12 Best Book Club Questions for Any Book

Welcome back to our How to Book Club series! Today, we're cracking open the secret to a lively literary gathering: great book club discussion questions.

Some folks like to wing it, letting conversation flow wherever it may. But for those of us who swear by Alexander Graham Bell's wisdom that 'preparation is the key to success,' a little forethought can go a long way.

Want to avoid those awkward silences that feel longer than War and Peace? Looking to spark discussions that are more electrifying than Mary Shelley's Frankenstein? Then you've come to the right place! A well-crafted list of discussion questions can transform your book club from a quiet reading corner into a buzzing hub of literary debate.

So let's dive in and discover how to keep those pages turning and tongues wagging! And when you're ready to take your book club to the next level, organize your next meeting and manage your club membership with Bookclubs.com or the Bookclubs app. From scheduling meetings and polling members, to tracking books and facilitating discussion with ready-made book club questions, we have all the tools you need to focus on the joy of reading together.

Looking for a book club questions for a specific book? 

A great place to start is Bookclubs' Book Club Discussion Guide center, which has book-specific questions for hundreds of titles.  Check back often as we add book club questions for new book club books every week!  Some are written by Bookclubs staff, while others come from the books’ publishers.  

General book club questions for any book! 

If you can’t find a guide for the book your club is reading, we’ve put together this helpful list of general book club questions.  These generic questions work well for almost any book, whether you’re reading fiction or non-fiction.  

Take a look through, pick out a few questions that you think will work best with your book, and never worry about running out of things to talk about at book club again!

If you're in search of even more questions, check out our ultimate list of book club discussion questions for fiction and nonfiction, with 124 book club questions broken out by genre.  

1. Would you recommend this book to someone?  Why or why not (or with what caveats)?  What kind of reader would most enjoy this book?


2. Did you find the author’s writing style easy to read or hard to read? Why? How long did it take you to get into the book?


3. Who was your favorite character? What character did you identify with the most?  Were there any characters that you disliked? Why?


4. Did any part of this book strike a particular emotion in you? Which part and what emotion did the book make you feel?


5. How much did you know about this book before picking it up? What surprised you the most about the book?


6. Was there any part of the plot or aspects of the characters that frustrated or upset you? If so, why?


7. How thought-provoking did you find the book?  Did the book change your opinion about anything, or did you learn something new from it? If so, what? 


8. Did you highlight or bookmark any passages from the book? Did you have a favorite quote or quotes? If so, share which and why?


9. From your point of view, what were the central themes of the book? How well do you think the author did at exploring them?


10. Compare this book to other books you have read by the same author, or other books you have read covering the same or similar themes.  How are they the same or different?


11. How would you adapt this book into a movie? Who would you cast in the leading roles?

Finally, here at Bookclubs, we like to end all of our book club meetings with this question:

12. Rate this book on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.  Why did you give the book the rating you did?  Did any part of this book club discussion change your rating from what it would have been directly after finishing the book? 

Then use the Bookclubs app or website to record your rating and share a review of the book!

Download free printable book club discussion questions

Keep your book club discussion questions at your fingertips with our book club questions pdf, making it easy for you to plan and lead insightful discussions about the books you read. With the printable book club questions readily available, you can focus on fostering meaningful conversations with your book club members, instead of worrying about coming up with questions on the spot.

Looking for more on how to run a book club discussion?

We share all our best tips and tricks for running a book club discussion here, including how to prepare, how to structure and facilitate the discussion, and how to deal with some common meeting and discussion challenges.

Keep your book club organized 

Coming prepared with good discussion questions is only the first step to a great book club conversation.  Bookclubs also has all the club organizing tools you’ll need to keep your book club running smoothly. 

• Automated Meeting Scheduling & Reminders: The meeting syncs with your calendar and all members receive a notification so whether you’re meeting virtually or in-person, you’re keeping book club on the calendar!


• Interactive Polls: Avoid those lengthy email chains with our interactive polls for book selection, choosing your next meeting time, and more.


• Message Boards & 1:1 Direct Messages: Share your latest book banter with direct messaging features and club message boards.


• Digital Shelving: Keep track of what your club (or you) has read and wants to read next. See in an instant what your club is reading this month, view your past reads in one place, and recommend books to each other – so you always have options for what to read next!


• Track Your Reading Goals: Set a goal for the number of books you'll read over the course of the year, the number of book club meetings you'll attend, or jot down and memorialize any other reading-related intentions you might have. Check back over the course of the year to see your progress, and we'll even send you reminders and motivation if you're falling behind. 


• Grow Your Club: Looking to connect with readers outside your personal circle? Open your club to the public and find new members in your hometown or across the globe.

 

Say hello to a better book club experience today and create your free account to get started.

Do you have any other must-ask general book club discussion questions?  Share them in the comments below!