"China Dolls" by Lisa See

How is Helen's betrayal of Ruby different from her betrayal of Grace? Which betrayal is worse? Why?


Through her website, you will find information about the world of the 1940s—from the nightclubs of San Francisco Chinatown to life during WWII. Just click on a tab to begin exploring!


But first, here are three of Lisa’s favorite videos of women who were performers at the Forbidden City nightclub:


http://www.lisasee.com/insidechinadolls/


For more information about Lisa See, check out:


http://www.lisasee.com/

"Shatter" by Michael Robotham

In this psychological thriller, Robotham introduces the reader to the antagonist earlier on, thereby making the story less of a WHOdunnit, and more of a WHYdunnit. Did this affect your reading of the novel?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.michaelrobotham.com/

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

While the first three parts of the novel are written in the past tense, the final part is written in present tense. What do you think was the author's intent in making this shift?  How does it change the effect of this final section?

For a biography of the author, Khaled Hosseini, check out:

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/hos0bio-1

For further information about the author, his other books and a fascinating interview, check out: 

http://khaledhosseini.com/

"Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter Morgan is a serial killer with a code; his targets:  other serial killers.  

What is it about Dexter that makes him (almost) likable?

For information about the author and other books in the series, check out:

http://www.dexter-books.com/bios/jeff-lindsay

For an interesting article about the character of Dexter (in the books and in the Showtime series), check out:

http://www.rhombusmag.com/2011/02/09/tv-darkly-dreaming-dexter-why-we-root-for-a-serial-killer/

"The Pilot's Wife" by Anita Shreve

The complex relationship between secrecy and intimacy is an important theme of The Pilot's Wife. Consider the secrets kept by the following characters: Kathryn, Jack, Mattie, Robert, Muire. In each case, what motivates the deceiver? Who is protected and who is harmed by the secret? Can deception ever be an expression of love?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.anitashreve.com/

"The Daring Ladies of Lowell" by Kate Alcott

How is the treatment of the "factory girls" different from the way women are treated in today's work place? How is it similar?

For more information about the author, check out: 

http://katealcott.com/bios/kate-alcott

Boston Globe article about the real life murder the book is loosely based on:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2014/04/19/the-real-life-murder-behind-novel-about-lowell-mills/bvMBFwckjExNWEGkS87zvI/story.html

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

What challenges does "The Curious Incident.." present to the ways we usually think and talk about characters in novels? How does it force us to reexamine our normal ideas about love and desire, which are often the driving forces in fiction? Since Mark Haddon has chosen to make us see the world through Christopher's eyes, what does he help us discover about ourselves?

For more information about the author, check out: 

http://literature.britishcouncil.org/mark-haddon

"The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Lahiri has said, "The question of identity is always a difficult one, but especially for those who are culturally displaced, as immigrants are . . . who grow up in two worlds simultaneously." What do you think Gogol wants most from his life? How is it different from what his family wants for him, and what they wanted when they first came to America to start a family? How have expectations changed between generations in your own family? Do you want something different for your own children from what your parents wanted for you?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/jhumpalahiri/bio.php

"The Rainmaker" by John Grisham

Most of John Grisham's novels are legal thrillers and they have a consistent theme: his heroes are ordinary people who fight the powerful institutions of society -- and win.  

In The Rainmaker the final chapter is called Winners and Losers.  Who, ultimately, are the winners? Who are the losers?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.jgrisham.com/bio/

For an interview with John Grisham from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/books/review/john-grisham-by-the-book.html?_r=0

"California Girl" by T. Jefferson Parker

T. Jefferson Parker has written many different kinds of characters in his books but they all seem to share one thing -- the loss of someone close to them, either through death or divorce.  What are the various losses experienced by the Becker brothers -- Nick, David & Andy -- in California Girl?

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

For a well-written review with valuable insights about California Girl, check out this link on the January Magazine website:
http://www.januarymagazine.com/crfiction/cagirl.html