Book Club Discussion Questions

A couple of things about book club discussion questions -- where to find them, what's appropriate, fiction vs. nonfiction, and specific genres.

Before we get into too much detail, take note, there are many books that have a discussion guide specific to the actual plot.  These can be found in the back of the book.  They are usually titled "Book Club Guide."  

Of course, there are also many books that don't have this resource, and that's where we come in!

Your Questions for Discussion

General Questions

Fiction & Nonfiction Books

In the little box here, you will find a link that directs you to both general fiction, and general nonfiction book club discussion questions.  Please ALWAYS view this first.  There is great information about how to lead a book club discussion, as well as some ideas for how to use the questions to choose a good book for the group.

Once you have spent some time with those book club discussion questions, and you know you have a specific genre of book that is to be discussed, see below for a sampling of genre-specific questions.  These will keep your meeting on the right track -- passionate and engaging book discussion!

Christian Book Club

  1. What areas of Christianity did this book highlight or tackle?  Was it done successfully?
  2. How do you feel about what the author experienced? (nonfiction)
  3. Did you relate to the main character's quest for faith in any way?  How so? (fiction)
  4. Do you feel that your own faith has grown, changed, or been questioned by what you read in this book?
  5. How can you put the lessons of this book to work in your spiritual life?

Cookbook Book Club

Everyone brings a bit of history or trivia about their food choice to share. For example, where the recipe originated, interesting variations, good drink pairings. 

Each member shares the story of your preparation. For example, did you run into any problems, did you add or change any ingredient, was it a total breeze?

Do you like this chef?  Why or why not?  

Book & Movie Club

  1. Is the book or the movie better? Why? 
  2. How similar are they? Does the movie closely or loosely follow the book? 
  3. Do you like the actors chosen to play the main characters? Would you have chosen any differently if you were casting the movie? 
  4. What major or minor event was left out that you thought needed to be included in the movie? 
  5. Did the overall message or theme of the book stay the same from book to movie? 
  6. Would the movie have been as good if you hadn't read the book?

History Book Club

  1. Did you learn something that you didn't know before?   Explain.
  2. Would you have liked to live during this time in history?  Why or why not?
  3. Does the author do a good job of transporting you from the current year to whatever time period in which the story takes place?  Why or why not?
  4. Will you read any further books from this time period?  Why or why not?

Mystery Book Club

  1. What type of mystery is this book?  Psychological thriller?  Cozy? Paranormal? Suspense?  What makes it so?
  2. Did you guess the plot twist?  If so, what clued you in?  If not, what did you miss?
  3. Did you identify with the main character?  Were they flawed in any way that caused the central problem of the story?
  4. Would you read another book by this author?  Why or why not?

Romance Book Club

  1. Is the central love story believable?  Why or why not?
  2. Do the main characters have chemistry?  Share a specific scene which leads you to your answer.
  3. Did you root for the characters to make it or not?  Why?
  4. If there were intimate scenes, did you mind reading them?  Why or why not?
  5. Would you read another book by this author (or another book in this genre?)?  Why or why not?

Spiritual Book Club

  1. What is the central message of this book?  Share a passage that highlights this message.
  2. Are you inspired to do something after this reading?  Explain.
  3. Does this book have anything to do with faith?  Not religion, but faith in a higher power?  If so, what are your thoughts?
  4. Is any of the material in this book controversial?  Why or why not?
  5. What is your overall impression of the author?

Finished up with this page?  Return to our home page to continue on your book club journey.  Or, jump to our BEST OF trBCQ list!



Genre Questions

We have put together, in the main body of this page, questions specific to the most popular book club genres.  They are:

Christian,
Cookbook,
Book&Movie,
History,
Mystery,
Romance, and
Spiritual.  

If you have a particular type of book for which you'd like some help forming questions, you can contact us anytime!

Pages to Visit

Did you end up visiting us for one reason or another, and then get sidetracked with all these great ideas?!  Don't worry, it happens to us ALL.THE.TIME.

Here are a few stops to make on your tour of theRealBookClubQueen:

Virtual Book Club-- if you've decided meeting online (in some format) is best for your members, start here!

Book Club Rules-- no matter the type of club you choose to organize, ALL successful book clubs should follow the golden rules.

Book Themed Clubs -- thinking about becoming one of those specific types of reading groups?  This will guide you.

Name Your Book Club -- one of the main things people ask for help with when contacting us.  This info can help your creative juices get flowing!

In-Person Club-- if you want to get together for meetings, this is everything you need to know!

Book Club Questions -- general discussion starters for fiction and nonfiction books.

Genre Questions -- have a specific type of group (spiritual, cookbook, etc)?  These questions will incite powerful discussions.

Book and Movie -- likely the most popular way to enhance your meeting is to choose one of these combos!

trBCQ BEST OF list -- not sure where you want to look?  This best of book clubs list will help!