My First Bookclub

Hello everyone.  

I don't have a review to give you today. I've been busy!!  But I did want to stop by and let you all know how my first bookclub went.  This past Monday I held my Fiction Addiction Bookclub at the library, and to say that I was nervous was an understatement. You know when you take notes, have questions ready, but get too nervous to read them (or see them) so you just decide to wing it?... Well that was me! 

Surprisingly, it went quite well.    


We discussed The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman and 14 people came! Including Grandma & my boyfriend.  (See review here).  13 copies of The Kitchen House went out (next month's Fiction Addiction selection) and 6 copies of Words in Deep Blue (which will be my first meeting for Adults Who Read YA.)

Everyone seemed thrilled to be there, and they didn't mind when I switched two of the characters up.  But I guess it didn't hurt that I gave them ice cream either. 

One thing I have noticed through this process of hosting a book club and making selections is that I forget what I read.  Maybe I read too fast, or maybe I read too much.  Last night I was looking over my GoodReads for books I may want to choose in the upcoming months, and I realized I couldn't remember what ANY of Diane Chamberlin's books were about...just that I love them and have given them all 5 stars. Does anyone else have this book amnesia problem? I think next month, rather than pick a new book, I might just re-read one that I have read but only vaguely remember the details of.  

Anyway, until next time!

~Jessica       

The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman

Hello wonderful For the Love of Dewey Readers!!! 

I have news for you!  I am officially an Adult Services Librarian & I'm in charge of 2 new Book Clubs a month!  My first Book Club is called Fiction Addiction and my second Book Club is for Adults who love to read YA.  I am SO excited. 

So today I am sharing a review with you that will also be my first Fiction Addiction Book Club book in August, The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman.  (For those of you in the NJ area, reach out to me and I can share with you the details so you can join!) 

This novel explores the idea of intertwining maternal family relationships, as symbolized through a charm bracelet that has been passed down from generation to generation.  The charms were collected from important events within each woman's life, allowing them to take on a certain type of strength and energy.  The strength found within these charms made me think of mine (and Jillian's) collection of healing crystals.  

But anyway, let's talk about the plot.  This novel follows the story of Lauren and Arden, a mother daughter pair living in Chicago who gets called back to Lauren's original southern home when she learns that Arden's mother, Lolly, is becoming forgetful.  Lolly begins to exhibit signs of dementia.  She has post-its everywhere to remember simple tasks and names, and she frequently begins to forget to arrive to her shift at the local ice cream parlor, Scoops, on time.  Together the three begin to recall the past all the way back from Lolly's mother, while worrying about what the future will hold.  Ultimately, this novel also explores the feelings of heartbreak, of true love, and of regret.    

Broken down into sections based off of the charms, this story is a powerful journey about placing value in one's life, remembering the past, and making memories within the present / future.  But most importantly, it is about learning to value what you have now while you still have it, and to not let regrets take over the good memories.  

I think that this novel hit on my anxiety a little bit, because our Grandmother had suffered from Alzheimer's and dementia (and to be honest, for someone only 25 years old, I can't remember s**t).  While I thought that this novel overall came off as "sweet" and endearing, and I loved how Shipman broke the book into sections based off of the charms, it didn't engulf me in the same way that some of the other novels I have read the summer so far have.  So dear Dewey Readers, for this reason I leave you with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  I hope this Book Club goes well, and I hope that by the time August 21st rolls around I can still remember what I've read! 

~Jessica