This interview is with Tracey Newhouse from "Undercover" of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 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: We call ourselves Undercover and have been meeting since August of 2000.

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

A: We have 15 members --- all women. Our ages range from mid-twenties to mid-forties.

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

A: We meet once a month, except for December, usually during the last week of the month. We have several different meeting spots. The hostess will have it at her home, a coffee shop, or a restaurant.

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

A: We ALWAYS eat!!! We seem to have a penchant for chips and salsa, guacamole, margaritas ... ok, anything Mexican! But we have never turned down coffee or chocolate.

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

A: Each person chooses a month that they are the hostess for. The hostess chooses the book to be read, the meeting spot, time and discussion options. We usually use a reading guide.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: We read a wide variety of nonfiction books and have even indulged in a few classics. We keep away from blazing romance novels.

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: The hostess of the month chooses the book to read. No complaints from others are allowed!!! Well, you can complain but you can't be rude! The only time a choice is refused is if three or more people have read the book. The hostess usually has a few choices to suggest to the group at the meeting before their month. Then if anyone has read it, an alternate can be chosen.

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

A: We like a fiery discussion and love it when a book can produce enough information, feeling and emotion to get us interested in the characters.

Best liked by the most members: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, The Shunning by Beverly Lewis, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells, Tara Road by Maeve Binchy, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe, Cane River by Lalita Tademy, White Oleander by Janet Fitch, and House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III.

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: We meet at 7:00 PM and keep to "book talk" until 7:30/7:45. If we want to continue with the book discussion, we do but we ask those who did not read the book to wait until after 7:30 if they want to join us. This gives us a chance to discuss the book without being sidetracked and then we can enjoy a more social evening. We keep things moving with questions and try to give the group the questions before the meeting. We also have little quizzes (for fun) or games relating to the book.

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

A: Don't be afraid to try different types of books. Try new restaurants, foods, beverages, topics, authors, etc. Look for different ways to analyze your books. Choose compelling topics that will create discussion. Some groups are very serious, while others are very casual --- do what works for your group. Have fun!

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

A: We are a lot of fun and enjoy each other's company. We vary in ages, talents, number, age and gender of children, jobs/careers, hobbies, etc., but we share the same faith --- this makes for great diversity and discussion.

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

A: We have established a group of women who not only enjoy reading, but also enjoy spending time together.

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