Book Club Night Kit
The Good Parts
Evann Normandin
Cozy night
A tender, high-concept love story about a woman who erases her memories and the man determined to win her heart a second time, perfect for a night of soft feelings and shared stories.
An evening of soft light, warm mugs, and The Good Parts
Come as you are (slippers welcome) for a slow, gentle book club night about love, memory, and second chances. Soup's on and the kettle's warm.
Reading level: Easy
Pages: 296
Best for: clubs who love a good cry, a warm mug, and stories that linger after the last page
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.What was the coziest place you found yourself reading this book, and did the setting shape how you felt about it?
- 2.When you closed the book for the night, what mood did it leave you in as you went about your day?
Digging in
- 1.Memory is such a tender thing in this story. Is there a small, ordinary memory you hope you never lose?
- 2.The book plays with the idea of falling for someone all over again. What does the beginning of love feel like to you, and did any passage capture it well?
- 3.If you could keep only the 'good parts' of a chapter of your own life, which chapter would you revisit, and what would you keep?
- 4.Which scene made you want to text a friend, hug someone, or just sit quietly for a minute? What was it about that moment?
Going deep
- 1.Without giving anything away, how did the book leave you feeling about the choice at its center? Comforted, unsettled, hopeful, something else?
- 2.This story asks whether love is about the person or the memories you share. Where did you land by the last page, and did the book gently move you from where you started?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Slow-simmered tomato soup with grilled cheese soldiers
The ultimate 'read me under a blanket' meal, echoing the book's tender, home-hearted mood.
Cinnamon-sugar shortbread hearts
Sweet, buttery, and shaped like the love story at the book's core, easy to bake ahead.
Warm apple crumble with vanilla ice cream
A dessert built on layered memories of home, perfect for a story about revisiting the past.
To sip
Honey chamomile tea with lemon (no alcohol)
Gentle, soothing, and a nod to quiet moments of remembering.
Vanilla bourbon hot toddy
Warm, nostalgic, and a little sentimental, like the man returning as a stranger.
Spiced mulled wine
Slow-sipping and heart-warming, ideal for a long conversation about love and memory.
Run of show
7:00
Soft landing
Greet guests with slippers-optional energy, hand out mugs of tea, let the playlist do the work.
7:20
Comfort supper
Serve soup and grilled cheese buffet-style so people can settle in wherever they're comfy.
7:45
Warm-up round
Go around the circle with the two warm-up questions, no wrong answers, just feelings.
8:10
Heart of the conversation
Move into theme questions. Keep a candle lit and let quiet moments breathe.
8:45
Dessert and deeper waters
Bring out crumble and mulled wine, ease into the deep questions.
9:15
Scorecards and send-off
Fill out scorecards together, hand out bookmarks, share one lingering feeling before goodbye.
Host tips
- Dim the overhead lights and use lamps or candles, cozy lives in soft light.
- Have a stack of throw blankets by the door, invite people to grab one on their way in.
- If the group goes quiet, don't rush it. In a cozy night, pauses are part of the conversation.
Playlist
soft indie folk and hushed piano, the kind of songs that feel like candlelight
- 01 The Night We Met - Lord Huron
- 02 Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
- 03 Skinny Love - Bon Iver
- 04 First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
- 05 Vincent - Don McLean
- 06 Falling Like the Stars - James Arthur
- 07 Cornelia Street - Taylor Swift
- 08 Holocene - Bon Iver
Trivia
- 1.In what year was The Good Parts published? (2026)
- 2.Who wrote The Good Parts? (Evann Normandin)
- 3.Roughly how many pages long is the novel? (About 296 pages)
- 4.What broad genre does The Good Parts belong to? (Fiction (contemporary love story))
- 5.The publisher compares the book to which David Nicholls novel with a similar time-spanning romance feel? (One Day)
- 6.The book is also pitched for fans of which Rebecca Serle novel? (In Five Years)
- 7.What speculative device drives the premise of the story? (A memory-erasing pill)
- 8.Without spoilers, what is the central relationship dynamic at the heart of the novel? (A former love returning as a stranger, hoping to be loved again)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Some love stories are worth learning by heart, twice.”
The Good Parts
Evann Normandin
bookclubnight.com
“Keep the good parts. Pour another cup.”
The Good Parts
Evann Normandin
bookclubnight.com
“Memory fades. The feeling stays a little longer.”
The Good Parts
Evann Normandin
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Coziness factor☆☆☆☆☆
Emotional warmth☆☆☆☆☆
Swoon-worthiness☆☆☆☆☆
Lingering-in-your-heart-ness☆☆☆☆☆
Would-recommend-to-a-friend☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made me feel: ______________________
A memory I'd never want to erase: ______________________
The scene I'll be thinking about tomorrow: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.