Yawn. Snore. I kept waiting for this book to get more interesting. It did not. The one character I was most interested in was shuffled to the back of the book and forgotten about. Yawn indeed. ( )

Chick lit, for sure, but pretty well-written, and British which makes it a little more charming and less trite. Plus, a unique structure: Centered around a year in the book club, each month is paired with a book and while the members' lives and activities don't fit exactly, they often relate to the book that is being read and discussed. Book list is included -- made me want to try some of them! and sections of their fictional book discussion are also included, which I thought was rather well-done and reflected good knowledge and understanding of said book (examples: Atonement, My Antonia, Girl with a Peal Earring). The Reading Group consists of 5 members -- a little sparse for reality! 2 "older" women (Polly and Susan) with mostly grown/teen kids and 2 younger women (Nicole and Harriet) with young, school-age kids, and 1 wild card, Clare, who is a friend of a friend, has no kids, but desperately wanted them. This dynamic among the women is interesting, and spouses and family members also come into play which is where the more typical chick lit. figures in. Nicole's husband is a cheater, Harriet is feeling bored in her marriage, Susan has an aging mother to care for, Polly has a daughter who is unwed and unexpectedly pregnant, and Clare has infertility issues. There is one more interesting issue/surprise that moves the book above predictability. The author has also included a handy character reference at the very beginning including relationships and the characters' favorite books. Clever touches like this make it a worthwhile vacation read. She begins with an epigraph by Margaret Atwood: "The real, hidden subject of a book group discussion is the book members themselves." So true! ( )

dayton, silver stage only

I read some pages and they were very good, I am looking forward to see how the characters will change their story.
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 in the books they read and within each other's lives.

Inspired by a shared desire for conversation, a good book and a glass of wine-Clare, Harriet, Nicole, Polly, and Susan undergo startling revelations and transformations despite their differences in background, age and respective dilemmas.

What starts as a reading group gradually evolves into a forum where the women may express their views through the books they read and grow to become increasingly more open as the bonds of friendship cement.

In The Reading Group, Noble reveals the many complicated paths in life we all face as well as the power and importance of friendship. ( )

I read some pages and they were very good, I am looking forward to see how the characters will change their story.
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 in the books they read and within each other's lives.

Inspired by a shared desire for conversation, a good book and a glass of wine-Clare, Harriet, Nicole, Polly, and Susan undergo startling revelations and transformations despite their differences in background, age and respective dilemmas.

What starts as a reading group gradually evolves into a forum where the women may express their views through the books they read and grow to become increasingly more open as the bonds of friendship cement.

In The Reading Group, Noble reveals the many complicated paths in life we all face as well as the power and importance of friendship. ( )