Girls' Poker Night by Jill A. Davis (Book Discussion Questions)
I know I read this book almost a month ago, but I did not answer the book guide questions, so I took time now to answer them for my records only. Thanks!!
Eat, Drink, Gossip...Who said Poker Night was just for the Guys?
Dissatisfied both with writing a "Single Girl on the Edge/Ledge/Verge" column and with her boyfriend, Ruby Capote sends her best columns and a six-pack of beer to the editor of The New York News and lands herself a job in the big city. There, Ruby undertakes the venerable tradition of Poker Night-a way (as men have always known) to eat, drink, smoke, analyze, interrupt one another, share stories, and, most of all, raise the stakes.
When Ruby falls for her boss, though, all bets are off. What happens when Mr. Right has his own unresolved past? As smart as it is laugh-out-loud funny, Girls' Poker Night is a refreshingly upbeat look at friendship, work, and love.
1. The first line of the book is "Happy endings aren't for cowards." What does this mean to Ruby? How does it relate to the other characters in the book?
Ruby has to fight for what she wants.. so if you get all you want out of life, you weren't a coward and got your happy endings. Too many characters to list, sorry.
2. Ruby's father's name is Adam (p. 55) what is the significance of the 'first man' in Ruby's life? How does this relationship influence future relationships?
I believe Ruby thinks her father is strong and has a name to back it up. Ruby has to find the same kind if not better qualities in another man, before she will be happy.
3. Does the way in which Ruby's relationship with Dr. Steve is cut short reinforce her relationship with her father?
I think because she did not get alot of love from her father, she is looking to fill the void, with love from another man.
4. Ruby's friends are very much an extended family.
Like families, they share similarities. Besides a love of poker, and gossip, what traits do they share? (explore humor here, or fear of commitment, a sense of being 'stuck')
Amazingly all of ruby friends have to over come problems in their lives, like hers. One friend has come out openily gay, the other is about to leave her husband, but later finds out she doesn't she's just pregnant and the other is a model with no love life.
5. Why did the author choose to have John, Ruby's brother, be ten years older than Ruby? What might the author have been trying to accomplish? How does this relate to the loss of Ruby's father?
Ruby has her older brother, so se can look up to someone in her household, and same with her mother, I believe.
6. What reasons might Ruby have had for becoming a writer? The letters she received from Michael, the columns she writes ... how do these reinforce the themes of loss and searching?
Ruby wants to express herself and maybe look to get some kind of meaniing or gain out of her life, so she choose to be a journalist and now she's looking for that one big story. Ruby is and was always looking to fill the void of her fathers love, now that she has dumped the old boyfriend she has even more room in her heart for her boss whom has the crush on her also, now that they are together the void has been filled and disappeared.
7. Toward the end of the book, Ruby witnesses a woman's death, and then writes her obituary. This is an important moment for Ruby. Why?
The woman who died infront of her, was an old spinster who collected dolls, she say this as a future picture for herself, when she realised the lady died old and alone. Ruby did not want to have that happen to her.
8. When Ruby visits Psychic Randy, and recalls that she did not attend her father's funeral -- why would the author choose to have this revealed in the midst of the psyhic instead of the therapist?
Ruby never feels she go any closure from her fathers death. SO while this is brought out in a psychic reading and not couseling was a big break thru for her.
9. Much like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" Ruby realizes the 'answers' are within, instead of being in the external world. Is this a relief?
Ruby is gald, she didnt need anyone's help when she realises her whole life was working out just fine, she just didnt see it as that. Now she has the man she wants and job... nothing can hold her back now.
10. Like Ruby, the Cadaver is a flawed character. Unlike Ruby, her name is never revealed. Why might the author choose not to reveal the Cadaver's name?
I think the autor might not have revealed the cadavars name because she was not very popular in the book. To add a little mystery or to keep up with what ever one was saying about her, to make her seem not worthy of a name.
RATING: 5 out of 5 STARS!!
