Romance · Book club
One Day in December book club questions
Here are 11 book club questions for One Day in December by Josie Silver, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
Laurie spots a man through the window of a London bus in December and feels an immediate, overwhelming certainty that she knows him — that he is, in some uncomplicated way, meant for her.
Josie Silver · 2018 · 5h 45m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 11 questions
- 1.
Laurie stays silent about the bus encounter for years. Was that the right thing to do, and does your answer change as the novel develops?
- 2.
Sarah is often the character the reader has to reckon with. Did you find her sympathetic, or did you read her relationship with Jack as something that should have ended sooner?
- 3.
The structure skips forward through years at a time. What does that do to your sense of the characters? Did you feel you knew them by the end?
- 4.
Jack makes his own choices throughout — he is not simply a passive object of desire. How do you assess his moral position in the story?
- 5.
The novel uses the 'love at first sight' premise but then subjects it to ten years of testing. By the end, do you believe in the original encounter differently than you did at the start?
- 6.
One Day in December was a major bestseller. What do you think it is offering readers that other contemporary romances weren't?
- 7.
Is there a version of this story where Laurie speaks up immediately? What does the novel suggest would have happened?
- 8.
The friendship between Laurie and Sarah is arguably the most complex relationship in the book. How did you feel about how it resolves?
- 9.
London is very present as a setting. How much of the novel's warmth depends on its specific sense of place?
- 10.
Silver is careful to make the ending feel earned rather than convenient. Did it land for you, or did it feel too tidy?
- 11.
This book is often categorized as 'a rom-com' but it has real emotional weight. Where does it sit on that spectrum for you?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for One Day in December?
Here are 11 book club questions for One Day in December by Josie Silver, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on timing and fate, friendship and loyalty, love and longing.
How long should a book club discussion of One Day in December last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in One Day in December?
Timing and fate, Friendship and loyalty, Love and longing, Identity, Second chances. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like One Day in December or questions for other book club picks.
