Next week, July 16, we’re going to be over on the Cherry Forums doing a book club/reading group on The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes for two weeks. While we’re there, we’ll be running a contest, so make sure come by and talk with us. (Why yes, we do bribe people to come to our book clubs, what’s your point?) The prizes will be character hats; that is, crocheted hats to fit each character, three hats, three prizes. The first one is Dee’s, green like her earth magic and the forests she flies over, brimmed with her foggy green magic, and decorated with owl feathers and copper glass beads (well, they’re feathers, I’m no ornithologist):

Madame Butterflies (Puccini)
We put butterflies on the page for each of the four point of view characters. Did that help or hinder your ideas of the characters? Schlocky gimmick or brilliant characterization device? Please don’t say you didn’t notice.

The Colors of the Wind (Vanessa Williams)
Eileen characterized Dee in a large part by her painting. How does art help communicate Dee’s desires? What does it say about her as a person?

An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy (Lyle Lovett)
Krissie (Anne) fell in love with Elric so Lizzie spends most of time in the bedroom with him. How does sexuality communicate Lizzie’s desires beyond sex? How does the physical inform the emotional for her?

She’s a Rebel (The Crystals)
Jenny vented a lot of rebellion in Mare, who sees herself as Queen of the Universe (no, these characterizations are not at all autobiographical, why do you ask?). Did you find Mare’s confidence annoying? How does her need to be Queen reveal both her fears and desires? How does it fuel her character arc?

There’s Your Trouble (Dixie Chicks)
Speaking of autobiography, Jenny wrote Xan, too, and thinks she’s the greatest. Do you feel the same or was she the character you loved to hate (always good in an antagonist)? Do you feel she got her just desserts? How would you have saved the world from Xan?

It’s Raining Men (The Weathergirls)
Elric is a sorcerer, Danny has supernatural powers but doesn’t realize it, Crash has the power to fix motorcycles with his bare hands. Did the fact that they were so different knock the book out of balance, or was it good for the heroes to be varied?

Brand New Me (Dusty Springfield)
The theme in UMF is about transformation, embodied not just in the sisters’ powers, but also in the objects that surround them, starting in the first chapter when Lizzie changes the muffins, and in their character and plot arcs. What do you think of both the concrete transformations and the characters’ transformations? Did they echo each other for you as you read the story?

It”s Not Easy Being Green (Kermit)
Because we occasionally lose our grip, we buried a lot of frog jokes in the story. How many of them did you get? Did they make you lose all respect for us?

Let’s Pretend (The Raspberries)
Which sister would you choose to be? (Think powers, lovers, clothes . . .)