"The Good Girl" by Mary Kubica

After reading "The Good Girl", who do you feel was the true victim, or victims, and the true conspirator?  Have your opinions changed since beginning the novel, and if so, how?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.marykubica.com/

"Faith" by Jennifer Haigh

How do you define faith? What does faith mean to each of the characters, especially the siblings - Art, Sheila and Mike?  Is this a good title for the novel?

For further information about Jennifer Haigh, check out:


http://www.jennifer-haigh.com/

"Being There" by Jerzy Kosinski

"Being There" by Jerzy Kosinski was written in 1970 - a time with more limited television access and no social media (as we have today).  Is this book still relevant to our times, especially with people -- and the media -- transferring their own interpretations and opinions on public figures and politicians?

For information about Jerzy Kosinski, check out:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jerzy_Kosinski

For interpretations of the book:

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/14824_understanding-society-through-the-novel-being-there

http://www.laurenwood.org/anyway/2005/03/jerzy-kosinskis-being-there/

"Absolute Power" by David Baldacci

What do you think was Luther's motivation? He could have sent the letter opener anonymously to a news agency, but he doesn't. Instead he is set on a personal vendetta. Why do you think this is so?

For further information about David Baldacci, check out: 
http://davidbaldacci.com/about-david/

Also on his website:

David on The Writing Process: Absolute Power

Each writing project presents its own distinct set of challenges.

With my first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER, I had a dilemma from the very first page. I decided that the first character the reader would meet would be a burglar, Luther Whitney (the Clint Eastwood character, for those of you who saw the movie but didn’t read the book.) For the novel to work, the reader had to like, or at least sympathize with, Whitney. The challenge to overcome was that Luther Whitney was a criminal. The opening scene showed Whitney, not a particularly sympathetic character, breaking into a home to steal valuables. Here’s how I went about overcoming that problem…

First, as superficial and callous as it sounds, Whitney stole only from the rich. Some would say, “They can afford to lose it; they have insurance.” If I relied completely on that justification, however, the story would still have failed.

Second, I made it clear that Whitney had never harmed anyone during his burglaries and never even carried a weapon. He relied on his skills and his wits. That made him more palatable.

Third, and perhaps most important, I positioned Whitney’s act of burglary next to an act of far greater criminality: a man beating and nearly killing a woman.

Last, I put Luther Whitney in a locked closet, with a one-way mirror, and forced him to watch this heinous crime. By doing so I also locked the reader in the closet with Whitney. Readers were looking over his shoulder and watching too. (There’s a bit of voyeur in everyone.) Whitney was repulsed by what he saw and wanted to help the woman, but he would have sacrificed his own freedom (and perhaps his life) by doing so. A tough decision for anyone. He ended up doing nothing and hated himself for it. And you, the reader, felt all of those same emotions and thereby bonded with Whitney. Readers came out of that room when he did, perhaps not loving Whitney, but certainly better understanding who and what he was – forgetting about Luther Whitney, the burglar, and focusing on Luther Whitney, the man. At that point, with my initial dilemma overcome, I could get on with the story.

"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie

What are the motives behind the murders of all the guests? Each of the guests is guilty of a crime, but not one that could be prosecuted in a court of law. Does each receive his/her just deserts? In other words, has true justice been accomplished by the end of the novel? Is the murderer insane as all the guests claim? Or is he/she acting with clear-headed logic and rationality?

For further information about Agatha Christie and her extensive bibliography, check out:

http://www.agathachristie.com/

"The Scent of Rain and Lightning" by Nancy Pickard

The Linders are portrayed as being the most influential family in the county. Even with the best intentions, good people can make terrible mistakes.  Do you think the Linders had good intentions or were they controlling with their familial power?

For more information about the author, check out: 

http://www.nancypickard.com/biography.html

For an interview with Nancy Pickard, go to: 

https://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm/author_number/1849/nancy-pickard

"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

How does Charlie change by the end of the novel? What does he come to learn about the gifts of superior intelligence? What trade-offs are involved as Charlie develops his genius... and, again, as he begins to revert to his previous state? How do the friendships and relationships he has change as well?

For more information about Daniel Keyes, check out:

http://www.danielkeyesauthor.com/dksbio.html

"Sworn to Silence" by Linda Castillo

There is good *and* evil in all societies, including the Amish community.  Were you surprised that Kate and her family chose to keep the secret of Daniel Lapp rather than reporting the crime through the law.  Is the law different for the Amish community?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.lindacastillo.com/

"Heart of the Matter" by Emily Giffin

At the end of the book, Tessa has a decision to make. Do you feel she made the right one? What would you have done? What do you see as the "heart of the matter" in this story?  How is trust distinct from forgiveness?

For further information about the author, check out:
http://www.emilygiffin.com/


For an interview with Emily Giffin about this book, go to:
http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/emily-giffin/news/interview-051410

"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

At the novel's end, the carved-animal woman in the African market is sure that "There has never been any village on the road past Bulungu," that "There is no such village" as Kilanga.  What do you make of this?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.kingsolver.com/biography/



"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Numerous Guernsey residents give Juliet access to their private memories of the occupation. Which voices were most memorable for you? What was the effect of reading a variety of responses to a shared tragedy?

For information about the authors, check out:


http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/mary-ann-Shaffer


For information about the German occupation of the Channel Islands:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/topics/occupation_channel_islands