Book Club Guides & Resources

Finding a Book Club

Tired of reading alone? Join a book club!

In the age of the internet, your literary kindred spirits may be only a click away. Below are a few websites that can help in your search:

  • Meetup
  • Goodreads
  • Bookclubs.com
  • Bookclubhub.co.uk (Great Britain)
  • Instagram
  • If all else fails, Google Search!

Longing for that in-person connection? Below are great places to start finding other book lovers in your area:

  • Community centre
  • Your local library
  • Meetup
  • Bookclubs.com
  • Facebook groups in your area

Tired of reading alone? Start a book club!

Starting your own book club can be exhilarating, daunting, or both! Below are some tips to help the process go as smoothly as possible.

Decisions, Decisions

First, decide what kind of book club you want. Is it specific to one group of people (teens, women, over 50s, etc) or open to anyone? Is it specific to a particular type of genre (fiction, romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc) or will you read a bit of everything? Narrowing down the type of reading group you’d like to have will not only make it more fun for you, but will help like-minded people find each other.

Where Art Thou?

Next, decide when, where, and how often you will meet. Maybe you will meet at the community centre, or a coffee shop, or members will take hosting in their homes. Make sure everyone in the group is happy with the time and place.

Secondly, decide how often you will meet. Typically, book clubs meet anywhere from every 2 – 6 weeks. You want to give people enough time to read and digest the book, but not so much time that they don’t remember what happened when book club comes around!

The Rules of Book Club Are …

Being clear about the rules and expectations is always a recipe for success. Some areas the group may want to make decisions about are:

  • Who will choose the books? Will it be a group decision or will people take turns?
  • Is there a page limit on how long a book can be? A page minimum?
  • Is there any subject matter that is off limits? I.e. certain types of violence, explicit sex scenes, etc. Sometimes, these scenes may unexpectedly be in a novel, but as far as you are able to control it, people should be comfortable reading books they’re comfortable digging into (unless being uncomfortable is the point of the book and everyone has agreed to it!) 
  • Will anyone be bringing food/drinks? Who and what? Is alcohol allowed or is it a booze-free zone?
  • How will the discussions be started? Will someone create a list of questions for each meet? Will everyone bring one question?
  • How will the discussion work? Will everyone have a designated turn to speak until the discussion gets going or will it be a free-flowing conversation from the start?

Sorting these types of questions with the group beforehand will ensure everyone has a positive experience and can easily get down to the good stuff: reading and discussing a great book (or a bad book, sometimes those are even more fun to talk about)!

Provided here are a few general purpose questions to get the conversation going about any novel you choose to read as a group.

  • Would you recommend this book? Why or why not?
  • What did you love about the book? What did you hate?
  • What are some of the themes you identified?
  • Who do you think the target audience is?
  • What was your favourite character/scene/quote? Your least favourite?
  • Was there anything you found confusing about the story?
  • Was there anything you found profound about the story?
  • Did anything make you feel a particularly strong emotion?
  • If you could change something about the book, what would it be?
  • What character would you most like to sit and have a conversation with, and why? 
Warning: questions may contain spoilers.
  1. Aoife summons the Gates of Desire because she can’t find love. What factors do you think contributed to her being in that situation?
  2. What personal qualities do you think draw Shadach to Aoife and vice versa?
  3. How does the quote from the Gates’ summoning, “Let my body succumb to lust most grand, that I may know the other half of my soul even in a far away land” play out in Shadach and Aoife’s relationship? Is this positive or negative?
  4. What role do the Shadows play in the Kingdom and the story? Do you see them as innately bad or are they unfairly villainised?
  5. Do you think Shadach was right to turn his back on his people for so many years? Why or why not?
  6. The Halcin turned to crime, and became wealthy because of it, after being ostracised and abused by society. They see no point in trying to leave their criminal way of life. Do you think this is justified? Why or why not?
  7. Being a romantic fantasy novel, the primary theme is, of course, love. But what do you think are one or more of the secondary themes?
  8. After succeeding in the Halcin trial, Aoife begins to feel inadequate and believes she and Shadach are a bad match. Can you relate to Aoife’s feelings in your own life? How do you think she should have handled the situation differently? How would you have handled it if you were in her shoes?
  9. Aristen tells Shadach that he envies the Halcin’s lack of societal expectation and Shadach should appreciate the Halcin for who they are rather than trying to change them. Aristen, after all, would love to be free of the expectations of him due to his high rank. Does Aristen have a point or are his motivations merely an example of “the grass is greener on the other side?”
  10. The story ends in hope but with a lot of work left to be done. How do you see the story of Aoife, Shadach, and the Kingdom of Shadows unfolding beyond the book?
Warning: questions may contain spoilers.
  1. At first, Ma’ira sees Dainat as just a fling, but later sees him as her one true love. What do you think is the most fundamental reason for this change?
  2. How do Dainat’s circumstances influence his world view and in what ways does that conflict with Ma’ira’s?
  3. How does Ma’ira’s relationship with her father influence her decisions?
  4. Although we never meet her, Ma’ira’s mother is a constant presence. What is her role and how do you think she influences the progression of events?
  5. Do you view the characters other than Ma’ira and Dainat as antagonists, as victims of their circumstances, or as something else? What and why?
  6. At one point, Ma’ira considers the practical decision to wed Lander in order to escape Helrick. Given what happens, do you still think she makes the right decision? Why or why not?
  7. What are the deeper implications of the Atlantean ethos that “high technology is for high purposes”?
  8. Do you agree with Patek’s analysis that a true understanding of life means understanding its deepest extremes? Why or why not?
  9. What or who do you think is ultimately responsible for what happens to Dainat?