My Thoughts on "Daisy Jones and the Six" and Discussion Questions

What's this?  Two blog posts in two days and I finished a book for the first time in about a month?  I know, this is complete madness, but, like I said yesterday, I'm really trying to get back on track with things.

Daisy Jones and the Six was voted best historical fiction novel of 2019 on Goodreads, but it never really called out to me.  I thought the plot sounded somewhat interesting, but not enough to actually get me to read the book.  Then I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which is by the same author, and I completely fell in love with the book.  I knew I had to read Daisy Jones, even if it takes place way before my time and deals with music that isn't really my style.

The book tells the story of the fictional band, Daisy Jones and the Six, and its rise to fame.  Then, at the peak of their stardom, they broke up, right in the middle of a world tour.  That was it, the band never performed together again.  Similar to Evelyn Hugo, this is the band's first time baring their souls and telling the rest of the world what happened between them.

What makes this book unique is its format.  It's written as an oral history.  That's right, the entire book is written as one big, long interview.  At first, that was a little off-putting to me; I get enough of reading stuff like that for grad school.  Once I started reading, however, I couldn't imagine the book written any other way.  The way Reid wrote the book, it felt organic, like you actually listening to an interview on VH1 or MTV.  I imagine that the book could have been written in a more traditional format, but it would have lost a little of its authenticity.  One thing I really enjoyed about the book were the inconsistencies that came with oral history and recounting events forty or so years after the fact.  At one point, one member of the band said, "We finished recording our album in May", then another said, "We finished our album in November."  That shows you the problems with memory and the fact that everyone remembers things a little bit differently.  There weren't a ton of inconsistencies like that in the book, but there were enough that you definitely noticed.

As much as I loved this book, there was something that bothered me immensely.  It's going to sound petty and weird, but just bear with me.  So this book is about a band, and Reid even goes so far as to include lyrics from their top selling album, Aurora, in the back of the book.  What I wanted was to be able to hear the songs performed.  It's one thing to read the lyrics (they're pretty much poems), but it's another thing to experience the songs with the instrumentals, the various voices, etc.  I wish they got together a band that had the same sound as Daisy Jones and the Six to record all the songs as an album.  I know the book is being made into a tv mini series, so maybe then we'll get a taste of what the music sounds like.

That's pretty much all I can talk about without giving away too many spoilers.  So, as always, if you haven't read the book or want to avoid spoilers, this is probably where you should stop reading.  If you're using this book for a book club and need discussion questions, those can be found at the very bottom of this post, but they might contain spoilers too.

There isn't a whole lot I want to talk about in relation to spoilers, just my thoughts on the end, and a little bit about Daisy's relationship with Billy.

First of all, at first I thought the ending was extremely abrupt; it just stopped without warning pretty much.  When I stepped back and thought about it, however, that's how the band ended.  They were in the middle of their tour, and they just stopped after one performance, that was it.  They had just released a record breaking album, they were in the middle of a world tour, and everything fell apart in the blink of an eye.  It was supposed to feel sudden because it was.  I imagine their fans were confused as to what happened, and so to help convey that in the book, Reid ended things pretty abruptly as well.  She did a great job of leaving the reader wanting more, just like the fans probably did as well.

What did bother me more than the abrupt ending was Daisy and Billy's relationship.  It felt very awkward, and I couldn't really get a good sense of it.  It was like, sometimes they hated each other and wouldn't even talk to each other, other times they were head over heels in love in this star-crossed type of way.  It was weird, and, honestly, it gave me whiplash.  It also left me feeling conflicted, because Billy obviously loved Camilla and his daughters more than anything, so I couldn't figure out what drew him to Daisy.  She really was like a lightning rod for him, and no matter how much he tried to stay away, he just couldn't.  I could never figure out why, although I feel like it had something to do with the fact that she reminded him of himself, and he wanted to fix her.  I don't know, I'm just speculating here.

Minus those tiny little issues, I really did enjoy this book.  I thought the format was unique and worked extremely well given the content.  I also thought that Taylor Jenkins Reid once again showed that she's a force to be reckoned with when it comes to writing strong women in history.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.  Whatever it is, you can rest assured that I'll buy it and blog about it after I read it.

I didn't say this before, but this is actually a book one of my book clubs picked.  Unfortunately, I have plans the day of that meeting, so I can't go.  Oh well, such is life.  This was still a book I wanted to read, so I started it a little early, but it took me a while to read.  I did create a list of book club questions, so if you're using this book for your book club, feel free to use some of my questions below.

1. How did Daisy's childhood allow her to become famous?
2. What impact did Camilla have on the band?
3. Why was this band able to make it big when so many others failed?
4. How did the inconsistencies throughout the band's memory add to the story?
5. Why did Billy struggle the most with drugs and the rock and roll lifestyle?
6. Daisy said she had no idea what it meant to truly suffer (page 80).  Is that true?
7. Daisy refers to herself as "the cool new jeans" while Billy is "the pair you've had for years" (page 88).  Is this an accurate description of them when they first started working together?
8. In what ways was the band more about Billy than Daisy?
9. What were the major turning points in the band's history that put them on the road to success?
10. How did miscommunication and misunderstandings lead to problems in the band?
11. How did Daisy change the dynamic of the band?
12. How did Billy and Daisy bring out the best and the worst in each other?
13. Why do you think Karen didn't want the band to know about her and Graham?
14. Did the drug use have a positive or negative effect on Daisy's song writing and singing?
15. At what point did Daisy lose control of her life?
16. Did Daisy care that her life was spiraling out of control?
17. How did the fact that Billy and Daisy were "the Chosen Ones" cause stress among members of the band?
18. Daisy said about her marriage to Niccolo, "I regret that marriage, but I do not regret that dress" (236).  How does this sum up her personality?
19. Did Eddie take things too personally?
20. Did the size of the band contribute to its problems?
21. Did Karen make the right choice having an abortion?
22. Was Daisy jealous of Camilla?  If so, why?
23. Was the band's break up caused by one event or a perfect storm of smaller events?
24. Did Daisy leave the band for herself or for Billy?
25. Were you surprised that Eddie stayed in the band as long as he did?
26. Why did Julia decide to write the story of the band?
27. Would this book work if written in a more traditional format?
28. This book is going to be made into a television mini series.  Do you think it will translate well into that format?
29. What drew Billy to Daisy in the first place?
30. What would their relationship have been like had Billy and Daisy gotten together?

