Ocean City Free Public Library Book Blog

  This month we discussed  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Most of our discussion group enjoyed this book. They loved how the story started with two sisters and how the lineage grew with each of them but at the end, those who were once separated have found their way back to each other. Also, seeing the impact and development of history throughout the generations in this story. While the book only touched the beginnings of the history of Ghana, we discussed how through this book we learned more about slave history that what we knew before. It was eye opening and though provoking. The element of trauma that can cause a generational fear in the family was interesting to see unfold through the story. How the fear of water was caused by a drowning from the past and the fear of fire was caused from a massive fire from another past trauma through in the family. It may seem insignificant but it led to the discussion of how we reflect on our own fears and the fears off our parents or famil...

 Welcome to the 2023 OCFPL Book Club season. We chose quite the range of books this year. We hope you can join us in our monthly virtual discussions as we set off on this year's reading adventure.  This month we discussed The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan. Overall many members of our book club enjoyed this book. They loved how the stories of the various characters intertwined with each other. Bridging the past to the present. Going back and forth with these stories at first does not make sense until the end, when the final puzzle piece is placed do you see the whole picture and it is quite delightful to see all that unfold.  One of the elements of this book is the story of how random things that are found have stories to them. A lost puzzle piece found on the road or a random hair bobble found on the ground in the park may mean nothing to a simple person who may walk right past it. Yet  for Anthony, our keeper of lost things, revered these items. Carefully reco...

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 no...

  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 ...

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...

  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 Washi...

 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...

     Paul Tremblay's writing is propelling, it's a heightened ride from beginning to end. For me, it's a challenge to continually read his books as they plunder into my deepest fears, in this case, a viral infection spreading from animal to human. They are all too real, and the small community in which this story takes place could be the one you or I live in, this could happen to you (or me). Do not look at the length of time it took me to read this (10 days) and determine it could not have been good, look at the time it took me to read this and know that every third chapter or so, I HAD to put it down because my anxiety was so heightened by the events therein that I was constantly on the verge of panic. It's that good, Tremblay is that good.      If you've never read him and this book hasn't released yet (July 7, 2020) add it to your TBR and pick up his book  Cabin at the End of the World . Another amazing apocalyptic read about a home in...

     Do you remember your first time picking up a romance novel? The thrill and joy of picking up that novel and discovering something new. Wanting to read all the stories that ends with a Happily Ever After. The Bromance Book Club  by Lyssa Kay Adams brought back that feeling of discovering a romance novel.       This book was a slight miss with our readers during this past meeting of OCFPL Book Club. Some readers enjoyed it, others did not. We truly did enjoy the fact that it was a group of men,  aiding a friend in winning back his wife. What greater re source for this endeavor than a  romance novel. It was ridiculous and over the top. Yet, we did love  the grand romantic gestures of love and devotion. Some of us did not enjoy  the main character but enjoyed the side characters more. Not a true home run this time around.         While this book was not a total win, I still suggest to pick up this ...

Welcome back everyone!       This year we kicked off book club with Born a Crime  by Trevor Noah.  Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television hos, who is widely known for being on the Daily Show on Comedy Central.  This is his story of his time growing up in South Africa during and after the apartheid era.       We enjoyed the stories of him being mischievous, clever but overall naughtiness as a child. His challenging nature and the way he narrates the story to intertwine the deeper issues with funny outtakes, shows how much he has overcome. You can definitely see the comic being form and molded as he was growing up. One thing that the members found fascinating  was his ability and talent for learning languages. Using it as a tool for survival, to trick people, getting out of trouble, and overall to make connections with those who under normal circumstances...

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton Turning back the clock and resetting time to when dinosaurs once ruled the earth. To witness such a marvel would be considered a moment of pure genius and a great scientific discovery. Should scientists take such power into their hands?   Jurassic Park  is a wonderful work of science fiction that not only captures the imagination of dinosaurs walking among us once again but the frightening idea of everything wrong that could happen. Dealing with dinosaurs, experiments gone wrong, and an over sense of feeling doom when things are not going right are some of the most  exhilarating parts of the book. Also you will love to hate and can't help but agree with an always right and explaining everything mathematician.   We enjoyed the book and talked about how it differed from the movie. We loved and hated some characters. Overall, we enjoyed the book and some of us went to pick up the second book to continue the story....

Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel This month we read Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel, our only non-fiction book pick, is an emotional and eye opening narrative about the soldiers sent to war and the challenges they, and their families, face when returning to the home front. Everyone featured in the book has been touched by the wounds of war, whether physical or mental, and how they manage life when everything has changed by death or survival in war. These are the personal storied that follow members of a battalion the months and years after their last deployment and their journey through the bureaucracy of getting the help they need.   We had a lively discussion about the book, we had a veteran share his view and personal experiences, shared stories about our own families who served, and how we felt about this book and the issues it addressed.   Check out a copy here  and learn more about our soldiers.     May’s ...

The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff      If you had a moment to save a life, would you? Two wo men, differen t backgrounds, secrets of their own,  and yet are bound together by a bond of survival. This  is an incredible story of friendship, loss, and bravery. Set during World War II, t he story follows the lives of two strong women, Noa and Astrid, as they make their way on a traveling circus. Author Pam Jenoff transports readers along for the ride. With her rich writing style and strong characterization, readers will quickly become emotionally invested in the story that unfolds, and the final outcome of our protagonists. We enjoyed the story, felt for the characters, and knew that this story will stay with us for a long time.  Be prepared with a box of tissues. Check it out  here  and embark on the journey.    April’s book choice is Thank You For Your Service   by David Finkel. We will meet on April 17 th  in...

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness      What makes a book magical? Is it the story or the characters? Is it the way the author can enchant us with their writing? This month we read  A Discovery of Witches , the first installment of the All Souls Trilogy. It was a great read and the book captivated us. Some of us liked how Harkness developed her characters and showed their growth and change s throughout the book s . We enjoyed the bond between Diana and Matthew as scholars and lovers, but also uniting as a witch and a vampire. We also appreciated the connection the author drew between alchemy and the sciences, and how close they have ties in the supernatural, especially with magic. It was an adventure to see how everyone was looking for the same thing but were on different paths. Some parts did stretch out a bit but it did not take away the overall excitement and enthusiasm for the book.  ...

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho We started this year’s OCFPL Book Club with Paulo Coelho’s widely popular book The Alchemist . We enjoyed the story and the journey that took place. It was an adventure traveling with Santiago (The Boy) as he was going through both a spiritual and emotional journey. What started out as a quest to find treasure became the greatest quest of all. The gold and jewels may have been a reward but finding one’s self, destiny and fulfillment was the greatest treasure of them all. We enjoyed reading about the signs and importance they have in the book and share a few traditions, signs, and superstitions that we grew up knowing. Overall, we enjoyed this book. Check it out here and embark on your own journey. February’s book choice is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. We will meet on Feb. 20 th in RM N111 at 6pm.

Melissa Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson This fantasy story follows the main character, Vin, who is a young female thief trying to survive on the streets. When she gets saved by an ambitious leader of thieving crew, she gets swept away along with their plans to overthrow the unjust government and comes across something she never expected: people she can truly trust. The characters are realistic and the story shows how people can have hope even after experiencing horrible things. Quite simply, I loved this book. Shoot Like a Girl by Mary Jennings Hegar This is a nonfiction account of an Air National Guard’s experiences in three tours of Afghanistan piloting medevac missions. Told in her point of view, this story shows her - at times strenuous - journey to rescue her allies in the middle of a firefight despite being injured. Her story become a pilot, leading up to a intense mission where she still manages to she kept fighting for women’s rights back hom...