Carla Rodrigues of North Arlington, NJ talks about the ADCH Book Club, named after the animal hospital where most of the members work. Read on to learn more about this closely knit group of vibrant women who like to have fun at their meetings and speak their minds.

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

A: Our group has been together for a little over a year now, and already we have a whole load of memories to look back on. We mostly know each other from working at an animal hospital together and so named our group after the hospital, ADCH book club.

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

A: We are 11 members right now, all women ranging in age from 18 to 40s.

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

A: We meet once a month for discussion and vary our meeting locations, mostly cafes and diners.

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

A: Yes! If we go out to a diner or cafe, we enjoy a good meal or coffee while sharing our thoughts. It's great catharsis.

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

A: Usually, discussion questions are written by the person who chose the book for that month. But mainly the discussions are open and anyone can initiate or direct the discussion.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: We are open to anything, but we've been focusing mostly on fiction.

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 choose a book each month, by one member each time.

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

A: Definitely Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, a must-read, especially for all you women groups! One of the group's favorites!

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: There is never a dull moment with this group! We all like to have fun and speak our minds. While discussing the book, we like to have fun and entertain ourselves. We also try to plan an "outing" or movie night if there is one that correlates with the book being read.

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

A: While reading groups are great for learning and ideas, never forget that they also are great for laughter and joy. There is nothing like sharing your thoughts with a group of people you enjoy being with. Have fun!

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

A: Just our strong friendship. We're a great group of people who are just looking for others to share some laughter and thoughts with.

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