Book Clubs

Are you in a book club?  If not, then what the heck are you waiting for?  Join one!  And while you’re at it, be sure to recommend my novel as the next book to read.  Because…

If you have a club that has ten or more readers, I’ll be more than happy to talk to you about the book, the writing process, the road to publication, the New York Mets, etc.  We can do this in a variety of ways:

  1. speakerphone
  2. Zoom
  3. in person

That third option isn’t a joke — if you are within reasonable driving distance (inside ~60 miles from 07882), I’d love to come to your meeting and participate.  Email me at [email protected] so we can figure out a time to make this happen.

– Sung

Lines Reading Group Questions

  1. The prologue is written very differently than the rest of the novel – it is narrated in first-person plural, the “We” voice. Why do you think the author chose to open the novel this way?
  2. Two “lines” are established in the structure of this novel – “Apart” and “Together.” Which of these lines do you think is the correct one – or are they equally valid?  Did you prefer one over the other, and if so, why?
  3. How does having money (or its lack) come into play for both Josh(ua) and Abby throughout the novel?
  4. Sixteen paintings by the painter Dina Brodsky are included in Lines, and each is accompanied by a flash fiction piece related to the paintings. How do these pieces enrich the overall arc of the novel?
  5. Marlene and Ted appear in both lines, playing supporting characters to the leads, sometimes in starkly different ways. How do their changing roles help (or impede) Josh and Abby in the story’s progression?  Which of their versions did you prefer?
  6. If you were to cast the four main characters in a film version, who would you choose, and why?
  7. The film Sliding Doors is often cited for novels like Lines, where a single moment splits the narrative into two vastly contrasting paths. Do you have a “Sliding Doors” moment of your own from your past?
  8. How do you think the title, Lines, refers to the book itself?
  9. The front cover of the novel, by the illustrator Jun Cen, has a curious design: the black blank square in the middle. And the back cover has that same area, its exact dimensions, filled with another scene.  What meanings can you derive from the two covers?
  10. What do you believe happens to Joshua at the end of the book?

Love Love Reading Group Questions

  1. This novel alternates between two points of view, Kevin and Judy. How does this help (or hinder) the narrative? Did you find yourself enjoying one story more than the other?
  2. If you had to pick a villain in this novel, who would it be, and why?
  3. Roughly around the middle of the novel, there’s a section that, well, let’s just say it stands out. Why do you think the author chose to present this character’s story in this manner? Do you think it could’ve been done any other way?
  4. Compare the characters Roger Nakamura and Claudia X. How are they similar or different to each other? What larger philosophies/ideals could they represent?
  5. How “Korean” does this novel feel to you?

Everything Asian Reading Group Guide (PDF)

4 thoughts on “Book Clubs

  1. Hello, Sung! My name is Bob Hoff! I’m a librarian in a public library in Bel Air, Maryland. Unfortunately, that’s more than 60 miles from where you live because I’d love to have you join my book discussion group in person. In fact, it’s about twice that distance. I think that you’re nearly 3 hours away from me, but maybe you could join my discussion group via speakerphone on Thursday evening, June 17, at 6:30. Since we can’t have you in person, I think that it would be enjoyable to get to know you via speakerphone. We’re reading Everything Asian right now and we’ll be discussing it on June 17. Usually about 18 readers come to our monthly discussions. Let me know what you think about this, Sung!

    Bob

  2. Hello Sung,
    Thanks for joining our book club discussion last night. It was a special treat to hear from you. Actually the book was in such high demand at the library that I could not even get my copy till yesterday. So I did not chime in much but I could see how much the others enjoyed it and I am looking forward to reading it.
    Aravinda

    • Dear Aravinda,

      I loved every minute of your book club! It was such a great experience. I hope you enjoy the book — it’s also coming out in paperback in a bit. I love the new cover!

      Take it easy,

      – Sung

  3. Just read your column in the times loved it my husband stopped in to say hi to his mom for over 1 yr She fed him his dinner then sent him home to me. Where he of course couldn’t eat. I put my foot down and he stopped he was 32 but her baby The marriage lasted for 42 years !!!
    I have been in a book club for 35 years. I am the most recent member we live near Asbury Park n.j. Can we schedule a meeting? We meet the 1 st Mon of the month. Dinner is served. Fabulous group of women Thanks

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