The Book Thief - December 2008

A book club for those of us without the time to go to meetings. Take our suggestion for the month. Read along. Post comments to this blog if you'd like to answer the questions below with your thoughts.

Now Reading - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Liesel Meminger is only nine years old when she is taken to live with the Hubermanns, a foster family, on Himmel Street in Molching, Germany, in the late 1930s. She arrives with few possessions, but among them is The Grave Digger’s Handbook, a book that she stole from her brother’s burial place. During the years that Liesel lives with the Hubermanns, Hitler becomes more powerful, life on Himmel Street becomes more fearful, and Liesel becomes a fullfledged book thief. She rescues books from Nazi book-burnings and steals from the library of the mayor. Liesel is illiterate when she steals her fi rst book, but Hans Hubermann uses her prized books to teach her to read. This is a story of courage, friendship, love, survival, death, and grief. This is Liesel’s life on Himmel Street, told from Death’s point of view.

Questions to ask while you read:
1. What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books? Discuss other uses of irony in the novel.
2. Explain Rudy’s reaction when he discovers that Liesel is a book thief. How does stealing books from the mayor’s house lead to a friendship with the mayor’s wife?
3. How does she equate love with abandonment? At what point does she understand why she was abandoned by her mother?
4. Death says that Liesel was a girl “with a mountain to climb.” (p. 86) What is her mountain? Who are her climbing partners? What is her greatest obstacle?
5. How does it take courage to oppose Hitler?
6. How does Zusak use the literary device of foreshadowing to pull the reader into the story?

Questions from readinggroupguides.com

Bee Season - November 2008

No meetings required but lend your comments below for hte book we are currently reading:


Bee Season by Myla Goldberg



Eliza Naumann, a seemingly unremarkable nine-year-old, expects never to fit into her gifted family: her autodidact father, Saul, absorbed in his study of Jewish mysticism; her brother, Aaron, the vessel of his father's spiritual ambitions; and her brilliant but distant lawyer-mom, Miriam. But when Eliza sweeps her school and district spelling bees in quick succession, Saul takes it as a sign that she is destined for greatness. In this altered reality, Saul inducts her into his hallowed study and lavishes upon her the attention previously reserved for Aaron, who in his displacement embarks upon a lone quest for spiritual fulfillment. When Miriam's secret life triggers a familial explosion, it is Eliza who must order the chaos.

Question to ask:
1. Why does Eliza slip the information about the district spelling bee under Saul's door, rather than telling him about it in person? Is her behavior unusual for an eleven-year-old?
2. Initially, Saul is portrayed as an involved and caring father. What hints are there that his interest in his children's lives masks a need to satisfy his own ego? How does his relationship with Miriam enhance the image he has created for himself?
3. Is there a common thread that links Aaron's experiments with different religions, Miriam's secret excursions, and Eliza's plunge into Jewish mysticism?
4.Bee Season presents the narrative viewpoints of all the family members. How does this technique add depth and nuance to our understanding of each character? How do the self-portraits differ from the portraits, implicit or explicit, sketched by the other members of the family?

Black Swan Green - October 2008

No Meetings required - but lend your comments to the book we are now reading:

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

The book tells the story of one year in the life of thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor. It is broken down into thirteen chapters, which are also able to function independently as short stories, each one reflects a month in the life of the young protagonist.

Questions to ask:

1)Why do you think that the author chose the title Black Swan Green for this novel? How is a sense of place significant within the context of the story? How are Jason Taylor’s experiences linked to a sense of place?

2)Examine the structure of the novel. Why do you think that the author chose to break the novel down into chapters which seem also to function independently as short stories? Why might he have chosen to include 13 chapters? Why not 12 chapters?

3)Why do you think that the author chose to name both the first and last chapter of the novel “January Man”? What does it indicate about the passage of time in the novel? How has Jason Taylor changed from the first to last chapter?

4)What political events are taking place throughout the novel? How do they affect Jason? How do depictions of the political events correspond to the depiction of Jason’s own life at home?

5)Various ethnic groups are represented or discussed throughout the novel. Are they accurately described? Whose points of view are represented?

questions from randomhouse.com

The Girls - September 2008

A book club for those of us without the time to go to meetings. Take our suggestion for the month. You can reserve your copy through SAILS Library Network Here. Read along. Post comments to this blog if you'd like to answer the questions below with your thoughts.


