267 Best Book Club Questions to Get a Conversation Going
If you have come here looking for book club questions, your wish is being granted. We are going to share a plethora of questions with you.
I’ve been to a few book clubs and understand how tough it can be to start a book conversation.
The book club discussion questions, in my opinion, are open-ended and invite people to add their personal viewpoints.
Here are dozens of the best fiction and nonfiction book club questions if you’re ready to start one. It is a printable list that you may take to your group!
Do you have trouble coming up with book club questions to help drive your group dialogue? Let us walk you through some intriguing questions then.
Best Book Club Questions
Are you willing to read? And then you tell your friends about it? With this list of the best book club questions that will keep your group discussing deep into the evening, we’ve kept it as simple as possible. All that remains is for you to provide some amusing food — and, obviously, read the whole thing!
1. What are some passages that you underlined, or that particularly affected you?
2. Have you ever experienced a challenge like the one described in this book?
3. Was the narrator’s voice compelling?
4. Has this book affected the way you go about your life? If so, in what way?
5. Did you find the author’s story compelling?
6. Do you think the author succeeded in what they set out to do?
7. Would you fall for either of the leads?
8. If you could give the main character a piece of advice, what would you say?
9. Did the book spook you, or get under your skin, in any way?
10. What is the most important point the author makes in this book?
11. What do you think motivated the author to share his or her story?
12. If it’s part of a series, did this book compel you to read the next one?
13. Do you think the author was honest?
14. Did you doubt the author’s advice at some points? How come?
15. What were the main themes of the book? How were those themes brought to life?
16. How long did it take you to finish the book?
17. What did you think of the writing style and content structure of the book?
18. What did you like most about the book? What did you like the least?
19. What did you learn from this book?
20. Was the book satisfying to read? Why or why not?
21. Which location in the book would you most like to visit and why?
22. How important was the time period or the setting to the story? Did you think it was accurately portrayed?
23. Did your opinion of this book change as you read it? How?
24. Were there any quotes (or passages) that stood out to you? Why?
25. Are there any books that you would compare this book to?
26. Which places in the book would you most like to visit?
27. How original and unique was this book?
28. Had you heard about the book before starting it? Do you think it was overhyped or should be celebrated more?
29. Do you like how the book is structured? Were you able to follow the story effortlessly?
30. Are there any particularly striking visual symbols used in the book? What do you think they represent?
General Book Club Questions
A book club may be a great way to get started reading while also meeting others with similar interests that you would not encounter on a daily basis. With these general book club questions, all you need is a fantastic book, some tasty food, and a lively conversation.
1. Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn?
2. Did reading the book impact your mood? If yes, how so?
3. Did this book remind you of any other books?
4. What was your least favorite?
5. Did you reread any passages? If so, which ones?
6. What format (hardback, paperback, audio, or eBook) did you read the book on, and did it make any difference?
7. What was your favorite part of the book?
8. Did the book strike you as original?
9. Which twist surprised you the most?
10. What surprised you most about the book?
11. Which scene has stuck with you the most?
12. Do you plan to re-read the book in the future?
13. If you could ask the author anything, what would it be?
14. Are there lingering questions from the book you’re still thinking about?
15. What did you think of the writing? Are there any standout sentences?
16. How did it impact you? Do you think you’ll remember it in a few months or years?
17. How would you rate the book out of five stars?
18. Would you want to read another book by this author?
19. Did you like the “heat” level of the book?
20. How would the book have played out differently in a different time period or setting?
21. What did you think of the author’s voice and style? Did the quality of the writing match the story?
22. Did you enjoy all the twists in the story?
23. Would you ever consider re-reading it? Why or why not?
24. How did the book compare to other memoirs you’ve read?
25. Who do you most want to read this book?
26. Are there any areas you wished the author had elaborated upon further?
27. Did the book scare you?
28. What did you think of the book’s length? If it’s too long, what would you cut? If too short, what would you add?
29. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how would you rate this book?
30. Did you read the book during the daytime or at night? Did it have any effect on your reading experience?
Funny Book Club Questions
These funny book club questions are ideal for debating a wide range of book genres, including Sci-fi and futuristic novels, gothic and werewolf novels, true-crime publications, memoirs, and even self-help books. The good news is that they are amusing questions that will provide hours of entertainment.