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My Thoughts On "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" and Discussion Questions

I'm just going to come right out and say it, I wasn't a fan of this book at all.  My book club originally picked another book for this month, but then they changed their mind at the meeting at picked this one instead.  Personally, I wanted to read the other one, I thought it sounded more interesting, but hopefully it'll come back up as an option at some point in the future.  With that being said, this book didn't really speak to me like other books did.  Since I've been surprised by books I didn't think I would like in the past, however, I went into it with an open mind and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it, although I could see why other people would enjoy it.  Apparently it's going to be made into a movie, and I might go see it, but I won't be first in line; maybe if it came out on Netflix or Hulu I would eventually watch it.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine focuses on Eleanor, a woman in the 30s with autism who lives in Scotland.  In her mind, everything in her life is perfect, she has a job, an apartment and a routine that includes a weekly phone call with her mother, who lives elsewhere (although it's not entirely specified where, but it is some sort of group home).  To Eleanor, manners and perfection is of the utmost importance, a habit she tries to demonstrate to her coworkers on a daily basis in the hopes they will follow her example.

Everything in Eleanor's life is thrown into complete turmoil, however, when she sees a concert (courtesy of tickets she won at work) and falls head over heels with the lead singer.  Suddenly aware of the fact that she is a little bit odd and doesn't act like the other women in her office, Eleanor takes it upon herself to improve her life, with some humorous results through various misunderstandings.  Eleanor's life is further complicated by the introduction of Raymond, the IT guy in her building who she slowly becomes friends with as their paths continue to cross.  The entire time, Eleanor hints at struggles from her past, which continue to haunt her.

I wish I could put my finger on why I didn't like this book, but I can't.  I think I had trouble connecting with the character, and I found the plot to be a little bland.  Like I said, I wasn't overly thrilled about reading this book, but I went into it with as open a mind as I could muster, as I've been surprised by books I thought I wouldn't like in the past.  I also wanted to like the book because Nicholas is on the spectrum (just barely), and I hoped this book would bit a bit of a window into his mind.  Instead, I found a character who completely shifted her worldview and attitude on everything in a short amount of time, which seemed highly unrealistic, even if she wasn't on the spectrum in the first place.

I think another complaint I have about this book is the abruptness of everything.  The character and plots swings between extremes without so much as a second thought, and it seems completely unrealistic.  I really can't dive into more about that right now because it would give away quite a few spoilers, but I talk about more of that below.

Okay, now I want to talk about a few twists and turns that the reader encounters towards the end of the book.  I also want to post my book club discussion questions.  So, if you haven't read the book or want to avoid spoilers, this is probably where you should stop reading.

First of all, what in the world was that ending!?  I feel like the fact that Eleanor's mom died years ago and was simply a figment of her imagination came completely out of nowhere.  I feel like if you're going to pull a stunt like that in a book, it needs to have some sort of foundation, some subtle clues that if you know about it, you'll be able to figure out with relative ease (or with a little bit of thought) when going back and rereading the book.  I don't want to spoil it, but I read another book recently that had a very similar twist, and while it did blindside me, it seemed far more believable.  This time, however, it just seemed completely ridiculous.  On the other hand, I am glad that Eleanor's mom was really dead, as that meant she couldn't harass her anymore.

I was also bothered by how Eleanor and Raymond's relationship ended.  I never wanted it to be a romantic relationship, so I was glad it wasn't, but I felt like once Eleanor got her life together, she just closed the door on their friendship and everything, despite how helpful he was to her.  Now, part of that coldness could stem from her being on the Autism spectrum, but I don't want to write off all her behavior as "oh, she did that because she's on the spectrum".  To me, it just seemed abrupt, and I definitely got the feeling at the end of the book that their friendship was essentially over.  This was also upsetting because Raymond's such a wonderful guy who, honestly, deserves to be treated better.

I also didn't like the huge swing in Eleanor's emotions towards Johnnie.  I mean, one moment she's planning out their entire lives together, the next she's have an existential crisis and is ready to commit suicide simply because she realizes the man is the worst.  She didn't even talk to him, she just realized how awful he was, and, for whatever reason, it sent her spiraling.  Now, I remember having crushes on guys and either they didn't reciprocate or I realized they were the worst, and while I was upset, it didn't send me into a tailspin of self-destruction.  All of this felt extremely abrupt and completely unrealistic in so many ways.  I actually double checked the author's name to see if it was a man or woman who wrote the book, as it definitely felt more like a man who wrote it.

Despite my sentiments about the book, I did manage to come up with some discussion questions.  I hope if your book club uses Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, you'll find these questions useful.

1. Early on, Eleanor says her coworkers hate her.  What would give her that impression?
2. Do you feel the book being told from Eleanor's point of view enhanced the text?
3. Despite what Eleanor claims, do you think she craved more human interaction?
4. How much of Eleanor's behavior was a result of her being on the Autism spectrum and how much of it was a result of her childhood trauma?
5. Eleanor refers to herself as a little phoenix (page 74), is this an appropriate simile?
6. Right away, Eleanor seems extremely comfortable with Raymond's mom.  Did this stem from the fact that she was the exact opposite of Eleanor's mom?
7. Is solitudy as liberating as Eleanor claims on page 134?
8. Did Eleanor's autism protect her from internalizing the abuse from her mother?
9. Why did Eleanor change her mind about Johnnie so abruptly?
10. Why did Eleanor's mom continue to have so much control over her even after her death?
11. Why did Eleanor suddenly decide to get rid of things such as her frog and not lament the passing of her plant?
12. Eleanor admonishes herself for being quick to judge others on page 294.  How was she a victim of people being quick to judge her as well?
13. Given Eleanor's childhood, can you blame her for not wanting to have children?
14. Do you agree with Eleanor's decision to stop talking to her "mother"?
15. What causes Eleanor's coworkers to suddenly become nicer towards her?
16. Were you surprised to discover Eleanor's mother was really dead?
17. Eleanor tells Raymond what matters is that she survived (page 224).  Up until she met Raymond, however, did she truly live?
18. Why did Eleanor tell Raymond if she would go to the concert with him at the end of the book?
19. Raymond obviously had a positive impact on Eleanor, but in what ways did Eleanor have a positive impact on Raymond?
20. As the book progressed, how did Eleanor's tone and use of popular phrases/word choice change, along with using a more casual tone?
21. How did this book change your perspective on people on the Autism spectrum?

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My Thoughts on "The Gifted School" and Discussion Questions

Okay, time for a little bit of a humble brag.  Book club picked my book for book club!  It was a book that had been on my list for a while, and I finally bought it on Amazon.  Not only that, it was a book on my mom's list as well, so she was happy to hear I had bought it.  At book club, we were trying to figure out what to read next, and I brought this up in passing.  Once I told everyone what it was about, they were all in.

This book follows five families, four of whom have been close friends pretty much since the kids were born, then another family as well.  All five families are thrown into turmoil when it's announced that a new public school for the highly gifted will be opening in the area.  Of course, all five families immediately think that their children are perfect for this school and should attend.  There is, however, a rigorous admission process that all the children must endure, causing strife and tension amongst the friends and especially the children.  Additionally, this book focuses on the politics of opening such a school, especially for minority students in an nearly overwhelmingly white area (the book takes place in Colorado).  This book also explores the extents parents would go for their children, including backstabbing each other, manipulating each other and lying to their spouses.  This is very similar to what happened over the summer with parents lying on their children's applications to USC, although what the parents did in The Gifted School wasn't necessarily illegal.

