The Girl in the Spider's Web (Millennium Series 4)
David Lagercrantz, 2015
Knopf Doubleday
416 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780385354288
Summary
Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist return.
She is the girl with the dragon tattoo—a genius hacker and uncompromising misfit. He is a crusading journalist whose championing of the truth often brings him to the brink of prosecution.
Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in contact with a young female superhacker—a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well.
The implications are staggering. Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Salander for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. The secret they are both chasing is at the center of a tangled web of spies, cybercriminals, and governments around the world, and someone is prepared to kill to protect it . . .
The duo who captivated millions of readers in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest join forces again in this adrenaline-charged, uniquely of-the-moment thriller. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—September 4, 1962
• Rasied—near Stockholm, Sweden
• Education—University of Gothenburg
• Currently—lives in Sodermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
David Lagercrantz is a Swedish journalist and best-selling author, well known in his own country as the ghostwriter for I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, autobiography of the renowned Swedish footballer (soccer player). With the continuation of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, et al.), Lagercrantz has gained an international reputation.
Personal
Lagercrantz grew up in Sweden's foremost journalistic and intellectual circles. He is son of Swedish publisher and literary scholar Olof Lagercrantz; his mother is Martina Ruin, daughter of philosopher Hans Ruin. Lagercrantz was raised in Solna and Drottningholm near Stockholm, Sweden, together with his brothers and sisters, among them actress and diplomat Marika Lagercrantz.
The family is descended from a junior line of the untitled Swedish noble family Lagercrantz and, as such, is a member of the Swedish House of Nobility. He is also a descendant through his paternal grandmother of the 19th century historian and poet Erik Gustaf Geijer.
Even though he himself holds leftist political views (and is first cousin to Left Party politician and economist Johan Lonnroth), Lagercrantz has described his upper-class background as a cause of antagonism in a journalistic environment dominated by radical left writers. As a consequence, Lagercrantz has largely withdrawn from the intellectual debate and "culture pages sphere" during his journalist career.
Lagercrantz is married to the journalist and Dagens Eko radio news manager Anne Lagercrantz. They have three children.
Journalist
Lagercrantz studied philosophy and religion at university and subsequently graduated from the Gothenburg journalism school. His first journalist job was at the in-house magazine of carmaker Volvo.
He later moved to the daily tabloid newspaper Expressen where he worked as a crime reporter until 1993. He covered some of the major criminal cases of the late 80s and early 90s in Sweden, notably the Amsele murders.
Early books
His first book, released in 1997, was a biography of the Swedish adventurer and mountaineer Goran Kropp (1966 - 2002).
In 2000 he published a biography on the inventor Hakan Lans, Ett svenskt geni. His breakthrough as a novelist was Syndafall i Wilmslow, a fictionalised novel about the British mathematician Alan Turing.
I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic
In 2011 the best-selling sports biography I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic was published, with Lagercrantz as ghostwriter. According to Lagercrantz, the book is largely based on approximately 100 hours of interviews conducted with Ibrahimovic in Milan.
Lagercrantz chose to approach the project as a novel rather than a conventional ghostwritten autobiography. Although Ibrahimovic was at first was sceptical, the Swedish language edition sold over 500,000 copies before Christmas 2011, which according to his literary agency Bonnier Group Agency is the fastest selling book of all time in Sweden. The rights have been sold to more than 30 countries.
Simon Kuper of the Financial Times compared the biography to Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint and drew parallels between the main character's experience as a minority and outsider struggling for recognition and acceptance in mainstream society. Kupner named the book "the best footballer’s autobiography of recent years."
The Girl in the Spider's Web
In 2013 it was announced that Lagercrantz had been contracted to write the fourth novel in the Millennium series of crime novels, originally by Stieg Larsson (1954–2004). The novel was published at midnight August 26-27, 2015, around the ten-year anniversary of the first Millennium novel.
According to the publisher, the book is a stand-alone sequel based on Larsson's characters, but has not made use of the incomplete book manuscripts and notes he left behind. Lagercrantz, however, stated in an interview with Aftonbladet that he had picked up some of the unfinished plot threads from the published novels.
The book's Swedish title is Det som inte dödar oss, literally translated "That Which Does Not Kill Us"; the English title is The Girl in the Spider's Web. (Adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 9/23/2014.)
Book Reviews
Fans of Stieg Larsson's captivating odd couple of modern detective fiction…will not be disappointed by the latest installment of their adventures…Salander and Blomkvist have survived the authorship transition intact and are just as compelling as ever…Mr. Lagercrantz demonstrates an instinctive feel for the world Larsson created and for his two unconventional gumshoes…Mr. Lagercrantz captures the weariness, even vulnerability, that lurks beneath these two characters' toughness, and he understands that each is motivated by a craving for justice…Mr. Lagercrantz seems to have set about—quite nimbly, for the most part—channeling Larsson's narrative style, mixing genre clichés with fresh, reportorial details, and plot twists reminiscent of sequences from Larsson's novels with energetically researched descriptions of the wild, wild West that is the dark side of the Internet.
Michiko Kakutani - New York Times
What of Lisbeth Salander? Given that Lagercrantz knows she’s what readers want, her long and suspenseful introduction is masterful.
