Sex and Vanity
Kevin Kwan, 2020
Knopf Doubleday
336 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780385547208
Summary
The iconic author of the bestselling phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians returns with the glittering tale of a young woman who finds herself torn between two men: the WASPY fiance of her family's dreams and George Zao, the man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.
On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can't stand him.
She can't stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can't stand that he knows more about Casa Malaparte than she does, and she really can't stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin Charlotte.
"Your mother is Chinese so it's no surprise you'd be attracted to someone like him," Charlotte teases.
The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George.
But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again.
Soon, Lucie is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment building, and ultimately herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world—and her heart.
Moving between summer playgrounds of privilege, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story, a daring homage to A Room with a View, and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners set between two cultures. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—ca. 1973-74
• Where—Singapore
• Raised—Clear Lake, Texas, USA
• Education—B.A., University of Houston-Clear Lake; B.F.A., Parsons School of Design
• Currently—lives in New York, New York
Kevin Kwan is a Singaporean-American novelist best known for his satirical Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy (2013-17). He was born in Singapore, the youngest of three boys, into an established, old-wealth Chinese family.
Background and early years
His great-grandfather, Oh Sian Guan, was a founding director of Singapore's oldest bank, the Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation. His paternal grandfather, Dr. Arthur Kwan Pah Chien, was an ophthalmologist who became Singapore's first Western-trained specialist and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his philanthropic efforts. His maternal grandfather, Rev. Paul Hang Sing Hon, founded the Hinghwa Methodist Church. Kwan is also related to Hong Kong-born American actress Nancy Kwan.
As a young boy, Kwan lived in Singapore with his paternal grandparents and attended the Anglo-Chinese School. When he was 11, his father, an engineer, and mother, a pianist, moved the family to the U.S., eventually landing in Clear Lake, Texas, where Kwan graduated from high school at the age of 16. Kwan earned a B.A. in Media Studies from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, after which he moved to Manhattan to attend Parsons School of Design to pursue a B.F.A. in Photography.
Career
Staying in New York, Kwan worked for Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and Tibor Kalman's design firm M & Co. In 2000, Kwan established his own creative studio; his clients have included Ted.com, Museum of Modern Art, and the New York Times.
In 2007, Kwan edited I Was Cuba, a photographic "memoir" of Cuba; in 2008 he co-authored with Deborah Aaronson an advice book, Luck: The Essential Guide.
Then, in 2009, while caring for his dying father, Kwan began to conceive of Crazy Rich Asians. He and his father reminisced about their life in Singapore while driving to and from medical appointments. Hoping to capture those memories, Kwan began writing them down in story form.
Living in the U.S. since 1985, Kwan's view of Asia had become westernized—he has said he feels like "an outsider looking in." His goal was to change the stereotypical perception of wealthy Asians' conspicuous consumption, refocusing instead on old-wealth families more like his own, families that exude "style and taste [and] have been quietly going about their lives for generations."
Four years later, in 2013, Kwan published Crazy Rich Asians, the first volume of what would become his trilogy. Two years later, in 2015, he released China Rich Girlfriend and, in 2017, Rich People's Problems. In 2018 the first book of the trilogy was released as a film and became an immediate box office hit.
In August 2018, Amazon Studios ordered a new drama series from Kwan and STX Entertainment. The as yet unnamed series is to be set in Hong Kong and will follow the "most influential and powerful family" along with their business empire.
Recognition
In 2014, Kwan was named as one of the "Five Writers to Watch" on the list of Hollywood's Most Powerful Authors published by The Hollywood Reporter. In 2018, he made Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people; that same year he was also inducted into The Asian Hall of Fame. (Adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 10/18/2018.)
Book Reviews
Deliciously modern… drama, diamonds, and satire galore.
Vanity Fair
[A]n intoxicating, breezy update of E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View.… Kwan exploits the Forster frame for clever references…. There are moments both catty and witty, but this delectable comedy of manners—the literary equivalent of white truffle and caviar pizza—is still pizza.
Publishers Weekly
Lucie Churchill can't admit her attraction to George Zao when they meet on the island of Capri and end up kissing in the glorious ruins of a Roman villa. She's still in denial when she encounters him a few years later in the Hamptons.
Library Journal
A deliciously fun romp from Capri to Manhattan and East Hampton. Kwan is in fine form, gleefully name-dropping luxury brands and socialites as he spins a heartfelt, satirical tale that observes the price of fame, fortune and following your heart.
BookPage
(Starred review) Kwan… again manages to enchant…. While he’s engineering the timeless love story and continuing our postgraduate education in all the things money can buy, Kwan manages to take a few swipes against snobbery and racism. Nice. This is the only way you’re getting to Capri this year. Why resist?