It was hard for me to wrap my head around parts of this book because I'm not a parent myself, so it's hard for me to know exactly what I would do for my child.  On the other hand, I would like to think that I have enough of a moral compass to not lie or cheat to get my child into a prestigious school.  Additionally, I'd like to think I would know the limits of my child as well.  That was a big part of this book.  There was one child in particular who thought she was God's gift to mankind because her parents kept telling her that, but she actually wasn't very smart or good at school, thereby making pretty much her entire life a lie.  As a teacher, it's so important for me to understand the limits of a child.  If I know a student has worked as hard as possible and gotten a C in my class, then I'm going to be thrilled.  If another student, however, slacks off and gets a B but is capable of getting an A, then I'm not going to be as thrilled.  It's about knowing your child and that he or she does in fact have limits, whether you want to admit it or not.

Something that stood out to me throughout the book was the fact that as the parents' behavior got worse, so did the corresponding child.  This really exemplified the fact that the children really paid close attention to their parents' behavior and chose to mimic it.  This should serve as a huge reminder to parents that their children are constantly watching them and making note of their behavior, whether they realize it or not.

Unfortunately, this is pretty much all I can talk about when it comes to this book without divulging spoilers, so if you haven't read this book or want to avoid spoilers, you should probably stop reading now.  It is important to note that I will have book club discussion questions at the end of this post in case you use this book for your book club.

First of all, wow; these parents are the absolute WORST.  They've been friends for over a decade, yet they find absolutely nothing wrong with cutting each other down and mistreating each other's children to get what they want.  At first, I really liked Rose, and I thought she was going to be a great moral compass for the rest of her friends.  As the book progressed, however, I found myself liking her less and less.  While her actions weren't nearly as bad as Samantha and her husband's, it was the fact that Rose appeared to be a strong, positive figure while manipulating the system by meeting with the principal under the pretense of a fake medical study and removing Emma Z.'s name from the History Day presentation.  I just couldn't figure out how she thought she would get away with either of those, it was bound to come out into the open at some point (although she didn't think the presentation would be put on display during the open house).  It was because of Rose's actions that I was glad Emma Q. didn't get into Crystal Academy, as Rose tried to manipulate the system in multiple ways to give her daughter and upperhand.  If anything, this should be insulting to Emma Q., who was an incredibly intelligent child and probably could have gotten in on her own, but Rose ruined that for her.

Despite my feelings for Rose, I have a stronger dislike for Samantha simply because of her personality; I just can't imagine being friends with someone like her.  On the other hand, given her personality, none of her behavior should be a surprise for anyone.  When I was talking about knowing the limits of your child earlier, however, I was talking about her.  Samantha and her husband kept pushing Emma Z. more and more as if doing that could fix the fact that, unfortunately, their child was fairly average.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with being average, as most people are (most people are, as the word implies), but that's not good enough for Samantha, who must absolutely have the best of everything.

When it comes to the kids who did get accepted to the school, I'm so glad it was Tessa and Xander.  Of all the children from that circle of friends, they deserved it the most.  Their projects were entirely their own, and their mother didn't interfere at all; everything they produced was 100% their own, and they got in on their own merits, although Xander's project wasn't necessarily proper.  It's hard to hold Xander's project against him, however, since it's fairly obvious that he's on the spectrum, so he had no idea that he was breaking social norms and could be causing strife amongst the group.

Since I read this for book club, I wrote questions as I read.  I'm going to warn you, there are quite a few more than I usually have when I list discussion questions; there was simply so much here to work with.  You've been warned.

1. In what ways were the moms trying compete with each other?
2. Was Tessa's previous rebellious behavior a warning to parents for pushing their kids too hard?
3. In what ways was Emma Q.'s behavior an attempt to impress her mom?
4. Did Samantha's humble origins cause her lavish lifestyle later?
5. Given all the competition between the parents, was it healthy for the kids to be friends?
6. Ch'ayna told Atikcha about a man who went away for school and looked down on everyone when he returned.  How did the other moms and kids exemplify this?
7. As the admissions process continued, how did the kids, especially the Emmas, take on their parents' habits and attitudes?
8. Rose and Gareth worked hard to give Emma Q. a normal life.  Were they successful?
9. Rose referred to the admissions process as "a threat to the relationship between her family and Samantha's."  Not including the revelation at the end that Gareth is Emma Z.'s father, do you agree with this claim?
10. In what ways did Emma Q.'s success help her parents' marriage?
11. Gareth told Rose, "You'll be a lot less obsessed with what people think of you when you understand how infrequently they do."  Do the characters live up to this mantra?
12. The op-ed piece says gifted students "represent a population with special needs - much the same as our neurodiverse students with physical disabilities."  Do you agree?
13. Do you think Beck regrets divorcing Azra?
14. Was Rose acting in her own best interest or Emma Q.'s when she contacted Bitsy Leighton about studying the admissions process?
15. Do you agree with Ch'ayna that the school was using Atikcha?
16. Why did Azra have more faith in Tessa than Lauren?
17. Why was getting into Crystal Academy more important to the moms than the dads at first?
18. Rose says Emma Z. is "good in everything, best in none."  Is this a correct observation?
19. Why did Samantha and Kev lie about Emma Z. passing the CogPro?
20. How did the parents' behavior cause the children to form "The Gifted Club"?
21. What role did race and racism play in this book?
22. Crystal Academy was supposed to be a good thing, but was that necessarily true?
23. Why did Beck all of a sudden become so invested in Aiden being accepted?
24. Do you believe the admissions process was fair and equitable?
25. Do you think the members of ALPACA had a right to be upset?
26. What does the fact that Ch'ayna's name was spelled incorrectly in the other points of view tell you?
27. Was it right to blame Tessa for the hot tub incident with Beck?
28. Did Crystal Academy change the personalities of the parents, or were they always like this deep down inside?
29. What do you think drew Emma Z. to briefly experiment with self-harm (stabbing her finger with thumbtacks, etc)?
30. Rose speculates that Crystal Academy was just an excuse to do openly to their children what they'd been doing since before they were born.  Do you agree with this statement?
31. Did any of the acceptance or rejection letters surprise you
32. Where do you think each of the kids will end up in the future?

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My Thoughts on "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" and Discussion Questions

First of all, wow.  I really need to start going outside my comfort zone with books and read ones I thought I wouldn't like and kept passing over on Amazon and Goodreads.  I bought Taylor Jenkins Reid's other book, Daisy Jones and the Six and kept seeing this one, but I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it.  On a whim, however, I decided to buy it.  It was in my pile of books to read in 2020, but I picked it up looking for a book, and I read it in two days.  I absolutely couldn't put it down!  I'm so glad I bought it and have it in my life.  It's definitely a book worth reading.

