On the front cover it said “a novel of love, family and movie night” which seemed to fit its description perfectly. And it appears obvious that this debut author is a fan of Meryl Streep, because this novel is a tribute to the actress’ talent.

The story is told in several narrative voices and begins with Lolly, the matriarch.

It continues throughout, back in forth between Isabel, June and Kat – two sisters and a cousin, all somewhat estranged, brought back together by innkeeper Lolly.

Lolly has an announcement. Kat is already present, because as Lolly’s daughter she lives at the inn.

Now the four women are back together with their own baggage, besides the sister’s luggage. And June has brought her son, Charlie.

Each POV is shared in their own separate chapters.

We have the opportunity to watch Meryl Streep movies, figure out how each character will glide through their personal dramas and allow the discussion to be sparked and communication to be opened between the women.

Surprisingly (is it?), while watching each of the Meryl Streep movies that they begin to share their stories with each other. And the layers are peeled away and conversations lay open their lives for a sense of compassion between each other. In those moments, as readers we could feel empathy and hope for them. You wanted them to bridge their differences and move forward with their lives.

And if you haven’t watched some of these Meryl Streep movies, this might be the opportunity for encouragement to do so. 3.5 stars.easy-to-read ok predictable ...more31 s2 comments Nancy1,106 408

This book really surprised me. I Meryl Streep. I don't love her but I find her acting compelling. But the book is really about four women, reuniting 15 years after a tragic accident, each going their separate ways, and finding meaning in a few of Streep's movies. They are each able to pull deep meaning out of the movies and each take is different and worthwhile.

The author provides some insight in that she has often found meaning in movies and applies life lessons to her own life. She picked Meryl Streep and concentrated on movies she has done and wrote them into the book, looking at them from different characters' perspectives.

The characters provide different personalities and depth to the story. This is not as light of a read as I had anticipated. No person is simple and single dimensional. Isabelle discovers her husband has been cheating on her. She also harbors a deep desire to have children, despite a childhood pact they made to never have them. Edward withdraws from her and falls in love with another woman. Isabelle returns to her teenage home of her aunt to lick her wounds. To me, she is the one who changes the most in a logical and beautiful way.

June had a two night stand and found herself pregnant. Now the single mother of a 7 year old son, she embarks on an adventure to find the father of her son. She finds what she is looking for and so much more and not in the way anticipated.

Kat was the least interesting to me. On the other hand, her needs were complex, too. She had the option to stay and marry Oliver, the boy next door and her best friend, or leave to study abroad. Even by the end of the book, there is no clear "right" answer. But the journey of discovering her own heart is a good one.

Lolly is the catalyst that brings them all together. Lolly announces she is terminally ill and the girls rally around her. Lolly is the one that took the sisters, Isabelle and June, in when their parents and Kat's father (Lolly's husband) were killed in an accident. But even Lolly has some of her past to forgive herself of.

Very well written, the story develops naturally and concludes beautifully.14 s switterbug (Betsey)879 1,023

The spoiler is in the comments section, not in the actual review.

This light read, aimed at women, puffs and fluffs around some substantial issues of love, loss, regret, and redemption, but doesn't succeed in capturing a penetrating authenticity. The three main women characters--Kat, June, and Isabel--suffering from broken hearts or stifled dreams, turn their lives around with astounding speed and success.

While gathered in Boothbay, Maine, to care for the sick and beloved Lolly, they meet men as sexy as Clint Eastwood and Pierce Brosnan. Rock-hard abs, crinkly, sexy eyes, and tall, dark, handsome--wow--all three women are courted by flawless men! Even the dying Lolly is swept off her feet.

I chose this book because I am a hardcore Meryl Streep fan, but I am not a devotee of chick-lit, unless it transcends to higher ground, poignant novels such as Bird in Hand, Thorn Birds, and Gone with the Wind, (which can also be enjoyed by men). There's only so much feel-good I can swallow, candy too sweet for the palate. One story line was left marginally "open," but the novel overall was cloying and telegraphed, with a cookie-cutter wrap-up. All these remarkably wonderful things happened one September to three women, (and a fourth woman, a secondary character). At the center is Lolly, beloved aunt and mother, who is dying of cancer.

Lolly runs an historic inn in Boothbay, Maine, with help from daughter, Kat, who is a superb baker. Fifteen years ago, Kat's father and Lolly's sister and her sister's husband died on New Year's Eve from a drunk driver, when Kat was ten. There's a lot of guilt that Lolly hangs onto regarding that night. Isabel, who was a sixteen-year-old wild child at the time of her parents' death, is also stricken because of her ongoing battles with her mother prior to the car accident. Isabel's sister June was thirteen, known as the "good girl." They moved into the inn with their Aunt Lolly when they were orphaned, and stayed until they went to college.

