Author: Erin K.

Welcome to the final discussion of The Namesake. 

How did you feel after reading the last chapter? The last section was really somber, wasn’t it? The story didn’t go the way I expected it to at all. 

Obviously, Gogol and Moushumi’s relationship is the main focus of this last section. I felt like their relationship changed immediately after they were married. Why do you think that is? I think I first noticed signs of trouble when the pair went to Paris. It seemed like Moushumi didn’t like sharing that part of herself with Gogol–or at least being there made her long for the life she had there before. At least Gogol gets to see interesting things, even though he doesn’t seem to have an overly great time in Paris. He mentions going to The Picasso Museum, and the Luxembourg Gardens, and Musee d’Orsay. Which of those places do you think you’d like to visit? I don’t know if I could choose–they all seem magnificent. 

Their relationship also seems incredibly strained when they eat with Astrid and Donald. Gogol seemed so uncomfortable with them, and they are still so connected to her former fiance. When she talks to Astrid and Donald, Moushumi acts like Gogol is not good enough for her. And, she totally betrays him when she tells everyone that he was born Gogol. I felt like she completely crossed the line by sharing that intimate detail about him with everyone. 

The chapter about Moushumi’s affair and deception was really heartbreaking. I hated that Gogol had no idea what was going on. I felt like I enjoyed Moushumi as a character, but once she decided to meet Dmitri, I lost all respect for her. Were you surprised that she actually reached out to him? Did you guess that she was capable of such deception? Did you feel incredibly sad for Gogol the whole time you were reading? I think one of the most sad things was that Gogol discovered the deception after deciding to take a trip with her and after buying all of that food and the book. He really was trying, and she completely ruined everything. 

In the last chapter, Ashima is putting together the last dinner party she’ll host in her home. She creates so many delicious sounding dishes, and she seemingly does it with ease. If you’d like to create some of the dishes she made, check out this recipe for lamb croquettes or this recipe for lamb korma. 

At the end of the book, Gogol is finally willing and able to read the book his father left him. It seems like he finally comes to terms with his namesake and the legacy of his parents. Do you think he’s only able to do that after the death of his father? Don’t you think his father’s death really softened him? Did you wish the book ended with more concrete details about what would happen to Gogol? Do you think he’ll find love again? What do you think will happen with his family? 

How did you feel when you finished reading? Were you sad to be finished with the characters? Did the book stick with you once you were finished reading? I definitely found myself thinking about the story a lot after I was finished. The book is just so deep–so many topics to consider. Do you think you might check out more of Jhumpa Lahiri’s work after reading this book? If you’re looking for more books with similar themes, check out this list I created. Please make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list. 

Before you go, check out the video below in which Jhumpa Lahiri talks with the director of the movie version, Mira Nair. 

Thanks so much for following along with us this month. I can’t wait to hear your final thoughts in the comments section. And, I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. 

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Namesake. 

Did you enjoy this section? I think the language and descriptions in this book force me to read slowly and to savor the story. Did you feel that way while you were reading? 

At the very beginning of this section, Gogol legally changes his name. Were you surprised that Gogol had so many thoughts about changing his name? I totally understood his thought that he was overstepping his parents or fixing a mistake they made, even though they gave their permission for him to make the change. Do you think you could change your first name after living with it for over 18 years? I can’t imagine how hard it would be to remember the new name. I think I would accidentally use the wrong signature all the time. 

In this section, Gogol has several different relationships. First, he falls in love with Ruth, a girl he meets on the train. He doesn’t really introduce her to his family, and their relationship does not survive her studying abroad. Then, Gogol falls in love with Maxine. He definitely becomes completely entrenched in her family. I thought it was incredibly interesting that he fell into her family routine so quickly. Gogol introduces Maxine to his family, and it seems like they accept her, but everything changes for Gogol once his father dies. At the end of this section, he reunites with Moushumi, and they get serious really quickly. Do you think their relationship moves so quickly because they have so many shared experiences and such similar backgrounds? I was surprised that Gogol agreed to meet with her since the whole meeting was suggested by his mother, but I was glad he did. He seems really happy with Moushumi. 

