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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for The Outcasts by Kathleen Kent.
1.) Most of The Outcasts revolves around the separate journeys that Lucinda and Nate take before their paths cross. Discuss the motivations that initially drive the two protagonists towards their goals?
2.) Lucinda's moral spectrum has many shades of grey. Dr. Tom sums her up with a question: "What makes you think a woman with any decency left would cleave to an evil man like McGill?" Is his assessment of Lucinda fair? Did you find yourself sympathizing with Lucinda or judging her? To what extent should we forgive her capacity for cold self-interest and even brutality?
3.) To what extent does Lucinda fit the mold of the classic 19th century female protagonist, and in what ways does she break it?
4.) Nate's first encounter with Dr. Tom and Deerling is marked by distrust and disapproval of their questionable methods, but his relationship with both men evolves as they work together. What does Nate learn from these more seasoned rangers, and from being on the job? How would you describe the portrayal of male friendship in this novel?
5.) Why do you think this novel is called The Outcasts? Which characters does this phrase describe, and why? What would it take for The Outcasts to be "included," and what would they lose in the process?
6.) How does this book compare with other Westerns that you have read (or seen)? What themes does this novel share with them, and which does it reject or reimagine?
- What read-alikes might you suggest for someone wishing another Western similar to The Outcasts?
7.) To which of your customers, family, friends, or co-workers might you suggest The Outcasts? Why do you think they would enjoy it?
8.) Many readers learn about new titles using social media ... how would you promote the book on Twitter or Hootsuite, using less than 140 characters?
9.) Are any of the characters in The Outcasts "good people," in your estimation? What qualifies as goodness in the universe of this novel? Which character (if any) do you consider the story's moral center, and why?
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The Online book discussion for The Outcasts by Kathleen Kent will begin Wednesday, January 21 and run through Tuesday, January 27.The first question will be posted Wednesday evening and discussion can then commence and continue by using the COMMENTS: box so all participants will be able to see what is being discussed.
The Home tab will be open to comments as soon as the first question is posted.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
1.) How did news reporting in the 1800's differ from the the way the news is reported today? If a newspaper were written in such a manner today, do you think people would subscribe to such a paper? Explain why or why not?
2.) What did you learn from In the Kingdom of Ice? How familiar were you with any of the events, personalities, theories, or science which lead to De Long's arctic exploration expedition in 1879?
3.) What did you think of the author's writing style? Was the use of source documents helpful or a hindrance in following and understanding the narrative? Please explain your point of view.
4.) According to the newspapers in 1879, if successful, the Jeannette Expedition would "be one of the most brilliant geographical adventures ever won by man." Another paper stated "man is on the verge of a discovery before which the discovery of America by Columbus would pale." (Page 128) Are there any recent or current endeavors which have been proclaimed in similar terms? If Yes, name one. If No, why not?
5.) Taking into account the fate of De Long's expedition, would you consider it a success? Was is 'doomed' from the start?
6.) To which of your customers, family, friends, or co-workers might you suggest In the Kingdom of Ice? Why do you think they would enjoy it?
7.) Using no more than 4 sentences, how would you give a book talk for In the Kingdom of Ice? Try using the PRES technique under RA Resources.
8.) What about using social media ... how would you describe the book on Twitter or Hootsuite, using less than 140 characters?
9.) What read-alike titles might you suggest for someone wishing to read another book like In the Kingdom of Ice?
- Would you only suggest other Nonfiction titles or could you expand into fiction? If so, what title(s) would you suggest?
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The Online book discussion for In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides begins Wednesday, November 28 and will run through Tuesday, December 2. The first question will be posted Wednesday evening and discussion can then commence and continue by using the COMMENTS: box so all participants will be able to see what is being discussed.
The Home tab will be open to comments as soon as the first question is posted.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach
1.) With a female main character who is in a typically male role (mercenary), does it change the way readers view her aggressive/masculine actions and speech?
2.) Can a romance be successfully mixed into space opera without alienating science fiction readers?
- How would you suggest this title to romance readers?
3.) Is Devi a believable main character? Do her actions match her motivations to become tops in her field?
4.) The Glorious Fool's crew is mixed with several alien characters. Are they relatable? Do they add to the story or are they just for color?
5.) Is there too much action and not enough explanation/world building?
- Does is really require so much shooting and blasting to make a good story?
6.) Will this appear to female readers? Devi is female, but acts typically male. Will this turn off male readers?
- How will you entice various readers to try this series?
7.) What read-alike titles might you suggest for someone wishing to read something similar to Fortune's Pawn?
