Lehane, Dennis "Shutter Island" - 2003

Lehane, Dennis "Shutter Island" - 2003

I didn't think I would like this book because I'm not a huge fan of crime stories. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is not the usual thriller or action movie plot, i.e. there is a plot here.

A gripping story that plays games with your mind. And the twist at the end totally left me flabbergasted. Contrary to many other participants, I had not seen the film

However, I don't think this is a great book for a book club, like most stories like this, what are we going to talk about??? Yes, we can talk about mental illness, PTSD, hospital situations, etc. But it all diverges from the story.

Still, a good read.

Quote on page 279 of my edition, something I ask myself often:

"God gives us earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes. He gives us mountains that spew fire onto our heads. Oceans that swallow ships. He gives us nature, and nature is a smiling killer. He gives us disease so that in our death we believe. He gave us offices only so that we could feel our life bleed out of them. He gave us lust und fury and greed and our filthy hearts. So that we could wage violence in His honour. There is no moral order as pure as this storm we've just seen. There is no moral order at all. There is only this - can my violence conquer yours?"

Comments from the book club meeting:

• "The book was very well received by the group, with everyone giving it either 4/5 or 5/5.
• Many of us had not read the book before, but a large number had seen Martin Scorsese's film adaptation. This created an interesting situation because many readers already knew the main twist before opening the book. Despite this, there was broad agreement that the novel remained very engaging. Several members commented that knowing the ending made it easier to notice clues and details throughout the story, although some wondered whether the book would have been even better or perhaps not as effective without that prior knowledge.
• One of the most frequently praised aspects of the novel was Lehane's writing style. Members repeatedly mentioned the vivid descriptive language and the atmosphere he creates throughout the book. The island, the weather, and the hospital all felt convincing and memorable. It was also noted that Lehane does an excellent job of bringing the reader back to the 1950s. The language, dialogue, and attitudes of the characters help create a strong sense of time and place.
• Much of our discussion focused on how the novel is constructed. We talked about the unreliable narration, the clues hidden throughout the story, and the way Lehane guides the reader towards certain assumptions. We also discussed several of the characters and their roles in the story, particularly how differently they can be viewed once the reader knows the truth behind the mystery.
• The themes of trauma, guilt, memory, and self-deception also generated discussion. We debated the hospital itself, its methods, and the ethical questions raised by the treatment of patients. The ending naturally became one of the main topics, with different opinions about Teddy's final decision and how it should be interpreted.
• As we often do in our discussions, we looked for connections to other books we have read. This time the conversation brought up Fight Club and the Finnish novel Rikosetsivien vapaapäivä because of the way both encourage readers to re-evaluate earlier events and question their understanding of what has happened.
• The discussion also touched on Dennis Lehane as an author more generally. Several members noted that a number of his novels have been adapted into highly regarded films, and that Shutter Island is not the only example of his work translating successfully to the screen. The book also inspired a few members to add more of Lehane's work to their reading lists."

"Shutter Island was a satisfyingly chilling tale to read during the discomfort of the most recent heat wave in Ontario, Canada. Smokescreen after smokescreen arose. I enjoyed the layering of circumstances and personalities and clues and interpretations. This is not at all similar to my usual gentler reading and I feel gratefully stretched."

Again, many thanks to our leader Karin who put together a great review.

This was our international online book club read for July 2026.

Book Description:

"An arresting psychological thriller in which two US Marshals hunting for an escaped mental patient unveil a nightmare world of CIA drug trials, Nazi inspired eugenic work, and repressive mind control.

In the year 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate an unexplained disappearance. Multiple murderess Rachel Solando is loose somewhere on this barren island, despite having been kept under constant surveillance in a locked, guarded cell. As a killer hurricane bears relentlessly down on the island, hints of radical experimentation and covert government machinations add darker, more sinister shades to an already bizarre case. Because nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is remotely what it seems."

Barrie, J.M. "Peter Pan"

Barrie, J.M. "Peter Pan" - 1904

The book description starts with Peter Pan and his "irritable fairy friend". That could be said about the whole book. While I read this, I thought, yes, it's another children's book, mainly for boys and I am getting too old for these stories. However, in the German description, they say it was originally written for adults.

Well, not my thing. They also compare it with "Alice in Wonderland". And I have to add that these two were my least favourites as Disney movies. And, if I remember it well, my kids weren't too fond of them, either. The only thing I like about the film is the crocodile. LOL

So, why did I not like this? I'm not much into fantasy and this is fantasy for me. I also don't like it when children are portrayed as the biggest heroes, they know everything better than adults. I didn't like that when I was a child, I don't like it now.

But some of the book club members really liked it, so it was a success in the group. Here are some comments:

"I enjoyed the book because of the language and because it was a light summer read, and am able to turn off my critical brain to just enjoy stories for what they are.

I was delighted that the book really divided the group on many agreeing with Marianne, about the book and about Peter. This made for a really good discussion much beyond what we had thought possible before when we chose the book. It was originally suggested because there had been some controversial studies on Peter Pan as a character, so maybe this shouldn't have been a surprise. 

While a few members really enjoyed the novel for its imagination, humour, and writing style, others also found parts of it engaging even if they did not fully connect with the story. Overall opinions were divided. Some members gave it fairly low ratings, with others falling somewhere in the middle. Some struggled with the episodic structure and never felt the novel developed a clear overarching plot, perhaps reflecting the book's origins in stories Barrie improvised for family friends' children. Others simply found the fantasy difficult to engage with and felt that Peter and Tinker Bell were more irritating than endearing.

One of our longest discussions centered on Peter himself. Rather than seeing him as a charming hero, many of us were struck by his darker qualities: his selfishness, emotional immaturity, forgetfulness, and inability to form lasting relationships. This led to a conversation about how some of these traits can also be recognised in people we encounter in real life and even in certain public figures.