Were you glad that Ashoke finally told Gogol about the origins of his name? I wish he had told Gogol that story when Gogol was younger. I think it would have helped Gogol feel more connected to his family. Originally, when Gogol finds out about the accident, he worries that the name reminds his father of all the bad things that happened during the accident. But, his father assures him that the name reminds him of all of the good that came after the accident. I thought that was really sweet. Do you think you could name a child after a traumatic incident you experienced? 

The chapter in which Ashoke died was pretty heartbreaking. It was so sad that he died so far from home, and it was really heartbreaking that Ashima had to learn about his death over the phone. But, I think the hardest parts for me to read were the descriptions of Gogol alone in his father’s apartment. It was just hard to see that his father was in such a temporary space, and I felt like all of his lack of possessions showed that he missed his family. He was so alone when he started to feel bad, and he died so far from everyone. Those pages were so hard to read. 

Did Ashima seem like a pitiful character in this section? She seemed like a husk of herself when she had to start living alone. Did you feel like she was really fragile once Ashoke died? 

This section ends with Gogol’s new relationship with Moushumi. Do you like them together? Do you think his relationship with her is better that the relationships he had earlier in the book? My favorite detail about their early relationship was the fact that Gogol went back to the store to get her that  really expensive hat. Didn’t you think that showed that Gogol was committed to their relationship really quickly? Do you think he would have agreed to meet with Moushumi if his father hadn’t died? I think Ashoke’s death made Gogol more receptive to his family and his heritage. 

Are you thinking about watching the movie version starring Kal Penn? If you’re on the fence about watching, check out this article in which Kal Penn explains that he campaigned hard to be in the movie. And, check out this short clip in which the director talks about casting Kal Penn. Finally check out the clip below to hear more about the making of the movie. 

Did I leave out anything that you really enjoyed in this section? I hope you’re enjoying the story–make sure to leave me a comment to let me know how your reading experience is going. Try to finish the book before joining us next week!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Namesake. 

How did you enjoy the first four chapters? There wasn’t a ton of action in this beginning part, but the writing is just so lush. Jhumpa Lahiri is definitely a master of language. 

One of the events that stuck out to me the most was the train wreck that completely changed Ashoke’s life. When I first read about the train wreck, I thought that it was a really traumatic story, but I had no idea how the wreck would continue to affect the Ganguli family–especially Gogol. Isn’t it interesting that that kind of traumatic event served as inspiration for the name of a baby? 

Could you believe that the letter that was supposed to come and provide a name for Gogol never showed up? I love the idea of a family member providing a name for a baby. That feels like a really special and meaningful tradition. But, I don’t think I would be able to give up complete control for the naming of a baby. Do you think you could hand over the reigns and let someone else provide the name for one of your children? Does your family have any interesting naming traditions? 

I thought the idea of a pet name was really interesting, too. I think it’s really cool that pet names are more personal and intimate than the “good name.” The pet name is like a nickname, but it seems to have more significance. 

It was interesting how Gogol started off as a temporary name, but it increasingly got more permanent. Once he got a passport with the name Gogol on it, I felt like it was going to be the name that stuck with him throughout his life. Wasn’t it so sad that Gogol had to get a passport because they needed to go back to India because Ashima’s dad died? I can’t imagine how hard it was to deal with a death of a parent who lived across the globe. 

What did you think of the scene when Gogol first goes to school? I thought the principal was really condescending towards the Gangulis. Did you feel that way? I felt sorry for Gogol since he was scared to have a new name, but I thought it was a little weird that the principal completely disregarded what Gogol’s parents wanted. I didn’t like how she acted like she knew better. It’s interesting that Gogol regretted the fact that he didn’t change his name when he first went to school. 

