Reading groups

It can be helpful to do a bit of research before the meeting, e.g. print off information about the novel from the author’s website, find interviews with the author or look at reviews. You can take it in turns to do this.

A useful suggestion is for all members to come to the meeting with one question/talking point prepared beforehand - this way everyone feels involved and the onus doesn’t just fall on one person to provide all the discussion points.

You’ll find that opinions may differ radically but there are no rights or wrongs - everyone’s opinion of a book is equally valid.

It’s best to ask open-ended questions to keep a discussion going. Ask What did you think of the book? rather than Did you like the book?

Try to get people to explain their reactions. If they didn’t like the book ask them to explain why - was it the characters or the style of writing, for example?

General discussion questions could include:

• what were your reactions to the book?
• what did you think about the author’s style
• could you relate to the characters?
• what were the book’s main themes?
• was there a section of the book you wish the author had spent more/less time on?
• did it get off to a slow start or were you straight in?
• was it what you expected?
• how did you feel when you finished the book?
• were you satisfied with the way the book ended?
• would you read this book again?
• did the book remind you of anything else you’ve read?
• is this a book you would recommend to others and why?
• what did you think of the cover - would you have chosen to read it?
• how well did the cover and synopsis represent the book?
• if you gave up on the book, can you explain why you didn’t like it?