Many members were also surprised by how brutal and uncompromising the novel could be, especially considering its reputation as a children's classic. We first explored what Neverland might represent before talking about Captain Hook and the significance of the pirates in the story. We discussed why pirates held such a strong appeal for readers of Barrie's time, ideas of loyalty to the Crown, and how these themes might have been understood when the book was first published.

The portrayal of women and children in the novel came up, especially how much they reflected the values of the time. The parents, especially the father, were seen as exaggerated caricatures, although there was also some discussion about whether this reflects British upper-middle-class attitudes of the time. It was also mentioned that dogs sometimes had a similar 'nanny' role with children in real life, which adds another layer to Nana’s character.

We also talked about Barrie's own life and its influence on the novel. We discussed the death of his older brother when Barrie was six years old, which may have influenced his writing and his ideas about eternal childhood. We also discussed why he wrote Peter Pan in the first place, including whether it was meant as satire aimed at adults. Many of the adventures also originated as stories he improvised for family friends' children, which may help explain why the novel feels so episodic.

Whether members enjoyed the novel or not, there was broad agreement that Peter Pan is far more complex than its reputation suggests. Most of us came into the discussion expecting a fairly straightforward fantasy story, but we ended up discussing far more topics than we had expected, from Peter's personality and Barrie's own life to pirates, symbolism, and the society in which the novel was written.

As we often do in our discussions, we also looked for connections to other books we have read. This time our conversation brought up Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which we have previously read together, as well as Astrid Lindgren's children's books and Treasure Island."

Thanks to Karin, our group leader, for this report.

And another comment:

"What a pleasure to reread Peter Pan, a book which has followed me all my life. It has taken me through the love of adventure in my childhood, the dawning of second wave feminism in my adolescence, the later growing Canadian awareness of racism against indigenous peoples, the enchantment of my own children , and lately, insight into the characters of those who unduly influence so much of the world. It has always been a challenge for me to embrace the cultural contradictions in this well-loved book that grew up with me even if Peter didn't. Now my book is falling apart, but it continues to reveal. This latest reading showed me an appreciation of Barrie's nuanced comments and attitudes. I think he had a much deeper understanding of prejudices and cultural stereotypes than I had realized."

Lately, I have not been very pleased with our online book club reads, I hope this is going to improve soon. I know our group choses different kind of books from other book clubs but that is the attraction of it, I have found a few interesting ones that I would never have come across without this group.

This was our international online book club read for June 2026.

From the back cover:

"From the moment when Peter Pan and his irritable fairy friend Tinker Bell fly in through the nursery window, the story casts a magic spell. The Darling children are carried away to the Neverland where they meet the Lost Boys, watch shy mermaids playing in the blue lagoon and encounter Capain Hook and his wicked pirate band...

Peter Pan is one of the most popular of all children’s classics.  It blends autobiography, fancy, Oedipal myth and fantasy so satisfyingly that, like Alice in Wonderland, its child’s world appeals and intrigues on many levels."

Highway, Tomson "Kiss of the Fur Queen"

Highway, Tomson "Kiss of the Fur Queen" - 1998

After a couple of pages, it was the first time that I would have liked to throw this book away. But it was a book for our international online book club and I hoped it would get better. It didn't.

I am not the biggest fan of all those mystical stories but I thought this might be interesting. It wasn't. And the worst bit, the author had a terrible style of organizing his writing, he was jumping from one part to the next without any warning or any connection between the parts. And I'm not prude but could have done without the detailed description of sexual abuse, violence and gay activities.

But I seem to have been the only one with such a strong reaction. Here are remarks from the group:

• Kiss of the Fur Queen is considered a semi-autobiographical novel. In his 2021 memoir 'Permanent Astonishment' Tomson Highway recounts the early years of his life with his younger brother Rene Highway. (1954-1990)
• Comment: This absolutely makes perfect sense. I did not look it up, but felt there was real history behind much of the story, and very well researched, if not all personal experiences.
• I had mixed feelings about Kiss of the Fur Queen, but overall I am glad I read it. The story follows two Cree brothers from northern Canada from somewhere around 1950s into the late 1980s. Through their lives, the book shows the effects of the Canadian residential school system and the pressure placed on Indigenous people to abandon their language, culture, and traditions.
• What interested me most was learning about Cree culture, mythology, and traditional stories. I enjoy reading about different cultures and legends, and this was something I knew very little about before reading the book. The mysterious Fur Queen character and the mythological elements gave the story a unique atmosphere. At the same time, I appreciated the deeper themes of identity, faith, culture, and how people cope with trauma. The brothers are caught between Cree traditions and Christianity, and I thought the novel explored this conflict in a powerful way.
• The writing is often beautiful, especially the descriptions of nature, dreams, and traditional stories. At the same time, this is a very dark novel. Much of the story deals with abuse, violence, loss, and the long-lasting effects of trauma. There were parts that I found difficult to read. However, I do not think these elements were included only for shock value. They are connected to real historical experiences, which makes them important to the story, even when they are uncomfortable.
• This is not an easy book, and I can understand why some readers may dislike it because of the difficult subject matter. In some places I felt the focus on suffering was overwhelming. At the same time, I think the novel offers an important perspective that many of us outside Canada may not know much about. For me, it was a valuable read because it combined history, culture, mythology, and personal stories in a memorable way.

There you have it, some people were glad they had read this. I didn't.

Book Description:

"Born into a magical Cree world in snowy northern Manitoba, Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis are all too soon torn from their family and thrust into the hostile world of a Catholic residential school. Their language is forbidden, their names are changed to Jeremiah and Gabriel, and both boys are abused by priests.

As young men, estranged from their own people and alienated from the culture imposed upon them, the Okimasis brothers fight to survive. Wherever they go, the Fur Queen--a wily, shape-shifting trickster--watches over them with a protective eye. For Jeremiah and Gabriel are destined to be artists. Through music and dance they soar."

