Helpful Score: 10
I was disappointed with how little focus there was on the books they read and the monthly discussion. You could hardly even tell who said what in those meetings, the dialogue was often not assigned to a character (like with "Harriet said" or "Clare pointed out"). It seemed like the author threw the books and meetings in as an afterthought. "Oh crap, I guess they better actually read a book or two considering the title!"
I was also annoyed with how much the author 'tortured' her characters. Everyone went through agonizing dilemma after agonizing dilemma. We hear about the book-of-the-month for a page or two, then we get 30 pages about how they deal with their dilemma. When the next month came along... rinse, repeat. It got so angsty I got bored. They made so many stupid choices I couldn't care about the characters. You'd think that a book called "The Reading Group" would have more focus on the meetings, you know, maybe a few good *reading group* scenes. Apparently logic failed there.
There was one thing I liked about the book... the British phrases and words. They're why I even bothered to finish reading. But they're no reason to start reading.
I was also annoyed with how much the author 'tortured' her characters. Everyone went through agonizing dilemma after agonizing dilemma. We hear about the book-of-the-month for a page or two, then we get 30 pages about how they deal with their dilemma. When the next month came along... rinse, repeat. It got so angsty I got bored. They made so many stupid choices I couldn't care about the characters. You'd think that a book called "The Reading Group" would have more focus on the meetings, you know, maybe a few good *reading group* scenes. Apparently logic failed there.
There was one thing I liked about the book... the British phrases and words. They're why I even bothered to finish reading. But they're no reason to start reading.
Helpful Score: 9
Quick, engaging read. It's not really a book about a reading group, but more of a book about the lives of a few interesting women.
Helpful Score: 8
engrossing story of 5 british women who are in a book club. Their lives intersect in interesting ways. And a bonus...their book discussions suggested several books that I would like to read or reread.
Helpful Score: 6
This book follows 5 people that are in a reading group. Each chapter starts out with the book that they read in a month with a short summary. The rest of the chapter follows the friends and their lives. The books that they have read for the month are also intertwined with their lives. This book made me want to check out some of the books that they read.I enjoyed the way these friends' lives changed during the book.
Helpful Score: 5
One of the best female bonding books I've read in a long time. Smarter than your average "chick lit," too!
Helpful Score: 3
A great story about a reading group that meets once a month. Some of it's members are best friends while others are acquaintances. But each has things unfolding in their life outside of the group, some more dramatic than others, and yet they all intertwine at different levels.
Helpful Score: 3
I really enjoyed this book. I feel it was a great summer read. There was never a dull moment. Think Desperate Housewives, meets England, meets novels, then you have The Reading Group. I believe this book could be easily dismissed at 'chick lit' however with the impressive literary references contained within, there is a bit more meat to this book than your average chick lit book. Call it chick lit light!
Helpful Score: 2
This book took me a little bit to get into due to the multiple characters I had to get to know. After I figured out who everyone was it was very enjoyable... A light read about a group of women's different lives.
Helpful Score: 2
I read this in one day, I just couldn't put it down. Each woman in the group had a compelling, but very different story. It was wonderful to see them all come together and support one another.
Helpful Score: 2
Loved, loved loved the characters in this book. Looking forward to her next novel!
Easy reading- maybe a subplot or two I would have liked to see turn out differently, but overall an enjoyable read for relaxation.
Helpful Score: 1
A good book about women and the bonds of friendship.
Helpful Score: 1
Really enjoyed this book ! The story follows a group of 4 women who meet regularly to read and discuss books .The women become entwined inthe books they read and within one anothe lives
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to join a reading club (perhaps some day!) The women in the book are at many different stages and it is easy to find a bit of yourself in several of the women. Enjoy!
Helpful Score: 1
When I first started reading this book I thought for sure it would be one I'd not "get into" but forced myself to continue reading & once I got involved in the various characters I was hooked! I just hated it ended! Wondering what the ladies from the Club are doing now?
I'm going to search this author & order more books by her. This was her first.
I'm going to search this author & order more books by her. This was her first.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a very interesting book about a group of women who get together regularly in a book club. As it says on the back of the book - They express their views through the books they read and grow to become increasingly more open as the bonds of friendship cement.
I thought this was pretty good. A group of Englishwomen form a book club and their lives reflect the literature they select.
www.dcwblogs.com/books
www.dcwblogs.com/books
Helpful Score: 1
Great read! I loved how you everyones lives intertwined somehow!
Helpful Score: 1
An interesting novel about a group of English women who decide to form a reading group. They pick a novel to read each month. And of course, while reading the books, become closer as a group and as individuals. And the books they pick seem to have something to do with what is occurring in their lives. Good characters.
Helpful Score: 1
really good book...weaves the lives of several women together as they attend a reading group together...highly recommend -Mirah W.
Helpful Score: 1
Great 'chick' book - and male characters well drawn as well! Good ideas for my book group reading, too.
I loved this book. I thought the characters were very well-written and realistic. The relationships between the women were very interesting. A good-hearted, warm, satisfying book.
Trials and tribulations of a grooup of women who meet regulaly to read and discuaa books.
Fun British novel of a group of women in a book club and the curveballs life throws them. Very enjoyable!
loved this book. interesting characters
This was a great book about friendship and relationships! I saw myself in almost every character. I could not put this book down.
