Year One by Nora Roberts

Book Description:

A stunning new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author—an epic of hope and horror, chaos and magic, and a journey that will unite a desperate group of people to fight the battle of their lives… 

It began on New Year’s Eve. The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated. Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most. As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. 

At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive. In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain. The end has come. The beginning comes next

About the Author:

Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, the youngest of five children. After a school career that included some time in Catholic school and the discipline of nuns, she married young and settled in Keedysville, Maryland.

She worked briefly as a legal secretary. “I could type fast but couldn’t spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever,” she says now. After her sons were born she stayed home and tried every craft that came along. A blizzard in February 1979 forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate.

Born into a family of readers, Nora had never known a time that she wasn’t reading or making up stories. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981.

Nora met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Since that time, they’ve expanded their home, traveled the world and opened a bookstore together.

Through the years, Nora has always been surrounded by men. Not only was she the youngest in her family, but she was also the only girl. She has raised two sons. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming.

Nora is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.”

Discussion Guide:

1. Were you immediately engaged with the book, or did it take you a while?
2. Does the book remind you of any other books or writers?
3. Who is your favorite character?
4. Describe the main characters personality traits:
   1. How has the past shaped their lives?
   2. Do you admire or disapprove of them?
   3. Do they remind you of people you know?
5. Discuss the plot:
   1. Is the story interesting?
   2. Is the story plot driven?
   3. Is the book a "page turner" or does it unfold slowly?
6. Discuss the book’s structure:
   1. Does the time line move forward chronologically?
   2. Is it a continuous story – or is it interlocking short stories?
   3. Is there a single viewpoint or shifting viewpoints?
   4. Why did the author tell the story this way?
7. What main ideas or themes does the author explore?
8. If you were to guess at a formative experience in the author’s life based on this book, what would you guess?
9. If you were to sum up this book in one tweet, what would you say in 140 characters?
10. Is the ending satisfying? Has the book changed you? Have you learned something?

Interview with the Author:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAqA4ViAmB0

https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/1115.Nora_Roberts

Author's Website:

http://www.noraroberts.com/

Author's Other Works/ Movie Adaptations:

http://www.noraroberts.com/books/

http://www.noraroberts-books.com/lifetimemovies.html

IT by Stephen King

Book Description:

Welcome to Derry, Maine ...

It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real ...

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name.


A promise made twenty-eight years ago calls seven adults to reunite in Derry, Maine, where as teenagers they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children. Unsure that their Losers Club had vanquished the creature all those years ago, the seven had vowed to return to Derry if IT should ever reappear. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that summer return as they prepare to do battle with the monster lurking in Derry's sewers once more.

About the Author:

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Discussion Guide:

1. What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story? 
2. Would you like living in this time period? Why or why not? 
3. What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader? 
4. What are the major conflicts in the story? 
5. Who are the prominent characters in the book?
6. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know? 
7. How do characters change, grow or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes? 
8. In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author's world view? 
9.  Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
10. How would you react if you were in the same situation?
11.  Did the storyline change your opinion of an event, place or time period? How?
12.  If the author were to write a sequel to this book, what do you think would happen to the characters?

Interview with the Author:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWBAY3EOV88

Author's Website:

https://stephenking.com/

Author's Other Works/ Movie Adaptations:

https://stephenking.com/the_library.html

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

Book Description:

In the last days before her death, Nel called her sister. Jules didn’t pick up the phone, ignoring her plea for help. Now Nel is dead. They say she jumped. And Jules has been dragged back to the one place she hoped she had escaped for good, to care for the teenage girl her sister left behind. But Jules is afraid. So afraid. Of her long-buried memories, of the old Mill House, of knowing that Nel would never have jumped. And most of all she’s afraid of the water, and the place they call the Drowning Pool . . .

