I have been making the rounds with books clubs reading my book, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken, and I just tell you how wonderful it has been! To see the characters come alive and people talk about them…. I never imagined I would be so lucky!!
So I thought I would create a little spiel on why you should invite me to your book club!! I have done in-person appearances, on the phone and via Skype (see pics below).
Here goes:
A storyteller, dreamer, Clooney-fan, Nutella-lover, wine-drinker, spice whisperer, nail-polish nerd, and geeky author is available for your next book club! She brings stories and gifts. Won’t you please consider her for your next book club?
If you have not ordered it yet, I would love for you to give it a try — Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken.
I am so pleased to let you know that I am offering a free e-cookbook for anyone who has read the book or wants to read the book. We created this e-cookbook for bookclubs who are reading Karma! I received so many emails from book club readers asking for easy recipes they could prepare during book club meetings. You asked, I answered –>>> FREE E-COOKBOOKS! – Get two free e-cookbooks – Monica’s Indian Express and The Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken Book Club Cookbook when you sign up for my email list.
I would be delighted to speak with your book club for any of my books! Contact me for more information.
Here are some discussion questions to get you started!
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken book club questions
- What do you think Eshaan’s biggest strength is? What is his weakness?
- Throughout the first half of the book, Eshaan is waiting for the mountain to come to him. He waits for donations, does a few catering gigs but then plays Robin Hood and loses the money. What is going on here? Why do you think he is not more active?
- Eshaan thinks he needs to solve world hunger. What do you think his real motivation is? What is his heart telling him that he isn’t hearing?
- Loveleen reacts to Mehra by being in his face. Is this the right way to handle a bully? What could she have done differently?
- Loveleen forgives Mehra. Do you think she could have acted differently?
- The Lama is wise and knows what Eshaan is doing. He knows about the fasting and the vomiting. Do you think he should have acted earlier? Why didn’t he? What made him stop?
- Did you like Kitt? Is she shallow? Or is she really affected by her mother’s actions?
The Devil in Us book club questions (compiled and submitted by readers!)
Reader Luca Marchiori’s List
- The subtitle of the book is ‘stories of love, life, and redemption’. Which of these themes apply most closely to each story?
- At the end of the story The Devil in Us Rehana becomes sure that ‘she had married the right man.’ What qualities does her husband exhibit to lead her to this conclusion?
- How justified do you think Yamini is in her treatment of the security guard in Soul Catcher?
Reader Popsy Kanagaratnam’s List
- The Devil In Us – Sonia establishes herself as the stronger one in the relationship. What are the indicators of their relationship, and what foreshadows the change in their relationship?
- The Soul Catcher – What is the significance of the candles? How does the fortune teller’s prediction play out in this story?
- Karma and the Art of Redemption – How do you deal with causing the death of another? What
- Longings – Leena asks her dad, “You want me to show up and ask if I can stay…” yet she finds herself doing just that. Discuss the cultural expectations that she has before she goes to India, and what she finds when she is there.
- Longings – Leena asks Vinit, “…that kid…he has no clothes, and yet he is smiling and playing. How is that?” Vinit’s response is,” Happiness is free.” Discuss the ways in which different cultures express joy.
- Home Alone – To whom does the title refer? Dolly or Shaya?
- Home Alone – Shaya’s brother says of Dolly, “…she only loves herself.” Is this true?
- True Love – Yuhiho tells her parents the truth but they don’t believe her. How do other cultures view love? Is Yuhiho correct and will her conservative parents not understand?
- The Run – was Anamika being careless? Could she have done things differently? What conclusion would you have reached after hearing the report?
- The Vermilion Promise – What do the mangalsutra and the sindoor signify?
- The Prize of War – to what does the title refer? Did Zara meet Bob’s mother?
- Doubts – Nihad seems too good to be true. Is he really? What role does Geet play in his downfall? Of what was Geet guilty?
- Is this anthology well-named? How would you interpret or apply the title of the anthology? Does it convey a sense of the stories?
