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Book Discussion Group Support
The Morton Grove Public Library is committed to supporting local organizations that promote community reading activities. To fulfill that commitment, the Library offers several services for book groups.
Book Discussion Kits | Online Resources | Books | Contact
Book Discussion Kits
Starting a book discussion group or trying to gather materials for an existing one? Let the Library do your work for you! The Library currently offers ready-made book discussion kits that include 6-10 copies of a single title and discussion guide, all in a convenient canvas bag. Kits may be checked out to a cardholder for 4 weeks, must be returned in their entirety, and are not available for interlibrary loan. For more information about book discussion kits, visit our book discussion kits web page.
Book Group Kit Titles
- Ackerman, Diane. The Zookeeper's Wife.
- Austen, Jane. Emma.
- Chabon, Michael. The Amazing Adventures of of Kavalier & Clay: A Novel.
- Gilbert, Elizabeth. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia.
- Hillenbrand, Laura. Seabiscuit.
- Horan, Nancy. Loving Frank.
- Kingsolver, Barbara.. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: a Year of Food Life.
- Kurson, Robert. Crashing Through: a True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man who Dared to See.
- Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel.
- McCall Smith, Alexander. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
- Mortenson, Greg. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace - One School at a Time.
- Shaffer, Mary Ann and Annie Barrows. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Online Resources
Databases
EBSCO Literary Reference Center
Literary Reference Center is a full-text database that contains more than 10,000 plot summaries, synopses, work overviews, literary criticisms, author biographies, book reviews, author interviews, and full-text classic and contemporary poems, short stories, and novels.
Novelist
A readers' advisory resource for finding authors and titles of interest. Novelist offers author bibliographies, book summaries, and selection of reading guides and discussion questions.
Websites
General
ReadingGroupGuides.com
ReadingGroupGuides.com offers a comprehensive collection of guides for fiction and nonfiction titles. In addition to its valuable discussion questions, this website also offers practical advice for starting a discussion group and choosing books.
BookMuse
BookMuse provides Muse Notes, which are reviews, topics for discussion, literary criticism, books for further reading and tips for discussion leaders on a wide range of genres. To view Muse Notes, you must register for a free BookMuse account.
Reading Group Choices
Reading Group Choices provides tips for the new book group leader as well as hundreds of selections for book group discussions.
Barnes & Noble Book Browser
The Book Browser offers a sizeable list of authors and includes quick author facts, biographical information, and a selection of audio interviews.
What to Do When There's No Guide
If there's no guide available for a certain book, ReadingGroupGuides.com provides general dicussion questions for each genre, including biography, Christian fiction, classics, current events, fiction, historical fiction, history, mystery thriller, memoir, and religion & spirituality.
Publishers
Publisher websites will often post book discussion guides, questions, author information, and tips for starting a book discussion group.
eHarlequin.com Reader's Ring Guides
Harper Collins Reading Groups
Henry Holt and Company Reading Group Guides
Houghton Mifflin Reader's Guides
Penguin Group Book Club/Reading Guides
Simon & Schuster Reading Guides
Vintage Books & Anchor Books Reading Group Guides
W.W. Norton & Company Reading Group Guides
Tips and Advice
Book Discussion Information & Tips
Arlington Heights Memorial Library offers an extensive guide on how to start a discussion group, what to ask, and a variety of other topics.
Reading Group Tips
View basic tips on starting and running a successful book club from Reading Group Choices.
Book Group Advice and Ideas
Get advice about starting a book group, running a book group, choosing what to read, and more.
Books
- Dodson, Shireen. The Mother-Daughter Book Club : How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh and Learn Through Their Love of Reading. 028.9 DOD. 2007.
- Ellington, Elisabeth. A Year of Reading : A Month-by-Month Guide to Classics and Crowd-Pleasers for You and Your Book Group. 011.73 ELL. 2002.
- Farr, Cecilia Konchar. Reading Oprah: How Oprah's Book Club Changed the Way America Reads. 028.9 FAR. 2005.
- Jacobsohn, Rachel W. The Reading Group Handbook : Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Own Book Club. 015.73 JAC. 1998.
- Laskin, David. The Reading Group Book : The Complete Guide to Starting and Sustaining a Reading Group, with Annotated Lists of 250 Titles for Provocative Discussion. 015.73 LAS. 1995.
- Loevy, Diana. The Book Club Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to the Reading Group Experience. 028.9 LOE. 2006.
Long, Elizabeth. Book Clubs: Women and the Uses of Reading in Everyday Life . 028.9 LON. 2003.
General Book Discussion Questions
- How realistic were the characters in the book?
- Did you identify with a particular character?
- Did the book's setting appeal to your senses? How important was the setting in the book?
- What is the significance of the book's title?
- What were the central themes?
- What were the motivations and forces behind the character's actions?
- Did you like the ending? Would you change anything about it?
- Is this book similar to other books you have read?
- What are the book's strengths and weaknesses?
- Could this book be a movie? Could there be a sequel?
- Would you consider reading other books by this author?
Need More Help?
The Library offers Morton Grove residents personalized assistance for book discussion help. We can help you locate discussion guides, gather discussion materials for your group, and more. To take advantage of these free services, direct your question to our discussion group contact form.
Compiled by:
Karen Hansen
Reference/Readers Services Librarian
Reference Department
Morton Grove Public Library
Updated: 5/2009, KH
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