About the Author:

Paula Hawkins is British novelist born in Salisbury, Rhodesia in 1972, whose first novel, The Girl on the Train, became a bestseller. She is the daughter of an economics professor and she and her family moved back from Rhodesia to London in 1989 when she was 17 years old. She attended the University of Oxford and graduated with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. She worked for The Times as a business journalist and then worked as a freelance journalist for various different publications.

In 2009, Hawkins turned her attention from reporting factual stories to writing fiction. She used the pen name Amy Silver and wrote four romantic comedy novels; the most memorable of which being Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista. These first novels did not become successful and were not at all critically acclaimed. It was not until she wrote a much darker story, her thriller The Girl on the Train, that she became a bestselling author.

Paula Hawkins has reported that the novel took her 6 months of writing full time to complete. It is a much more serious book than her previous four novels and deals with issues of drug abuse, alcoholism and domestic violence among others. The novel was a bestseller in hardback and the publisher pushed back the publication of the paperback edition several times in order to capitalise on its success for as long as possible. Only a year after its initial release, The Girl on the Train had been published in more than forty different languages, had been optioned for adaptation for film by Dreamworks and had become a bestseller worldwide.

Discussion Guide:

1. Family relationships, particularly the bond between sisters, feature heavily in Into the Water. How do you think Lena is affected by Nel and Jules’s estrangement? How does it influence her friendship with Katie?
2. Jules and Nel’s estrangement hinges on a misremembering of an event in their past. Are there any childhood or teenage memories you have that are no longer as clear when you look back now? How has this novel made you view your past, and the way it reflects upon your present?
3. Within the novel there are several inappropriate relationships — for example, Katie and Mark; Sean and Nel; Helen and Patrick. How does the depiction of the relationships between these characters affect your interpretation of their behavior and actions?
4. "Beckford is not a suicide spot. Beckford is a place to get rid of troublesome women." Discuss the gender dynamic in Into the Water. How much power does each of the women in the novel hold? What are the different types of power they hold?
5. Into the Water contains several different voices and perspectives. How did this structure affect your reading of the novel?
6. How do the epigraphs relate to the novel? Does one speak to you more than another? If so, why?
7. The structure of the novel means that we get tremendous insight into our suspects throughout. Who did you originally think was responsible for Nel’s death? Did your opinion change as the plot developed?
8. Was there a particular character you identified with? Was there a particular moment you found moving, surprising, or terrifying?
9. Many of the characters in the novel are grieving — some from more recent, raw losses and others from historic ones. How sympathetic were you to these characters? Was there a character you felt more sympathy for than another? Does their grief excuse their behavior?
10. Nickie Sage represents the legacy of witches that haunts the novel. Do you believe she sees things others cannot? Do you agree with the way she behaves?

Interview with the Author:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2017/paula-hawkins-on-into-the-water/

Author's Website:

http://paulahawkinsbooks.com/into-the-water/

Author's Other Works/ Movie Adaptations:

Artemis by Andy Weir

Book Description:

Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.


About the Author:

Weir was born and raised in California, the only child of an accelerator physicist father and an electrical-engineer mother who divorced when he was eight. Weir grew up reading classic science fiction such as the works of Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov At the age of 15, he began working as a computer programmer for Sandia National Laboratories. He studied computer science at UC San Diego, although he did not graduate. He worked as a programmer for several software companies, including AOL, Palm, MobileIron and Blizzard, where he worked on Warcraft 2.

Weir began writing science fiction in his 20s and published work on his website for years. His first work to gain significant attention was "The Egg", a short story that has been adapted into a number of YouTube videos and a one-act play.
Weir is best known for his first published novel, The Martian. He wrote the book to be as scientifically accurate as possible and his writing included extensive research into orbital mechanics, conditions on Mars, the history of manned spaceflight, and botany. Originally published as a free serial on his website, some readers requested he make it available on Kindle.

First sold for 99 cents, the novel made it to the Kindle bestsellers list. Weir was then approached by a literary agent and sold the rights of the book to an imprint of Penguin Random House. The print version (slightly edited from the original) of the novel debuted at #12 on the New York Times bestseller list. A Wall Street Journal review called the novel "the best pure sci-fi novel in years." In 2015 it was adapted to film, starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain.

