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Many reading groups form bonds that go far beyond that of reading and discussing books together. This month's interview is with a group that has shared many of the ups and downs of life together over the years. Thanks to Susan Kellett, of Winter Park, Florida, who shared her group with us.

Q. Does your group have a name?
A. We never could decide on a name. Our first year we tried to name ourselves, but trying to get women to agree on anything, never mind a name, turned out to be impossible.

Q. How did you group get started?
A. Our group was started in May of 1991. I was at a luncheon to raise money for the Winter Park, Florida Library. Dominick Dunne was the speaker. A friend mentioned she had read a good book and wished we had a book group so we could discuss it. I pulled out my calendar, picked a date and announced to the rest of the women at the table that we were starting a book group. (I had previously been in a group in another state.) The book my friend wanted to discuss was Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman and this was our first book of many.

Q. How many members do you have?
A. Our group fluctuates but we usually have about 20 women on our roster. We do not have any men in our group nor have we ever asked any to attend. Our ages range from thirty to late seventies, with the majority being in their fifties and sixties. We have had members move, die, and of course, just quit. Each year we end up with about two new members and the group just seems to perpetuate itself. There is an active core group and we usually have about eight at each discussion, although we had over twenty at one meeting.

Q. How often do you meet? Where do you meet?
A. We meet once a month on a Thursday at 10:30 in the morning. In December we have a holiday lunch where we each bring a book and have a fun raffle. We also each bring a children’s book and we donate the books to a local school or day care. We usually meet at each other's homes but have met at parks, gardens and restaurants. We had an older member of our group die and had a room dedicated in her memory at a local private school. We meet there once a year. If the weather is nice we often will sit outside for our discussions. At one point we met at one member's home often as she had a physical condition that did not let her feel comfortable outside of her house. Last summer one of the members invited us all to come to her summerhouse in Vermont. Much to her surprise three members from the group flew up and a discussion was held over lunch at an inn in Vermont.

Q. Do you have food at your discussion?
A. Our group has tried to down play food, as often food can take over the real reason why a book group meets. (Plus, every one is always on a diet.) The hostess has coffee, fruit, and perhaps something sweet. We do go out for lunch after our meetings if we have time, and many times we will even brown bag our lunch to our meetings. Our group is quite flexible. When we first started back in 1991 each member brought an ingredient for a salad and the host had a huge bowl of lettuce and we would make salads. That idea grew old though. A few members have prepared lunch for us, but not in recent years.

Q. Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?
A. It used to be that we had one main leader but now, since she is in Florida only half the year, different members lead the discussion. We did not have Internet access when the group started, but now that we do it has added to our meetings. We usually have some biographical data on the author, reviews and if available use reading guides, but do not follow them question by question. We find guides helpful at times. It is easy for a group to get off topic and a question from a guide can refocus the discussion.

Q. What kind of books do you read?
A. We read a variety of books. We have a list of all the books that we have read since 1991, and it is interesting to look back and see which books prompted the best discussions. Though we predominately read fiction, we do try to have one biography a year and one or two non-fiction. We do not read self-help books. Looking at our list we seem to read many more books written by women than men.

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 always discuss what we are reading outside of book group each month. This way if someone really likes a book she has read it often becomes a selection. When the group first started we let the hostess choose what we were to read the following month, but we no longer do this on a regular basis. The main leader of the group is an avid reader and picks about half of the books the group reads. She finds books she believes will lead to a good discussion. We have a monthly newsletter sent to each member and we try to plan three months ahead what we are going to read. Surprisingly many in our group do not like to buy books. They take the books out of the library, so they need some time to reserve the books. They do not even want to buy paperbacks.

Q. What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?
A. One of the best discussions we had was when we read A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey. Other good discussions were inspired by Mercy by Jodi Picoult, Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, and a biography of Clare Booth Luce. We have had some real duds as well. We met in a garden after reading The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean. None of us liked the book, but we had a good time discussing what we didn't like. We tried some light mysteries, which were fun but did not lead to good discussion. Nor do Maeve Binchy-type books work, as they are all happy and not controversial enough to discuss.

Q. How do you keep things fun?
A. We have fun by just being together. We actually act as a support system to one another and not just a reading group. We often go out for lunch and meet in interesting places. We had a guest author once that one of us met in a local bookstore. It turned out that her book was quite provocative for our group and no one has forgotten her visit. We also will meet at the local theater if a book we have read has been made in to a movie. We recently met to see “Where the Heart Is”.

Q. What advice would you give to other reading groups?
A. I would suggest to another group to have as few rules as you can. We do not even require a member to read the book in order to attend. Guests are also welcome. I think our group is lucky in that we have had one leader that has kept the group together for nine years.

Q. Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?
A. We have had a number of people die who belonged to our group. Some of the women were old but others were not so old. Currently we have a member with lung cancer who will not be with us long. We have become a support group to one another. When we lose a member it is sad. We even contributed enough money to have a room named at a local school in honor of one of our group and we hold a meeting in that room each year. We have had an unusually large proportion of our group be diagnosed with breast cancer. We've helped one another with child rearing problems and divorce. The group has gone through many ordeals but we still continue to be there for one another and to keep on reading. Many members of the group have gone back to work and will arrange their schedule to attend a meeting.

I do not think we are unusual or unique but fairly typical of other woman in the United States who love to read, talk and bond together. I think it is wonderful that a group that is made up of woman ranging in age from thirty to their late seventies can have so much in common. We learn from each other and love each other. We support one another and belong together and that is what it is all about.

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