Near the end of this section, Ashoke tries to bond with Gogol by presenting him The Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol. He tries to explain why the book was so important to him, but Gogol is not interested in bonding over the book. All Gogol can think about is how much he dislikes his name. Did you find that scene really sad? Did you just want to shake Gogol so that he tries to understand his father? 

Did any other scenes really jump out to you? How do you think Gogol will change now that he’s off to college? Do you think he will come to appreciate his family and his name more in this next section? 

Before you go, check out this article from Book Riot that explains the importance of seeing ones own culture represented in literature. And, if you’re feeling like cooking after reading the mouth-watering descriptions of food throughout the first section, try this recipe for samosas. 

And, don’t forget to check out the interview with Jhumpa Lahiri below!

Make sure to leave a comment below to tell me what you thought of this section. Don’t forget to read the next four chapters before joining us next week. 

Welcome to November’s Online Book Club discussion. This month, we’re reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. 

The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

The Namesake follows Gogol Ganguli, a first-generation immigrant who struggles throughout the book to reconcile his Indian heritage with his American identity. Gogol attempts to create his own path in America, even though he feels stuck between two distinct, conflicting cultures. 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch The Namesake movie. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for how the story plays out on the screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.

Next week, we’ll be discussing the first four chapters, so make sure to read those before reading the blog post next week. I hope you’ll check back for the blog post, and I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.

Welcome to the final Online Book Club discussion of The Sun Is Also A Star. 

How did you feel about the ending? Were you satisfied? Did you want more details or a more definitive conclusion? I liked the epilogue. That definitely helped me feel a little bit more closure. 

At first, at the beginning of the section, it seems like Natasha’s lawyer is going to be able to fix everything. I was so disappointed by the lawyer in the end. He seemed so good, but then, he misses the court appointment because he was having an affair with his secretary. It was such a letdown. If he had done everything he could have and just not been able to stop it, that would have been one thing, but he didn’t even try. I hated reading that part. Were you surprised that he was the person Daniel was meeting with? Their meeting definitely didn’t go well, but I never expected that Daniel would really put forth the effort to get into Yale. 

Throughout the entire book, Charlie was not a great brother. He was demeaning and rude and unpleasant. But, he did end up giving Natasha Daniel’s phone number. Did that redeem Charlie for you at all? In the last chapter, Nicola Yoon writes that Charlie gets his life together and graduates from college; however, he doesn’t reconnect with his family. I kind of hoped that Charlie and Daniel would learn to respect each other, and they would get closer. But, it doesn’t appear like that happened. 

In his last chapter, Natasha’s dad hints that he might have told the cop about his illegal status on purpose. He was so disappointed about the American audience’s reaction to A Raisin in the Sun, and he felt like America was telling him that it was done with him. What do you think? Do you think he wanted to be sent home? Do you think if he was sent back to Jamaica instead of going back by choice it showed that he didn’t fail? 

Natasha and her dad finally have a chance to hash out their differences before they get on the plane. I think it was important for Natasha to finally tell her dad that he wasn’t allowed to regret the life they had together. Wasn’t that a powerful scene? I’m glad they got to have some sort of closure before they left New York. 

Do you think the questions and forced eye contact made Natasha and Daniel fall in love? Do you think the questions allowed them to be open and vulnerable with each other? Do you believe the epilogue that Daniel and Natasha eventually made their way back to each other? It’s nice to imagine that they did. 

Did I miss any of your favorite parts in this section? Would you have ended the book differently? Was there anything else you would have changed? 

I hope you enjoyed reading along with us this month! If you enjoyed this book, please check out the list I created that has similar titles. 

Before you go, make sure you check out the video below about the movie version cast and crew! And, check out this article in which the actor who plays Daniel explains why the role was so important to him. 

I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I hope to hear from you in the comments section!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Sun Is Also A Star.

How did you enjoy this section? Did you feel like it was pretty non-stop action throughout the entire section? Natasha and Daniel are sure doing a lot of things in one afternoon!

