What to Do Before the Meeting:
Read the book.
Write down important page numbers (or bookmark in your e-reader).
Come up with eight to ten questions about the book (see below).
Let others answer first.
Make connections between comments.
Occasionally direct questions toward quiet people, and rein in those who go off on tangents.
Provide positive feedback. Remember there are no dumb questions and there are only interesting answers.
Have fun. Laugh a little. Make a new friend.
Easy Questions:
What was your favorite part of the book? What was your least favorite of the book?
Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn?
Which scene has stuck with you the most and why?
Who was your favorite character and why? Who was your least favorite character and why?
Did you reread or highlight any passages?
What do you think Dutch’s real name is? What would you name her?
If Pocket 8s was to be made into a movie, what actors would you cast for which characters?
What do you think was the number Dutch wrote on the napkin? What about Abigail?
Medium Questions:
Do we trust Dutch? Is there a reason we should or shouldn’t?
Did your viewpoint on any one character shift from positive to negative or vice versa? Why?
What do you think about Dutch’s relationship with her daughter? Do you think she loves her daughter?
Who do you think Lola’s father is and why?
Which character do you identify and/or empathize with and why?
What role did poker play in Dutch’s life? Why does Dutch emphasize hand being played at a whim? What else might she apply this to? What in life might one apply to happen at a whim?
What do you think of Dutch’s relationship with Kat? Is it a typical sibling relationship?
How would you characterize Dutch (i.e. Is she a good person? Is she a loner? Etc.)
Hard Questions:
What does Dutch’s poker style reveal about her?
“Off my game,” referred to a lot by Dutch, what does this mean? What is she referring to? Literally and figuratively? Is this a clue? To what?
Do you think euthanasia should be legal, and if so, under what conditions?
Is there a connection being made between euthanasia and abortion in the book? What is it? And why would the author make this connection?
Did you learn anything new about euthansia, and do you find it more palatable or less so?
Have any of your socio-political views changed after reading this book?
What kind of person could, and/or would, actually help someone kill themself?
Do you think Lola could feel? Do you think Lola was real? Was any of Dutch’s story real?