Help! I Need Somebody . . .
Eat Your Words at Avenue M (on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville) is a new kind of book club. You don't have to join or bring food; you don't have to take a turn hosting; you just make a reservation and show up. For a modest price, you'll get a four course meal and lots of discussion of the book of the evening (which you are asked to read beforehand.) It's limited to 21 so that it can be a real discussion, not a reading or a talk.
By an amazing coincidence, Under the Skin will be the featured book next week (Thursday, November 17th at 5:30) and I'll be there to lead the discussion and answer questions.
Of course I'd love to see any of you who are in the Asheville area at this dinner. (Go HERE for information.) But I beg any of you who've read the book to help me think of topics for discussion -- seances? sisterhood? syzergy? (I threw in that last one, just to be silly and alliterative but on looking it up in Wikipedia, I found that one of its meanings (the union of opposites) is appropriate.
Please, if you've read the book, help me out and suggest a topic suitable for book club discussion!Or any question you might have re the book.
17 comments:
I barely make it through the blog roll, I'd be no help.
Here a short list, off the top of my head.
Investigative journalism
Contrasting lifestyles
Belief systems
How Mountain remedies have influenced local Spa treatments
Good luck for the dinner Miss Vicki! I know it will be awesome...
JJRod'z
Oh I would love to be there!
mountain culture and its changes over time
why do people so want to believe in spiritualism
If I think of any others, I write again.
Good luck and have fun!
wish i could help...have a great time though, sounds like lots of fun...
Hello Vicki
Wish I could be there! Good luck with everything and I hope many will turn out.
Would love to see you at one of our bookstores in Greenville(we need to work on this).
Best
Tracy :)
(possible spoiler alerts)
mental illness in mystery fiction
what moments creep you out? What is going too far? (I'm specifically talking about one scene in "Under the Skin" that did creep me out.)
girl siblings vs. boy siblings. If you never had a sister, can you really understand what it's like and same for brothers.
Has investigative journalism-and journalism in general-gone downhill since the days of Nellie Blye
Ooh, some good ones! Thanks so much. I'll definitely use some of these.
Helen, I'm thinking I know which scene you mean (between Gloria and Joss) but if it's not that, can you email me? vicki_lane ATmtnareaDOTnet
The dynamics of siblings absolutely. Why we are the way we are.
Then and now and how our cultures and beliefs have or have not changed
Oh how I would love to be there!
Deanna
That is the scene, Vicki. A talking point for sure, in my opinion
Yeah, it kinda creeped me out too, Helen. But it seemed necessary to establish some stuff . .
Enjoy!!!!! Cathy
I have read and LOVED LOVED LOVED "Under the Skin" and now I am so envious of the lucky folks who get to discuss the book with the author herself!
I think you could base some very energetic discussion on the Maya Angelou quote at the beginning: the sibling and then sister relationship between Gloria and Elizabeth. How the siblings grow into sisters. What things were at the heart of their jealousy towards one another.
Contrast their relationships at different times in their lives to the relationship between those wonderful DeVine sisters. (And I LOVE their names!)
Any book club could spend hours discussing Chapter 17 (Trust) on a dozen different levels.
Why are some people drawn to the "exploration of the other side" while others totally skeptical? Were you surprised at the different reactions of Gloria and Elizabeth?
The issues of folk medicine, witches, little people, folklore in general are always fascinating and can lead to lively discussions.
The relationship between Joss and Gloria (including the action that grossed out Helen) can be a topic for several types of discussions. Ranging from Gloria's desire to have her lost baby to Joss's mental illness and regression to infantile behavior.
The title of a novel is compelling. Why do you think "Under the Skin" was selected? What does it mean to you?
As you can imagine, I could go on and on. There are so many aspects of this book that scream for discussion.
I have a commitment for Thursday evening but if I can get out of it (and there is still space) I would love to come to the book club.
Well, I'm too late to offer any help, but I hope it went well!
Wow! This is some great stuff. And you're not too late, Victoria -- it's not till a week from tomorrow. Unless you mean that somebody else has already made your suggestion.
Would love to come to Asheville to participate in this - however, have used most of my vacation time on a 10 day trip to NE New Mexico, and I just got back from a Celtic Spirituality retreat in South Texas.
I think anyone with a sister would like to address the ever-changing dynanmics of that relationship. I was drawn to your "woo-woo" parts of the book, but I was also so engaged with the flow of the relationship between Elizabeth and Gloria. I don't see how you could go wrong discussing anything in this marvelous, marvelous, book. I'm sure you won't be stumped because everyone there will be full of questions and comments.
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