2013 - 2014: Let's Get Started!

Our first book this year is Graceling by Kristin Cashore--a tale filled with action, espionage, secrecy, and a sassy female protagonist who is pretty much a medieval fantasy version of Jason Bourne.

But don't be fooled. Just because it's thriller-esque doesn't mean it's not literary. Graceling deals with plenty of complex themes as the book's main character, Katsa, tries to make her way in the world. There's also a fair amount of symbolism: Katsa's workroom, Katsa's fights with Po, the changing seasons, that mortar cracking in a window frame, and the long and winding road--they all have something to say in this narrative.

And the characters! Katsa, Po, Bitterblue, Randa, Leck, Raffin, Bann, Captain Faun, Ror, Oll, Giddon--they're all pretty well developed and complex. There's not a flat character in the bunch. 

Lots to Talk About, So Come Prepared

We'll be talking about all of these things (and more) when we get together on Monday, September 30th, but just to get you warmed up, here are a few things for you to consider in advance. Go ahead and read all of the questions below. Then choose one (or one set--some of them contain follow-ups) and formulate a really good response. 

You can write out your response and be ready to read it aloud, or you can just make some notes so you won't forget what you wanted to say. OR . . . you can create some kind of illustration to answer one of the questions. Or a song. You get the idea. Just be ready to really dive into at least one of these when we get together. 

And Now, The Questions

1. Why do you think Graceling is divided into three parts: The Lady Killer, The Twisted King, and The Shifting World?
2. It’s been said that in Graceling, Kristin Cashore completely subverts traditional gender roles. What evidence do you see of this over the course of the book?
3. Some people have claimed that Graceling has an anti-marriage message. Do you think that’s true? Why or why not? What elements of the book could cause people to believe it’s anti-marriage? How about passages, events, or characters  that may be pro-marriage? Can you find any of those?
4. Katsa is born with a Grace, but is she also born with an identity? What is it that ultimately determines who Katsa is and what she will become? Is her nature—her identity—something she was born with or something that has evolved over time based on her experiences in life?
5. Both Graceling by Kristin Cashore and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins were published in 2008. Aside from the fact that they are both the first book in a trilogy, what other similarities do you see between the two books? And what do you make of the fact that these books came out at the same time and both became instant bestsellers? What does their appeal say about society and pop culture in the early 21^st Century? Could these two books have been bestsellers in 1950? 1960? 1970? Why or why not?

See you on the 30th! Happy reading (and thinking).