Luther and Katharina, by Jody Hedlund

REVIEW:  One thing I liked about this novel was the historical perspective.  I felt I gained information and insight into that particular Biblical period and Martin Luther.  Also, I thought the author did an interesting job of showing how difficult it was for nuns who grew up in a convent to get used to being in control of their own time and thoughts, but given the time period and that Luther arranged marriages for them I wondered if they really were free.  I got a little bored with Katharina and Luther sparing and always being confrontational.  I wanted them to say what was in their hearts and get along with each other.  (But then the story would have been very short!)  I would recommend this book to someone who likes historical fiction and romances.   I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review.

People/Characters
Martin Luther – Black Cloister	Katharina von Bora – Marienthron Convent
Hans – father – mine owner Jacob – younger brother Wolfgang – manservant   Elector Frederick – benefactor and protector   Duke George – archenemy Brother Gabriel – spying on Luther for Duke George Karlstodt – professor – enemy   Melanchthon – friend Jonas - friend	Greta – maidservant Thomas – Greta’s lover Merchant Koppe – Thomas’ uncle – helped nuns escape   Aunt Lena – nun – helped nuns escape   Margaret Schonfeld – nun and friend Eva   Fronica and Etta Zeschau – circulated Luther’s letters among nuns   Abbot Baltazar   Jerome Baumgartner – suitor   Reichenbach family – took Katharina in as a servant Elsa – wife Husband – mayor   Lucas Cranach – apothecary,  printer Barbara – wife Took in Margaret and Eva, eventually Katharina

For discussion:
NOTE: The page numbers refer to the paperback preview edition of the novel.
1. Discuss the women in the book, particularly Katharina, Greta and Barbara Cranach - all strong women.  Were they typical of women at that time?  Why or why not?
2. The book describes Katharina's struggles letting go of her pride.  Did you think she was too proud or was there a more positive way to describe her personality?
3. In one sense the nuns went from one form of control (the Abbot) to another (Luther who arranged marriages for them).  Do you think any may have wished for the cloistered life again albeit without the abuse?  Why?
4. Discuss Luther and Katharina's "courtship" and road to marital harmony.  Were their struggles realistic?  Did you enjoy reading about their struggles to understand each other or did you just want them to get over it?
5. Discuss Luther burning Katharina's indulgence from her mother, the only thing she had of hers.  Did she treasure it more for a religious or sentimental reason?
6. When the nuns were settled in the Black Cloister, how did you evaluate their transition to a "normal life?"  Was it realistic, too fast, too slow or something else?
7. The one topic of the book - nuns and monks forsaking their vow of chastity and cloistered life - is quite timely.  What do you think about priests marrying? 
8. Did you understand Martin Luther's father's disappointment with him?  Was it disappointment, fear for him, or both?
9. As you were reading, did you wonder what was true and what was fiction?  Did the author's notes satisfy your curiosity?
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

The White Queen, Phillippa Gregory

People/Characters
Rivers Family	King Edward IV’s Family
Lady Elizabeth Grey Husband – Sir John Grey – deceased Sons: Thomas Richard              Father – Sir Richard Woodville, Baron Rivers – captured and beheaded Mother – Lady Rivers Siblings: Anthony – wife Elizabeth Scales – Lordship Isle of Wright John – married Lady Neville (elderly) - captured and beheaded Lionel – bishop Richard Katherine – betrothed to Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham   Melusina – half fish, half woman	King Edward IV Mother – Duchess of Cecily Siblings: Richard – youngest - Duke of Gloucester – married Anne Neville George – Duke of Clarence – married Isabel Neville – plotted to become king Anne – Elizabeth – Margaret – Duchess of Burgundy   William Hastings - friend
Elizabeth and Edward IV newest whore in 1476Daughters: Elizabeth, Cecily, Anne, Catherine, Bridget Edward, Prince of Wales Richard – Peter, Piers George – died at 2 years   Elizabeth Shore – Edward’s
Others
Richard Neville – Earl of Warwick Daughters: Isabel – married George Anne – married Richard   King Henry – dethroned Queen Margaret D’Anjou – exiled   Lord Thomas Stanley Margaret Beaufort Son: Henry Tutor   Henry Stafford – Duke of Buckingham

For discussion:
NOTE: Page numbers are from Touchstone 2013 paperback edition.

