What are good book club discussion questions for Regime Change?

Spoiler-free questions to get the conversation going: Settle in with your warm drink and tell us: where were you, and how were you feeling, during one of the moments this book revisits?; Was there a page that made you set the book down, take a breath, and reach for another cup of tea? What was it?; The book lives in a world of constant news. When headlines feel heavy, what small comfort or ritual helps you steady yourself? Did reading this change that at all?; Haberman and Swan write with a reporter's calm even about chaotic events. Did that steady voice comfort you, or did you crave more warmth? How did it make you feel to be walked through it slowly?; Which person or moment in these pages stirred the most tenderness or empathy in you, even unexpectedly?.

What food and drinks should I serve at a Regime Change book club?

Food: Slow-simmered White House pot roast with soft rolls.

Cozy night

Regime ChangeBook club questions, food & host guide

Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan

#2 New York Times Nonfiction Bestseller 10 weeks on the list

A cozy book club night for Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. Includes 8 spoiler-free discussion questions, food and drink pairings, a playlist, and a host guide, ready to print and share.

A club that likes current events but wants a gentle, judgment-free space to process them together

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A behind-the-scenes account of a turbulent year in Washington, told by two seasoned reporters who make the news feel human and immediate. It gives a cozy club plenty to feel, share, and gently unpack together.

Why it works for clubs

It ties directly to headlines everyone has lived through, so no one comes in cold
The reporting invites personal reactions about how news lands in our everyday lives
It sparks warm conversation about how we cope with stressful times
Two authors offer a layered view that rewards comparing impressions

Themes & mood

timely reported nonfiction politics reflective conversation-starter

Reading level

Moderate

Warm-up questions

1 Settle in with your warm drink and tell us: where were you, and how were you feeling, during one of the moments this book revisits?
2 Was there a page that made you set the book down, take a breath, and reach for another cup of tea? What was it?

Digging in

1 The book lives in a world of constant news. When headlines feel heavy, what small comfort or ritual helps you steady yourself? Did reading this change that at all?
2 Haberman and Swan write with a reporter's calm even about chaotic events. Did that steady voice comfort you, or did you crave more warmth? How did it make you feel to be walked through it slowly?
3 Which person or moment in these pages stirred the most tenderness or empathy in you, even unexpectedly?
4 So much of this story is about people under pressure. When you feel that kind of pressure, who or what do you lean on? Did any relationship in the book remind you of that?

Going deep

1 Without giving anything away, how did the overall arc of this year leave you feeling as you closed the book: unsettled, hopeful, thoughtful, or something gentler? What do you think you will carry with you?
2 Reading two insiders recount recent history can shift how we hold our own memories of it. Did anything here soften, complicate, or comfort the way you remember living through this time?

You're invited

Come Cozy Up with the Headlines

Bring your comfiest sweater and settle in for a warm, low-key night of comfort food, hot drinks, and gentle conversation about Regime Change.

Trivia

1

Which two New York Times journalists co-wrote this book?

Answer: Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
2

What newspaper do both authors report for as White House correspondents?

Answer: The New York Times
3

Maggie Haberman won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for coverage connected to which topic?

Answer: Reporting on the Trump campaign and administration (Russia investigation coverage)
4

Haberman wrote an earlier bestselling book about Donald Trump titled what?

Answer: Confidence Man
5

Jonathan Swan became widely known for a candid 2020 interview with Trump that aired on which network?

Answer: Axios on HBO
6

What broad genre does this book belong to?

Answer: Political nonfiction / reported journalism
7

Which presidential term does the book focus on?

Answer: President Trump's second term (its first year)