Beach Read

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Did you find January or Gus more relatable? Did you like either character more at the end of the novel than at the start?
• Did you expect January and Gus to get together? Were there any points in the novel you thought they might not end up together?
• Beach Read deals with a lot of sensitive subjects. Did you expect this of a romance? Why or why not? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Have you ever discovered a secret that changed your view of a person? How did you react to this? What would you have done if you were in January’s place? 
• How do you work with people who have opposite values to yours? Has there ever been a Gus to your January, or vice versa? 
• Have you ever felt incapable of doing your job like January and Gus did due to writer’s block? How did you feel in this situation? Would you have tried something drastically different if you were in their place?
• Did you agree with how January and Sonya treated one another? Is there anything you think either woman should have done differently? 
• Have you ever been in love with an idea like January is in love with love? How did this affect your outlook on the world? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• How does Henry comment on literature, writing, and the publishing industry in the novel? In what ways could the publishing industry serve both writers and readers better?
• Beach Read was published during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when many felt lonely and isolated. How do you think this affected the reception of the novel and its themes? Does it remain relevant in a post-pandemic world?

4. Literary Analysis 

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• January and Gus talk a lot about the importance of book dedications. What do you think Beach Read’s dedication means? Does it influence how you interpret the book? 
• How do you think the novel would be different if January had read her father’s letter when she received it? 
• Is the beach house merely the setting of the novel, or does it have any symbolic or thematic significance? Can the same be said for North Bear Shores? Is January and Gus’s relationship impacted at all by their physical surroundings?
• How does January change throughout the novel? Are any of the changes she undergoes detectable in how she narrates her story? Do Gus’s changes parallel those January experiences, or are they entirely different?
• What do you think New Eden is meant to represent? How does learning about it affect January’s character? 
• January and Gus’s story is alluded to in Henry’s other novels. Have you read these novels? How have you felt about continually getting glimpses into their relationship and careers?

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If you were to write a novel, would you want to write bleak literary fiction like Gus or optimistic romance like January? Would you combine elements of both genres? 
• Imagine how Gus and January’s novels performed once they were released—which do you think would sell better? How would they change the usual audience of each writer?

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