That blog post I wrote yesterday? The one about how the days get away from me and I don’t find the time to sit down and write here? It was very honest and I’m glad I got it done. I just wish I had saved it for today because yesterday I was supposed to announce the title of the summer selection for Read With Us.

Whoops.

So, I’m a day late and Bonny and Kym have both already done a great job promoting the book, but I’m going to do my part anyway, even if it is anticlimactic.

We are reading Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur

It’s a memoir about the author’s mother’s affair with her stepfather’s best friend. I read it in early May and it’s full of drama and angst, complicated relationships, vivid descriptions of food, and lovely portrayals of Cape Cod. I enjoyed it greatly, partly because I saw a lot of my mother in Malabar, partly because the setting is so familiar to me, and partly because it’s light and entertaining. I thought that made it a perfect book for us to read together and I’m glad Kym and Bonny agreed. I hope you will, too.

You’ve got June and July to read it, which should give you plenty of time, and we’ll be holding our discussion in August. I think once you start this one you’ll have a hard time putting it down! Hopefully you can find a copy at your public library as many are offering curbside pick up now as well as digital versions through Libby or other resources.

I may be late to the party but since the party hasn’t really started yet I think it’s just fine.

It’s time to discuss our spring book selection for the Read With Us book club and this time we’re doing things a bit differently. We still want the discussion to take place in the comments but Bonny and Kym and I are all asking one question today rather than taking turns and spreading this out over several weeks as we have in the past. We’re also seriously considering a Zoom meeting to have a live discussion of the book.

As you may recall (and have hopefully read) our spring book is I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez , a YA book set in Chicago, about Julia, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, and her struggles to come to terms with her sister’s death and her parents expectations for her life. The book was nominated for several awards, including being a National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature, and it was given the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award in 2018.

This is the review I wrote on GoodReads:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I truly enjoyed this YA book about Julia, a Mexican teenager living in Chicago and struggling with the loss of her sister and dealing with her immigrant parents. The setting feels alive to me and the descriptions of Chicago in the winter and the scenery in Mexico are great. A realistic coming-of-age story with a tiny bit of mystery thrown in, I recommend this for those who like the genre.
And here is the question I want you to consider:

This book begins in Chicago, a melting pot of American cultures. Then we travel to Mexico where Julia’s parents are from. Which setting did you enjoy the most? What did you think about the contrast between the settings and the cultures?

I am a reader who relishes a well described setting. I love a book that makes me feel like I’m right there in the story, whether it’s being hot and thirsty in the desert or enjoying a fabulous meal with a view of the ocean. And for me, the two settings in this book felt very authentic and true. I’ve been to Chicago and could picture some of the places Julia describes. I’ve also been to Mexico and have strayed out of the tourist areas into some neighborhoods where people actually live. I had those in mind when Julia visited her family and it helped me to visualize it and relate to it. I don’t want to say more because I want to hear what you have to say about this question so please comment and after you comment come back and read what others have to say, too.

And don’t forget to visit Kym and Bonny today and answer the questions they post as well.

Thanks for Reading With Us!

Hello and welcome to the first discussion post on the book Fever by Mary Beth Keane. Today I will be posing questions that concern the setting of the book, the writing style of Mary Beth Keane, and critique of the novel’s strengths and weaknesses. Next week Bonny will tackle the social issues the book addresses and then on February 18th Kym will go deep on the historical fiction basis of the novel.

Before we dive in, though, I have an extra special announcement to make about this month’s discussion posts. We have put together a “book lovers surprise package” to be given to one lucky Fever reader! How do you qualify?  Just leave a comment on any of our book discussion blog posts over the next 3 weeks.  Your name will be placed in a hat EACH time you make a comment — so the more you share, the more chances you have to win the prize.  The winner will be revealed as part of our wrap-up post on February 25. Cool, right?

Okay, let’s discuss Fever!

1. The story is set in New York City in the early years of the 20th century. How does the city play a role in the novel? How does Keane do with describing the setting and making the reader feel like they are actually there . . . in the tenements, at the bakery, in the wealthy homes of the families Mary worked for? Does the setting contribute to the story in a meaningful way?
2. How does the story reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the time in which it was written or set?
3. What do you think of Keane’s writing style? Did it keep you engaged? Were you able to connect with the characters?
4. Discuss how Keane handled incorporating factual information into this fictional account of Mary Mallon’s life. Do you enjoy historical fiction? And how would you compare this book to other historical fiction titles you have read and enjoyed?

Please discuss your thoughts regarding these questions in the comments. I will do my best to reply directly so that we can attempt a sort of discussion despite the limitations of this format. See you in the comments and remember – the more you comment, not just this week but also at Bonny’s and Kym’s in the subsequent weeks, the more chances you have to win our special prize!