Those handy questions in the back of
most book group paperbacks are great ways to get the discussion
going, but there are other, creative ways to have fun at book
group as well as spark meaningful book talk.
Eat it up. For book groups who meet in homes and include
food, a great way to tie the evening together is by using the
menu to include food specifically mentioned in the book or
suggested by the locale. A number of recent books for book clubs
offer reading and menu suggestions, including "The Book
Club Cookbook" by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp (Tarcher
Books, paperback, 544 pages, $15.95).
Cast the movie. If you’ve ever gone to see a movie based on
a novel and been disappointed in the casting, now is your
chance. Decide, with your book group members, which actors best
suit the roles.
Do some research. Ever wonder why John Irving includes
wrestling in some of his novels or what events influenced the
novel "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver?
The answers to many questions about author choices and character
motivation can be found in biographical research. Investigating
the author’s life, which couldn’t be any easier in today’s
world of Internet research, is another way to take the book
discussion to the next level.
Include the author. Many publishing houses now offer the
chance for book groups to arrange phone visits with authors. If
you read a local author’s book, you might even be able to
include them in your meeting or visit them at a local book store
for a signing.
Look online. Several web sites offer discussion questions and
ideas for book groups. Two of the best are: www.readinggroupguides.com
and www.readinggroupchoices.com.
Switch it up. Talk with other book groups about what they’ve
done to spur discussion. Try something new with your reading
selection such as reading two books in the same month about a
similar theme or choosing one author and having each member read
a different book. There’s no perfect formula for book clubs or
book discussions, so don’t be afraid to make a change.