1. Did you actually read the book, or did you just skim through the summary on Google?
2. You are dropped into the world of this book for the day. How would you fare?
3. If you could date a character from the book, who would you pick?
4. Did you smell the book before starting to read it?
5. Did this book remind you of any songs? Make a playlist as a group.
6. Is there a destination in the book (real or fantasy) that you would love to visit?
7. Does the book feature any specific tropes that you particularly like?
8. Which of the characters in the book do you most relate to? Which would you want to invite for dinner—and why?
9. Which actors would you cast in the film adaptation of the book?
10. Were there any particularly cringe-worthy moments or sentences in the book?
11. If you could be a part of the book, which character would you like to be?
12. Summarize the book using only five words.
13. Do you think the book would work best as a movie, television series, or a Broadway play?
14. Which characters have the best, worst, and funniest names in the book?
15. Did you make any footnotes or highlight paragraphs in the book? Care to share any?
16. If you had to pick one song to be the anthem for this book what would it be?
17. Did someone else in your house also read the book? If yes, what was their opinion about it?
18. What character do you think is most likely to end up in jail after a wild night out?
19. What character would you be friends with in real life?
20. If you could switch places for one day with any character who would you pick and what would you do?
21. If you had to cook a meal for (insert character) what would you cook?
22. What character do you think is most likely to max out their credit card?
23. If you had to book a weekend trip for the main character where would you send them and why?
24. What character would you want to make you breakfast?
25. If the main character had an online dating profile what would the bio say?
26. Explain this book to someone who hasn’t read it in 5 words.
27. If you wrote the next book in this series what would happen?
Great Book Club Questions
Simply said, I’ve produced a list of great book club questions that are likely to spark discussion. The bulk of these are general and may be used with any book.
1. What aspects of the story could you most relate to?
2. What did you like best about this book?
3. At what point in the book did you have an idea what was going on? What was the key clue that gave it away?
4. If you could hear this same story from another person’s point of view, who would you choose?
5. Share a favorite quote from the book. Why did this quote stand out?
6. What did you like least about this book?
7. What songs did you think of while reading this book?
8. Would you recommend the book to a friend? How would you summarize the story if you were to recommend it?
9. Did you think the first sentence of the book was effective? Why do you think the author started with that sentence?
10. Do you feel the book cover captures the essence of the book?
11. How did you feel immediately after finishing the book?
12. What were some recurring themes or motifs throughout the book?
13. Is this book overrated or underrated?
14. Who is the one person you would like to gift this book, and why?
15. Do these stories have an overriding theme that ties them all together?
16. How did your opinion of the book change as you read it?
17. Did you agree with the author’s advice?
18. Did this book melt your heart? Make you believe in love again?
19. How did the book make you feel? What emotions did it evoke?
20. What did you learn from hearing this person’s story?
21. How do you feel about how the story was told?
22. Are there any people in the book whose perspective you wanted?
23. Do you think the author created enough suspense and drama?
24. Do you find the world created by the author fascinating enough?
25. What could the author have done to make the story more interesting for you?
26. Which non-human characters did you particularly like and why?
27. Would you like to see the book turn into a series (if it hasn’t already)?
28. Did this book stretch your imagination?
29. Have you read this genre before? Would you try another book in the same genre?
30. Have you ever travelled to the destination described in this book? Would you want to?
Fiction Book Club Questions
Fiction moves us to another world. Based on our backgrounds, beliefs, and belief systems, each of us is pulled to distinct aspects of those worlds. If you enjoy reading fiction, whether classics, fantasy, young adult works, or something in between, you might want to include these fiction book club questions on your reading list.
