Books conversation questions

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Books

• Do you like reading?
• What is the best book you have read recently? Why did you like it?
• Do you have a personal list of top ten (or top five) books?
• What was the last book you read? Who was it by? What was it about?
• Are you reading a book now? What is it? Can you describe it?
• What are your friends reading these days? What are your relatives reading?
• Can you think of any books you would recommend to another person? Why?
• Have you ever tried to write a book? What was it about? If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
• Have you ever re-read a book? Which? Why? How many times?
• Do you have a library card? If so, how often do you borrow books from the library?
• Do you like to browse in book shops?
• What book - or author - has influenced you the most? How?
• Have you ever been in a book club? Did your club focus on a genre?
• Do you think books make good gifts? Why? What about magazines?
• What books are you looking forward to reading in the future?
• Who are some famous writers from your country?
• Who are some famous writers who write in your native language?
• Do you think that young people today are reading books?

Choosing

• What sort of books do you prefer to read? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction books?
• Do you usually read books for enjoyment or information?
• How do you choose books - by author, subject, description, recommendation … ?
• Do you have any favourite author? Why do you like them? Do you try to read everything they’ve written?
• What do you think of autobiographies and biographies? Have you read any?
• What’s your opinion of historical novels?
• Do you usually buy paperback books or hardbacks? Why?
• Do you prefer to get books from the library, from bookshops or from on-line sellers? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
• Do you read book reviews? Do they help you choose?

Lending

• Do you ever lend your books to other people? How often do you get them back?
• Do you ever borrow books from other people? Do you always return them?
• Have you ever moved house, for example, and when packing or unpacking discovered that you’ve got a book you borrowed 20 years ago and had forgotten to give back?

Ebooks and ereaders

• Books are now being produced in electronic format which can be read on a PC, an e-reader, a tablet, or even on the mobile phone. Do you have a reader and, if so, what is your opinion of it?
• How do you obtain your ebooks?
• Do you think that ebooks should be cheaper than other books? Why - Why not?
• How would you describe the difference between reading an ebook and a paper book?
• Do you think they will ever fully replace paper books?

Other reading

• Do you like to read poems, essays, or short stories? Why?
• Do you have a favourite poet or short story writer? Who?
• Which magazine or newspaper sections do you read? Why?
• What magazines do you usually look at? Which articles attract you? Why?
• Do you ever read comic books (or did you use to)? Who is (or was) your favourite character? Do you still enjoy it/them, or have you grown out of them?

Books and language

• What book are you planning to read in English this year? Why?
• Do you think that reading books in a foreign language is a good way to learn?

Books and films

• If a book has been made into a film, do you think it is better to read the book first or see the film first?
• What was the last film you saw which was based on a book? (Or the last book which was based on a film.) Which was better?
• Can you think of some films that are adapted from novels?
• Can you suggest a good film that was originally a book?

When you were younger

• Did your parents read to you as a child? Did you have a favourite story?
• What kind of books does your mother read? Your father? Your children?
• Did you have a favourite book character as a child?
• What were your favourite books as a child? Did you have a favourite author?
• Where did you first learn to read? At home? School? Church?
• What language did you first learn to read in?
• What did you like reading in high school? Why?
• What was your favourite book that you had to read in school?
• What was your least favourite book that you were assigned to read? Why?
• Did you have to memorize any poems in school? Which?

Proverbs

What experiences might have inspired these proverbs?

Drink nothing without seeing it; sign nothing without reading it.

When all else fails, read the instructions.

You can’t tell a book by its cover.

See also

• Censorship conversation questions
• Music conversation questions
• Television conversation questions
• The media conversation questions