Lee Child - New York Times Book Review
Lagercrantz has more than met the challenge. Larsson’s brainchildren are in good hands and may have even come up a bit in the world.
Wall Street Journal
Lagercrantz’s real achievement here is the subtle development of Lisbeth’s character; he allows us access to her complex, alienated world but is careful not to remove her mystery and unknowability. Lisbeth Salander remains, in Lagercrantz’s hands, the most enigmatic and fascinating anti-heroine in fiction.
Financial Times
Lagercrantz deftly blends the spirit of Larsson’s work and characters with his own literary skills and bright imagination. Spider’s Web is an intelligent novel that has Salander entangled in one of the most contentious issues of our times.... Riveting.... Pyrotechnic.
Chicago Tribune
[A] smart, action-packed thriller that is true to the spirit of the characters Larsson created while adding interesting new ones and updating the political backdrop that made the Millennium series so compelling.
Buffalo News
Rest easy, Lisbeth Salander fans—our punk hacker heroine is in good hands.... A twisty, bloody thrill ride...seamlessly woven together by Lagercrantz—in fact, if you hadn’t seen his name on the book jacket, you’d likely assume it was Larsson’s own handiwork.... An instant page-turner.
USA Today
Without ever becoming pastiche, the book is a respectful and affectionate homage to the originals.... Lagercrantz’s continuation, while never formulaic, is a cleaner and tighter read than the originals.
Guardian (UK)
Lagercrantz pulls it off.... One devours Larsson’s books for the plots, the action, the anger, and most of all for Lisbeth Salander, a character who resembles Sherlock Holmes or James Bond . . . Lagercrantz has caught her superbly.
Daily Telegraph (UK)
David Lagercrantz was set an almost impossible task by Stieg Larsson’s estate when they asked him to write a ‘continuation’ novel featuring Lisbeth Salander. He has carried it out with intelligence and vigour. The Girl in the Spider’s Web conveys the essence and atmosphere of Larsson’s Millennium novels. He has captured the spirit of their characters and devised inventive plots.
London Times (UK)
Fans of the original trilogy need not fear.... The novel is well-researched and more intelligent than the average thriller.
Independent (UK)
Lagercrantz makes sensible decisions in this fourth volume.... Blomkvist is given a cleverly and very contemporary storyline.... A worthwhile read for anyone who’s zipped through the trilogy and finished wanting more.
Daily Express (UK)
Lagercrantz does an excellent job.... Anyone craving more Salander bad-assery should get their hands on a copy of Spider’s Web faster than Lisbeth can hack into the NSA.
People
Fans of the original trilogy will be pleased with Lagercrantz’s new installment. The novel is a smart, propulsive thriller and espionage tale with a timely digital age plot (think Snowden and Wikileaks).
Hollywood Reporter
Action-packed and thoroughly enjoyable.... [A] finely-wrought thriller.... I will eagerly devour the next adventure for Salander and Blomkvist, especially now that we know their fate lies in the hands of a writer worthy of their story.
Daily Beast
Lagercrantz stays true to Larsson’s vision.... No doubt about it, Lagercrantz has done a skillful job.
Sydney Morning Herald
(Starred review.) [W]orthy, crowd-pleasing fourth installment in the late Stieg Larsson's Millennium saga.... Lagercrantz, his prose more assured than Larsson's, keeps Salander's fiery rage at the white-hot level her fans will want.
Publishers Weekly
Swedish journalist and best-selling author Lagercrantz hit the jackpot when Stieg Larsson's estate asked him to write this stand-alone sequel to the famed "Millennium" trilogy.
Library Journal
Lisbeth is perhaps getting a little long in the tooth to be called a girl, but no matter: she still has a young person's aching desire to right the wrongs of the world.... Fast-moving, credible, and intelligently told.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
((We'll add specific questions if and when they're made available by the publisher. In the meantime, use our generic mystery questions.)
GENERIC DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Mystery / Crime / Suspense Thrillers
1. Talk about the characters, both good and bad. Describe their personalities and motivations. Are they fully developed and emotionally complex? Or are they more one-dimensional heroes and villains?
2. What do you know...and when do you know it? At what point in the book do you, the reader, begin to piece together what happened?
3. Good crime writers are skillful at hiding clues in plain sight. How well does the author hide the clues in this work?
4. Does the author use red-herrings—false clues—to purposely lead readers astray?
5. Talk about plot's twists & turns—those surprising developments that throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray. Do they enhance the story, add complexity, and build suspense? Are they plausible? Or do the twists & turns feel forced and preposterous—inserted only to extend the story.
6. Does the author ratchet up the story's suspense? Did you find yourself anxious—quickly turning pages to learn what happened? How does the author build suspense?
7. What about the ending—is it satisfying? Is it probable or believable? Does it grow out of clues previously laid out by the author (see Question 2). Or does the ending come out of the blue? Does it feel forced...tacked-on...or a cop-out? Or perhaps it's too predictable. Can you envision a better, or different, ending?
8. Are there certain passages in the book—ideas, descriptions, or dialogue—that you found interesting or revealing...or that somehow struck you? What lines, if any, made you stop and think?