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, 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)
(Resources by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)
The Last Flight
Julie Clark, 2020
Source Books
320 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781728215723
Summary
Two women. Two flights. One last chance to disappear.
Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious.
But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems.
That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move, making sure she's living up to his impossible standards.
But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.
A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets—Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire.
They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away.
But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.
For fans of Lisa Jewell and Liv Constantine, The Last Flight is the story of two women—both alone, both scared—and one agonizing decision that will change the trajectory of both of their lives. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Santa Monica, California, USA
• Education—B.A., University of the Pacific
• Currently—Santa Monica, California
Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Julie Clark grew up reading books on the beach while everyone else surfed. After attending college at University of the Pacific, she returned home to Santa Monica to teach. She now lives there with her two young sons and a golden doodle with poor impulse control.
Her debut novel, The Ones We Choose, was published in 2018, and has been optioned for television by Lionsgate. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[T]horoughly absorbing—not only because of its tantalizing plot and deft pacing, but also because of its unexpected poignancy and its satisfying, if bittersweet, resolution. The characters get under your skin.
Sarah Lyall - New York Times Book Review
(Starred review) [Ou]tstanding thriller… [and a] pulse-pounding tale of suspense. Clark is definitely a writer to watch.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) Clark is an exceptional writer…. Highly recommended for fans of thrillers, mysteries, and crime fiction.
Library Journal
(Starred review) Two women risk everything to leave their troubled lives behind.… Readers will surely find themselves hopelessly invested in Claire's and Eva’s ultimate fates. A tense and engaging womancentric thriller
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, 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)
(Resources by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)
Mexican Gothic
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 2020
Random House
320 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780525620785
Summary
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside.
She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing.
But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son.
Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—April 25, 1981
• Where—Baja California, Mexico
• Education—M.A., University of British Columbia
• Currently—lives in Vancourer, British Columbia, Canada
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican-born author who has adopted Canada as her home. Her novels include Gods of Jade and Shadow (2019), The Beautiful Ones (2017), Certain Dark Things (2016), Signal to Noise (2015), and the science fiction novella Prime Meridian (2018).
Moreno-Garciae has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (2015, aka Cthulhu's Daughters). She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[T]he turn from mannered mystery to twisted horror will seem as inevitable as the nightmare logic of a Grimm fairy tale. Yet Mexican Gothic has an ending that turns Western fairy tales upside down. In the process of surprising us one last time, Moreno-Garcia proves that it’s possible to create a believable female protagonist who defies… the patriarchy of her time… and to fight for what she knows is a more righteous future.
Bethanne Patrick - Los Angeles Time
High Place is an ominous presence, and Moreno-Garcia uses its grim atmosphere to great effect…. But this is a novel about powerful women…. It’s as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic. The true identity of the Doyles and the fate of these women is an intoxicating mystery that allows us, for a little while, to forget the horror story taking place in the real world during the summer of Covid-19.
Carol Memmott - Washington Post
[A] thoroughly enjoyable, thought-provoking novel…. There is a gradual rise of dread… [that] never quite falls off, even at the end, which I loved for its satisfying ambiguity; this is a novel that will leave you wary even after the last page.… This is Silvia Moreno-Garcia's greatness as a storyteller: She makes you uneasy about invisible things by writing around them…. Mexican Gothic is a pitch-perfect Gothic novel.
Jessica P. Wick - NPR
[This] romp through the gothic genre is delightfully bonkers.… [With its] debt to the nightmarish horror and ornate language of H.P. Lovecraft… [r]eaders who find the usual country house mystery too tame… won’t have that problem here.
Publishers Weekly
Noemí confronts the predestined, secretive pathos of the family, hoping to rectify its corruption. This original, well-paced novel from Moreno-Garcia has great gothic elements with a little VanderMeer creativity thrown in. —Tina Panik, Avon Free P.L., CT
Library Journal
A shiver-inducing tale…The ever-present imagery of twisting vines and snakes swallowing their tails blends with ghostly memories of death and disease to create a fascinating atmosphere of dark dreams and intrigue.
Booklist
Moreno-Garcia offers a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror, set in 1950s Mexico.… Fans of gothic classics like Rebecca will be enthralled as long as they don’t mind a heaping dose of all-out horror.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to start a discussion for MEXICAN GOTHIC … then take off on your own:
1. How would you describe Noemi Taboada, the heroine of Mexican Gothic? As the novel progresses, in what ways does Noemi defy expectations of her image as a privileged socialite with which the story opens?
