Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler

In the first Bryant & May mystery, Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler, the duo embark on a strange investigation involving a string of mysterious murders at the Palace Theatre in London during the midst of World War II. After establishing a Peculiar Crimes Unit at the North London police headquarters, Bryant & May are tasked with finding the killer wreaking havoc on the theatre and cast members. Intertwined with the story of the origins of the Peculiar Crimes Unit, is a present day narrative by May as he tries to uncover the person responsible for Bryant’s recent murder, which occurs at the beginning of the novel.

While the storyline is certainly creepy and compelling, I felt the constant back and forth of the flashbacks became a little tedious. The story does have some intriguing twists and surprises, but also starts out a little slow before it begins to build momentum about a ¼ of the way through the book.

I particularly enjoyed the description of London during the height of the war. Fowler writes with a sense of realism that immerses you in the story and gives brings each character to life. I most enjoyed Fowler’s character development of Bryant, as his moodiness and detached approach to life makes him a complex character sure to have tragic or mysterious past. Sure enough, Bryant’s great tragedy is revealed in detail toward the end the book.

Most surprising was the surprise ending and revelation of what actually happened to Bryant.

• Did you feel that the ending was believable and were you satisfied with the explanation of what actually happened to Bryant
• What do you think about Bryant & May as a team and are their conflicting viewpoints and personality’s part of what makes them a good team?
• What did you think of the pacing of the story and the flashbacks? Do you think this is part of what made the story intriguing or could it have been written in a different way with the same effect?

Series Books

For the month of April we will be discussing series books. From James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, or Debbie Macomber’s Blossom Street Series, there is a series novel in every genre and for every reader. A well written series has the power to draw the reader in while they anxiously await the next installment. You get to know each character on an almost personal level and become a passive observer as each story unfolds and develops.

For some, the series format is responsible for the lifelong love of reading. Some of my favorite novels as a child included the series, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can still remember the enjoyment and concern I felt while Laura and her family struggled through hard times, as well as laughing at Anne’s misadventures and the sadness I experienced as she faced disappointments.

While my reading interests are still quite diverse, as an adult I have grown an appreciation for Science Fiction and very much enjoy the recent series novels written by Stephen Baxter, Arthur C. Clarke, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

This month’s discussion is open to all who would like to comment on what their favorite series is and why they enjoy it. Is it the writing, the storyline, the character development, or something else that compels you to read each installment as it comes out?

Please share with us what series you are currently reading or anything you have read in the past that left a lasting impression on you or just truly enjoyed reading.

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

The Zookeeper’s Wife takes place during World War II during Germany’s occupation of Poland. Zookeeper’s, Jan and Antonina Zabinkski, embark on a secret mission to resist Nazi rule by hiding Jewish and Polish resistors within the zoo cages and working with the Polish underground. Ackerman does a thorough job of describing the heartache experienced in having most of the zoo animals confiscated or murdered by Nazi invaders, as well as the overwhelming risk the Zabinski’s take to help others survive the war and genocide inflicted by Nazi Germany.

Jan and Antonina not only open their home and hearts to human refugees, but animal refugees as well. The animals were treated as part of the family and many were given free roam off the house. Their presence helped bring some levity to the tension Jan and Antonina lived with, for fear of being discovered safeguarding around 300 Jewish war refugees at different times throughout the course of the war.

Jan, Antonina, and their children also survived the war, rebuilt the destroyed zoo, and were even able to reclaim many of the animals taken during the war. Jan and Antonina both took great risks to help others even at the expense of jeopardizing their own safety. Jan was eventually sent to a POW camp for a couple of years and, unlike many other prisoners of war, lived through the experience and was released in 1946. Antonina endured a lot to ensure the safety of others. Ackerman quotes Jan in stating, “Antonina was a housewife”… “she wasn’t involved in politics or war, and was timid, and yet despite that she played a major role in saving others and never once complained about the danger” (pg. 314).

• What do you think of the risks the Zabinkski’s took to help others and what compelled them to do this?
• Even though the Zabinkski’s only saved around 300 people, which is a tiny amount in comparison to the lives lost during the war; however, do you think that their story is still an important one to tell?

Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power by Richard Carwardine

Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power by Richard Carwardine delves into great detail regarding Abraham Lincoln’s early political career and the campaign that led him to become the 16th president of the United States. Carwardine provides many insights into Lincoln’s political and career path from law to serving on the Illinois state legislature, to Congressman and then U.S House of Representatives, and finally as the 16th president of the United States. To add, Lincoln’s spiritual and moral beliefs are described as the justification for his passing of the Emancipation Proclamation and abolition of slavery. Carwardine quotes Lincoln on his view toward slavery as stating, “I am naturally antislavery” and “If slavery is wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel” (p.21).

Carwardine and others speculate that Lincoln was very in sync with public opinion and changed the purpose of the war with regard to what the public was ready to embrace. In this case, he held off on making emancipation a necessary tactic to winning the war until the people within the union were in agreement that this was the key to winning the war (pgs. 191-192). It would seem that Lincoln only used the abolition of slavery as a way of weakening the South in order to win the war, although by analyzing his views on the practice of slavery and his own moral philosophy it is also likely that emancipation was always one of Lincoln’s goals and not just a last resort to winning the war.

• From what you have read of Lincoln’s life, his political career, and his moral stance, do you think the abolition of slavery was one of his ultimate goals while in office?

Carwardine states, “Many Americans thus drew from Lincoln’s assassination what Henry Ward Beecher described as ‘a new impulse of patriotism’” and it was thought that Lincoln’s death was perhaps something that was meant to be (pg. 320-321).

• Do you agree with the opinion that Lincoln’s death increased patriotism and led to a renewed energy and successful political reconstruction and passing of amendments after the war, or do you think the country would have been better off had Lincoln lived and served his second term in office?
  
  
  

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees is an emotional and tender story of Lily Owens and her quest to find happiness, truth, and the power to forgive herself. Lily’s quest starts out in Sylvan, South Carolina where she lives with her emotionally abusive Father and the motherly housekeeper, Rosaleen. Lily carries around the guilt of having shot and killed her Mother by accident when she was four years old and all she has to remember her by is a picture of a black Virgin Mary inscribed with the words Tiburon, South Carolina.

After Rosaleen gets arrested and beaten by a group of white men, Lily manages to help Rosaleen escape and they run away together to Tiburon, South Carolina. Their journey takes them to the doorstep of August, May, and June Boatwright who happen to be the owners and producers of Black Madonna Honey. The sisters take in Lily and Rosaleen and with their help Lily goes through a journey of the soul. She experiences loss, sorrow, tragedy, and joy and through this finally finds inner peace.

While reading the book I could not wait to get to the end because I wanted to find out the truth about Lily’s Mother and what would become of Lily and Rosaleen. I was very happy that Lily finally faced her Father and was able to stay with August and June, but was somewhat saddened and disappointed about what was revealed of her Mother.

• How did you feel about the way the story ended? Were you satisfied with the ending? Disappointed? Pleased?

At the end of the book Lily confronts her Father and requests that she stay in Tiburon. Her Father relents and allows her to stay even though he wanted to take her home. Before he drives away Lily asks him for the truth about how her Mother was killed and he confirms that she did kill her Mother, although it was not her fault.

• Do you think T. Ray allowed Lily to stay in Tiburon because, as Lily speculates, he truly did care about her?
• Do you believe he told the truth about Deborah’s death or do you feel he did have something to do with it.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Do you enjoy the holidays, but dread the crowded shopping malls, worry about the money spent on costly gifts, and sometimes wish you could just skip the whole thing. That is exactly what Luther and Nora Krank did in Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

In Skipping Christmas, Grisham introduces the Kranks as a typical suburban family that decide to celebrate the holiday season in a not so typical way. After a sad farewell to their young daughter Blair, who has joined the Peace Corps and will be gone over the holidays, Luther takes the opportunity to review the expense of the past Christmas. When he discovers that last Christmas cost over $6,000, Luther makes the decision to skip Christmas and convinces his wife to instead join him on a 10 day cruise.

At first the plan seems flawless, until friends and neighbors get wind of his grand scheme to ignore the holiday season and go on a Caribbean vacation. This news does not go over well with the community and the Kranks spend the month before Christmas hiding from pesky neighbors, dodging salespeople, and standing up to friends and co-workers that put the pressure on them to participate in the holiday season. Finally, when the Kranks appear to be on the home stretch just hours before they are to depart for their vacation, something much unexpected happens and ultimately reawakens the Christmas spirit in Luther and Nora.

• What do you think of Luther’s plan for “skipping Christmas” and do you feel he was justified in all the decisions he made in effort to completely ignore the holidays?

Throughout the story there are some subtle and not so subtle statements regarding the commercialism and materialism that can overwhelm the holiday season.

• Did you agree with all of Luther’s views regarding Christmas or do you think he was being a little extreme?

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Join us in the month of November as we discuss The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a modern love story about the two main characters, Clare and Henry, with a very unique twist. Henry has the ability to travel through time without warning, which causes many difficulties and surprises throughout his life. The story is told from differing perspectives of both Clare and Henry and how they each deal with Henry’s time travel related obstacles and problems.

Henry is in his late twenties when he meets Clare for the first time while working at the Newberry Library in Chicago. However, Clare met Henry for the first time when she was only six years old when he traveled back in time.

• Do you feel that Clare’s exposure to Henry’s time traveling abilities at such a young age helped her accept the situation as opposed to if she had met him when she was an adult?

Clare and Henry’s daughter, Alba, is able to time travel, but unlike Henry she has the ability to control it and choose where and when she would like to travel.

• Why do you think she is able to do this when Henry did not have the power to control where and when he would like to time travel?