9. Overall, does the book satisfy? Does it live up to the standards of a good crime story or suspense thriller? Why or why not?
(Generic Mystery Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
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Did You Ever Have a Family
Bill Clegg, 2015
Gallery/Scout Press
304pp.
ISBN-13: 9781476798172
Summary
A powerful story about a circle of people who find solace in the least likely of places as they cope with a horrific tragedy.
On the eve of her daughter’s wedding, June Reid’s life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke—her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor.
Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak.
From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half-life, to the wedding’s caterer whose bill has been forgotten, to Luke’s mother, the shattered outcast of the town—everyone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light.
Elegant and heartrending, and one of the most accomplished fiction debuts of the year, Did You Ever Have a Family is an absorbing, unforgettable tale that reveals humanity at its best through forgiveness and hope. At its core is a celebration of family—the ones we are born with and the ones we create. (From .)
Author Bio
• Birth—ca. 1970
• Raised—Sharon, Connecticut, USA
• Education—B.A., Washington College
• Currently—lives in New York, New York
William Robert Clegg is an American literary agent and author who grew up in Sharon, Connecticut, the son of William Clegg, Jr., a TWA pilot, and Kathy Jeanne (nee Ruscoe). He has two sisters and a brother.
Publishing
In 1993 at the urging of a friend, Clegg took a Radcliffe publishing course, which led to an entry-level position at the literary agency, Robbins Office. In 2001, he and Sarah Burnes cofounded their own agency, Clegg and Burnes. The firm's roster of clients grew to include Nicole Krauss, Susan Choi, Anne Carson, Heather Clay, Nick Flynn, and Andrew Sean Greer, among others.
In 2005, however, Clegg and Burke closed abruptly under mysterious circumstances. It was later revealed that the closing was due in part to Clegg's disappearance on a drug binge.
One year later, after getting sober, Clegg returned to publishing. He was hired by Jennifer Rudolph Walsh of William Morris Endeavor (WME), who took him on, according to Clegg, when no one else would. Many of Clegg's former clients returned to him. It was during his time at WME that he began writing his two memoirs.
In 2014 Clegg left WME to launch his own firm, the Clegg Agency. Jennifer Rudolph Walsh later represented him when he pitched his 2015 debut novel, Did You Ever Have a Family.
Writing
Clegg's first two memoirs, detail his addiction to crack cocaine. Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, published in 2010, recounts his descent into addiction, while Ninety Days, released two years later, details the difficulties of recovery.
His debut novel, Did You Ever Have a Family, came out in 2015 to great anticipation and solid reviews. The book was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Award.
In addition to his books, Clegg has also written for the New York Times, Lapham’s Quarterly, New York magazine, The Guardian, and Harper’s Bazaar.
Personal
Clegg, who is gay, was in a long term relationship with filmmaker Ira Sachs. Sachs based his film Keep the Lights On on their relationship. In 2013, Clegg married Van Scott Jr., a communications manager at CNN. (Adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 9/23/2015.)
In his masterly first novel, Did You Ever Have a Family, Bill Clegg…has created characters who…are riddled with secrets and betrayals they've only just begun to unearth. They have complicated pasts, and it is these—far more than the immediate concerns of the present or the obvious burdens of grief—that the novel is most interested in exploring…Therein lies the quiet heartache of this novel. It's only natural for these people—for any people—to rue their missteps and unspoken words, yet only through the accident could their secrets be released, their better selves emerge, their lives begin.
Kaui Hart Hemmings - New York Times Book Review
How do you continue if all at once, everyone you love has been wiped away? With crosscutting perspectives and a voluminous cast of characters, Clegg constructs a layered narrative with some dexterous plot twists.
Boston Globe
Illuminate[s] how grief, guilt, regrets and the deep need for human connection are woven into the very flammable fabric of humanity…. Clegg's emotionally direct, polished novel is at once heartrending and heartening. It's a gift to be able to write about such dark stuff without succumbing to utter bleakness, and to infuse even scorching sadness with a ray of hopefulness.
Los Angeles Times
This isn’t your typical mystery, it’s something better: a real-life thriller in which resolution takes the form of acceptance. While [Clegg] never suggests anything as simplistic as closure for these tormented souls, he manages to find ways for them to move forward from this tragedy, making it seem a little less random than it did at the beginning, and that in and of itself is a kind of mercy.
San Francisco Gate
Clegg is a gimlet-eyed observer and is masterly at deftly sucking in the reader as he fashions an emotional tsunami into a profound, mesmerizing description.
Sunday Times (UK)
Clegg has produced a moving, clever novel that subtly dissects the relationships between mothers and their children, lovers, neighbors and strangers. Did You Ever Have a Family is an unpretentious work about how a life can be salvaged from the ashes. Bill Clegg is an author to watch.
London Times (UK)
A quiet novel of devastating power. Clegg has drawn a tale of prodigious tenderness and lyricism.... that reveals the depths of the human heart. [Did You Ever Have a Family] is a wonderful and deeply moving novel, which compels us to look directly into the dark night of our deepest fears and then quietly, step by tiny step, guides us towards the first pink smudges of the dawn.
