Book Clubbin’: 10 Discussion Questions for ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ by Laura Dave

Welcome back to our Book Clubbin’ feature where we set you up with some book discussion questions to either ponder on your own or to take to your next book club. As certain areas begin to open up and you can visit with friends again, now is the perfect time to plan your next book club. If not, Zoom book clubs are still all the rage. Plus, then your long distance friends can join in on the conversation.

This month we decided to dive into Reese Witherspoon’s recent Hello Sunshine Book Club pick, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave!

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he leaves a note for his wife, Hannah, that simply says: Protect her. Hannah knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. As Hannah’s confusion and panic rise, the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, and a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

If you’ve recently read or listened to The Last Thing He Told Me and could not put it down (trust us, we couldn’t either), then we’ve got some book club questions to spark some great discussions! Keep reading for our discussion questions below. Beware— SPOILERS ahead.

—————CONTAINS SPOILERS!————

1) Why do you think Owen hid his past from Hannah and Bailey?

2) Owen could have left any message for Hannah, why do you think he chose, “Protect her?”

3) We find out that Hannah’s mother left her when she was a child. How does her relationship with her mother compare to Bailey’s?

4) Did you have any suspicions for why Owen disappeared? Were you surprised by the reveal?

5)  Owen left some clues about his past, do you think that he wanted Hannah and Bailey to investigate and uncover why he had to disappear?

6) What did you think of Hannah and Bailey’s relationship? Was it an authentic depiction of a step-mom and step-daughter relationship?

7) Considering Owen and his disappearance are both a huge part of this book, did you feel satisfied only getting glimpses of what he was like through flashbacks?

8)  Do you believe it was fair of Owen to leave Hannah to care for his daughter by herself without ever discussing this with her?

9)  Do you think Hannah made the right decision when she chose for her and Bailey to not to go into witness protection with Owen?

10) Do you think there will every be an opportunity for Owen to reunite with Hannah and Bailey?


Looking for Book Recommendations?

• Here are the audiobooks our members have been loving, along with our staff picks that we’ve been championing.

• Looking to share your love of books? Our handy Book Clubbin’ questions make it super easy to start a book club. Or, Netflix n’ buddy-read with this year’s book-to-screen adaptations (just be prepared for the perennial debate: is the book better than the movie/show?).

• If you’re looking for something extra, we’ve got author and narrator interviews to give you a gleam inside their worlds.

• For the curious-minded, audiobooks can teach you a thing or two, from nature therapy to personal finance. It can even keep the little ones busy so you can steal some time back for yourself.


New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!

Book Clubbin’: 9 Discussion Questions for ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens

Welcome back to our monthly blog feature, Book Clubbin’!

Is one of your resolutions for this year to read more books or start a book club? If you’re reading this, this is your sign to take the plunge! We know that it can be a little tough with stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and social distancing, but don’t let it stop you! Start up a virtual book club with a couple friends where you can chat all about your latest read/listen via Zoom, FaceTime, or whatever you choose!

This month’s Book Clubbin’ pick is Delia Owen’s Where the Crawdad’s Sing. Chances are, you’ve heard of this book a lot over the past few years. Where the Crawdads Sing was Owens’ debut novel and it held its ground on the New York Times Fiction Bestsellers list for 25 weeks in total. So, you know it’s worth a listen!

Where the Crawdads Sing takes us to Barkley Cove, North Carolina in 1969, where rumors have circulated of the ‘Marsh Girl’ for years. When the handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, all fingers point to Kya Clark, the so-called ‘Marsh Girl.’ But there is more to Kya than meets the eye. After surviving alone in the marsh for so long, she yearns to be loved and when two men in town become intrigued by her, Kya is opened up to a new life…until the unthinkable happens.

Ready to start chatting about Where the Crawdads Sing with your bookclub, then get started with the discussion questions below. Beware— SPOILERS ahead.

