Happy 2nd Birthday to BWB

A big thanks to Erin for being a truly steadfast member and for wanting, so very badly, to maintain the integrity of the book Room :)  Kidding!  It was a great meeting and it was so nice to see everyone together, once again, being literary :)  I have to say that I am pretty jazzed (oh yeah, jazzed) about our next gathering because that meeting will be the 2nd birthday (I'm pretty sure it should be "anniversary" but birthdays come with candles... and presents... and cake) that Boozing with Books has been the greatest book club to have ever existed... ever.  Ang has kindly offered to stick with tradition, so the next meeting will take place at her house with the date TBD (you would think I would be able to pin down some dates from my own mother but alas, I cannot).  Although I think we are definitely leaning towards later in the month of November.  I really hope everyone will be able to make it for this momentous occasion!!!  The next book on our list is The Post Birthday World by Lionel Shriver which talks about the idea of an alternate life or the road not taken... some pretty heavy themes that will lead to an amazing discussion!  Please stay tuned for picking dates, I'm hoping to get some potential dates out to you very soon!!

One Second After and Room

REMINDER!!!!

This is just your friendly reminder that we will be getting together on Friday for the discussion of a lifetime!! Two books, one night, a DOZEN bottles of wine... it might just be too intense for some to handle... but it is definitely long overdue :)  We will be getting together at Erin's luxurious condo at 7pm on Friday evening (shoot me an email if you need her address).  Please let us know if you are planning on attending!!  Erin wants to make sure she has enough seating and of course, enough wine!  We can't have anyone sitting on the floor sipping a soda.  That's just not right.  I have to say that when we first picked these books, I was a little nervous about how they would tie together.  However, I can honestly say that I am super excited to see what everyone has to say about these two, intense reads.  I can't wait to see you all there!!!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. First, we will start off with One Second After.  What were your thoughts about the forward that was presented by Newt Gingrich?  What kind of tone did that set as you started the book?
2. This story took place in a small mountain town in North Carolina.  Do you think there are other parts of the country that would survive this type of attack better?  Do you think there are other places that would have it worse off?  Why?
3. Do you find Forstchen's portrayal of a post attack environment credible?  Did he present any scenarios about America’s dependence on "modern convenience" that shocked you?
4. As a leader in Black Mountain, is there anything that you would you have done differently?
5. Has this novel made you think about what you would do in the event of a large scale attack, like the one in the book?  What can we do to protect our way of life from EMP attack?
6. What modern convenience do you think you have become dependent upon?  What would be the most difficult thing to live without?
   
   
   INTERMISSION
7. Moving onto Room, why do you think the entire book is told in Jack’s voice? What kind of effect did his narrative have on the story?
8.  What are some of the ways in which Jack’s development has been stunted by growing up in Room?  Which elements of Jack's developmental delays and/or his integration issues surprised you most?
9.  What would you do differently if you were Jack’s parent? Would you tell Jack about the outside world from the start?
10. Describe the dynamic between Old Nick and Ma. Why does the author choose not to tell us Old Nick’s story?  Did you find yourself wanting to know more about him?
11. What sort of problems do you think Ma will face now that she and Jack are out on their own?  Do you think that Jack will ever be able to fully "adapt" to his new world?
12. What were you most affected by in the novel?
    
    
    INTERMISSION
13. Was there a common theme that you found between these two books?
14. Were there any specific personality traits that you found to be shared between the characters in Room and the ones in One Second After?
15. If you had to choose, would you rather have to face the experiences of Jack or John?  
16. Which book did you like most?  Why?  

Date Picked

I know it is a little far off but the date for our next book club meeting with be on Friday, October 7.  I will send a reminder, with the discussion questions, as we get closer to the date.  So, for those of you still reading or waiting on books, you've got this!! 

End of Summer Book Club... Pick a DATE!

Damn ladies, this is going to be one helluva book club meeting.  I tell ya, one darn good book club meeting.  I can't believe summer is coming to a close and it's time, once again, to start back up with our festive gatherings of intellect.  Erin, one damn good host, has graciously offered to have us over for one helluva meeting.  Please let me know which of the dates below would work best for you.  I really hope everyone can make it!!

Friday, September 23
Friday, September 30
Friday, October 7

Summer Reading List

Oh Ladies, 

My apologies!!  I know it has taken me over a week to get the new book club selections out to you!!  It is because I have been selfishly getting tipsy on Pina Coladas, while a handsome cabana boy fans me down with a palm and feeds me chocolates, as I tan myself on a white sandy beach in the Keys...  

Almost...