Now reading - The Girls by Lori Lansens






"I promise: you will never forget this extraordinary story. Love, connection, loyalty, raw humanity and much more are the ingredients of this most unusual novel. Lori Lansens's blend of tragedy and comedy will touch you deeply."—Isabel Allende



For identical twins, Rose and Ruby are remarkably different both on the inside and out. Ruby has a beautiful face whereas Rose’s features are, in her own words, “misshapen and frankly grotesque.” And whereas Rose’s body is fully formed, Ruby’s bottom half is dwarfish – with her tiny thighs resting on Rose’s hip, she must be carried around like a small child or doll. The differences in their tastes are no less distinct. A poet and avid reader, Rose is also huge sports fan. Ruby, on the other hand, would sooner watch television than crack open a book – that is, anything but sports. They are rarely ready for bed at the same time and whereas Rose loves spicy food, Ruby has a “disturbing fondness for eggs.” On the eve of their thirtieth birthday, Rose sets out to write her autobiography. But because their lives have been so closely shared, Ruby insists on contributing the occasional chapter. And so, as Rose types away on her laptop, the technophobic Ruby scribbles longhand on a yellow legal pad. They’ve established one rule for their co-writing venture: neither is allowed to see what the other has written. Together, they tell the story of their lives as the world’s oldest surviving craniopagus twins – the literary Rose and straight-talking Ruby often seeing the same event in wildly different ways.



1. The Girls is written as a fictional autobiography. Why do you think the author chose this format? Did you ever have to remind yourself while reading that The Girls is a novel rather than a memoir?

2. Rose and Ruby have spent every moment of their lives bound to each other, and yet they have forged two very distinct personalities and ways of looking at the world. What does this novel say about identity? How does each sister manifest individuality? In what ways do they borrow from each other?

3. Aunt Lovey is portrayed by Rose and Ruby as a very wise woman. Is it possible that their perception of her is influenced by their deep gratitude for her sacrifices in raising them? Why do you think they never refer to her as their mother?

4. Did you find yourself forgetting that Rose and Ruby were joined at the head? In what way is the bond of sisterhood more important than their physical link?

5. The girls said that, if given the chance, they wouldn't want to be separated. Is this a sentiment you understand? How does the dynamic of the girls relate to real-life relationships you've been in or witnessed?





Questions from readinggroupguides.com

Theory of Relativity - August 2008

Now Reading: Theory of Relativity by Jacuelyn Mitchard (click on title to reserve your copy in SAILS)

The term "relativity" has many meanings, all of which come into play in this novel. But whether one refers to Einstein's theory concerning nature 's most fundamental laws, or the seemingly arbitrary rules that bind one family to another, Mitchard's most powerful message is revealed in the person of Keefer Kathryn Nye McKenna: in her intelligence and honesty, in her humor and optimism. "Related" to her parents or not, she is happy, and she is loved. That's not relative, that's real.

Question to ask while you read (from Readinggroupguides.com)

1. In whose home do you think Keefer would be happiest-Gordon's or the Nye's? On what would you base your decision? What makes a good parent? What makes a happy home?

2. Do you think Mitchard's portrayal of Diane as a mother and as a born-again Christian is a balanced one? How does she make Diane a sympathetic character?

3. There are many kinds of single parents in the novel: Gordon, Delia, Craig (after Delia's death), the birth mothers of both Gordon and Georgia. How would you use this book to argue for or against single parenting?

4. Gordon is first introduced as a highly analytic person, one who thinks that "life could be lived like an experiment conducted in keeping with scientific method, that a certain set of results could be obtained and, once obtained, repeated." Eventually he comes to realize "the pressure of the human hand behind the instruments."(p. 11) How do Gordon's relationships with Keefer, Lindsay, his Aunt Nora, and his mother bring about his own emotional development?

5. Discuss Gordon's decision to drop his petition to adopt Keefer. Was it the right one, given the circumstances? How much of it was based on his relationship with Georgia? How much do you think was based on the difficulties he would encounter as a single father?

6. Discuss how the phrase, "a theory of relativity" touches on the novel's themes: family, heredity, adoption, and parental love, to name a few. Can you think of any other issues this title suggests?

7. Do you agree with Judge Sayward's decision to deny Gordon's petition for adoption based on his own status as an adopted child? As a judge was she compelled to give a literal interpretation of the law, or do you think she should have assumed that Gordon's status was the same as any other blood relative of Georgia's?