Were you surprised at all that Daniel rescheduled his interview? I definitely wasn’t. I wasn’t surprised that he stuck around to wait for Natasha, either. I knew he couldn’t let her get away. Do you think there’s any significance to the fact that both Daniel and Natasha are scheduled to have appointments in the same building? That has to be more than just a coincidence, right?

Do you think the encounter between Natasha and Daniel’s family could have been more awkward and uncomfortable? It was pretty awful. I couldn’t believe how Charlie was such a jerk, and I was so uncomfortable when Daniel’s dad offered Natasha hair relaxer. Natasha was really kind about Daniel’s dad, even though she had every right to be offended. Who did you feel the worst for during this exchange–Daniel or Natasha? I’m sure Daniel was mortified. Did you enjoy the historical tidbits about hair that framed the chapter in Daniel’s family’s store? I liked the context that those chapters provided.

When Daniel and Natasha go to get Korean food, the waitress makes a demeaning comment to Daniel and tells him to teach his girlfriend how to use chopsticks. Natasha handles it gracefully and isn’t offended, but I still thought it was an unkind comment. I liked how Nicola Yoon had a chapter after that restaurant scene to explain why the waitress made the comment. It still wasn’t appropriate for her to say, but I was able to understand the context and why the woman would want to say it after reading her chapter. 

After the karaoke scene, it seems like Daniel and Natasha are meant to be. But then, Natasha finally tells Daniel that she is an undocumented immigrant and is able to be deported. Were you surprised that it took her so long to tell him the truth? Daniel takes the news about as well as I would expect him to take it. I don’t blame him for feeling betrayed, especially since he postponed his meeting for her, but then again, he made that decision by himself. She didn’t force him to do that. And, she didn’t promise him anything–Daniel definitely is letting his emotions run wild by deciding that they could be together forever after only spending a couple of hours together. 

At the end of this section, Natasha explains to the lawyer how her father confessed to a police officer about being an undocumented immigrant, and Daniel and Charlie get into a fist fight. I wasn’t surprised by the fight between Daniel and Charlie, but I was definitely surprised that Natasha’s father was the one who confessed their status to the police. It was really sad to read the conversation between Natasha’s parents. It was really sad that she had to hear her father say that he had given up his whole life and all of his dreams to be with the family. I imagine she felt so betrayed and unwanted when she heard that. 

We don’t get any closure about Natasha’s family or Daniel by the end of this section. Do  you think the lawyer will have good news for Natasha? Do you think she has a chance to stay in America? Do you think she and Daniel will find each other again? 

Natasha is such a compelling and realistic character–I have to think that Nicola Yoon is putting a lot of herself in the character. If you want to read more about Nicola Yoon and her Jamaican background, check out this article on Writer’s Digest. In the article, Yoon discusses We Need Diverse Books, an organization that promotes diversity in publishing and representation in children’s books. Check out their website if you’d like to learn more about the organization. 

I’m also including the video below which is a pretty long video interview in which Yoon discusses the book. I really liked how she talked about the time tables she had to make to ensure that the characters could really do all the things they did in one day! 

I hope you’re able to finish the book by next week! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you enjoyed about this section!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Sun Is Also A Star. 

How did you enjoy the first part of the book? Do you like the way the book is written? It took me a minute to get used to the way the chapters moved, and it took me a few chapters to get used to the little asides and historical sections she added in the middle of the story. Did you enjoy the extra stuff, or did you find it a little confusing? Do you like it when authors do non-traditional things while writing? I read a book recently that had emails and text message threads and news articles spread throughout, and I enjoyed that. Nicola Yoon’s other book, Everything, Everything, has a lot of ephemera on the pages–have any of you read that book? 

A big thing about this first section is that Daniel convinces Natasha to talk to him by telling her that he can make her fall in love with him using science. He mentions an article that includes 36 questions that will make people fall in love. Nicola Yoon includes several of the questions in the narrative through conversations between Daniel and Natasha, but if you want to read the full list of questions, check out this site. Then, check out this site that gives personal anecdotes from couples who have actually used the questions–don’t miss the video on the page because the video has a really interesting interview. Finally, check out the video below to hear from the scientist who created the questions!

