And the next book is....

WHITE OLEANDER, by Janet Fitch!

This is a fantastic book (in my humble opinion) and I think we will all enjoy reading and discussing it.

Here is a brief summary:

White Oleander tells the unforgettable story of Astrid, a girl whose odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes - each its own universe with its own laws, its own dangers, its own hard lessons to be learned - becomes a redeeming journey of self-discovery. White Oleander follows a young woman's journey through hardship and loss to maturity, joy and true independence.

After her uncompromising but seductive mother Ingrid kills her boyfriend for abandoning her, fifteen-year-old Astrid witnesses her mother's arrest. It's an event that will change the course of both their lives. Suddenly, young Astrid is on her own.

Shuttled through a series of foster homes, Astrid struggles to master the techniques she needs if she's to survive the unyielding and often harsh world she is thrust into. Astrid tries desperately to forge her own identity within her ever-changing environment. From behind bars, Ingrid's powerful influence is the only constant in Astrid's life. For good, and for bad...

In the three years that mark her passage from child to adult, Astrid must learn the value of independence and courage, rage and forgiveness, love and survival, to earn her freedom from the past.

Also, I believe we are expecting a new member to the group, which I know Kyle and I are very excited about. I'm looking forward to meeting her!

The next meeting will be held on Sunday, July 11th at approximately 6pm. I will look for some discussion questions online a little later and post them if I find any.

Until then, happy reading!

Reminder!

The meeting for Catcher in the Rye is being held this Sunday, June 13th!

If you need the time/directions, leave a comment with your email or something.

Don't forget to BRING SOME KIND OF TREAT. Review the "Rules of Book Club" if you're confused.

And don't bother coming if you haven't read the book, because then I will most likely yell at you.

See ya Sunday!

-Nicole

Reading Questions for "Catcher in the Rye"

I gathered some discussion questions from various websites:

1. Holden narrates the story of "The Catcher in the Rye" while he is recovering from his breakdown. Do you think the promise of recovery that Holden experiences as he watches the carousel at the end of the novel has been fulfilled? Specifically, has holden gained a more mature perspective on the events that he narrates?
2. What is the significance of the carousel in chapter 25?
3. Though Holden never describes his psychological breakdown directly, it becomes clear as the novel progresses that he is growing increasingly unstable. How does Salinger indicate this instability to the reader while protecting his narrator's reticence?
4. Visualize Holden's red hunting cap. It's a symbol. What do you make of it?
5. On pp. 132-34 Holden develops some future plans. What do they indicate about his hopes, wishes, fears?
6. On pp. 173 Holden tells (us) about his favorite fantasy of being the catcher in the rye. Think about this. What position is he imagining himself in? Why? Is he successful in being what he wishes to be?
7. Consider Holden's and Phoebe's trip to Central Park and the carousel (pp. 210-213). What is he enacting or re-enacting? Why does he become so happy yet sad? This scene deserves major attention.

Leave a comment if you have any questions. Don't forget the meeting is Sunday, June 13th!