|
In what ways do you find the book relevant to today's atmosphere?
|
|
1
|
87
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Overall, what did you think of The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
36
|
1541
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
When Olivia asks Vincent why he wants to write the story, he tells her, “When I die, they’ll die with me…This is the least I can do for them.” She, however, thinks it’s “about money and about manipulating me one last time.” Whose view is correct?
|
|
12
|
110
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Olivia wonders if Margot’s & Mark’s memories are colored by their friendships with Poppy & Danny. Do you think you could recall something with complete accuracy? Do you have particular memories that you know are clouded by your feelings at the time?
|
|
14
|
135
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Do you think in the end that Vincent has told Olivia the complete truth, or as a “liar by trade and by instinct” he’s held back a portion of it?
|
|
16
|
221
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Olivia’s father tells her, “Very rarely do people like what they find when they go digging into the past.” How did you feel about his statement here? Do you agree with him?
|
|
19
|
139
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
What did you think of Olivia's confrontation with John Calder? Was her ensuing ostracism deserved? Would there have been less blowback if she'd been male? Do you think you’d be able to ghostwrite a book with someone you loathed?
|
|
19
|
183
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Olivia feels her family’s past and secrets are so harmful to her that she hides them from everyone, even her closest partner. Do you think she’s right to do so? Are there things you keep from your loved ones?
|
|
20
|
173
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Danny's Memories from 1975?
|
|
12
|
137
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Olivia at first refuses the work because she’s “not a fiction writer.” Her father replies, “Of course you’re a fiction writer. You always have been.” What do you think he means? Do you agree with his interpretation?
|
|
9
|
81
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Which of the characters in The Busybody Book Club would you most enjoy inviting to your own book club meeting?
|
|
17
|
166
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Arthur continues reading romances to stay connected to Esi. What did you think of this? Is there any practice you’ve continued so that you can stay connected to someone?
|
|
15
|
140
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Considering only the reader can glean the whole truth of the murders at the end, were you satisfied with how much knowledge Olivia and Vincent are able to gather?
|
|
4
|
91
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Danny, Vincent, and Poppy have a complex sibling relationship. Do you think birth order matters in siblings? Did it matter to Danny, Vincent, and Poppy?
|
|
15
|
196
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
If you could suggest one book for The Busybody Book Club to read, what would it be and why?
|
|
11
|
147
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Real Americans? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
27
|
567
|
June 23, 2025
|
|
Which of Agatha Christie’s mysteries have you read? Do you have a favorite, and if so, what about it do you like?
|
|
16
|
279
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
All of the main characters in the story have a secret. Whose secret did you find the most surprising?
|
|
15
|
180
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
At the start of the story, Nova thinks the book club is a disaster. Do you think she’s right? What do you think is the key to a successful book club?
|
|
15
|
173
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
How does Lies and Weddings amplify the decadence in Kevin Kwan's other novels? To what audience would you recommend the book? Is there another book or author you feel addresses parallel themes or has a similar style?
|
|
13
|
182
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Lies and Weddings? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
31
|
165
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Do men have more power than women within the families and societies of Lies and Weddings? Or is gender irrelevant, with power being derived through other factors?
|
|
13
|
110
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Despite the appearance of wealth, Lord Greshamsbury (Francis) and Prince Julius zu Liechtenburg are both facing financial ruin. What protections do their respective nobility and royalty bestow? Are their titles more of a burden than a benefit?
|
|
9
|
95
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Dr. Hirschfeld tells Bertie, "Transvestites are the canaries of the world." (p. 190) What do you suppose he meant? Do you agree that this was true then? How about now?
|
|
11
|
169
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
In what ways, if any, does this book alter your perceptions of WWII, the Holocaust, and/or America's role in the liberation of Germany? Did anything surprise you?
|
|
20
|
235
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Like her heroine, Miss Marple, Phyllis claims that you should always believe the worst in people. Do you think the events of this book prove her right or wrong? Do you have any mottoes in your own life?
|
|
7
|
106
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Have you ever visited the English seaside? Did you enjoy the setting of St. Tredock in Cornwall?
|
|
15
|
218
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
How does the behavior of Hai's Uncle Sen and the other men in Daughters of Shandong compare with what we’ve come to understand about Chinese culture?
|
|
1
|
111
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Daughters of Shandong? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
38
|
505
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Who did you suspect was behind the theft and the murder? Did your suspicions change at all as the story went on?
|
|
8
|
148
|
September 3, 2025
|