I know for lots of people, studying a school set novel often just meant reading the Cliff's study notes, though to be fair, in hindsight that actually involved a lot more reading than reading the book itself!
I actually loved English at school and remember thinking TKAMB was a pretty decent book, but really I read it, memorised the quotes I needed, wrote the essay and moved on to the next thing. I didn't actually appreciate it properly until my own daughter was given it to study at school.
Being the keen bean that I am, I was excited to share the book with her, diligently bought her the study notes to help her and then found myself re-reading both and finding a whole new love for To Kill a Mockingbird.
Cue an over excited Mum who couldn't wait to discuss the book in more depth with her daughter and a huffy teenager who was more than a bit annoyed at my enthusiasm. I didn''t learnt my lesson either, did the same thing with The Outsiders and The Great Gatsby too!
So thank goodness for Book Clubs, especially The Boozy Book Club, because there has never been a more apt name for a literary cocktail than a Tequila Mockingbird and grown up friends are so much kinder than teenagers.
Book Club Discussion Points -
How many characters in the book could you describe as Mockingbirds?
Are the themes of this book written in 1960, still current today?
Which events or accounts in the book do you think truly capture the personality of Scout?
Do you find Harper Lee's narration of Scout believable? Did anything seem unusually knowing for a child?
What did you find memorable, humorous or inspiring in the book?
Who in the book would be enjoying a Tequila Mockingbird?
We love to hear your thoughts so please feel free to join in the discussion below.