We're treating you this month with not one, not two but three different options for our August book club recommendations. Delivering books about the publishing world, and a rewarding read about what it is to be human we also have Why Did You Stay? by Rebecca Humphries, an empowering, unflinching read full of humour. 

After the paparazzi and media published a story that forced Rebecca into victimhood, she chose to reclaim her voice and her power by sharing her thoughts on social media. Using coming of age stories and her relationship history, this book is full of opportunity for discussions within a reading group, and we have some questions from Sphere to help get those converations started:

1. One of the themes the book explores is how pop culture has had an influence on our view of romantic love. How many of the relationships we see onscreen or in literature do you think they are presented as positive when they have unhelathy attributes? Does it matter?

2. Who is your favourite leading man in a book? Having read this book, do you think he displays any toxic behaviours?

3. How would you describe Rebecca's personality? Did anything surprise you about her? Did you think it changed at any points in the book?

4. Rebecca admits that if she was hearing about the story of her and Seb on the boat, she'd have wanted them to sleep together. Did you want them to?

5. How did the strucute add to your reading of the story? 

6. One of Rebecca's biggest lessons within the book revolves around what true love really is. Do you agree with her final reading of it? What does true love mean to you?

7. Rebecca discovers that one of the most long-standing toxic relationships she's been in throughout her life has been with acting. If you work or have done in the past, do you think you have/had a healthy or unhealthy relationships with your career?

8. Rebecca says in the book that if she didn't know she was being abused, perhaps her boyfriend didn't know her was perpetrating the abuse. Do you think men who exhibit toxic traits in relationships understand they're doing it? Why do you think they do it? What needs to be done for future generations of boys and men to understand that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable?

9. How do you think Rebecca's relationship with her mum changes from the beginning of the book to the end?

10. Do you think there are any other reasons not discussed in the book that explain why people, and especially women, stay in toxic or emotionally abusive relationships?

To make the questions even more handy for your book club, save the question sheet below: