ReadingGroupGuides.com

Ladies Eleven

Eleven women from Middletown, RI recently celebrated nine full years together as the Ladies Eleven Book Club. In this interview, spokesperson Priscilla Escajeda shares with ReadingGroupGuides.com the group's beliefs in keeping their meetings light and open-minded. She also describes how they balance work and play by discussing thought-provoking titles like The Kite Runner and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, while feasting on desserts and having pajama parties.

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

A: Our group is called Ladies Eleven and we celebrated our 9th anniversary on October 8th.

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

A: We have 11 members --- all women. Our ages are 50-60s.

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

A: We meet on the first Wednesday of the month, and we alternate at each other's houses.

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

A: We serve coffee, tea and dessert. The hostess for the month serves the food.

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

A: The hostess leads the discussion. We occasionally use guides, but not very often.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: We read a variety of books.

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: The hostess of the month chooses the book. For instance, whoever has the December meeting will let us know what book we are reading at the November meeting.

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

A: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was a good discussion and a favorite book. The Kite Runner was another one.

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: We have had some themed meetings, like a pajama party.

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

A: Keep an open mind…we have read some books that we may never have read on our own. Don't be too serious…make the meetings fun.

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

A: No horror stories!

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

A: We are 11 women who love to read and enjoy getting together once a month. We read 11 books a year. In October, which is our anniversary month, we meet for dinner to celebrate our anniversary.

ReadingGroupGuides.com interviews special reading groups around the world, spotlighting a different group each month. We hope that you enjoy reading about their experiences and might find some new ideas to try with your group. If you belong to a group that you think should be spotlighted, click here to send.