Discussion questions for rules of civility are listed. Discussion guide rules written by cynthia lord published by scholastic press isbn 0439443822 the book text taken from the book jacket twelveyearold catherine just wants a normal life, which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. Learn about some basic bookclub ground rules including. If you are interested, there is additional content regarding rules of civility at including brief essays on walker evans and jazz, a 1930s time capsule, etcetera. Think outside the book liven up the discussion by reading plays or literary magazines that feature essays, art and short stories. What follows are some questions for discussion that might have surfaced in my reading group. Book club discussing little old lady who broke all the rules. Do you allow any member to veto a pick, or does simple majority rule. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. Following a few simple ground rules will help you and your reading. You may also submit your thoughts or questions there. Nov 09, 2012 but though that what happens the story is looking back from the 1960s to the 1930s, with katie wellheeled in middle age, what i love about the story is that its a little more complicated than that.
The seven golden rules of setting up a book club stylist. What are some good questions to ask my book club after. Rules of civility by amor towles book club discussion. Amor towles recreates the beautiful atmosphere of this era and fills the pages with people and events that take you back to this time of.
One of the best pairings with our wine is a good book club. Having established rules can be especially important if you are starting a book club thats open to the general public. Enhance your book club new york city and the 1960s influence the novels culture and history. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. Most activity is for books selected by vote for the current month, but you can post about any previous selection anytime. When youre starting a book club it helps to set some ground rules to help ensure that all of your attendees feel welcome and want to return. Activities to use with the book rules by cynthia lord. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. Book club basics getting started leader norms san rafael. In the book rules by cynthia lord, twelveyearold catherine must spend the summer without her best friend who goes to california for the summer. Even if you use a list of standard questions, come up with questions specific to the book being discussed to add depth to the dialogue. If not, you can visit the publisher or authors website and find online reading guides. This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating.
But those little tidbits are not the bulk of this quite plotty pacey novel, which is a fa this book was strange for me, at points, it was a 5, at other points a 1. Good rules include dont interrupt another member, let everyone have a turn to speak, if you disagree do it politely, stay on. So i was worried as i picked rules of civility as our instore book club selection for november, worried that it would be too derivative of other novels and period. Suggested book and reading club discussion questions for rules of civility.
Book club discussion questions of course you have the gossip and the wine to look forward to, but you might want an excuse to ensure you get some discussion time in. Vote all members make suggestions, followed by an open discussion, and vote. Theres nothing like sipping chardonnay, enjoying small bites and discussing the summers hot read. I decided to come up with a generic list of book club questions to compel us to dig deeper than did you like the book. Catherine hopes her autistic brother does not keep her from making friends. After a photoshop nightmare of an opening montage, in which we learn these four friends have been finding time in between marriages and divorces, law school and childrearing to talk about books for several decades now, we see them settle in for a. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. How to lead a book club discussion pen and the pad.
Try this if the members have a similar taste in books and dont want to explore new genres. Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club. Rules to keep your book club running and what to read in 2019. Heres how to be the best book club member you know huffpost. Its one, im happy to report, the ladies of the film book club are willing to follow. Home book discussion groups libguides at american library. It can be fiction or nonfiction, but it must be 325 pages or shorter. Starting a book club is more complicated than you might think. Since the point of a book club is a group discussion, keep a few tricks up. Rules of prey topics for discussion john sandford this study guide consists of approximately 35 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of rules of prey. Tomorrow, ill post a new post about what book to read next.
Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, katey embarks on a journey from a wall. In a discussion book club, the whole group reads the same book between each meeting, usually one per month. If you want to be the twinsetrocking, universally beloved taylor swift of your book club, it seems pretty simple. When you decided to set your life in order, what area did you pick. Gather a group of friends, choose a book and start reading. Its especially helpful for those who travel or miss a meeting or two.
Some of the rules may seem like common sense but making sure everyone is on the same page helps avoid unnecessary conflict. Aug 08, 2019 book club central, or bcc, will bring a world of information to book lovers, book clubs, libraries, and anyone who wants to increase their enjoyment of reading. This free printable makes for the perfect conversation starter and to keep at least part of the discussion focused on your latest read. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Here are some basic questions to get a book club discussion going i mean, lets try not to gossip the whole time. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Getting book club discussions started are often the hardest part of the book club meeting.
