Book Club Night Kit
Regime Change
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
Cozy night
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.
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.
Reading level: Moderate
Best for: A club that likes current events but wants a gentle, judgment-free space to process them together
Discussion
Warm-up
- 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?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Slow-simmered White House pot roast with soft rolls
A homey, all-American comfort plate that nods to the presidential setting while keeping the mood warm and unfussy
note
To sip
Run of show
7:00
Warm welcome
Greet everyone with a hot drink in hand and let folks settle onto the comfiest seats
7:20
Comfort plates
Serve the pot roast and sides buffet-style so no one feels rushed
7:45
Warm-up questions
Ease in with the two warm-up prompts to get everyone talking gently
8:10
Heart of the conversation
Move through the theme questions, following whatever the group feels drawn to
8:45
Going deeper
Close the talk with the two deep questions over dessert and tea
9:10
Cozy wind-down
Fill out scorecards, hand out bookmarks, and let the evening trail off softly
Host tips
- Keep the lighting low and warm, with plenty of blankets and pillows so people physically relax
- Remind everyone up front that this is a judgment-free, feelings-first night, not a debate
- Let silences breathe; the coziest conversations come when no one feels hurried
Playlist
Warm, low-key Americana and mellow acoustic tunes that keep the room soft and unhurried
- 01 The Weight - The Band
- 02 Harvest Moon - Neil Young
- 03 America - Simon & Garfunkel
- 04 Country Roads - John Denver
- 05 Fire and Rain - James Taylor
- 06 Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
- 07 These Days - Jackson Browne
Trivia
- 1.Which two New York Times journalists co-wrote this book? (Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan)
- 2.What newspaper do both authors report for as White House correspondents? (The New York Times)
- 3.Maggie Haberman won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for coverage connected to which topic? (Reporting on the Trump campaign and administration (Russia investigation coverage))
- 4.Haberman wrote an earlier bestselling book about Donald Trump titled what? (Confidence Man)
- 5.Jonathan Swan became widely known for a candid 2020 interview with Trump that aired on which network? (Axios on HBO)
- 6.What broad genre does this book belong to? (Political nonfiction / reported journalism)
- 7.Which presidential term does the book focus on? (President Trump's second term (its first year))
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Pour the tea, let the headlines wait a while.”
Regime Change
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
bookclubnight.com
“History felt softer, read from a comfy chair.”
Regime Change
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
bookclubnight.com
“Big news, small blanket, good company.”
Regime Change
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Coziness of the night☆☆☆☆☆
How much it moved me☆☆☆☆☆
Warmth of the writing☆☆☆☆☆
Comfort food rating☆☆☆☆☆
Conversation glow☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book left me feeling: ______________________
The moment that stuck with me most: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.