Thank you to my book club partner in passionate virtual book club pursuits, Carrie of Normal of Crazy, for sharing the scoop on our Today Will Be Different book club!
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It’s fall, y’all!! I love all my summer beach reading, I truly do, but then fall shows up and I love all of my cozy fall reads even more. I can’t stop myself from brewing a cup of cinnamon tea to enjoy with every fresh new fall book I start. I hope you all are enjoying this time and able to sneak in some reading.
Speaking of fall reading, Meredith and I couldn’t have been more excited to read Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple for our online virtual book club. I adored Where’d You Go, Bernadette and kept my fingers crossed that this new addition to Ms. Semple’s work would live up to my expectations.
I wanted to wrap my arms around the premise of this book and give it a big knowing hug. Or maybe take it out for some wine. Because, dear lord, I get it! How many times have we ourselves uttered the words in the title of this book? A million?? Even the cover art was appropriate! And so I dove in and didn’t look back…
Grab this book club pick HERE!
Ms. Semple’s writing is quirky, fun and real. I’m not sure I could love her more. I read this book in 2 days, if that tells you anything! And then I went on to watch some interviews of Ms. Semple that made me fall more for her. If you have time, the interview with Kelly Corrigan (on Kelly’s Facebook page) is particularly adorable and relatable.
So what did you all think about the book? Had you read Bernadette and did you compare/contrast while reading Today?
Did you know that there’s a reference to Bernadette in this novel? The school that Eleanor’s son, Timby, goes to is Bernadette’s old house!
And oh Eleanor!! The book takes place over the course of a single day and what a day it was! We start out with a poetry lesson, her “sick” son, and a lunch date she thinks she’s going to miss; and then head to confusion about why her husband has taken a week off of work (one of my favorite parts was the story she made up in her head of what he’s been doing when she peered through the telescope in his office).
Did you have a favorite scene from the book? Funny or otherwise?
How about that Costco scene! I loved the juxtaposition between the deep meaning of poetry and the monotony of handing out samples of food. I thought it was comedic gold!
Did you enjoy the quirkiness of Eleanor or did you find her annoying?
The backstory regarding her sister was interesting, funny and compelling. Alcoholism playing a rather dramatic role. I found the relationship between the two to be both sweet and obviously a little unhealthy. The Flood Girls was a charming and unconventional touch and I thought it really worked.
What were your thoughts on their relationship? And on a side note, did you enjoy being disgusted by Bucky as much as I did?
Also, how about the husband’s secret? Did you see it coming? Did you find it anti-climatic or on target with the feel of the book?
I really did enjoy this book! I felt it was a pretty fast read that was both quirky, engaging and highly relatable.
As always, friends, we’d love to hear your thoughts and questions for this Today Will Be Different Book Club meeting! Please share them and discuss below!
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And now onto our next pick! Can’t wait to dig into this one…
Grab your copy to read with us HERE!
In the latest masterpiece by Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room, an English nurse brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle-a girl said to have survived without food for months-soon finds herself fighting to save the child’s life.
Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale’s Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl.
Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, THE WONDER works beautifully on many levels–a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.
Sound good? We hope so! We look forward to hearing what your thoughts are!
And as always, a copy of The Wonder is up for grabs! Just leave a comment on this Today Will Be Different book club post telling us you want it before 11/11/16 at 5:30am ET and you are entered! As long as you are 18 or older and live in the continental U.S., you are eligible!
Happy Reading, friends!
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Janine Huldie says
I still have Maria Semple’s latest on my list and after reading your review definitely hope to read soon as I can now. That said didn’t have Wonder on my list and might have to reconsider that at the very least. Thanks for the suggestions as you know I can’t wait to see what you have been reading here monthly 😉
Meredith says
Do read The Wonder! Knowing you, you’ll love it and burn through it super-quickly! 🙂
Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms says
I do want “The Wonder”! The description sounds so compelling. Ellen
Meredith says
I think you’d be so intrigued by the medical mystery component of this book!
Meredith says
I loved The Room, can’t wait to check out The Wonder!
Meredith says
Donoghue blows me away with her range–astounding how different these two books are!
Jennifer says
Would love to read The Wonder! Always looking for an interesting read! Love this virtual book club! 🙂
Meredith says
Jennifer, so tickled to have you read with us! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Meredith says
Jennifer, so tickled to have you read with us! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Stephanie says
Eleanor pissed me off…I had a hard time with how easily she sloughed off Timby on virtual strangers (Alonzo, the artist) while she careenedd off on a wild goose chase…and how harsh she w was on Sidney, despite Sidney responding in a reasonable way to Eleanor’s crazy messages about lunch and her behavior after her head injury. One thing I can say about her, I get her struggle with her sister…I have seen this first hand and understand the pain. Our siblings make the choices they want, they don’t always agree with what we would chat.
Meredith says
I agree with this! Irresponsible parenting is a tough swallow for me. I get that we all have our days, but that’s never an excuse to shirk our 1st responsibility–making sure those kiddos are safe and in good hands. And hear hear for siblings making choices that aren’t what we would choose–but loving them and supporting them anyway. Appreciate you checking in, Stephanie!