Book Club Books: Recommendations and Discussion Questions
Are you part of a book club or looking to start one?
Discover unique and diverse book club books with discussion questions that will stimulate the conversation.
Put an end to the search for what to read next or conjuring up thought-provoking and insightful questions.
Discussing, and sometimes debating, a good book adds another dimension of fun to one of our favorite pastimes: reading (or listening, if you are an audiobook lover.)
Our book club recommendations are well-loved novels and short stories of New York Times bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard. Any of which are sure to give you plenty to discuss with your group, while the realistic characters and twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat.
L. Ron Hubbard was one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century. With more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, he is among the most enduring and widely read authors of our time.
“Demonstrating his unique ability to relate even the most complicated story with a keen eye for detail and realism, Hubbard’s stunning writing ability and creative imagination set him apart as one of the greatest literary figures of the 20th century.” —Publishers Weekly
We work with book clubs that are both online and in bookstores, public libraries, school libraries, and home schools. While the books are not young adult novels, they are high-interest for all ages and also fun for teen book clubs (the reading levels are noted: Lexile Rating, Guided Reading Level (GRL), and Accelerated Reader (AR) Rating are used).
BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
These book club discussion questions—also great for a book talk—can be directly downloaded. Share the PDF with each member of your virtual book club or print as many copies as you need for a meeting.
Book Club recommendations by genre:
» Writers of the Future Book Club (for reading and writing groups)
Science Fiction Book Club Questions
Battlefield Earth
Paperback edition
Full-cast, unabridged audiobook edition
Lexile 780 • AR 5.8 / 62 points • GRL Z+ • 1008 pages • 47 1/2 hours
Theme: The victory of the Human Spirit against all odds in the year 3000. An alien invasion dystopian survival story. Listen to the first hour of the unabridged audiobook or read the first 13 chapters free. The character compendium, sci-fi weapons, and art gallery are available at the Battlefield Earth site.
Beyond All Weapons
Trade paperback edition
Audiobook edition
Lexile 960 • GRL Z+ • 136 pages
Theme: Space exploration. Fugitives return to Earth from outer space to exact revenge and come face to face with mankind’s pitiless enemy—TIME.
Space Can
Trade paperback edition (includes “Space Can”)
Audiobook edition
Lexile 1060 • AR 7.9 • GRL Z+ • 136 pages
Theme: Space battle. If you are a fearless Captain and your spaceship is on fire, bullet riddled and unable to maneuver there is only one way out—take over the more powerful enemy ship.
Writers of the Future Book Club
(For reading and writing groups)
Throughout his career, L. Ron Hubbard freely passed along his knowledge of the craft. The creation and endowment of the Writers of the Future Contest was, as he put it, “initiated as a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.”
Each year, the 12 award-winning science fiction and fantasy short stories are published in the Writers of the Future anthology. Bonus for writing groups: each volume contains writing tips from New York Times bestselling authors and free access to the Writers of the Future Online Writing Workshop.
Writers of the Future Volume 35
Lexile 840 • GRL Z+ • 428 pages
Theme: Hard-core sci-fi to epic fantasy.
Writers of the Future 35 book trailer:
Writers of the Future Volume 36
Lexile 860 • GRL Z+ • 442 pages
Theme: Dystopian politics to magical realism.
Adventure Book Club Questions
The Trail of the Red Diamonds
Trade paperback edition
Audiobook edition
Lexile 710 • AR 5.3 • GRL Z+ • 152 pages
Theme: Indiana Jones-style treasure hunt in China. A dangerous, high-stakes game with rewards beyond Lt. Daly’s wildest dreams as one possibility and death as the other.
New to L. Ron Hubbard’s adventure fiction? Download The Trail of the Red Diamonds eBook as our free gift.
The Black Sultan
Trade paperback edition
Audiobook edition
Lexile 720 • GRL Z • 144 pages
Themes: An adventure love story. Wrongly accused and imprisoned by The Black Sultan, Eddie realizes his trouble has only just started when he discovers a kidnapped English woman. Can he get them both out alive?
Destiny’s Drum
Trade paperback edition
Audiobook edition
Lexile 720 • AR 5 • GRL Z • 136 pages
Theme: An adventure love story. Trapped by a bloodthirsty Indonesian tribe on a small island, Sheridan is determined to recover a hidden fortune in gold—and win the heart of the gold miner’s fiery daughter.
Sea Fangs
Trade paperback edition
Audiobook edition
Lexile 870 • AR 5.9 • GRL Z • 120 pages
Theme: Sea adventure love story. With the forces arrayed against him—hurricanes, corruption, and pirates—Captain Sherman’s about to discover, there’s one force more powerful than the sea itself … the force of a beautiful woman’s love.
Military Fiction Book Club Questions
While Bugles Blow!
Trade paperback edition
Audiobook edition
Lexile 740 • GRL Z • 136 pages
Theme: A French Foreign Legion love story. After purchasing a beautiful fiery slave in order to free her, a Lieutenant is caught in the middle of an ancient deadly feud between Berber tribes.
Historical Fiction/Western Book Club Questions
Tinhorn’s Daughter
Trade paperback edition
Audiobook edition
Lexile 810 • GRL Z • 136 pages
Theme: A western love story. A girl from the east and her outlawed sweetheart. She must risk it all when Sunset Maloney goes up against her tinhorn fraud of a father.
HOW TO START A BOOK CLUB
Book clubs and reading groups are a great way to share the books you love with others, making it a social instead of a solitary activity. They can be quite stimulating. However, finding like-minded readers who will enjoy your taste in books can be a challenge.
Here are a few resources and suggestions to get you started:
- Contact your local library. Often libraries host book talks and book clubs weekly and monthly. You may discover they already have other readers who enjoy the same books you do.
- Contact your local bookstore. Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and many independent bookstores have book clubs that read a wide variety of books.
- Sign up for a Goodreads account. They have millions of members around the world and many virtual book clubs you can join to discuss your favorite titles.
- Search on Facebook for virtual book clubs and reading groups in the genres you enjoy.
- Create an event of your own to attract potential readers or discover a group in your area using Readers Circle or Meetup (search “book club near me?” or create a book club for your area).
- Special offer for book clubs. Get 25% off on orders of 10 or more copies. Enter the title of your choice into our shop and the discount will be automatically applied.
- Follow us on Facebook to find other like-minded readers of these favorites: Battlefield Earth, Writers of the Future, and Stories from the Golden Age.
As our gift to you, don’t forget to download The Trail of the Red Diamonds and the discussion questions for free and get your book club started today.
Other resources and articles you may be interested in:
Discover why L. Ron Hubbard was known for writing realistic fiction books
Do you want the full list of L. Ron Hubbard fiction books?
Learn about L. Ron Hubbard
New to L. Ron Hubbard’s fiction, here is the suggested order of books
Free writing workshop for new writers and writing groups
Explore other book club resources at OnLineBookClub.org and the BookMovement.com
Why Battlefield Earth is a Classic Sci-Fi Choice
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