8. Discuss the possibility that Ray and Georgia's accident was a suicide. How does it make you feel about Ray?

9. Where do you stand on the nature versus nurture debate? Do you think your personality has been determined genetically or by the situation in which you grew up? How do the characters of Georgia, Gordon, Alex, and Keefer support or contradict your beliefs?

10. In the last chapter, Mitchard offers us a glimpse of Keefer as a ten-year-old. Did she "turn out" the way you expected? How do you think Keefer would have been different if Delia had lived and become her mother?

Pride and Prejudice - July 2008

Reading: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

A classic. I figure if the kids can read classics for summer reading, I guess we should read one too. There are many Jane Austen fans, movies, and more so you can certainly branch out to the book The Jane Austen Book Club, or the movie Becoming Jane. So explore a classic and let us kow what you think of the book. Does it stand the test of time? Why is it still a worthy read today? or not?

Sticks and Scones - June 2008

Now Reading - Sticks and Scones by Diane Mott Davidson





A lively mystery featuring caterer Goldy Schultz, a series of course. But you don't have to read them in order to enjoy them. For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It’s not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare--especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right--which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong.

It begins when a shotgun blast shatters her window. Then Goldy discovers a body lying in a nearby creek. And when shots ring out for the second time that day, someone Goldy loves is in the line of fire. Suddenly the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare’s Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart. Could one of her husband Tom’s police investigations have triggered a murder? Or was her violent, recently paroled ex responsible? With death peering around every corner, Goldy needs to cook up some crime-solving solutions--before the only dish that’s left on her menu is murder.

And to get an even better understanding of the book, and our caterer, try the recipes you'll find interspersed throughout the book. Scones are delicious!

Questions to Ask:
1. Do you feel she captured the teen character in the book? What are your experiences with teens that act like this?
2. Goldy is trying to piece her life back and the ex waltzes in again. Do you feel she correctly handled the situation? Do you think his nickname, "The Jerk" is appropriate?
3. Would you be able to keep going with your job is this was happening in your family?
4. Her church does play a central role for Goldy. Do you think she looks to that for guidance?
5. What do you think about Julian: friend, co-worker, second son?
6. Is the mystery solved in a satisfactional manner?
7. Do you think she tried to keep her recipies authentic and how did they accent the story as you read?

Constant Princess - May 2008

Now reading: The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory.


Post your comments about this book to this post. Books are available to check out at the circulation desk or click on the title above to reserve your copy on the SAILS Library Network.




A historical novel introduces Katherine of Aragon, daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain. She is fated to marry Prince Arthur of England, and when they meet it is a passionate match. But tragedy strikes, when only 15, Arthur falls ill and makes Katherine prmise to marry his brother Henry and become Queen. This is Katherine's story.




Questions to aks while you read:




1. How realistic do you feel the portrayal of this period was? Do you think Philippa Gregory has managed to shed new light on an already popular period of history?
2. Philippa Gregory creates fantastic, strong female characters. But to what extent are you left with a sense that the female spirit has prevailed or are they ultimately still bound to men?
3. Discuss the relationship between the Spanish and the Moors. How do you think this affects Katherine?
4. How is Catalina used as a political pawn by her parents? What is your opinion of Isabella of Spain, both as a monarch and as a mother? How about King Ferdinand?
5. When it's realized that Catalina is not pregnant with Arthur's child, her mother sends an emissary to escort her home to Spain. Why does Catalina, who was raised knowing it's a princess's duty to obey her parents, defy her mother and remain in England? Why is it so important to her that she not return to Spain? Are her reasons more political or personal?
6. Describe Katherine and Henry's marriage. How is the age difference (Henry is six years Katherine's junior) a factor? How does Katherine's first confinement -- for what turns out to be a false pregnancy -- change their relationship and her standing in the court?

(Questions from SimonSays.com)

Broken for You - April 2008

April's reading is Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos. A first novel released in December 2004, that has been hearaled as a "powerful tale of familial warring, secrets and redemption" A story of a elderly woman who takes in a young woman with a broken heart, into her home full of valuable antiques.

Copies are available in front of the circulation desk for checkout or click the link above to hold a copy for yourself through our catalog. If you'd like to chime in about the book or have thoughts about the question below, post a comment to this blog.

