More booktalking help requested here. I read Prince of Tides a long time ago and will be book talking it tonight. I remember it being really well-written (some of it even poetic), about a messed up Southern family (sexual and physical abuse). Anything else I can add to the mix? These kids love messed up family stories (probably because many of them can relate, sadly), so that is the angle I'm looking for.

Maybe ask what they think about Savannah (the suicidal sister) writing about what happened to the family, both in her poetry, and her children's story?

It's been way too long since I read that book to help, sadly. I just remember Angst.

That's one of those books that different people remember differently. I am enthralled with the physical descriptions of South Carolina . ( My grandparents lived there - my parent are there now). My DH finds the relationship tom( ?) has with his psychiatrist compelling. My father really liked it, but at the same time found it overly dramatic.

I might read the very early line where it describes the smell of SC.1) very true 2) poetic 3) crude , pulls no punches. ( if I could find the book, I'd quote it- look for the word semen)

Well, one of the boys got raped after prisoners escaped from prison. And his older brother shot the escaped convict. And there's lots of therapy. And he has a fling with his therapist. And you'd never want to be a sibling or parent or other family member of Pat Conroy because in one novel he'll laud you as the most awesome person ever but in the next novel he'll portray as evil incarnate.

Conroy's actual sister is a well known poet.

Conroy has/had a niche as the Southern White Male trying to adjust to a post-segregation world with only partial success. His novels are written from a first person viewpoint, and the narrator is always the same person (even if the names change).

I went through a big Conroy phase until Beach Music, when I realized he'd run out of things to say.

The therapist in Prince of Tides was originally the sister's therapist. The narrator and the therapist end up in a weird half-therapy, half-fling relationship.

Thanks for all the info. We ended up getting our visit cut short yesterday so I didn't get to book talk. I'll be bringing it next time, though, so thanks for your input!

So I think this may have been asked before, but if someone wanted to start reading Discworld stuff from sort of beginning to end, where might one start?

The Color of Magic is the first book.

Thanks P-C!