ALN Monthly Book Club: Nettle and Bone (Old Town)

For our January Monthly Book Club, we will be reading T. Kingfisher's "Nettle and Bone!"

We will be hosting this event IN PERSON, outdoors, at Presidio Park in Old Town! We recommend (but do not require) that attendees wear masks and maintain social distance.

We typically meet at the picnic tables in the shade at the end of the loop made by Cosoy Way. Please see the embedded map below for more details.

Content warning: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse. Details not given here to avoid spoilers. Contact an organizer if you have concerns about the book's content.

Marra has watched her two sisters abused by a prince for too long. Naturally, she decides to kill him. She meets a witch who offers to help...if she can complete three impossible tasks. Marra sets out on her quest with the witch, a fairy godmother, a former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon.

Questions:

1. What is your name, and if you were a witch, what type of fantasy familiar would you want to have?
2. This book has been described as a dark fairy tale. What makes a story a fairy tale? What is your favorite fairy tale?
3. We’ve spoken before about cozy literature, and about whether it’s possible to have cozy horror. Would you call this book cozy? Would you call this book horror? If not, what would you call this book?
4. There is a focus in this book on the power of godmothers and the power to bless and curse. What do you think the novel is saying about blessings and curses?
5. The book touches on some heavy themes like domestic violence and miscarriage. How do you think these were handled?
6. Why do you think the dust-wife helped Marra even though she didn’t complete the third impossible task? Why do you think Marra was able to complete impossible tasks at all?
7. Fenris’s greatest regret is that he failed to listen to a teenage boy in his care and it cost him his life. Marra believes she should have separated the innkeeper from her puppet, regardless of what she wanted. What do you think the novel is trying to say about how much we should help those who don’t want our help?
8. How did you feel about the three familiars? What did you think of the way the novel presented their relationships with Marra, Agnes, and the dust-wife?

We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Events:
February: You'd Look Better as a Ghost, by Joanna Wallace
March: Blood over Bright Haven, by M. L. Wang
April: The Hexologists, by Josiah Bancroft
May: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, by Axie Oh
June: The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan
July: The Chaotic Orbits Trilogy, by Beth Revis
August: The Spear Cuts Through Water, by Simon Jimenez
EPIC: The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon
September: 2026-2027 ALN Book Selection!