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Overall, what did you think of Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
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36
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327
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May 21, 2026
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Jesse Q. Sutanto is the author of 16 other novels including the Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers series and the Dial A for Aunties series. Have you read any of her other titles?
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29
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178
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May 21, 2026
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What plot point surprised you? What red herrings did you detect?
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6
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48
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May 20, 2026
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Mebel tries to integrate with other students at lunch. (p 66, 68-70). What did you think of her technique? Were you surprised at the other students’ reactions?
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7
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37
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May 20, 2026
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Olivia expects to be fired any minute, and in truth Merritt doesn’t seem very supportive. What did you think of Olivia as a detective? What strengths did you see, and what weaknesses? Do you agree with Merritt’s “final grade of C plus”? (p.378)
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8
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35
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May 20, 2026
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What did you think about Clayton's role in the novel? How would you describe his feelings for Billie? Why does he seek her out? How do you think she feels about him?
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13
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95
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May 20, 2026
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Billie refuses to attend important rituals, like her graduation ceremony or funerals. Why do you suppose this is? Her mother tells her she'll regret it later. Does she? What's your opinion about such rituals?
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13
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86
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May 20, 2026
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Do you think Billie is, as she implies, autistic? How does that affect your view of her and her story?
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15
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105
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May 20, 2026
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What did you think of the book’s conclusion, and what do you think Billie's life will look like going forward?
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22
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161
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May 20, 2026
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Ask the Author mug winners
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10
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246
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May 20, 2026
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2026 Wordplay Winners!
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15
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193
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May 20, 2026
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1000 Books April 2026 Read: The Little Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien
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19
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158
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May 20, 2026
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International Booker Prize 2026 longlist
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9
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102
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May 19, 2026
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In the Author’s Note, Bear says she “drew a lot of Aphrodite’s character” from women of Hollywood’s Golden Era. Which elements of these starlets did you see in Aphrodite? Which other “goddesses” would you add to the list?
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6
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33
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May 19, 2026
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Which scene in the book was your favorite? Were there any passages or quotes you highlighted, and if so, which ones?
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20
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131
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May 19, 2026
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How does the author use humor to tackle the serious anxieties of aging and loneliness?
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3
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29
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May 19, 2026
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1000 Books: What shall we read in July 2026?
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2
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65
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May 19, 2026
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What did you know about Aphrodite and what was your opinion of her before reading Aphrodite in Pieces? Did your feelings about her change over the course of the novel?
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10
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54
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May 17, 2026
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James Lasdun, author of The Family Man, here for a Q&A May 18-May20
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0
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21
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May 17, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend Won’t Be Long Now? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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18
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116
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May 17, 2026
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Billie's feelings about Joan are complicated. What aspects of Billie's life play into that relationship? What did you think about Joan's treatment of Billie?
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21
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135
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May 17, 2026
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Billie’s mother insists that she can stand pain if she makes up her mind to (“You could stand anything for a minute, an hour a day…”) What did you think of this? How did this philosophy help or hurt Billie?
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10
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41
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May 17, 2026
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After her father dies, Billie finds she has trouble remembering his face. Her mother recalls being told, when her own mother died, that reciting the best memory of her, over and over, would help. Was a good strategy? Have you ever done something similar?
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15
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52
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May 17, 2026
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What do you understand Billie to mean when she says that people's words sometimes "echo" in her mind? Have you (or someone you know) ever had an experience like this?
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8
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62
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May 17, 2026
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How do you think Billie's life would have turned out if her father had lived?
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23
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137
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May 17, 2026
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Billie often mentions the polka dot agate rock given to her by her friend Harriet. What do you think it means to Billie?
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18
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124
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May 17, 2026
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Beyond abject grief, what do you think of the reaction of the Enholm family and the Wiley community to the accident that claims the lives of their loved ones? Did anything about it surprise you?
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10
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72
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May 17, 2026
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What role do you think the woman Billie meets at the Garden of Eden plays in the story? As off-putting as she is, why do you think Billie is drawn to her?
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8
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55
|
May 17, 2026
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Billie tests at the level of genius and reads a thick dictionary for pleasure, and yet she is naïve about some things— for example, she thinks that the Garden of Eden is the actual location where Adam and Eve once walked. How do you reconcile these two?
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15
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89
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May 17, 2026
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What did you think of the relationship between Billie and her mother? How do Billie's feelings about her mother change over the course of the novel? Does Dixie go through a similar change?
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9
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50
|
May 17, 2026
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