January Group Read is...

The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve! (Sorry, I was going to post this last night but I fell asleep early... whoops!)

Back of the book: "I wonder this: If you take a woman and push her to the edge, how will she behave?" The question is posed by Jean, a photographer, who in 1995 arrives on Smuttynose Island, off the coast of Maine, to research a century -old crime. As she immerses herself in the details of the case - an outburst of passion that resulted in the deaths of two women - Jean herself enters precarious emotional territory. he suspicion that her husband is having an affair burgeons into jealousy and distrust, and ultimately propels Jean to the verge of actions she had not known herself capable of - actions with horrific consequences.
Everywhere hailed for its beauty and power, The Weight of Water takes us on an unforgettable journey through the farthest extremes of emotion.

Discussion #1 - January 7th over pages 1-64
Discussion #2 - January 14th over pages 65-135
Discussion # 3 - January 21st over pages 136- 191
Discussion #4 - January 28th over pages 191-end and the overall whole book discussion

I broke up the book into what I think are pretty decent chunks. It doesn't have named chapters so I broke it up by the pages in the book, but they are all the ends of chapters. If the book you get doesn't seem to jive with this, get a hold of me via email pinkflipflops44 at gmail dot com and I we can figure it out if you are confused!

Also, if you are reading through and have questions you want me to post at the beginning of the discussion for everyone to talk about also email those to me by the Thursday night before the Friday discussion. I have added a new commenting system that should allow for people to respond to what others are saying.

Hopefully, it will be easy to get this one from the library because it came out in 1997! I am hoping that this new format will bring more life to the group read!

And I hope EVERYONE has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Re-Introducing the Group Read

We've taken a 2 month break here on the Group Read and I've been thinking of ways to improve and re-introduce it for the near year.

I like how we all put in suggestions (how else do I learn about some pretty cool books) and that we all have a vote. I like discussing (wish more people participated) and I like when people write thought provoking guest-posts like when we read American Wife and Lisa and Kelly contributed some great posts!

So here are my ideas for 2011...

-Once a month put a post out asking for suggestions
- Once a month set up a poll to vote on suggestions
- Once a month post the winner

(so far that sounds the same...)

New idea:
I break up the book into so many chapters and once a week we read and discuss those chapters.
Can you read ahead? Sure just don't post any spoilers before we get there!

As always, if someone has questions they want asked or a guest post they want to share or if they want to post something on their own blog and have me link to it, I am all for it!

I think breaking the book up into sections will make us all a little more accountable and it will seem a little more doable and we can have more of a discussion of how it is come so far and where we see it going. I figure in the post that tells that month's selection I will also then post the schedule for what chapters will be talked about on what day and in each weekly post, add a reminder.

I am thinking Friday's will be a good day to do the weekly discussion because that way you have all weekend to chime in. If you have another day or suggestion you want to throw out please do! The only day that won't work for me is on Wednesday's because I post my baby growing update on those days. ;)

So what do you all think? Are you game? And better yet, what shall we read in January???

October Group Read Suggestions

Ok everyone, now it is time to suggest something for us to all read along to in October. Remember, if you participate in discussions for September's Read or guest-post on it, you enter yourself to win a free copy of the October Group Read, whatever it is!

Anyone want to read something "scary" for Halloween? Scary of course can be defined in many ways. Scary has in a very long book you want to read but are scared because of the length. Scary has in we will have bad dreams all month. Scary as in big words that we don't know the meanings and have to look them up. Scary as in, I never want that situation to happen in my life.

Or you could just suggest whatever you want as per usual. ;)

This is what we have already read:
The Color Purple
The One That I Want
The Secret Garden
House Rules
American Wife
Firefly Lane
Middlesex
The Reader
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Awakening
Pride & Prejudice
I See You Everywhere

Suggestions will be open until September 30th at 10:00 pm. Poll will be up October 1st and the selection will be announced October 4th! Thanks for participating!