I was really looking forward to this one as I've read other books by this author. This one wasn't very relatable. It seemed to end really quick before it should have and ended abruptly. I thought there would be more explanation on the book related scenario, but it seemed open ended and not explained at all. There were moments where I could imagine the authors voice shine through, but it was very slim to none sadly. This one didn't do it for me, but I'm sure it will meet its audience.

The plot is very good ; each reader is on a journey through their reading history. Could put the book down - love it when I feel like that about a book. This one I will tell all my library patrons about - great choice for a book club.

I am a member of two book clubs, so I loved the premise of this book, where each member of a book club selects the book that mattered most to them during a point in their life. During the book discussions we get a glimpse of what drives each member of the club.

I thought the end of the story was a little awkward, but I still really liked the story.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. The opinions are solely mine.

The family dynamic in this book was great. Some parts were hard to get through, but I had to know how the characters lives turned out. A good, but intense read.

Due to family commitments, I have been unable to read this book. I thank you for the provision of it, and if I get to it in the future, I will make sure to leave public reviews on Goodreads and my personal blog.

This book is a tough one to describe and also to rate. It has basically 3 separate story lines - the story of Ava, a recently separated woman I think in her 50s who joins a book club where they are each picking to read the "book that matters most" to them of the title (interesting concept, but I found the book club in the book so pretentious); the story of Maggie, Ava's daughter, who abandons her college semester abroad and becomes a heroin addict (disturbing to even read about); and a slowly unfolding story about child Ava and a cop named Hank and the death of Ava's sister as a child followed by her mother's suicide a year later, which also plays out in the parts about adult Ava as the book she selects is a novel she read as a child which helps her process her grief (for me, the best part of the book). The book definitely kept me reading, but it was a little all over the place, varied wildly in tone, and while I guessed some of the twists, everything wrapped up perhaps a bit too neatly. 3.5 stars.

I always love books about books, but they tend to be a bit "cutesy". Ann Hood dug a little deeper to touch on the desire we all have to find that one book that truly defines us or that can help someone else. The main character especially wanted this since she feels she is losing all of her other defining roles (wife, mother, etc.)
This would be a good book club selection but it would also be a great gift for a friend experiencing a divorce or empty nest syndrome.

My first thought is Wow! What a book! So many books can be billed as the book that matters most depending on where we were in life while reading it. I always look at White Oleander as an important book in my life, not so much because of the storyline, but because i recall how it gripped me at the time I read it and it really started my love of reading. Ann Hood's book is one of mystery, rediscovery, and healing. I truly enjoyed it so much. And my maiden name is Hood...any relation?