The Book of Strange New Things, by Michel Faber

REVIEW: I am not sure what to think about this book, especially the religious emphasis.  I wanted to keep reading and I wanted to know what would happen, but sometimes I skimmed in order to keep moving along.  The end left me wanting to know what happens next to everyone.  The author crafted the ending he wanted, but I wanted another chapter or two!  Also, my Christian beliefs played a large part in my understanding and reading experience.  I wonder how a non-Christian would experience the book.  Would they understand the biblical references, but also how important would that be to the enjoyment of the book?  Given my questions, this would be a great book for a discussion!  In the end, I feel this was a very intriguing book, it kept my interest and provided hours of enjoyment.  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this review.       

Characters
Home	Oasis
Peter Bea Joshua (cat)   Mirah – Muslim woman – victim of domestic violence – friend of Bea	Peter Tuska – pilot Billy Graham – BG – engineer Arthur Severin – engineer – diabetic – died while at Oasis Moro – engineering technologist and cook Werner Frank Tartaglione – linguist – disappeared Alex Grainger – pharmacist – driver Marty Kurtzberg – Prior Baptist missionary  – disappeared   Oasans Jesus Lover One, etc.

For Discussion:

NOTE: All page numbers refer to the hardback edition.

1. Why did Bea get disqualified for the trip but Peter did not?
2. Consider when Peter met the Oasans for the first time.  When he looked at one of their faces, he "couldn't decide it on its own terms; he could only compare it to something he knew" (page 102).  Can you imagine being in a similar situation in which you had no frame of reference?  How do you think you would react?
3. As you were reading, how did you handle the letters 't,' 's' and 'ch' when the Oasans spoke?  Did that increase your understanding of how a child struggles when they are learning letter sounds? 
4. Peter did not like how the Oasans had to struggle when saying the word "church" so he tried to get them to say "our haven" instead.  How much do names matter?  How do you feel when someone mispronounces your name?
5. Discuss what it means to be happy.  On pages 174-175 Peter was thinking about situations when people seemed happy but were not and also when they said they were truly happy in difficult situations.  For example, on the day when Peter proposed to Bea, everything went wrong and yet Bea said it was the happiest day of her life.
6. What did you think of Peter as a pastor and missionary?  Consider his eulogy at Severin's funeral and his decision to live among the Oasans instead of living in his car like Kurtzburg.
7. When Peter learned that Bea was pregnant, why did he feel so little emotion?
8. What do you think was happening to Peter and the other inhabitants of Oasis?
9. What was happening back on earth and why?
10. Do you think a Christian and non-Christian will read this book differently? If so, how?
11. Did you like the ending?
12. Discuss your reading experience in general.  Did you like the book?  Were you able to relate to the characters?  What questions did you have while reading?

*****

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, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

What Alice Forgot, by Liane Morarity

 

Characters

Alice Nick Children:  Madison (Sultana) (5th grade), Tom (4th grade), Olivia (Kindergarten)   Elisabeth – sister Ben – husband   Barb Jones – Alice and Elisabeth’s mother Roger – husband - Nick’s father   Gina (deceased) and Mike – former neighbors and best friends of Alice and Nick   Sophie – Alice’s best friend 10 years ago   Dominick – Alice’s boyfriend, school principal   Jane Turner – lawyer   Kate Harper – mother at school   Frannie Jeffrey – honorary grandmother Phil Peyton – deceased fiancé Mr. Moustache – Xavier   Dr. Jeremy Hodges – Elisabeth’s therapist

 

For discussion:
NOTE: All page numbers refer to the paperback edition.


1. As you were reading, who did you think Gina was?  What different scenarios did you imagine?


2. Did you like the technique of revealing the characters and story line through Elisabeth's homework journal to Dr. Hodges and Frannie's letters to Phil?  Why did you think this was effective or not?


3. Do you think Nick would be able to reconcile with Alice if she never got her memory back but he still remembered everything?


4. On page 359, when Alice felt her memory returning she thought, "She just couldn't decide if she should resist or encourage it."  What did you think she should do?


5. On page 386 Alice wondered if she had not visited Elisabeth much because she, Alice, "was so busy.  Busy, busy, busy."  Can you relate?  Also, when Elisabeth had her family she was becoming busy.  Can we resist always being busy?  How?


6. What would you be surprised about if you were in the same position as Alice and forgot the past 10 years of your life and then had to figure out what was happening?


