The RAW Sistaz of Detroit, MI is just one chapter of a national book club, with 10 other offspring groups around the country. They primarily enjoy reading African-American literature, but are not afraid to branch out and try books outside their comfort zones. The spokesperson of RAW Sistaz Detroit, Sheri Clark Brooks, explains how they view their meetings as "girls' nights out," which give them time to bond with friends over stimulating discussions. She stresses the importance of reading the books you're interested in and sticking to a format, and also shares a horror story about an overly dramatic member.

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

A: Our group is called the RAW Sistaz Detroit and we've been in existence for about 2 years.

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

A: There are 8 members, all women between the ages of 30-36.

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

A: Once a month at various restaurants.

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

A: Yes, see above.

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

A: Sometimes we take turns facilitating the meetings. Most of the time, we combine the guides with our own questions.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: We read mainstream African American titles and self-published books. Also, each year we choose a historical book and a New York Times bestseller.

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 all the books at the November meeting, because December is more of a Christmas celebration and a girls' night out.

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

A: The Forbidden by LA Banks, Paranoia by Joseph Finder, 72 Hour Hold by Bebe Moore Campbell.

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: We develop themes based on the books we read, place ourselves in the characters' minds, and just enjoy our girls' night out.

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

A: Develop a format and stick to it. Remember you are supporting this work. Don't be afraid to spend time away from family to bond with girlfriends. Select books that YOU want to read, and choose something out of your comfort zone once in a while.

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

A: Without going into it all, yes. We had a member leave last year because she kept up more drama than the books we read, and she sent us on a fake meeting trip, where we waited on her for an hour!

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

A: Yes --- most groups have aspiring writers or authors amongst them, and so do we. We also have a National Chapter that hosts an annual conference for the 10 offspring clubs.

© Copyright 2001-2012, ReadingGroupGuides.com. All rights reserved.

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.

Back to top.