This book is a great read! You can relate to all the characters as they go through all of trials.
The Reading Group follows the trials and tribulations of a group of British women who meet regurlarly to read and discuss books. I read this book with a reading group. rating 2.5 stars.
This book was good, but I found myself skimming a lot. I wasn't interested in their book club discussions. I wanted to hear more about their lives.
A definite read for those of us who like to read books. Good characters, interesting goings on, maybe female oriented.
It's a great read. The characters are real,warm,touching. It's hard to put down because you want to know what's happening next in their lives.
Excellent read. I liked the story of strangers becoming such close friends through a book club!
The story of a book club over a one year period.
The reader sees the members' lives between meetings. Then, at book club meetings these women discuss the books from their current life viewpoint, and become real friends and confidantes. Nice book.
The reader sees the members' lives between meetings. Then, at book club meetings these women discuss the books from their current life viewpoint, and become real friends and confidantes. Nice book.
I thought this was an interesting read. There are a lot of characters, but at the beginning of the book the author gives you a cheat sheet which I referred to frequently to keep everyone straight. A lot happens to these women during the year of the reading group and it wasn't predictable or boring in any way. I would read something else by this author.
Will label with a bookcrossing label to track in the future.
Will label with a bookcrossing label to track in the future.
I enjoyed this book.I was sorry when it ended.It was fun to read about a group of women who liked to read books.
The Reading Group follows the trials and tribulations of a group of women who meet regularly to read and discuss books. Over the course of a year, each of these women become intertwined, both with the books they read and in each other's lives.
Wonderful Chick Lit! The first 50 pages, I had to continue to "look up" the secondary characters; which was a bit tedious. Very enjoyable. It was hard to put down!
Loved it! Made me want to start a reading group of my own.
A bestseller in the UK, THE READING GROUP is about a group of women who meet regularly to read and discuss books, and how their lives become intertwined, both with the books they read and with each other's lives.
What starts out as a good idea born from a glass of wine and the need to socialize, turns into much more. Over the span of a year, Clare, Harriet, Nicole, Polly and Susan -- five women of different ages, backgrounds and contrasting dilemmas -- transform themselves through the shared community of a book group.
Their reading group becomes a forum for each of the women's views, expressed initially by the book they're reading and increasingly openly as the bonds of friendship cement. As the months pass, these women's lives become more and more intertwined.
In the THE READING GROUP, Nobel reveals the many complicated paths in life we all face as well as the power and importance of friendship.
WoW What an awesome book-This novel follows the lives of woman whose own lives begin to mirror their book choices.
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME
Brit humor and a book that started our neighborhood book club!
Wonderful book, couldn't put it down! Fun for book-lovers, too, as the characters talk about books.
really enjoyed this book
Elizabeth Noble provides another great read!
The story of five women's lives over the course of a year as they meet monthly to read and discuss books. Good story!
A very enjoyable light read about a reading group in England.
A little too english for me, but good reading
One of those fun stories about women who talk to each other and become part of each other's lives.
Absolutely loved it...Reminds me of girlfriends that I wish I had....
Very good.
The Reaing Goup follows the trials and tribulations of a group of women who meet regularly to read and discuss books. Over the course of a year,each of these women become intertwined,both with the books they read and in one another's lives.
I liked it, quick read, great for the beach.. the books aren't discussed at length, most months, but it did give me an idea about reading my next book! Loved the british vernacular!
Follows the trials and tribulations of a group of women who meet regularly to read and discuss books. Over the course of a year, each of these women becomes more intertwined, both in the books they read and within one another's lives.
wow, i just could not get into this book, I was so excited to read it too!!!!
The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble
Read an excerpt (or listen to an audio excerpt) at HarperCollins.com. (The link also includes a reading guide.)
From the back of the book
A glass of wine, a gossip and a good book: the reading group is born. Its members are as different as the books they read, but each woman has secret hopes and fears--for a new lover, a straying husband, an ailing mother, a tearaway teenager--and each woman finds laughter and support in the group's monthly meetings.
About the author
Elizabeth Noble studied English language and literature at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford University, before working in British publishing for several years. The Reading Group is her first novel. She lives in Guildford, Surrey, with her husband and two daughters.
Read an excerpt (or listen to an audio excerpt) at HarperCollins.com. (The link also includes a reading guide.)
From the back of the book
A glass of wine, a gossip and a good book: the reading group is born. Its members are as different as the books they read, but each woman has secret hopes and fears--for a new lover, a straying husband, an ailing mother, a tearaway teenager--and each woman finds laughter and support in the group's monthly meetings.
About the author
Elizabeth Noble studied English language and literature at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford University, before working in British publishing for several years. The Reading Group is her first novel. She lives in Guildford, Surrey, with her husband and two daughters.
The trials and tribulations of a diverse group of British women who meet regularly to read and discuss books. Over the course of a year, each of these women becomes more intertwined, both in the books they read and within one another's lives.
A #1 British bestseller.
A #1 British bestseller.
From the back cover....The Reading Group follows the trials & tribulations of a group of women who meet regularly to read & discuss books. Over the course of a year, each of these women becomes intertwined, both in the books they read & within one another's lives.