7. How have you changed over the past 10 years that your 10-year-younger self would find surprising?  Not surprising?


8. This was a fun, enjoyable book, but it also dealt with serious life issues.  Did it make you think about some of these issues on a different or deeper level?  Some of the issues I thought it addresses were:

• Dealing with death (Barb when first husband died, Frannie after fiancé's death)
• Infertility
• Infidelity
• Forgiveness
• Miscarriages
• Hope (Elisabeth and insemination results)
• Being busy/mindfulness
• Divorce and children
• How we treat each other
• Sisterhood/friendship
• Parenthood/raising children
• Teenagers

*****
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, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on upper right link.

 

 

 

Peter Pan Must Die, by John Verdon

NOTE: I received this free book from Blogging for Books in exchange for writing a review on their website.  My review is as follows:

I have been reading either college essay exams or books for my two book groups, so I considered this book a mini vacation from my required reading.  It has been quite a while since I have read a pure detective mystery and I loved every minute of this reading experience!  The author, John Verdon, provided insight into the personalities of the characters, particularly the main character, Dave Gurney, and his wife Madeline that made them fascinating and helped me care about them.  He also provided insight into Dave’s thought process and motivation that was quite interesting.  Besides having an enjoyable reading experience I learned how detectives might go about solving cases as well as insight into my own thinking.  The solution was ingenious and thought-provoking!  I strongly recommend this book to mystery lovers as well as someone who wants an enjoyable, thoughtful read where they will gain knowledge and insight.  Please visit my blog, ReadtoEnrich.blogspot.com for a list of characters and discussion questions.    This book was provided free in exchange for my review.

Characters

Dave Gurney – retired detective Madeline – second wife – counselor at crisis center Danny – Dave and Madeline’s son – deceased at age 4 – automobile accident when Dave was watching  him Kyle – son by first wife – Columbia law student   Jack Hardwick – retired detective, Esti Moreno – BCI investigator, dating Jack   Lex Bincher – lawyer working with Jack to free Kay Spalter   Carl Spalter – murdered executive and prospective politician Kay Spalter – second wife - convicted of killing Carl Alyssa – daughter  by Carl’s first marriage – drug addict Jonah Spalter – Carl’s brother – Cyberspace Cathedral Mother  to Carl and Jonah – murdered in senior living home   Michael Klemper – Mick the Dick – Senior Investigator on Spalter case   Adonis Angelidis – Donny Angel – mob boss – murdered by Peter Pan   Petros Panikos – Peter Pan   Brian Bork – RAM-TV   Malcolm Claret – Dave’s therapist   Minor Characters: Paulette Purley – cemetery manager Frank McGrath – manager of apartment building Carol Blissy – manager of senior living home Freddie – witness against Kay who disappeared Balo – in apartment next to crime scene

For Discussion:

NOTE: All page numbers refer to the hardback edition of the book

1. Discuss Dave’s reasons for pursuing the case.  He felt it was an intellectual challenge or puzzle to be solved.  Madeline thought he was driven by the idea of risk.  (Chapter 10, Page 60)

2. What did you think of Claret’s analysis of Dave’s motivation?  On page 257 (Chapter 37) he stated that “So this obsessive need of yours to atone for Danny’s death, to deal with your guilt by exposing yourself to the risk of being killed…it’s terribly selfish, isn’t it?”

3. Consider Dave’s explanation of how witnesses can be wrong.  In chapter 39, page 271 he stated, “We don’t think what we think because we see what we see.  We see what we see because we think what we think.  Preconceptions can easily override optical date – even make us see things that aren’t there.”  Do you think this is correct?  Can you think of any examples, either from the news or from your own experience, to prove or disprove this idea?

4. In the midst of the investigation while Dave was gathering information he reflected that, “Too much was happening too damn fast.  It was as though his brain couldn’t contain another speck of information, and every time something new got jammed in, it shoved something out the other side.”  (Chapter 39, Page 272)  Have you ever felt like this? 

5. What did you think about the idea of “pattern resonance” where we make connections unconsciously between things that are somewhat similar but not overtly so?  (Chapter 52, page 356)  How did this help Dave solve the mystery?  Can you think of any examples from your own thought processes?

6. Why did Brian Bork run the promotion ads for the fictitious show earlier than agreed upon?  Did you think this was realistic?

