Five Ways to Structure Your Book Club Discussion

The best part of being in a book club is getting to discuss the books you read with fellow bookworms, but it’s not always easy to stay on track and keep focused on the book. Below, you’ll find five ways to structure your book club discussion based on what’s best for your group.

Follow a discussion guide
If you love the idea of set topics and questions guiding your meeting, consider using a discussion guide. Following a discussion guide allows book clubs to cover all of the major themes of a book, and many publishers provide them for free online. We Are Bookish includes custom discussion guides in all of our book club kits!

Members ask the questions
If you’re looking for a setup that encourages participation, we’d recommend asking each reader to prepare one or two discussion questions for your next meeting. You can go around in a circle, allowing each member to ask a question and moderate the discussion around it. This is an ideal way to keep everyone involved and chatting!

Divide and conquer
When you have a lot to say about a book, conversations can quickly become overwhelming. We’d recommend dividing your discussion into sections that help drive the conversation. For example, you could spend time on the characters, writing, plot, and overall reception. Depending on the book, you can add sections that reflect what you’ve read (plot twists, multiple POVs, etc).

Chapter-by-chapter
Is your book club obsessed with details? You might want to try talking through your reads chapter-by-chapter. Perfect for groups that meet online, this method allows you to take a deep dive into the small details that make up the book you’re reading. Just make sure to allocate your time well so you don’t find yourself halfway through the book at the end of the meeting!

Structure-free discussion
Some groups need organization to thrive, while others do best with a little more freedom. Don’t force things if your group finds that they have a great time diving into a discussion without worrying about sticking to a plan. After all, there’s no right or wrong way to have a book club!