The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen is the official April 2015 pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.
Welcome to the April event of the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers! This month I'm pleased to welcome you to The Sugar Queen discussion.
Sarah has been one of my newest favorite authors.
I read her Garden Spells last year and fell in love with it. I'm dying to read the follow up First Frost but didn't want everyone to have to read a sequel to start.
What draws me to these books is the whimsical sense of magic she gives her characters.
I love that they have just a touch of mystery and suspense and while I saw one part of the plot coming, you just never can be totally sure how things will turn out.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you thought. If you are just finding our book club group, welcome!
Happy reading!
Peanut Blossom Book Club
This book club pick is one of the awesome books from our first year of book club.
We're still going strong! Want to join us?
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What is The Sugar Queen About?
"Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet.
For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night. . . . Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother.
With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush.
Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters.
Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day."
The Sugar Queen Book Club Discussion Questions
I believe the best book club questions to spark a lively discussion in your group help readers make personal connections to the story.
You can read about how to write the best book club questions on your own here, but hopefully these will get you started!
Question 1:
What did you think about "The Sugar Queen" by Sarah Addison Allen? Is it something you would have picked on your own or no?
Question 2:
What has Josey hungered for throughout her life and why do you think she filled that craving with her hidden sweets?
Question 3:
Why does Margaret want to prevent unwanted visitors with her peppermint oil? What do you think she is scared of?
Question 4:
What was your initial impression of Julian? Did that change at any point in the book? For what reason do you think he pursued Chloe?
Question 5:
Josey's red sweater brings her luck. Do you think the magic is real or presumed? Do you have a special item like that?
Question 6:
Her neighborhood bans snowmen, her mom bans a red sweater, Josey lives in a world of rules and watching her begin to break them is one of my favorite parts of the story. Do you have any rules stifling your life? Which one do you dream of breaking?
Question 7:
My favorite parts of Sarah Addison Allen's books are the quirky magical traits she gives her characters. Let's talk about Chloe's relationship with books. What did you think of this element of the story--fun or distracting? Do you see a connection between her books and the seemingly magical way she finds a house to call her own?
Question 8:
What was your reaction to Della Lee's situation at the end? Did you see it coming or were you surprised?
Question 9:
Would you have forgiven Jake? Would knowing the identity of the other person involved in the affair help or hurt your ability to forgive?
Question 10:
What is the turning point of Adam and Josey's relationship? At what point does it become real and not fantasy? How do they help each other to heal from their pasts?
Question 11:
What do you think the attorney's letter said to Josey? Do you think she did the right thing by not reading it and tearing it up? Could you have been able to resist reading it?
Question 12:
I loved that each chapter began with a representative candy title. If you were a candy treat, what would you be?
Book Club Party Menu
So many sweets and candies are mentioned throughout The Sugar Queen.
How fun would it be to plan an all-out sugar feast for your book club party?
Serve my caramel apple pizza and simple sugar cookies. Need a more savory treat? Try the salty pecan pie bars.
Serve a make-your-own hot cocoa bar with (or without) some adult beverages for spiking the cocoa!
Erin Barret
Sounds wonderful! My girlfriends and I have thought about starting a book club so we've been checking out what others are reading. I'd love to pass on one that was recommended to me, "Holy Fool, Holy Father" by Nicholas A. Marziani Jr., http://www.holyfoolholyfatherthenovel.com/. Looks like a great read and perfect for book clubs 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion, The Sugar Queen sounds like it will fit will on our TBR list!