China Dolls
Susan Rubin of Denver, Colorado shares some anecdotes and info about her book club, China Dolls. Members love food --- and reading, of course! Read on to learn more about this group.
Q: Does your group have a name and/or a theme? How long has your group been in existence?
A: Our group is called China Dolls --- because we sell China! We have been in existence for one year.
Q: How many members do you have? How many men, how many women? What age are most of your members?
A: Our group consists of eight members, all women, whose ages range from 50-65.
Q: How often do you meet? Where do you meet?
A: We meet quarterly at a member's home.
Q: Do you eat at your meetings? What do you eat? Who brings the food?
A: We have appetizers, salads and desserts.
Q: Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?
A: Generally I facilitate the group, and I do use reading group guides. I do not just read questions 1, 2, 3, etc. I listen to where the discussion is going and present a question relevant to that portion of the discussion. When there is silence I will select a question that stimulates conversation.
Q: What kind of books do you read?
A: We read current fiction, alternating with classics.
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 vote on selections presented by the group, one at a time.
Q: What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?
A: We especially enjoyed The Human Stain and The Future Homemakers of America.
Q: How do you keep things fun?
A: No problem! We all enjoy reading and sharing our thoughts!
Q: What advice would you give to other reading groups?
A: Just go for it! Reading is meant to be done alone, but sharing one's thoughts and ideas enhances the experiences. Also, you read and finish books that you might never have selected for yourself!
Q: Do you have any horror stories, amusing anecdotes, or other special tales to tell?
A: We have no horror stories, but one time we chose a book for discussion that only one member read. We decided to meet anyway to talk about our most favorite book and why we loved it so much.
Q: Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?
A: We started our club because we all enjoy reading and cooking/eating.
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