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DIY Discussion Guides

Once a popular title (and of course the classics) has come out in paperback, the publisher may do a great services to book discussion groups everywhere - they create a discussion guide. Unfortunately, these guides are few and few between. They most likely aren't available for the group which chooses to read more obscure or controversial titles, or chooses to read a book before it becomes the book to read - the sleeper! So, what is a book discussion group to do? Create their own guide, of course.

It isn't as daunting as it sounds. One just has to come up with some questions which are NOT yes or no answerable! Once you have come up with a few for one book, it will be easy to build off those for other book titles. You are only looking for about a half dozen discussion points for each title to generate discussion. As discussion progresses, questions will come up from other members of the group or more questions will be triggered in your own mind. The following should help you get started:

  • Who are the key characters and how do they impact the feeling of the story. What kinds of emotions do they trigger in you? Do they ring true? Why or Why not? How do you relate to them and what people in your own life are like them?
  • What is the time period and/or setting and how is it significant? Could the story be told in a nother setting/time period? What are the historical facts/fictions which propel the story?
  • What is the book about? What is the central theme? What is the author trying to express? How do you relate to the themes/emotions expressed?
  • What is the author's writing style? Is it formal or relaxed? Third-person or first-person? What is the point of view? Is there anything "different" about the book's style?
  • When was the book written? Does this effect the story? Would it be different if written today? If written 50 years ago?
  • What happens in the sequel? Do the characters live on? Make changes in their story "life"?
  • How is this book the same as others you have read? What sets it apart? Do you recommend it to others?
  • Has this title changed you in any way? What is the emotional impact of the book? It's characters? It message?

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