NNO Book Club: Hollow Kingdom

BREAKING NEWS: So, for the first time since I took over organizing this book club in late 2015, we have a last-minute switch up. I have been saying for months we would be reading “World Made by Hand” for November 2021 but…then I really looked at the Goodreads reviews. We read a lot of books with mixed reviews or ones where readers either love or hate the book. For this one though, the negative reviews are frequently from female readers and a lot of them are calling out the same issue – namely an unexplained reversion to gender roles from 100+ years ago and almost no development of female (or some say any) characters. Yeah, no. Does not sound like the book for this group. However, I may still read this someday and, of course, all of you are welcome to do the same.

SO – what are we reading for November? Well, let’s go in a related but slightly different direction. Anyone for yet another apocalypse story but this time funny and narrated by a pet crow? Can’t say we’ve read that before! This month we are doing “Hollow Kingdom” by Kira Jane Buxton.

Book summary from Goodreads
S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (those idiots), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos ®.

Then Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, and S.T. starts to feel like something isn't quite right. His most tried-and-true remedies--from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim's loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis--fail to cure Big Jim's debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he discovers that the neighbors are devouring each other and the local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of dangerous new predators roaming Seattle. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a foul-mouthed crow whose knowledge of the world around him comes from his TV-watching education.

Hollow Kingdom is a humorous, big-hearted, and boundlessly beautiful romp through the apocalypse and the world that comes after, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero.

This month's restaurant selection
We are returning to a previous favorite – California Pizza Kitchen at International Plaza. They have a little something for everyone and handled our large group with ease last time. For those that have never visited, please note – this is NOT back in “restaurant row”/Bay Street area. This is on the front side of the mall between Nordstrom and Life Time Fitness.

***Not sure about book club or never been to one before? ***
Read the book (or some of the book). Come to the Meetup. Eat yummy food and chat with folks about what you thought about the book. REPEAT!

***Not sure where to get the book? ***
All books we select have a decent number of copies (at least 3-4 across all formats) at both the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Library. And, of course, you can always buy a copy.

Didn’t finish/hated this book?
Come to the Meetup anyway! If you didn't finish - just be aware, there will be spoilers. If you hated it, come and rant! In my experience, the books that generate the best conversations and the books we really love are rarely the same books.