ICE Breakers
guernica
SUMMER TONIC 1
Before reading this, did you appreciate how important heritage is to the Basque community?
Did you find some of the characters too clichéd?
Did you like the range of perspectives given by the real figures fictionalised in the book such as Picasso and Wolfram von Richthofen?
This novel focuses on the Basque community. Would you have liked more focus on the different politics running through Spain at this time?
Do you feel better informed about the Spanish Civil War or has this left you wanting to know more?
What other novels have you read covering the complexity and history of Spain during this period and how does it compare?
THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS
SUMMER TONIC 2
Do you agree that your life can change course with a split-second decision? What spontaneous actions in other novels does this remind you of? Is it an effective devise?
Why do you think Tom can’t bear to keep their secret?
At what stage do you think there was no turning back for Tom and Isabel?
Do you think this book is unashamedly sentimental and were you able to care equally for all the characters?
There is never an obvious right or wrong - do you agree?
TANGERINE
SUMMER TONIC 3
Optioned by Clooney’s film studios in 2018, do you think 'Tangerine' deserved the subsequent hype? Did you recognise the references to Hitchcock’s thriller ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’?
Who would you have liked to play Alice and Lucy?
How authentic is the relationship between the girls and whose narrative do you believe the most and why?
Do you think there is an ‘evil lesbian plot’ playing out?
What other novels does this story remind you of?
Would you recommend this as a '+1 read' in a book club for summer and what other novels or books do you think would fit in this category?