Shooter by Caroline Pignat

Caroline Pignat is a Canadian author that attracts quite a few readers in my school library.  One of the most popular being Egghead.  I haven't had a chance to read any of her books up until now when I received an ARC of Shooter.

Shooter begins with a school being placed in lock down and students running for cover.  After many classrooms being locked a group of students find themselves hiding out in the boys bathroom.  These five students all think they've got the others pegged on who they but after an hour in lock down together they quickly realise that maybe their perceptions are all based on image and rumours.

The back cover of Shooter recommends the book for ages 12 and up.  Unless it shows up as a Red Maple nominee in the Forest of Reading next year, I don't think it is something I will add in my school library.  I think it is an excellent story but a bit too mature for the majority of my readers.  

Book Clubs

Last night I had book club.  I look forward to it every month.  It's a nice night out having dinner with the girls.  We are quite a small club - just three of us.  But it works.  We always manage to find a date that works for the three of us.  We are all busy with kids and work.  I think if we had more than three we would struggle to find a time that works for everyone.  Often people laugh when I say it's a book club of three but it works.

In reality we spend very little of the night discussing the book but the books are what bond us together.  This month we were discussing The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney.  This book has been getting so much publicity lately.  People calling it gripping and a page turner.  We didn't feel it.  For once we all agreed.  It was a good book.  For once, we all finished it in time!  We didn't love the main characters.  We thought the characters could have been more developed.  We did like a few of the secondary characters.  It was a good book, we just felt it was not quite as amazing as some of the reviews have been raving.

We take turns picking the restaurant and the book.  It typically is a bit of a discussion but one person gets final word.  Last night the book clubber choosing the next book wanted to read a classic book now.  The other two immediately shot her down and said we want modern fiction.  Overruled!  This month we will be reading Dumplin by Julie Murphy.

Are you in a book club?  What was your latest read?  What are you reading now?  Tell me about your book club.

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Britt-Marie is quite content taking care of others and making her home shine.  She is a slightly older lady that is quite set in her ways.  But when she finds out her husband has done her wrong she won't stand around and put up with it.   Although he is in the hospital with some heart trouble and it doesn't feel right to leave some one when they are down and out; that is just what Britt-Marie does.

If she's going to be out on her own, she is going to need a job.  With no work experience Britt-Marie's job prospects are very limited.  She quickly finds herself in a worn down town outside the big city running a recreation centre.  Britt-Marie soon finds herself in the midst of the town's core - the soccer pitch; or lack of it.

I thought this story was going to be quite predictable but it actually wasn't.  Even mid-through when I changed my ending prediction I was still wrong.  A great group of characters.  Britt-Marie Was Here certainly leaves her mark.

Check out A Man Called Ove also by Fredrik Backman.