Better Book Discussions
L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist and the author of the Detective Jackson mystery/suspense series based in Eugene, OR. The first three books, The Sex Club, Secrets to Die For, and Thrilled to Death have been highly praised, and the fourth Jackson novel, Passions of the Dead, will be published in 2011. L.J. also has two standalone thrillers, The Suicide Effect and The Baby Thief (coming soon). When not plotting murders, L.J. enjoys performing standup comedy, cycling, social networking, attending mystery conferences, and editing fiction manuscripts. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
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contest to win a copy of one of her books!
The next best thing to reading a great book is talking about it with your friends who’ve read it. That’s why book clubs are so popular and those discussions are so important to readers. I love these talks as much as the next reader, and I sometimes lead the activity for a mystery listserv I participate in. I also love to discuss my own books with groups who contact me, so I have some experience in asking and answering thought-provoking questions. I’ve even posted discussion questions on my website. I thought I’d share some of my insights on what makes for good book discussion questions.
Every novel has specific (and often conflicting) events and character actions that naturally seem ripe for discussion. (Do you believe the mayor’s version of what happened to Jessie? Why or why not?) And there’s nothing wrong with the standard questions that work for almost any novel. (Did the setting enhance the plot or could the story have worked anywhere? What themes did the author weave into the story? Was the antagonist believable?)
My favorite questions, though, go beyond specific settings or events:
Motivation. Any question that gets to the heart of a character’s motivation, especially to behave in a socially unacceptable way, will make for a lively discussion. (Jasmine shares privileged information with a reporter. Why? Claire says she stole the painting to protect it, but what were her real reasons?) I’ve discovered that readers bring their own experiences into a novel and often perceive things in characters that others don’t, even the author. It’s fascinating.
Fate. Questions that discuss the course of events and whether those events are inevitable generate strong reactions from readers. (Did the young boy have to die in the end? Could the story have gone in another direction and still been effective?)
Coincidence. Does the story rely on a major or minor coincidence? Was it believable and did it work for you? Was the story plausible overall?
Values/beliefs. In what ways do the events and characters reveal the author’s values or world view? What is the author trying to say about this subject or theme? [Insert hot-button topic here: women, race, sexuality, discrimination.] Did the story make you question any of your own beliefs?
Some of the best book discussions are those in which readers disagree and perceive the story in different ways. Sometimes those talks can make you want to read the novel again and see what you missed.
Do you belong to a book club? What have been your favorite books or subjects to discuss?
Are you a member of a book club or would like to be in one? Tell us about the club you’re in or the one you’d most like to be in. You’ll be entered in a drawing to win a free signed copy of L.J.’s brand new book, Thrilled to Death. The winner will be announced on Monday, September 6th.
September 3, 2010
Posted in: Guest Blogs
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9 Responses
A crime writer’s book discussion or definitely non-fiction, but there are so many subjects! For such a large state, all I’ve found are crafting and memoir circles.
I would love to be able to join a mystery book club but my town is very small. I’ve not tried any of the online clubs but that may be an option.
I currently belong to a mystery book club. This year we’ve been taking a look at the first book of different series, and some books which have “woo-woo” content (or they are both). Here are a few of the books discussed: Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money; Barbara Hambly’s Free Man of Color; Laurel K. Hamilton’s Guilty Pleasures; Erin Hart’s Haunted Ground. Our next book to be discussed is Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policmen’s Union.
Thanks for stopping in. Dorothy L and 4 Mystery Addicts are both great online mystery/crime discussion groups.
L.J.
Not a book club but a senior group studying many subjects. We often recommend books to each other and even bring in a favorite to pass around the group. Some have been Infidel, arianna Franklin’s books, Geg Mortenson, Hyzy’s White House Chef and many others.
I led a book club this summer for the high school girls in the classical tutorial where I teach. It was a lot of fun but we had to cut it short because 2 of my relatives where in the hospital. We are going to do it again next summer. We read Little Women and Jane Eyre and were going to read C. S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory.
I’m in two mystery book clubs and host a fantasy/science fiction/horror club at my store/office. Talking about the books we read is half the enjoyment, isn’t it?
L.J., thank you so much for being my guest!
Would like to get a mystery book club going at our local library. We had a good cadre of readers with similar interests.
“My” mystery discussion group has been meeting for the past decade, though the membership and the format have both shifted over time. What I – and the others, I hope – appreciate is the exposure to books that would not be chosen or found by each of us if left to our own book-hunting devices.
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