Elizabeth Dean

Great book! Somewhat gimmicky, but a sad, sweet story of mourning, forgiveness, and love.

I love this book and these characters so much. The book teaches a very clear moral lesson of compassion. Eliot writes about her characters, their mistakes and their flaws with so much care. Love it.

I adore these books! The characters are so well-drawn, the relationships so real. And the evil in these books is extremely disturbing. Any author who depicts killing God as a completely non-cynical, compassionate act is going to rate highly in my book. Brilliant.

Ah, East of Eden. Just beautiful. Original sin is such a fascinating concept when you think of it. We are all born in need of forgiveness, and forgiveness is the greatest gift we can give others and ourselves.

Bridget Jones is the only book character I talk about as if she were one of my friends. Bridget got so much trash in the 90s for being weight-obsessed and man-obsessed but honestly, she is a true hero and role model. The best thing about Bridget Jones is how she keeps making stupid, embarrassing mistakes and just soldiers on. I also admire how she smiles and makes a joke of it when people are obnoxious to her. Me, somebody gives me a look and I say hateful things with my sharp tongue. But Bridget is all kindness. We all should try to be more like her. And plus, the book is freaking hilarious.

This one is even funnier than the first. The scene where Bridget interviews Colin Firth is especially funny when you listen to Terry Gross's Fresh Air interview with him. Terry obviously hasn't read this book!!

One of my favorite books ever. There is so much love, compassion and acceptance in it. I love how the orphanage becomes a home and family for those who otherwise don't have a place in the world. Homer Wells is one of my favorite book characters ever. Writing this, I'm convincing myself I want to reread it, and soon!

I read this years ago in college. I seem to be one who doesn't love it as passionately as others. I think it's because I read it at about the same time I read The Cider House Rules, and I was so moved and inspired by that book, that Owen Meany could never live up to expectations. Owen stays with me though. I think of his character a lot.

Started this tonight . . . whoops, might be a little too scary for Charlie. Still, we are pushing ahead. UPDATE: Too scary. But I really liked it.

We read 2 chapters tonight and the language is WAY too advanced (and way too British) for my five-year-old. He is pretty interested in the idea of a boy who never grows up, however, and I am hoping that once it moves past the parents' stories that the adventure with Peter and the lost boys will maintain Charlie's interest. Because I really, really like this and this edition is absolutely gorgeous.

I have never read the real book before this, but I did know the famous first line of it (“All children, except one, grow up.”) Reading this first line and opening chapter as an adult and a parent was simultaneously heartwrenching and thrilling.

This book is cute but much of the story is about social behaviors/interactions that are lost on Charlie. I don't think his interest is at all piqued by Hiccup's sense of inadequacy around his father and his rivals. He fell asleep a few nights while I was reading it, and then for a couple of nights he chose different books. I asked him if he wanted to stop reading it and try something else and he said yeah, so, we are.

I don't get the adoration of this book. The characters were too pathetic for me to want to keep reading. I gave up after 200 pages. Second contemporary novel about polygamy I've given up on.

Perhaps this will be my first Wally Lamb. I suppose he is one of the authors I am “saving.”

I really enjoyed this but did not feel the need to go back & finish it after the book club meeting. It's been a bizarre, non-reading spring.

I listened to the Slate book club on this, and feel all right letting it go. Sad that I lugged it all the way to Poland and back, to no avail. However, now I'm really excited about reading Consider the Lobster.

Nothing wrong with this, but when I find myself playing more Bejeweled than reading in the evenings, it's time to move on to a new book.

I'm letting this one go, for now.

I liked this book but it fell victim to the year of unfinished book club books.

What a disappointment!