June got pregnant at 21, after a whirlwind two-day romance with a tall, dark, handsome stranger, right before her senior year at Columbia, and then dropped out. She has been unable to find her now seven-year-old son's father, partly due to his common name, John Smith. She's been working at a bookstore in Portland, owned by--you guessed it--the tall, dark, and handsome Henry, who has always loved her, and is practically a saint with the patience of Job. Henry is closing the Portland bookstore but offers her a managerial position in Boothbay, where she is headed to help care for the inn and her aunt. Henry patiently stands by while June searches for John Smith. It was obvious to me where John Smith was, and the outcome predictable.

Isabel just caught her husband in an affair, and is facing divorce. Things had been going downhill with him since she broke their "pact" and wanted to have a baby. They had met when he helped her in grief counseling after her parents died. Edward also was orphaned from tragedy at a young age, and their bond brought them closer together. However, it was a shock for Isabel to discover that his affair was with a woman who has children. However, while in Boothbay, she meets the man of her dreams--talk, dark, handsome Griffin.

Kat has never left the city of Boothbay, and is on the verge of engagement to her childhood friend, Oliver, who was her rock and touchstone after her father died. They grew up next door to each other, and were best friends since the age of five. Their platonic relationship changed to romance more recently, and Oliver is eager to marry Kat and help her get Kat's Confections, her dream business, off the ground. Oliver is tall, sandy-haired, and handsome. However, the tall, dark, hot, handsome resident at the hospital offers more than a helping hand to Kat.

The novel's center is Lolly, who gathers the three young women back together to the inn while she is undergoing chemotherapy. The three, who weren't very close growing up, forge a strong union and loving tenderness toward each other pretty swiftly. Their mutual support, after all these years and guilt trips, is almost too good to be true, every plot turn in this book.

The best parts are the Friday Movie Nights, where Lolly and the girls choose a different Meryl Streep movie to watch, analyze, and then parallel to their own lives. Too many coincidences there, how the flicks relate to their own dilemmas, but I did enjoy when they debated and discussed the conflicts and themes of the individual films.

This is unabashed chick-lit, life varnished with a thick coating of beautiful, smart women and bright, Adonis men. Not my cuppa--more a bubble bath read than a beach read. But, there are some reflective moments that demonstrate the author's talent, and it will appeal to enthusiasts of this genre who aren't expecting any surprises.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review12 s Kelly Hager3,103 147

This is told from multiple narrators. Isabel (whose husband has just had an affair), her sister June (single and raising a child on her own) and their cousin Kat (who has just gotten engaged to her perfect boyfriend Oliver and who has almost immediately wondered if she made the right choice) have just moved into the inn that their aunt/mom Lolly runs. Lolly has cancer and the prognosis is not good. Each woman has ample reason to feel unsettled even besides the fact that Lolly will ly die.

What helps? Lolly's habit of a movie night. The actress of choice during the course of the novel is, of course, Meryl Streep. The movies picked: The Bridges of Madison County, The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia!, Heartburn, Defending Your Life, Kramer vs. Kramer, Postcards From the Edge, It's Complicated and Out of Africa (with Julie and Julia getting an honorable mention). Each movie becomes not only an escape from their lives and problems but also a valuable opportunity to discuss the characters' choices and what they would do.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that I had to read it. I love stories told from multiple perspectives and one that centers around a film club? Yes, please!

Lolly believes (as I do) that movies can take you out of your life for a few hours and those hours can make all the difference. I can't even tell you how many times I've chosen to watch a movie (or read a book) to get out of my own head for a little bit.

I completely loved this book (which, as a warning, is nearly impossible to stop reading, so maybe start it on a Friday afternoon? But be prepared to lose all weekend. And be prepared to want to spend the entire FOLLOWING weekend watching some Meryl Streep movies. (Incidentally---and this is a minor point---but no Doubt? No Silkwood? But I'm hoping that what that REALLY means is that there will be a sequel. Lord knows there are enough Meryl Streep movies for at least two more books!)

I will admit that it was almost impossible for me not to love this book. One of the characters manages in a bookstore and again, it's a movie about women who love movies. (And family members who slowly are able to become friends.) These are all things that completely appeal to me. ;) But I think anyone would love this book. Its themes are relevant to everyone: learning to live without someone, finding what you want in love and life, overcoming things you don't think you can.

Highly recommended. (Five stars is not enough!)
10 s Patty1,601 102

The Meryl Streep Movie Club
by
Mia March

My " in a nutshell" summary...

Lolly, Kat, Isabel, June...tragedy brings them together and a tragedy keeps them together and makes them a family.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Lolly...inn owner, mother of Kat, and aunt to Isabel and June calls everyone home.  Lolly has news to share that will change everyone's life.  Lolly won't tell them what she wants to tell them until after they make popcorn, eat cupcakes and watch a Meryl Streep movie...her favorite.

I found this to be a lovely sad sweet story with characters I loved and just the right amount of characters that I didn't love.  Every one of these women has an issue.  Most of their dysfunction seemed to come from just not being true to themselves.  I was both happy and sad reading  about their marriages, their yearnings, their missteps.  It was sad to learn about their lost dreams, their fears, their yearnings.  

