Memoir · Book club
Year of Yes book club questions
Here are 12 book club questions for Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
Year of Yes began with a Thanksgiving observation.
Shonda Rhimes · 2015 · 4h 45m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 12 questions
- 1.
Rhimes's sister told her she never says yes. Is there someone in your life who could say something similar about you? What would they point to?
- 2.
She describes work as a form of hiding. What does hiding in work look or feel like in your own life, or in someone you know well?
- 3.
The book argues that busyness can be a sophisticated avoidance strategy. What are you busy about that might be keeping you away from something harder?
- 4.
Which terrifying thing — not dangerous, just frightening — have you been saying no to for years? What would actually happen if you said yes?
- 5.
Rhimes talks about being present with her children instead of just near them. What does presence actually require from you in your closest relationships?
- 6.
She is candid about the role her weight played in her avoidance. How do you think about the relationship between your body and your self-image?
- 7.
The Dartmouth commencement speech chapter is about performing confidence in public while terrified. When have you done that? What did it cost, and what did it give you?
- 8.
Rhimes distinguishes between the dream and the work. Most people love the dream; fewer people love the actual work. Which do you love in the areas where you're most ambitious?
- 9.
She says she had to stop being a workaholic to become a better showrunner. Has reducing something you overdo ever made you better at it?
- 10.
Fear dressed as introversion is a theme in the book. How do you tell the difference in your own case between genuine introversion and avoidance?
- 11.
The year of yes had a clear structure: one year, every terrifying thing. Could you design a similar experiment for yourself? What would go on the list?
- 12.
Rhimes says vulnerability can't be addressed through achievement. What do you think that means in practice, and do you believe it?
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 Year of Yes?
Here are 12 book club questions for Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, 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 saying yes, introversion, professional ambition.
How long should a book club discussion of Year of Yes 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 Year of Yes?
Saying yes, Introversion, Professional ambition, Self-acceptance, Fear. 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 Year of Yes or questions for other book club picks.