Honeyman, Gail "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine"

Honeyman, Gail "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" - 2017

Eleanor Oliphant is definitely not fine. Saying that she struggles with social skills as they do in the description is quite an understatement. I am sure she has some sort of mental illness or suffers from an event that happened earlier in her life. 

I had some trouble getting into the story or into Eleanor. I am very sociable, I always like to have lots of people around me and can talk to anyone who is only lightly inclined to respond. I am sure Eleanor would not appreciate me. And I don't want to intrude, so I guess I would speak a sentence with her and that would be it. I am sorry about that but that's just it. She doesn't really want to talk to anyone, right?

The story itself was quite interesting, though, how she meets this colleague who helps her getting acquainted with this world, the writing wasn't bad, either. But I couldn't warm to this story.

Two quotes that I completely agree with:

"... the front door of the hospital ... a woman in a wheelchair – she’d brought her drip out with her, on wheels, so that she could destroy her health at the same time as taxpayers’ money was being used to try and restore it."

I always get mad when I see people smoking in front of a hospital, especially just right outside a hospital where everyone has to pass, sick people, visitors ... Hospitals and its surroundings should be a smoke-free zone.

and

"Sport is a mystery to me. In primary school, sports day was the one day of the year when the less academically gifted students could triumph, winning prizes for jumping fastest in a sack, or running from Point A to Point B more quickly than their classmates. How they loved to wear those badges on their blazers the next day! As if a silver in the egg-and-spoon race was some sort of compensation for not understanding how to use an apostrophe."

... or get your times-tables right or do anything that will get you somewhere in this life!

We read this in April 2026 in our international online book club.

And here are the notes of the club:

"Our book club had a very positive discussion about the book. Most members rated it highly, and one of the strongest shared reactions was how much our view of Eleanor changed as the novel progressed. She may initially seem rigid, socially awkward, overly formal, or emotionally distant, but by the end we felt genuine warmth toward her, were invested in her future, and sincerely wished her well.

A major part of the conversation focused on Eleanor’s neurodivergent traits and how they were portrayed. Given the nature of our group, this aspect of her character was immediately recognizable rather than speculative. Her literal thinking, reliance on routine, difficulty reading unspoken social norms, and unusual communication style all felt authentic to many readers. What interested us more was how these traits intersected with trauma, loneliness, and years of isolation. The novel was praised for allowing that complexity without reducing her to any single label.

Loneliness was another central theme in the discussion. Many readers felt the book captured a particularly modern kind of isolation: someone who is intelligent, employed, capable, and outwardly functioning, yet profoundly disconnected from other people. Eleanor is not excluded from society in any obvious sense, but instead seems to exist beside it, unable to fully participate. This subtle portrayal of loneliness resonated strongly with the group.

We also talked extensively about trauma, addiction, and coping mechanisms. Eleanor’s drinking was generally seen not as recklessness, but as a form of self-medication and emotional numbing. Her routines, detachment, and narrow life structure felt less like random dysfunction and more like survival strategies that had become fixed over time. Several members noted how realistically the novel shows pain becoming embedded in everyday habits.

Spoiler:

The revelation of the dead mother led to one of the most engaged parts of the conversation. Readers saw this as a powerful representation of how abuse can continue internally long after the abuser is gone. The mother’s voice remains active through criticism, shame, and control, shaping Eleanor’s life even in death. Many felt this was one of the novel’s strongest psychological insights.

* * *

Relationships were another important topic. We appreciated that the story avoids a simplistic romantic rescue arc. Raymond was especially valued because his everyday kindness, patience, and consistency give Eleanor a model of safe human connection. Rather than dramatically 'saving' her, he helps create the conditions in which she can slowly begin to emerge from isolation and reconnect with life. Many readers felt this understated portrayal of friendship was one of the book’s greatest strengths. (I do agree there.)

Language and translation also became a particularly interesting part of the discussion. Some members read the novel in English, some in Finnish, and one in Russian, which allowed for direct comparison. Eleanor’s character is strongly shaped through voice: her formal diction, blunt literalism, unusual phrasing, and emotional reserve. We discussed how each translation inevitably influences how readers perceive her. The portrayal of the mother was especially interesting here, since tone, cruelty, manipulation, and emotional pressure can shift subtly depending on language.

We also discussed the novel’s balance of humour and pain. Eleanor’s voice often creates comedy through precision, bluntness, and social mismatch, yet beneath that humour lies real emotional suffering. Many readers felt the book handled this contrast skilfully, allowing warmth and sadness to coexist without either feeling forced.

Overall, the group agreed that Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is an intelligent, humane, and emotionally perceptive novel. It succeeds not only as a story of trauma and recovery, but as a reminder that people who seem merely difficult, odd, or distant are often carrying far more complexity than others realise. The fact that Eleanor ended as someone we genuinely cared about was, for many of us, the clearest sign of the book’s success."

Book Description:

"Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

Soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . ."

Godfrey, Jennie "The List of Suspicious Things"

Godfrey, Jennie "The List of Suspicious Things" - 2024

This book was chosen unanimously by our local German book club for our discussion in March 2026. An interesting story about two girls who want to find a killer. A serial killer. What they mainly do is "investigating" the people around them, i.e. nosing around. Of course, as we can imagine, they cause more evil than good with that.

I might never have picked up this book in the book shop, it looked more like chick lit than anything else. And it being a Sunday Times bestseller doesn't really recommend it to me, either. But, the member who suggested it, had read it and said it was good. And I know she has a great taste.

Besides the story of the "Yorkshire Ripper", there are many different subjects in this book, growing up, first love, mental illness, racism, almost any topic that can come up.

While I quite liked the book overall, I was not too keen on the ending. Maybe the author wanted to get away from something too cozy but it could have been different. It should have been different.

We had a wonderful conversation about this book. So many fates were touched upon.

We also found out that "the cover features a raven to symbolize the themes of curiosity, intelligence, and the menacing atmosphere and the milk bottle represents British school life from the time. The bird is the dark, dangerous intrusion of the outside world, reflecting the fear felt in Yorkshire during the time of the murders." (AI)

From the Back cover:

"Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn’t an option. So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don’t.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families - and between each other - than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?"

