Books conversation questions
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Books[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
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.