—————MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!————

1) Jumpin’ and Mabel know that Kya is living on her own as a 10 year-old, and while they do offer support through clothing and other transactions, they never contact anyone to come remove her from the marsh. Why do you think this is?

2) Kya decides not to return to school after she was bullied. How do you think this affected her life?

3) Chase and Tate are both drawn to Kya, how do their relationships with her differ?

4) How did the fireflies that Kya observed one night influence her outlook on relationships and contribute to her actions later in the book?

5) Delia Owens is not only an author, but also a zoologist and has studied animals in remote parts of the world. Do you think her experience seeped into Where the Crawdads Sing? What similarities do you see with both Kya and wild animals?

6) Let’s discuss Kya’s trial. Do you think that the local’s presumptions and opinions about her colored the case and its outcome?

7) Did you suspect that Kya actually did kill Chase? Were you surprised when Tate found Kya’s secret stash/confession after her death?

8) Thinking of the title, why do you think Delia Owen titled her novel, Where the Crawdads Sing?

9) Reese Witherspoon’s production company is planning to adapt this novel into a movie. Which actors do you picture for the characters in the book?

New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!

Book Clubbin’: 10 Discussion Questions for ‘White Ivy’ by Susie Yang

We’re back again with our monthly blog feature, Book Clubbin’! For a lot of us, the weather is starting to get colder and greyer as the days go by and since we’re still encouraged to stay home as much as possible you may be running out of things to do around the house and missing your friends more than ever. Why not try to set up a virtual book club, so that you can get facetime with your pals and stay connected during these tough times.

Plus, with audiobooks, you can just throw them on while you’re doing chores, going for a walk, raking the leaves (or shoveling snow if you already have some), cooking, working…the possibilities are endless.

This month our Book Clubbin’ pick is White Ivy by Susie Yang, narrated by Audie Award winner Emily Woo Zeller. White Ivy is Yang’s debut novel, which quickly garnered attention and glowing reviews as a Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick. This listen follows Ivy Lin, A Chinese American who grew up learning to steal from her immigrant grandmother, and always dreamed of living a lavish lifestyle. She attracted the attention of local golden boy, Gideon, who comes from money. Ivy’s parents ship her off to China to see relatives and when she returns her family has moved away from everything she ever knew.

Jump to years later, Ivy runs into Gideon’s sister and is catapulted into the way of living that she always dreamed of, but ghosts from her past resurface threatening the nearly perfect life she worked so hard to build.

This month’s pick is filled with surprising twists and offers sharp insights into the immigrant experience. If you’re ready to start discussing White Ivy with your book club, dive into the questions below. Beware— SPOILERS ahead.

—————MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!————

1) Ivy has always strived to portray herself as respectable and just, so when she is caught stealing she feels humiliated, thinking her reputation has taken a blow. Why do you think Ivy places so much value in conforming to societal standards? And do you think that these beliefs were born more of nature or nurture?

2) Yang has said that she was inspired by male characters’ rise and falls in shows like Breaking Bad and House of Cards, showing that they are “fascinating and evil.” Do you think that Ivy was an evil character?

3) Money plays a large part in White Ivy. Discuss the relationships that various characters have with money and how they view it. Why do certain characters have a more visceral response to money than others?

4) Why does Ivy have such a hard time embracing her Chinese culture?

5) Ivy meets Gideon’s mentor, Dave, and his wife, Liana, who is Asian. How was their interracial relationship different from Ivy and Gideon’s?

6) The title, White Ivy, was inspired by the Chinese proverb that says, “The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white.” How do you interpret this quote, and in turn the title?

7) Ivy has quite different relationships with both Roux and Gideon. What does Ivy get out of each relationship? Why do you think she still seems unfulfilled by both characters?

8) Do you think that Ivy is ultimately happy at the end of the book?

9) If White Ivy was to be adapted into a movie or TV show, which actors would you hope they would cast?

10) A big secret about Gideon is revealed to Ivy before her wedding, which would make many others second guess their planned nuptials, but Ivy goes through with the wedding. What do you think this means for Ivy?


New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!