Dickey, James "Deliverance"

Dickey, James "Deliverance" - 1970

Apparently, this is one of the most important books of the last century. I read that somewhere but can't find that remark anymore. Still, it seems to have had a great success.

When I read the description, I was afraid this wasn't a book for me and I might not like it. But the description is a little different from the book itself. The story is not as much about the natives but about some criminals in the woods.

Still, the book is totally mesmerizing. And tense. There is so much going on, the trip the four men take is about one of the most horrifying stories I ever read.

Thanks to Karin for the minutes which I will include in the spoiler:

"The book club had a very positive discussion about Deliverance. Almost everyone rated the novel 4/5 or higher, and several readers felt it was close to a five-star book. One of the most praised aspects was the translation, which many felt captured the tone, tension, and atmosphere exceptionally well.

A big part of the conversation focused on how efficiently the novel is built. Compared to many large contemporary literary novels — where hundreds of pages may be spent on background — Deliverance manages to establish its characters, themes, and emotional stakes in about fifty pages. Readers appreciated how tightly the story is framed: first the buildup before the trip, then the intense three days on the river, and finally the aftermath. This clear structure made the story feel focused and impactful.

The characters were widely seen as believable and vividly drawn. We talked a lot about how people react differently in crisis situations: one person freezes while another unexpectedly finds strength, and even serious injury doesn’t necessarily stop someone from acting. The novel felt realistic because the characters make flawed and sometimes foolish decisions in recognizably human ways. Their journey begins partly out of boredom and a desire to escape everyday life, which makes what follows feel even more unsettling.

The discussion also touched on trauma and its aftermath. Rather than being neatly explained, the characters’ experiences linger in ambiguous ways — in memory, in the body, and even in sleep. This subtle psychological impact was something many readers found especially powerful. Several participants noted how the trauma seems disorganized and difficult to articulate, reflecting how real experiences often remain unresolved rather than clearly understood.

Moral questions sparked lively debate. Was it necessary for the characters to hide what happened? Would they have survived if they had trusted the authorities? Would justice have treated them fairly? The novel’s ambiguity — what exactly happened, who was responsible, and how events should be interpreted — kept the discussion open-ended and engaging.

Several readers noticed the careful use of foreshadowing and 'Chekhov’s gun,' where details introduced early gain importance later. The tight pacing and chapter structure were seen as key strengths: nothing feels unnecessary, yet the characters and world feel fully developed.

We also discussed broader themes, including human behavior under pressure, the thin boundary between civilization and survival, encounters with wilderness, and the portrayal of rural stereotypes. Many agreed that the book 'gets under your skin' — even for readers who wouldn’t normally choose this genre.

Notes on the Film Adaptation
Some members had seen the film adaptation and recommended it alongside the book. The movie was described as very effective in showing the physical danger and tension of the river journey. While the novel focuses more on the characters’ inner thoughts and moral uncertainty, the film emphasizes action and atmosphere with the actors even doing their own dangerous stunt work. The group felt the two versions work well together: the book offers psychological depth, and the film adds a strong visual and emotional experience".

Overall Takeaway
"Overall, the group agreed that Deliverance is a balanced, well-crafted novel that combines suspense with psychological depth. Even when it wasn’t stylistically everyone’s personal favorite, it left a strong and lasting impression and proved to be an excellent choice for discussion — a book that continues to provoke thought long after finishing it." 

This was our read in our international online book club in March 2026.

Book Description:

"The heart-stopping classic 1970 novel--an unforgettable tale of violent adventure and profound inner discovery.

Four middle-class men from suburban Altana decide to embark on a three-day canoe trip down a particularly wild section of a river in Georgia. For them the trip represents a break in the domestic routine, a chance for adventure with few real risks, and the last occasion to see a beautiful valley before the river is dammed up. Their leader, an enthusiastic outdoorsman and champion archer, is obsessed by the desire to pit himself against nature.

When two of the group are attacked viciously by sinister mountain men, a mildly adventurous canoe trip explodes into a nightmare of horror and murder. Men stalk and are stalked by other men, the treacherous river becomes a graveyard for those without the strength or the luck to survive, and one man, forced to assume the leadership of the group, must call up his resources to try to achieve deliverance."

Literary Wives - The Marriage Plot

The wives:

Becky from Sydney of Aidanvale
Kate from Melbourne of booksaremyfavoriteandbest
Naomi from Canada of Consumed By Ink
Rebecca from Maryland, USA of Bookish Beck
Kay from Washington State, USA of What? Me Read?
and now me.

The other day, I finished a book (Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus) and was led to the Literary Wives page by one of my blogger friends who had reviewed it before. They read four books a year with regards to wives in the book. I have read a few of them already. And I have more on my list that would be great to discuss with these ladies. So, I decided to join them.

The books:
This is the list of books they read so far, and I am going to add the other books that we are going to read. But you can always find the links to all the comments on the main page: Literary Wives (the links on this one here only get you to my page).

