“What’s the point of having a book club if you don’t get to eat brownies and drink wine?”
Getting a conversation going in a book club isn’t always easy. Ideally, you want a reading group to be as free-flowing and natural as possible with everyone getting an equal share of the floor to share their thoughts and opinions. But that isn’t always possible, and sometimes having some pre-set questions in your back pocket can be an effective way of keeping things ticking. Join us at What We Reading as we serve up the best book club questions that you can take with you to your next session. These questions are designed to be perfect for nonfiction and fiction books, covering every genre imaginable!
What Makes A Good Book Club Question?
Simply put, the best book club questions are the ones that can generate conversation. They are the sorts of questions that are open-ended and invite discussions from across the room.
Some of these questions are designed for any type of book, whilst others are more genre-specific. Ultimately, you don’t want your book club to turn into a lecture, so these questions are designed to open the floor and allow everyone to voice the thoughts and opinions they have picked up from their reading time.
When it comes to questions for your book club, it’s always a good idea to have things well prepared before it kicks off, keep a few prompts handy as well as a few pointers/quotes to hand you can lean on.
General Book Club Questions
- What was your initial impression of the book, and did it change as you read further?
- How would you describe the main characters, and did you find them relatable or well-developed?
- What were the major themes or messages did you pick up from the book?
- What did you make of the book’s setting? Did it add to the story and its atmosphere?
- What surprising twists and turns caught you most off guard? Did they all work in surprising you?
- How did the author use language and style to enhance the storytelling? Were there any particularly memorable passages or quotes?
- How did you find the pacing of the book? Was it too fast or too slow in certain parts?
- Did the book leave anything unresolved or were there any loose ends you wanted more clarity on?
- What was the overall feeling of the book? How did it make you feel?
- Were there any social, cultural or political issues the book addressed that you noticed? How effective were they?
- Were there any symbols or metaphors in the book that stood out to you?
- What were your favourite and least favourite parts of the book?
- Have you read any other works by the author? How did the book compare to their previous work and other books in the genre?
- How did you find the author’s writing style? Were you able to relate to it and find it easy to read?
- What did you think of the arc and evolution of the characters in the book?
- What did you think of the TV/movie adaptation compared to the book?
- Did the book challenge any of your beliefs?
- Were there any controversial moments that generated discussion amongst the characters that you could see dividing readers?
- How did you find the book’s ending? Was it impactful? Did it serve as a fitting and fulfilling conclusion?
- Would you recommend this book to others, and if so, what type of reader do you think would enjoy it the most?
Fiction Book Club Questions
- What did you think of the book’s premise? Was it interesting and unique? And how successful did you think the author was in maximising its potential?
- Did the structure of the book work well?
- How did you find the pacing of the book? Was the beginning, middle and end done well?
- Did the characters seem believable to you? How compelling were they to follow?
- What did you think of the characters’ development, evolution and arc?
- Was the setting significant to the story? How did it contribute to the atmosphere of the book?
- Did the book seem realistic to you?
- How successful do you think the author was in building their world?
- What were some of the biggest twists and shocks in the book? How impactful were they?
- What were some of the key themes you picked up on from the book? Did they resonate with you?
Nonfiction And Memoir Book Club Questions
- How did reading this book impact your thoughts and beliefs?
- What did you already know about the material beforehand, and do you think you’ve learned many new things?
- In what way did the perspectives and experiences of the book shape its overall narrative?
- Were there any moments in the book that struck you as especially evocative? How did they impact you?
- What did you learn from the book? Did it provide any new insights or perspectives on the subject matter? Were there moments that challenged your preconceptions?
- Did you find the development of the characters involved compelling? Were you happy with how they were portrayed?
- What were the main themes the author was attempting to convey in the book? Did they resonate with you?
- How did you find the author’s writing style? Was it compelling to read and easy to follow?
- How authentic do you think the author was?
- Would you recommend this book to others? If not, what is the biggest reason for not recommending it?
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
