’d you like it, enough to read anything else by him?

What did folks think about Deacon Sportcoat? I thought he was a lot smarter than people gave him ..."
Sometimes I do push to finish a book. The early comments in the group made me want to see if I thought the same. The Deacon? I'm not sure what I think. I agree, he was smarter than some thought. His addiction helped that perception, maybe. I think Deems was a son to him, not just a good ballplayer. I'd like to hear thoughts on why he stopped drinking, and why he gave up and killed himself.

Dave wrote: "Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Wow, you read the book fast Dave. Amazing. How’d you like it, enough to read anything else by him?

What did folks think about Deacon Sportcoat? I thought he was a lot..."


I think that Sportcoat's wife influenced him to stop drinking when she told him how his drinking hurt her. I also think he was ready to go, since she made it clear, that she would not be visiting, and speaking to him anymore, on earth.

Does anyone wonder what happened to the Christmas money that Hettie hid?

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Does anyone wonder what happened to the Christmas money that Hettie hid?"

I never thought about it, since the church ended up with so much more. Who knows, maybe she opened up a bank account, which is where it should have been in the first place.

Yeah, I know but this is the sixties where folks kept “money on hand”, lol.

Any ideas for a June group read?

I understand that Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris is pretty controversial and a Broadway smash hit. I wish I’d been able to see the play when it was there. I have the book. Any takers for a group or buddy read in June?

Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Any ideas for a June group read?

I understand that Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris is pretty controversial and a Broadway smash hit. I wish I’d been able to see the play when it was there. I have ..."

I just put the book on hold, in the Libby library. I should be able to borrow it in 3 weeks.

Hey! You guys are the most active so I’m asking here. I want to make a post on the 15th for a group read for June. Any suggestions?

Hi Lulu, I missed you. I was looking forward to your thoughts on Deacon King Kong.

I would like to suggest Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris.
It is literally allay, so if this group is not into reading plays I completely understand. That’s all I got, but I’m very interested in other suggestions.

I start back to work on June 1st so I may not be as active as in the past months. But I will read what everyone else does and try to complete it on time. Happy Reading everyone-I sure need books during this pandemic.