All of us at HVFH are thrilled to share our reading experiences with you, and can’t wait until the first discussion! It is important to us that we read books that our readers are interested in reading. Kelly and I have come up with a book selection from several genres, and would love it if our readers could vote for their top choices for the next three months. The three books with the most votes will be our selections.

First ten choices:
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

The Map of Time– by Felix L Palma

The Year Of Magical Thinking– Joan Didion

Code Name Verity– Elizabeth Wein

The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing-Melissa Bank

Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly

Snow Child, by Eowyn Obey

The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

You can be Right or You Can Be Married, by Dana Adam

Vote for your top three picks. If there is a book you have heard rave reviews from a friend or you already have a title you are interested reading, please tell us. We will add suggested books to our list, and can vote on them the next round.

As announced last week, the first HVFH selection is, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Our first discussion will be a live chat online on, Wednesday November 7th at 7:00 pm. Simply come to HVFH, click on our Book Club post and post your comments. We would love to hear your thoughts.

If you can’t discuss during that time please comment later. Kelly and I will be checking back throughout the following week. So pick up your copy of The Hunger Games and get started!

We also wanted to go over some guidelines before our first discussion.

Her View From Home online book club guidelines:

1. Always be respectful. Inappropriate anger, rude comments, fowl language is not allowed. It is acceptable to disagree in a polite, tactful manner. No criticizing anyone’s thoughts or reviews of the book. Please wait your turn to voice your opinion, and try not to interrupt.

2. Please remain on topic when discussing a book, but feel free to introduce information that is relevant to the discussion (historical facts, bio details, book background, related author on topic).

3. Respect the authority of the moderators.

4. All participants must read the book, however if someone begins it and doesn’t like it enough to finish they are more than welcome to discuss their opinion of the book and why they couldn’t finish it. If you didn’t finish the book there will be spoilers during discussion, so make sure you don’t mind getting something revealed.

5. Interruption: There will always be someone who breaks in while another person is speaking/typing. Most interruptions occur out of enthusiasm rather than rudeness. We will keep that in mind, and ask the person who interrupted to,” hold that thought.”

6. If you have read the book and watched the movie (if a movie has been made of the current book we are reading) it is fine to discuss or compare the differences. Please try to stick to basic changes and leave out any spoilers for the people who haven’t watched the movie yet.

7. If you have only watched the movie and not read the book, this discussion may not be for you. Feel free to follow along or participate in conversation, but don’t steer the conversation away from the books topics to only discuss the movie.

Books mean so much more to us than something to pass the time. The stories we read are words of comfort after a rough day. The characters entertain us when we need a distraction, they give us quotes to cherish, and remind us what it means to relate to another human being. Reading is taking a few moments for yourself, while your children drift off to sleep, and your husband snores next to you. Reading makes my life richer. I highlight eloquent writing and quotes that touch me. I return to the words marked in yellow when I need them, like turning to an old friend that is always waiting for me. Kelly and I thought it would be fun to include some of our favorite quotes, and would LOVE to hear some of yours.

Some of Trish’s favorite quotes:
She was mine the moment I looked upon her. And by the same token she knew that I belonged to her above all men. –The Star Rover, by Jack London

I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.—The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak

As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once.—The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

One last look. One last look where we know each other. Right down to our souls.—The Ask and the Answer, by Patrick Ness

Once you experience enormity, it lingers everywhere you look, and wants to be every word you say.—Every Day, by David Levithan

Some of Kelly’s favorite quotes:

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” — The Lorax , by Dr. Seuss

“What was any art but a mold to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself- life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose.”   Song Of  The Lark, by Willa Cather

Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.” Cat’s Eye, by Margaret Atwood

Do you think I’ve gone round the bend?”
“I’m afraid so. You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”
  Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

“You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting.”
Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie

The winner of a copy of, White Jacket Required is: Heidi! Here is Heidi’s comment:

October 04, 2012

Have been wanting to read Hunger games…this will be the perfect opportunity.

Congratulations, Heidi!

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Trish Eklund

Trish Eklund is a 40-something mom of two, a lover of words, a photographer of the abandoned, and a co-parent with her blended family. She has been a Nebraska transplant for the last 17 years. Learn more about Trish at her blended family website, http://familyfusioncommunity.com/ and her photography website, http://abandonedforgottendecayed.com/, and the Huffington Post Divorce Page. Her abandoned photography has been featured on Only in Your State-Nebraska. Trish Eklund has an essay, Happy Endings, in the anthology, Hey, Who’s In My House? Stepkids Speak Out by Erin Mantz.

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