1. Did this book seem realistic?
2. Guess the characters’ zodiac signs.
3. Did the book feel real to you?
4. How well do you think the author built the world in the book?
5. Which characters did you like best? Which did you like least?
6. If you were to write fanfic about this book, what kind of story would you want to tell?
7. Which character did you relate to, or empathize with, the most?
8. How did the setting impact the story? Would you want to read more books set in that world?
9. Did the book’s pace seem too fast/too slow/just right?
10. What do you think happens to the characters after the book’s official ending?
11. If you had to trade places with one character, who would it be?
12. Was the pacing— beginning, middle, and end— done well?
13. Did the plot proceed in a way that felt natural? Or did you feel manipulated by the storyline?
14. What are your thoughts on the book’s structure? Did it serve the story well?
15. Which other character would have made an interesting protagonist?
16. Are there any characters you’d like to deliver a lecture to? If so, who? What would you say?
17. If there were any twists or big reveals, how believable were they?
18. Was there symbolism present? If so, what did you think of the message the author was trying to convey?
19. Did the characters’ motives seem reasonable or a little far-fetched?
20. How did the setting progress the story?
21. Were there any characters you felt personally connected to, even if only a little bit?
22. Did any of the characters change significantly throughout the book? How so?
23. What are some themes in this story? Were there any that stood out to you?
24. Were there any parts of this novel that didn’t seem believable?
25. When did your opinion of the protagonist change in the novel? What changed it?
26. Which event in the book was most similar to something you’ve personally experienced?
27. Do you think there will be, or should be, a sequel to this book? If so, what do you hope will happen in the sequel?
28. How does this book compare to other similar works of fiction you’ve read before?
29. Do you think any events in the book were inspired by real life?
30. How did the setting impact the narrative?
Nonfiction Book Club Questions
Nonfiction novels make up some of the greatest book club selections. Hearing other people’s viewpoints on facts and how information is recorded can help us memorizing facts much more deeply. Here are some nonfiction book club questions to help lead your team through a nonfiction book discussion.
1. Did you agree with the author’s conclusions? Where did you deviate?
2. What did you Google while reading the book?
3. What about this book drew you in and kept you reading?
4. What did you already know about this book’s subject before you read this book?
5. What new things did you learn? What questions do you still have?
6. Of all the information presented in the book, what has stayed you the most?
7. What else have you read on this topic, and would you recommend these books to others?
8. What is your takeaway from reading this book? Do you have a new perspective on the topic after reading it?
9. What do you think about the author’s research? Was it easy to see where the author got his or her information? Were the sources credible?
10. Did this book make you want to explore the subject matter more?
11. Were you surprised by anything in the book, good or bad?
12. Did any of the author’s thoughts or opinions change your own? If so, why and how?
13. Why was this book written? How can it be applied to your own life or the world at large?
14. Did the author accomplish their goal in writing this book? Why or why not?
15. What were your impressions on the author’s style? Did you find the book easy to read, or a slog?
16. Do you believe the topic was covered adequately in the book? If not, what do you wish had been explained more?
17. Did you learn anything new from this book? If so, what’s the most valuable piece of information you will take with you?
18. Did you detect any bias in the way the information was presented?
19. Did you stop to Google anything while reading this book?
20. Did you know anything about the subject of this book before you started reading it? If so, what?
21. Does this book make you want to delve further into this topic?
22. Are there any gaps you’d like the author to fill in, or pieces of information you think were missing?
23. Did this book change or challenge any preconceived notions you had about the subject?
24. Have you read anything else on this subject by an author with a different viewpoint?
25. Do you think the book was effectively organized? Are there any ways the structure could be improved?
Book Club Questions about the Title
These book club questions about the title are written to guide you as you lead a great discussion about the title that the author has chosen. Well, you know that title is the door to the story within the book!
1. Would you have given the book a different title? If yes, what would your title be?
2. What is the significance of the title? Did you find it meaningful, why or why not?
3. How does the book’s title work in relation to the book’s contents? If you could give the book a new title, what would it be?
4. What does the title mean? Does it have anything to do with what’s inside?
5. What do you think of the book’s title? How does it relate to the book’s contents?
6. Did the title pique your interest about this book?
7. What other title might you choose?
8. Do you think the book’s title matched the story?
Book Club Questions about the Author
What is the background of the author? Does the author use a casual, conversational writing style? Is there a lot of descriptive language? Did the author use a rotating point of view? What makes this author’s writing style unique? How does the style of this book is related to other books you have read? These and many more book club questions about the author are here for you.