This book focuses on the life of classic film actress, Evelyn Hugo.  As the title implies, Evelyn was married an astounding seven times.  All of her marriages were different and helped her further her career in some capacity.  Getting up there in age and having outlived all her husbands and lovers, the mysterious Evelyn Hugo has decided to divulge the secrets of her past.  Rather than pick a famous and well-renowned writer, however, she picks Monique, who is a virtually unknown journalist for a magazine.  Monique has absolutely no idea why Evelyn has selected her, but she sees this as the perfect opportunity to help her fledgling career.  Over a series of several weeks, Monique meets with Evelyn in her grand apartment and listens as the actress holds nothing back and discusses her colorful past, including a string of seven husbands, scandalous film choices, becoming a mother and a forbidden love that she clung to for her entire life.  The whole time, Evelyn is keeping a secret, a connection between her life and Monique's that the young journalist never saw coming and will change her life forever.

As I previously stated, this book was absolutely amazing.  Even though Evelyn Hugo is a fictional character, I thought she lived an amazing life.  What I found most fascinating was the amount of thought that went into every decision she made.  Each and every marriage, yes, all seven of them, had some sort of pay off for Evelyn, even her briefest marriage (which was only a few days).  It absolutely blew my mind.  This brief marriage made me think of Britney Spears when she married a childhood friend in Vegas in 2004.  At the time, it was seen as poor decision making on the part of a former child star, but now I'm having some second thoughts.  Spears' marriage could have been a way to manipulate the public in some capacity.  This book has completely changed my perception on celebrities.

What else I loved about this book was Evelyn's character.  From early on, she took complete control of her life and career.  She knew exactly what she wanted and didn't care what other people thought about her choices.  This was a huge part of her personality, as she emphasized that while she didn't always make the best decisions, she had absolutely no regrets in her life, which says a lot about her since her decisions weren't always the best.  If she had been a real person, I would have seen Evelyn as incredibly inspirational.

I do have to say, as I read the book, I kept thinking that this would make an absolutely amazing movie.  It has everything movies are looking for: colorful characters, twists and turns, conflict and fantastical locations.  I do think Hollywood would struggle with making this into a movie, however, because it does pull back the curtain on some of its secrets.  Even so, it would make an amazing movie.  One can hope that, eventually, Hollywood will agree with me and make it into a movie.  If you've read this book and can give me some ideas as to who you'd like cast, leave a comment and let me know!  Also, if there's a book you've read that you'd love to see made into a movie, leave a comment with that as well.

Okay, now I want to talk about some events towards the end of the book.  There were some twists and turns the last few pages that I think I'm done processing through, and I'd love to share my thoughts on them.  So, if you haven't read the book, this is probably where you should stop reading.  I also have some book club discussions questions as well.

First of all, wow.  I knew there was some sort of connection between Evelyn and Monique before Monique began alluding to it, but I definitely didn't see that coming!  I definitely felt blindsided when Evelyn revealed that Monique's father had been gay and killed in the car accident that also killed Harry.  As soon as I read that, I put the book down and took a few minutes to process through the information and shock.  For the life of me, I couldn't figure out the connection between Monique and Evelyn, but I knew it had to do with her father since he was involved in Hollywood.  The fact that he was gay and Harry's lover absolutely took me by surprise.  I completely get why Monique got upset about the news, for a variety of reasons.  First of all, she learned that her father was cheating on her mother, and with a man, causing her to doubt his sexuality in the first place.  Additionally, she always thought her dad died after getting behind the wheel of a car drunk, which was something she though he'd never do.  To make matters worse, he was blamed to protect the reputation of a far more famous man from Hollywood.  It's a lot for anyone to take in, and I don't blame Monique at all for getting upset.  What surprised me the most, however, was the fact that, somehow, Monique was able to move past all that fairly quickly and return to Evelyn's apartment fairly quickly for the magazine photo shoot.

The other huge surprise was Evelyn's decision to end her own life.  After reading the book, however, and getting a sense of Evelyn's personality, it doesn't surprise me at all.  She's the type of person who likes to be in control of everything.  Additionally, she's known for her looks and appearances, so for her to waste away from cancer would be incredibly difficult for her.  This was Evelyn's way of taking control of her life one last time and saving herself from the suffering she had to watch her daughter endure as she died from cancer earlier.  It was definitely a sucker punch though, and it was even more emotional turmoil for Monique who was still getting over the news about her father.

Even though I didn't read this book for book club, I decided to come up with some book club questions.  Usually when I write book club questions, I write them as I read.  Since I decided to write these questions after the fact, however, they might not be as specific.  I hope you still find them useful.

1. How was Evelyn's decision to end her life her taking control of her life?
2. In what ways did this book change your perceptions of Hollywood?
3. If this was made into a movie, who would you cast?
4. Why was Celia a more award winning actress than Evelyn?
5. Do you think Evelyn selecting Monique really had nothing to do with her father's death?
6. In what way did Evelyn deny herself to become successful?
7. Of all of Evelyn's marriages, which one was the most "real"?
8. How did Monique's life mirror Evelyn's?
9. In what ways was Evelyn a woman ahead of her time?
10. Do you agree with Celia's decisions to leave Evelyn both times?
11. In what ways was Harry Evelyn's most stable marriage?
12. Although Evelyn appeared to be in control, to what extent was she actually in control of her life?
13. Where would Evelyn had ended up if she hadn't gone to Hollywood?
14. Would Evelyn's life and career choices been as scandalous if she'd been a young actress today?
15. How did Evelyn's roles reflect her desires for her life?
16. Do you think Monique will ever tell her mom the truth behind her dad's death?

If you've read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below.  If you haven't read it, I hope you pick it up and check it out soon!

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My Thoughts on "The Woman in the White Kimono" and Discussion Questions

It's nearing the beginning of the next month, which means my next book club is getting ready to get started.  I have to say, I was really excited to read this book, the premise sounded absolutely fascinating.  Unfortunately, it was disappointing.  I really have to stop getting hyped up about books, because they tend to be fairly disappointing.  This wasn't a complete disappointment like Princess Diarist or The Dead Zone, but I definitely had a lot more expectations for it.

Like most of the historical fiction books that have come out recently, this is a dual timeline book where both stories eventually weave together to one conclusion.

The first timeline takes place in 1957.  Naoko's family owns a successful business.  She falls in love with an American soldier, although they want her to marry a Japanese businessman whose family is in business with her family.  Naoko falls for Hajime and does her best to introduce him to her family, but her family immediately shuns her.  To make matters worse, Naoko soon finds herself pregnant with Hajime's child.  Now, she's forced to make difficult decisions that puts her at odds with her traditional family.

