Can Page Turner Meetings Keep Getting Better?

   I have been looking forward to tonight's Page Turner's meeting since I heard this was the pick.  I read this book last year, and LOVED it.  I already mentioned that I loved it more reading it the second time.  The first time I read this book I missed details.  After our wonderful discussion, I am going to need to read it again. 

That's right Coach.  Every time I read a book, I get more out of it.  Let me put it in terms that you can relate to.  I asked Coach what his favorite movie is.  He could not answer.  There are too many.  Sound familiar readers? I asked if he ever watches a movie over and over.  He said Tons.  Same thing with reading a book.  It can get better with time. Put my passion with reading next to your passion for watching movies.  I know you would not use the word passion.  Why, because you watch movies instead of reading.

I went to this meeting predicting that everyone would rate this book a 5.  I told the Old Lady I was sure of it.  To me this book is awesome on so many levels.  I could not have been more wrong.  The only 5's the book got were from OL and me.  There were eight of us at the meeting tonight.  Only two 5's.  If you have read this book, does that shock you?  I did not realize that this book is being sold in Young Teens section.  When I bought it, it was not.  I think that hurt some of the ratings from people.  They thought the book simplified the concentration camps, what was happening.  I love that!  Why?  Because one of the things I took away from reading it the second time was that I loved the story being told through a child's eyes.  I watched so much, read so much about that time.  Never thought of it through a child's eyes.  Now I have.

The best part of The Page Turner's is always what people bring to the discussion.  There is a small part of the book where Bruno catches his Mom talking closely to a young soldier.  Once she is crying.  The soldier ended up being sent away to another post.  Both times I read the book, I thought the Mom and soldier were having an affair.  That is the only thing that came to my mind.  Someone else thought his Mom was crying because she found out what was going on at the camp.  He told her about the killings.  I won't go into all the details if you have not read the book.  I think there were three different scenarios on that one scene.  We all read the same thing.  We took different things from it.  Don't you love it?  We do. 

I get sassing a bit from TT about my wanting everyone to agree with my thinking.  It is really the opposite.  Our best discussions come from the different views.  Tonight our discussion covered so many things.  There are two movies from this book.  Everyone enjoyed the movie and the book.  That does not happen very often.  I have not seen the movie but I need to.  Maybe the sub-title version.  One of the book questions said to discuss the puns used by the author. While we were talking, I read the letter at the end of the book from the author.  Almost made me cry.  Gave the book more meaning to me.

Let me write something from the back of the book, "If you start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy named Bruno.  (Though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds.)  And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence. Fences like this exist all over the world.  We hope you never have to encounter one."  That is a powerful statement.  It is a powerful book.

This is a must read book.  You can read it in an afternoon.  It will make you think.  It will make you angry.  It will make you sad.  And if you really think about it, the friendship with the two boys will make you smile. The Page Turner's rated the book 4.4 and rated our book discussion 4.4.  That is the best a book has done.  The Help got a 4.4 for the book but the discussion was lower.

We welcomed a new member tonight.  Willie's Wife.  She makes the second member from the outside.  She is going to be a fantastic addition.  I might have to use WW as her blog name.  Most of the time I am just going to try and not mention people by name.  Too much stress.

One more thing.  We had a long discussion with dessert.  What do we think is the sexiest part of Willie.  Some said his eyes.  I, of course, went with his "award winning" sense of humor.  OL said a**.  Just kidding.  Get over yourself Willie.  It is a BOOK CLUB.  You are not a book!  There was a short discussion of The Housewives while we ate dinner.  Jealous Much?  That is the closest you came to be talked about at the meeting. 

People - read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  You will thank me.