A unique profile of readers together.

How would you describe your group?

Our group was founded in Cairo, Georgia, in 1968, and then followed one of the founding members, Carolyn Wight, to Thomasville, Georgia, in 1973. The membership has changed as people have moved away or developed other priorities. Since our group's founding, we've kept the number of members limited to nine: that's the magic number because the club meets once a month between September and May. This arrangement allows each member to serve as both hostess and presenter once a year. We're fortunate to have local readers ready to step into one of the nine spots if someone else moves on.

Our members range in age from the late 50s to the mid- 70s. We are all women; most of us are primarily homemakers; and we are all college graduates. We are also very active in the community, serving on various community and church boards and committees. More than friends, we are each other's intellectual companions and group therapists. We include guests most months, and every so often, we invite husbands as well. An outstanding couples' evening was the program on Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation presented by our senior member and her husband.

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How is your group different?

We know that one of the difficulties other book groups face is getting all the members to finish the book. That's never been a problem for us because we are fundamentally structured so that the members come in "unprepared"--that is, without having first read the book.

So, wait, your members don't read the book?

No, each member selects her own book and/or topic and presents her program to a receptive audience. We have found that this presentation format, rather than group discussion, exposes us to topics we would not have chosen as a group and supplements our independent reading nicely. This year, some of us are going to select Pulitzer prize-winning books and authors and ask everyone to read something by them for discussion. This year will be the first time we've done that.

Since we don't have a prescribed book list, the subjects range widely, though our presentation approach often leads us toward nonfiction. Through the years, we have studied biographies, self-help books, religious tomes, histories, muckraking exposes, best-selling novels, classics, political commentaries, and humorous tales. The style and visual aids we employ also range widely to reflect individual personalities. We have had a piano concert, taken personality tests and sample tests for a Jeopardy audition, listened to audio tapes of Billy Collins reading his poetry, seen video clips of the search for historical Camelot, and viewed works of art.

How has this approach changed over so many years?

In the early years, a member would present an author with multiple works, such as Hemingway or Faulkner. Since then, we've opened up the topics within our current structure. One exception occurred in 1976: the group adopted the "revolutionary" principle of mandatory reading, but with a twist. To honor the Bicentennial, each member chose a different Founding Father for her study. Not surprisingly, we debated whose patriot reigned supreme.

It also became a tradition that before Christmas, our bookstore owner/ member would present a selection of books that would make great gifts.

Which programs were most and least successful?

To paraphrase Will Rogers, we've never had a program that we didn't enjoy, but we have definitely had some highlights. Biographies have run the gamut from the great (A Woman of Egypt by Jehan Sadat and various biographies of John Adams and Teddy Roosevelt), to the infamous (Martha Stewart: Just Desserts by Jerry Oppenheimer), to the lightweight (Ralph Lauren: The Man Behind the Mystique by Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg), and to a nationally known local ecologist (Herbert L. Stoddard's Memoirs of a Naturalist). World War II has been a popular choice, and we have covered everything from women spies to the role of camouflage (War Magician by David Fisher) and the war in Alaska (Thousand-Mile War by Brian Garfield). Books on art movements (Brandywine River) and artists (Vermeer, Cezanne, and Child Hassam) are always uplifting, while exposes can be provocative (Born to Buy by Juliet B. Schor and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser). Naturally, any books dealing with women (Passages by Gail Sheehy and The Georgetown Ladies Social Club by C. David Heymann) and women's issues (A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom) prove to be popular.

The past presidential election was both cussed and discussed with two opposing books, The No Spin Zone by Bill O'Reilly and Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keillor. We were all turned on to Bill Bryson, thanks to A Walk in the Woods, and Barbara Kingsolver, with The Poisonwood Bible.

How are your meetings structured?

From the start, we have fed not only the mind and soul but also the body. The program takes place between the break for coffee (served when the group gathers at 10:30 a.m.) and lunch (12:30 p.m.). There is no formulaic meal: it is prepared at the discretion and inclination of the hostess who selects the venue. More often than not, we gather around the dining room table, but we have picnicked on a Southern porch, potlucked in the mountains, dined at a restaurant at the beach, and supped at a tiny restored hotel. Occasionally, the meal is geared to the program, such as a Moroccan menu to accompany the program on Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir. We even have the rare program on food itself, such as For God, Country and Coca-Cola by Mark Pendergrast.?

Submitted by Carolyn Wight from Thomasville, Georgia.