In the other timeline, Tori attempts to take care of her father as he dies from cancer.  During this time, he finally confesses to a somewhat sordid past before he met her mother.  This sets Tori on a whirlwind adventure as she attempts to figure out who her father really was and what secrets his past held while simultaneously dealing with the stresses of her father's failing health.

Okay, what did I dislike about the book?  Honestly, I have no idea.  I've tried to figure it out, and I really can't put my finger on it.  I read the book in a day, so it wasn't a difficult book to read.  I feel like the first half of the book dragged.  While the second half of the book picked up, it did seem very rushed at times, like Ana Johns was ready to get the book over with for some reason.  It didn't seem very balanced at all.  I also felt that the characters were somewhat unbelievable and somewhat annoying.  I had trouble connecting or empathizing with any of them.  Don't even get me started on Tori's timeline.  It seemed strange, especially given the fact that she had almost zero interactions with other people; no friends, no family members, etc.  For a woman in mourning, it seemed completely unrealistic.  The book had so much potential, but it didn't live up to it.  It is worth noting that this is Ana Johns' first book, so there is hope that as she grows as a writer, her books will improve in quality.

Honestly, I feel like I don't have a lot to say a lot about this book because I didn't really enjoy it that much.  I do have to say, I was heartbroken that Naoko killed her baby and chose her family over her child.  It seemed like a huge slap to the face.  Now, I'm not a mother, but from what I understand about children, maternal instinct is one of the strongest feelings ever.  On the other hand, she knew that her child was sickly and would have had a prolonged, terrible death.  Still, Hatsu did the same thing to her baby, who could have been far healthier.  Of course, I can't really empathize with their less than ideal situations and the pressures they were under, both from society and their extremely traditional cultures.  Still, I feel like once the baby's born, they had more options.  Besides, they left the Bamboo House so their babies could live, or so I thought.

Since I read this book for book club, I created a list of questions to discuss.  I've found the easiest way to do this is to keep a piece of paper in the book and write questions as I read instead of trying to think back and write all the questions after the fact.  Since these questions cover the entire book, they will contain spoilers.

1. What role does tradition play in the book?
2. How was how Naoko's family treated Hajime a result of World War II?
3. Was Taro or Naoko under more pressure to uphold the family?
4. Kiko calls Naoko a fool for loving Hajime and wanting to keep the baby.  Do you agree?
5. How was Naoko's relationship with Hajime an example of her taking control of her life?
6. Why is Naoko staying on good terms with her family so important to Hajime?
7. Why wouldn't Hajime's commander sign the marriage paperwork?
8. Was Naoko really to blame for her mother's death?
9. What was the purpose of Satoshi being Naoko's chaperone to the Bamboo House?
10. Why is Satoshi so understanding of Naoko?
11. Had you been in Tori's shoes, would you have immediately up and left for Japan?
12. Were you surprised Naoko's grandmother sent her to the Bamboo House?
13. Was Naoko's observation that she, Hatsu and Jin were like the three monkeys an accurate observation?
14. What's the symbolism behind naming Jin's baby "Minori" (Truth)?
15. Why couldn't Tori admit her scarf once belonged to Naoko?
16. While giving birth, Naoko says to herself, "I'm done being quiet."  How does she exemplify this?
17. How did prejudice and racism contribute to the story?
18. Had Naoko replied to James' letters, do you think it would have worked out for them?
19. Was Tori's journey to Japan a result of guilt for having a father her sister never had herself?
20. Were you surprised to find out Naoko married Satoshi?
21. What was your reaction to Naoko's decision about her baby?
22. Was it a coincidence that Tori and her sister shared a name or did her dad know something more to the story?

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My Thoughts on "The Immortalists" and Book Discussion Questions

I'm going to be honest, I finished this book last week, but it's been so crazy that I haven't been able to blog about it.  I've also been kicking myself for not blogging about this book sooner because it's definitely one of my top five that I've read this year.

My mom read this book over the summer for her book club before I joined, and, at first, the premise creeped me out, and I wanted nothing to do with it.  I just couldn't understand why anyone would want to know the day they're going to die.  On an impulse, however, I decided to buy the book and give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did!  The book focuses on four siblings.  As children, they went to see a fortune teller who claimed she could accurately predict the exact date a person dies.  Each sibling visits the fortune teller and gets the date he or she will die before they head back home with this information hanging over their head.  The book then jumps ahead to when the siblings are in their late teens and early twenties when their own father dies.  They now start to question their own mortality and worry if the fortune teller was correct in her predictions.  The youngest two, Simon and Klara, set off for San Francisco to find their own way.  Simon struggled with is own sexuality, while Klara wanted to become a famous magician.  At this point, the siblings start to realize the fortune teller might have been correct in her predictions.

Overall, I thought this was an absolutely amazing book.  It forces the reader to ask questions they don't typically like to think about.  When I told Bryan about the book, I thought I'd ask him if he would want to know the day he was going to die.  Without missing a beat, he immediately said that he wouldn't want to know, and I agree with him.  At the same time, I could see why some people would want to know, especially if it turns out they're going to die fairly young.

I know I normally talk more about a book before jumping into the spoilers part, but this book is pretty much impossible to talk about without divulging spoilers, so I'm going to stop right now and add my requisite spoiler alert.  If you haven't read this book or want to avoid spoilers, you should probably stop reading now.  Also, if you haven't read this book, go get it from your nearest library, bookstore or Amazon and read it immediately!

First of all, even though the three deaths we saw in the book all corresponded to the date given to them by the fortune teller, I have some doubts as to the accuracy of the fortune teller in general.  In my opinion, Simon's death was the only one that had absolutely nothing to do with the fortune teller.  I also felt that his death was completely predictable.  All I had to do was read the little summary on the back of the book to know that Simon died from AIDS (a man in San Francisco in the 1980s is fairly obvious unfortunately).  I mean, the fact that the fortune teller was able to get Simon's death correct was impressive, but I can still find some flaws in it.

I firmly believe the three deaths in the book are all related to self-fulfilling prophecy.  Simon was already sick, but since he had it in his head that he was supposed to die on a specific day, he just gave up and accepted that as his fate.  A large part of fighting off any type of devastating illness is believing you can get better.  I'm not saying that that's all you need to beat any sort of disease, but it definitely helps.  Since Simon had it in his mind that he was destined to die on a certain day, he started giving up as that day neared.  Simon was going to die regardless, but I think the fact he died on that day has to do with the fact that he was told he would die on that day.

While Simon's death being a part of self fulfilling prophecy might be a bit of a stretch, Klara's death was undoubtedly connected to her visit with the fortune teller.  I really saw Klara's suicide as her taking a hold of her own death and fate, not allowing her death to be some sort of terrible, catastrophic accident while performing on stage.  She believed she was destined to die, so she did it herself and went out on her own terms.

