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Are you looking for a way to enhance your conversation skills and increase your charisma factor? This critically acclaimed book will give you the tools to improve your communication with others, whether you're a shy person or you're looking to improve your existing conversation talents. The book is packed with tips and exercises to help you develop successful professional and personal relationships. Keep reading to find out what else is in the book...
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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Conversation Starters. A Brief Look Inside:All the Light We Cannot See, the second novel from Anthony Doerr, takes place during World War II. It tells the story of a young, blind girl living in Paris with her father. The pair must escape as the War nears Paris, but not without taking the precious, and highly sought after, Sea of Flames. Marie-Laure and her father travel to Saint-Malo to live with Uncle...
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The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion: A Novel by Fannie Flagg Conversation Starters A Brief Look Inside: As she approaches her 60th birthday, Sookie seems to have this life thing figured out. She is married with four grown children, and her biggest concern is trying to get her overbearing mother to move into a nursing home. Then one day, Sookie learns a family secret that causes her to rethink her entire existence. Readers go on a journey across...
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Americanah: by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Conversation Starters Americanah, speaking of race issues in the United States, through the eyes of the protagonist, Ifemelu. It also shows some insight into the problems of immigrants and racial issues in the United Kingdom through the eyes of Ifemelu's first boyfriend, Obinze. The book also deals with the economic problems in Nigeria due to corruption and the lack of will of the government and the wealthy...
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And the Mountains Echoed is a book about war and its long-term, widely-felt effects. It shows how circumstances can affect the lives of people who are unaware of how their lives and futures will be shaped by events that take place far away from them. Abdullah and Pari live in a small village in Afghanistan and when food gets scarce, Pari is sold off to a wealthy woman. This leads to a chain of events that affects people in far-flung areas such as...
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The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: by Jan-Philipp Sendker Conversation Starters. Julia is baffled by her father's mysterious disappearance from his life in New York City-until the day she finds a love letter that he had written to a Burmese woman. Desperate for answers, she puts everything on hold and heads to a small village in Burma looking for this mysterious woman from her father's past. On her journey, Julia learns about her father's secret past,...
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The Aviator's Wife: by Melanie Benjamin Conversation Starters. The Aviator's Wife is the fictional biography of Anne Morrow, wife of Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator. Anne's father was a diplomat stationed in Mexico and had invited Charles to spend Christmas with them to further Mexican — American relations. This is when Anne met her future husband. He proposes to her out of the blue, and she accepts. Anne quickly learns how to fly from Charles...
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Being Mortal: by Atul Gawande Conversation Starters Being Mortal, Atul Gawande's latest medical book, tackles the difficult task of talking about topics of mortality and death. Gawande presents readers with his own experiences observing people in end-of-life care. He shows readers what end-of-life care is like in nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living homes, and hospice. He shows readers the downfall of a medical system that is solely focused on...
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The Boston Girl: by Anita Diamant Conversation Starters. The Boston Girl is a simple and sweet tale of a Jewish girl who grows up in the early years of the 20th century. The narrative is told through the voice of an 85-year-old woman who is recounting the days of her youth to her granddaughter. Addie starts her tale with her family that migrated from Russia, and then the story is told of the gradual progress of her life over the years, during which...
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Circling the Sun: by Paula McLain Conversation Starters. Circling the Sun, the fictional biography of Beryl Markham, showcases life in Africa among the white immigrants, the changing roles for women, and the daring new technological advances made in the world of flying and airplanes. It is also a story about Kenya, horse breeding, and a woman who broke various barriers in her world. Most of all, it is a story about the unrequited love between Beryl...
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Creativity Inc.: by Ed Catmull Conversation Starters. Ed Catmull, President of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, shares his perspective on creativity and business in his first book, Creativity, Inc. This is the first book to show the inner workings of Pixar Animation as well. In this book, Catmull discusses leadership concepts such as The Braintrust, The Ugly Baby and The Hungry Beast, and The Unmade Future. In Catmull's words, Creativity,...
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"Euphoria explores the love lives and careers of three anthropologists. Nell Stone and Schuyler Fenwick are married. Andrew Bankson meets them on their journey and helps them explore one of the tribes that he knew from his travels. The three become very close and develop a famous anthropological tool together that they call “The Grid.” However, the book ends on a poignant note with themes of death, cultural appropriation, separation, and loneliness....
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The Girls of Atomic City: by Denise Kiernan Conversation Starters. Many people are familiar with the famous image of Rosie the Riveter that circulated throughout the World War II era. In fact, today, Rosie the Riveter has become a bit of an icon for women. However, many people do not know the story of the woman behind the image. Denise Kiernan has set out to tell that story with her biographical novel, The Girls of Atomic City. The book tells the...
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A God in Ruins: by Kate Atkinson Conversation Starters. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson is the companion novel to her popular book Life After Life. A God in Ruins focuses on Teddy, the little brother of Ursula from Life After Life. In Life After Life, Teddy has died in World War II. However, in A God in Ruins, Teddy is still alive after the War with a wife and a daughter. During World War II, Teddy joins the Royal Air Force to escape the monotony...
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Gone Girl, the latest novel from Gillian Flynn, tells a story of lies, manipulation, and revenge. The story follows Nick and Amy, a couple who are about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. The pair falls on hard times when they both lose their jobs. They must move from their home in New York City to Nick's hometown of North Carthage, Missouri to live with his mother. Suddenly, on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy mysteriously...
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The Last Anniversary: by Liane Moriarty Conversation Starters. When Sophie receives a visit from her ex-boyfriend, Thomas, she is rather nervous. But it turns out that she has been left a house in his Aunt Connie's will. Sophie is thrilled because the house was located on Scribble Gum Island, the site of the Baby Munro Mystery. She moves to the island to live in her new home and makes friends with the Doughty family and the residents of the island....
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A Man Called Ove: by Fredrik Backman Conversation Starters. There is a man who has lost all hope in life. He has been brought up to do the right thing but has never been able to show much emotion. After the death of his beloved wife, Ove has no reason to live. That is until an Iranian woman named Parwaneh shows up next door with her clumsy husband and two adorable daughters.
Gradually, Ove realizes that as much as he misses his wife, he could contribute...
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One Hundred Years of Solitude: by Gabriel Garcia Márquez Conversation Starters. One Hundred Years of Solitude was released by author Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1967. One Hundred Years of Solitude is considered to be a work of magical realism that uses symbolism to represent the history and destruction of Latin American culture. The book follows the fictional Buendia family through numerous generations beginning with the establishment of the city of...
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The Rosie Project: by Graeme Simsion Conversation Starters. Graeme Simsion's first fiction novel, The Rosie Project, introduces readers to Don Tillman, a man who is living with Asperger's Syndrome in Australia. Don is a genetics professor who is trying to find the perfect woman through The Wife Project — a questionnaire in which potential partners must meet the criteria to be deemed perfect for Don. On his search for the perfect woman, Don is introduced...
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The Secret History: by Donna Tartt Conversation Starters. The Secret History, Donna Tartt's first novel, tells the story of social class, murder, and guilt. Richard, an unhappy young man living in California, relocates to Vermont to study at Hampden College. He hopes to continue his Greek studies. However, the Classics course he wants to take is highly selective; only the most impressive students are able to find their way in. If he is going to enter...
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