Guardian (UK)
A quiet, measured and engrossing piece…. a poignant portrait of fractured family lives. Clegg’s prose conveys the numbed grieving state of mind, its quietness fitting its subject of deep clear-eyed sadness…. It approaches grief gently and, in the end, its gentleness is its triumph.
Daily Telegraph (UK)The sharp writing and haunting characters had me glued.
Glamour
[An] unexpectedly tender fiction debut.
Vogue
Bill Clegg’s Did You Ever Have a Family limns the far reaches of grief.
Vanity Fair
[An] incisive first novel.
Harper’s Bazaar
This first novel arrives with a shout…Clegg covers the full spectrum of human emotion in this beautifully nuanced story.
BBC
In trying to tell the faceted story of a single moment as seen by a hundred different eyes, Clegg has attempted something daring. And the wonder of it is how often his experiment succeeds.
NPR
In measured prose, Clegg unspools the stories of June and the other survivors as they face unimaginable horror and take their first halting steps toward hope and community.
People
Did You Ever Have a Family is the first full-length foray into fiction for Bill Clegg... but it reads like the quietly assured work of a veteran novelist.... it’s rare to find a book that renders unimaginable loss in such an eloquent, elegant voice.
Entertainment Weekly
(Starred review.) [S]orrowful and deeply...a story of loss and its grueling aftermath.... But it's Clegg's deft handling of all the parsed details—missed opportunities, harbored regrets, and unspoken good intentions—that make the journey toward redemption and forgiveness so memorable.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review.) Clegg is both delicately lyrical and emotionally direct in this masterful novel, which strives to show how people make bearable what is unbearable, offering consolation in small but meaningful gestures. Both ineffably sad and deeply inspiring, this mesmerizing novel makes for a powerful debut.
Booklist
(Starred review.) [O]n the eve of her daughter's wedding, June Reid's house literarily explodes, killing ex-husband Adam, lover Luke, daughter Lolly, and Lolly's fiance, Will. What follows is a propulsive but tightly crafted narrative....[wilth] stellar language and storytelling. Highly recommended. —Barbara Hoffert
Library Journal
(Starred review.) [A] fire kills the bride, the groom, her father, and her mother's boyfriend. "When something like [that] happened..., you feel right away like the smallest, weakest person in the world. That nothing you do could possibly matter."... [E]legantly written and bravely imagined.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. After June has had an argument with her daughter, Lolly, the night before Lolly’s wedding, "Pru asked if she was okay, and June answered with a question that seemed to Pru more of a comment on June’s struggles with Lolly: Did you ever have a family? " (p. 131) Why do you think Clegg choose this line as the title of his novel? What does being part of a family mean to each of the characters in the novel? Do any of their perspectives change?
2. When a particularly pushy news anchor asks June how she is "surviving" the loss of her loved ones following a house fire, she answers, "No one has survived." (p. 12) Explain June’s statement. Do you agree with June that, although she is alive, she has not survived? How are June and the others affected by the tragedy are coping with their grief?
3. Rebecca says "Funny how you think people are one way or the other and most of the time you end up completely wrong" (p. 66) when describing her initial assessment of Cissy. What causes Rebecca to change her mind? Apply Rebecca’s statement to the other characters in Did You Ever Have a Family. Were you wrong about any? If so, how?
4. Discuss the structure of Did You Ever Have a Family. What is the effect of having multiple narrators? Do the differing points of view help to deepen your understanding of the main characters, particularly June and Lydia? If so, how? Why do you think that June’s and Lydia’s sections are told in the third person?
5. At a local bar, Lydia remembers hearing a patron say "Some trees love an ax," and "something in what he said rang true, but when she later remembered what he’d said, she disagreed and thought instead that the tree gets used to the ax, which has nothing to do with love." (p. 78) How does this statement apply to Lydia’s relationship with Earl? Are there any other relationships in Did You Ever Have a Family where this statement could apply? Compare and contrast Lydia’s relationship with Earl to the other relationships in the book, taking a look at June’s relationships with Adam and Luke.
6. What did you think about June and Lydia’s friendship? When Lydia sees June on the morning of the fire "June turned her face away as if avoiding a hot flame and . . . flicked her hand toward Lydia, the way you wave away an unwanted animal, or a beggar." (p. 80) Why is this so hurtful to Lydia? Were you surprised to learn the reasons for June’s actions? What were they?
7. Of Lydia, George says "though she was troubled, she was also tough in ways that let me know she’d be okay." (p. 174) Do you agree with George? Discuss Lydia’s relationship with George. Why are the two of them drawn to each other?
8. When the narrator first introduces June it is with the line "She will go." (p. 9) Does this introduction affect how you think of June? In what ways? Why is June so set on severing all ties with Wells? Do you agree with her decision to do so? Why or why not?
9. Of Lolly, Dale, her future father-in-law, says "Lolly seemed unformed to us." (p. 129) Did you get a sense of her character, and, did you think, like Dale "that despite her girlish manner, something was broken in her." (p. 210) Explain your answer. What is the effect of including Lolly’s letter to June in the story? Did it help you understand both Lolly and her relationship with June? Explain your answer.
