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2004 United We Read General Ideas for Book Discussions How do we begin the discussion? Often, the host of the meeting, or the member who chose the book can begin the conversation. It can be helpful to have each member bring one issue/question/comment to the table. Depending on the dynamic of your group, you may want to keep an eye on the clock to ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute. Another tip is to choose books with reading guides and use them to kick-start discussion. Your group could decide to choose a leader for each meeting who will come prepared with questions and thoughts to help move things along. You can't be expected to remember every single thing you loved and hated about the book, so it helps to jot down notes as you read, marking pages and passages as you go. How do we set the tone of the meeting? The most successful reading groups are informal, friendly, and imaginative. It's important that all the members feel comfortable sharing ideas and experiences. Creating a trusting and open venue for meetings will encourage a free and lively exchange of thoughts and ideas. Brainstorm new ways to gather and discuss with your group. Maybe you want to meet over dinner. Perhaps you'd rather do drinks and snacks? You can match the food, drink, atmosphere to the book you choose. For Under the Tuscan Sun, you can serve wines and cheese of Italy. For a discussion of Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America serve candy bars and treats as snacks. Experiment with new ways to enliven discussion. If you read The Da Vinci Code you can bring along a printed copy of Da Vinci's Last Supper, or an art book that includes his work. You might try to choose books that coincide with an author reading at your local bookstore. Your reading group can attend the reading, and discuss the book and author after the reading. Keep in mind that discussion is the heart of a good book club, and some of the best discussions can be over the myriad of ways that the members hated the book. Don't be afraid to disagree with something someone said--give members a chance to talk you out of hating (or loving) the books. You may not always agree, but you are certain to walk out of your meeting with a different perspective. Feel free to let the conversation stray off course. You don't have to stick to a rigid agenda. The most important thing about your reading group is that you talk about the book and have fun doing it. --from Amazon.com General Questions for Fiction Books: What was your overall reaction to this book? Can you remember how you felt as you read it? How does the author keep you reading? If you had a strong emotional reaction to it, what caused that? Which parts of this book stick most clearly in your mind? Why? Before you started to read, what were your expectations of the book? How far did it fulfill them? Were there any surprises? Does the novel have an interesting title? What does it mean? If it is enigmatic, when do you realize its significance? How does the novel open? Is it an effective opening? If it engages your interest ­ if it grabs you instantly ­ how does it do that? Are any mysteries presented? How clear is it what is going on? Do you need more information than you are given? What is interesting about the way the story is told? How are the episodes of the novel arranged and linked? Do cause and effect have a part in the story? How does one action or decision lead to another? In your discussion, you might want to identify where the turning points in the action are ­ where those moments are after which everything is different. Did you anticipate them? From whose point of view is the story told? What is the effect of this? What is their personal perspective? Can we trust their viewpoint? If the viewpoint shifts from one person to another, how smoothly does this happen? Is it clear whose view we are getting? What is the effect of having more than one viewpoint? Writers do not always tell their stories in a straightforward way. If there are foreshadowings or hints of the future, what is their effect? What is the novel's theme? What central message or idea links all the other components of the novel together? Is the writer concerned with social issues, or environmental issues for instance? If the novel has more than one theme, which is the main one? Do the different themes complement one another or are they quite separate? Have these ideas been explored in novels before? If they are not original themes, what is interesting about the way this author explores them? Is the theme universal ­ in other words, does the novel explore a message that is true of all people, in all places, at all times? If the novel is an old one, is its theme still relevant today? Where is the novel set? Is it an easily identifiable setting? What details are used to evoke the location? If it is a real place, how authentic is the description? Is the setting important ­ does it contribute anything to the novel, or is it incidental? If there is more than one setting, are readers supposed to compare them? How do settings affect characters? Do we associate certain characters in the novel with certain settings? What is the effect of this? Is there a contrast for example between town and country characters? Are there "indoor" and "outdoor" characters, and how does the author use the settings in which we see certain characters to shed light on their personalities? What did you find most interesting about the novel's characters? Are they well drawn? How well do we get to know them? Are characters revealed to us through description, dialogue or action? Do we ever get inside their heads ­ does the writer allow us into the thought processes of characters, and what is the effect of this? Are the characters realistic? Where is your evidence? If the characters are stereotypes, is there a reason for this? Do any of the characters seem totally original? If so, what is their most memorable trait? Consider the things that motivate the characters in the novel. What is important to the main characters in your novel? Does it seem as if the author favors the values of a particular character? How can you tell? How far do you agree with the choices the characters make? How much do you care about their struggles and problems? If you become emotionally involved in characters' lives, how did this happen? Do the characters in the novel have control of their own destinies? Explore the relationship between Fate and free will in the novel. The experiences we go through in life change us. If characters change during the novel, what causes those changes? Are they for the better? Consider the main relationships between characters. What do characters reveal about themselves by their relationships? If there is dialogue in the book, how is it handled? Does it seem natural? Do any of the characters have a particular way of talking that reveals their personalities? What do you find most interesting about the writer's style? Is it unusual? Do you like it? How appropriate is the style to the story? Try to pick out instances in the book which best illustrate the writer's style and share them with your book group. From the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library Web site, http://onebook.imcpl.org/vol2/onebook_book_discussions_questions.htm We hope you enjoy the 2004 United We Read selection, and find the material provided here beneficial to your reading and discussion. --United We Read Committee   For further information contact: Kansas City Metropolitan Library & Information Network 15624 E. 24 Highway Independence, MO 64050 Phone: (816) 521-7257 Fax: (816) 461-0966 Email: sburton@kcmlin.org Last Updated 6/7/04