October 2013: Ahab’s Wife: or, The Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund
December 2013:  The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon
February 2014: The Inquisitor’s Wife by Jeanne Kalogridis
April 2014: The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
June 2014: The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness
August 2014: The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy
October 2014: Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon
December 2014: The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
February 2015: The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson
April 2015: The Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison
June 2015: My Father’s Wives by Mike Greenberg
August 2015: The Astronaut Wives Club by Melanie Benjamin
October 2015: The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison
December 2015: The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan
February 2016: A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante
April 2016: The Happy Marriage by Tahar Ben Jelloun
June 2016: The Disobedient Wife by Annika Milisic-Stanley
August 2016: How to Be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman
October 2016: American Housewife by Helen Ellis
December 2016: Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood
February 2017: The Wife by Meg Wolitzer
April 2017: Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Theresa Fowler
June 2017: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
August 2017: On Beauty by Zadie Smith - 2005
October 2017: Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
December 2017: A Lady and Her Husband by Amber Reeves
February 2018: The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt
April 2018: The Headmaster’s Wife by Thomas Christopher Green
June 2018: Stay With Me by Ayòbámi Adébáyò
August 2018: First Love by Gwendolyn Riley
October 2018: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
December 2018: The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve
February 2019: They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple
April 2019: Wait for Me, Jack by Addison Jones
June 2019:  A Separation by Katie Kitamura
August 2019: Ties by Domenico Starnone
October 2019: Happenstance by Carol Shields
December 2019: The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
March 2020: War of the Wives by Tamar Cohen
June 2020: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - 2019
September 2020: Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen
December 2020: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
March 2021: Every Note Played by Lisa Genova
June 2021: Monogamy by Sue Miller
September 2021: The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
December 2021: The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
March 2022: I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán
June 2022: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
September 2022: Red Island House by Andrea Lee
December 2022: State of the Union by Nick Hornby 
March 2023: His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
June 2023: The Harpy by Megan Hunter
September 2023: Sea Wife by Amity Gaige
December 2023: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - 2020
March 2024: Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
June 2024: Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown
September 2024: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
December 2024: Euphoria by Elin Culhed
March 2025: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - 2020
June 2025: The Constant Wife by W. Somerset Maugham
September 2025: Novel about My Wife by Emily Perkins
December 2025: The Soul of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor
March 2026: Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
June 2026: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri - 1999 (Literary Wives) 
September 2026: Family Family by Laurie Frankel - 2024
December 2026: The Eden Test by Adam Sternbergh
March 2027: Wedded Wife by Rachel Lennon - 2023
June 2027: Liars by Sarah Manguso - 2024
September 2027: Brick Lane by Monica Ali - 2003
December 2027: Parallel Lives: Five Victorian Marriages by Phyllis Rose - 1983
March 2028: The Course of Love by Alain de Botton - 2016
June 2028: My Husband (Mon Mari) by Maud Ventura - 2021

I also read the following books with "wife" in the title:
Buck, Pearl S. "The First Wife and Other Stories" - 1933
Hay, Ashley "The Railwayman's Wife" - 2013
Joinson, Suzanne "The Photographer's Wife" - 2016
McLain, Paula "The Paris Wife" - 2012
Shalev, Zeruya "Husband and Wife" (Hebr: בעל ואישה) - 2000
I will probably add one or the other to this list later.

There is also a Facebook page here.

Baldursdóttir, Kristín Marja "Karitas untitled"

Baldursdóttir, Kristín Marja "Karitas untitled" (Icelandic: Karitas án titils) - 2004

None of us had read many books from Iceland before, so we decided to choose this one for our book club.

Iceland 100 years ago. A widow with six children. That's certainly not easy even today, but a hundred years ago it was incredibly difficult everywhere. But Steinunn Olafsdóttir not only manages to raise her children during those hard times, she also provides them all with an education, even the girls, which was very unusual back then. Of course, everyone has to pitch in, otherwise it wouldn't be possible.

The youngest daughter, Karitas, even becomes a painter; she has great talent and is given the opportunity to study in Denmark. But even she can't escape the customs of the time.

A highly interesting novel about a life we ​​know very little about.

It was nice that there was a map of Iceland in the book. It wasn't so nice that the places mentioned in the book are hardly ever shown on the map.

We had a really nice discussion about this book, even though we all basically agreed. But everyone was able to take something different away from it or noticed something different, which greatly contributed to our understanding.

Personally, the scenes with elves and ghosts bothered me a little, but one member suggested that they were partly hallucinations of the protagonist. That's quite possible, and I'm glad someone saw it from a different perspective.

We also really liked that there was a matching drawing by the "ice painter" (German title) for each chapter.

We discussed this book in our local book club in February 2026.

Book Description:

"A portrait of an artist trapped by convention and expectations but longing for the chaos that can set her free. Growing up on a farm in early twentieth-century rural Iceland, Karitas Jónsdóttir, one of six siblings, yearns for a new life. An artist, Karitas has a powerful calling and is determined to never let go of her true being, one unsuited for the conventional. But she is powerless against the fateful turns of real life and all its expectations of women. Pulled back time and again by design and by chance to the Icelandic countryside―as dutiful daughter, loving mother, and fisherman’s wife―she struggles to thrive, to be what she was meant to be. Spanning decades and set against a breathtaking historical canvas, Karitas Untitled , an award-winning classic of Icelandic literature, is a complex and immersive portrait of an artist’s conflict with love, family, nature, and a country unaccustomed to an untraditional woman―but most of all, with herself and the creative instincts she has no choice but to follow."

Kivi, Alexis " Seven Brothers"

Kivi, Alexis " Seven Brothers" (Finnish: Seitsemän veljestä) - 1870

This is supposedly the most famous and best classic Finnish book. Well, I haven't read much Finnish literature, but this was definitely not the best. As the title and description suggest, it's about seven brothers. One expects, or at least I expected, the story of a "normal" Finnish family from that era. I would have liked to learn about the life of an average family.

Instead, we only hear about fights and drinking bouts; the language is described as "rustic" but "coarse" or "crude" is still too flattering even with the most charitable interpretation. The brothers' behaviour towards each other was more like that of  pre-school or young school children; they displayed manners that one should have outgrown by the 1920s.

Some readers might find this amusing, but I didn't. What a shame.

And here are some of the comments from the discussion:

The book didn’t lead to dramatic reactions, but it did give us plenty to think about regarding its themes, its style, and its place in Finnish literature.

Most of us found the novel demanding. The older language, long passages, and slow pacing required some adjusting to.
It took a while to get into, but once I accepted the rhythm, the brothers’ development started to feel clear and honest.
Overall, many appreciated how the novel shows growth—learning responsibility, patience, and how to live with others.