Weir is working on additional novels including one initially titled Zhek. He describes it as "a more traditional sci-fi novel, with has aliens, telepathy, faster-than-light travel, etc."

He currently lives in Mountain View, California, in a rented two-bedroom maisonette. Since he has a deep fear of flying, he never visited the set of the filming of The Martian in Budapest, which is where most of the Mars scenes were shot. With some therapy and medication, however, he was able to fly to Houston to visit Johnson Space Center and to San Diego to attend Comic-Con.
Weir refers to himself as an agnostic. As a fiscally-conservative social liberal, he tries to keep his political views out of his writing.

Discussion Guide:

1. How would you describe Jazz Bashara? Did you enjoy her flippancy, finding it amusing? Or did you find it tiresome? How do you view Jazz's illegal activities: first her smuggling and then her involvement in the aluminum smelting scheme? Does she have a moral compass? Is she an easy or difficult character to root for?

2. Follow-up to Question 1: If Jazz is so intelligent, which both she and others make frequent mention of, why does she remain in her menial, low-paying job? What role has the rift with her father had on her life choices.

3. What is the moon city like? Consider aspects such as safety, living with 1/6 the gravity of earth, the monetary system, economic stratification … even the seemingly insignificant details like watches or the taste of coffee. Is Artemis a place you would want to visit as a tourist?

4. Follow-up to Question 3: Andy Weir endows his stories with nerdy scientific detail. Many find this minutia fascinating, others not so much. Which camp are you in?

5. Are you satisfied with the way the novel ended? Did the pacing of the last segment live up to the phrase "compulsive reading" or "a real page-turner" for you?

6. If you've read (and/or seen) The Martian, Weir's first work, how does this novel compare? Some (not all, by any means) believe it was written more as a future film than as a literary work.

Author's Website: http://www.andyweirauthor.com/

Interview with the Author: 

https://www.writersdigest.com/online-exclusives/jan-18/martian-author-andy-weir-artemis-scifi-research-process

Other Books by the Author/ Movie Adaptations: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6540057.Andy_Weir 

My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton By Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray

Book Description: 

From the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before—not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal—but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.

A general’s daughter…

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she’s captivated by the young officer’s charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton’s bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father’s wife...

But the union they create—in their marriage and the new nation—is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all—including the political treachery of America’s first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution…

When a duel destroys Eliza’s hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband’s enemies to preserve Alexander’s legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she’s left with one last battle—to understand the flawed man she married and the imperfect union he could never have created without her…

About the Authors:

STEPHANIE DRAY is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into eight languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. Now she lives near the nation’s capital with her husband, cats, and history books.

A Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today Bestseller, LAURA KAMOIE has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction as the New York Times bestselling author, Laura Kaye. Writing America’s First Daughterwith co-author Stephanie Dray allowed her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.

Discussion Guide From the Authors: Contains Spoilers!

1. What do you think of Eliza’s declaration that she was someone before she met Alexander Hamilton? Why do you think she feels it’s important to remember that?

2. A young Eliza wonders how a daughter can make a difference in the revolution. Does she make a difference? In what ways?

3. How does Eliza view herself in the novel, and how does that change over the course of her life?

4. Does seeing Alexander Hamilton through his wife’s eyes make him more relatable as a Founding Father? How so or why not?

5. Martha Washington tells a newly married Eliza that achieving independence will require the support of women, and one way women can offer that support is by advising their husbands. What did you think of her advice? Does Eliza take it? How and when? How effective is Mrs. Washington’s advice?

6. The Schuyler family’s motto was Semper Fidelis. Always loyal. How does this play out in the book for Eliza?

7. Was Hamilton a good husband? Was Eliza a good wife? How did they change in those roles over the course of a novel?

8. What were the most important choices that Eliza made throughout her life and in her marriage? Do you agree with why she made them? Could or should she have chosen differently?