10. George says of his son Robert that when his wife Kay would "tell me it wasn’t [his son’s] job to be interested in me, it was my job to be interested in him." (p. 170) Do you agree with Kay? What role do you think a parent should fill in his or her child’s life? Do you think that Lydia and June are good mothers to Luke and Lolly respectively? Give examples to support your answer.
11. Cissy says, "Rough as life can be, I know in my bones we are supposed to stick around and play our part." (p. 289) What part has Cissy played in the lives of those around her? Talk about the way each of the characters in Did You Ever Have a Family affects the lives of those around them. Was anything particularly surprising to you? What?
12. Who is Winton? Although Lydia distrusts him, "she’s still not ready to step away," (p. 143) she continue to take his calls. Why? What prompts Lydia to share her life story with Winston? Were you surprised by what she revealed? How do you think Winton’s presence has changed Lydia?
13. When June finds Lolly’s notebooks she remembers cataloging canvases by a deceased client and finding an old Boy Scout manual of his filled with drawings. "Very likely no one had ever seen these drawings, and she remembers having the fleeting instinct to steal the book and keep it herself." (p. 179) Why does June think about hoarding the book? Why do you think finding Lolly’s notebooks has triggered this memory for June? How does June react to Lolly’s work?
14. Almost every one in Wells has an opinion of Luke, particularly after he dies. Edith calls him "that doomed Luke Morey" (p. 28), Rick remembers him as being "too big, too handsome, too something for the likes of us" (p. 52) and many of the locals gossip that he was a "local thug." (p. 40) What did you think of Luke? Why do you think he was such a controversial figure in Wells?
15. Silas "thinks of himself as [Lydia’s] guardian, her shadow." (p. 265). Why does Silas think that Lydia needs protecting? Silas ultimately decides to tell Lydia the truth about the role he thinks that he has played in Luke’s death. What makes him confess? What is the effect on Lydia?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)
The Art of Crash Landing
Melissa DeCarlo, 2015
HarperCollins
432 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062390547
Summary
A young woman travels for the first time to her mother’s hometown, and gets sucked into the mystery that changed her family forever.
Mattie Wallace has really screwed up this time. Broke and knocked up, she’s got all her worldly possessions crammed into six giant trash bags, and nowhere to go. Try as she might, Mattie can no longer deny that she really is turning into her mother, a broken alcoholic who never met a bad choice she didn’t make.
When Mattie gets news of a possible inheritance left by a grandmother she’s never met, she jumps at this one last chance to turn things around. Leaving the Florida Panhandle, she drives eight hundred miles to her mother’s birthplace—the tiny town of Gandy, Oklahoma.
There, she soon learns that her mother remains a local mystery—a happy, talented teenager who inexplicably skipped town thirty-five years ago with nothing but the clothes on her back. But the girl they describe bears little resemblance to the damaged woman Mattie knew, and before long it becomes clear that something terrible happened to her mother, and it happened here.
The harder Mattie digs for answers, the more obstacles she encounters. Giving up, however, isn’t an option. Uncovering what started her mother’s downward spiral might be the only way to stop her own.
Hilarious, gripping, and unexpectedly wise, The Art of Crash Landing is a poignant novel from an assured new voice. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
• Education—University of Oklahoma; University of Central Oklahoma
• Currently—lives in East Texas
Melissa DeCarlo was born and raised in Oklahoma City, and has worked as an artist, graphic designer, grant writer, and even (back when computers were the size of refrigerators) a computer programmer. The Art of Crash Landing is her first novel. Melissa now lives in East Texas with her husband and a motley crew of rescue animals. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
DeCarlo has created a compulsively likable mess of a protagonist who will keep readers laughing and cringing—even as they begin really rooting for her...surprising, poignant and page-turning...a strong debut and a thoroughly entertaining read.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
[A] pitch-perfect novel about family secrets, self-forgiveness and redemption…DeCarlo’s debut novel’s originality and fresh voice will endear her to readers…Every character in DeCarlo’s novel is complex and richly drawn…this story is so vibrant and universally human that it’s sad to see it end.
Dallas Morning News
Decarlo’s excellent debut chronicles what happens when 30-year-old Mattie Wallace finds herself uStunning...DeCarlo has loudly claimed her seat at the table of today’s elite contemporary Southern women writers including Joshilyn Jackson, Fannie Flagg and Sue Monk Kidd. They continue the work of literary giants like Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor, crafting haunting stories about the peculiar, the impolite
Oklahoma Gazette
A success...Mattie made me laugh with some of her sarcastic remarks and her self-deprecating humor.
Oklahoman
This first novel by an Oklahoma-born Texan is written with verve, assurance and some salty language.
Toronto Star
[E]xcellent debut.... Mattie Wallace finds herself Unearthing family secrets in her mother’s hometown.... DeCarlo’s writing bristles with Mattie’s vibrant personality. The book’s final pages feel somewhat rushed and condensed...[but] otherwise a triumphant first novel.