We also talked about some of the more chaotic and difficult scenes, which help define the book’s realism:
The early conflicts with the village and authorities underline how unprepared the brothers are for adult responsibilities.
Their retreat to the forest isn’t peaceful: they burn down their own sauna-house during a careless moment, leaving themselves without shelter.
They face real danger, including the well-known scene where they end up killing a herd of bulls in self-defense.
Their years in the forest are marked by hunger, failed attempts to farm, heavy drinking, and frequent arguments.
These moments show the harsher side of rural life, and the distance the brothers must travel—practically and personally—before they can return to society.

We also revisited why Seven Brothers is so central in Finnish literary history:
Published in 1870, it was among the first major works written in Finnish at a time when Finnish-language literature was still new and culturally fragile.
Many expected Finnish literature to focus on noble, heroic, or uplifting themes. Instead, Kivi wrote about ordinary rural men, their flaws, and the unembellished reality of their lives.
Early critics found the book too rough and thought it gave a poor image of the Finnish people.
Over time, it became recognized as a groundbreaking work of realism—depicting rural life without idealization.
The brothers’ gradual journey from isolation and impulsiveness toward responsibility and community echoes broader changes happening in Finland at the time.

Our overall view was that Seven Brothers isn’t an easy read, but understanding its historical context and the realism behind its scenes helped us appreciate its significance. The rough edges and difficult moments give weight to the brothers’ eventual maturity, and the novel remains an important milestone in Finnish literature precisely because it chose honesty over idealization.

This was our read in our international online book club in November 2025.

From the back cover:

"Along with The Kalevala, Aleksis Kivi's Seven Brothers is Finland's most celebrated literary treasure. The crowning accomplishment of Finland's first literary genius, Seven Brothers remains 'the greatest Finnish novel of all time', the classic among the classics in Finnish literature. Published in 1870, in the author's 36th year and two years before his untimely death, Seven Brothers laid the foundation for what Kai Laitinen later called 'The Great Tradition in Finnish Prose'. This tradition is characterized by realism, humor, respect for the common people, and depiction of nature as both friend and foe. Received at the time of publication by uncomprehending arbiters of literary taste, who still delighted in romantic approaches to literature, Seven Brothers fared poorly in early reviews. Posterity, however, has resurrected the reputation of Aleksis Kivi, and critics, scholars, and readers at large continue to praise the virtues of this trail-blazing, exceedingly rich novel. Richard Impola's superb English translation captures the brothers' rustic milieu and the exceptional dynamics of Kivi's creative style and artistic conception."

Michell, Tom "The Penguin Lessons"

Michell, Tom "The Penguin Lessons: What I Learned from a Remarkable Bird" - 2015

I discussed this with my German book club in August 2025.

I'm not an animal person. I don't mean to say I'm totally against animals, but they don't particularly interest me.

The book was quite nicely written. I also found the accounts of the school where the author taught and his travels through South America very interesting. But the relationship with the penguin, well, okay. As I said, I'm probably the wrong person to describe this book. It just wasn't really my cup of tea.

The only thing that was interesting to me was the description of the people the author met, the anthropological aspect.

The other members, however, found the book very readable. Here are a few quotes:

• I learned a lot about a species of animal I didn't really know much about.
• I found the description of how he travels through the countries with youthful carefreeness and enthusiasm, and even saves the penguin, refreshing.
• The parts where he describes how the school outcast can show off his talent were touching.
• I particularly liked the scene in the swimming pool.
• Mir hat das Buch gut gefallen. Interessant und klug geschrieben und oft sehr berührend, aber ohne Pathos.
• I liked the book. It's interestingly and cleverly written, and often very touching, but without pathos.

From the back cover:

"'I was hoping against hope that the penguin would survive because as of that instant he had a name, and with his name came the beginning of a bond which would last a life-time.'

Set against Argentina's turbulent years following the collapse of the corrupt Peronist regime, this is the story of Juan Salvador the penguin, rescued by English schoolteacher Tom Michell from an oil slick in Uruguay just days before a new term. When the bird refuses to leave Tom's side, the young teacher has no choice but to take it with him and look after it. This is their story."

Gappah, Petina "Out of Darkness, Shining Light"

Gappah, Petina "Out of Darkness, Shining Light" - 2019

Of course, we all know about David Livingstone's search for the source of the river Nile. It is also widely known that his heart was buried in Africa and his body in Europe. This is the story, told by two slaves, how the body got from the middle of Africa to the sea so that he could be transferred to Great Britain.

Two different people tell the story, a women who is employed as a cook. Her story is pretty African, she uses far too many words that the average Europen will not understand. Granted, there is a small annex with explanations but you have to use that far too often and it destroys the enjoyment of any story. Then there is a guy who wants to become a priest. He is preaching already. All the time. Almost every second sentence starts or ends with "dear Lord" or something similar. He comes across as a religious fanatic. Reading the Bible is more wordly.

Have you guessed it already? I didn't like the book.

There was only about one sentence that made me smile. When someone told the other slaves about the meeting between Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone, he translated the first sentence (Dr. Livingstone, I presume?) into: "It can only be that you are Bwana Daudi."

We discussed this in our international online book club in July 2025.

Comments from the members:

• The start of the book felt slow, and didn't feel pulled into it for the story so much until the murder plot unwound. It was a really nice read though in terms or history and culture. The discussion we had resulted into talking and thinking about African history, slavery, imperialist influences, death rites... The characters in the story were also really distinct. I feel a bit smarter about African history for having read it.

• Many in the book club agreed that the language, particularly the religious tone and African dialects, made the beginning difficult to follow. However, as the story progresses, the plot becomes more engaging, especially with the focus on the African slaves who carried Livingstone’s body. Their journey is central to the book, and the contrast between their lives and Livingstone’s European legacy opens up important discussions about colonialism and the erasure of African voices in history. Some felt the religious elements were repetitive, but they were seen as integral to understanding the mindset of the time. Despite the slow start and challenging style, many found the novel’s exploration of historical and cultural themes thought-provoking.