1. Discuss the role of women and the respect they are publically and privately granted. 
2. How much power did women actually have as they manipulated the men behind the scenes?
3. Discuss Elizabeth’s evolution throughout the novel.  What was her goal when she first met Edward?  How did she change after she became queen?   Would she have been happier if she had just gotten her land back and stayed with her family?
4. On page 93 King Edward muses that “It is easy to blame the wife.  It is always easier to accuse the queen of being a bad influence than to declare yourself against the king.  They want to destroy you and your family.”  Has this tactic been used elsewhere in history?  What about currently?
5. Do you think Elizabeth and her mother really had magical powers?  On page 119 it says that they “blew up a storm” and at one point Elizabeth ties Richard Neville’s napkin around her arm and curses him with loss of strength in his arm.
6. What was the point of Melusina in the story?
7. On page 154 Edward explains that he always felt invincible but that now he has felt fear.  He states, “It is a fool who is afraid of nothing….And a brave man is one who knows fear and rides out and faces it.”   Can you relate as a teenager and now as an adult?  Which is better – to feel fear or not?  What is the advantage of each?
8. In the author’s notes, Gregory states that “There is more fiction in this novel than in my previous ones, since we are further back in time…”  She specifically noted this includes what happened to Prince Richard (page 410).  Did you want to know what was real and what was fiction?  
9. Discuss your reading experience.  Did you have difficulty keeping the names and titles straight?  What characters did you feel most connected to?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin

NOTE: I loved this book!  A book about reading and the importance of books can't be missed!

Characters

A. J. Fikry – Island Books Nic – deceased wife Maya – adopted daughter Amelia Loman – Book rep   Brett Brewer – Amelia’s fiancé   Marian Wallace –Maya’s mother   Ismay Evans-Parish – Nic’s sister Daniel Parish – husband – author –A. J.’s best friend   Chief Lambiase

For discussion:
NOTE: All pages refer to the paperback edition of the book.

1. What do you think Lambiase should have done when he found the stolen book in Ismay's closet?  At that point in the story, what did you think had happened?
2. On page 216, when A.J.'s mother is giving everyone an ereader, she says to A.J. that he has a "moue."  Did you know what that was?
3. What did you think of A.J.'s reaction to the ereader?
4. On page 46 the customer wants a refund for The Book Thief because "it kept her up all night reading" and made her cry.  How soon in your reading did you know what book she was talking about?  What did you think of her reactions to the book?
5. What did you think of the description of Maya's approach to books - smelling them and trying to figure out the pictures?  Do you think her learning to read the word "red" is typical of children?
6. On page 87 A.J. write, "You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, 'What is your favorite book?'" Do you agree?  What is your favorite book and what does that say about you?
7. On page 92 A.J. says, 'Sometimes books don't find us until the right time."  Have you ever read the same book at two different times in your life and had different reading experiences?  Explain.
8. On their date A.J. and Amelia talk about food in books.  Do you have a memorable meal you read about in a book that you would like to eat?  Did you have any reactions to descriptions of food in books?
9. Why do you think Maya never warmed up to Ismay?
10. What was your favorite part of the book?  Your least favorite?
11. Discuss your reading experience.  Did you like the book?  Why or why not?
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Cannery Row and The Pearl, by John Steinbeck

This is the final month of my Library Book Group's "Steinbeck Summer."    The final two discussion guides follow as well as some wrap-up questions.