Just like Klara, Daniel's death was directly connected to his visit with the fortune teller.  For the life of her, my mom couldn't understand why Daniel chose that day of all days to go hunt down the fortune teller and confront her.  While I can see where my mom is coming from, just like Klara, Daniel figured that that was his day to die, so he had nothing to lose; if he was going to die, he was going to go down in a blaze of glory and bring down the woman who destroyed his family as well.  I firmly believe if Daniel didn't have it in his head that that was the day he was supposed to die, then he wouldn't have died that day.  Once again, it was an example of self fulfilling prophecy.

Even though I didn't read this book for book club, I decided to write up some discussion questions.  This book is perfect for a book club.  There's a lot of unpack, along with an overarching existential question that will undoubtedly leave your book club divided.  Please feel free to use my questions to guide your discussion of this wonderful book.

1. Why did the kids tell their parents?
2. How did Saul's death contribute to Simon's rebelliousness?
3. Why do you think Simon was with Robert for so long if they were so un-compatible?
4. Do you think Raj was living vicariously through Klara?
5. Why did Klara name her daughter after her friend who told her about the fortune teller?
6. Why did Klara commit suicide?
7. How did the fact that the fortune teller came from a family of con artists change your perception of Simon and Klara's deaths?
8. Were the deaths of each sibling a result of the placebo effect like Daniel thought?
9. Although Varya lived the longest out of the four siblings, did she truly live?
10. Why didn't Varya go through with the abortion?
11. Why did Varya finally tell Gertie about the fortune teller?
12. Did the information from the fortune teller drive the siblings more apart?
13. Did the fortune teller's predictions make each person act out of character leading up to his or her death?
14. In what way did the trip to the fortune teller change the lives of each of the Gold children?
15. In what way did Frida undo the damage done by the fortune teller?
16. If they hadn't died, where do you think Simon, Klara and Daniel would have been at the end of the book?
17. Why was the last paragraph told from Ruby's point of view?

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My Thoughts on "The Alice Network" and Book Discussion Questions

You know that feeling when you've been a fan of something for years, and everyone else is just now starting to catch on, and it gives you a grand sense of superiority, like you've been in on a secret for ages?  That's how I feel about Kate Quinn.  I discovered her books randomly years ago (around 2010/2011-ish) when she just had a few books out for her Empress of Rome series.  The books were complex, insightful and captured stories of epic proportions in just a few hundred pages (while books like Les Miserables require over 1,400 pages for equally epic stories).  In 2013, I dragged my best friend to a book signing in Baltimore where Kate publicized her new book, the first of two about the infamous Borgia clan.  Let me tell you, Kate was absolutely delightful!  The signing was in an incredibly small bookstore called The Ivy with maybe two dozen chairs set up.  She sat amongst us, answered questions and even did a reading from her book (for those of you who are wondering, it was The Serpent and the Pearl).  When she signed books, she had a conversation with each person and wrote them a personalized little message in their book based on their conversation (mine was how to pronounce the name of a character from Mistress of Rome, while my best friend's was something about bears, I don't remember what).  I kept up with Kate's books, although after her two books about the Borgia clan (which I'll admit that I own but haven't read yet...please don't hate me!), things seemed to slow down for her for a year or two.  That wait was well worth it though, because Kate jumped from from ancient and Renaissance history to tackling more modern history while still creating amazing characters and sweeping sagas that draw in readers.

My signed copy of Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn.

My mom has known about my love for Kate Quinn's books for years, and used this to her advantage to get me to join her neighborhood book club (remember, I'm already in her other book club, which she got me to join because they read one of her favorite books).  When the neighborhood book club chose The Alice Network for their next book, she knew it would be incredibly difficult for me to refuse to go.  Unfortunately, she was right, isn't that the worst?  I'd been wanting to read The Alice Network for a while, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet, but now I was out of excuses.  With enthusiasm, I jumped right into the compelling and powerful tale of redemption and women fighting for what's right.

The Alice Network is a dual timeline story, but it's different from other dual timeline books.  Instead, some of the same characters appear in both timeline, particularly Eve Gardiner.  In one timeline, Eve is a British woman during World War I.  In her attempt to help fight against the Germans, she agrees to join the Alice Network, a collection of spies scattered across Western Europe gathering information about the Germans to pass along to British intelligence.  It follows her powerful and frightening journey as she tries to hide in plan site as a waitress at a local cafe in German-occupied France where German soldier frequent.  The second timeline takes place shortly after World War II.  Charlie St. Clair is an American girl traveling through Europe to Switzerland to take care of her "Little Problem".  Charlie, however, has ulterior motives, as she is in Europe to find out what happened to her beloved cousin, Rose, during the turmoil that was World War II.  The only clue she has is Eve's name, which is how the two timeline merge into one eventually.  Eve is forced to face the demons of her past as a spy while simultaneously trying to help Charlie find her cousin and reconcile with the damage done to Europe during World War II.

As always, it's difficult to talk about books I've read without spoilers.  If you haven't read the book or want to avoid spoilers in case you do end up reading the book in the future, this is where I leave you.  If you want to know my thoughts about what happened or want to see the discussion questions I created for book club, please feel free to keep reading.

First of all, wow!  I had a feeling that Rose was dead, but part of me was still absolutely shocked to find out how she died.  It was absolutely brutal.  I've studied Nazi Germany extensively for quite some time, but it was still difficult to read about how the entire town was slaughtered to send a message.  Part of me wanted Rose to be alive so she and Charlie could go on to have a happy ending.  In a way, however, Charlie did get her happy ending with Finn, but it wasn't the ending I had planned for her.  On the other hand, I am thrilled that Eve was able to reconcile with her past.  She had incredible guilt gnawing away at her over the false belief that she betrayed her beloved Alice, resulting in their incarceration and Alice's subsequent death.

Now, about Alice's death.  I knew she was going to die, there was no way she could survive the war.  On the other hand, I thought that it was absolutely awful for her to die the way she did.  It was a completely preventable death.  I really did think she was going to die by a firing squad.  I was also caught off guard by how Eve broke her fingers.  I definitely didn't imagine Rene doing the deed, I never pictured him as one to get his hands dirty, I always imagined that the Germans did it to her.  Either way, I found that chapter absolutely brutal and incredibly difficult to read.  Part of me wanted to skip it, but I powered through and finished it.  The entire time, I was uncomfortable and only wanted to get it over with, much like Eve probably did.

While doing a little bit of research for this blog post, I came across something that completely threw my perceptions of the book into a tailspin: Alice Dubois was a real person!  I know, I'm just as surprised as you are.

Photograph of Alice Dubois courtesy of the Western Front Society

I'm still reeling from the fact that Alice was in fact a real person.  Part of me wishes I had known that before I started reading, as I would have approached Alice's character completely differently and appreciated her far more (not to say I didn't appreciate her in the first place).  It also makes sense as to why Alice died the way she did; fact is often stranger than fiction when it comes to history.  I did reach out to Kate Quinn on Twitter and asked her if Alice had been a character she created entirely on her own, would she have changed what happened to her at the end.  As of right now, she hasn't responded, but I will tell you that she is incredibly active on both Twitter and Goodreads, so hopefully I'll hear back from her soon.  As soon as I do, I'll be sure to update this post with her answer.

