Tisa M. Davis, who belongs to “Book Crossing” in Danville, IN, describes how her club establishes a light mood by finding ways to relate to the characters they read about. With people in the group ranging in age from 35 to 70, she believes that the generational differences allow for a variety of interpretations of the books they discuss.

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

A: Our group’s name is “Book Crossing.” We have been in existence about five years.

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

A: Our book group varies between five and eight. We have one gentleman that comes once in a while and several ladies. Most of our members range from 35 to 70.

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

A: We meet once a month at the Danville Public Library, in Danville, IN.

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

A: Normally, we do not eat at our meetings, but if we read a book that has a food theme, we have food!

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

A: I usually lead the discussions, but we all have an opportunity to discuss the book. I normally use reading group guides, but it depends on what book we are discussing.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: We read mostly fiction, but are not opposed to reading nonfiction. We like books with a good storyline.

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: Usually, I choose the book due to the availability of the book within our local libraries. However, if someone has a particular author or book, they have me look for it.

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

A: We really enjoyed reading Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons. Everyone seemed to be able to relate to Ellen in some way. Although most of us did not particularly enjoy the book, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was probably our most thought-provoking discussion.

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: I think the way we try to find a connection between ourselves and the characters always seems to keep the mood light.

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

A: Just have fun with it!

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

A: I believe the range of ages in our group makes us unique. It is interesting the different interpretations the different generations can have.

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