 

Cannery Row

 

Characters

Doc – Western Biological Laboratory Frankie – homeless boy   Lee Chong – grocer Horace Abbeville – gave Chong the empty storehouse to settle debt, then committed suicide   Palace Flophouse and Grill (Abbeville building) Mack, Hazel, Eddie, Hughie, Jones, Gay Darling – dog   Dora Flood – madam – Bear Flag Restaurant Alfred – Alfy – watchman   Mr. and Mrs. Sam Malloy – living in abandoned boiler in vacant lot   Henri - painter

 

For discussion:
1. Why didn't people believe Doc when he was telling the truth about his walk but did when he lied (chapter 17)?
2. Did you guess the question everyone had about the pole skater (chapter 20)?
3. Why did the failed party have such a long-reaching effect on the town (chapter 25)?
4. There were many seemingly unrelated stories in the novel.  Why did Steinbeck include them?

• Chapter 26 - Joey and Willard
• Chapter 31 - the gopher story

5. What lessons did this story tell about human nature?

 

The Pearl

 

Characters

Kino – fisherman Juana – wife Coyotito – son   Juan Tomas – Kino’s brother Apolonia – wife Four sons   Doctor   Priest

 

For discussion:
1. In chapter 3, when Kino started to dream that he could actually own a rifle, Steinbeck wrote, "For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more."  Do you agree?  Why or why not?
2. How could the outcome of this story been different?

 

Steinbeck Summer

• Of Mice and Men
• Travels with Charley
• Cannery Row
• The Pearl

1. Which of the four stories did you like best?  The least?  Were you surprised by your choice?
2. What do you think makes Steinbeck such a revered writer?


*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

 

 

Summer House with Swimming Pool, by Herman Koch

Review: I greatly enjoyed this book, even though at times it was disturbing.  When I visited my PCP shortly after finishing the book I trusted that he had a different attitude towards his patients than Marc and did not recommend the book to him!  Given all the great books available, I can't say I would recommend this book to friends who ask me for suggestions, but I would tell them it is an engrossing book and that it did keep me reading and wanting to find out what happens next.  I also think it would make a good pick for a book discussion group.  I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review.

 

Characters

Ralph Meier – actor Judith – wife Two sons – Alex and Thomas Vera – Judith’s mother   Dr. Marc Schlosser Caroline – mother Two daughters –Julia and Lisa   Stanley Forbes – Dutch film director Emmanuelle – model   Dr. Aaron Herzl – Marc’s medical school professor

 

For discussion:

1. What did you think as you were reading the opening section about Dr. Schlosser's thoughts regarding his patients and his role in their medical care?
2. Were you surprised to read that Marc deliberately cut Ralph so that the cancer would get into his blood stream and spread?  Did you think this was realistic given what you knew about Marc so far?
3. Do you think Marc would still have done the act in the above question if he knew the real story about what happened to Julia?
4. Would you let your teen and preteen daughters be around naked men?
5. The narrator, Dr. Marc Schlosser, several times referred to life-changing moments and events (the beginning of chapter 25 for example, when he went to the beach).  Can you think of any such happenings in your life (but possibly not so dramatic and negative)?
6. Did Ralph and Judith have the right to allow Alex and Julia to go to the bar down the beach?  Would you have taken that responsibility and given permission?
7. Were you able to find any positive characteristics in the male characters?  Is so, what were they?
8. Discuss Dr. Herzl.  What role did he play in Marc's many actions and decisions?
9. Keeping in mind that this is fiction, is it a plausible story line?
10. When the Schlossers left the summer house early in the morning, what do you think Vera was trying to tell them?  (See end of chapter 36.)
11. What did you think about the way Marc and Caroline reacted to what happened to Julia?  What do you think they should have done?
12. Were you surprised that Marc and his family went to stay with Stanley in America?  Why did they go there?
13. Once you knew what really happened with Julia, did you think her long-term reaction was legitimate or logical?
14. Did you like the ending?  Was it satisfying or did you want to know more?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.  Click on the upper right link.

