The Bookies
In this interview, Maryann Aidikoff of Syosset, NY share details about her book club, The Bookies. These 12 women enjoy reading and have diverse tastes in literature, but are always ready for a good laugh. Read on to learn more about their discussion alternatives and their democratic methods of choosing books and facilitating meetings.
Q: Does your group have a name and/or a theme? How long has your group been in existence?
A: The Bookies
Q: How many members do you have? How many men, how many women? What age are most of your members?
A: We have 12 women in our group who are between the ages of 40 and 55.
Q: How often do you meet? Where do you meet?
A: We meet the last Wednesday of every month.
Q: Do you eat at your meetings? What do you eat? Who brings the food?
A: We meet at a diner called The Golden Grill.
Q: Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?
A: We take turns.
Q: What kind of books do you read?
A: We read all kinds of books --- fiction, nonfiction, bestsellers, or something good that someone recommends.
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: Everyone has a say. We pick the book each month.
Q: What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?
A: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Q: How do you keep things fun?
A: We have a lot of jokers. We will make fun of a character, pick someone or something that is unrealistic, talk about it and laugh.
Q: Do you have any horror stories, amusing anecdotes, or other special tales to tell?
A: Last month, I picked a book and one of the girls offered to email the information to the group. She ended up emailing the wrong book to everyone, and now we are reading a book 500 pages long. Everyone was given a number of pages to read, so that we each will have something to talk about.
Q: Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?
A: We are a group of varied women who share one thing --- we love to read. Of course, there are a few members of the book group who always organize poker games for the month. So, if you get tired of reading, you can always join in on a game of poker.
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