Book Club Questions and Ideas (Beware, Spoilers Lurk Within!)

If your Book Club is reading my books, I'd love to be part of the discussion. I'll drop in on your discussion, either in-person, on the phone or the Internet through Skype. I'm always hoping for a reason to meet new friends! Email me at joannaslan@aol.com and put "Book Club Request" in the subject line. Also, if you send me a self-addressed, stamped envelope, I'll send you bookmarks for your Book Club group. Just tell me how many you need, please, and if you'd like them signed.

Book Club Questions for Cut, Crop & Die

1. The smell of lilies brings back bad memories for Kiki Lowenstein. Of all our senses, the sense of smell has been known to evoke the most vivid recall. What fragrances do you dislike and what memories do they provoke?
2. Kiki has a public complaint about Bama and a private one. The private one is based on Kiki's own personal insecurities. Have you ever felt jealous or threatened by someone for silly reasons? Do you think women are more prone to compare each other with bad results? Why or why not?
3. Kiki wonders why Detweiler hasn't moved ahead in their relationship, but she is too shy to ask him about his feelings. Do you think men and women should be more honest? Would you have asked him what his intentions were? Do you think this is too forward? Explain your answer, keeping in mind that Kiki is a single mom.
4. Ellen Harmon upsets Kiki and her friends because she usurps their moment in the spotlight. But Dodie Goldfader quickly recoups by giving credit to Yvonne Gaynor for her new prestige. Do you agree that giving credit is more powerful than receiving it? Why or why not?
5. Sheila tells Kiki that "when the teen years strike, the closer children are to their parents, the tougher it is for them to act independent in a respectful manner." She explains that children use their parents as a way to test their ideas. Do you agree? What would you have told Kiki about Anya's moodiness?
6. Later Kiki and Sheila decide that Anya can wear makeup after she starts her periods. Is this a good idea? Do you have a special ritual in your family for when girls or boys reach puberty?
7. When Kiki's worries threaten her, she pampers herself with a good meal, new books, and a relaxing bath. How do you take care of yourself? What always works for you?
8. Kiki notes that researchers have discovered a "worry" gene which is passed along in families. Does your family have a "worry" gene? Do you agree with this information or not? Do some people seem genetically disposed to worry more than others?
9. After Yvonne Gaynor dies, a variety of people try to comfort her family and young children in a variety of ways. One group makes a scrapbook, and Kiki drops off food. Another person starts a fund for the kids. What do you think is the best way of comforting a grieving family?
10. One theme of this book is how people aren't always who they seem. Detweiler isn't. Clancy isn't...at least the first impression she gives Kiki is at odds with how friendly she is later. Anya tries to be someone she isn't...yet. Why do you think people go to such great lengths to hide who they really are?
11. Another theme is that people often disappoint us. For example, Horace trusted his employer. Johnny broke his family's hearts. Why and how do people disappoint us? Is it our fault for having the wrong expectations? Or theirs for not living up to our expectations? Is it possible others are just doing the best they can? Explain.
12. The third theme of this book is plagiarism. Police Chief Holmes thinks it's a weak motive for murder, but have you ever been copied? Did someone pass off your work as his/her own? How did that make you feel? Ellen Harmon gets away with copying the programs at Time in a Bottle. Today, with the Internet, it is easier than ever to copy the work of other people without giving them credit or even without paying them. Music, television shows, and books are all pirated. What do you think about this?
13. The fourth theme of this book is secrets. Friends conspire to keep secrets from Kiki. Kiki keeps it a secret that she's "investigating" Bama. Kiki becomes angry that her friends didn't share their secrets with her. Is she right or wrong to be upset? How would you have handled the situation she's in with Detweiler?
14. Even though they have their differences, Kiki still calls Detweiler when she needs him. What do you think about this? Are there people you know you can rely on even if you have a fight? What makes them so trustworthy? Or is it habit?

In the next book of the Kiki Lowenstein series, we explore what it means to be a "good" parent, as well as the forces that promote racism, hate-mongering, prejudices of all sorts. When Anya finds a dead teacher at her school, Kiki must turn to Detective Chad Detweiler for help. But Detweiler has problems of his own, as an old friend quickly becomes the number one suspect in the murder. Kiki's sleuthing uncovers a St. Louis tradition with deep racial overtones. Soon she has angered powerful forces inside the private school community. But Kiki keeps snooping around, and what she learns puts her in the crosshairs of those who would stop at nothing to maintain their way of life.

Want me to visit your next book club? I have Skype, so I can travel anywhere, anytime. Just email me to set up our visit. Go to joannaslan@aol.com and put Book Club Visit in the Subject Line.