Questions to Ask:

1. How is Margaret portrayed in the beginning? Who is this woman who is entombed in a vast, carefully dusted house with her father's collection? An unlikely heroine, she is an old, peculiar recluse. How is her diagnosis an inciting force for change? Talk about her growing appreciation of the uncommonness of common things.

2. In the clamor of the first armload of plate crashing, Wanda "suddenly knew that she had found a home with someone who was as deeply aggrieved and crazy as she was. It was tremendously comforting" (p. 133). How does the Hughes house, truly a sanatorium, provide a haven and structure for these women to pass through madness to sanity?

3. Did you find conflicts between traditional values and newer ones? Where? Which characters grow larger or more sympathetic from being challenged by younger people? Does the converse hold?

4. How is the theme of the quest important in the book? Which characters commit themselves to seeking someone lost? What are the results? Who abandons the quest and why? Are there surprising rewards?

5. Talk about the title. To how many characters and things and ways of life does it pertain? What is meant by a "dissolution of borders" on page 269?

6. How is the star motif expanded in the book? Think about the star imagery from Margaret to l942 school children in Europe. (See page 282 for some of Margaret's own thoughts on the subject. And see page 290 for a further amplification of the symbol.)

7.What were the funniest parts of the book for you? Think of Irma, with her dry survivor wit as well as her bolder humor. Recall Maurice whose clumsiness is a boon in the Hughes house. And Margaret's outrageous mother. Talk about other moments of high or low comedy.

8. The china, both whole and in pieces, generates stories, such as the ice-fishing ninety-two-year-old Alta Fogle: "Maybe this is true. Maybe not. You can never be sure: all objects in the Hughes house have to have meaning, and if their past is not known, stories are invented" (p. 337). In Chapter Thirty-two, the narrator addresses the reader directly, as if one were M.J. Striker approaching the Hughes house. "Pay attention. Let your mind embrace metaphors. It's your first clue about what goes on here" (p. 337). How do these quotations help us understand multiple levels of the story? Is the making of mosaic art also a metaphor for writing stories, the novel, for instance?

(questions from Readinggroupguides.com)

Holes - March 2008

I know it is late in the month to be posting a book to suggest you read this month. So I picked a short read - one that has a happy ending that you are sure to enjoy no matter what your age. Holes by Louis Sachar. Yes, it is a young adult book, yes it was a movie. But it is such a good story I could read it again and again. Who doesn't want to read a book about a kid, wrongly accused, who has to suffer through some miserable stuff only to find out that a new friend is really an old family friend, and when he helps him, only good comes from it.

Questions to Ask as you read:
1. In what ways is the saying "You can't judge a book by its cover" a good one for this story? For example, what do you expect Camp Green Lake to be like based on its name? What is it really like?
2. What do you think the title Holes means? What might be another reason other than the holes the boys dig in the lake? What hole (or holes) is in Stanley 's life when he first arrives at Camp Green Lake ? Are the holes still there when he leaves?
3. Stanley 's father, an inventor, says, "I learn from failure." What do you think this means? In what ways have you learned from failure?
4. At home, Stanley did not have friends. But at Camp Green Lake, he forms a special friendship with Zero. How did Zero and Stanley prove their friendship to each other? In what way does Zero fill a hole in Stanley's life? How is Stanley 's friendship with Zero similar to Kate Barlow's friendship with Sam? In each case why don't people approve of the friendship?
5. What is the significance of Stanley 's name being a palindrome - a word that is spelled the same way forward and backward?
6. Where does Stanley find the strength to carry Zero up the mountain? Why did he do it even though he didn't know what he'd find at the top? Describe something you've done that at first seemed impossible. What did you learn from the experience?
7. When Hattie Parker sees Katherine and Sam kiss, she says, "God will punish you!" Based on the events later in the book, whom do you think God punished?

Girl with a Pearl Earing - February 2008

A book club for those of us without the time to go to meetings. Take our suggestion for the month. You can reserve your copy through SAILS Library Network Here. Read along. Post comments to this blog if you'd like to answer the questions below with your thoughts.

Now reading - Girl with a Pearl Earing by Tracy Chevalier

Questions to ask:

1. Do you think Griet was typical of other girls her age? In what ways? How did she differ? Did you find her compassionate or selfish? Giving or judgmental?