 

 

 

 

The Storyteller, by Jodi Picoult

 

Characters
Sage	Minka’s fictional story
Sage Parents - died when 19 and 21 Pepper and Saffron – sisters   Grandmother – Minka Darija – best friend – killed in concentration camp   Adam – boyfriend, married   Helping Hands grief support group   Mary DeAngelis – owner, Our Daily Bread - former nun Rocco – barista   Josef Weber – Reiner/Franz Hartmann   Leo Stein – Office of Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Genevra - historian	Ania Emil – father, baker   Baruch Beiler – tax collector Damian – Captain of the Guard   Aleksander Lubov – evening baker/upior Casimir – brother – upior

 

For discussion:
NOTE: The page numbers are from the hardback edition of the book.

1. Do you think Sage should give Josef the forgiveness he wants?  Can she really do that?  If she does not, does that make her "just as heartless as he is" (125)?
2. One tenet of Judaism is that there are two wrongs that cannot be forgiven.  One is murder, because the victim cannot forgive, and the second is ruining someone's reputation.  How does this belief influence Sage and her decision to "forgive" Josef?
3. How well do you think the author addressed the issue of the Holocaust?
4. Jodi Picoult gives several reasons why the German people followed Hitler including, "Because we so badly wanted to believe what Hitler told us.  That the future would be better than our present" (123), and "No matter how educated you are, no matter how irrational it seems, you will follow a glimmer of hope" (112).  Do you think her analysis is correct?
5. Discuss the various characters.  Were there any of their actions that you did not understand?  Were you able to connect with them even though their situations were so different than yours?
6. Why do you think Josef did so many good things in America?  Leo thinks it was simply because of guilt (377).  Also, Sage questions if  Josef has a conscience and if not, how can he feel guilty.  What do you think?
7. Minka felt that she lowered herself to the Nazi"s level when she started to hate all Germans.  Do you agree?
8. Why did Franz switch identies with his brother, Reiner?
9. Why did the author include Minka's fictional story?  What part did it play in the novel?
10. Why did Sage kill Josef instead of turning him in which would have been more painful for him?
11. Discuss your reading experience.  Do you think the way Picoult presented the stories was effective?  Which of the story lines did you find most interesting?
12. Did you learn anything new or have any new insights after reading this book?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.   Click on the upper right link.

 

 

Travels With Charley, by John Steinbeck

This is the second book in my Library Book Discussion Group's "Steinbeck Summer."   Next month we are reading and discussing The Pearl and Cannery Row.


Travels With Charley
Characters:
John Steinbeck
Charles le Chien - "Charley" - French poodle
Rocinante - camper truck


For Discussion:
NOTE: All page numbers are from the Penguin paperback edition printed in 1986.

1. As he was starting out, Steinbeck wrote about people's reaction to his trip and how many of them had a "look of longing."  Would you like to go on such a trip?  Why or why not?
2. Would you be able to survive in a dwelling as small as Rocinante?  What would you need to pack to be happy or content on the road?
3. He also wrote about the amount of litter he saw along the roads and how in other countries these items would have been reused in some way.  Has anything changed?  Do you see as much litter as your used to?
4. Steinbeck made a lot of observations about what he encountered on the trip.  One was that people didn't seem to be talking about politics (31).  Later he wrote about the same topic, "I believe this [talking about politics] was going on all over the country in private.  It must have been only publicly that the nation was tongue-tied" (199).  Has this changed since 1962?
5. Are you a "mapifier" or a "roamer" who enjoys being lost (70-71)?
6. Many in our group have traveled widely and/or have moved frequently.  What do you think about the idea of having roots vs. being mobile(101-104)?
7. Steinbeck also lamented that our country is losing  the unique speech patterns and vocabulary (106-107).   Do you agree?  If you have lived in different places in our country, what unique speech patterns and vocabulary have your experienced?
8. One of his last stops was in New Orleans where a school was being integrated.  He stopped there to observe a group of female protesters nicknamed The Cheerleaders.  His conclusion was, "These blowsy women, with their little hats and their clippings, hungered for attention. They wanted to be admired" (258).  What did you think about this episode?  Was he correct in his assessment of the women's motivation?
9. Steinbeck wrote, "I came on this trip to try to learn something of America.  Am I learning anything?  If I am, I don't know what it is" (139).  What did he learn about America?  Did you learning anything about America from reading this book?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassocaition.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.