• Overall it was a really good discussion book, because we have read some books about African history and by African authors before, it always becomes an interesting part, looking at the books we have read, and how the new books align in with those. In that sense this felt like quite a good book to add to the list.

From the back cover:

"This is the story of the body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, the explorer David Livingstone - and the sixty-nine men and women who carried his remains for 1,500 miles so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own country.

This is the story of those in the shadows of history: the  dark companions who saved a white man's bones on an epic funeral march - little knowing his corps carried the maps that sowed the seeds of their continent's colonisation and enslavement.

This is the story of how human bravery, loyalty and love can triumph over darkness - and the result is Petina Gappah's radical masterpiece."

Nguyễn, Phan Quế Mai "Dust Child"

Nguyễn, Phan Quế Mai "Dust Child" - 2023

An interesting topic. I've read books about soldiers' children before, and they weren't welcomed anywhere. In Germany, these were mostly children of black fathers during World War II; with the others, it wasn't so noticeable unless you lived in a village and everyone knew about it.

This is about the children of Vietnamese women and American soldiers. Regardless of whether the fathers were black or white, it was immediately noticeable. And the children suffered greatly. In this book, they not only grew up with the certainty of having a foreign father but also that their mother didn't want them and they had to grow up in an orphanage with no family to support them.

It was good to learn more about the topic, but I wasn't entirely thrilled with the book and the writing style. Again and again, she switches to Vietnamese, often translating it afterwards, but not always. And even in the former case, it disrupts the flow. Overall, the writing isn't very fluid; many things remain completely unclear. Sometimes you don't know what she's even talking about. It's nice to learn something about Vietnamese culture, but she assumes too much. Perhaps it's clear to people who speak Vietnamese or know Vietnam, but for others, it's still very confusing.

There are also several errors in the book that a native English speaker should have filtered out. A shame.

On Goodreads, someone recommends also reading Bao Ninh's book "The Sorrow of War" (Goodreads), the story of the war from the perspective of a Vietnamese soldier. And the author's first book "The Mountains Sing" (Goodreads) which takes place during the war.

Although I've often read that the first book is much better than this one, I'm not sure if I want to read another book by Phan Quế Mai Nguyễn anytime soon.

The quote she gives on page 267 is also not exactly correct:

"We are the unwilling
Led by the unqualified
Doing the unnecessary
For the ungrateful."

This is the correct one:

"We the unwilling 
Led by the unknowing
Are doing the impossible
For the ungrateful
We have done so much
For so long, with so little
We are now qualified to do
Anything with nothing,
Forever."
Konstantin Josef Jireček

However, most members of our book club enjoyed the book quite a bit, especially because they learned something about the people of Vietnam and the impact of the war on their lives. We also discussed the different perspectives held by people in Asia and Western Europe.

I read this with my German book club in May 2025

From the back cover:

"It is 1969, and sisters Trang and Quynh watch helplessly as their rural village is transformed by the outbreak of war. Desperate to help their impoverished parents, they head to the thronging city of Sai Gon and join the women working as 'bar girls', paid to flirt with American GIs. What follows will test their sisterhood in ways they could never have foreseen.

Decades later Viet Nam is thriving, successfully emerging out of the shadow of war. But Dan and Phong, two men whose lives were transformed by their experiences on different sides of the conflict, are struggling to leave the past behind.

But what happens when these four characters unexpectedly come together once more, and each is forced to grapple with the legacy of decisions made in the past – decisions that continue to reverberate through all their lives

Dust Child is their unforgettable story."

Haig, Matt "The Midnight Library"

Haig, Matt "The Midnight Library" - 2020

We read this in our international online book club in December 2024. And before I begin, let me tell you, this was my favourite of our selection this year, besides "Morning and Evening". And I did not think I would like it at all because this is so not my genre.

Have you ever wondered what your life might have been if something had or hadn't happened? If you hadn't visited that school you went to, if you had decided to get another profession, if you had met another partner in life? Well, here you can find how it might be if you could explore your life in different circumstances.

Imagine a library on the way between life and death. Nora, our protagonist, finds herself just there and tries quite a few different alternatives.

It's so wonderful to see what choices she could have made and where they would have led. Brilliant story.

From the back cover:

"Between life and death there is a library.

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren't always what she imagined they'd be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?"

Tevis, Walter "The Queen's Gambit"

Tevis, Walter "The Queen's Gambit" - 1983

We read this in our international online book club in November 2024.

I knew there was a TV series with that title and I thought this might be interesting.

Well, it wasn't. I know how to play chess but this was too professional for me. Someone who doesn't play chess at all might get bored even quickly. There was too much talk about the game, too many details.

And while I felt sorry for the little orphan, I didn't like the person she grew into, a selfish, addicted girl, too many drugs, too much sex, just not my thing. And none of the other characters were lovable, either, except for maybe the caretaker who teaches chess to Beth.

Comments by other members:

• I started listening to the audiobook, I even tried two different narrators but couldn't really get into the story. I will try reading it at some point, but right now I have too much else going on.
• I ended up hearing it as audiobook and it was an excellent listening experience. The different themes like addiction, family traumas and relationships were very lightly touched, but made for an easy entertaining experience. I got quite into the different chess-drama and main characters internal monologue about the games despite knowing nothing much about chess. Would recommend and considering giving the TV series a chance based on how much I enjoyed the book.
• At first I did feel some frustration that the book only skimmed, for example; the relationship with the children's home staff, adoptive parents, and her relationships with other chess players and eventually the issue about addiction and how to deal with it... I do not believe having a not-that-close old friend take you to the gym, to in any way solve the issue. Other subjects: Giftedness in children and adults, and gender equality in life and sports, religion, etc. But then I thought, if the book had gone deeper into these issues then it wouldn't have been a book about chess at all. And not that kind of easy read about chess at all, and learning and competing and winning.
• I started listening to the audiobook, I even tried two different narrators but couldn't really get into the story. I will try reading it at some point, but right now I have too much else going on.

