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Lead a lively discussion about any book with these insightful questions
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Whether you’re leading your next book club sesh or starting your own club, you might want some thought-provoking questions in your back pocket to get the discussion going. That’s where we come in! We’ve assembled some of the most thought-provoking, fun, unexpected, and open-ended book club discussion questions to invigorate your next meet-up, whether you’re reading a classic novel, poetry collection, memoir, thriller, or any other genre—plus, learn how to talk about banned books in your club and our tips for leading a great book club discussion. Tip: Feel free to print this page out so you can have it on hand at your next meeting!
Best Book Club Discussion Questions
- Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?
- What surprised you most about the book? Why?
- Did you highlight or mark any favorite passages in the book? Which ones and why?
- Who was your favorite character? Which character did you identify with the most?
- Did you enjoy or appreciate the author’s writing style? Was it easy or hard to get into?
- What, if anything, frustrated you about this book, its plot, or its characters?
- Did anything in the book make you feel any particular emotions? Explain.
Steps
Section 7 of 7:
Leading a Good Discussion
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Read the book carefully. Seems obvious, but if you're going to lead a book club...you'll need to read the book! Reading the book as closely as you can will help you be more knowledgeable and able to host a discussion. Pay attention to particular themes or ideas that come up in the book, and note anything interesting about the plot or characters or writing. Highlight your favorite passages and take notes on topics you want to bring up at the meeting.
- Consider doing some background research on the book and its author in order to be able to better contextualize what you've read.
- Don't feel like you need to be a total expert. After all, you're not just hosting the club, you're also a member, just like everyone else.
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Prepare a handful of discussion questions in advance. Having questions ready to go will help keep the conversation flowing. You may not need all of them, and you don't need to feel compelled to stick to the planned questions if any topics pop up organically, but they can be a helpful way to ensure the discussion stays lively should the conversation wane.
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Ensure everyone knows the rules of the discussion. A book club discussion isn't like a regular conversation. Book club discussions are intended to be deeper and more thoughtful, and as such, you may want to ask the other members to prioritize the following: [6] X Research source
- Open-mindedness: Listen to and respect everyone's perspective.
- Acceptance: Suspend judgment towards other perspectives.
- Curiosity: Seek to understand rather than to persuade.
- Discovery: Question your assumptions and looking for new insights.
- Sincerity: Speak from the heart and from personal experience.
- Brevity: Be mindful of how long you're talking, and give everyone a chance to speak.
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Start by talking about everyone's initial reactions to what they've read. Having everyone share what they thought and how they felt about the book is a good way to warm up and get everyone in the right headspace. Having an understanding of how the group feels about the book will also give you, the facilitator, an idea of what direction to take the discussion in.
- Consider going round-robin to make sure everyone has a chance to share.
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Follow up with your first discussion question. Maybe you've got a specific discussion question you'd like to begin with, or maybe after hearing everyone's impressions of the book, you'd rather ask a different question. Once you've asked the first question, pace yourself before asking anymore: instead, dwell on the same topic as long as you can so that the group can thoroughly explore each idea.
- Jumping from one question to the next may make the discussion move too quickly and feel unnatural.
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Embrace impromptu conversation. There's no way to plan out an entire book club meeting, and even if you could, it would make for a rather dull discussion! Don't be afraid to use what other group members say to guide the discussion, even if it feels like you're going against the questions you had planned. As long as the discussion is on-topic, you can let it flow organically and authentically. This will make for a more lively and memorable discussion.
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Wrap up the conversation at the end of the meeting. As you close out the meeting, consider recapping what you covered in the discussion: any key themes you explored or ideas you want the group to walk away with. You may also ask if anyone's opinion of the book changed from the beginning of the meeting to the end, and how the discussion might have influenced it.
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References
- ↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/what-are-tropes-in-writing
- ↑ https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-host-a-poetry-book-club-because-its-time-to-make-this-a-part-of-your-reading-50092
- ↑ https://www.libraryadventure.com/25-questions-to-spark-book-discussions-with-young-readers/
- ↑ https://www.scholastic.com/worldofpossible/sites/default/files/PamAllyn_20_Questions_to_Get_Kids_Talking_About_Books.pdf
- ↑ https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data
- ↑ https://conversationcafe.org/the-complete-hosting-manual/
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