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Why couldn't Anatole tell Tullia about the memory potion? If he could have told her, do you think she would have agreed to it?
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3
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36
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September 11, 2026
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Tullia spends the night sobbing over her father's death, but the next morning, she tells Pito, “He wasn’t my father…He was King Sandro.” What did you think of this scene? Why did she mourned him even though she was a "disappointment" to him?
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10
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59
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September 10, 2026
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13-year-old Tullia tells Anatole, “Only peasants can afford to marry for love.” (p. 16). What did you think of this scene? Do you think marriages are still made for reasons other than love?
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9
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66
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September 10, 2026
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Anatole notes that during the Renaissance, perspective and symmetry were “essential” to defining a woman as beautiful (p. 15). In what ways have beauty standards changed over time, and in what ways are they the same?’
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4
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35
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September 10, 2026
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The author sprinkles little-known details about the era throughout novel. Did you learn anything new? What surprised you?
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6
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53
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September 10, 2026
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Do you remember reading Louis Sachar’s best-known novel, Holes, as a child or reading it to a child in your life? If so, are there memories about the experience you’d care to share?
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7
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47
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September 7, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend The Vanishing Place? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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10
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96
|
August 25, 2026
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Effie is obviously hesitant to return to New Zealand, so why does she go? Have you ever felt compelled to do something you dreaded?
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14
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112
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August 25, 2026
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What echoes of young Effie do you see in her as an adult?
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9
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82
|
August 25, 2026
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How did the last lines make you feel? Did they make you keep thinking about what would happen next for the characters?
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14
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103
|
August 25, 2026
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There is a powerful pull on each character to return to their place of origin. Have you felt such a pull in your own life?
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10
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92
|
August 25, 2026
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For the most part, technology doesn't intrude on the characters' lives. Does that strike you as appealing?
|
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14
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118
|
August 25, 2026
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Should Effie trust in Lewis more and accept his help, or would that undermine her own strength? Are you frustrated by her self-reliance, or do you feel sympathetic toward her?
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11
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84
|
August 25, 2026
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Did learning about Adam's childhood affect the way you felt about him? To what extent are we responsible for our adult actions, and how much is an unavoidable consequence of our childhood?
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11
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74
|
August 19, 2026
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Which scene in The Vanishing Place was your favorite? Were there any passages or quotes you highlighted, and if so, which ones?
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4
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42
|
August 19, 2026
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Why do you think Anya goes to the bridge? What is she so frightened of?
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8
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66
|
August 19, 2026
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Eunice Hunton Carter and Polly Adler were well-known figures in 1930s New York. Were you familiar with either of them before reading A Pair of Aces?
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34
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555
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August 18, 2026
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This is the third historical fiction novel Benedict and Murray have written together. Each has also written several novels on her own. Have you read any of their other works, and if so, how do they compare?
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22
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240
|
August 18, 2026
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Lucky Luciano was the most notorious mobster of his time. Had you heard of him before reading the book? Lucky, Eunice, & Polly were all prominent figures in the 1930s. Who do you think is the best known of the three today? Why do you think that is?
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21
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148
|
August 18, 2026
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Horace decides that while people write books for many reasons, he writes for control. “The characters did whatever he told them to.” What did you think of this statement? How does it illuminate Horace’s character and set up the rest of the book?
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14
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59
|
September 17, 2026
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What role did traumatic loss play in Emilie’s relationships with Keller and Walker? Do you think she’d have taken up with either man without that catalyst?
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5
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47
|
August 18, 2026
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Lottie starts looking at retirement homes in part because she’s afraid that she’ll die alone in her house, and no one will find her for a long time. What’s your experience with aging in one’s home vs. in a retirement community?
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21
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112
|
October 1, 2026
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Burke has continued to track Lottie because catching a serial killer is his only chance to be remembered. Why do you suppose being remembered is so important to him? Do you believe most people strive to be remembered in some way?
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14
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87
|
October 1, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend Too Old for This?
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20
|
152
|
October 1, 2026
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Were you surprised that Lottie was never caught? Do you think she'll continue to kill people, or do you feel she's finished?
|
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30
|
275
|
October 1, 2026
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On page 172, Lottie claims that “people put their interest ahead of others’, even in times of tragedy…Self-interest always takes precedence.” Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
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10
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89
|
October 1, 2026
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Lottie finds the way funerals end to be depressing. “Everyone walks out and continues with their day as if nothing happened. That seems sadder than the death.” Do you feel her take on funerals and death is correct? What’s your opinion about the rite?
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21
|
138
|
October 1, 2026
|
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Overall, what did you think of Too Old for This? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
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|
41
|
294
|
October 1, 2026
|
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What did you think about Niamh’s belief that her mother only moved to a small, rural cottage so that Niamh couldn’t move in with her?
|
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10
|
85
|
September 29, 2026
|
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To what audience would you recommend How to Kill a Crime Writer?
|
|
20
|
137
|
September 29, 2026
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