Member Reviews

Fantastic book club guide for readers of Michelle Obama’s first book, Becoming. Like the companion memoir, the language here is accessible and conversational in tone. Included are great conversation starters, large print quotes for discussion, and an interview with Mrs.. Obama on her writing process/conceptualization of the book. This would also be a helpful guide for solo or buddy readers who are looking to dive deeper into the reading experience.

Thanks to netgalley for this advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own.

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This is good. There are many insightful questions. The book club will be really helpful for group discussions. With the help of this kit, a person can deeply emphasise on themselves. There are some thought provoking things and it’s brilliant

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This book club kit felt very limited in comparison to others I've seen. It provided information and discussion questions, but did not include anything extra that would make the book club meeting an event. The font was also quite small, so it felt like some pages were a wall of text.

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This is a great resource for a book club discussion, or a classroom situation where the book "Becoming" was assigned. The talking points and questions when right along with what is in the book giving background into Mrs. Obama's life. I feel that the Q&A with Mrs. Obama at the end was a nice touch, giving a little bit more insight as to why she wrote this and what her goals were in presenting this to the world.

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This is a REVIEW ONLY of The BOOK CLUB KIT for “Becoming,” a biographical memoir and positive motivation book by former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. This seven-page e-book is dense with discussion questions to stimulate insightful two-way conversations among reading groups, yet it is blatantly lacking in visual appeal because of its drab color scheme and lack of art and bold, eye-catching graphics. Nonetheless, these Q & As will be useful for Book Club Leaders, Librarians, as well as readers themselves who want extra insight into the background of the book and author. ❇️ As complex and interesting as the topics covered in the book, it would be nice to see bold, colorful graphics, art, songs, maps, recipes, clothing, bookmarks and other visual effects to depict Ms. Obama on a personal level through the messages she offers in her book. ❇️

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Michelle Obama, and Publisher Penguin Random House Library Resources for this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review.

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Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Library Resources!

This book club kit is packed with tons of thought-provoking and reflective questions. I love that the publishers included a Q&A with Michelle Obama. I love this book and this book club kit is just *chef's kiss*

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The Book Club Kit for Becoming by Michelle Obama was very easy to follow, questions were thought provoking and would really help to guide a book club in nice discussion. I liked the quotes and the q and a at the end.

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This is a great option for those of you going to discuss Becoming by Michelle Obama in a book club meeting.
This kit contains a guide, questions, and material for your book club group to discuss in it’s meeting.
If your bookclub is anything like mine, it’s easy to get off of the subject at hand or be at a loss for what to discuss next. We have a couple people in our group who always tend to lead the conversation away from the topic of the book and toward personal lives ect.. I mean I don’t want to sound antisocial but there’s a time and place to hang out and talk about family and work. I like to go to bookclub to actually discuss the book.

This guide will help to keep the conversation flowing and direct meaningful conversations around topics the book touches on.
I find these questions and topics to be well thought out, in depth, and thought provoking. Everything you need for a great book club meeting.

(Please Note: this does not contain the book Becoming)

I graciously received this book from NetGalley and my review is 100% honest and my own.

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I loved reading Becoming by Michelle Obama with my library staff book club. This Book Club Kit for Becoming was so useful. It was great to already have the discussion questions ready to go before the meeting. I was lucky enough to be sent some bookmarks and a poster for Becoming as well. It was a great meeting.

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Great book club questions! This is a must if you are reading this book and love discussion questions. The Q&A was a nice addition!

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I like to read. A lot. But I have to admit at times my reading is more an attempt to lull my mind into being peaceful enough to go to sleep, than it is to actual make sense of or digest the words on a page. The book "Becoming" (Michelle Obama) was certainly not a book that put me to sleep. No, it held my interest from the first page through the last. What a joy then, to discover that there is MORE. And not just more in the insight that Michelle offers in the additional material in the Book Club, but also in the deep questions that are asked as part of the kit's content.

The questions in the kit aren't run-of-the-mill, answer-with-my-eyes-closed, superficial questions. They are deep. They beg you open your mind, your soul to root for authentic answers. For example, I'm sure I'm not alone in recognizing that answering the question "How does one avoid having one's dreams dislodged by someone else's lower expectations?" can probably take up several journal pages starting with recognizing when we were first confronted with someone's lack of imagination, lack of belief in us.

Definitely an enjoyable addition to Becoming. Definitely a wonderful spur for anyone looking for journaling prompts that provide an opportunity to delve deeply into the individual experience.

I received this kit on 2 Apr 2023 as an ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion. The kit was published 11 Feb 2021. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide comment on this kit.

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Love the addition of an interview with the author, and has some wonderfully insightful questions. A great resource for those wishing to read together and discuss the book in a more meaningful way.

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This book is so well written so I was instantly intrigued to look at the book club questions! It was mostly comprehension questions versus inquisitive or personal.

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While I’d have preferred it to have more content, it is still a great resource for those who are reading this book together and want to discuss it in a meaningful way afterward. Thank you for this one!

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3/5

This wasn't the best book club kit I've seen and it wasn't the worst. I always love when they included an interview with the author it adds just a little something special. Other then the interview there wasn't anything special, there were the questions, a readers guide and additional questions. At least give us a book mark or something!

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Fantastic book club kit with insightful questions.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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An interesting read into the life of Michelle Obama. it showcases her inner strength and diversity that she has experienced to become who she is today.

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Many book club kits have more content than this one. I would have appreciated more. I found the "Reader's Guide" questions to be thoughtful, though there were a lot of them! The short "Conversation with Michelle Obama" was a great addition - I really enjoy hearing more from her.

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Michelle Obama wrote this autobiography several years ago. With a new title coming out soon, this book may receive new attention. Here is a good resource on that book. It includes information on the story, excellent questions to ponder and an interview with the author. It is a short title but has just what is needed for a (more) thoughtful read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this book club kit. All opinions are my own.

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The conversation with Michelle Obama was absolutely stunning and fantastic which have been included in the Book Club Kit. There was a time before Michelle Obama was an attorney, a working mother, or the First Lady of the United States. Michelle Robinson was a South Side of Chicago kid in the 1970s who loved jazz and Stevie Wonder music and wanted to do well in school.

The book Becoming tells the tale of how Michelle Obama, who did exceptionally well in school, came to meet aspiring attorney Barack Obama, who would go on to become her lifelong partner. Michelle left her position at a reputable legal firm to work in the nonprofit, community outreach, and mentoring sectors after realizing that she actually wanted to help people more than she wanted to be involved in the complex areas of contract law.

Michelle Robinson came from a loving household, and she learned how to play the piano from her great aunt. Michelle worked hard to improve her grades and believe that she was good enough as the South Side of Chicago underwent change. Michelle discovered a whole new world at Princeton and a fantastic mentor in Czerny Brasuell. Michelle and Barack got married and found exciting new jobs in the early 1990s. Barack received a political opportunity after publishing his first book, which Michelle wasn't too excited about. Their first experience with how personal political attacks can get came when their family and Barack's political career both expanded. Michelle initially had a negative view about politics, but this changed throughout the presidential campaign. Michelle worked hard to provide her kids the most typical childhood she could while serving as First Lady. Michelle worked hard to develop her own voice through initiatives like the Let's Move! campaign. Michelle Obama is proud of what they were able to accomplish while in the White House, despite the challenges they had along the road.

Thank you NetGalley and Michelle Obama for the Book Club Kit with conversation with Michelle Obama for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the memoir and the interview.

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