Ten books have been chosen for each genre or category.  The genre books are spread over the last century, though for reasons of reader preference and availability, most have been published recently.  The Man Booker Prize winners are those from 1996-2005.  The genre books, popular when first published and still popular now, illustrate the development of the genre, and the theme chosen for discussion.  In most cases a specific book is suggested, but sometimes any of a number of books by an author would be appropriate for the discussion. 

Information about the suggested authors tells something about their lives and how this relates to their writing.  It has sometimes been said that a book should stand alone without reference to the author who created it.  Certainly while the events of their lives may contribute material to authors, the process of creation transmutes that experience into something new, and usually, the greater the creative power, the better the book.  But most people enjoy finding out something about the sources of an author’s inspiration, and have a very human inquisitiveness about their lives.  ‘I don’t see how the “lies” we write and the “lies” we live can or should be divided’, writes the novelist John Fowles; ‘all art comes from a human being, not out of thin air’.

This section also includes information about the suggested book – its plot, characters, setting and the style of writing, as well as some comment from critics where relevant.  The amount of information about the book varies, being much more detailed for a Booker Prize winner than for a straightforward detective story. 

The questions about the book often ask about how the plot has been constructed, how well the characters have been drawn, how important is the setting, as well as asking about matters specific to the book. 

A list of other books in the genre, and other Booker contenders, is included for those who are interested in reading further. 

Brief samples from each of the guide to setting up a book club and the genre and category notes can be seen here.