Someone asked me about questions for book clubs, so here is a list – it’s generic, so you can alter the questions for any fiction book you happen to be reading.
The Book as a Whole
- Did you like the book? Why? What did you like best/least?
- What other books did this one remind you of?
- What was your initial reaction? Did you get into the book immediately, or did it take a while?
- Do you think it was plot-driven or character driven?
- What did you think of the narrator/narration? If you could pick a different narrator/narrative style, who/what you pick?
- What is your favourite quote?
- Did the book have a theme (or more than one)? If so, how was the theme (or themes) demonstrated? Was the theme something you had thought about before – did the book make you think about the theme further?
- Did the book change your opinion or perspective on anything? Did you learn anything from it?
- How did the structure of the book affect the story?
- If you could ask the author one question (about anything!), what would it be?
- What other books by this author have you read? How do they compare to this one?
The Characters
- Did the characters change or grow throughout the story or not?
- Did your opinion of the characters change as the story progresses? How does this relate to the book’s theme (if it has one)?
- Which character did you relate to most?
- Which character did you like the best, and the least?
- Which character would you like to meet?
- If you could ask one character one question, which character would it be, and what question would you ask?
- If the book were made into a film, who would you pick for each part?
The Plot
- Did the plot work for you? Do you think the author achieved what they were intending to?
- If there was a mystery element, did you work out who-dun-it early or late?
- What part of the plot did you like best? Was there anything that didn’t work for you?
- How did you feel about the ending? Did it work for you? Did you wish something else had happened, and if so, what?
The Setting
- What did you think of the setting? If the book had been set somewhere else, would it have changed the story?
- What did you like about the author’s world-building? What did you dislike? Was there anything that didn’t work for you?
- Was the setting new or unusual for you? If not, did the author bring anything new to a familiar setting?