2. Noemi's cousin Catalina has claimed that High Place "stinks of decay, brims with every single evil and cruel sentiment." Is this a melodramatic hyperbole… or an apt description of High Place? How would you describe the Doyle county manor?
3. (Follow-up to Question 2) How would you describe the Doyle family, both past and present? Consider Howard, Virgil, and Francis. Also, Catalina? Is she a sterotypical damsel in distress?
4. If you're a gothic fiction fan (think Daphne du Maurier, Emily Bronte, or Mary Shelley), pick out some of the gothic elements that author Moreno-Garcia incorporates into her story. At what point, however, does gothic evolve into horror?
5. What do you make of Noemi's lurid dreams of Virgil. She dreams of him at night but finds him repugnant by day. What is going on?
5. Talk about the family's mysterious symbol: a circular snake swallowing its own tail, known as an ouroboros. Akin to a coat-of-arms, what does this signify for the family—along with the motto, "One is All." Also, what are the ways the ouroboros functions metaphorically within the framework of the novel itself?
6. Discuss the role of eugenics in this family, again, both past and present? How does Noemi learn that Catalina, too, has become part of the Doyle family's secrets?
7. What is the source of the Doyle family's power? How does it intersect with colonialism and racism?
8. Were you surprised at the story's finale? The ending is ambiguous: is it satisfyingly so? Or less than satisfying? What kind of an ending would you have hoped for?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)
Midnight Sun (Twilight Series 5)
Stephanie Meyer, 2020
Little, Brown and Company
672 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780316707046
Summary
Stephenie Meyer makes a triumphant return to the world of Twilight with this highly anticipated companion: the iconic love story of Bella and Edward told from the vampire's point of view.
When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story.
At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.
This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire.
As we learn more fascinating details about Edward's past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?
In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions of readers and brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—December 24, 1973
• Where—Harford, Connecticut
• Education—B.A., Bringham Young University
• Currently—lives in Phoenix, Arizona
Stephenie Meyer's life changed dramatically on June 2, 2003. The stay-at-home mother of three young sons woke up from a dream featuring seemingly real characters that she could not get out of her head.
"Though I had a million things to do, I stayed in bed, thinking about the dream. Unwillingly, I eventually got up and did the immediate necessities, and then put everything that I possibly could on the back burner and sat down at the computer to write—something I hadn't done in so long that I wondered why I was bothering."
Meyer invented the plot during the day through swim lessons and potty training, and wrote it out late at night when the house was quiet. Three months later she finished her first novel, Twilight. With encouragement from her older sister (the only other person who knew she had written a book), Meyer submitted her manuscript to various literary agencies. Twilight was picked out of a slush pile at Writer's House and eventually made its way to the publishing company Little, Brown where everyone fell immediately in love with the gripping, star-crossed lovers.
Twilight was one of 2005's most talked about novels and within weeks of its release the book debuted at #5 on the New York Times bestseller list. Among its many accolades, Twilight was named an "ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults," an Amazon.com "Best Book of the Decade...So Far", and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year.
The highly-anticipated sequel, New Moon, was released in September 2006, and spent more than 25 weeks at the #1 position on the New York Times bestseller list.
In 2007, Eclipse literally landed around the world and fans made the Twilight Saga a worldwide phenomenon! With midnight parties and vampire-themed proms the enthusiasm for the series continued to grow.
On May 6, 2008, Little, Brown and Company released The Host, Meyer's highly-anticipated novel for adults which debuted at #1 on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. The Host still remains a staple on the bestseller lists more than a year after its debut.
On August 2, 2008, the final book in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn was released at 12:01 midnight. Stephenie made another appearance on Good Morning America and was featured in many national media outlets, including Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, People Magazine and Variety. Stephenie headlined the Breaking Dawn Concert Series with Justin Furstenfeld (lead singer of Blue October) to celebrate the release in four major markets across the US. Breaking Dawn sold 1.3 million copies in its first 24 hours.
The Twilight movie, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, was released on November 21, 2008. Twilight debuted at #1 at the box office with $70 million, making it the highest grossing opening weekend for a female director.
Stephenie lives in Arizona with her husband and three sons. (From the author's website.)
Book Reviews
Stephenie Meyer spent over a decade writing Midnight Sun and Twilight fans will be well-rewarded for the wait. At long last we get to see Edward and Bella’s story from Edward’s perspective.…[N]ow, thanks to Midnight Sun, we can see the whole picture.
Seira Wilson - Amazon Book Review
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to hlep start a discussion for MIDNIGHT SUN … then take off on your own:
1. Talk about how Edward's perspective in Midnight Sun alters the tone of the previous four books in the Twilight series.
2. Now that Stephanie Meyers has fleshed out Edward's past, what do we learn about him? How does his history shed light why Bella so unnerves him?