Update: Kate Quinn did get back to me about what she would change about Alice's character and what happened to her if she hadn't been a real person.  She said she probably would have changed her fate a little.  You can see our brief Twitter exchange below.

My Twitter conversation with Kate Quinn about Alice Dubois' fate in the end of The Alice Network.

Since this is a book I read for book club, I do have a series of questions I created.  This book is a part of Reese Witherspoon's book club, so you might already have questions printed in the back.  These are questions I came up with on my own (as always).  I try to avoid the discussion questions in the back of the book, especially while I'm reading the book, since it might reveal some spoilers.  Please feel free to use these questions for your book club or just to reflect on the book after you've finished reading it.

1. Would Eve and Charlie's strong personalities stand out so much in the 21st century?
2. Do you think Eve succeeded so much as a spy because she had the skills or because, as a woman, she had more to prove and therefore worked harder?
3. Do you think Eve's stutter contributed to her desire for perfection as a spy?
4. Why do you think Charlie didn't tell Eve she was pregnant?
5. When Eve says, "It's the wicked who go on merrily" living, was she talking about herself or Rene?
6. How did Charlie's pregnancy contribute to the story?
7. Why do you think Eve had such a sudden change of heart about helping Charlie after Charlie's mother showed up?
8. Do you think Charlie would have made a good spy?
9. Charlie's mom told her, "Get B's at Bennington until you can hook a nice young lawyer."  What does that tell you about Charlie and her mother's different priorities?
10. In what ways was this a story of redemption?
11. Do you think Alice's death was an accident or intentional?
12. How did Eve contribute to Rene becoming more ruthless from World War I to World War II?
13. Was Rene really a collaborator or was he a capitalist trying to survive the war?
14. How does the fact that Alice Dubois was a real person change your perception of the story?

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My Thoughts on "Educated" and Discussion Questions

I can't go to book club this month.  I know, that's disappointing, but it's not the end of the world.  I'm doing something just as exciting (if not more exciting) that day with Bryan, and my mom talked me into joining her second book club (more on that later).  Despite the fact that I can't go book club, I still decided to read the book since it was one I'd heard wonderful things about.  This month, book club read Educated by Tara Westover.

Educated is a memoir following Tara's extremely unconventional childhood and journey to Brigham Young University, Cambridge and eventually Harvard.  While this would be impressive for anyone, it's especially impressive given Tara's upbringing.  Her father, Gene, had extreme views about the world, particularly the government.  In an attempt to protect his family from the dangers he perceived from the government, he never got his children birth certificates and never allowed them to go to school.  This never stopped Tara's thirst for knowledge.  After one of her older brothers went to BYU, Tara realized this was something she could accomplish as well.  This was an incredibly challenging task for Tara, as she never went to school or had any sort of formal education (she had to teach herself math in order to pass the ACT). 

Once in college, however, things didn't get much easier, as Tara realized her education was far from complete.  Growing up, Tara learned from her father that African American slaves had a far easier life than their masters, as their masters worried about how they were going to feed and take care of all their slaves.  At BYU, Tara learned that that was the furthest thing from the truth, especially when she saw the famous picture of the scars on the back of a slave from being whipped his entire life.  This was a huge shock to Tara.  She always knew her father was unconventional, but this was a huge slap to the face.

One thing I couldn't quite figure out was Tara's father's true beliefs.  Sometimes he seemed very much set against the government, school and modern medicine, not to mention he wanted to keep his kids away from outside influences and anything that went against their Mormon religion.  On the other hand, there were instances where he seemed somewhat fine with Tara and her older brother going to college (although he was very set against it at the beginning), and he was even fine with Tara performing with local theatre groups.  This seems so counter intuitive, especially given his extreme beliefs.  Part of me wondered if he thought Tara was simply going through a phase when it came to her education, and, towards the end, when he realized that this wasn't the case, he finally snapped and cut her out of his life (although Tara seemed relieved about this as well). 

Another character I couldn't quite figure out was Tara's mother.  She definitely didn't seem to fully embrace her husband's extreme ideologies at first.  She always believed in things such as essential oils to help cure sicknesses, but then it got worse as she started using muscle testing and chakras to cure illnesses as well.  At the same time, Tara's mom seemed to encourage her to leave and get some sort of education, despite her husband's beliefs.  Towards the end of the book, however, Tara's mom became more extreme in her beliefs, especially as her essential oils business grew and expanded.  I really couldn't figure out what she really believed and what she went along with simply to keep the peace.  Towards the end, however, Tara's mom seemed in denial, especially when it came to Tara's brother, Shawn.  She even tried to convince Tara that her memories were faulty, thereby demonstrating that the devil was at work trying to take her daughter away from her.

Tara's brother, Shawn, was another character.  Honestly, it's a miracle Tara didn't end up seriously injured, or even worse.  He was always a bit unstable, but after a series of accidents, brain damage caused him to be even worse, to the point that he threatened both Tara and her sister, Audrey, in separate instances.  What upset me the most about this was the fact Tara's parents were in complete denial and constantly made excuses for him.  Yes, he is their son (I'm not a parent, so I can't sympathize with them in that capacity), but they had to realize that the behavior Shawn exhibited was completely wrong, especially given the fact that they had other sons who weren't anything like him.  I still can't figure out why they made so many excuses for him, why he was chosen as the golden child of sorts, always willing to look past his extreme faults and problems.

I think one thing that stood out to me about this book was Westover's claim that they lived off the grid.  In some ways, I definitely agree, especially when it came to their interactions with the government.  Tara didn't even know when her birthday was, so she picked one for herself around the time family members told her she was born, all because she was born at home and wasn't issued a birth certificate until she left for Cambridge.  In other ways, I don't think the Westovers lived off the grid.  They still interacted with the outside world on a very regular basis, even going so far as to have a booming essential oils and homeopathic remedies business.  Ultimately, Tara's father wanted them to be completely off the grid, but they never got there, as they got distracted by capitalism and their growing business.  I find that extremely ironic, especially given the fact that it was something her father seemed to hate.  It makes me wonder if he didn't like the government and everything simply because he couldn't do what he wanted, but the growing essential oils business gave him the ability to move past his former limitations.

Something else that stood out to me was the role of professors in Tara's life.  While it's not completely out of the ordinary to sometimes have a close relationship with professors, it is rare.  Typically in college, you go to class, you listen to the professor talk for an hour, then you leave.  There were some professors I had a closer relationship with in college, but I was fortunate enough to go to a smaller college (about a fourth the size of BYU).  As a teacher, this really stood out to me and reminded me of the importance of my job.  All it takes is one teacher who believes in a student for them to be put on the path for success.  On my most difficult days, this is what I need to remember.  Tara kept her hardships at home a secret from her professors, and that's something else teachers need to remember; we never know exactly what's going on a student's life or what kind of support he or she needs to be successful.

