So, you've started your book club, you've bought enough wine to satisfy even your thirstiest pals, plus plenty of cheesy snacks. Now comes the difficult part—shaping your friendly chatter into an elevated, incisive conversation about the book you all agreed to read. That can be a challenge. Which is why we're providing you with this list of top book club questions that will generate general discussion whether you're focused on nonfiction, a self-help book, a juicy historical romance novel, or one of Reese's, Jenna Bush Hager's or, of course, Oprah's favorites.

Besides the below book club questions, remember, the easiest way to be a participant at the book club is to be an active reader. If you're not squeamish about writing in the margins, try taking notes and underlining passages as you go along. For those of you with a library book, author Elise Williams Rikard shared a trick with OprahMag.com. "I put sticky notes on pages that really move me or get me thinking so we can revisit and discuss during book club," Rickard says.

Ideally, everyone would come to the book club bursting with feelings, impressions, and ideas that the book had sparked. Samantha Cerff, an editor for Fandango Latin America and member of the book club Sinopsis in Lima, Peru, recommends organizing all those thoughts prior to the meeting. "Always get your questions ready beforehand and keep in mind some quotes you'd like to discuss," Cerff tells OprahMag.com.



Then, all it takes is one or two prompts to get everyone sharing their takes. Luckily, there's no shortage of thought-provoking book club questions. Bring these with you to your next meeting, and you will be hailed a book club hero.

General Book Club Questions

What was your favorite part of the book? What was your least favorite? Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn? Which scene has stuck with you the most? What did you think of the writing? Are there any standout sentences? Did you reread any passages? If so, which ones? Would you want to read another book by this author? Did reading the book impact your mood? If yes, how so? What surprised you most about the book? How did your opinion of the book change as you read it? If you could ask the author anything, what would it be? How does the book's title work in relation to the book's contents? If you could give the book a new title, what would it be? Is this book overrated or underrated? Did this book remind you of any other books? How did it impact you? Do you think you'll remember it in a few months or years? Would you ever consider re-reading it? Why or why not? Who do you most want to read this book? Are there lingering questions from the book you're still thinking about? Did the book strike you as original?

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Nonfiction Questions

Did this book make you want to explore the subject matter more? What were your impressions on the author's style? Did you find the book easy to read, or a slog? Of all the information presented in the book, what has stayed you the most? What did you Google while reading the book? Did you agree with the author's conclusions? Where did you deviate?

Fiction Questions

Which characters did you like best? Which did you like least? Which character did you relate to, or empathize with, the most? If you had to trade places with one character, who would it be? Guess the characters' zodiac signs. What do you think happens to the characters after the book's official ending? What are your thoughts on the book's structure? Did it serve the story well? How did the setting impact the story? Would you want to read more books set in that world? Did the book feel real to you? Did the plot proceed in a way that felt natural? Or did you feel manipulated by the storyline? Are there any characters you'd like to deliver a lecture to? If so, who? What would you say?

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Self-Help Questions

Has this book affected the way you go about your life? If so, in what way? Did you agree with the author's advice? Did you doubt the author's advice at some points? How come? What are some passages that you underlined, or that particularly affected you? Do you think the author succeeded in what they set out to do? What is the most important point the author makes in this book?

Mystery and Thriller Questions

Which twist surprised you the most? Was the narrator's voice compelling? Did you guess the ending? If so, at what point? Are there plot points the book didn't address? Did you agree with the characters' decisions? Did the book spook you, or get under your skin, in any way?

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Romance Questions



Did you like the "heat" level of the book? Was the couple's connection believable? If so, at what point did they click for you? What do you think happens to the leads after the ending? What did you think of the romance's pacing? Would you fall for either of the leads? Did this book melt your heart? Make you believe in love again? If it's part of a series, did this book book compel you to read the next one?

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Memoir Questions

Did you find the author's story compelling? What do you think motivated the author to share his or her story? What did you think of the author's voice and style? Did the quality of the writing match the story? How did the book compare to other memoirs you've read? How did the memoir make you reflect on your own life? What did you learn from hearing this person's story? Are there any areas you wished the author had elaborated upon further? Are there any people in the book whose perspective you wanted? Do you think the author was honest?

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