You can help your organization become a learning organization in which people continuously grow and develop. This thread is to be considered a spoilerhappy zone. Let anyone propose a book, then have the club vote on the options. When you choose a popular book club book, you can often find a wealth of book discussion questions already written for you. Librarian becky spratford in her article, book discussion first aid, shares her groups. Why not consider setting aside 30 minutes for social conversation, and then 60 or 90 minutes for book discussion. Reading guide for the rules of magic by alice hoffman. Book club basics getting started before you start recruiting folks, take a moment to think about what you want out of a book group. The purpose of this book club is to read and enjoy literature. Discussion questions for rules of civility by amor towles our book for this month is amor towles novel rules of civility. Usually, there are some interesting facts or pictures about the book. Rules of civility amor towles, 2011 penguin group usa 352 pp. Our 23 hour meetings are primarily a social gathering with a mere 10 minute discussion about the book snuck somewhere in the middle. So, if youve come this far, i owe you my heartfelt thanks.
Book club central, or bcc, will bring a world of information to book lovers, book clubs, libraries, and anyone who wants to increase their enjoyment of reading. This book made me think about about the 100 yr old man as well as the girl who saved the king and hitman anders. Explore some of the events and people mentioned in the novel, such as popular musicians, fashion styles, historical figures, and events. And in the end, i was one of the few folks in our book discussion that even saw the book as a comedy. Plan 30 minutes for food, wine and catchingup with. We are around the same age as the main character, katey. Its your turn to moderatelead your book club s discussion. Dec 14, 2017 my current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. At the outset, rules of civility appears to be about the interrelationship between katey, tinker, and eve. Manhattan in the 1930s with all its charm, sophistication and jazzage dynamics is the highlight of this book. The four rules for a good book club electric literature. Amor towles recreates the beautiful atmosphere of this era and fills the pages with people and events that take you back to this time of witty conversation, lavish parties and soaring ambitions.
Book club central will be a repository of resources on book clubs from tools to start and maintain your club to recommendations on books, as well as fun ideas like food pairings for. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. The book club gives employees the opportunity to step up and practice leadership roles such as leading a group discussion or presenting to provide an overview of a chapter. Dont post about other topics until you read the faq.
All the major characters, from tinker the banker, to bitsy the socialite, to. Librarian becky spratford in her article, book discussion first aid, shares her groups norms, which are revisited once a year. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. All personal discussions and social small talk should be kept to the periods before and after the literary discussion. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most rewarding experience out of your club meeting. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to. Rules of civility, the first novel by amor towles, chronicles a transitional year in the life of a young woman in manhattan. Katey kontent narrates her own journey through the year 1938, from.
In a discussion book club, the whole group reads the same book between each meeting. If youve ever wanted to start your own book club but havent been sure. The first thing i always do is visit publisher and authors websites and look for a readers guide. These little nuggets are katys own rules of civility and they made the book worth reading. Rotate members take turns, each choosing a book for a given month. Todays book club discussion will be about rules of engagement by jt geissinger. Our book for this month is amor towles novel rules of civility. If you are interested in reading books deeply or want to focus on a particular type of book such as. Many book clubs turn more into a social hour than an intelligent conversation on books. Is the book improved by the four sections from tinkers point of view, or hindered by them.
This will give you little something extra to discuss. If you are interested, there is additional content regarding rules of civility at including brief essays. Check out our book club discussion questions post that has 40 of them. Are dicky vanderwhile, wallace wolcott, bitsy, peaches, hank, and anne grandyn as essential to kateys story as tinker and. You may think your friends boyfriends sister spends too much time sharing pictures of her dog or. Rules to make your book club run smoothly thoughtco. Planning sessions are also a good time to revisit your clubs processesnorms and ensure.
In general, books with unique choices in character, plot, and style make for the. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. The rules of magic by alice hoffman book club discussion. If you are invited to join a book club, pretend you like everyone. Is there anything unique about this book such as writing style, structure, or subject matter. Ask members to come with 3 questions to generate thought and discussion, marked passages to read, or relevant articles. Hopefully everyone that wanted to participate got a copy of the book and can discuss. So, if you love books, and youre ready to discuss them.
There are a couple ways to decide which books to read. On monday, june 11, the friends and books community book club will be discussing the little old lady who broke all the rules by catharina ingelmansundberg. Sep 05, 2016 when you choose a popular book club book, you can often find a wealth of book discussion questions already written for you. You dont have to be in an english class to analyze books as a group.
Financial, personal relationships, health, spiritual. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion on rules of civility by amor towles. Discussion questions for rules of civility by amor. It definitely works, its just quite different than many other authors i read.
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