7. Several times the author described Madeline as able to compartmentalize her life (Chapter 44, Page 309 and Chapter 45, Page 315).  Are you able to do this?  Do you want to be able to do this?

8. The author noted that being in law enforcement changes people by “nourishing certain traits: skepticism, calculation, insularity, toughness.”  (Chapter 34, page 235)  He continued that different people react differently to these and have either positive or negative outcomes.  Can you see how this could happen?  What could police departments do to help their officers survive and thrive in difficult situations?

9. As a college professor, I often remind my students about the importance of sleep and the need to give information time to become consolidated into your long-term memory.  Gurney thought that dreams were the result of “the nightly filing and indexing process the brain employs in the movement of recorded experience from short-term to long-term memory” (Chapter 54, page 365).  Do you think this is correct?  Can you see how this would be important to a detective trying to solve a case as well as a student studying for an exam?

10. As you were reading, who did you think was the murderer?  What clues led you to your conclusion?

11. Did you like the ending and the explanation of the solution to the case?  Was it satisfying?  Compare this novel to other mysteries you have read and the way the solution was revealed.

12. Discuss your reading experience. 

*****

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, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.   Click on link to upper right to go to Amazon page.

The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield

Characters
Current time of interview	Vida’s life story
Margaret Lea Father – owns Lea’s Antiquarian Booksellers Mother – depressed Moira - twin sister – deceased   Vida Winter – author, Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation   Judith – Vida’s housekeeper   Servants – Maurice and “The Missus”   Dr. Clifton – Vida’s doctor   Aurelius Alphonse Love – Margaret met at ruins of Angelfield house   Karen – parents Ambrose Proctor and Emmeline Thomas Ambrose Proctor - son	Vida Winter Adeline March Emmeline –Adeline’s  twin sister   George and Mathilde Angelfield –grandparents (Mathilde died at Isabelle’s birth) Charles - son Isabelle  - married Roland March – Adeline and Emmeline’s mother – committed to institution when daughters 13   Hester Barrow - governess   Servants – Maurice and “The Missus”   John-the-dig – John Digence – gardener – topiaries Ambrose Proctor – boy helping in garden   Dr. Maudsley – town doctor

For discussion:

 NOTE: Page numbers refer to the paperback edition

1. On page 4 the author wrote, “Reading can be dangerous.”  How can reading be dangerous?  Do you have any memories of something negative that happened while you were reading or as a result of your reading? 

2. As a reader, what descriptions of books and reading were your favorites?

*Page 10 – the father was described as “being in another world” when he was reading a book by Vida

*Page 27 – the anxiety about coming to the end of a book you are enjoying

*Page 29 – the frustration about not being able to read all books and having “to draw the line somewhere.”

*Pages 289-290 – how a book you just finished stays with you

3. On page 41 Margaret commented as she entered Vida’s library, “…what better way to get to know someone than through her choice and treatment of books?”  Do you agree?  What can you learn about someone through their books?

4. Discuss the various characters.  Could you understand why they did what they did?  Who was the most sympathetic?  Which character did you like the most?

5. Everyone in town had different opinions about Adeline and Emmeline as they were growing up – could not speak correctly, not aware of other people, crazy.   As the story unfolded, what did you think?

6. What did you think about Hester Barrow and Dr. Maudsley’s experiment separating the twins?  Did they have other motives than the twin’s best interest? 

7. What do you think could have been done to help the twins?

8. Was John’s death an accident or caused by someone?  Who would have caused his death and why?

9. What do you think happened to Hester Barrow?

10. How did you like the ending?  How did the ending change you understanding of the book?

11. What do you think the thirteenth tale was about?

*****

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, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

A Story Lately Told, by Anjelica Houston

People

Huston Family: Walter Houston – grandfather John – father Enrica Georgia Soma (Rikki) – mother  (John’s fourth wife) Tony – brother   Danny – step brother (father John, mother Zoe) Allegra – step sister (mother Rikki, father John Julius)   Pablo – John’s adopted son from “last life in America”   Joan Buck – friend Lizzie - friend   “Nurse” – Kathleen Shine – children’s nanny starting when Anjelica was three   Bob Richardson – Huston’s live-in boyfriend for four years – mentally ill   Cici – John’s fifth wife

For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the paperback edition.


