The Christmas Train, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Christmas Train.

Did you enjoy reading this first section? I had a bit of a hard time getting into the first couple of chapters, but once the train journey really started, I enjoyed the story more. I'm not sure what I think about Tom Langdon, though. I'm not really sure that I like him as a character. What did you think about the fact that the book started with him being really rude and aggressive at the airport? I think readers were supposed to think it was funny and relatable that he was so mean towards the TSA agent, but I thought it was pretty inappropriate. I think he deserves to not be able to fly for a while. 

Do you think it would be fun to go on a train ride? I think train travel sounds really romantic and exciting. If you'd like to see some pictures of what the Capitol Limited, the train that Tom takes at the beginning of his journey, check out this blog post. Does the train look like you expected it to look? I was surprised at how small the beds and spaces were in the train. I now understand why Tom felt like he would not fit in his bathroom. 

Were you surprised when Eleanor showed up on the train? I thought that was an interesting twist. It seems like they have a really interesting past with each other. I can't believe how many adventures they have gone on together. With all of that history, it seemed a little weird that Eleanor just decided to leave him one day without much explanation. There must be more to the story. It will be interesting to figure out what really happened between them as the story progresses. They sure won't be able to stay away from each other long since they are in such tight quarters!

What do you think about the other people on board? Agnes is quite the character. What do you think she's hiding? She doesn't seem to be very forthcoming about her past and her family and her reason to be on the train. Do you think you would be able to get married on a train like the young couple, Julie and Steve? I don't think getting married like that would be my first pick, but it would make for an interesting story. The Hollywood people that are on the train with Eleanor seem nice enough, but I wonder if they will continue to be nice as the train ride continues. 

Do you have any guesses about anything that will happen in the next section? Do you think Tom and Eleanor will start to get along? What about the other people on board--how will they add to the story? 

Before you go, check out the video below to hear the star of the movie version talk about his experience filming the movie. Do you think you will watch the movie after you finish the book? 

I'm excited to read about your first impressions of the book in the comments! Make sure to check back next week after you read through chapter 22!