Publishers Weekly
[A] fascinating, mysterious novel.... This debut is thick with secrets; it will cause readers to question everyone and everything. The author does an outstanding job combining suspense with heartache, adding a dash of romance and, at the end, hope. —Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN
Library Journal
DeCarlo deftly weaves in flashbacks about Mattie’s childhood and creates a cast of wonderfully full-blooded, fallible characters…Best of all is Mattie herself, who has cultivated a measure of humanity in addition to impressive survival skills and whose briskly told story is instantly involving. An impressive debut.
Booklist
Grief, laughter, sarcasm, heartache, sadness—Melissa DeCarlo’s debut novel has it all. Starting out with light-hearted humor thanks to the narration of its spunky protagonist, The Art of Crash Landing wvolves into a compelling, genuine story about a woman’s search for her identity.
BookPage.com
A journey into her mother's past helps a young woman right her own future.... Mattie's voice is fresh, her penchant for off-color language balanced with a revealing earnestness and vulnerability... DeCarlo's debut is confident and accomplished, filled with heart and humor.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. Early on in the book it becomes clear that Mattie has a long history of making bad decisions. Have any other characters in the book made what seem like self-destructive choices in their lives? How have those choices shaped present circumstances?
2. Queeg loves his aphorisms, and as much as Mattie teases him about them, it’s clear that she loves them too. How about you? Do you have some favorite quotes?
3. Even though Queeg was only Mattie’s stepfather for three years, it’s obvious they’re still close. Why do you think Mattie maintained a close relationship with Queeg? Are there relationships from your past that you’re surprised you’ve maintained? Some you’re surprised you’ve let go?
4. Even taking into account her many flaws, Mattie is often harder on herself than she deserves. Why do you think she does that? Do you think having a negative self image is more common problem for women than men? Why or why not?
5. Part of the reason Mattie finds Tawny annoying is how much the girl reminds Mattie of herself as a teenager. How do you think being around Mattie that summer will influence Tawny in the future? If you could meet your teenaged self, what advice would you give?
6. How is Mattie letting her past steer her present course through life? Are any of the other characters doing the same thing? Are there any times in your life you’ve caught yourself giving too much power to your past?
7. What do you think about Luke? Why do you suppose he goes out of his way to be kind to Mattie?
8. Even thirty-five years later, Karleen still harbors strong feelings about Genie. Why do you think the dynamic between them changes when Genie goes off to college? How does that reflect the evolution of friendships over time? Did you have a close friend when you were growing up? Are you still in touch?
9. As she investigates her mother’s history, Mattie’s own past and her relationship with her mother are revealed one piece at a time. As you progressed through the book, how did your feelings toward Mattie change? What about your feelings toward her mother?
10. How do you think JJ’s experiences shaped him into the man he became?
11. The two settings in the book are the Florida panhandle with its beaches and seagulls, and a small town in Oklahoma with its wind and storms. Do you think the settings were important to the story? Why or why not?
12. What was the emotional significance of the old Malibu to Genie and to Mattie? Do you have anything you’ve held onto longer than you should because of the memories tied to it? What would it take for you to let it go?
13. The ability or inability to let go of guilt and move on with life is a recurring theme in this novel. What are some of the characters whose stories reflect this theme, and how did they deal with (or not deal with) their guilt? How common is it in real life for people to harbor guilt that holds them back from realizing their potential?
14. If could check back in with Mattie a year after the book’s ending, what do you think you’d find? What do you wish you’d find? Are the answers to those two questions the same or different?(Questionns issued by the publisher.)
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Fates and Furies
Lauren Groff, 2015
Penguin Publishing
400 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781594634482
Summary
A literary masterpiece that defies expectation and a dazzling examination of a marriage. It is also a portrait of creative partnership written by one of the best writers of her generation.
Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets.
At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of twenty-four years.
At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed.
With stunning revelations and multiple threads, and in prose that is vibrantly alive and original, Groff delivers a deeply satisfying novel about love, art, creativity, and power that is unlike anything that has come before it. Profound, surprising, propulsive, and emotionally riveting, it stirs both the mind and the heart. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—July 23, 1978
• Where—Cooperstown, New York, USA
• Education—B.A., Amherst College; M.F.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Awards—Pushcart Prize
• Currently—lives in Gainesville, Florida
Lauren Groff is an American novelist and short story writer, who was as born and raised in Cooperstown, New York. She graduated from Amherst College and from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with an MFA in fiction.
Novels
Groff is the author of three novels. Her first novel, The Monsters of Templeton (2008), is a contemporary tale about coming home to Templeton, a stand-in for Cooperstown, New York. Interspersed in the book are voices from characters drawn from the town's history, as well as from James from Fenimore Cooper's 1823 The Pioneers, the first book in the Leatherstocking Tales. Fenimore Cooper set his book in a fictionalized Cooperstown which he, too, called Templeton. Groff's debut landed on the New York Times Bestseller list and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers.
Groff's second novel, Arcadia (2012), recounts the story of the first child born in a fictional 1960s commune in upstate New York. It, too, became a New York Times Bestseller, received solid reviews, and was named as one of the Best Books of 2012 by the New York Times, Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, NPR, Vogue, Toronto Globe and Mail, and Christian Science Monitor.
Fates and Furies (2015), Groff's third novel, examines a complicated marriage over the course of 24 years aas told by first the husband, then his wife. Like her previous novels, it, too, was published to wide acclaim, some calling it "brilliant," with Ron Charles of the Washington Post saying that "Lauren Groff just keeps getting better and better."