Watching Meryl Streep movies for some of their Friday night movie club dates was sort of key in helping them find out what they wanted within their own relationships.  

The inn plays an important role in each woman's life and becomes even more important as the health of Lolly is threatened.  Lolly's illness enables Isabel, June and Kat to step up, step in and realize their own strengths.

What I loved most about this book...

I loved its sweetness.  I loved the inn and all of its little hideaway nooks.  I loved reading about Kat's cakes and cupcakes and Isabel's attempts at cooking and quirky little Charlie and June doing everything on her own.  I loved hoping that Lolly would be ok and that Isabel would get strong and even that Happy would have a home at the inn.

What I did not love...

I think I wanted a happier ending.  Things were still up in the air for Kat...I wanted her to be happy living in Maine with her own cake shop.  But...that is not the case...yet!

Final thoughts...

I loved this book.  It was not overly sweet.  It felt honest and real  and I loved the time I spent with it.  I wanted to be at that inn.  I wanted to be at that book store.  It just sounded real and good.6 s Melissa (Cruising to Alaska-hiatus)4,773 2,489

This is more a 3.5 star book. It *would* have been 4 stars, but I graded it down 1/2 star for one line...the main character was reminiscing over a photo and talked about her family's trip to Walt Disney World and the family posing for a photo with Daffy Duck. Horrors! You don't make a mistake that when there are Disney fanatics in the world! (LOL, but only kinda)

Otherwise, it's a good women's fiction story with all of the right elements for a satisfying read.6 s Teri129 6

Received this from Simon and Schuster, looks a fun quick read.

OK, so NOT a fun beach read. It's quite sad and not light at all. It is a quick read however. I guess I got a bit uppity when reading this one... It was OK, I wouldn't recommend it to my book snob friends looking for great literature but for someone looking for something easy and a little thought provoking I might.candy fiction5 s Chloe167 61

The book is the story of the women of one family, each going through their own personal turmoil but being united by the weekly Meryl Streep Movie Club held at their guesthouse. There's family matriarch Lolly, who has her own daughter but took in her nieces when they were children after their parents were killed. The three girls think Lolly's distant and not overly affectionate, but when she summons them all to the guesthouse for a surprise announcement, they are left wondering what it could be. Lolly's daughter Kat is running her own cake business but is struggling with her love life and the expectations put on her. Her cousin Isabel, living a comfortable life and married to husband Edward is about to get a shock, one that will make her question everything she thought was true, and welcomes the break at Aunt Lolly's guesthouse. Then there's her sister June, a single mother to son Charlie, and whose heart is still in the past and damaged. Will June be able to find answers to hers (and Charlie's) questions, and will the Meryl Streep movie club make the four women closer again?

What I loved about this book is how much it relies to family to work, and highlights the importance of letting your family take care of you when you really need them. None of the women in the story are especially close at the beginning of the book - sisters Isabel and June don't even speak unless they're at a family occasion, and Lolly and Kat aren't exactly a close mother and daughter. Yet events throughout the book enable the women to let down the boundaries they have built up and finally let the others in to help them, even if they can't be of much use, just for emotional support. I loved each of the female characters in the book, Mia March has written them to be really able and I found myself feeling sad along with Isabel and June, frustrated along with Kat and accepting along with Lolly.

My favourite character was certainly Isabel. She's a bit of a snob at the start of the book, someone you can't expect to but as the book goes on, I really warmed to her and felt sorry for her due to her circumstances. She is really going through a bad time, and I d her development throughout the book. I really enjoyed reading June's story as well, how well she does as a single mother and her wanting to find Charlie's father - that was an intriguing storyline and it was really fun to read too. Lolly and Kat were also well written characters, and the mother-daughter relationship wasn't at all perfect which I am sure a lot of women will be able to relate to in different ways. The chapters are all written from different perspectives too, all in the third person, but the change allows the reader to get more involved in each of the stories, and I found it really fun to read.

The issues in the book were all written so incredibly well. I don't want to go into any real detail here to avoid spoilers, but I found all the themes weren't easy but were weaved into the book beautifully and were each important for their characters in their own ways. I found the way March used Meryl Streep's movies at exactly the right part of the book to be fantastic, I haven't seen some of the movies but they are each perfect for the time they appear and for the characters to see something in them that helps them too. The whole thing is just beautifully written, from the lovely descriptions of Lolly and Kat's guesthouse, to the small town they live in - it all sounds perfect, and a great cast of able characters make it even better. This book will be a keeper on my shelf as I know I'll want to read it again, and this is certainly up there amongst my favourite reads this year, it's fab!4 s Maria635 103

I am going to give this book five stars because I feel it. It's not everything, but it was everything I needed. I am not sure I can put into words how much I needed to read this novel. I have been reading tough stuff lately, things that have made me leave my comfort zone, things that have made me think, perhaps a bit too much. I am glad I have read all those things, but I was starting to go a little crazy, I was starting to lose my ground. I bought this book because I d the title. I mean, who doesn't absolutely adore Meryl Streep? Well, I do. And this family? Let me tell you, I am well aware that I have been told this story a thousand times before, the names were perhaps different and the contexts as well, but the basic storyline, I have known it by heart for years. To be honest, I am not even sure if it is that well written, for the translation made me doubt a few things. That was, until I got completely lost in their world. I became part of that family. And perhaps that does not happen to everyone, but it happened to me and I needed it to happen. A book will never be just a book for me. A book will always be a new door, a new way in, or perhaps out, depending on what you are looking for.