Despite the fact I can't go to book club, I still came up with some questions that my mom could bring along.  Unlike last time, I wrote the questions as I read the book, that way I could come up with some more specific questions.  This also helped me create a much longer list of questions than last time.  Hopefully you'll be able to use them as well.

1. What effect did Ruby Ridge have on Tara's dad?
2. Do you agree with Tara's speculation that her dad may be bipolar, or was he just eccentric?
3. Tara's dad didn't say anything when she was accepted to BYU.  Do you think it was because he resigned to fate or because he didn't fully believe she would actually go?
4. In what way did the Bishop and several of Tara's professors step in to be the father figure Tara's dad wasn't?
5. Had Shawn not been injured, do you think he would have gone along with his dad's beliefs in the way he did towards the end of the book?
6. Had Tara been a boy or treated a little better, do you think she would have fallen in line with her dad's beliefs or not gone off to college?
7. What did Emily mean when she said Shawn was a spiritual man?
8. Tara's dad saw surviving the explosion as a way "to show people there's another way besides the Medical Establishment."  Given his quality of life, is this true?
9. Do you think the fact he survived his accident helped Tara's dad and her family solidify their beliefs?
10. How did Tara's dinner with her parents at the Indian restaurant near her apartment at BYU represent a shift in their relationship?
11. Do you think Tara didn't want to tell people she never went to school after she won the Gates scholarship because it would lend credence to her parents' parenting style?
12. Tara's dad claims essential oils businesses offered to buy them out.  Do you think this was true or one of his delusions?
13. Tara describes herself as a "woman emancipated from pretense".  Do you agree with this observation?
14. In what ways was Tara's mom complicit with the abuse Tara endured?
15. Who was more abusive, Tara's dad or Shawn?
16. Why were Tara's parents in such denial about Shawn, especially towards the end?
17. Is Tara's academics an example of nature versus nurture?

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My Thoughts On "Everything I Never Told You" and Discussion Questions

Over a year ago, my mom joined a book club, and I was intrigued and interested in joining her, but the members weren't close to my age, and life got in the way.  A few months ago, my mom joined a SECOND book club (because apparently one wasn't enough for her).  Last month, her second book club read one of her favorite books (Before We Were Yours), and she really pushed for me to read the book and come with her (it helped that it was being hosted at one of my favorite restaurants).  Well, the book seemed interesting enough, and I wanted to get my mom off my back, so I gave in.  I honestly had a blast!  This book club had a wide range of people from my age to my mom's, they actually talked about the book, and the book choices were excellent.  Needless to say, now I'm part of a book club.

I've been part of book clubs in the past.  In middle school I went to one at the local library with a friend.  After college, my best friend tried to start one up, but it mostly was an excuse for us to get together once a month and hang out.  A little while before I met my boyfriend I tried one at the local library again but wasn't a fan (most of the people were significantly older than me, and I was looking for people my age).  So, after all these experiences, I'm glad to have found a book club I actually enjoy.

I guess at this point you may have figured out that this month's book for book club was Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, which is why I started out this post talking about my past experiences with book clubs and my general thoughts on them.  Now that that's out of the way, I can actually talk about the book.  I do want to warn you that this book is difficult to talk about without giving away spoilers (although what book is?).  So, if you haven't read the book and want to avoid spoilers, you won't want to read the entire post below.  I'll post a warning before I get into the spoilers (trust me, it'll be hard to miss).

Everything I Never Told You focuses on the Lee family, a bi-racial Chinese family living in Ohio in the 1970s.  While the main focus of the book is the death of their oldest daughter, Lydia, the book also uses flashbacks to give the reader insight into the family and how things were not as they appeared, while in the present, the family attempts to grapple with the death of Lydia and try to figure out what exactly happened to her in the first place.

First things first, it's important to note that this family is absolutely miserable.  The dad, who is the son of Chinese immigrants, is entirely focused on his children fitting in and being just like everyone else.  This means getting them the latest fads when it comes to clothes, buying books for them about how to make friends and focusing entirely on their social lives.  The mother, on the other hand, is American.  She was the top of her class and poised to go to medical school when she got pregnant and had to put all her dreams on hold.  Due to this, she decided to live vicariously through her children, or, more correctly, her oldest daughter, Lydia.  This meant that their oldest child, Nathan, was often looked over and forgotten.  This was something I found interesting, as most of the time the families focus on the oldest son, not the daughter.  This most likely stemmed from the mother's obsession with being a female doctor, and her desire to see the same for her son.  Not to mention, getting pregnant with her son was the reason she couldn't go to medical school in the first place.

As if this family weren't dysfunctional enough as is, they also had a younger daughter, Hannah.  Like her brother, Nathan, Hannah was completely unplanned and put a kibosh on her mother's plans to return to medical school.  As a result, Hannah is completely and utterly forgotten by everyone in the family, which only adds to the dysfunction.

Now, if you've made it this far and want to avoid spoilers, this is where you want to stop reading.  Even the discussion questions I post may have some spoilers, so read those at your own risk.

I'm a little strange, sometimes I can see a plot twist coming a mile away, sometimes I see it right before it happens, and sometimes I'm completely blindsided.  In the case of this book, I definitely saw it coming.  I figured that Lydia committed suicide (although it's up to interpretation if it was in fact suicide or an accident) simply because of the focus of the book.  Everything I Never Told You is more focused on the family aspect, with the police investigating her case only making brief cameos every once in a while.  This alone was a dead giveaway.  Ng focused more on the family and the events leading up to Lydia's death, telling the reader that whatever caused Lydia's death had to be somehow related to all of that instead of and outside person coming in and doing harm to Lydia.  The way Ng writes it, however, it makes it look more like it was an accident, although Lydia rowed a boat to the middle of the lake and got in the water in the middle of the night even though she knew she couldn't swim at all.  This causes the reader to wonder if she really meant to make it back to shore, or was it suicide?  I guess we'll never know.

Like I said before, I read this book for a book club.  While I did look at some discussion questions posted online, I also came up with a few of my own that I wanted to pass along in case this is a book you us for you own book club.  Please feel free to use or modify them to meet your needs!

1. Do you think Lydia really intended to make it to the dock or was it suicide?
2. Do you think Lydia's death was actually better for the family by bringing them closer together?
3. Had Lydia reached the dock, would she have actually carried out her plans to reclaim her life?
4. Why was Lydia chosen as the golden child instead of Nath?
5. What was Hannah's role in the novel?
6. How did James and Marilyn's childhoods affect their children?
7. Could better communication have saved Lydia?

Enjoy the book and let me know what you think in a comment!

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