March 2010 Busy Moms Online Monthly Book Club - Watermelon

For the first ever Busy Moms Online Book Club I have selected Watermelon by Marian Keyes

Book Description:

At twenty-nine, fun-loving, good-natured Claire has everything she ever wanted: a husband she adores, a great apartment, a good job. Then, on the day she gives birth to her first baby, James visits her in the recovery room to inform her that he's leaving her. Claire is left with a beautiful newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a body that she can hardly bear to look at in the mirror.

In the absence of any better offers, Claire decides to go home to her family in Dublin. To her gorgeous man-eating sister Helen, her soap-watching mother, her bewildered father. And there, sheltered by the love of an (albeit quirky) family, she gets better. A lot better.

In fact, so much better that when James slithers back into her life, he's in for a bit of a surprise.

About Marian Keyes:

Marian Keyes is one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time. Though she was brought up in a home where a lot of oral story-telling went on, it never occurred to her that she could write. Instead she studied law and accountancy and finally started writing short stories in 1993 “out of the blue.” Though she had no intention of ever writing a novel (“It would take too long”) she sent her short stories to a publisher, with a letter saying she’d started work on a novel. The publishers replied, asking to see the novel, and once her panic had subsided, she began to write what subsequently became her first book Watermelon. You can visit her website at http://www.mariankeyes.com/

I have heard great things about this book and hope it will be fun! If you are going to participate please leave a comment below, letting everyone know what you are in! And then come back on March 20th to see what the discussion questions are!

You can purchase the book on Amazon:


Or I noticed a few copies available on Paper Back Swap. Click here to start a new account:




Book Club discussion questions: (the answers in pink are my own personal responses)

1.  On a scale of 1 (lamer than lame) and 5(super fantastic) rate the following:
1. Style of Writing - 4 out of 5
2. Development of Characters - 3.5 out of 5
3. Flow of storyline - 4 out of 5
4. Over all book - 4 out of 5
2. Did you enjoy the full range of emotions that Claire encounters? Keyes did a great job of depicting each and every stage of Claire's turmoil and "recovery"
3. What was your most favorite part? The Irish dialogue - I love reading books that take place in other countries, because I love learning new words!
4. What was your least favorite part? That someone could ruin such a beautiful day as the birth of a child!!
5. What did you "not see coming"? The hilarity of the father!
6. Many have said that this is Marian Keyes' weakest novel - have you read any of the others? What do you think? This is the first book of hers I have read so if this is her weakest novel - I am totally going to read some more from her!
7. Will you read any more of Keyes' books? Already on my TBR list!

You can post your answers to these questions, as well as any comments and questions to other members in a comment using the link at the bottom of this post. Or you can create a post on your own blog and link back to us using the MckLinky! Hopefully we can start a dialogue about this book. Please remember that this Book Club is a first attempt so an constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. I want this to be OUR club not MINE!