2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Defending Jacob by William Landay.

Pages: 421 pages

Length: 1 month (January)

Participants: Beth, TerryJane, Blagica

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Here are some questions to help get the conversation started! Feel free to look up discussion questions specific to this book or come up with your own. Just make sure any questions that contain spoilers are under spoiler tags.
Discussion questions are not required but may be a fun way to talk about the book and get to know each other!

Prior to starting:
What prompted you to join this buddy read?
Have you read this author before? What do you think of their other books?

Mid-read:
What character or ideas do you relate to the most and why?
Do you have any favorite quotes or scenes?

After reading:
What was enjoyable or not-so-enjoyable about this book?
Did this book change your perception about anything, either within the book (character development) or in real life?

Prior to starting
What prompted you to join this buddy read?
The synopsis drew me in.

Have you read this author before? What do you think of their other books?
First time with this author for me.

Starting today.

I have some Libby audiobooks that return soon, and I need to finish those first. It may be another 7-10 days before I can start this one.

Before the recent change eliminating Overdrive mp3 downloads, I would have saved these for later in the month, but now I can't. It's messed with my reading plans in a bad way. 😠

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EDIT: Forgot to say, I have not read this author before, but I've had this book on my TBR for a while.

I didn't start it the other day, but I am starting today for sure!

Finished Part One. (view spoiler)[Wow, I can't begin to imagine what either set of parents went through - neither the parents whose son was killed nor the parents whose son was arrested for the murder. The dad certainly acted stupidly with that knife when he first found it. I understand his motives and his thinking (to an extent, anyway), but still... Especially as he's an ADA. And yeah, to dump all that info about his violent family background on his wife when he did was really unfair to her. (hide spoiler)]

I am really enjoying the book and am turning one page after the other.

Part Two done. (view spoiler)[Wow, my heart was pounding when Andy visited his father in jail! And also when he was talking to Derek. Very tense conversations!

I'm wondering if it turns out that Jacob really is innocent. There seem to be some allusions to something surprising or shocking still to come... so maybe it's that Jacob is innocent and someone else (another kid?) killed Ben. (hide spoiler)]

It's almost midnight. According to Kindle I have a little less than 2 hours of reading time left. This would be a perfect time to put the book down and go to bed. But I wanna know how it ends!!!

Your enthusiasm has me so excited to read this, Beth!

I liked this book. I read it in one sitting and the ending. I did not see coming

I did wind up going to bed last night. Actually, I went to bed planning to stay awake and finish the book, but I fell asleep after only 5 minutes... a commentary on my tiredness, not the book! Back at it this morning and will finish today.

Part Three finished. (view spoiler)[OK, Father O'Leary definitely had something to do with Patz's suicide, right? This whole section was more tense courtroom drama and parental anguish. Reading him describe Laurie's... deflating... is so painful. Beatiful, touching, and painful. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[WTF was that ending?!? I have a lot ot process.

I thought the ending would reveal who actually killed Ben. Maybe Jacob actually did? (hide spoiler)] Argh, my brain is so scrambled!

I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

BTW there is an 8-part mini series on Apple+ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2304589/). Anyone planning to watch it?

yes

Do either of you have the print edition handy? My audiobook is divided into 40 chapters, but there's no indication in the files for Part One, Two, etc. The narrator should announce "Part Two," when I get there, but maybe I'm already listening to that part. 🤷‍♀️

I'd love to see something like, Part One = Chapters A-B, Part Two = C-D, etc. Please? And thank you.

I had the audio book and there was no separation just 1 hour parts

Part One is Chapters 1 through 8 (about 25% of the book)
Part Two is Chapters 9 through 23 (getting you to the 53% mark)
Part Three is Chapters 24 through 36 (takes you to the 86% mark)
Part Four is Chapters 37 through 40 (finishing the book)

Let me know if you need anything else. I have the book through Libby, and it's due back on Jan 20.

And I started watching the mini series today, getting through the first episode. Nice to see Chris Evans doing something besides be a goof and flex his muscles. 😉

Beth wrote: "Part One is Chapters 1 through 8 (about 25% of the book)"

Thank you for that breakdown, Beth! I usually return my Libby books immediately after finishing. I'm so glad you didn't. 💙

I reached Part Two last night as I began Ch. 9, so I paused my book and read your Part One spoiler. I couldn't agree more about (view spoiler)[Andy's actions with the knife being stupid. That knife might have been completely clean or the wrong size or something. Jacob might be being set up by classmates (the students' police interviews sounded really shady), but the knife's disappearance will make Jacob look incredibly guilty if/when it comes up in the trial.

The Barber family's history of violence feels like a distraction. The whole murder gene possibility seems far-fetched from a nature vs. nurture aspect. Now, if Andy was violent and Jacob lived with his example, it'd be a different story.

Poor Rifkins. I can't imagine their pain. I wonder whether there is any significance to Andy's coat not being on the bed at the shiva? Or was that just a way to get Andy and Dan alone together? Hmm... (hide spoiler)]

Years ago, when hubby and I watched America's Most Wanted together, there was a case where some well-to-do parents covered for their accused son and helped get him out of the country. I hadn't thought of that case in a long time, but it says something about how far parents will go to protect their child.

Beth wrote: "Part One is Chapters 1 through 8 (about 25% of the book)
Part Two is Chapters 9 through 23 (getting you to the 53% mark)
Part Three is Chapters 24 through 36 (takes you to the 86% mark)
Part Four i..."

I completely agree I think he is doing a great job in this show.

Hahaha, TerryJane! I always used to immediately return my Libby books. But now that I have to go through the extra step of going to Amazon to return the books I've read via Kindle, I'm not as quick to do returns any more, unless I see there's someone in line waiting.

Blagica wrote: "I completely agree I think he is doing a great job in this show."

Blagica and Beth, we don't have an Apple TV subscription, so I'll have to take your word for it. 😒

Just finished Part Three, and I suspect you're right about O'Leary. Four chapters is too many for a normal wrap-up, so I assume there's another twist heading my way. I'll be back in a few minutes.

Finished! That was very good! I'll have to check if Mr. Landay has other books available in audio. *rubs hands together*

Thanks for suggesting this as a BR, Beth.

He definitely does!

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me
Mission Flats
The Strangler

Let me know if any strike your fancy to do as a future Buddy Read! Same for you, Blagica!

Beth wrote: "He definitely does!

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me
Mission Flats
The Strangler

Let me know if any strike your fancy to do as a future Buddy Read!"

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me has the best rating out of the three. I'd be game to try that one sometime.

Sounds good! I'll suggest it for April. :)

Beth wrote: "Sounds good! I'll suggest it for April. :)"

Thanks! May might work, too, since it's a missing mother story. May's theme is mother, but May BRs might not be open yet, now that I think about it.