I really must thank the author, Mia March, and whoever put this book where I found it. It was not as light as I thought it would be, but there was so much hope and comfort. It is okay to be just fine at times. It is okay not to be sure of where you want to go and of what you want to do. We were born in an universe of possibilities that go beyond everything we know and everything we don't. It is so immense. And it's terrifying, when you stop for a breath and you realize you have no idea of where you are going. But you know what? It is okay to be lost. One has to be lost before finding oneself. And that is the beauty. The ups and the downs and the in-betweens. It truly does not matter where you currently find yourself. It is not forever. Or perhaps it is, but John Green taught us that "some infinities are bigger than other infinities", which means that forever will last as long as you need it to. And you will be okay. No matter what.

And this, people, is what happens when you read the right book at the right time. It all just makes perfect sense, even if just to you. But then again, isn't that the whole point?

P.S. Somehow it made me think of Billy Joel's song Vienna.

"You've got your passion. You've got your pride,
But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true.
When will you realize Vienna waits for you?"
4 s Dana927

late last night....I finished the most wonderful book which I highly recommend, called "The Meryl Streep Movie Club." Do not let the title fool you into thinking this was a piece of forgettable fluff. It was a very well written, deeply felt novel, with great character AND plot driven prose. The main setting for the story is a B&B in Maine, where 3 young women were raised by Lolly, who is mother to one of the women, and aunt to the other two. The nieces lost both their parents in the same moment the daughter lost her father, in an accident on New Year's Eve, that left 3 shattered little girls, and Lolly, the widow/mother/aunt to pick up the pieces. There are just a few pages dedicated in the beginning to those early years, and then we fast forward to the present, when Lolly calls the 3, now grown women, back to the inn so she can tell them some very significant news.
One of the women has just discovered something horrible about her marriage. Another had a child at 21 and has been searching for 7 years for that baby's father. And the 3rd never felt she could leave the area because her mother needed her at the inn, but she longed to bake pastries in fine European cities. THe women were never close as girls, even the 2 sisters, but life will change when they hear Lolly's news. There will new loves, new closeness, new careers, discoveries, and love. It was so beautifully done. I read it in 2 settings and was sad when I came to the last page.
The significance of the title is that each month there is a different theme for movie night at the inn. During the most important month (throughout the novel) the movies all starred Meryl Streep. The guests join the family for movie night and there are some good discussions, debates and lessons learned. This is one of my favorite books, one I now will never forget.4 s Archana Purohit118 2

What do you say about a book where the overwhelming feeling while you are reading the book is 'why does not this get over already'. The premise seemed so interesting where the characters who are all facing some problems in their respective lives bond over Meryl Streep movies and also gain some insights from them. However it was so badly executed. The most terrible aspect of the book was in fact the movie discussions. Why would people who watched the movies together suddenly speak out what happened in the end without any context? Havent they just watched what happened? I get it that the author has to convey to readers who havent seen the movie but there must be so many better ways to do it. The starting of the book seemed mildly interesting because of the conflicts set up. But they were so easily overcome or rather how they were overcome was so lazily written that you lose all interest in the situation eventually. own pop-sugar-challenge-20194 s Michelle7

Confession time. I did not finish this book. I couldn't. After 100 pages full of cliche, I had to put it down. I was hoping it would be a guilty pleasure read, but it wasn't. It was predictable beyond belief and made me feel as if my IQ dropped 10 points for every page I decided to read. I really really REALLY wanted to this book but it just didn't happen...4 s Vishy716 261

I discovered ‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’ by Mia March through Kelly’s review of it. I love books with a movie theme – I loved ‘The Film Club’ by David Gilmour. So, when I read Kelly’s review, I couldn’t resist getting the book. I rarely get a book as soon as it comes out – I am normally the last guy to know about a new book release – and so it was one of the rare occasions when I got a book as soon as it came out. The book came out in June, I got it in June and I read it in June. I haven’t done something this since the Harry Potter series came out. Here is what I think about the book.

‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’ is about two sisters Isabel and June, their cousin Kat and their aunt Lolly, Kat’s mother. Isabel and June have lost their parents in an accident which takes away Lolly’s husband too. Lolly brings up the two sisters and her own daughter. Lolly runs an inn in Boothbay harbour, Maine and the three young girls grow up there. They don’t see eye-to-eye with each other.

