• Listen to each other. You may want to take turns as the discussion moderator, keeping participants on topic and making sure everyone has a chance to speak.
• Come with questions and comments. Doing a little extra research on the author’s life, the historical time period, or the setting of the book can really enhance your reading experience. Start with Hennepin County Library's Research Books & Authors Subject Guide or ask a librarian for help.
• Do not ask Yes/No questions. Ask for opinions. Was your response to the book emotional or intellectual? Talk about characters, plot, mood, setting, and language. Find a review of the book. Do you agree with the reviewer?
• Read a passage from the book out loud and discuss it. Why did you choose that passage? How does the language flow? What's happening on all the levels of the book?
• Remember that not everyone may like the book, and that's okay. That actually provides for a more interesting discussion while you compare and contrast how people experienced it.
• For more information, visit Hennepin County Library's bookspace Book Clubs page.
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