I love October, Halloween and all things spoooky (Kimy speaking here).   I chose The Feathers for our October read – for a few reasons.  # 1 being it’s my friend’s book (Cynthia Lott actually has her 2nd book out now – The Irises Go Cynthia!)  AND #2 it’s a supernatural murder mystery set in New Orleans!  :::::ominous music playing in the background::::: bwahahahahah.

We gathered in the lovely home of Scarlette (Jeff & Teka – the most lovely of Great Danes!).  Scarlette greeted us mask in place and beads abound (sorry I completely forgot I asked everyone to come in Mardi Gras  theme! MY BAD) As Teka ran like a banshee with her Lamb chop doll – we were summoned by a boiling cauldron swirling with green goo which  mixed with vodka was divine!

Others filtered in as we filled our plates with nibbles and grabbed a glass of merry-making tasty treats and merry-making liquids (wine) we settled in to discuss the author Cynthia Lott and our October book The Feathers.  Bio on Cynthia Lott can be found <<HERE>>  

We all agreed the way Cynthia wove the story around these mysterious murders surrounding this masked man – without giving too much away here —  (you’ll have to read the book!) was very clever.   The twist at the end — well — very unexpected – as twists should be!  If you need questions for book club here you go!

1.  The novel deals a lot with loss. To what extent does loss leave a mark on someone…their daily lives, their responses and actions. To what degree will someone deal with that loss or fill a void?
   2. We often believe in what is in front of us. Would a shred of evidence, however large or small, convince you that perhaps ghosts do exist?
   3. Setting plays a large role in novels. The Feathers takes place in 1970s New Orleans. How does the time period and location reflect on the characters, the action, the situation of the novel?
   4. Sometimes what we may consider evil or “bad” isn’t always what it appears. Perhaps on the surface but under layers of the person, there may be something more than meets the eye.
   5. The main narrator and character is a woman. Can you relate to her? Are there things about her you empathize with or dislike? Can you relate to the other characters as they enter and exit the novel?

A few more questions I added on my own:

1. Do you believe in ghosts?
2. Have you ever experienced something you couldn’t quite explain?

We really enjoyed our small intimate group – and talking about The Feathers, New Orleans and anything spooky that came to mind.

Thanks again for hosting Scarlette!