When her parents die, Isabel is comforted by Edward, who lives nearby. Isabel and Edward fall in love, get married and move out of Boothbay. Initially, Isabel and Edward have a beautiful, fairytale marriage. They have a pact from the start – to have no children. But after ten years of marriage, Isabel starts yearning for a baby. She talks about it with Edward but he tells her about the pact and drops the topic. This brings a distance between them. Isabel tries to make up, but Edward becomes more and more distant. One day Isabel discovers that Edward is having an affair with a married woman who has a baby of her own. Isabel is so shocked that she walks out of her home.

June goes to Columbia university to study journalism. One day Isabel meets a young man with a most universal name, John Smith. John Smith has a most common name, but as a human being he is not so common at all. June falls in love with him and John makes her feel special. John tells her that he is a student, who has taken a break from work to travel around and explore his country. They spend two days together. They make plans for the third day, but John doesn’t turn up. June searches for him, but to no avail. June then discovers that she is pregnant. She is devastated. She is not able to continue her studies at university and goes back to Boothbay. She stays with her aunt and works in a local bookstore. Henry, who owns the local bookstore, helps her out during this difficult time and is a rock. June has a beautiful son called Charlie, who looks very much John. At one point, June moves out of Boothbay to Portland, where Henry has another branch of his bookstore.

Kat stays with her mother, and helps her out at the inn. She also learns baking and starts her own business from the inn, baking beautiful birthday cakes for her clients who order them frequently. She hopes to start her own bakery in the town some day soon. Kat’s best friend in Boothbay is Oliver. Both of them know each other since they were five years old. As they grow older, Oliver falls in love with Kat. Kat is not sure about her feelings for him. She thinks in her heart that she loves him, but does not seem to have any romantic feelings towards him.

This is the point at which the main part of the book starts. Lolly invites her two nieces to the inn, telling them that she has an important announcement to make. She also tells Kat about this. The three women are puzzled at what Lolly was going to tell them. They arrive at the inn during the week. After dinner, Lolly makes an announcement. It is devastating for all the three of them. They were already coping with challenges in their lives and now they get news which knocks them over. While they are struggling to cope with the news, Lolly tells them that it is Meryl Streep Month and invites them to come and watch ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ the first night. They are joined by Lolly’s friend Pearl and some of the guests staying at the inn. The weeks run by, as the four women stay together in the inn, learn new things about each other, learn to become friends with each other, watch Meryl Streep movies together and talk about them, discover surprising ways in which Meryl Streep movies reflect their own lives. During the time they discover themselves, get to know secrets from their past, meet new people, fall in love. There is a sad event in the end for the reader, but there are some happy endings as well.

I enjoyed reading ‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’. It was a nice, comfortable, fast-paced summer read. Watching movies together, discussing about them and using that to resolve life’s problems is an interesting idea. I couldn’t help comparing this book to Karen Joy Fowler’s ‘The Jane Austen Book Club’. I felt that the prose in ‘The Jane Austen Book Club’ was better – it had so many quotable quotes. In contrast, Mia March’s style is more conversational – she sprinkles words gorgeous, awesome and handsome liberally throughout the book. She also mentions types of cakes and the icings they have, quite often, while creating the atmosphere of the film night. Sometimes it does get a bit repetitive. But the thing I d about ‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’ was that it felt one was part of a conversation with real people. One became a part of the book. There was no attempt by the author to makes the sentences in the book look more beautiful and deep – it was all so natural. Normally when one is part of a beautiful conversation with one’s friends or with one’s near and dear ones, there are not many quotable quotes that one remembers later. But the whole experience is pleasant and there is a warm, fuzzy feeling at the end of the conversation. That is what I felt when I finished ‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’. That is one of the strengths of the book, I think. My favourite part of the book was the story of June – how she is disappointed when John doesn’t turn up, how her life is thrown out of gear because of her pregnancy, how she ends up working in a bookstore and how she falls in love with it, how she loves her son, how after years she decides to search for John’s family so that her son could get to know his father and the surprising things that happen.

Now, something on Meryl Streep. I was a late comer to Meryl Streep. The first movie of hers that I watched was ‘Death Becomes Her’. (For some reason, this movie is virtually unknown today. It won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects). It didn’t make me love Meryl Streep. I saw more movies of hers, but I didn’t her till I saw ‘Kramer Vs Kramer’. Then I saw a few more of her movies, and I d some of them. My favourite Meryl Streep movies, as of today, are ‘Kramer Vs Kramer’ (though I didn’t really love her character in the movie), ‘Doubt’ (though I hated her character in that movie, I loved her performance – it was amazing acting. She should have won an Oscar for that) and ‘Mamma Mia’ (probably my most favourite Meryl Streep movie – loved her character, loved Meryl Streep, loved her singing). I d ‘The Iron Lady’ too. I need to watch ‘Out of Africa’, ‘Sophie’s Choice’, ‘The Deer Hunter’, ‘Postcards from the Edge’ and ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ before deciding whether to include more movies on this list. Meryl Streep is not my most favourite actress from her generation. Susan Sarandon is. I don’t know a Susan Sarandon movie that I haven’t d. I have loved every movie of hers that I have watched. Meryl Streep’s movies didn’t work that for me. (Meryl’s fans are going to kill me, I know!) But Meryl Streep’s filmography is awesome. Most actresses and actors fade away after their prime. They end up acting in comedies or in TV series. (There is nothing wrong in acting in comedies or TV series. I love comedies and TV series. But one gets the feeling that the actor / actress is cruising on autopilot mode.) But not Meryl Streep. Her three best actress Oscar nominations (with one win) in the last four years is really something. It shows her passion for her art.

