Ocean City Free Public Library Book Blog

This month's book was Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward . This month's choice was a little more in the middle when it came to liking it. Some members struggled to finished it but fought through to the end. Sing, Unburied, Sing was about the journey of a young boy named Jojo and his mother Leonie and their journey of finding their way to themselves and "home."  Some of our readers mentioned how the story got too painful sometimes. Jesmyn Ward's writing style really felt realistic, you could feel the pain, anxiety, and heaviness of the story across the pages. Truly a talent to capture and portray such emotions, even if the story is not a happy one. We were amazed by that talent. We did talked quite a bit about the relationship between Jojo and his grandfather Pops. How much he looked up to him and how he was an important person in his life.  We gave this book 3 books out of 5. While it was a difficult book to read story wise, it still was a book that was written w

  This month's book was The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. T he book club enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a slow start in the beginning but as the story continued, it picked up speed and the story just grabbed you. The wonderful elements of suspense and superstitions kept the book captivating and wonderful. There are two stories in the book, Ji Lin's story and Ren's story. Both crisscross each other but also have the support of their own in the book. We enjoyed the adventurous nature of the characters. The journey of a dancehall girl and a houseboy on a mission from his former employer. With man-eating tiger on the prowl, ghostly spirits, and death, what is there not to enjoy from this book. The supernatural/superstitious elements and the culture of the time in Malaysia, it brought us to a world we never knew and wanted to explore more about. We hope this get's picked up as a mini-series. It would playout wonderfully on screen.  We give this book 4 books out of 5. 

  You Lucky Dog by Julia London   This is a great read. It's so entertaining and lighthearted. The characters definitely draw you in and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments to keep you turning the pages quickly! Super fun, quick and easy book with characters that you will really care about. Discover this book for yourself at: https://oceancity.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1440393153

  This month's book was The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes - McCoy . The ladies of the book club enjoyed this book. We discussed that the side characters were quite fascinating and more often more interesting. We liked the stories that were being told on the side, it gave the narrative a little bit something extra and a tidbit to look forward to later in the story. As a whole, we all agreed the main character, Hanna, was something we deemed an in-between character. Hanna was someone who was like a floater, not taking full command of her own story. It was fun to see the development of the character and finally seeing how she grew in her story.  We also loved the setting of the story. Who doesn't love a book set in the misty side seashore town by the cliffs in Ireland. Grant it, the town does not exist but we just loved the imagery of the place throughout the story. It did create a sense of wanderlust throughout the group. Overall, we enjoyed the novel and wou

  This month's book was Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal. This one was a split book amongst the group. Some members enjoyed it and others did not. We enjoyed the main character, Maggie Hope, after all who doesn't like a strong female character who had gumption. What got us divided about the book was some of the twists and surprises of the story and how they happened. Some of us agreed that they were just too unbelievable and just made no sense. Other enjoyed those twists and turns, and it gave the story the excitement it needed.   Overall, we liked the history and time frame of the story. There is something about London in the 1940's on the brink of war that just makes any book a bit more intriguing. It is just seemed off with some of the side stories and characters in the book about how some felt flat while others were stronger.  Score for this title is 3 books and a short story out of 5 books.  If you would like a copy of the book, follow the link belo

This month's read was Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. An epic and fantastical tale of an enslaved young boy named Wash. The journey he embarks from the horrors of being a field slave to being a personal servant and assistant to his time in being free, is quite an extraordinary tale.  There is wonder and awe, there is heartbreak, there is moments of sadness and moments of happiness. The book club was really captured by Wash's story and also Titch, someone who become his master but is truly not. Their journey together and story was captivating. Overall, the OCFPL Book Club enjoyed this novel. We definitely put this down as a recommended books for others to enjoy.     If you would like a copy of the book, follow the link below:  https://oceancity.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1437458153    If you want to join us for future discussions, we meet via Zoom on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Join us on Feb. 17th as we discuss  Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal   Sign

  We started this year's book club with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo  by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Overall, we enjoyed the book. A book about an actress from old Hollywood fame who wanted to tell her story, on her terms, in her own fashion. Evelyn reaches out to magazine writer Monique Grant, not to write an article but to be the sole author of her biography. Through the storytelling, we learn about love, loss, hopes, desires, and so much more. We discussed how the character Evelyn was a feminist. We enjoyed how in tune the book to is the lure of old Hollywood with the modern tales of the scandalous nature that is today's Hollywood. With a few twists and turns here and there, this novel is one we quite enjoyed. If you would like a copy of the book, follow the link below: https://oceancity.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1437457153    If you want to join us for future discussions, we meet via Zoom on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Join us on Feb. 17th as we discuss Washington Black

 Happy New Year everyone! We hope you are all doing well and keeping safe.  We start off the new year with a new pep in our step, too many books to read, movies to get lost in, trivia nights, all that and more.  Is your goal for 2021 to read more books?  The OCFPL Book Club is a great place to join a lively discussion with a great group of people to discuss the Book of the Month. Visit  https://www.oceancitylibrary.org/events/ocfpl-virtual-book-club-0 for more information.     How about challenge yourself to step outside the box and do a reading challenge instead.  Check our Book Riot's Reading Lists and Challenges   https://bookriot.com/2021-reading-lists/ Don't forget to visit our webpage to learn about current events we have plan for the year.  A quick peek for the year: An Evening with Debbie Macomber - A live discussion with the author and Q&A - Jan. 29th.  -  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oHgn6RIDQUCyuIwdkZRjSA   Trivia Night -   Hosted monthly via Zoom