1. If you could talk to the author, what burning question would you want to ask?
2. Have you read any other books by this author? How would you compare them to this selection?
3. How did the author build the tension?
4. How honest do you think the author was?
5. If you got the chance to ask the author of this book one question, what would it be?
6. What other books by this author have you read? How did they compare to this book?
7. What do you think the author’s goal was in writing this book? What ideas were they trying to illustrate? What message were they trying to send?
8. What is your impression of the author?
9. Why do you think the author chose to write their memoir?
10. What do you think the author’s purpose was in writing this book? What ideas was he or she trying to get across?
11. Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not?
12. What is the overall thesis of the author?
13. Did the author present the information in an easy to understand way?
14. How does the author’s writing style compare to other authors you have read?
15. Do you think the story has a hidden or philosophical element to it? What could the author be saying?
16. If you imagine the author writing this book where are they and what is their daily route.
17. How would you describe the author’s writing style? (Was it flowery and descriptive, or more succinctly written?)
18. Is this your first time reading a book by this author?
19. Make one assumption about the author.
20. If the book was written in first person, why do you think the author made that choice? How did that choice change the story, vs. having it in third person?
21. Would you recommend the author’s other work to book club?
22. How did you feel about the world that the author created?
23. What biases do you think the author might have? How could this impact the way the book was written?
24. Did you find the author to be a sympathetic or likeable narrator?
Book Club Questions about the Characters
If you want to discuss the characters of a particular book you can use some questions related to the characters themselves. We have assembled some book club questions about the characters for you.
1. Which character did you most relate to and why?
2. What motivates the actions of each of the characters in the book?
3. Were the characters clearly drawn and depicted?
4. Did you agree with the characters’ decisions?
5. What were the power dynamics between the characters and how did that affect their interactions?
6. Did the characters seem believable to you? Did they remind you of anyone you know?
7. Who was your favorite character? Why?
8. If the book were made into a movie, who would play each of the lead characters?
9. Were there times you disagreed with a character’s actions? What would you have done differently?
10. Which character or moment prompted the strongest emotional reaction for you? Why?
11. Which character would you most like to meet in real life?
12. How does the way the characters see themselves differ from the way others see them?
13. What do you think will happen next to the main characters?
14. Which characters in the book did you like best?
15. What did you think about the main characters?
16. Which character in the book would you most like to meet?
17. Do any of the characters remind you of real-life people?
18. Which characters did you like least?
19. Does the protagonist experience a major revelation or period of growth? How does it change them?
20. Why did the author choose to follow this protagonist and not another character in the story? Would the story have been different if it was told from another character’s point of view?
21. Does this story have an antagonist or villain? What traits does this character reveal about the story’s hero?
22. Other than the main character, is there another character you found compelling? Describe how the book might be different from their point of view.
23. Do you think the protagonist is a hero or a villain—or somewhere in between?
24. Do the characters themselves represent anything?
25. Are there any nontraditional “characters” in the book—such as animals, or even places that play a strong role in the story?
26. Who is the most fascinating supporting character in the story? Why?
27. Which character annoyed you the most? What do you not like about them?
28. Which character’s transformation in the story do you particularly find interesting?
29. If you could add one character to the book what would they add to the story?
30. Use one word to describe the main character (Characters).
Book Club Questions about the plot
Plot puts the whole story of the book before the readers. This is why it the most interesting and intriguing part of a discussion. Here are some of the book club questions about the plot that you can ask at your next session.
1. Were there any plot twists that you loved? Hated?
2. What (if any) questions do you still have about the plot?
3. Was there a simple solution to the problems in the book? Why didn’t the author let the characters use it?
4. Did the author do a good job of organizing the plot and moving it along?
5. What scene would you point out as the pivotal moment in the narrative? How did it make you feel?
6. Which event in the story causes all the others?
7. What was your favorite chapter and why?
8. What scene resonated with you most on a personal level? (Why? How did it make you feel?)
9. Is this book based on a classic story, like from mythology, history, or literature? Why did the author choose that particular story to retell?