The movies that are discussed in ‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’ are mostly movies which are related to the central themes of the book – love and affairs. The movies discussed in the book are ‘The Bridges of Madison County’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, ‘Mamma Mia!’, ‘Heartburn’, ‘Defending Your Life’, ‘Kramer vs Kramer’, ‘Postcards from the Edge’, ‘It’s Complicated’, ‘Out of Africa’ and ‘Julie & Julia’. Out of these, I have seen ‘Mamma Mia!’, ‘Kramer vs Kramer’ and ‘Julie & Julia’. I have also seen bits-and-pieces of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘Out of Africa’. While reading the book I also discovered that I have watched ‘It’s Complicated’, though I couldn’t remember that till I read about it. Other Meryl Streep movies are mentioned in the book in passing – ‘Sophie’s Choice’ and ‘The Iron Lady’ – but they are really not part of the book. I was disappointed that ‘The Hours’ wasn’t mentioned. And neither was ‘Doubt’ nor ‘The Deer Hunter’. Probably because they don’t fit the theme of the book. Four of the movies discussed in the book are also from recent years – I don’t know whether this was done to appeal to a modern audience.

‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’ is a light, fast-paced, summer read. It is a good book to read while sitting in your garden, munching a cupcake and sipping your afternoon tea. I am glad I read it. I think it will make a good movie too.

I will leave you with a couple of my favourite passages from the book.

“Reading her journals won’t tell you who you used to be. It’ll tell you who your mother was, what she thought. Really thought. Not what you think she thought. Not who you think you were through her eyes. There’s a lot you didn’t know about your mother.”

When Charlie came into the kitchen in his Spider-Man pajamas and rumpled hair, flinging himself into June’s lap for a hug, Marley’s expression changed.
“Oh my God,” Marley said, her eyes full of something shining wonder.
“Yeah,” June whispered. “No matter what, this is what you get.”

Have you read ‘The Meryl Streep Movie Club’? Do you Meryl Streep’s movies? Which movie of hers is your favourite?
3 s Kristin HarmelAuthor 31 books11.9k

Moving... beautiful.... It made me laugh, cry, and think. What more can you ask from a book? Truly enjoyable from beginning to end. 3 s Cath Hughes347 7

A heart warming story.
I never realized that I had no idea that Meryl Streep had starred in as many good films.2 s Joy385 11

This is a book about two sisters, their cousin and aunt who run The Three Captains Inn. The four are not close and they only see each other a couple times a year except for cousin Kat and her mom, Lolly, who run the Inn.

Lolly is a huge fan of movies and selects different actors and/or themes throughout the year for her friends and guests to enjoy. This is Meryl Streep season. Each movie they see encourages the women to talk about their own problems, most of which are depicted in the movies.

Lolly is dying of pancreatic cancer and calls the sisters to the Inn so that she can make an announcement in person. The result is an entertaining read, mostly interesting. I found the storyline a bit slow at times. There is a lot of secrets and hurts that come out, healing comes as well. Good characters, several handsome men are waiting in the background while the women work things out.

One of the sisters, Isabel, learns her husband is having an affair and shortly after getting to the Inn gets involved with a guest. I don't feel she had time to heal from the breakup before jumping into a relationship.

June has a child by a man she fell in love with in an hour, spent two days with him before he disappears and she never hears from him again. When the child starts asking questions about his dad while working on a family tree June decides to search for him. She discovers she's been in love with another man for quite some time and just never realized it.

Kat accepts a marriage proposal from a long time friend, is attracted to an intern working at the hospital and learns a secret about her mother that gets her to thinking about what she really wants to do with her life.