TITLE: Girls' Poker Night
AUTHOR: Jill A. Davis
PAGES: 227
AWARDS: None
AMAZON.COM LINK: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/081296683X/qid=1059957316/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1552935-7220953?v=glance&s=books
Eat, Drink, Gossip...Who said Poker Night was just for the Guys?
Dissatisfied both with writing a "Single Girl on the Edge/Ledge/Verge" column and with her boyfriend, Ruby Capote sends her best columns and a six-pack of beer to the editor of The New York News and lands herself a job in the big city. There, Ruby undertakes the venerable tradition of Poker Night-a way (as men have always known) to eat, drink, smoke, analyze, interrupt one another, share stories, and, most of all, raise the stakes.
When Ruby falls for her boss, though, all bets are off. What happens when Mr. Right has his own unresolved past? As smart as it is laugh-out-loud funny, Girls' Poker Night is a refreshingly upbeat look at friendship, work, and love.
1. The first line of the book is "Happy endings aren't for cowards." What does this mean to Ruby? How does it relate to the other characters in the book?
Ruby has to fight for what she wants.. so if you get all you want out of life, you weren't a coward and got your happy endings. Too many characters to list, sorry.
2. Ruby's father's name is Adam (p. 55) what is the significance of the 'first man' in Ruby's life? How does this relationship influence future relationships?
I believe Ruby thinks her father is strong and has a name to back it up. Ruby has to find the same kind if not better qualities in another man, before she will be happy.
3. Does the way in which Ruby's relationship with Dr. Steve is cut short reinforce her relationship with her father?
I think because she did not get alot of love from her father, she is looking to fill the void, with love from another man.
4. Ruby's friends are very much an extended family.
Like families, they share similarities. Besides a love of poker, and gossip, what traits do they share? (explore humor here, or fear of commitment, a sense of being 'stuck')
Amazingly all of ruby friends have to over come problems in their lives, like hers. One friend has come out openily gay, the other is about to leave her husband, but later finds out she doesn't she's just pregnant and the other is a model with no love life.
5. Why did the author choose to have John, Ruby's brother, be ten years older than Ruby? What might the author have been trying to accomplish? How does this relate to the loss of Ruby's father?
Ruby has her older brother, so se can look up to someone in her household, and same with her mother, I believe.
6. What reasons might Ruby have had for becoming a writer? The letters she received from Michael, the columns she writes ... how do these reinforce the themes of loss and searching?
Ruby wants to express herself and maybe look to get some kind of meaniing or gain out of her life, so she choose to be a journalist and now she's looking for that one big story. Ruby is and was always looking to fill the void of her fathers love, now that she has dumped the old boyfriend she has even more room in her heart for her boss whom has the crush on her also, now that they are together the void has been filled and disappeared.
7. Toward the end of the book, Ruby witnesses a woman's death, and then writes her obituary. This is an important moment for Ruby. Why?
The woman who died infront of her, was an old spinster who collected dolls, she say this as a future picture for herself, when she realised the lady died old and alone. Ruby did not want to have that happen to her.
8. When Ruby visits Psychic Randy, and recalls that she did not attend her father's funeral -- why would the author choose to have this revealed in the midst of the psyhic instead of the therapist?
Ruby never feels she go any closure from her fathers death. SO while this is brought out in a psychic reading and not couseling was a big break thru for her.
9. Much like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" Ruby realizes the 'answers' are within, instead of being in the external world. Is this a relief?
Ruby is gald, she didnt need anyone's help when she realises her whole life was working out just fine, she just didnt see it as that. Now she has the man she wants and job... nothing can hold her back now.
10. Like Ruby, the Cadaver is a flawed character. Unlike Ruby, her name is never revealed. Why might the author choose not to reveal the Cadaver's name?
I think the autor might not have revealed the cadavars name because she was not very popular in the book. To add a little mystery or to keep up with what ever one was saying about her, to make her seem not worthy of a name.
RATING: 5 out of 5 STARS!!
TITLE: Girls' Poker Night
AUTHOR: Jill A. Davis
PAGES: 227
AWARDS: None
AMAZON.COM LINK: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/081296683X/qid=1059957316/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1552935-7220953?v=glance&s=books