From the back cover:

"When she is sent to an orphanage at the age of eight, Beth Harmon soon discovers two ways to escape her surroundings, albeit fleetingly: playing chess and taking the little green pills given to her and the other children to keep them subdued. Before long, it becomes apparent that hers is a prodigious talent, and as she progresses to the top of the US chess rankings she is able to forge a new life for herself. But she can never quite overcome her urge to self-destruct. For Beth, there’s more at stake than merely winning and losing."

Fosse, Jon "Morning and Evening"

Fosse, Jon "Morning and Evening" (Norwegian: Morgon og kveld) - 2001

This was our international online book club story for July 2024.

I had found it after Jon Fosse received the Nobel Prize for literature and then suggested it to the book club. Since we all like to read books by  Nobel Prize winners, it was chosen as one of our books.

I have always loved Nobel laureates; there is hardly ever an author among them that I don't care for. And this last one is just the same. A fascinating story about the life and death of a man. A simple story about the passing of an old hardworking fisherman with a humble life. No embellishments needed, a plain reflection on an ordinary life.

Jon Fosse describes all this so wonderfully, his writing is fantastic. A well deserving winner of this most prestigious award.

This is only a novella, even the German translation has only about 120 pages but it is as big as many large books of 500 pages or more (my favourite stories).

Other readers were happy, as well. So, here are some comments:

"At first the writing-style was very offputting, as i am too literal to enjoy poetry and the roundabout way of writing. But then after half the book, I started to understand it, and really enjoyed how much feeling you could get out of the minimalistic text."

"The ending was just stunning."

"It started off annoying me with the style of writing.. the flow of thought, no punctuation... but then about halfway through I was just in awe of the skilful and atmospheric way the story was told."

"The translation to Swedish was a bit special, though, the translator had left a lot of words in the book that are nowadays considered part of the ancient-swedish, and not in normal use anymore."

To be honest, I didn't realize that until I heard this comment. Yes, some of the wording seemed old fashioned even in German but I just considered that the "Scandinavian way".

From the back cover:

"A child who will be named Johannes is born. An old man named Johannes dies. Between these two points, Jon Fosse gives us the details of an entire life, starkly compressed. Beginning with Johannes's father's thoughts as his wife goes into labor, and ending with Johannes's own thoughts as he embarks upon a day in his life when everything is exactly the same, yet totally different, Morning and Evening is a novel concerning the beautiful dream that our lives have meaning."

Jon Fosse received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023 "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable".

I contribute to this page: Read the Nobels and you can find all my blogs about Nobel Prize winning authors and their books here.

Shute, Nevil "On the Beach"

Shute, Nevil "On the Beach" - 1959

"It's not the end of the world at all," he said. "It's only the end for us. The world will go on just the same, only we shan't be in it. I dare say it will get along all right without us."

I like dystopian novels. They tell us about what could happen if we don't stop what we're doing. Everyone should read at least one of them. This one isn't such a long story (fewer than 300 pages) and thererfore something for everyone.

And yes, the quote I mentioned at the beginning is true. The world will exist, no matter whether the earth is still there or there are people on it. So, no worries. Nobody can destroy the WORLD. We can, however, destroy everything we loved and wish for our children to still be there when they and their kids and grandkids die.

This story makes us aware that we are all in the same boat, that we cannot get away from the evil others planned. The book is from 1959. Nevil Shute was a clairvoyant.

The book was much loved by the book club, especially the different views on the subject based on age and geographical location. It was all new information to many and much appreciated.

From the back cover:

"After a nuclear World War III has destroyed most of the globe, the few remaining survivors in southern Australia await the radioactive cloud that is heading their way and bringing certain death to everyone in its path. Among them is an American submarine captain struggling to resist the knowledge that his wife and children in the United States must be dead. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from somewhere near Seattle, and Captain Towers must lead his submarine crew on a bleak tour of the ruined world in a desperate search for signs of life. On the Beach is a remarkably convincing portrait of how ordinary people might face the most unimaginable nightmare."

Apparently, the phrase "on the beach" is a Royal Navy term that indicates retirement from service.

Krall, Hanna "Chasing the King of Hearts"

Krall, Hanna "Chasing the King of Hearts" (Polish: Król kier znów na wylocie) - 2006

This was our international online book club book for May 2024.

The life story of a Jewish woman who loses all her family in the Holocaust. Except for her husband. She is sure he is still alive and she looks for him everywhere.

In the description it says this is a beautiful love story. And it is. In a way. Just not what you would usually expect from a love story. And the style is completely different. It reads like diary. But it's more than that. Quite interesting.

It's amazing what a human being can do in order to save their loved ones.

A good book about a strong woman.

Comments from members:

For me the topic of the WWII in books is very unwelcome as I have a great imagination and empathy, but in this book I really liked how the author scaled back on the emotions in the writing, not wallowing in the horrors, yet still showing very skillfully the realities of the war.

The story was interesting historically and serendipitously.

Smart choices and having a clear purpose helped make hard things easier for the lead character, while others turned the difficulties and how to survive mentally into blaming others.

From the back cover:

"An extraordinary love story, spanning 60 years, from 1939 to 2000, from the Warsaw Ghetto to Israel.

'This is the last leg of my journey. It would be silly to lose my mind now.' After the deportation of her husband to Auschwitz, Izolda Regenberg, alias Maria Pawlicka, has only one aim: to free her husband. Her race to beat fate might appear absurd to others, but not to her. In times of war and destruction she learns to trust herself.

Why Peirene chose to publish this book:

'This is a beautiful love story. A story which makes one weep for mankind. While Hanna Krall's terse prose is designed to convey the utter desperation of war, her deft touch evokes hope and a sense of homecoming.' Meike Ziervogel"