What did you think of Daniel and Natasha in this first section? They are obviously very different, but I think they are compatible. What did you think of the way they met? Do you think the questions will bind them together? 

The main conflict in this section is that Natasha’s family is going to be deported at the end of the day if she can’t figure out a way to keep them in the United States. Natasha gets the name of a “fixer” lawyer in this first section, but do you think he’s going to be able to help her? At the end of this section, the lawyer’s secretary is hopeful that the lawyer will be able to help Natasha’s family, but Natasha is still not sure. What do you think will happen? 

 I think a really interesting thing about this book is the fact that the action is taking place over such a short period of time. I feel like Daniel and Natasha have already made a pretty meaningful connection to each other, even though they have only known each other for hours. Do you have to keep reminding yourself that all of the action is happening in a really short time frame?

At the end of this section, Natasha and Daniel are separated from each other. How do you think they’ll reconnect? Do you think Daniel will actually make it to his meeting? 

Before you go, make sure you check out this article that gives information about the inspiration for the novel. Let me know which parts of the article were most interesting to you!

I hope you enjoyed this first section and are excited to read more. Make sure to read to page 230 before joining us next week. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.

Welcome to October’s Online Book Club discussion. This month, we’re reading The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon. 

The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

In The Sun is Also a Star, Natasha has 12 hours to stop her family from being deported to Jamaica. She believes in science and facts, and she has no time for love. But, then she meets Daniel, a boy who has worked hard to do whatever his parents want. When Daniel and Natasha decide to spend the day together, they both take a chance and decide to see what fate might have in store for them. Will the day end up working out happily for both of them? 

If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the The Sun Is Also A Star movie. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for how the story plays out on the screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.

Next week, we’ll be discussing the first 115 pages, so make sure to read those before reading the blog post next week. I hope you’ll check back for the blog post, and I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.

Welcome to the final discussion of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. 

Did you figure out the mystery before the final page? I definitely didn’t. I got to the epilogue, and I was so confused. I thought for sure that we weren’t going to have any closure, and we weren’t going to know who was committing all of the crimes. So, I was so relieved when everything was cleared up in the final letter. Were you shocked? I didn’t suspect Justice Wargrave at all. I didn’t think that his death was faked. 

Were you satisfied by the ending? Did you think it was kind of a cop-out to have all of the mystery explained in the last couple of pages? I wasn’t overly happy with the way Vera’s story ended. I didn’t like her whole death scene at all. But, then again, I didn’t like her backstory very much, either. I couldn’t believe that she purposefully let Cecil drown. That was so incredibly heartless and sad. I’m glad that Hugo decided to drop her after the incident because I would have hated for her to be rewarded for her actions. 

This section started with the murder of Mr. Rogers, and then, in the next chapter, Miss. Brent meets her end after seeing the bee buzzing around. After Miss Brent’s murder, it seems like suspicion falls on Dr. Armstrong again because he is the only one who seemingly would bring a hypodermic needle to the island. Why do you think Christie kept leading the reader towards Dr. Armstrong? Did you ever suspect him, or did you think he was just a distraction, so we couldn’t figure out who the real murderer was? 

I thought the creepiest “death” was the one Justice Wargrave set up for himself. I didn’t like imagining him with the wool yarn on his head, and the whole scene seemed really creepy. Do you think he added all of those extra details to distract from the fact that he was only pretending to be dead? His actual death, described in his final letter, was also pretty crazy. It’s wild that he would be able to set up everything so that the gun would go off and actually shoot him. It’s all just so hard to believe. 