2. In many ways, the primary relationship in this novel appears to be between Griet and Vermeer. Do you think this is true? How do you feel about Vermeer's relationship with his wife? How does that come into play?

3. Peering into 17th century Delft shows a small, self-sufficient city. Where do you think the many-pointed star at the city's center pointed toward? What was happening elsewhere at that time?

4. Discuss the ways religion affected Griet's relationship with Vermeer. His wife? Maria Thins?

5. Maria Thins obviously understood Vermeer's art more than his wife did. Why do you think this was the case? Do you think she shared Griet's talents?

6. Do you think Griet made the right choice when she married the butcher's son? Did she have other options?

7. How is Delft different to or similar to your town or city? Are the social structures comparable

8. Though Girl with a Pearl Earring appears to be about one man and woman, there are several relationships at work. Which is the most difficult relationship? Which is the most promising?

Into the Wild - January 2008

Into the Wild - January 2008
Now Reading: Into the Wild by Jon KrakauerNo meeting required. Pick up a copy of this book in front of the circulation desk as our suggestion for the month. If you'd like to chime in post a comment to this blog.

Questions to Ask:1. Why did McCandless reject his parents' lifestyle?

2. What do you think of McCandless's decision to discard his identity and past life without a backward look? Would you do the same thing if you were in his place, or do you think it would be important to discuss your decision with your family first, even if you were certain that they would try to dissuade you?

3. Pretend that you could speak for McCandless. What would you have to say to Krakauer, his biographer. To his parents?

4. What do you think you would want to say to McCandless if you were his father? If you were his...

5. If you've seen the movie - how would you compare the two?

All Souls - December 2007

All Souls - December 2007
Now Reading: All Souls: A family story from Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald Copies are available for checkout. No meeting required. Just take this book as a suggested read this month and enjoy. Chime in with your thoughts on these questions by posting comments.This book an eye-opener to the truth about the “best place in the world”: the Old Colony housing project of Southie in the 70's. If you grew up here you've heard or been a part of the mandatory bussing in the 70's, and heard all about Southie & the Irish mob. If you are not here is a chance to catch up on what Southie was like back in the day, from someone who was there.Questions to ask as you read:1. Describe the tone in which All Souls opens. How does it shift throughout the memoir?2. In his opening chapter MacDonald speaks of the seductiveness and threat of Southie myths. Describe those myths. In what ways is All Souls an act of demythologizing, and to what extent does it romanticize Southie?3. What distinguishes Ma? How is she at once recognizable and unique? What do we learn about the challenges facing, and the resources available to a single mother in poverty?4. To what sort of masculinity do the young men of the neighborhood aspire without father figures? How do Whitey Bulger and his ilk exploit and perpetuate this absence?5. What contributed to the intolerance exhibited by many in Southie during busing, and how did it differ in kind and degree from racism elsewhere?6. What does Southie mean to MacDonald at the close of the memoir?

I Don't Know How She Does it? - November 2007

Now Reading: I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson
Copies are available for checkout. No meeting required. Just take this book as a suggested read this month and enjoy. If you want to chime in make a comment to this blog.
Questions to ask:1. How are we meant to pass our days?
2. How are we to reconcile the two passions, work and motherhood, that divide our lives?
3. How does the opening sequence, along with the "Must Remember" list that follows it, work to set the comic pacing for the novel [pp. 3–10]? How successful is the opening chapter in getting the reader to sympathize with Kate and her daily challenges?
4. When Kate arrives late for work, she needs to come up with what her friend Debra calls "a Man's Excuse" [p. 15]—something that does not have to do with sick children or an absent nanny, preferably something involving car repairs or traffic. Is Pearson accurate in describing a business world that has little patience for the out-of-office responsibilities of working mothers?

The Good Earth - October 2007

Now Reading - The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
an epic story of a farmer and his family struggling to get by in early twentieth century China.
Discussion Questions:
1. When The Good Earth was published, some critics called it a universal story. Is is still universal now? What is a "universal story?"
2. Do the events that unfold in The Good Earth make the title a true statement or an ironic one? In what ways?
3. Practices such as infantcide or taking a concubine are very foreign and seomtimes distressing for western readers. How does Buck help you to understand the complexity of these practices? Can you think of things we do that may be considered strange to others?
4. What do you think of the character of O-lan, his wife? What kind of power does she hold in the family?
Have comments? Add yours to this post.