A Quick Reminder

The first book coming up for discussion will be Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell. The time for discussion will be 9 pm CST, Sunday May 15. If you would like to participate, please have the book read by this time and show up at chat (you'll find that under the chat tab at the top) at the discussion time. You do not need to be a member or a follower (though I wouldn't mind if you were...) to join chat.

I would really love to see a lot of people there. Discussion should take about an hour, though it could last longer.

As I mentioned on the book list page, if you would like to join chat, but the time does not work well for you, please email me with a time and date that would work better for you. I will do my best to make sure as many people can join as possible.

Review of A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer

From the back:

A Child Called "It" is the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother; a mother who played torturous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing and no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

Through each struggle you'll find yourself enduring his pain, comforting his loneliness and fighting for his will to survive. This compelling story will awaken you to the truth about child abuse--and the ability we all have to make a difference.

My Thoughts:

I have had this book for a half decade now and have read it several times. Every time, I know what is going to happen and it still pulls me into the deapths of his world. It is a book that makes me grateful for the family I have and every time I finish reading it I have to look around me and tell my kids how much I love them.

Dave's story about his childhood is a truly aweful thing that no one should ever have to go through, and the way he writes it, it really makes you feel as though you were right there suffering it with him. It is a story that will bring tears to your eyes.

Genre: Self-help, Psychology, Inspiration

Recommended for: Adults, anyone in need of some motivation

Not Recommended for: Kids, people who don't enjoy graphic writing, Chicken Soup haters

My Rating: 4/5



May Books Are Up!

Head on over to the discussion list page to see what we'll be reading next month! If you have already read these books, feel free to pop in on the listed dates on the chat page and tell us your thoughts.

There are a few things you should know before we do the first book. Please have a list of questions you'd like to ask about the reading material. Your thoughts are always welcome and we actually want to discuss these books!

The second thing I would like to point out is if you can't make it to the discussion and would like it to be a different time, email me and let me know when works for you! I'll do my best to help you out.

Also, this is meant to be a discussion, so try to keep it PG.

Can't wait to see you there!

Becoming a Reviewer!

If you would like to regularly review books for the Book Club, please send me an email. Please make sure to include your email address (even though it will show up in the address line) and you will recieve an invite from the blog. This may show up in your junkmail, so keep an eye out for it. If you do decide to become a member of the blog, be aware that you need to have a google account. If you don't have one before the invitation, you will be asked to create one at that time.

Getting Things Ready

Hey, everyone! So, I've decided I need to join a book club. I have never been a part of one, but always wanted to. Unfortunately, I'm not very outgoing and I hardly have any time to get away from the munchkins. My solution was to make an online book club. Things are going to take a little while for me to get them set up (including getting a chatroom going), but the plan of events goes a little something like this: get a list of books, find some people who want to read them and discuss them, read books, discuss books, etc.

The other thing I would like to do is book reviews. This is where things go and get a little sketchy for me. I'm not really sure how to go about doing guest posts for those who would like to submit a review, but I'm sure someone will enlighten me along the way.

So, without futher ado, welcome to the blog. If you would like to participate in the book club, feel free. By no means do you need to read everybook that will find its way onto the list, or be a part of every discussion. But I'd love to have you here, and your input!