The most surprising death, to me, was Lombard’s. I was shocked that Vera actually shot him. I couldn’t believe it at all. I hoped that they would keep level heads and make it off the island. But, of course, that didn’t happen. I didn’t like Lombard because of his crime and apparent lack of remorse for his actions, but I never suspected that he was the killer. Did you ever suspect him? 

Justice Wargrave writes in his letter that he was going to put the letter in a bottle and throw it in the sea. Do you think anyone ever found it? Can you imagine what kind of a ruckus it would cause if the letter was ever found? 

What are your final thoughts about the book? Do you think you enjoyed it? Would you recommend it to a friend? If you liked the book and want to read and watch more things like it, check out this list I created. Please let me know if you end up checking out and enjoying anything on the list!

Before you go, check out this article and video about an Agatha Christie exhibit that toured England. There are so many cool photos in the video–make sure you check it out! And, if you’re dreaming about someday taking a trip to London, you might want to bookmark this site that gives great information about Agatha Christie sights you can see in London. 

Make sure you watch the video clip below, too, to learn more behind the scenes information about the BBC television adaptation. 

Thanks for joining us this month. Make sure to leave me a comment, so I know how you enjoyed the mystery. Next month, we’re reading The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon. I hope you read along with us!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. 

Did you enjoy the reading this week? I really did. I could not stop reading. I just had to know who was going to be the next person attacked by the mysterious killer. Do you have any strong theories about who is causing all of the chaos? I don’t really have any idea who the perpetrator is. 

I think one of the creepiest parts of this whole book is the fact that the number of soldiers on the table keeps decreasing. That is such a scary detail. Not only is the person smart enough to stage all of these murders, but also, he is collected enough to remember to take away a soldier immediately. I think the person doing this is such a sociopath. 

The first person to die in this section was Mrs. Rogers. I wasn’t surprised by her death. I figured she would be the one to sleep and not get up since she had had such an extreme reaction to the recording and then had to be sedated. It seemed like she was the most likely candidate for that kind of a death. The other person to die in this section was General MacArthur. Before his death, the people in the house were able to imagine that Marston died of suicide and Mrs. Rogers died accidentally. But, MacArthur was hit in the back of the head. That indicates that someone is hunting the guests, and it negates the suicide and accident theory. Did you ever believe that Marston’s death was a suicide? Or, did you believe there was a murderer from the beginning? 

In this section, we also learn a little more about the incidents mentioned on the recording. We learn that Mrs. Brent’s servant became pregnant and then killed herself because Mrs. Brent threw her out of the house. Mrs. Brent shows absolutely no remorse or regret for her actions. Even after she is questioned by Vera, Mrs. Brent feels like she did the right thing, and the girl deserved what she got because she acted indecently. How did you feel about Mrs. Brent after that section? I couldn’t believe how callous she was. Before his death, General MacArthur confessed that he deliberately sent his wife’s lover to his death. Were you surprised by that revelation? 

In chapter 9, Justice Wargrave holds a kind of a trial, trying to decide who U.N.Owen is. In this trial, they all have to give their alibis. Do you believe all of them? Someone has to be telling a lie, right? Or, do you think there is a hidden person on the island orchestrating everything? I kind of lean towards a hidden person on the island because everyone seems to be accounted for at all times. How is one person sneaking away to commit these murders? 

So far, I think Christie is trying to get us to think that Lombard might be the murderer since he has a gun. She also seems to be pointing at Armstrong, the doctor, because the first two victims were murdered. Do you think both of these are misdirects? Do you think either of them would really be the killer? 

What do you think about Christie after reading over half of the book? I think she had to be a very interesting person to create such innovative stories. If you’d like to read some interesting facts about her, check out this article from her website. 

One of the things I’m most excited for in the BBC adaptation of the book is the fabulous fashion. Do you love to watch period movies and tv shows, just to see the amazing costumes? I feel like the costumes are a big draw for me. Check out the video below if you’d like to learn more about the 30’s fashion in this adaptation. 

I hope you’re ready to finish the book for next week! Please let me know if you figure out the mystery before the end of the book. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.