Lee Bailleu of Kewanee, IL shares just what makes the Girls Night Out Book Club so entertaining and tightly knit. The group originally formed as a way for these active women to take time out of their busy schedules to read, and has since evolved into an excuse to get out of the house, eat great meals, get together with friends, and, of course, talk about books. Read on to learn more about their unofficially themed reading habits, unique dinner menus, and how they keep their meetings lively and laid back.

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

A: Girls Night Out Book Club, or GNO. We thought it was really original until I saw quite a few of them. But it definitely suited us --- a bunch of girls needing to get out of the house! We formed in August of 2004.

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

A: We have 13 members right now. Alas, no men. Most of them couldn't handle the name or the "PINK" mentality we share.

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

A: We meet on the last Monday evening of every month (unless that interferes with life, then we move it). We meet wherever the hostess o' the mo' chooses --- usually her house but also restaurants, churches, wherever. We also try to have a "field trip" pertaining to a book or reading.

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

A: HECK YEAH! Book club meetings always mean dinner. It is the hostess's choice as to what we eat. She can choose to cook, make it a potluck, or tell us to bring some money for pizza. Lately, we have been having themed dinners: Mexican, favorite hors d'oeuvres, and we will soon be having one entitled, "Things our husbands/family won't eat."

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

A: It is mostly a free-for-all. We discuss the book and then often stray off-topic, sometimes never getting back on track. I am the secretary and I always print guides if they are available, though sometimes we never get around to using them.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: Everything!! Fiction, nonfiction, historical, Chick Lit.

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: Each member comes to our yearly meeting in August armed with three book choices. We select the entire year's titles right then and there with each person giving her #1 pick. Sometimes two people choose the same book without knowing it, so there is always a backup. We always read a "classic" at least once a year. December is chick flick month --- with the hectic season, we watch a movie from a book, and then have a book swap. Most of us purchase online so we like that we can buy ahead or bid on ebay if we know we will need it.

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

A: We had some great discussions on Refined by Fire by Brian and Mel Birdwell and Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, though most of us hated The Poisonwood Bible. We also enjoyed our meeting on last year's classic, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, which most of us had read many times.

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: We all respect and enjoy each other. We are very laid back, keeping a "Didn't read the book? Come for the food!" attitude. Many of us get together at other functions, so we always have something to talk about. There is always food so we often share recipes and tell stories. During our meetings we go around and ask what else everyone is reading, and there have been instances where we end up discussing some other mutual read. Many people also bring books that they have finished for other members to take.

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

A: Don't be too strict. Remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion (however wrong it might be!), and that life happens. Our group is really understanding if someone has to bail. Also, it's important to have a stronger bond than just books --- we are friends who get together and eat, as well as talk about books.

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

A: Since our club is new, we are sort of flying by the seat of our pants. Last year, our unspoken theme was "4 women and religion." We chose 10 books at the beginning of the year and each one had either four women (The Poisonwood Bible, Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons), religion (The Da Vinci Code), or both (see the first two). We became so sick of it that this year seems to be murder and mayhem, with mysteries and sci-fi selections.

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

A: Our members' ages range from 30s to 50s. We were all avid readers who let our active family and work lives get in the way, so we found this group of women who didn't have time to read either. We cherish our times together to be with other women who understand each other's time constraints. We live in a very rural area and our members come from basically three small cities about 15 miles apart, so there is also a lot of fellowship in the carpools.

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