Cleo McDougal Has No Regrets
Allison Winn Scotch, 2020
Amazon Publishing
328 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781542021227
Summary
Politics is a test of wills in a sharp, funny, and emotional novel about truth and consequences.
Cleo McDougal is a born politician. From congresswoman to senator, the magnetic, ambitious single mother now has her eye on the White House—always looking forward, never back.
Until an estranged childhood friend shreds her in an op-ed hit piece gone viral.
With seven words—"Cleo McDougal is not a good person"—the presidential hopeful has gone from in control to damage control, and not just in Washington but in life.
Enter Cleo’s "regrets list" of 233 and counting. Her chief of staff has a brilliant idea: pick the top ten, make amends during a media blitz, and repair her reputation.
But there are regrets, and there are regrets: like her broken relationship with her sister, her affair with a law school professor… and the regret too big to even say out loud.
But with risk comes reward, and as Cleo makes both peace and amends with her past, she becomes more empowered than ever to tackle her career, confront the hypocrites out to destroy her, and open her heart to what matters most—one regret at a time. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—June 12, 1973
• Where—Charlottesville, Virginia; Seattle, Washington, USA
• Education—B.A. University of Pennsylvania
• Currently—lives in Los Angeles, California
Allison Winn Scotch is an American author with six books to her name. She grew up with a school-teacher mother who loved to read and passed her passion for books onto her children.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Allison worked as a freelance writer for popular magazines (a lot of "10 best ways to…" columns), but all the while she was honing her skills as a novelist. First one novel (awful), then another (not as bad), until finally in 2007 she published The Department of Lost and Found.
Since then, she has followed with, Time of My Life (2008), The One That I Want (2010), The Song Remains the Same (2012). The Theory of Opposites (2013), In Twenty Years (2016), Between You and Me (2018), and Cleo McDougal Has No Regrets (2020).
Allison lives in Los Angeles with her family and dogs. When not novel writing, she writes celebrity interviews and profiles, which she says indulges her obsession with pop culture. (Adapted from the author's website.)
Book Reviews
A heartfelt tale of hypocrisy, ambition, love and more.
Good Morning America (online)
Scotch’s trademark humor and heart are on full display in this expertly plotted and characterized outing. The author’s fans will devour this, and it will win her new readers as well.
Publishers Weekly
Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing is a rousing anthem to the power of womanhood. Cleo is an eminently relatable character who finds redemption and empowerment over the course of her journey.
Authorlink
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to start a discussion for CLEO MCDOUGAL HAS NO REGRETS … then take off on your own:
1. Describe Cleo McDougal. Prickly, yes, but does that make her unlikable in your eyes? Does your opinion of Cleo change over the course of the novel? If so, how and why? Same for "no"—if your opinion of Cleo doesn't change, why not?
2. (Follow-up to Question 1) Consider Cleo's rise, at the age of 37, to the position of a U.S. Senator and possible presidential contender. What does it take to reach those heights, not just as a male but, more to the point, as a female?
3. (Follow-up to Question 2) While this book isn't explicitly political, it takes place in the political arena. What are the double-standards in the political world that author Allison Winn Scotch explores? Is the sexism in politics different from, say, the corporate, professional, academic, or scientific worlds?
4. Cleo refuses to accept offers of help from others. Why? Is it because of her idea of self-reliance… or perhaps it has to do with the power dynamics involved in allowing others to help, at least according to Cleo? Do you know people like that? Are you yourself prone to decline someone's offer of help?
5. Talk about Cleo's familial relationships. How would you describe her as a mother? What about Lucas—do you find his teenage snark funny? What about the fact that Cleo has not dealt with the matter of Lucas's father? Then there is Georgie, Cleo's younger sister. What's the history behind their relationship which makes it so difficult?
6. What do you make of Cleo's list of 233 regrets? Why has she compiled such a list and kept it up over all these years? What is the purpose of the list?
7. Talk about your own regrets: do you have your own list? Maybe your regrets tend to be simply vague, uneasy memories that occasionally (or frequently?) crop up to remind you of your missteps. Or perhaps they're more pronounced. Have you ever made attempts to repair the missteps in your life which you regret?
8. Gaby decides that Cleo should addreess the top 10 regrets at the top of her list in order to repair her reputation. Does that mean that Cleo's regrets—and her desire for reparations—are inauthentic? Discuss Cleo's journey as she goes about attempting to atone for her missteps.
9. By the end of her journey, what does Cleo learn about what it takes to become a truly good person? In fact, how would you define the qualities of a "truly good person"—what is required to be one? Does Cleo become that good person?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)