Book Club Night Kit
Funny Story
Emily Henry
Cozy night
A sunny, lakeside romance about two heartbroken strangers who become unlikely roommates after their partners run off together. Warm, funny, and quietly tender, it's perfect for a low-key night of feelings and laughs.
A Cozy Night by the Lake
Bring your slippers and your softest cardigan, we're talking Funny Story by Emily Henry over warm drinks, cherry bars, and lots of feelings.
Reading level: Easy
Best for: a friendly club that loves heartfelt rom-coms, warm conversations, and books that hug you back
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.What part of this book felt the most like a warm hug, and where were you when you read it?
- 2.If you could spend one slow summer day in the lakeside town with these characters, what would you want to do?
Digging in
- 1.Daphne builds a new life in a place she didn't choose. When has an unexpected place ended up feeling like home for you?
- 2.Miles and Daphne are such different people sharing one little space. What did their odd-couple energy stir up in you, fondness, recognition, secondhand awkwardness?
- 3.The story is gentle with people who are quietly falling apart. Was there a small moment of kindness in the book that stuck with you?
- 4.Daphne's work with kids at the library is full of soft joy. What hobby, job, or ritual has been a comfort to you during a hard season?
Going deep
- 1.The book sits with the idea that heartbreak can crack you open in surprising ways. How did it make you feel about your own past endings and beginnings?
- 2.Without giving anything away, what do you hope Daphne carries with her from this chapter of her life, and what would you want to leave behind from yours?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Cherry crumble bars
A nod to Michigan's beloved cherries, warm from the oven and perfect with a blanket on your lap
Loaded grilled cheese with tomato soup shooters
Roommate-kitchen comfort food, easy to share and deeply nostalgic
Buttery popcorn with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar
Lake-town movie-night vibes, sweet, salty, and low effort
To sip
Honey chamomile tea (no alcohol)
Soft, soothing, and ideal for curling up during the deeper conversation moments
Cherry lemonade spritz (no alcohol)
Bright and summery like the lakeside setting, sparkling and refreshing
Spiked vanilla iced coffee
A little indulgent pick-me-up that nods to lazy summer afternoons
Run of show
7:00
Arrivals and cozy-up
Slippers welcome. Pour tea, hand out blankets, let people graze on snacks.
7:20
Warm-up chatter
Start with the two warm-up questions while everyone settles in.
7:40
Heart of the book
Move into the theme questions. Let tangents happen, this is a soft night.
8:15
Sweet break
Refill mugs, pass the cherry bars, do a quick round of trivia for fun.
8:35
Deeper feelings
Settle in for the two deep questions. Lower the lights a touch.
9:00
Scorecards and send-off
Fill out scorecards, share one-word reactions, send guests home with a bookmark.
Host tips
- Set out a 'comfort corner' with extra throws and pillows so guests can really sink in
- Have a candle or two going and keep overhead lights low for instant cozy
- Let silence breathe during the deeper questions, you don't have to fill every pause
Playlist
Sun-dappled indie folk and soft pop, like a porch swing at golden hour
- 01 Cornelia Street - Taylor Swift
- 02 Sunflower, Vol. 6 - Harry Styles
- 03 The Night We Met - Lord Huron
- 04 Sweet Creature - Harry Styles
- 05 Sofia - Clairo
- 06 Cherry Wine - Hozier
- 07 Saltwater - Beach House
- 08 Pink + White - Frank Ocean
Trivia
- 1.Who wrote Funny Story? (Emily Henry)
- 2.In what year was Funny Story published? (2024)
- 3.What U.S. state does the book take place in? (Michigan)
- 4.What is Daphne's profession? (Children's librarian)
- 5.What other Emily Henry novel features a bookish romance set largely in a small North Carolina town? (Book Lovers)
- 6.Which Emily Henry book centers on two friends who vacation together every summer? (People We Meet on Vacation)
- 7.What genre is Emily Henry best known for writing as an adult author? (Contemporary romance / romantic comedy)
- 8.Funny Story takes place largely during which season? (Summer)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Some summers stitch you back together one quiet day at a time.”
Funny Story
Emily Henry
bookclubnight.com
“Home is the porch light someone left on for you.”
Funny Story
Emily Henry
bookclubnight.com
“Heartbreak, tea, and a roommate who gets it.”
Funny Story
Emily Henry
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Cozy Factor☆☆☆☆☆
Swoon Level☆☆☆☆☆
Laugh-Out-Loud Moments☆☆☆☆☆
Made Me Feel Seen☆☆☆☆☆
Comfort Reread Potential☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made me feel: ______________________
The scene I'd want to live inside: ______________________
A snack I'd pair with this book forever: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.