May Online Bookclub Pick

Ally — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:45:47 +0000

May: your pick- Any book set in Ireland!

It’s your turn to pick the book- as long as it is set in Ireland. Not sure where to start reading click here for a list of good reads!

Please share the book you chose below and join us at the library for a movie set in Ireleand on May 28th @ 6pm.:

Code Name Verity

Ally — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:40:33 +0000

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Summary:

Oct. 11th, 1943—A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it’s barely begun. When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she’s sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. Code Name Verity is an outstanding novel that will stick with you long after the last page.

Discussion Questions:

Why is SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden keeping “Verity” alive and imprisoned at the Château de Bordeaux? Why do you think he is willing to give her so much time to write her confession?
At the beginning of Code Name Verity, “Verity” starts her confessional story from Maddie’s perspective rather than her own. Why? In “Kittyhawk,” part two of the book, the author changes narrators from “Verity” to Maddie. Does this change your expectations of what’s going to happen? Does having two narrators detract from the story or strengthen it? Why?
According to William Shakespeare (The Tempest), “misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” Metaphorically speaking, how is this quote relevant to the friendship between Julie (“Verity”) and Maddie?

Please post your comments below:

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

bv1688 — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:07:03 +0000

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

Discussion Questions

When David hands his baby girl over to Caroline and tells Norah that she has died, what was your immediate emotional reaction? At this early point, did you understand David’s motivations? Did your understanding grow as the novel progressed?

When David instructs Caroline to take Phoebe to the institution, Caroline could have flatly refused or she could have gone to the authorities. Why doesn’t she? Was she right to do what she did and raise Phoebe as her own? Was Caroline morally obligated to tell Norah the truth right from the beginning? Or was her moral obligation simply to take care of Phoebe at whatever cost? Why does she come to Norah after David’s death?

Though David wanted no part of her, Phoebe goes on to lead a full life, bringing much joy to Caroline and Al. Her story calls into question how we determine what kind of life is worth living. How would you define such a life? In contrast to Phoebe’s, how would you describe the quality of Paul’s life as he grew up?

Life of Pi

bv1688 — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:54:43 +0000

June Pick: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

June Movie Screening

Possessing encyclopedia-like intelligence, unusual zookeeper’s son Pi Patel sets sail for America, but when the ship sinks, he escapes on a life boat and is lost at sea with a dwindling number of animals until only he and a hungry Bengal tiger remain.

Please post your response to the book below:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

bv1688 — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:50:38 +0000

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Special Movie Screening!
A movie that relates to the book will be shown at the library on Tuesday, April 9th from 6-8:00 pm. It will be shown in the large conference room at the library, desserts and Drinks Provided!Feel free to bring a sack dinner and come enjoy this special screening!

Description:

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, an “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together they endure the agony of footbinding and reflect upon their arranged marriages, their loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace in their friendship, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their relationship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a captivating journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. Now in a deluxe paperback edition complete with an expanded Random House Reader’s Circle guide and an exclusive conversation between Lisa See and her mother, fellow writer Carolyn See, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel is, as the Seattle Times says, “a beautifully drawn portrait of female friendship and power.”

Please post your response to the book below:

Water for Elephants

Ally — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:52:12 +0000

Featured Book Club Discussion: Adult Fiction

Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It’s the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, drifters, and misfits that populate this world. He introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus’s animal trainer); and to Rosie, the seemingly untrainable elephant Jacob cares for. Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love’s a luxury few can afford.

Movie Showing: Watch the movie with the book club on Tuesday, February 19th, 6:00-8:00pm in the large conference room at the library! Feel free to bring a sack dinner. Popcorn and drinks will be provided!

Book Discussion Questions: Respond to any or all of the questions, or create your own…

Is Jacob responsible for the deaths of Camel and Walter?

Did Jacob kill August?

Do you believe Jacob?

How does Gruen depict old age?

Why does the first chapter in this novel lead us in the wrong direction?!

How is family portrayed in this book?

I Am Number Four

bv1688 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:48:08 +0000

February YA Online Featured Book Discussion

In rural Ohio, friendships and a beautiful girl prove distracting to a fifteen year old who has hidden on Earth waiting for ten years to develop the Legacies, or powers, he will need to rejoin the other six surviving Garde members and fight the Mogadorians who destroyed their planet, Lorien.

Movie Showing at the Library: Tuesday, February 26th, 6-8pm in the large conference room at the library. Bring your sack dinner and enjoy the movie after reading the book. Popcorn and drinks will be provided!

Book Club Questions:

First, I wondered how you all felt about the characters. We’ve got stereotypes galore and some characters fit into them and stay there, while others start out one way and surprise us in the end. A few specific ones to think about: John Smith, Sarah Hart, Sam Goode, and Mark James.

What about the idea that the universe’s existence is being held on the shoulders of a “teenage boy?”

Want to have some fun?! Check out this link.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

bv1688 — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:35:02 +0000

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer

Discussion Questions

Question 1: Talk about Oskar—an unusually precocious child. Do you find him sympathetic or annoying? Or both? (from litlovers.com)

Question 2: Oskar knows about a few things but wishes he didn’t, like menstruation and sushi. What things do you know about but wish you didn’t?

Question 3: When Oskar describes his feelings, he often talks about “heavy boots” or “zipping up his sleeping bag.” Why do you think he uses articles of clothing or objects he can remove to describe himself? Do you think he is successful at shedding his thoughts and feelings? Why or why not?

Question 4: Jonathan Safran Foer has said that he writes about characters and their miscommunications: some characters think they’re saying a lot but say nothing; others say nothing but end up saying a lot. Which characters fall into which category in Extremely Loud? What might Foer be saying about our ability to communicate deep-seated emotions? (from litlovers.com)

Question 5: What does it mean when Oskar’s grandfather “loses words?” Have you ever lost words? Which ones eluded you, and have you ever “found” them again?

Family Activities

Oskar likes to play “What If…”. Play a “What if” game with your children. Make it silly: What if you had a dinosaur for a pet? What if Mom had purple hair with pink stars? What if we tap danced instead of walked?

Oskar’s dad sends him on a pretty intensive scavenger hunt. Set up a small scavenger hunt in your house or yard with your kids. Use picture clues for those too young to read.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

bv1688 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:11:26 +0000

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life… as only a dog could tell it.
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn’t simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life’s ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny’s wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Some early readers of the novel have observed that viewing the world through a dog’s eyes makes for a greater appreciation of being human. Why do you think this is?

Enzo’s observations throughout the novel provide insight into his world view. For example:
“The visible becomes inevitable.”
“Understanding the truth is simple. Allowing oneself to experience it, is often terrifically difficult.”
“No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there.”
How does his philosophy apply to real life?

Do you find yourself looking at your own dog differently after reading this novel?

In the book, we get glimpses into the mindset and mentality of a race car driver. What parallels can you think of between the art of racing and the art of living?

Rot and Ruin

bv1688 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:44:16 +0000

In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother’s footsteps and become a bounty hunter.

10 copies of this book are available at the front desk in the library. Please ask staff to help you locate the book club kit and check a book out!

DISCUSSION QUESTION

1. If there were a zombie apocalypse, what is the most important thing you would want to have with you to survive and why?

Jonathan Maberry is coming to the Clearview Library!
Saturday, February16th All Day Event!
Let’s brainstorm some great questions for him on this blog!