Well, now that I have returned from the great unknown, it's time to get back to business.  We picked two books to challenge ourselves with this summer.  Room by Emma Donoghue, which has been on the BWBMYKSBC suggestion list before.  It should be a pretty easy one to get through, which is why we made another selection, One Second After by William Forstchen.  Both should prove for some interesting discussions and sound extremely interesting.  Since I literally ran out of Julie's place because it was going on 11 o'clock and I still hadn't finished packing, we never came up with a time frame to gather again.  Last year, we worked with the end of August/beginning of September, so let me know what works for everyone.   I will definitely send out a reminder once we see summer start to draw to a close :( so you have some time to think about it.  Happy summering (totally a word), happy sunning and most of all... HAPPY READING!!! 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

REMINDER!!!

I know Julie beat me to it but I already had the reminder typed up so I figured I would send it out anyway... I can't let what I do in class go to waste people :) It's not fair to the kids :)

It is time to gather one last time before we break for summer vacation!!  I know this is a sad moment for all but don't fret, summer will be over before we know it and we will be gathering to insightfully discuss books amongst the changing leaves of Fall in no time.  Yuck.  No offense but I want summer to stay around for as long as possible...so, I hope we won't be getting together for what seems like a good-long-while!!  Again, no offense :)

Hopefully, you all can make it to Julie's this Friday, June 10 at 8pm.  This is going to be a book club extravaganza because we will also be celebrating...
* Suz's belated birthday
* Burke's early birthday
* Certain teachers' last days of school
* My imminent departure into a world of no showers/bathrooms
* And whatever else we desire to toast to!!

Again, hope you all can make it!!  Please leave a comment if you will be attending, so we can make sure to have enough White Liquor and Squirrel meat :)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why do you think The Hunger Games series is a bestseller? What about these books appeal to so many people – young and old?
2. Which character in The Hunger Games is your favorite? Why?
3. Why are the tributes given stylists and dressed so elaborately for the opening ceremony? How much of an impact does personal appearance play into the games and why do you think there is such an emphasis on being “prepped” before going on TV, both before and after the Games? 
4. What did you think of Haymitch’s strategy for Katniss and Peeta during the Hunger Games?   Given the information presented in the first book, how do you think he (Haymitch) won the Games back when he was a tribute?
5. Before the Games start, Peeta tells Katniss, “…I want to die as myself…I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not.” What does this tell you about Peeta? What does he fear more than death? Is he able to stay true to himself during the Games?
6. Katniss and Peeta are both skilled in their own unique way.  What do you think were their most important skills for staying alive? Do you think either would have survived if they were unable to rely on each other?
7. Why does Peeta join with the Career Tributes in the beginning of the Games and why do they, in return, accept him? Why do groups form in the beginning when they know only one of them will be able to survive?
8. Discuss the ways in which the Gamemakers control the environment and “entertainment” value of the Games. How does it affect the tributes to know they are being manipulated to make the Games more exciting for the gamblers and viewers? Does knowing that she is constantly on live TV make Katniss behave differently than she would otherwise?
9. What do you think is the cruelest part of the Hunger Games? What kind of people would devise this spectacle for the entertainment of their populace? Can you see parallels between these Games and the society that condones them? Are there other related events and cultures in the history of the world that are comparable? 
10. In 1848, Karl Marx wrote in The Communist Manifesto, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." Discuss this statement as it applies to the society and government of Panem. Do you believe there is any chance to eradicate class struggles in the future?
11. There has been a tremendous growth of Reality TV in the 21^st Century, with a fair number being in the area of competitive and survival shows. Discuss this phenomenon with respect to The Hunger Games?  What other aspects of our popular culture do you see reflected in this story? 
12. In your opinion, does a tribute ever really win the Hunger Games? Why or why not?
13. Katniss is obviously conflicted when it comes to the topic of love.  Who do you think she belongs with, romantically, Peeta or Gale?  Why? 
14. Which children were the worst off? The ones in the Districts where the children were raised to think that competing to kill other children and possibly die themselves was honorable as in Districts 1 & 2? Or the outlying districts which were so poor that the inhabitants had to forage for the smallest portions of food and signed up for tesserea out of necessity. 
15. For those of you who haven’t read it, what are your predictions for Katniss, Peeta, Gale and the other characters in Catching Fire (the second installment in The Hunger Games Trilogy)?  How do you think the story of Panem and its inhabitants develops?

Date Selected

June 10th seems to work for everyone, in one way or another, so mark your calenders.  We will have our last gathering before summer vacation begins!!  On another note, this will be my last night in town.  I leave for the Boundary Waters on Saturday morning and the chances of me getting eaten by a bear getting left behind by Jamie are pretty high, so this may be your last chance to see me... I'm just saying.