Book Club Night Kit
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Cozy night
A sweeping family saga set during one unforgettable Malibu party, where four famous siblings carry decades of love, longing, and unspoken hurts under the California sun.
A Cozy Night in Malibu
Come trade the sand for the sofa. We are gathering for warm food, soft lights, and a long, gentle talk about the Riva family.
Reading level: Easy
Best for: Clubs that love character-driven stories with heart, sunshine, and a little glitter
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.Where did you curl up to read this one, and did it make you crave the beach or the couch more?
- 2.Which Riva sibling did you want to wrap a blanket around and bring a cup of tea to first?
Digging in
- 1.The Riva siblings take care of each other in really tender ways. What small moment between them stayed warm in your chest?
- 2.Nina carries so much for everyone. Have you ever been the person who quietly holds a family together, and how did this book sit with you because of it?
- 3.Malibu itself feels like a character. What place in your own life feels like home in that bone-deep way?
- 4.Surfing is the siblings' refuge. What is the thing in your life that works on you the way the ocean works on them?
Going deep
- 1.The book gently asks what we owe the people who raised us, and what we owe ourselves. Where did you land emotionally by the last page?
- 2.Without giving anything away, was there a moment that made you want to call someone in your own family? What would you want to say to them?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Build-your-own grilled cheese bar with tomato soup shooters
Cozy California beach-shack comfort, easy to nibble through a long chat
Warm cinnamon sugar churro bites
A nod to Malibu's Southern California roots, sweet and shareable
Honey-drizzled cornbread with whipped butter
Soft, golden, and homey, like the Riva family kitchen you wish you grew up in
To sip
Mick Riva's Old Fashioned
A nod to the famous crooner father, served slow and stirred
Beach-bonfire spiked horchata
Warm, cinnamon-sweet, and a little indulgent for a cool evening
Sunset citrus spritzer with orange and rosemary (no alcohol)
Non-alcoholic and bright like a Malibu evening sky
Run of show
7:00
Soft landing
Greet guests with blankets, slippers welcome, playlist low, citrus spritzers in hand
7:15
Grazing and warm-ups
Settle in around the food, ask the two warm-up questions casually
7:40
Into the Riva house
Move to theme questions, encourage tangents into personal stories
8:15
Cocoa and churro break
Refill drinks, pass dessert, run a quick round of trivia for fun
8:30
Deeper waters
Tackle the two deep questions gently, let silences breathe
9:00
Scorecards and send-off
Fill out scorecards together, send everyone home with a bookmark
Host tips
- Keep lighting low and lamp-warm, not overhead, so people feel safe sharing
- Have a backup question on standby if a story takes the room somewhere tender
- Invite guests to bring a cozy item: a mug, a pillow, even pajama pants are welcome
Playlist
Soft 70s and 80s California gold, sun-warmed and a little wistful
- 01 Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
- 02 California - Joni Mitchell
- 03 Ventura Highway - America
- 04 Hotel California - Eagles
- 05 Africa - Toto
- 06 Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
- 07 Harvest Moon - Neil Young
- 08 Wildflowers - Tom Petty
Trivia
- 1.Who wrote Malibu Rising? (Taylor Jenkins Reid)
- 2.In what year was Malibu Rising published? (2021)
- 3.Malibu Rising is set primarily during what single event? (An annual end-of-summer party at the Riva house)
- 4.What sport are the Riva siblings famous for? (Surfing)
- 5.In what decade is the main party storyline set? (The 1980s (1983))
- 6.Which earlier Taylor Jenkins Reid novel shares a character connection with Malibu Rising? (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo)
- 7.What California coastal town gives the book its name? (Malibu)
- 8.How many Riva siblings are at the heart of the story? (Four)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Hold your people close as the tide pulls in.”
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid
bookclubnight.com
“Some homes are houses, some are the people inside them.”
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid
bookclubnight.com
“Salt air, soft light, a long story between friends.”
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Coziness factor☆☆☆☆☆
Made me feel something☆☆☆☆☆
Characters I cared about☆☆☆☆☆
Setting I wanted to live in☆☆☆☆☆
Would re-read on a rainy day☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made me feel: ______________________
The sibling I would invite over for tea: ______________________
A scene I want to remember: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.