Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a mystical, magical, mysterious train ride of a circus story. This circus arrives without warning and only opens at midnight. Visitors find themselves swept into tents upon tents of unimaginable performances carried out by a variety of interesting characters. All the while a competition is also taking place where only one individual should be left standing, until love wins it all.

The Bells

Mixed reviews for "The Bells: A Novel" by Richard Harvell. However all agreed this was a unique book that would appeal to Opra (not Oprah) fans as well as fans of dramatic, historical, and romantic novels. Our main character, Moses Froben, is blessed with a voice that takes him from a very humble beginning to a life of love and accomplishment.

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

If you're expecting a book that tells a story about the history and people of Maine, forget this one. A more appropriate title would have been "The Summer Cottage." Maine basically focuses on a cottage and the lives of four women (Alice, Maggie, Kathleen, and Anne Marie). A secret family tragedy spins Alice off into an unwanted life as a wife, mother, and grandmother. The ripple effect of her early life decisions leads her daughter, Kathleen, to break away. Kathleen's daughter, Maggie, faces her own life altering decisions, and Anne Marie, as an in-law, never quite feels part of this family.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society

Upon the urging of her editor our main character, Juliet, is looking for a story to write. She finds not only a story to tell, but a life to live - her own. Reading through a series of letters between Juliet and the residents of Guernsey, readers learn just how the Guernsey Literary and Potato Society book club was created and how its members survived the German occupation of their tiny island. This is a book about survival and the ultimate power of love.

Started Early, Took My Dog

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson. Kate Atkinson is the author of one of our club's most well reviewed novels - "When Will There Be Good News." In "Started Early, Took My Dog" several stories lead the reader through the complex lives of a number of quirky characters including tough cop Tracy (woke up early, took the child) and wandering Jackson Brodie (woke up early, took the dog). This is not an easy read - at times it's a tedious read - but the writing is superb (you'll want to use your highlighter), the story line keeps the reader interested, and the ending brings satisfaction. "All roads lead home," says Julia. "All roads lead away from home," Jackson replies.

The Red Garden

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman weaves through the life and times of characters living in the fictional town of Blackwell, Massachusetts. Beautiful writing, interesting combination of realism and mysticism, the reader is led through fourteen combined stories that begin in 1750 when the town's founder, Hallie Brady, makes her stand for survival. Concluding in the present time, characters come and go and despite hardship and heart break, life continues to move forward and Blackwell continues to grow. The heart of this town belongs to Hallie Brady and a bear, so pay attention to the bear's spiritual power and its hold on the town's red garden.

A Cup of Friendship

A coffee shop located in Afghanistan, lovingly protected and run by Sunny, an American transplant, is the setting for this story written by Deborah Rodriquez. The reader gains a limited insight about the life and culture of the people of Kabul as we follow the lives of Sunny, Yazmina, Halajan, Ashmet, Isabela, Rashif, and others. A hard life to live indeed - especially for women. All these characters are connected by the coffee shop, where free expression and conversation is welcomed. Overall this novel is nothing more than a romance novel, so it proved somewhat disappointing. Average rating from the Ratted Out book club was 2.7

Book List

BOOK LIST August 2008 - February 2011

2008
Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson)
The Friday Night Knitting Club (Kate Jacobs)
The Wednesday Letters (Jason Wright)
The Story of Edgar Satelle (David Wroblewski)
Christmas Jars (Jason Wright)
2009
When Will There Be Good News (Kate Atkinson)
Where are You Now? (Mary Higgins Clark)
Little Pink House (Jeff Benedict)
The Nick Adams Story (Ernest Hemingway)
The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Alan Bradley)
Flipped (Wendelin Van Draanen)
Julie vs Julia (Julie Powell)
The Old Cape Magic (Richard Russo)
The Mighty Queens of Frenville (Amy Dickinson)
South of Broad (Pat Conroy)
The Christmas Cookie Club (Ann Pearlman)
2010
Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
Love and Bullets (Mary Kate Kopec)
Noah's Compass (Anne Tyler)
The Last Child (John Hart)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (Helen Simonson)
The Irrestible Henry House (Lisa Grunwald)
Winter Garden (Kristin Hannah)
The Other Wes Moore (Wes Moore)
The Forgotten Garden (Kate Moron)
The Mountain Between Us (Charles Martin)
The Christmas Train (David Baldacci)
2011
Life is So Good (George Dawson)
Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand)