Carol Stream PL Book Discussion

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler

2009-04-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-30T07:59:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

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?

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

2008-10-02T15:35:00.001-07:00

For the month of October we will be discussing The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. This chilling and tragic tale is told from the perspective of a teenage girl, named Susie Salmon, after she is murdered. After her death, Susie watches and narrates the turmoil that her family and friends go through following her murder. The reader is also given a unique and frightening glimpse into the events that led to Susie's murder and the identity of the murderer, while her family continues to try uncover what really happened to her. With all this tragedy, Sebold also incorporates moments of humor and the peace Susie finds while she learns to accept her fate.

Why didn't more people suspect Susie's murderer and do you think that the time period (early 1970's) could have been a factor in his ability to get away with what he did for so many years?
Did the story end the way you expected it would? Is there anything you would change about it if you could?

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

2008-08-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

For the month of September we will be discussing The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, which reveals that behind the amazing success and grandeur of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair (World’s Columbian Exposition) is a story of an almost insurmountable struggle to get the fair resurrected in time and leave a lasting impression upon the world. Unfortunately, success sometimes comes with a price. In this case, the attraction of the Chicago World’s Fair served as a supplier of victims and a diversion for the first documented American serial killer.

A quote from Publishers Weekly reads:
“Not long after Jack the Ripper haunted the ill-lit streets of 1888 London, H.H. Holmes (born Herman Webster Mudgett) dispatched somewhere between 27 and 200 people, mostly single young women, in the churning new metropolis of Chicago; many of the murders occurred during (and exploited) the city's finest moment, the World's Fair of 1893. Larson's breathtaking new history is a novelistic yet wholly factual account of the fair and the mass murderer who lurked within it.”

The Devil in the White City follows two intersecting story lines throughout the book: the story of the how the Chicago World’s Fair was accomplished by Daniel Burnham and the other architects who made it happen and an account of the serial killer Herman Webster Mudgett.

Do you feel that these alternating storylines detract from the book’s appeal or make it more interesting?
Did you find the story behind the resurrection of the Chicago World’s Fair or the account of Herman Webster Mudgett to be the more interesting storyline and why?

The Chicago World’s Fair inspired many important and influential individuals, inventions, and the acceptance of new ideas.

Who are some of the individuals influenced and ideas or inventions that came about as a result of the fair? Do you feel that if Chicago wins the bid and sponsors the 2016 Olympics it will have the same sort of impact on the area as the World’s Fair did over a century ago?

The Ride of Our Lives

2008-07-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the CSPL online book discussion for August. This month we will be discussing a memoir titled, The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard. We have several copies of this book available for checkout at the library.

In the The Ride of Our Lives, Mike Leonard, his parents, and several family members embark on a cross country road trip (originating in Winnetka, IL) in an RV together while Leonard narrates their experiences throughout the trip.

Along the way, Leonard is also given the opportunity to share memories of his childhood and his family, as well as how he arrived in a career in television.

Throughout the story Leonard’s parents, Jack and Marge, keep the reader laughing with their consistent comedic banter and unique personality quirks. There are also several touching moments throughout the book, many of which are contributed through a retelling of Jack’s and Marge’s life experiences and life lessons.

The tagline of the book states, “Sometimes life’s greatest lessons are taught by ordinary people”.

What are some of the lessons Leonard could be referring to?
Do you havea similar experience in your life where you learned a lesson from someone you least expected?

Throughout the journey, the Leonard family travels through several states, passing by beautiful landscapes and visiting historic landmarks. However, Jack and Marge do not take an interest in most of this and become excited only when they pass a chain of retail stores or come upon a gift shop. For example, at the Alamo Marge was more interested in purchasing a mug engraved with the name “Jack” from the gift shop then touring the Alamo (pg. 81).

Why do you think they reacted this way?
Are there any hints or dialogue throughout the book that would explain the underlying reasons for their behavior?

There are opposing reviews for this book; two very positive reviews from Library Journal and the Chicago Tribune and a somewhat negative review from Publishers Weekly.

In general, what did you think of the book? If you had to rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being terrible and 5 being fantastic), what would you give it and why?

Getting back to main page from comment page

2008-07-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

To get back to the Carol Stream PL main book club page from the comment page click on the "Carol Stream PL Book Discussion" link next to "Post Comment On" in the upper left hand corner. This will bring you right back to the main blog page and prevent comment duplication.

Upcoming Book Discussions

2008-07-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

For the month of August we will be discussing The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard. The library has several copies of this title available. Stop by the library to pick up a copy and join in our month long discussion of this humorous and upbeat memoir.

Also, would you like to get a head start on the featured title for September? For the month of September we will be discussing Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

We are also open to suggestions from book club members for books to be used in future discussions. Just post a comment with your suggestions right on the online book club blog.

Stay tuned, more to come...

New Online Book Discussion!

2008-06-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first meeting of the new Carol Stream PL online book club. Every month we will be featuring a new title picked by the one of the Adult Services staff. We are also open to book suggestions from our book club members to use in future discussions. To join in the discussion just click on the “comments” or "post a comment" tab at the bottom of the blog post, then click on "sign up here", and create your own Google/Blogger account to get started in discussing the featured title for the month.

The featured title for this month is The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke. The Carol Stream PL has several copies of this book available to check out or it can be obtained through interlibrary loan. It is also available for audio download through NetLibrary, which can be accessed via the Carol Stream PL web page. This book can also be purchased through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Feel free to post a review of the book, respond to specific questions posted here, or just post a general comment on what you thought of the book.

The Tin Roof Blowdown

2008-06-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Tin Roof Blowdown takes place in modern day New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The story follows the character Detective Dave Robicheaux through his investigation of a shooting/murder that took place during the chaos of post Katrina New Orleans.

Throughout the book several story lines unfold to reveal the devastating impact Hurricane Katrina has on each character within the story. While all these characters are initially unconnected, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina creates a connection between the characters.

Burke reveals the damage of Hurricane Katrina not only destroyed buildings, homes, and the city of New Orleans itself, but also had the power to create personal tragedy and leave an emotional scar on many people affected by the disaster.

Does Burke's depiction alter or give you more perspective on the havoc caused by Hurricane Katrina?
Does Burke reveal how he feels about the way the Hurricane Katrina aftermath was handled by the authorities and government? If so, what is Burke's view and do you agree or disagree with him?

A review from Publishers Weekly comments, "Each of his characters feels the hands of both grace and of perdition, and the final outcome of their struggle is never quite certain" (Reviewed May 21, 2007) (Publishers Weekly, vol 254, issue 21, p32).

Considering this comment do you feel that Burke creates many of his characters to be both unlikable and at the same time pitiable? Does this have an affect on the way you feel about the characters in the story?

Throughout the story there are many twists and surprises that keep the reader guessing who is really responsible for shooting Eddy and Kevin.

Who are the primary suspects in the shooting of Eddy and Kevin and what what led Detective Robicheaux to consider each character a suspect?
Were there clues as to who shot Eddy and Kevin before the identity of the shooter was revealed and what were some of these clues?

Bertrand Melancon was presented as a very complex character in the story. The end of the story presents a mystery as to what became of Bertrand.

What do you think happened to Bertrand and what motivated him to make the decision he did at the end?
Do you believe Bertrand was finally able to make peace with himself?