• Be sure you've allowed yourself time to read the book and make some notes.
• Know a little about the author's background.  You may want to use some of the author's biographical information to stimulate the discussion.
• Prepare a list of general and specific questions to discuss.  Six to ten questions should suffice for an hour-long discussion.
• Increase your background information by reading critical reviews.
• Have a list of suggested books or resources for further reading and investigation handy.

• First, find a comfortable setting for your group.  Arrange seating ahead of time so everyone is comfortable.
• Be sure to introduce yourself and participants to one another before you begin.
• Before you start the discussion, take care of housekeeping details: Review and post the Ground Rules for Discussion (see below) and obtain group buy-in for group rules.
• Begin by soliciting initial reactions about the book.
• Introduce topics for discussion by asking open-ended questions: Questions that can be answered "yes" or "no" will certainly curtail discussion.
• Moderate and facilitate the discussion rather than lecture or teach.
• Depending on the group, ask general questions to stimulate thoughts and lead into more specific questions to provide more depth and insight.  You might want to discuss: author's use of language, character development, plot development.
• Keep the meeting focused and on topic, but allow for the free flow of ideas.  Encourage participants to refer to ground rules to help keep the discussion on track.
• Transition or redirect the discussion to new areas by introducing new questions.
• Ask that comments be backed with specific details and examples.
• Encourage consensus, but allow room for differing viewpoints and respectful disagreement.  Allow controversial issues to surface in the discussion.
• Ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard and that no one person's voice is heard too much.
• Be flexible.  Don't expect to get through all the prepared questions and topics.
• Keep track of time.

Discussion Ground Rules (Suggested)