Overall, a light summer read even though it deals with a lot of tough issues such as cancer, death, betrayal, etc. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review.2 s Dale HarcombeAuthor 14 books378

Sometimes a book comes along that is just what you want to read at the time. The fact that it took me longer to read this than usual is no indication of the book’s worth. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was just a fact that life intruded and prevented me from reading it when I wanted to.
This is a warm and engaging story of four women, Lolly and her daughter Kat and her two nieces Sharon and June, who Lolly cared for from a young age after the death of their parents and Lolly’s husband. Lolly owns a B and B in Maine. (Why does this Aussie seem to be drawn to and read so many books about Maine?)
Lolly gets all the family together for an announcement that has the capacity to change the lives of Kat, Isabel and June and also help them confront events of the present and the past.
I d the way the author incorporates the Meryl Streep films the women watched into what was happening on their lives and the decisions they needed to make for the future. If you haven’t seen all the Meryl Streep movies as I hadn’t, though I have seen a number, you might find it annoying that some of the movie plots are revealed and then discussed, though I admit it didn’t worry me. I d the way the woman related what they found in the movies to real life. Apart from Isabel’s cheating husband, the guys in the story are a little to perfect to be believable. But the relationships between the women as family and friends are more the thing.
The ending was left a little open ended in some respects, especially for Kat, which made me wonder if a sequel was in the pipeline. An enjoyable light read with a few tears thrown in for good measure.
I enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the book. There are also book club questions.2 s Darcy Odden98 3

Fans of "The Friday Night Knitting Club" will enjoy "The Meryl Streep Movie Club" by Mia March.

When Lolly Weller's husband, sister and brother-in-law are killed in a New Year's Eve car accident, Lolly, a Maine innkeeper, becomes responsible not only for her daughter Kat, but also for her nieces, Isabel and June Nash.

Years later, Isabel is married her childhood sweetheart, Edward, with whom she fell in love when he was counseling her about her parents' deaths. June is a single mother and bookstore manager. Kat still lives with her mother at the inn, but longs to travel and loves to create delicious desserts.

The family reunites when Lolly calls the girls to join her at the inn for an announcement. Just prior to the reunion, Isabel learns Edward is having an affair and June is shocked that the bookstore she manages will be closing.

Isabel, June and Kat are all shaken by Lolly's announcement that she has stage four cancer. Both Isabel and June decide to stay for a while to help their aunt and Kat run the inn. Movie night has been a tradition at the inn and continues, but with a twist, all the movies star Meryl Streep, Lolly's favorite actress.

The Meryl Streep movies help the women to reflect on their lives and look to the future. The movies include "The Bridges of Madison County," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Mamma Mia!" "Heartburn," "Defending Your Life," "Kramer vs. Kramer," "Postcards from the Edge," "It's Complicated," "Out of Africa," and "Julie & Julia."

Author March dishes up a satisfying read in her debut novel. Just be sure your tissues are handy.
2 s Zarina981 153

The Meryl Streep Movie Club centers around sisters Isabel and June and their cousin Kat and Aunt Lolly. Despite Lolly having brought up all three girls, now adult women, the family has never been very close. But following some devestating news the sisters decide to stay at the historic inn Lolly runs in Boothbay in Maine for a while and during this time they finally start to get to know each other.

Their bond partly grows stronger through their regular film evenings, during which they make their way through the vast backlog of Meryl Streep movies. The viewings are often followed by heated discussions about the plot and character decisions, which more than once echoes the struggles the women go through in their own lives at that time.

The novel is steeped in Mia March's admiration for Meryl Streep and the loving descriptions of the actress' work, which is wonderful. And the characters' discussions about the movies central to the book sounded really inviting, making me want to seek out the many Streep movies I have not yet had a chance to see.

Unfortunately the ending of The Meryl Streep Movie Club was rather rushed and because of that the emotional climax the story was working towards just didn't happen, which was disappointing to say the least. Had it not been for its dissatisfying conclusion this would have been a 5 star novel, as it stands it's a strong 4 stars. 2 s Ingrid Fasquelle917 33

Amateurs de chick-lit, passez votre chemin ! "Dans la Peau de Meryl Streep" n'a rien d'une comédie légère ! Malgré un titre qui laisse présager un divertissement hilarant et des rebondissements cocasses, il s'agit plutôt d'un drame familial. Un roman choral original et très réussi qui s'inspire de l'univers cinématographique de Meryl Streep pour livrer le portrait émouvant de trois jeunes femmes à qui la vie n'a rien épargné. C'est la chronique douce-amère et poignante d'une famille marquée par le destin et les désillusions de la vie que Mia March raconte ici. Un roman bouleversant, à la fois grave et généreux, lucide, mais aussi plein d'humour et de tendresse. Si le risque de verser dans le sentimentalisme est grand, l'auteure évite, la plupart du temps, les clichés dégoulinants de mièvrerie. Son récit reste humain, tendre, intense et profond, sans aucune niaiserie. De manière subtile, elle encourage le lecteur à s'interroger, à dresser le bilan de sa propre vie. Les pessimistes y verront sans doute un énième roman triste et déprimant, une bonne raison de s'apitoyer et de broyer du noir, je préfère y voir un message plus positif et interpréter les propos de Mia March comme un encouragement, une invitation à prendre la vie du bon côté. Une lecture réconfortante, dont on sort rasséréné et plein d'espoir, certain que la vie peut être encore belle ! Un vrai régal !2 s DiDiAuthor 3 books8

