How is everyone coming along with the book? Are we ready to discuss yet? I am going to move Anya’s questions in the comment section of the previous thread to this main post.

Recognizing that people are at different stages of reading, I thought I would start with a few basic questions for our readers:

1) Which character do you personally relate to more – Paige or Josie?
2) Have you ever had a friendship similar to the one Paige and Josie share?
3) How did you feel about the Prologue? Did you feel it enhanced your reading of the book to have this information provided at the beginning rather than at the end of the book?
4) The author (IMO) does a really good job at making the characters of Paige and Josie seem authentic and their home lives feel “real”. Did you have any “aha” moments where you said “that could be me!”

Note, I have no experience with writing reading guides. (In case you couldn’t tell.) I just like reading! Feel free to add your own questions and answers, but let’s not reveal too much about the book’s second half right away for those of us who want to enjoy Paige and Josie’s journey as it unfolds. Thanks for participating!

With busy work schedules and the holidays it has been several months since we have had a Book Club selection. We hope everyone will be well rested and ready to participate in our Book Club in January. We are pleased to announce our first Book Club selection for 2010 will be Ivy: The Story of a Friendship by Gwen Morrison. As many of you might already be aware of, Gwen has contributed quite a few fun and uplifting posts here at Imperfect Women and has her own blog, A Life Less Ordinary.

Following is a short description of this selection:

When Josie, a total stranger about to give birth, shows up on Paige’s doorstep, the women form an immediate and inseparable friendship that takes them on individual journeys of self-discovery. Josie is diagnosed with cancer and Paige drops everything to be there for her. Years later, Josie’s cancer returns and she makes a choice that profoundly affects the lives of those who love her. At the same time, Paige has found the courage to explore a painful chapter from her past, an incident that has defined her for so long, has left scars so deep, that it is only through her friendship with Josie that she is able to delve into the depth of her pain…which is about to destroy her marriage.

Ivy: The Story of a Friendship can be purchased at the Imperfect Women Bookstore. Let’s look to kick off this discussion towards the end of the second week of January. That should give everyone time to purchase or check out the book and begin reading. We hope you can all join in and as an incentive, we will provide the wine and cheese. See you then.