Book club questions: what to ask when discussing a book
Book clubs are the perfect place to discuss books that you've read and enjoyed. They're a great way for people to share their opinions about a particular book. One of the great things about a book club is that everyone has read the same books. This means that they have a shared pool of knowledge to draw upon, but they will will always add their own perspectives and thoughts to their analysis. However, the nature of book clubs can mean that some people get to have their say, while others quietly sit back. In order to encourage better discussion, you should plan out some book club questions.
One of the most common book club questions to start with is whether people liked reading the book. This will usually bring some interesting reactions. While many people likely enjoyed the book, it's inevitable that someone didn't. These people will usually be the ones who pipe up and start to talk about why they didn't like the book. Other people will then start to join in to defend the book that they've just read. This can lead to a very interesting and lively discussion where people are encouraged to put in their two cents about a book.
Other book club questions that you should ask are what people thought the book was about. This will help capture the theme of the book, and will allow readers to deepen their analysis and discussion. Members of the book club may have entirely different ideas about the particular thematic emphasis of the book. This can lead to interesting debate, and can encourage discussion of very different perspectives. Encourage thematic book club questions for this reason.
Other useful book club questions revolve around characters' motivations. It's always interesting to figure out why somebody did something in a book. It's also interesting to discuss the author's motivation in making the character do this thing. You can also discuss whether you thought that particular decisions or actions taken by the characters were plausible. Once you've entered into this particular discussion, you can begin considering whether the characterization in the book is strong. This will often lead on to a discussion of the plot and the author's writing style.
Other book club questions you should consider asking are whether the book is influenced by the author or the context in which it was written. For example, examining the role of women in a book written in the 1800s can be very interesting and fruitful. You can also consider how the book compares with the author's other novels to see if there are shared themes or a similarity in style. Many authors will have a particular thread that they tend to touch on again and again in their writing. Similarly, you can compare the book to others in its field. For example, if it's a romance novel, does it end with a sad ending rather than the main character living happily ever after? If so, this is quite unconventional. It can be interesting to discuss why the author made these choices, and what they mean.
Book clubs are the perfect place to discuss books that you've read and enjoyed. They're a great way for people to share their opinions about a particular book. One of the great things about a book club is that everyone has read the same books. This means that they have a shared pool of knowledge to draw upon, but they will will always add their own perspectives and thoughts to their analysis. However, the nature of book clubs can mean that some people get to have their say, while others quietly sit back. In order to encourage better discussion, you should plan out some book club questions.
One of the most common book club questions to start with is whether people liked reading the book. This will usually bring some interesting reactions. While many people likely enjoyed the book, it's inevitable that someone didn't. These people will usually be the ones who pipe up and start to talk about why they didn't like the book. Other people will then start to join in to defend the book that they've just read. This can lead to a very interesting and lively discussion where people are encouraged to put in their two cents about a book.
Other book club questions that you should ask are what people thought the book was about. This will help capture the theme of the book, and will allow readers to deepen their analysis and discussion. Members of the book club may have entirely different ideas about the particular thematic emphasis of the book. This can lead to interesting debate, and can encourage discussion of very different perspectives. Encourage thematic book club questions for this reason.
Other useful book club questions revolve around characters' motivations. It's always interesting to figure out why somebody did something in a book. It's also interesting to discuss the author's motivation in making the character do this thing. You can also discuss whether you thought that particular decisions or actions taken by the characters were plausible. Once you've entered into this particular discussion, you can begin considering whether the characterization in the book is strong. This will often lead on to a discussion of the plot and the author's writing style.
Other book club questions you should consider asking are whether the book is influenced by the author or the context in which it was written. For example, examining the role of women in a book written in the 1800s can be very interesting and fruitful. You can also consider how the book compares with the author's other novels to see if there are shared themes or a similarity in style. Many authors will have a particular thread that they tend to touch on again and again in their writing. Similarly, you can compare the book to others in its field. For example, if it's a romance novel, does it end with a sad ending rather than the main character living happily ever after? If so, this is quite unconventional. It can be interesting to discuss why the author made these choices, and what they mean.