Epsilon Sigma Omicron, Upsilon Chapter
Donna Shackel of Roseville, CA talks about her book club, which was formed as part of the Epsilon Sigma Omicron honorary reading sorority. Donna and her fellow members do not restrict their meetings to just one location. Whenever possible, they plan trips and activities based on the book and author they are discussing. Read on to learn more about this "theme-based" group.
Q: Does your group have a name and/or a theme? How long has your group been in existence?
A: Our group was formed as part of the Epsilon Sigma Omicron (ESO) honorary reading sorority, which is part of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. We are specifically part of the Upsilon Chapter, which is the California Federation of Women's Clubs division. ESO is a disciplined reading program with specific levels of achievement designed to read broadly across our American Heritage. This specific group formed three years ago. We are entering our fourth year.
Q: How many members do you have? How many men, how many women? What age are most of your members?
A: We have 8 members, all women, ranging from 40s to 70s. Our members come from the 15 clubs making up Sutter District, CFWC, but we are open to non-club members as well.
Q: How often do you meet? Where do you meet?
A: We meet once a month for a regular meeting. We are located in the Sacramento, California area and meet at the Roseville Barnes and Noble Bookstore.
Q: Do you eat at your meetings? What do you eat? Who brings the food?
A: Barnes and Noble is most gracious, providing us with coffee, tea and snacks --- as long as a reading group has at least 8 members. Sometimes we go out to lunch afterwards.
Q: Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?
A: We take turns leading the discussion each month, and sometimes we use reading guides. Most members have Internet access, so they do some research for guides and ideas prior to the meeting.
Q: What kind of books do you read?
A: We read all kinds of books. We all are working our way through the levels of ESO, and we have members at every level. But our monthly topics are not necessarily from the list. Our club is more topic-driven and so we all can share different books at the meetings. It is uncanny how we never duplicate a book. Some months we will pick a specific book to discuss. Other months it may be a specific author, and everyone chooses their favorite book by that author. And other times it is a subject or topic. For example, October was mythology --- we shared different books of mythology and different cultures in mythology, including Chinese, Norse and Native American, as well as the commonly known Greek and Roman. In January, we will be reading cookbooks. We are looking forward to this. One of our members collects specialty cookbooks, so she will have a lot to offer. One month was music and the books reviewed ranged from folk music to Victor Borge to the Grateful Dead.
Books include Cane River, The Red Tent, Our Town and The Grapes of Wrath. Authors include Wallace Stegner, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck. Topics include TV, hobbies, music, mythology, gardening, women of note, the Civil War, travel and much more.
Q: How do you choose your books? Do you choose one new book at each meeting, or do you choose the books for a number of meetings ahead of time?
A: We select our books and topics based on input from members, for a year in advance. We make up a tri-fold brochure with all the month's selections listed and any other information related to that month. This way, all members have the information in advance and can take advantage of book sales or read ahead. It also serves as a reminder for meeting dates and has other contact information.
Q: What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?
A: All of our discussions are very good. We really enjoy our group. One that comes to mind is Cane River. We talked about the determination and willpower of some and the caving in to pressure by others, as well as the morality and customs of the day. There was a lot of discussion of To Kill a Mockingbird. We talked about the book, the movie, the symbolism, morality, the times, racism and bigotry. This discussion went on longer than most. Another lively discussion was on Hammett's The Thin Man. Most members were annoyed with all the drinking and late hours, and the different style --- it read more like a play than a novel. And of course, the Harry Potter fans always enjoy talking about Hogwarts.
Q: How do you keep things fun?
A: We go beyond the book. When Steinbeck was the author, we made a trip to Salinas where we visited the newly opened Steinbeck Museum and lunched at Steinbeck House. Another time we went to Monterey and took the driving tour of Steinbeck country, including the Pacific Grove cottage where he wrote Cannery Row, Doc Rickett's lab, and the tidepool. We also visited Robert Louis Stevenson's home. Another trip found us in Glenn Ellen at Jack London's home and farm. In July or August the Harry Potter fans celebrate Harry's birthday, complete with trivia and other Harry Potter games. We often view the movie after reading the book.
We also often include in our discussions of books information about the author --- a biography and any information about the writing of the book. For example, it was interesting to note that Steinbeck wrote East of Eden for his sons --- he had hoped that it would help them to get along better.
Q: What advice would you give to other reading groups?
A: Have fun!
Q: Do you have any horror stories, amusing anecdotes, or other special tales to tell?
A: No horror stories. We always have a good time.
Q: Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?
A: Apparently the most unique feature of our group is that we are theme-based rather than book-based. It makes for lively and broader discussion.
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