Tammy's Bookers of Alta Loma, California
Barbara Bocan of Alta Loma, CA shares her group Tammy's Bookers with us. They have invited authors to be part of their discussions. Think about this idea for your meetings!
Q. Does your group have a name and/or a theme? How long has your group been in existence?
A: Our book group, Tammy's Bookers has been around since 1993. We first met at Tammy's independently owned bookstore until the big chains moved to our area and she had to close her doors. We met at two other independently owned stores until they met with the same fate.
Q. How many members do you have? How many men, how many women? What age are most of your members?
A: We have 15-20 members, all women, ages ranging from 24- to 60-something. All are professionals or retired professionals.
Q. How often do you meet? Where do you meet?
A. We meet about every 6 weeks in my home on a Saturday morning.
Q. Do you eat at your meetings? Who brings the food?
A: We take turns providing the treats, usually a breakfast or brunch item, while I provide coffee, teas, and juice. We have theme related treats. We had a chocolate festival when we read Chocolat, corn bread when we read Cold Mountain, Dutch food when we read Girl With a Pearl Earring, Southern food when we read the Ya-Yas. When we read Harry Potter one member made each of us a unique magic wand.
Q. Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?
A: We take turns leading the discussions. We have used reading group guides. Usually the leader will present background info on the author, and we go around the room, where each person can make their own comments on the book and no one else is to say anything until everyone has an opportunity to talk. We have found this to be lots of fun and gives everyone a chance to speak.
Q. What kind of books do you read?
A: We read literary fiction, mainly written by female authors. We vote as a group on the selection.
Q. How do you choose your books?
A: Books are selected about 3 or 4 meetings ahead. Members have time to buy/borrow the book.
Q. What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?
A. Some of our best discussions and favorite books have been: The Red Tent, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Poisonwood Bible, The Mists of Avalon, Possession, Harry Potter, Gardens in the Dunes, White Oleander, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Girl with a Pearl Earring with Girl in Hyacinth Blue and The Scandalous Summer of Sissy Le Blanc.
Q. How do you keep things fun?
A: We take a weekend trip every Nov. to Cambria, CA [on the central coast]. The past 2 years we have met with authors from the area for a discussion of their book over lunch or brunch. We read Cleo by Jean Brody and met with Catherine Ryan Hyde. While we were there we have done some wine tasting, visited Hearst Castle on the evening tour, and saw a play at the very small playhouse in town.
This summer we read The Scandalous Summer of Sissy Le Blanc and met with author, Loraine Despres over lunch in Beverly Hills and even had time to do some shopping!!
Q. Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?
A: We have gone to author signings and have seen Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Susan Vreeland, Robin Maxwell, Diane Mott Davidson, and Alice Sebold. Each April we attend the Festival of Books on the campus of UCLA. Most of us get a hotel room nearby and spend the entire weekend. We have had a group activity in the evening, usually dinner and once we went to see The Vagina Monologues.
After we read How to Make an American Quilt we went to see the movie as a group, but timing makes that activity more difficult.
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