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Forever Amber will be the next chunky read. Who is in? Anyone want to lead? Thinking of starting beginning to mid July.

I've been dying to read this...it's been sitting on my shelf for over a year. Let's do it.

I'm in. :o)

On my shelf for a while now. I will participate.

I'm in. Just finished a book, so ready to start another.

Yes! I've had this on my list for awhile

I read this years ago. I will be taking part in the discussion. :)

This sounds good. When will the group read start?

As soon as I get the book, I will put up the reading schedule. I am thinking we will start in about 3 weeks so everyone can get the book and start reading.

Oh ok. I'm in

Sounds great Meg. I have had the book on my shelf for a couple years now. I am ready to go when others are.

I am in. I think...I notoriously purchase the chunky...read the first part of the chunky...get busy and abandon the chunky. But a historical fiction chunky is just so up my alley that I can't resist trying!

Stacy wrote: "I am in. I think...I notoriously purchase the chunky...read the first part of the chunky...get busy and abandon the chunky. But a historical fiction chunky is just so up my alley that I can't res..."

I think you'll find this much more of an easy read then the usually chunky.

I hope so! I am going to start it now...maybe if I get a jump I won't fall behind.

I am in on this one too. I've wanted to read it for a long time.

I'm in!

Me too!

it's summer...I'm in...I miss reading with you all.

I just loaded it into my kindle.

What a great group, still waiting for my book, it takes way too long...........

Here is the reading schedule, my book has finally arrived! Have fun reading!

Read up to page 137 Chapter 9
July 14 Discuss through Chapter 9 read up to Chapter 16
July 21 Discuss through Chapter 16 read up to Chapter 22
July 28 Discuss through Chapter 22 read up to Chapter 29
August 4 Discuss through Chapter 29 read up to Chapter 36
August 11 Discuss through Chapter 36 read up to Chapter 43
August 18 Discuss through Chapter 43 read up to Chapter 51
August 25 Discuss through Chapter 51 and read up to Chapter 58
September 1 Discuss through Chapter 58 and Finish Book
September 8 Discuss whole book

Looks interesting! I think I'll attempt this chunky read!

Welcome Alissa!

so far so good :)

Just got my copy today!

I finished the first reading section and I can't stop!

Really enjoyable.

Can't wait to check it out! I'm finishing up the widowers tale and will download it once I'm done. I'm hoping with the long weekend coming up I can catch up on some quality reading time!

Has everyone gotten the book? How is the reading going so far? I can't wait to start!

I am hoping to start this afternoon Meg. Your comments are speeding up my effort. I am happy to hear that its so enjoyable.

I have my copy. Have not started reading yet, but plan to start soon. Looking forward to the discussion.

So, as you begin to read, our heroine starts off with doing something very impulsive for infatuation/love. Have you ever done something crazy for "love"?

Got my book, but won't start until next week. That should be plenty of time to get the first 130 pages read in time.

It will be Irene it is a very fast read

Meg, Probably I've done something crazy for love, but I can't remember. Given the time in which Amber lives, it was really risky but i think she was so young she didn't fully understand just how risky it could be. I wonder if there are really any parallels today - is there anything we could do for love that is that crazy? Are there restraints on women such as existed in Amber's time that are more subtle but similar in kind in our modern era?

I started reading this last night and I'm already at Part 2. I should be doing laundry right now but I can't put the book down!

I've done plenty of crazy things for love but nothing comes close to Amber's perdicamet! Amber is very naive and looking for her pie in the sky. Which so far is not working out for her. Its like a horror movie, where you scream at the tv don't go into that room - I find myself screaming at Amber don't do it, don't do it, you silly girl!

To answer Sandi's questions. I think this story can relate in the 21st century, while woman definetely have more choices in life the story is relatable and timeless. Homelife isn't ideal, run away with the first boy you meet, barefoot and pregnant, boy leaves girl penniless and broken. Differences nowadays is that there is government assistance and woman can hold jobs. So the situation is not as dire. I'm not a feminist by any means but it does break my heart when I hear young girls say that they want to marry rich - why marry rich, why not say I want to get a good education, a great career and make my own wealth? Ok I'm going to get off my soapbox now and finally get around to the laundry. :) Happy reading ladies

I can't seem to put the book down either. If we all feel this way we can speed up the reading schedule. it is an extremely easy read.

