Book Club Night Kit
A Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin
Cozy night
A sprawling, lived-in world of snowy castles, crackling hearths, and families trying to hold together, told through viewpoints that make you care deeply about who's sitting at each table. It's perfect for a night of settling in with something warm and talking about the characters who got under your skin.
Winter Is Coming, So Come In From the Cold
Join us for a cozy evening of hearty stew, warm cider, and gentle conversation about A Game of Thrones. Bring your favorite blanket and your feelings about the Starks.
Reading level: Challenging
Best for: Clubs who love long, immersive reads and would happily talk about characters like old friends over a bowl of stew
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.If you could curl up by the fire in any one place in this world for an evening, where would you choose, and what would you want to eat there?
- 2.The Stark children each get a direwolf pup early on. If a loyal animal companion showed up for you, what would you name it and what would its personality be?
Digging in
- 1.So much of this story is about family, the one you're born into and the one you choose. Which family bond in the book felt warmest to you, and did it remind you of anyone in your own life?
- 2.The North carries a quiet, steady kind of comfort even as winter approaches. Is there a place in your life that feels like your own Winterfell, somewhere you go back to when things feel uncertain?
- 3.Several characters are far from home and trying to find where they belong. Whose search for belonging tugged at your heart most, and why do you think it stayed with you?
- 4.Which chapter voice did you find yourself most looking forward to, the one that felt like settling in with an old friend? What made that perspective feel so good to return to?
Going deep
- 1.By the final pages, which character did you most want to wrap in a blanket and sit down with for a long talk? What would you have wanted to tell them?
- 2.This book doesn't always protect the characters we grow fond of. How did it feel to care about people in a world this unpredictable, and did it change how you read the rest of the story?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Winterfell Beef and Barley Stew with Crusty Bread
A hearty northern bowl that feels like a warm castle kitchen, easy to make ahead in a slow cooker so the host can relax
Honey-Glazed Lemon Cakes
A nod to the sweet lemon cakes treasured in the story, soft and a little indulgent, perfect for passing around the circle
Baked Apples with Oats, Honey, and Cinnamon
Simple rustic comfort that suits the book's feast halls and the approaching chill of winter
To sip
Hearthside Mulled Wine
Hot spiced wine fits the book's taverns and feast halls, simmered low on the stove so the whole house smells like winter
Warm Spiced Apple Cider (no alcohol)
A cozy non-alcoholic option with cinnamon sticks and orange slices, so everyone gets a warm mug to hold
Honeyed Mead Toddy
Warm mead with a squeeze of lemon and honey, a medieval-feeling nightcap for the slow end of the evening
Run of show
7:00
Welcome to the Hearth
Greet guests with a warm mug of cider or mulled wine and invite them to grab a blanket and a comfy seat
7:15
Stew and Settle In
Serve the stew and bread buffet-style and let conversation wander naturally while people eat
7:45
Warm-Up Chat
Ease in with the two warm-up questions, keeping it light and letting everyone share
8:05
Heart of the Story
Move into the theme questions, passing a question card around so no one feels put on the spot
8:40
Lemon Cakes and Trivia
Bring out dessert and play the trivia just for fun, with no scorekeeping pressure
9:00
Fireside Wind-Down
Pour the mead toddies, share the deep questions for anyone who wants to linger, and fill out scorecards
Host tips
- Let people know ahead of time that finishing the whole book is optional, since it's a long read, and flag the deep questions so partial readers can skip them
- Dim the overhead lights and use candles or string lights plus a few throw blankets to set the wintry-castle mood
- Keep the stew warm on low heat so latecomers can serve themselves without any fuss
Playlist
Soft, candlelit medieval and folk sounds with gentle strings, like a snowy night inside a castle hall
- 01 Main Title - Ramin Djawadi
- 02 The Kingsroad - Ramin Djawadi
- 03 Love in the Eyes - Ramin Djawadi
- 04 The Rains of Castamere - The National
- 05 Jenny of Oldstones - Florence + the Machine
- 06 The Mummers' Dance - Loreena McKennitt
- 07 The Bonny Swans - Loreena McKennitt
Trivia
- 1.A Game of Thrones is the first book in which series? (A Song of Ice and Fire)
- 2.In what year was A Game of Thrones first published? (1996)
- 3.What is the name of the continent where most of the story takes place? (Westeros)
- 4.What are the words of House Stark? (Winter is Coming)
- 5.What is the name of the Stark family's ancestral home in the North? (Winterfell)
- 6.How is each chapter of the book titled? (With the name of the point-of-view character narrating it)
- 7.Which real-world historical conflict is often cited as an inspiration for the book? (The Wars of the Roses)
- 8.In what year did the HBO adaptation of the book premiere? (2011)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Pull the blanket closer. Winter is only a chapter away.”
A Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin
bookclubnight.com
“Stew on the hearth, wolves at the door, family by the fire.”
A Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin
bookclubnight.com
“Every long winter is easier with a good book and good company.”
A Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Cozy Factor☆☆☆☆☆
Characters I'd Share a Hearth With☆☆☆☆☆
Heart-Tug Moments☆☆☆☆☆
World I'd Want to Visit☆☆☆☆☆
Would I Curl Up With It Again☆☆☆☆☆
The character I most wanted to hug: ______________________
One word for how this book made me feel: ______________________
The place in this world I'd spend a snowy night: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.