9. What did you think of the relationship between Eliza, Angelica and Alexander? What do you make of the open flirtatiousness between Angelica and Alexander? How and why does Eliza’s relationship with Angelica evolve over the course of their lives?

10. What did you think of Eliza’s reaction to learning about Alexander’s infidelity with Maria Reynolds? What did you think of the reconciliation they found after suffering Yellow Fever?

11. How do Eliza’s thoughts about slavery evolve? What factors influence her thinking? How do the depictions of slavery in New York differ from or meet your expectations and understandings of American slavery?

12. What did you think of Aaron Burr’s characterization in the novel? How do Alexander and Eliza’s relationship with him change over time?

13. How much was Alexander to blame for the challenges he faced in his political career and attacks launched by his enemies, and how much was he the victim of others’ political machinations?

14. Though Thomas Jefferson is not often on the page, he looms large in the Hamiltons’ minds and lives. Why was that?

15. In our portrayal, Eliza believes that “they” murdered her son, Philip, and her husband. Who are they? Why does she believe her loved ones were murdered? Do you agree? Why or why not?

16. What did you think of Eliza’s reaction to learning about Alexander’s possible infidelity with her sister, Angelica, and his intimacy with John Laurens? What did you think of Lafayette’s advice to Eliza about it? What does Eliza conclude in her attic trials and why? What does she conclude in her conversation with William in Wisconsin?

17. In what ways is the family story in this book relatable to modern families? To your family?

18. What did you think of the relationship between Eliza and James Monroe? How did it change over time? Why did Monroe represent such a touchstone for Eliza’s feelings about Alexander? What did you think of their confrontation in 1825?

19. Eliza argues that the United States is Alexander’s country, and that the country itself is the monument to him that she’d been searching for and wanting. What does she mean by this? Do you agree? Why or why not?

20. What did Eliza and her family sacrifice for the sake of the nation?

21. In what ways did Eliza shape Alexander Hamilton’s legacy? In what ways did she shape that of the United States itself?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

“Angie Thomas has written a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time.”

(John Green)

Book Description: 

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas’s searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. Soon to be a major motion picture from Fox 2000/Temple Hill Productions.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

About the Author:

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books.

Angie Thomas grew up witnessing drug dealing and gun crime but dreamed of being a writer in the fantasy genre; however she feared that her writing would not be taken seriously. Then police shot a young, unarmed black man and she found her subject.

Discussion Questions to Consider:

1. As Starr and Khalil listen to Tupac, Khalil explains what Tupac said “Thug Life” meant. Discuss the meaning of the term “Thug Life” as an acronym and why the author might have chosen part of this as the title of the book. In what ways do you see this in society today? (Chapter 1).

2. Chapter 2 begins with Starr flashing back to two talks her parents had with her when she was young. One was about sex (“the usual birds and bees”). The second was about what precautions to take when encountering a police officer (Chapter 2). Have you had a similar conversation about what to do when stopped by the police? Reflect upon or imagine this conversation.

3. Thomas frequently uses motifs of silence and voice throughout the book. Find instances in the book where silence or voice and speech are noted, and talk about the author’s possible intentions for emphasizing these motifs.

4. At the police station after Starr details the events leading up to the shooting, the detective shifts her focus to Khalil’s past. Why do you think the detective did this? Discuss Starr’s reaction to this “bait” (Chapter 6). Discuss the way that Khalil is portrayed by the media. How does Starr work to counteract this media portrayal?

5. How do you think Starr would define family? What about Seven, DeVante, Kenya and Khalil? Do you have to be related by blood to consider a person family? How do you define family?

6. Once news of Khalil’s shooting spreads across the neighborhood, unrest arises: “Sirens wail outside. The news shows three patrol cars that have been set ablaze at the police precinct…A gas station near the freeway gets looted…My neighborhood is a war zone” (Chapter 9). Respond to this development and describe some parallels to current events.

