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The book opens with Anatole in the present day, but most of the book takes place five hundred years in the past. Why do you think the author included the first chapter? What does it convey that would be lost if the novel just began with chapter 2?
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8
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53
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September 12, 2026
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Anatole, Tullia, and Pito spend some time in a monastery. What do you think of the abbot's assertion that it is only through an ordinary and dull routine that true enlightenment can be achieved?
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9
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69
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September 12, 2026
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Does Anatole's experimentation on a prisoner seem ethical? If not, why do you think we root for him anyway? Does it make a difference that Pito agreed to them if it will help Tullia? How do these actions make us feel about him as a character?
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4
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37
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September 12, 2026
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1000 Books: What shall we read in September 2026?
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24
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309
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September 12, 2026
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At one point in the monastery, Tullia tells Anatole that she fears Pito has fallen in love with her (p. 227). Has he? Or is it wishful thinking on her part? When do you think Pito and Tullia truly developed feelings again for each other?
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5
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37
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September 12, 2026
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Ask the Author mug winners
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13
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313
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September 12, 2026
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Read a book that was recommended to you by another BookBrowse member
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10
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149
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September 11, 2026
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After escaping the castle, Pito and Tullia ask Anatole what his experiments were about. He lies to them, saying he was working on a treatment for the Blue Death. Why doesn’t he tell them the truth? What would have occurred if he’d been honest with them?
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4
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29
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September 11, 2026
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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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34
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September 11, 2026
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2026 Wordplay Winners!
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21
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281
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September 10, 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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Anatole drank a potion that enabled him to live forever. If offered such a potion, would you drink it? Why or why not?
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20
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138
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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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64
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September 10, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend The Magician of Tiger Castle? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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14
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86
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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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34
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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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51
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September 10, 2026
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What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (9/3/2026)
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74
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519
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September 10, 2026
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Authors Guild addresses Anthropic settlement concerns
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0
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20
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September 9, 2026
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Catcher in the Rye Side Read, September 2026
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4
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54
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September 8, 2026
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1000 Books: August 2026 Read: The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
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10
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93
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September 8, 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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44
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September 7, 2026
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Has a book ever inspired you to visit a location? If so, which book, and where did you go?
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5
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76
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September 7, 2026
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War and Peace Side Read, Week 14, August 30-September 6:
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1
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42
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September 6, 2026
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Esquire best books of 2026 so far
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4
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123
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September 6, 2026
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What's the last book you received as a gift, and what's the last book you gave as a gift?
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25
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287
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September 5, 2026
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What classic book(s) generally assigned in middle school or high school have you somehow never read?
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3
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53
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September 4, 2026
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US public libraries at ‘breaking point’ amid ideological attacks, report finds
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4
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54
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September 4, 2026
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Next "Big Read"?
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8
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92
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September 3, 2026
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Interesting library article
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3
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51
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September 3, 2026
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Looking for a well-written and serious historical novel
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14
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278
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September 3, 2026
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