I have done many crazy things for love or thinking I was in love. Wasted a lot of my life doing that!

I think in many areas of the world the situation is as dire. In a lot of countries women are stoned to death if they get pregnant and are unmarried. And in countries where some are subsidized in many cases that isn't even close to getting by.

It is interesting to note that this book was written in 1944 shortly after the end of WWII.

I remember slamming doors at Amber's age and screaming that my parents just didn't understand how in love I was. It seems so silly now.

It does seem to be a fast read :)

I'd like to join, I just requested the book from my library and should be picking it up in a couple of days. I might be a bit behind at first, but this book looks great!

It is a very fast read Tonya, and we don't start discussing until the 14th, so I am sure you won't be behind. Welcome!

Sounds perfect, thanks!

I'm 200 pages in and I'm really enjoying it so far. I was shocked to read some of the reviews, people either love it or really hate it...I am excited to see what everyone thinks.

From a goodreads review, Robin Ellis
A little known trivia about this book. Artie Shaw wanted his beautiful young wife Ava Gardner to be well read, and so he encouraged her to read many intellectual books. He was very annoyed when he found her reading Forever Amber. He called it a 'trashy romance novel.' Years later Artie Shaw would wed the author, Kathleen Winsor.

Meg wrote: "From a goodreads review, Robin Ellis
A little known trivia about this book. Artie Shaw wanted his beautiful young wife Ava Gardner to be well read, and so he encouraged her to read many intellectua..."

Love that, Meg!

I honestly am so thrilled that I found a chunky I can actually keep up with! I can't put this one down. It is just so full of action and moves so fast. I'm well into part II and just can't stop...

I can definitely relate to the intensity that Amber experiences feelings...she seems to know on some level that she shouldn't say or do certain things but she can't seem to help herself and her real feelings take over. It will be interesting to see if this is something she learns to control or if it continues to get her into trouble.

From Wikipedia:

While many reviewers "praised the story for its relevance, comparing Amber's fortitude during the plague and fire to that of the women who held hearth and home together through the blitzes of World War II", others condemned it for its blatant sexual references.[2] Fourteen U.S. states banned the book as pornography. The first was Massachusetts, whose attorney general cited 70 references to sexual intercourse, 39 illegitimate pregnancies, 7 abortions, and "10 descriptions of women undressing in front of men" as reasons for banning the novel.[1] Winsor denied that her book was particularly daring, and said that she had no interest in explicit scenes. "I wrote only two sexy passages," she remarked, "and my publishers took both of them out. They put in ellipsis instead. In those days, you know, you could solve everything with an ellipsis."[1]
Despite its banning, Forever Amber was the best-selling US novel of the 1940s. It sold over 100,000 copies in its first week of release, and went on to sell over three million copies.[1] Forever Amber was also responsible for popularizing "Amber" as a given name for girls in the 20th century.
The book was condemned by the Catholic Church for indecency, which helped to make it popular. One critic went so far as to number each of the passages to which he objected. The film was finally completed after substantial changes to the script were made, toning down some of the book's most objectionable passages in order to appease Catholic media critics.[citation needed]
The book was banned in August 1945 in Australia. The Minister for Customs, Senator Keane, said "The Almighty did not give people eyes to read that rubbish."

I found Forever Amber in the Book Mobile when I was 13 years old. The librarian in the Book Mobile was very reluctant to check it out to me, so I had to go get my mother to sign off for me (I was very lucky -- my mother let me read anything I wanted from the time I was 5 years old).

As you can imagine, at 13 I thought I had died and gone to heaven reading this book. I think I re-read it at least once after that. Now, I've ordered it and hope to get it in time to join in the discussion -- and I hope it lives up to that first read, revisiting it (and my youthful enthusiams for it) will be fun.

Meg, your trivia about Artie Shaw is hilarious!

I just started this book last night and agree if will be a nice easy read. Egrossing and not a struggle like some of the books we tackle in this group. :o)

I find myself saying "Really, Amber!?!?!?" a lot while I am reading this. How is everyone else coming along?

I have yet to find any pornography and I'm starting Part III...damn...lol.

I may need to put this book down and read something else because for the first time ever I am ahead of schedule, but I find myself really wanting to know what's going to happen next.

I love the tally of all the awful things that are in this book, Meg.