I enjoyed the plot. I could relate with one character in particular, and appreciated that Ms. March devoted chapters to the varied POVs specifically, so that it was easier to identify which character's story I was following: although sometimes a specific character's dialogue was not identified, which took me out of the story a few times. It was also unfortunate that the men seemed to be "on the shelf" and waited politely for their cues. I enjoyed how she related each main character's story to events occurring within the Meryl Streep movies, although I predicted Ms. Streep might make an appearance on holiday. (You'll have to read to know if I was right!) With so many editors in the acknowledgements, I don't understand how the story was left void so often--as when June was toiling with writing a letter in one scene, and then it wasn't mentioned again until weeks later, and the letter had been magically sent. There were a few instances of this, and I found it a bit irritating. All-in-all, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it, but consider it a light read and suggest readers be willing to forgive minor flaws. lexington-literary-ladies-book-club2 s Amy McCall243 5

"Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books." Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

I read this as part of a book group. The only reason I finished was for the purpose of showing up ready to discuss, otherwise I would have put it down (guilt-free) and never looked back. I have a multitude of complaints about this book, starting with the fact that it was so poorly written.

I've read so many good books this year, so perhaps I've been spoiled by authors who could successfully describe a setting, a person, a SCONE... for the love of all things holy. I was so frustrated with Mia March every time I picked the book back up, disgusted by each of the characters and their inability to make a decision or have meaningful, realistic dialogue. Seven-year-old Charlie and Happy the dog were the only characters in the book who didn't make me cringe. Maybe I'm not cut out for over-the-top sappy stories this one, but truly I believe it was the poor writing that was the undoing for The Meryl Streep Movie Club.2 s Nat134

I kindly received this as a prize from a Twitter competition from Book Minx at Simon & Schuster. I was excited to have won it as I had heard so many good things about it, and knew that lots of people were looking forward to it coming out. I absolutely loved it! I read it in a day, because I kept going back to it and reading more, as I was completely drawn in to the characters and their stories.

I loved all the main characters in the book, yes they all had their own issues and flaws, but they were loveable people, and I really cared about them.

This book made me smile and cry, and I was left feeling sad that it ended! I miss the characters and was left wondering how they all get on after the story ended.

This is a fantastic debut novel by Mia March, and I will definitely be eagerly anticipating her next book :)2 s JanAuthor 12 books2

I just don't know about this book. I wanted an easy read; a summer read; a book for the beach, but I I got more than I ever expected! The story was OK or it COULD have been OK if it had been written better. I don't believe I have read such poor writing in a long time; and it surprised me that a plot line with potential could be ruined by the writing of the author. Not sure I ever ran into this before.

"Predictable" is an understatement. It was trite. The principle of 'show not tell' was violated in every sentence which made the characters weak. They had no substance; they were puppets. The dialogue was right out of a book for 5th grade girls....not a GOOD book for 5th grade books, either. There were times when I could forget the writing and just read for the story, but, in the end, the skill of the author simply could not be overlooked.2 s Bonnie49

Ok so now I want to watch every Meryl Streep movie again! Always admired her, and this book makes me want to so them all again now that I'm older. But also because of the great characters in the book. I loved them all, but especially June. The story did parallel The Friday Night Knitting Club with main characters who have troubles, betrayal, heartache, or loss. No knitting store but Meryl Streep movie nights as the glue holding everyone together and working through challenges. Ok, a lot the Friday Night Knitting Club. But that's fine with me. Loved them both! Enjoyed the Q&A with the author at the end of the book too.2 s Ayelet347 1,426

Though I don't consider myself the biggest Meryl Streep fan, I really got into this book. I found myself picking a favorite movie and a favorite character (June!). Though the alternating chapters sometimes leads to odd jumps ahead in time by a few days, you get great perspective into each woman's life and heart and choices. They are all facing difficult choices, but they form a beautiful family.
More than making me want to watch a Meryl Streep movie, this book made me want to book a vacation to a B&B in Maine. work2 s Beth Mills48 2

Three women--two sisters and their cousin--all at a point of crisis in their lives have to find a way to reconnect and help each other through tough times and tougher choices. I love the way the movies and the viewers' comments about them weave their way through the story and add depth to issues the characters are facing. A moving and satisfying story, one I will read again,it also made me want to run out to the library to borrow those dvds.2 s Heather77 2

YAY! I won this giveaway...I can't wait to read it! :)
Gotta love First Reads!

I just finished this book and it was WONDERFUL. Some folks say it was depressing in their , but I disagree - out of tragedy and loss comes love and compassion. A great read that will make you want to travel, bake, and watch Meryl Streep movies! Thanks to Mia March for writing. I do hope for a next book with more of Kat's story.
2 s Sheena653


This was such a fantastic book to read. The storyline was great, you could really get a feel for the main characters and everything they have had to go through. It also has made me think I need to check out some more Meryl Strrep movies. I hope there might be a sequeal for this as Iu wonder what happens with the girls as they continue onwards. I can't wait for the next Mia March book to come out. Fantastic debut novel!chick-lit my-favorites2 s Shari Spencer14

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