1. On page 42 and 43 of the paperback, the author wrote, “Dad collected people as well,” and that she had only met Pablo once or twice because he “belonged to Dad’s last life in America.”   What does this say about John Huston’s regard for the value of family, friendship and people in general?


2. Anjelica and Tony were never told what was happening or why.   How did this affect them as children?  How do you think it will affect them as adults?


3. Why did everyone allow John to raise Allegra after Rikki’s death?    Her natural father offered to raise her.  Houston wrote on page 207 “I was proud of Dad when he agreed to raise Allegra” and then on page 211 she wrote “I’m scared of Dad…He frightens me.”


4. Which characters did you like/dislike?  What were your feelings regarding the people in the book as you were reading?


5. Discuss the Huston as a writer.  What was your reading experience with this book?


6. Are you interested in reading the sequel?  Why or why not?


7. How has the idea of “celebrity” changed since the early days of movies when the studios “managed” actors’ lives and careers?   Is it for the better or worse?


8. Do you think the idea of “celebrity” has been tainted by people like Kim Kardashian who are “famous” for nothing? 

*****
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, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

How Children Succeed, by Paul Tough

This was the One Book-One Conference selection for the College Reading and Learning Associations' national conference in November 2014. Here is a summary of the chapters and questions for discussion.

Chapter	Key Terms, Ideas and People
Introduction	Current research in child development focusing on: Non-cognitive skills Personality traits Character
Chapter 1 How to Fail (and How Not To)	Elizabeth Dozier, Principal – Fenger High School Nadine Burke Harris – doctor   Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) – childhood trauma related to adult health – body’s physical reaction to stress   51% of children who scored high on ACE scale had trouble in school   Prefrontal cortex – part of brain affected by early stress – this area also controls emotional and cognitive self-regulatory activities (executive function)   High quality mothering can protect children from trauma and stress
Chapter 2 How to Build Character	KIPP – Knowledge is Power Program – David Levin - students did well while there but faltered when at new school. Those who succeeded not necessarily the brightest but had other qualities such as optimism and resilience   Martin Seligman – Learned Optimism Pessimists react to negative events  as if they are permanent, personal and pervasive Optimists react to negative events as if they are specific, limited and have short-term explanations   Angela Duckworth Christopher Peterson   Marshmallow test – child able to delay gratification better when they created their own distractions, thought about goal more abstractly However, this did not work in academics.  Students found it hard to delay gratification when goals are abstract.  Duckworth divides achievement into motivation and volition (will power or self-control).   M&M incentive – lower students increased IQ test scores when receiving M&Ms as reward for right answers.  This also did not work in academics.  Most “reward” programs did not produce positive results.    Seven strengths that will likely predict high academic achievement and satisfaction in life (Peterson): Grit Self-control Zest Social intelligence Gratitude Optimism Curiosity  MCII – Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions Three goal-setting stages: 1. Optimists – imagine future 2. Pessimists – dwelling on obstacles 3. Mental Contrasting – focus on positive while planning for obstacles ***Relates to 2013’s book, Making Hope Happen, by Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D.   Group Identify – Stereotype Threat – can have positive or negative effect on achievement   Carol Dweck – students do better if they believe they can improve their intelligence instead of believing it is fixed   Jane Martinez Dowling –KIPP Through College
Chapter 3 How to Think	Chess Elizabeth Spiegel  - teaching executive function through chess Self-analysis - analyze mistakes – what could have been done differently   Difference between “wanting” something and “choosing it” – makes difference in behavior and determination   Confirmation bias (confirm correct answer) vs. falsification (look for information to disprove answer) – Falsification is a skill characteristic of best chess players   Malcolm Gladwell – 10,000 hours to become expert in any field   James Black – chess master – smart at chess but not in academics – could not make up what he had missed earlier in school
Chapter 4 How to Succeed	United States has fallen from 1st to 12th worldwide in percentage of 25 – 34 year olds who are graduates of four-year colleges   1990 >> 2000 - Rate of bachelor degree attainment: Wealthy families with at least one parent with college degree: 61% >> 68% Disadvantaged families with no parent with college degree: 11.1% >> 9.5%   Problem no longer access to college – now concern is completion   William G. Bowen, Michael S. McPherson, Matthew Chingos Studied college completion High School GPA most accurate predictor of success Better measure of self-control, motivation, perseverance, good study and time management habits   Jeff Nelson – OneGoal – goal is from high school to successful  college attempt Found that effective teacher important to successful transition   Time college students spend studying: 1961 – 24 hours/week 1981 – 20 hours per week 2003 – 14 hours per week This is an opportunity for disadvantaged students to make up lost learning
Chapter 5 A Better Path	Socioeconomic status predicts academic success   Focus switched from poverty to educational reform – focus now on teacher quality and tenure   According to Tough, the real issue is how to improve the life chances of millions of impoverished children.  Many school reform ideas work well with impoverished, able students but not with impoverished least-able students   Poor children usually have high ACE scores