Stories
Groff has had short stories published in the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Five Points, and Ploughshares, as well as the anthologies Best New American Voices 2008, Pushcart Prize XXXII, and Best American Short Stories—the 2007, 2010 and 2014 editions. Many of her stories appear in her collection Delicate Edible Birds (2009).
Personal
Groff is married with two children and currently lives in Gainesville, Florida. Groff's sister is the Olympic Triathlete Sarah True. (Adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 9/22/2015.)
Book Reviews
[T]he elaborate, sensual and sometimes deliberately misleading story of a marriage…One of the pleasures of reading Ms. Groff is her sheer unpredictability: She can inject her narrator's voice at any time, turn a sentence into a small hurricane, even milk a greeting for far more than it's worth…Ms. Groff's prose can be gorgeous, especially with the erotic heat she brings to it here…[her] books…are too exotic and unusual to be missed.
Janet Maslin - New York Times
The deepest satisfaction gained by reading "Furies" after "Fates" lies less in admiring how tidily the puzzle pieces snap together—though they do—than in experiencing one's own kaleidoscopic shift of emotions and concerns. The disclosure of multiple secrets can have the effect of thinning a story, an abundance of answers overpowering all mystery, but Groff somehow manages to transform revelation into an agent of intricacy. As we know more, we know less—a rare and impressive result…Groff has created a novel of extraordinary and genuine complexity…The word "ambitious" is often used as code for "overly ambitious," a signal that an author's execution has fallen short. No such hidden message here. Lauren Groff is a writer of rare gifts, and Fates and Furies is an unabashedly ambitious novel that delivers—with comedy, tragedy, well-deployed erudition and unmistakable glimmers of brilliance throughout.
Robin Black - New York Times Book Review
The Florida author’s third novel is billed as her most ambitious yet, filled with sex, rage and revenge.
Wall Street Journal
Even from her impossibly high starting point, Lauren Groff just keeps getting better and better. Fates and Furies is a clear-the-ground triumph.
Ron Charles - Washington Post
Groff breaks the novel form open at the seams… What's different and remarkable about Groff's third novel can be summarized in two little words: the writing. Groff is a prose virtuoso, and in Fates and Furies she offers up her writerly gifts in all their glory
Chicago Tribune
Audacious and gorgeous …. The result is not only deliciously voyeuristic but also wise on the simultaneous comforts and indignities of romantic partnership.
Los Angeles Times
[Fates and Furies] is a stunning 360-degree view of a complex relationship… There’s almost nothing that [Groff is] not interested in and her skill set is breathtaking…It’s an incredibly ambitious work, she writes like her hands are on fire.
Richard Russo - NPR
Lauren Groff rips at the seams of an outwardly perfect marriage in her enchanting novel Fates and Furies.
Vanity Fair
We can’t help but be fascinated by the possibility of what goes on behind closed doors—especially if there’s a glam, madly-in-love couple on the other side. Meet Mathilde and Lotto. Groff’s novel unfolds in a he said/she said gutting drama that you won’t be able to resist.
Marie Claire
[This] story is a storm you hope won’t blow over: surprising, wild, with pockets of calm that build anticipation for the next squall… Groff scours her characters, laying them bare so questions of likability are moot. If, in the end, everyone is flawed, everyone also attains a kind of nobility.
Oprah Magazine
(Starred review.) In a swirling miasma of language, plot, and Greek mythology, Groff weaves a fierce and gripping tale of true love gone asunder.... There are moments when the writing feels self-indulgent, but, for the most part, it's an intoxicating elixir.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review.) In this surprising and complex love story, Groff explores the obsessive nature of love....Like a classic tragedy, Groff's novel offers high drama, hubris, and epic love, complete with Greek chorus-like asides. A singular and compelling literary read, populated with extraordinary characters —Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA
Library Journal
(Starred review.) Dark and dazzling.... [Groff’s prose] seduces the reader as much as the golden couple at the center of the compelling story....Taking a page from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl–like view of marriage, Groff fashions a searing, multilayered portrait of a union that seems to thrive on its darkest secrets.
Booklist
(Starred review.) An absorbing story of a modern marriage framed in Greek mythology.... The author gives this novel a harder edge and darker glow than previous work.... An intricate plot, perfect title, and a harrowing look at the tie that binds.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
Also, consider these LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion of Fates and Furies:
1. Why is Lancelot connected with the "Fate" chapter? How would you describe his personality—do you consider him passive, optimistic (unreasonably so?), fair-minded and accepting? Is he humble or, maybe, egotistical?
2. Follow-up to Question 1: We're told that his parents and aunt, early on, believed Lotto was destined for greatness: "It was taken for granted by this trio of adults that Lotto was special. Golden.” What effect does this expectation have on his life? What effect does any such expectation have on anyone's life?
3. What about Mathilde? How would you describe her as a character? In what way is she different from, perhaps even the opposite of, Lotto?
4. Follow-up to Question 3: How do Mathilde's early years—in particular, its tragedy—shape the path of her life? Is fate to blame for her ruthlessness? If so, why is she associated with the "Furies" chapter rather than the "Fates" chapter?
