Pammy's comments (member since Mar 20, 2009)

Pammy's comments from the Osceola Library System group.

Here are some questions to start the discussion.

1. While the main characters come from very different walks of life, they meet regularly and have a common interest (knitting). Have you ever been in a similar reading/discussion/hobby group? What did you get out of it?

2. Of the four main characters --- Lydia, Jacqueline, Carol and Alix --- is there one that particularly captured your imagination? Why?

3. Taking each main character in turn, decide on 3 --- 4 adjectives that most aptly describe that person (example: courageous, angry, wimpy, disappointed, etc.). How do they manifest these characteristics? How do you feel about these people?

Here are some questions to start the discussion.

1. There is a telling passage about Mortenson’s change of direction at the start of the
book: “One evening, he went to bed by a yak dung fire a mountaineer who’d lost his way,
and one morning, by the time he’d shared a pot of butter tea with his hosts and laced up
his boots, he’d become a humanitarian who’d found a meaningful path to follow for the
rest of his life.” What made Mortenson particularly ripe for such a transformation? Has
anything similar happened in your own life?

2. Relin gives a “warts and all” portrait of Mortenson, showing him as a hero but also as a
flawed human being with some exasperating traits. Talk about the methods Relin chose to
write about Mortenson’s character—his choice of details, his perspective, the way he
constructs scenes. Is Mortenson someone you’d like to get to know, work with, have as a
neighbor or friend?

4. Have you ever known anyone like Mortenson? Have you ever had the experience of
making a difference yourself through acts of generosity, aid, or leadership?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Here are some questions to get the discussion started.

1. What was it like to read a novel composed entirely of letters? What do letters offer that no other form of writing (not even emails) can convey?

2. Discuss the poets, novelists, biographers, and other writers who capture the hearts of the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. What does a reader’s taste in books say about his or her personality? Whose lives were changed the most by membership in the society?

3. 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?

I read Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder. It's the start of a new trilogy set in the same universe as her first Poison Trilogy, and it's a continuation. If you're into fantasy and magic, plus intrigue and light romance, this book and author is a must read.

The book revolves around Opal Cowan and her magical glass abilities, which are not the norm for her people. Still learning, Opal must embark on a quest to see why the Stormdancer orbs are breaking, causing death and chaos in the land. Along the way she meets new and friends, and manages to make a few enemies along the way.

What are you reading this summer? Share your likes and dislikes with the club.