For discussion:
1. Do you agree with the author’s ideas?  Why or why not?
2. Do you have Grit?  How did you develop it?
3. How do you define “character” in relation to academics and/or success in life?
4. How important do you think mistakes are to learning and to success?
5. Was there any idea that was particularly interesting to you?
6. Do you currently do anything to help your students gain non-cognitive skills for success? 
7. What can we do in our colleges and classrooms to help students gain these characteristics?
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available from wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

The Burgess Boys, by Elizabeth Strout

Updated November 2016

Characters
Burgess Family	Shirley Falls	New York
Jim – corporate attorney Bob – legal-aid attorney Susan – Bob’s twin, optometrist Zachary Olson – Susan’s son Barbara – mother, deceased Helen – Jim’s wife Pam – Bob’s 1st wife, former parasitological research assistant Ted – husband Twin sons Margaret Estaver – Bob’s 2nd wife – Unitarian Minister	Mrs. Drinkwater – Susan’s tenant Gerry O’Hara – police chief Charlie Tibbetts – local lawyer Diane Dodge – DA’s office – Civil Rights Rick Huddleston	Dorothy and Alan – couple Jim and Helen vacationed with,  Jim’s boss Adriana Martic – Bob’s neighbor, affair with Jim and sexual harassment charge
	Somalis
	Abdikarim Ahmed – abandoned by younger wife and children, championed for Zachary Omed – translator at hospital Haweeya - wife

 For discussion:

NOTE:  All page numbers refer to the paperback edition of the book.

1. Did you like the introduction of the mother and daughter talking about the Burgess family?  Did the help or hinder your understanding of the book?  Why did the author decide to start the story that way?

2. Discuss the Burgess family dynamics:

*Bob (4 years old) always thinking he caused accident that killed their father

*Jim never telling Bob truth about their father’s accidental death (page 225)

*Their mother taking her anger out on Susan

*Susan and Jim always calling Bob stupid and other insults

3. Discuss Jim’s behavior in hotel room at end of vacation where Helen overhead him yelling at Bob the way his neighbor in Shirley Falls yelled.  How did Helen react to this scene?

4. On page 272 Bob realized he was no longer welcome at Helen and Jim's house.  Why was this?

5. On the following page, 273, when Bob ran into Jim on the street before Bob knew what was happening, Jim said, "Bob, I have to be really straight here.  You have always made me crazy.  I am tired of you, Bob.  I am so fucking tired of you.  Of your Bobness.  I an so - Bob, I just want you gone,  Jesus, please go."  Was this fair?  What did he mean by "his Bobness?"

6. On page 287, when Jim's affair was discovered and he was talking with Helen, he said, "I was supposed to take care of everyone.  Growing up.  That was my job."  Do you think that was explicitly stated or did Jim just take on that role?  Did he ever really take care of the family?

7. On page 83, what did Pam mean when she was reading about Shirley Falls and the parasitological and psychological concerns of the refugees and thought, "I am living the wrong life."?  Was anyone else in the book learning the wrong life?

8. To Abdikarim, the policemen’s laugh when they first saw the pig’s head was significant.  Why?  Why do you think they laughed?

9. What were the positive results that came about because of Zach’s actions?  Would they have happened otherwise?

10. What insights did you gain about the immigrant experience from this book?  How would you feel in a strange place where no one understood your language or your customs? 

11. Discuss the contrast between the American value in looking someone in the eye when speaking contrasted to the Somalis’ belief that to look someone in the eye is rude and disrespectful?  How can two such diverse cultures co-exist?

12. What was your reaction when the newspaper published a picture of Zach smiling as he first left the police station?

13. Do you think Zach should have been prosecuted of what he did?  Why do you think he did it?

14. What do you think happened to Jim at the end of the novel?

15. Who was the happiest person in the book?

16. Which character did you feel the most sympathy for?  The least sympathy? 

*****

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, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.