10. Are there plot points the book didn’t address?
11. What is the book’s climactic scene? How did the author build up to it?
12. What surprised you most about the book? Why? Were there significant plot twists and turns? If so, what were they?
13. What would you have changed about the plot if you could re-write the story?
14. Does the book’s ending resolve the plot? If it doesn’t, do you think this was intentional? What else do you want to know?
Book Club Questions about the Ending
Book club gatherings dedicated to discussing the conclusion appear and require an entirely new strategy. As a result, they require an additional set of questions in order to start fascinating dialogues and keep the debates active and beneficial for all participants. Here are some book club questions about the ending.
1. Did the ending answer all your questions? Did you think it was believable or too farfetched?
2. How did you feel about the ending? How might you change it?
3. Why do you think the author ended the book with the last sentence? Do you think it was effective?
4. Did you guess the ending? If so, at what point?
5. How do you interpret the end of the book? Is there more than one way it could have ended?
6. How have the characters changed by the end of the book?
7. How did this book hold up against the last?
8. What do you think happens to the leads after the ending?
9. Were all your questions answered in the end?
10. If you could pick one character to get a happy ending who would it be?
11. At any point did you consider not finishing the book?
12. If you could change the ending would you?
13. Have any of your personal views changed because of this book? If so, how?
14. Do you think this book should have been shorter or longer?
15. Did you see the ending coming or was it a surprise?
16. How would your ending differ from what was written in the book? (If yes)
17. Would you have picked this book for yourself if you saw it at the library?
18. What character changed the most by the end of the book?
19. Do you have any lingering questions after finishing the book?
5 Tips for Choosing Book Club Questions
You’ve probably come here looking for interesting book discussion questions since you’re planning to organize a book club meeting. If you are leading the group for the first time, here are some suggestions for book discussion questions.
1. Plan ahead of time
Choose questions (from the above lists, the book, or your own thoughts) that will allow for a serious and vibrant conversation. Make a note of your answers and highlight a few pages in the book that will help you understand them.
Perhaps you might highlight a section or two that you found thought-provoking, or a particular phrase. As one of your discussion questions, you may ask other members what they thought about a particular paragraph.
2. Establish some ground rules and expectations
Some of the finest book club questions are ones that deal with severe issues or circumstances. As a result, members may react strongly to some of the information.
Identifying any possible trigger concerns for members at the outset of the meeting is a simple approach to avoid bad conversations – invite members to declare any themes or aspects of the tale they’d want to pass over.
Depending on how well your group knows each other, you may need to set out expectations in order to avoid confrontations.
3. Only ask one question at a time
Begin with a broad question that anybody can answer. “What did you appreciate about the book?” or “What was your least favorite portion of the story?”
Following book club discussion questions should be chosen based on how the discussion proceeds. If a question falls flat or produces too much uproar, redirect the group in an entirely new direction.
Alternatively, if the conversation is good and dynamic, continue with similar questions.
4. Act as a proactive moderator
Your most significant role as the leader of the book club discussion happens during the discussion itself. It is your obligation to ensure that members keep on track while also feeling appreciated and heard.
Prevent members from unwittingly monopolizing the topic by directing book club questions to members who are less prone to interrupt or rush in to offer their opinions.
5. Do not let them stray
Restate some of the ideas spoken by others to ensure that you (and others) understand what they were saying. If the talk begins to go away from the book, gently steer it back.
If a disagreement becomes heated, emphasize the virtues of both viewpoints and move on to a new issue.
Final Thoughts on Book Club Questions
I hope these book club questions help you make the most of your book club discussions. I’ve also included some questions about other genres of texts, such as fiction or nonfiction.
Simply choose the discussion threads that are most relevant for you and your book club, and start talking! Bring the written questions with you to get help.
If you enjoy reading, you’re certainly aware that joining a book club has a number of advantages and adds a significant amount of value to your pastime.
While book clubs vary in size and purpose, one thing they all have in common is that they may create some pretty excellent book club talks, as long as members ask themselves and each other the correct book club discussion questions about the book they read.
While the standard book club questions are acceptable most of the time, going outside the box may lead to interesting discussions and a greater grasp of the book.
This is why we’ve provided you with this collection of questions covering practically every subject. So have a good time.