7. Chris and Starr have a breakthrough in their relationship --- Starr admits to him that she was in the car with Khalil and shares the memories of Natasha’s murder (Chapter 17). Discuss why Starr’s admission and releasing of this burden to Chris is significant. Explore the practice of “code switching” and discuss how you might code switch in different circumstances in your own life.

8. How and why does the neighborhood react to the grand jury’s decision (Chapter 23)? How does Starr use her voice as a weapon, and why does she feel that it is vital that she does? Refer back to “Thug Life” and discuss how the acronym resonates in this chapter.

9. Maverick’s rose garden is a recurring symbol throughout the course of the novel. Discuss the symbolism of the rose garden and how it contributes to the overall theme.

10. Starr pledges to “never be quiet” (Chapter 26). After reading this book, how can you use your voice to promote and advance social justice? Reflect on how you and your community discuss and address inequality.

Movie Trailer: 

Disclaimer: While everyone and anyone is welcome to post and share opinions on this novel, APLS reserves the right to remove any vulgar, inappropriate, or disrespectful comments. 

A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd

What better way to celebrate the holidays than settling in with a wonderfully nostalgic holiday read?

Who hasn't seen A Christmas Story? While many hold dear the 1983 classic film A Christmas Story, the majority are not aware that the film was actually inspired by the autobiographical short stories, originally released as a periodical series, by radio personality Jean Shepherd.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of the film or are simply curious, this is a great little Christmas read for those that love comedic writing. 

Book Description: 

The holiday film A Christmas Story, first released in 1983, has become a bona fide Christmas perennial, gaining in stature and fame with each succeeding year. Its affectionate, wacky, and wryly realistic portrayal of an American family’s typical Christmas joys and travails in small-town Depression-era Indiana has entered our imagination and our hearts with a force equal to It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.

This edition of A Christmas Story gathers together in one hilarious volume the gems of autobiographical humor that Jean Shepherd drew upon to create this enduring film. Here is young Ralphie Parker’s shocking discovery that his decoder ring is really a device to promote Ovaltine; his mother and father’s pitched battle over the fate of a lascivious leg lamp; the unleashed and unnerving savagery of Ralphie’s duel in the show with the odious bullies Scut Farkas and Grover Dill; and, most crucially, Ralphie’s unstoppable campaign to get Santa—or anyone else—to give him a Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle. Who cares that the whole adult world is telling him, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid”?

The pieces that comprise A Christmas Story, previously published in the larger collections In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories, coalesce in a magical fashion to become an irresistible piece of Americana, quite the equal of the film in its ability to warm the heart and tickle the funny bone.

About the Author:

Name: Jean Parker Shepherd, Jr

Birth and Death Date: July 26, 1921 – October 16, 1999

Career: Jean Sheperd was an American storyteller, radio and TV personality, writer and actor. He was often referred to by the nickname Shep. 

Best Known For: With a career that spanned decades, Shepherd is known to modern audiences for the film A Christmas Story (1983), which he narrated and co-scripted, based on his own semi-autobiographical stories.

Discussion Questions to Consider:

1. If you have seen the film, did you notice any significant divergences that the film took from the novel? 
2. Shepherd's humor has been described as 'laugh out loud funny' and his writing as exquisite in its detail. Do you agree? Were you able to connect with the characters and/or picture the scenes as they played out? 
3. Among the incredible wit and hilarity of Shepherd's prose, there is a hint of seriousness with the setting occurring during the depression era. Were you able to pick up on this? Was it effective in the story as a balance to the humor? 
4. Were you satisfied with the five short stories that comprised the novel? Did you feel satisfied with the amount of information readers were given, or do you believe that more stories were needed to make the piece feel whole?  
5. Would you recommend this book to a friend or family member? Why? Why Not? How would you 'sell' it to them if so. 

Movie Trailer: 

Disclaimer: While everyone and anyone is welcome to post and share opinions on this novel, APLS reserves the right to remove any vulgar, inappropriate, or disrespectful comments.