Wendy Kiang-Spray belongs to a local book club in Rockville, MD, the Hungerford Book Group. In this interview, she shares details about these interesting women who are diverse in age, background and literary taste. Having just celebrated their first anniversary, they appreciate the impact that their meetings have had on their community, which have helped them to grow closer as friends and neighbors

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

A: We are the Hungerford Book Group. November 2006 will be our first anniversary!

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

A: We have nine regular members in our group. Beyond this, we have others on our list, some who come when they can, some who have yet to make an appearance but may one day!! We are a women's group. No boys allowed. We are like "The View" of book groups. I believe we probably have at least one woman in her 20s, at least one in her 30s, at least one in her 40s, at least one in her 50s, at least one in her 60s, and at least one in her 70s!

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

A:We usually meet on the last Tuesday of each month at members' houses. Usually, the person who chose the book for the month hosts the meeting. Conveniently, we are a neighborhood book group and are all in a 2-block radius! Sometimes a member will cross the street or go a couple of houses down for a meeting!

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

A: We serve food --- we've had anything from a "tea party" when we discussed Pride and Prejudice to Burmese semolina pudding when we discussed Saving Fish From Drowning. We've also had much in between, from delicious home-baked goodies to great store boughts. We usually have coffee and/or tea, but have also had lemonade and mulled cider!

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

A: Usually, whoever chose the book for the month leads the discussion. Sometimes the leader will use guides, sometimes not. We are definitely able to maintain an engaging conversation without them, but questions from guides are always interesting.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: We have had a hugely diverse book list! We've read nonfiction such as Nickel and Dimed, sci-fi such as The Left Hand of Darkness, fiction such as The Mermaid Chair, and classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird. We've read adventure/spiritual such as Touching My Father's Soul, and most of us loved The Kite Runner. Coming up soon, we're reading Garlic and Sapphires...and then going WAY back in time for The Tale of Genji. We are all so different, and no doubt each of us has been challenged in some way. But "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" applies to our book group too! 

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: Each member will bring in the synopsis of a few books. We do a quick vote and add it to the list. We're usually set for at least a few months ahead of time. It is nice to choose books casually, and as we find out about new books. I think we're fairly "low-pressure" about most things in this group. 

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

A: This question is hard to answer! We have so many varied opinions that each book seems to satisfy most, yet leave at least one yearning for more. The Kite Runner seemed to move a lot of us. Nickel and Dimed was a great book for discussion. I don't think we've EVER run out of things to discuss for any of our books! We meet for 1 1/2 hours and it always seems to speed by.

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: Since we are a group who started out as neighbors, many of us had never met but had seen each other "around." It's been amazing to grow as friends and neighbors. I think I speak for the women in my group when I say that the neighborhood seems a bit smaller and a lot friendlier. We socialize a bit at the start of meetings but are really good with staying on the topic of the book once we get started. We are a group of studious, intelligent women who have a wide range of experiences. We have grown much over the past year, and each meeting does get more fun as we continue to get to know each other.

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

A: I like that our group is laid back. I think a few ground rules are important --- basic rules about respecting each other's opinions, etc. I also love that our group is so diverse. I personally would not enjoy being in a group with others who think exactly like me, look like me, talk like me, have experiences like me. Diversity is wonderful whether you're talking about age, race, culture, etc. Except, still no boys.

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

A: I think the premise of our group is a special tale. We are a unique group of ladies who are so different from each other, yet we all share some of the same characteristics. We are all open-minded and open to new experiences, we are all caring and considerate people, we are all educated and informed, and we all love to read! And between meetings, we sometimes get to wave hello when we see each other outside taking walks, gardening, driving by, etc. It doesn't get any more special than that!

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