- If you were to suggest similar titles from another genre, which genre would it be and why?
8.) To which of your customers, family, friends, or co-workers might you suggest Fortune's Pawn? Why do you think they might enjoy it?
[Many thanks to Jessica Moyer, Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for generously supplying discussion questions!]
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The Online book discussion for Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach will begin Thursday, August 21 and run through Wednesday morning, August 27.
The first question will be posted Thursday morning and the discussion should commence and continue by using the COMMENTS: box on the Home page. This way all participants will be able to see what is being discussed.
The Home tab will be open to comments as soon as the first question is posted.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for Dark Witch (audiobook) by Nora Roberts; performed by Katherine Kellgren
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The Online book discussion for the audiobook Dark Witch written by Nora Roberts and performed by Katherine Kellgren, will begin Thursday, May 22 and run through Tuesday morning, May 27.The first question will be posted Thursday morning and the discussion should commence and continue by using the COMMENTS: box on the Home page. Using this format will allow all participants to see what is being discussed.
The Home tab will be open to comments as soon as the first question is posted.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss
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The first question will be posted Wednesday morning and the discussion will commence and continue by using the COMMENTS: box on the Home page. Using this format, all participants will be able to see what is being discussed.
The Home tab will be open to comments as soon as the first question is posted.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
1.) How much did you know about North Korea before reading The Orphan Master's Son? How has it changed your perspective on life there?
2.) The Orphan Master's Son has been characterized as a thriller, a love story, and a political dystopia. How would you classify the novel in terms of genre? How do you think each of these genres manifests itself in the book?
3.) How did you feel about the inclusion of Kim Jong II as a central character in the book? How would you say Johnson depicts him? Were you surprised by his portrayal?
4.) Discuss the differences between the first part of the novel, "The Biography of Jun Do," and the second, "The Confessions of Commander Ga."
5.) How do the propaganda chapters, written as if spoken from a loud-speaker, play into your reading of the novel?
6.) What do you feel the first-person narrative contributed to the story? Did you feel more or less removed from a world so closely guarded?
7.) In one of the most poignant and powerful moments in the book, one of the interrogators remembers the way in which his father explained life in North Korea: "Even if we walked this path side by side, he said, we must act alone on the outside, while on the inside, we would be holding hands." What does the quote imply about the reality of living in such a repressive society? How does it speak to humanness in the fact of inhumanity?
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The Online book discussion for The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson will begin Wednesday, November 13 and run through Tuesday morning, November 19.
The first question(s) will be posted Wednesday morning and the discussion should commence and continue by using the COMMENTS: box on the Home page. This way all participants will be able to see what is being discussed.
The Home tab will be open to comments as soon as the first question is posted.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
1.) There are fifteen (15) stories in the collection plus one more which is hidden. Which story in the collection is your favorite and why?
- Did you find the hidden story?
2.) In The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (2nd ed, ALA Editions, 2009; p 113), Joyce Saricks says "The atmosphere in Horror novels must, the fans tell us, evoke an emotional response: a chill, a sense of menace, a feeling of supernatural terror. This special atmosphere or setting pervades the novel (or in our case, short stories), and it is what the readers are expecting and looking for when they ask us for Horror fiction."
How do the stories in 20th Century Ghosts meet this expectation?
- How 'do' Joe Hill's stories appeal to the emotions of the reader?
- Which story generated the most emotional response from you? Why did you have such a reaction?
3.) Which story was your least favorite in the collection and why?
- Was there a story in the collection which you couldn't finish or that you simply hated? If so, why did you have difficulty with 'that' story?
4.) What type of reader do you think might be interested in this title?
- To which of your customers, friends, family, or co-workers might you suggest 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS? Why do you think they might enjoy it?
5.) How would you describe Joe Hill's collection to a reader?
- What are the appeal factors for this title?
6.) It is not required, but many short story collections have an overarching theme, sometimes more than one theme. What, if any, is the theme which ties the stories in 20th Century Ghosts together?
- What other themes did you see? Please provide examples from the stories.
7.) Besides Joe Hill's novels or his Locke and Key graphic novel series, what other read-alike titles might you suggest for someone wishing to read something similar to 20th Century Ghosts?
- If you were to suggest read-alikes from another genre, which genre would it be and why?
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The Online book discussion for 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill will begin Wednesday, September 18 and run through Tuesday morning, September 24.The first question(s) will be posted Wednesday morning and the discussion should commence and continue by using the COMMENTS: box on the Home page. This way all participants will be able to see what is being discussed.
The Home tab will be open to comments as soon as the first question is posted.
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