Susan Hahm is a member of "Broads Who Read Books" in Saratoga Springs, NY. In this interview, Susan emphasizes the importance of making sure that all members feel comfortable participating in the discussions and talks about how incorporating film screenings and field trips can enhance the group’s experience. She also shares an anecdote about a not-so-rewarding discussion with a local author.

Q: Does your group have a name and/or a theme? How long has your group been in existence?

A: We’re the "Broads Who Read Books" and have been together three years now. We do not have a specific theme.

Q: How many members do you have? How many men, how many women? What age are most of your members?

A: We have seven members, all women, from age 50 to 77. Sometimes a husband will sit in on the discussion.

Q: How often do you meet? Where do you meet?

A: We meet monthly and rotate homes.

Q: Do you eat at your meetings? What do you eat? Who brings the food?

A: Each person brings a bagged lunch and the hostess provides beverage (wine), dessert, coffee and whatever else she wants.

Q: Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?

A: The hostess leads the discussion and we use reading guides most of the time.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: We’ve read fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction, biographies, books by foreign authors and current events. Nothing is off limits.

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: Members recommend some or we get ideas from sites like ReadingGroupGuides.com and Amazon.com, our local library, local authors and book reviews in newspapers or magazines. We pick titles a few months at a time.

Q: What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?

A: The best discussions were books we didn’t like --- lots to talk about! If we all liked it, the discussion was boring.

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: Mix it up a bit. Incorporate watching DVDs, going to authors’ readings, lectures, road trips, etc.

Q: What advice would you give to other reading groups?

A: Make everyone’s opinion welcome, don’t let people monopolize the discussion, keep people on task and drink wine!

Q: Do you have any horror stories, amusing anecdotes, or other special tales to tell?

A: We had a local author attend one of our meetings to discuss her book, which we had chosen. She wasn’t a “people-person” and seemed ill at ease the whole time. She only relaxed when the food came out --- not very stimulating.

Q: Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?

A: We purposely keep the group small and genuinely care about each other. We laugh, cry and commiserate about life together.

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