5. In what way does the early tragedy in Lotto's life draw him to Mathilde? And vice versa—what attracts Mathilde to Lotto? How would you describe the early stages of their love and marriage? Are cracks visible at the beginning...or is all smoothness and perfection?
6. Why does Lauren Groff structure her book the way she does: two separate chapters told by two different characters? Why might she have started off with Lotto's account before Mathilde's? What difference would it have made if she had placed Lotto's after Mathilde's? What exactly gets revealed in Mathilde's telling, and were you surprised?
7. Clearly, this book is about a marriage. But the author tackles far broader issues—one of which was addressed in earlier questions (#2 and 4): to what extent do early experiences shape character and life events? Another question Groff examines is what really constitutes such things as "good fortune"? A third question has to do with the extent to which we can truly understand our own life or the life of someone close to us. Tangentially, is it possible to truly know another being? Do you want to weigh in on any of those issues? For starters, how does the novel pose those questions?
8. Talk about the author's use of wordplay, starting with, say, the name Lotto...and even Lancelot. Where else do you find words with double meanings?
9. How much do you know about classical mythology, especially the Fates and the Furies? Who are they in Greek mythology? Where else in the novel does Groff rely on mythology? Notice, for instance, the narrative interruptions, the unnamed voice who interjects and comments. How do those interjections resemble a Greek chorus—and why use such a narrative technique?
10. Are you able to pinpoint other literary allusions—say, to Shakespeare?
11. In what way are readers deliberately misled in this story—and why? Did you feel somewhat manipulated? Or is that the point of Groff's writing?
12. Any similarities here to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
Amy E. Reichert, 2015
Gallery Books
336 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781501100710
Summary
You’ve Got Mail meets How to Eat a Cupcake in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities.
In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiance…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.
Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life.
The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst.
The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to.
As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?
Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Amy Reichert earned her MA in English Literature while teaching two freshman writing classes. A wife, mom, amateur chef, Fix-It Mistress, and cider enthusiast, she currently spreads her passion for books as a member of the local library’s board. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is her first novel. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
Well-developed secondary characters and detailed descriptions of the Milwaukee food scene will leave readers hungry for more. Fans of Stacey Ballis and Erica Bauermeister will find lots to love
Booklist
Highly recommended that you eat before reading this book…a light, fun read that feels a bit like eating dessert for dinner.
RT Book Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. It’s clear from the opening chapter of the book that Devlin and Lou have divergent plans for the future. What do you think drew them together in the first place? Did you find Devlin, with his good looks and promise of financial stability, alluring or stifling?
2. Lou considers the following quote: “Delight is indeed born in the heart. It sometimes also depends on its surroundings.” Do you think this holds true throughout the book? How do Al and Lou’s surroundings impact their happiness? Do you think that your surroundings dictate your own happiness? Or is your perception and attitude more important?
3. Both Al and Lou have fond memories of their grandmothers’ cooking, from Luella’s famous coconut cake to the rusty cast iron skillet that Al still holds dear. What are some of your favorite culinary memories or traditions? How have they evolved—or not—over the years?
4. As Lou plays tour guide to Al and opens him up to a wealth of new experiences, she gradually smooths over his gruff exterior. How does your perception of Al change throughout the book? Was there a specific moment where you started to find him more likeable?
5. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is as much a love letter to Milwaukee as it is the love story of Lou and Al. What is your favorite stop on Lou’s tour of the city? Which of their meals are you most eager to try?
6. Devlin says to Lou, “I may shape and bend the facts in my favor or make tactful omissions, but I don’t lie.” Were you surprised to hear Devlin’s explanation for the scantily clad intern in his apartment? Do you think he was telling the whole truth?
7. What do you think about Al’s decision to keep his identity a secret from Lou, particularly after he learns that Luella’s is her restaurant? Are his lies more forgivable than Devlin’s behavior? How would you have handled the situation if you were in Al’s shoes?
8. Lou reflects on the fate of Luella’s: “The fault was hers and hers alone. Taking responsibility gave her the control. Taking responsibility gave her hope she would find happiness again.” What do you make of this sentiment? Do you think that Lou is being too hard on herself—that she’s just the victim of circumstance—or is she to blame for the restaurant’s closure?
9. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake features a vibrant cast of secondary characters, from John, the fashionista in disguise, to Harley, the loveable, tattooed pastry chef. Who is your favorite secondary character? How does he or she influence events or help to move the story along?
10. Gertrude emphasizes the importance of second chances to Lou. “Don’t let your heart get too hard,” she says. “[Al] made you happy. That was not an act. Try to forgive him, promise me.” Do you agree with Gertrude’s belief that a person deserves forgiveness as long as his or her intentions are good? What personal experiences have shaped your own attitude toward second chances?
11. What do you think the future holds for Lou’s new restaurant? What important lessons has she learned from Luella’s?
12. While the story of Luella’s is fictional, it’s not uncommon for a new restaurant to fail because of negative press—particularly in the age of crowd-sourced online reviews. Did the book make you more sympathetic to the plight of struggling business owners and the impact of online reviews?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)