The Longest Ride, Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Longest Ride.

How did you feel about this last section? Did you enjoy the way the book ended? I thought it was a really interesting ending! I definitely didn't expect the auction to play out like it did. 

Luke eventually had to tell Sophia what was really going on with him and his past injuries. I thought she had an appropriate reaction to his news. I can't imagine watching someone I love risk their life on a weekly basis, so I don't blame her for not wanting to stick with him and watch him get hurt. I was glad that Luke didn't end up getting really hurt--I was nervous when he went to his last match and drew Big Ugly Critter again. Were you surprised when it was revealed at the end that Luke successfully road Big Ugly Critter and won a new truck? Were you doubly surprised when you found out that he sold the truck to have enough money to buy an engagement ring? 

Were you glad that we got a little bit of closure about Daniel, the boy that Ruth and Ira wanted to adopt? Daniel seemed to have had a pretty sad life, but it was really special that he painted that picture of Ruth. It made sense to me that that picture was the most precious one to Ira. He always seemed to love the art because of its connection to Ruth, not because of the art itself. Aren't you sad that Ruth never got to see the painting or understand how much she meant to Daniel? 

Did you expect that Luke and Sophia would be the ones to find Ira? I did expect that, but I have to admit that I was surprised that Ira was still alive when they found him. 

What did you think of the auction scene? I can't imagine how angry everyone was when the auction ended. Do you think Luke and Sophia ended up keeping any of the art? The ending of the book said that the auctions they held later took care of the majority of the collection, so I'm not sure if they kept anything or not. I thought that Sophia would have wanted to keep some of the art to start her own gallery or something, but she doesn't seem interested in that. Luke hints that she might be able to get a job at any museum if they give that museum a gift, but she didn't make any definite plans. I think they're going to end up staying at the family ranch and eventually will take it over from Luke's mom. 

What do you think was your favorite part of the book? Would you have changed anything about the story, or were you happy with the way everything played out? Did you enjoy reading this book? Do you think you would recommend it to friends? If you enjoyed this book and would like to read and watch some similar items, check out this list I created! Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Before you go, make sure to check out the video clip below to see what Alan Alda had to say about his role in the movie! 

I hope you enjoyed the book this month! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the ending! Next month, we're changing directions and reading The Outsiders. I hope you'll join us again next month!