Wendy Benner, a group member says, “I’ve always been a reader, but book club expands the horizon and pushes me into reading unique styles I might otherwise not have delved into.”

We began our book club adventure more than three years ago, excited to start and make it a fun experience for all kinds of readers. Some had been members of groups before that didn’t work out for one reason or another, so we put lots of time into getting this one right. We asked members to come to the first meeting with a list of three books they would like to suggest to the group. We picked months of the year from a hat. The month you pick is the month you host and choose the book for discussion. We don’t limit ourselves to certain types of books, but we do try to steer away from books that are only available in hardcover. This method has worked for us, and we try to choose books at least three months in advance to take advantage of lower shipping charges and to enable members who read a bit faster to get ahead. We also try to keep the list fairly flexible so we have the freedom to pick books that are current.

Our group meets at our homes, and we treat the night as a special time to be together with friends. Although we may have begun with just some snacks and wine, we now could also add “gourmet” club to our book club title! When Tracey DeWit hosted for her pick, “The Other Boleyn Girl,” she did a “theme