What readers think of The Book That Matters Most, plus links to write your own review.

If you are a book lover and/or someone who likes reading about books, this book is for you. It tells the story of a book club with selective membership in Providence RI. The members become close; they must each choose a "book that matters most" that the club will read and discuss. Woven into the book club story is the life story of Ava. She is dealing with a divorce and struggling with some terrible childhood memories. Her mission to find the author of her book selection changes her life. This would be a great book club pick.

The concept of the book sold me immediately. I belong to several book clubs and knew this was a perfect choice for me and perhaps a future book club selection. I read Ann Hood's, 'The Knitting Circle', and enjoy her style and vivid characters. She did not disappoint me in this story of family, unbelievable loss, discovery and redemption. Ava's family has many haunting secrets past and present, and they are woven into a story that will keep you turning the page to find out the answers. I loved how the novel was organized in parts(chapters) around the members book of the month selection. Specific texts from each book hint at a bigger meaning, and would make a great discussion point for making the connection. The book has vividly developed characters, and a haunting conclusion, but leaves me wanting more.

This was a good read. The theme of the Book Club is the same as the book title. This was an interesting concept and I may suggest it to my book club when it's time to choose books again. Because I have read 8 of the 10 books mentioned the book discussions were very interesting if brief. Other book lovers would enjoy finding out which books were chosen.

There are many characters in this book. At times it's a bit frustrating to have to look back to see what happened before as the chapters jump around quite a bit. However, in the end they all tied together nicely. Maggie's life style is quite extreme and probably did not need to be described in such detail but the author made her point. To say any more would be a "spoiler". I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a good story.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and loved all the selections of the books that mattered most to each book club member. It was a great way to explore the story of Ava, struggling to come to terms with a divorce after 25 years of marriage and, as we discover, a tragedy from her place as well as trouble with her adult daughter. Though the story line was good, I was a bit disappointed. There were too many narrators and points of view. It made all the characters somewhat superficial. I wanted more depth about Ava and the other members of the book club. They were potentially so interesting, so it was a disappointment that were not well-developed enough. It was still a good read, but could have been better.

An engaging read about family, divorce, book clubs and how books can shape our lives with a side of mystery!

Ava is a likable, complicated woman whose life is at the center of the novel. She has suffered a terrible loss/tragedy as a young child. She goes on to create an apparently full and stable life that comes crashing down when her husband suddenly asks for a divorce. She is reeling from this when her good friend asks her to join her book club. Along with the books and new friends she makes here we are drawn into the story of her marriage, children and parents. There is lots going on here! Ann Hood manages to tie it all together and keep us interested along the way.

An enjoyable read...its not perfect. The story of her daughter in Paris is a bit over the top especially considering most parents would be on a plane immediately! but that aside it definitely moves the story along and kept me reading until the end wondering how this would all play out.

Definitely recommend to anyone interested in stories about family, friends and books!

Told by 4 voices, a compelling story of family and how their lives intertwine. Enjoyable read.

In The book That Matters Most Ann Hood has created a story of grief and the anger that often results from it and a look at the possibilities of recovery. Her two main characters Ava and her daughter Maggie have both had the lives they thought they knew blown apart. It is books - through a book group for Maggie and the discussion of books chosen by the group members - that help them find a way, if not back, then toward a different kind of acceptance of their lives and the possibilities they offer. It is also a look at the impact that decisions we make, perhaps to deal with our own pain, have on others. It will be a wonderful book for book groups, in talking about the books that the book group reads, in talking about the decisions the characters in this book make to allow themselves to continue to function and in thinking about the book that matters most to them.

Ava's husband recently left her and she is struggling to cope emotionally with this change. Her two children are abroad and Maggie her daughter is also struggling with drug addiction. The story focuses primarily on these two individuals and how they move forward. Ava joins a book club hosted by her best friend. The theme for the year is for the members to choose a book that most influenced them in their life. Ava chooses an obscure book that seemed to be written specifically for her situation while she was growing up.

I've waited a while before posting this review to see if time helped my response to this book. Normally, I love Ann Hood's books but this one just didn't work for me. I couldn't empathize with Ava and found her lacking. Her daughter was a hot mess and only a coincidence at the end enables her situation to improve. Other readers wrote that the story moved along at a good pace and they were anxious for the ending. Unfortunately, I did not find the same thing.

I gave the book a "3" because I liked the premise that each person chose a book that mattered most to them. The review of the novels (most of which all of us have read) was enjoyable. I also found the book interesting to a degree but not my favorite....hence the rating.