Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

by Nancy,

 Conjure Women is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. A mother and daughter live on a plantation in Louisiana. The Civil War ends and the slaves remain. But freedom is still a fair way off..

There’s talk of magic and conjuring and the plantation is rife with suspicion.

Some things to think about as we read this months choice.

Afia Atakora has said in an interview with her publisher (Random House) that one of the central takeaways from her novel is that "our past isn't as far back or as well buried as we want to believe." What are the ways that the past haunts the present (and the future) in Conjure Women?

Let’s consider how racial issues have continually resurfaced in the USA: the shooting unarmed black men, the Black Lives Matter movement, football players kneeling before the flag, or the divisiveness over Confederate statues and flags. To what extent are the present issues tied to the very theme of a past that never dies in Conjure Women?

Have you read other works in the genre referred to as "slave novels," which creates, as Atakora puts it, "art from a legacy of horror." Atakora wanted her story to move beyond the "legacy of whippings" to consider what the years were like after the war and before the dawn of Jim Crow. Do you think she succeeded? How does her novel differ—or does it?—from others set during the Civil War era, and after?

I feel this novel has a lot to teach me, I hope we both enjoy it.

The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl

by Katie,

I can’t remember any other books we’ve read so far being set in Scandinavia.  How do we feel about this different atmosphere?  Is it the same as any other part of the world we’ve visited with our reading?   

Goodreads calls May’s book a riveting psychological suspense that “asks the question, ‘how far would you go to hold on to what you have?’”  How tightly do we hold on to things we deem important? Maybe we should think about this while we read.  

In addition, our protagonist, Cecilia, has a dark secret from her past.  How much of a mistake was Cecilia’s secret truly?  Particularly as children, we tend to make big deals out of insignificant events. Is her past something that her husband could overlook and forgive if Cecilia is just open and honest? Or is it a truly unforgivable sin? 

We also meet Annika whose life isn’t going the way she would like.  She knows Cecilia’s secret and may use it to help herself.  This makes me think of Nina from Pretty Things.  How does Annika compare to Nina?  Are the two women similar or different? Does Cecilia compared to Vanessa? Is Cecilia an easy mark or does she have an underlying tenacity that will be exposed when she is pushed too far? 

The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

by Nancy,

So many different versions of this story over time, I hope this modern take is entertaining for us and adds something new to this ancient tale.

A couple of questions to ponder while we read:

Firstly and most importantly, what do we think of this account?

To what extent does Achilles ultimate destiny shape his choices?

What parallels do we see between the characters and conflicts of this novel and today?

What pieces of Patroclus and Achilles story can be universalised?

I'm looking forward to this read I hope we enjoy it.

 

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

by Katie,

Diving into the world of wealthy influencers, Nina works to help “relieve” them of their wealth as a scam artist. Vanessa becomes one of these marks when she crosses paths with Nina. The two woman are brought together in what Litlovers calls a “twisty page-turner.” This may help feed into your desire for some mystery, Nancy!

I found these questions on randomhousebooks.com and thought they would be enjoyable to answer:

1. What motivates Nina to act the way she does? Do you think her actions are justified? What does her story say about class and privilege?

2. Did the book make you think differently about social media?

3. There are several “points of no return” in the book. Which did you find to be most critical?

4. How did you feel about the novel’s alternating voices and perspectives? How would the story be different without them?

I have tried not to read too much from the various synopses I found online because I don’t want the book to be ruined for me. From what I did read though, I am quite intrigued. I hope this isn’t as intense a thriller as Behind Closed Doors.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

by Nancy,

Part 2 takes us from Osaka January 1953 through to Tokyo 1989.

Pachinko covers a long span of time and is a long book.

What do you think of the length?

Is it too long?

What would you cut ,if anything?

What do we think of the ending of the novel?

Is it too tragic or just right?

I see Apple TV have made Pachinko into a movie. I have seen the cast list and have another question.

Hansu is played by the very handsome Korean actor Lee Min-ho.

 Does this change the perception of the character?

Was this how we perceived Hansu to look?

When reading a story it is easier to assign unlikable characters less desirable looks.

 it is part of the great joys of reading to create your own version of characters. 

What are your feelings on seeing characters in movies before reading the story?

Sorry this is so late, things have been hectic here.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

by Nancy,

As we have two months to read Pachinko let’s finish this first part at Book 2, Chapter 9 - Osaka 1949.

Pachinko is: the multi million dollar pinball gambling industry dominated by Korean Japanese, an immigrant community that has been unwelcome and ill treated for generations.

The name of the book seems a metaphor representing the life of Sunja and her family. Life is a gamble sometimes you win-sometimes you lose.

Spanning nearly 100 years and moving from Korea at the start of the 20th century to pre and post war Osaka and finally Tokyo and Yokohama the novel highlights the struggle of the Korean people in Japan.

Some questions for us to think about while we read this first part:

Early on Sunja is made to feel shame for her pregnancy. How does the idea of shame persist throughout the novel both in a sense of morals and identity?

Who seems the better father, Hansu or Isak?

The better provider, the better man?

The definition of home is another theme to Pachinko, Ms Lee prefaces the novel with a Charles Dickens quote.

“Home is a name, is a word, it is a strong one, stronger than magical ever spoke or spirit answered to, in strongest conjuration.” 

Is this applicable to the novel?

How does the concept of home and belonging evolve throughout the story?

A Song for the Dying by Stuart McBride

by Nancy,

A last  visit with Ash, Alice and Shifty for now, I hope this series continues. I wonder if we will get to meet “Henry” the dog and learn about him.

My hopes for something less dark and gritty seems to be fading as I read about this months book.  I think I’ve given up any chance of plausibility with this trilogy and now am just hanging on enjoying the wild ride.

I guess we could decide if we have a favourite of the tree stories?

Would we read any other Stuart McBride novels, he has written a lot?

I guess we brace ourselves for what happens to Shifty, which we’ve already discussed won’t be good.

Francis and Joseph have been in both novels so far, what are our thoughts on these characters