WHORS Book Club, Hilliard, OH

OK, I promise there's something clever behind that acronym that's the name of this book club, but darned if I can remember what it was...maybe I'll come back on with an update if I figure it out. (Women Happy Over Reading Stuff???) Nah. I grew up in Michigan, so it's always nice to chat with my fellow Midwesterners!

Book Club from Manteno, IL

This great group - who say they include "mothers and daughters, old friends and new" and (like my own book club) enjoy their wine - has been meeting monthly for about a year. I called in to surprise the group and I couldn't have been met with a more enthusiastic bunch of women! Front row: Jeannie Olson, Paula Shelton, Samantha Hoffman, and Pam Hoffman, Back row:
Jessica Dickson, Jody Doyle, Maggie Walsh, Karen Dove, and Leslie Heart.

ATB Book Club, Manassas, VA

ATB stands for Around the Bar, and this great group has been meeting for about eight months. They're wearing name tags with the top three things they each want to do on their list! Bottom Row (left to right) Debbie, Tina, Carol, Laura, Sue. Top Row (left to right) Amy, Caroline, Kathy, Trish, Liz. Not pictured Joanne and Tiffany.

A Brand New Book Club in Indianapolis, IN

I was delighted to call in for the very first meeting of this book club in Indianapolis, IN. It's amazing to think how I've been in a book club now for nearly two decades...so congratulations to these guys for getting started (one of the members, Andy, pulled together the group to fulfill a New Year's resolution) . I think that a book club is such a great way to get to know other people who love books & also challenge yourself to read stuff you might not ordinarily pick up. They were a terrific group to have a chance to chat with & I was certainly honored to have my novel be their first reading selection!

Reading Group at Lake Havasu City Library, AZ

Here's something new for my list: I finally Skyped! I joined the reading group at Lake Havasu City Library via Skype (just like guests do on Oprah). I've been doing lots of call-ins by speakerphone, but this is the first time I was able to see who I was talking to - it was fun! Here they are in a few candid shots during the meeting - apparently I'm on a screen upfront, larger than life. Thanks for inviting me - lots of great questions & comments.

Beverly Hills Book Club, Michigan

If they'd only met a week or so earlier, I could have stopped by to visit this book club while I was home visiting my parents for the holidays - they're very close to my home town! As it was, I called in from the warmth of California to where they're having record-breaking freezing temperatures in Michigan & enjoyed chatting with this fun and enthusiastic group. Thanks so much, ladies - it was a great way to start 2009! Pictured here: Joan Rappley, Niclole Walsh, Arlene Alessi,
Mari Mackenzie, Joan Mansueti, Susan Hamm

Douglass Community Center Book Club, Louisville, KY

Talk about your high-energy, enthusiastic book clubs! I had the honor of calling in to the Douglass Community Center Book Club in Louisville, KY. They had lots of great questions for me, interesting observations on the book...and our discussion even made the local paper. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081217/ZONE01/812170487/-1/ZONE01

Racine Family Club, Racine, WI

I received this mesage from Sally, one of the gals in a Racine, WI book club I had a chance to talk to: "After we talked to you we ended up doing one of the activities suggested at the end of your book. We drew names and every one of us had to write five things they think that the other person should do. Two things were to be done in the next five years and three things in the next month. After that everyone read out loud their to do list and we ended up choosing for every person one thing from their list that they have to do before our next meeting in January. It was so much fun to play this little game and see what everyone's list was." What a great idea...thanks!

Nerdy Birdies Reading Group

Here's a really fun group. The facilitator of the meeting challenged members to come to the meeting doing one of three things: 1) wear red lipstick, 2) wear sexy shoes or 3) go braless. They also played a game using a list of things people want to do before they die. They've got nine members and have been meeting for eight years. A couple other great things they do as a book club: They have a "nerdy bird trophy" that is awarded to the book of the year, which they vote on at a Christmas luncheon. They also exchange gifts which must be something from one of the books that we read. Great ideas, gals!

First Friday Book Club, Pittsburgh, PA

I was up with the chickens to talk with the First Friday Book Club, which meets at 9 AM on the East Coast (so 6 AM California time for me)...they were so fun and lively they woke me up better than three cups of coffee! They've been together as a book club for 30 years & literally hundreds of books! For breakfast, they served Marissa's taco soup ... and to get into the spirit of the book, they all wore sexy shoes. How great is that??

SOARERS Book Club, Tuscaloosa, AL

This book club has been together for 11 years and I can see why - they were a lot of fun! They meet the third Tuesday of each month for dinner & book talk. And I want to get "official" shirts for my book club!

Book Club, Lawrence, KS

A twist on the life list idea, each member of this group brought the top five things she wanted to do before dying ... all lists were put in a hat, then pulled out and discussed. Thanks for inviting me, ladies! (Hmmm...and I see as many hands holding wine glasses as holding a book...my kind of book club!) Here they are: Back row: Jill Lapointe, Julie Sigourney, Carolyn Johnson, Wendy Carmody, Marci Toalson, Diane Solcher and Tami Keasling, Front row: Kitty Ware, Micki Chestnut, Cheri Drake, and Diane Knapp.

Book Broads and John, Indianapolis, IN

First off, I just love the name of this book club - (although I was a bit disappointed John wasn't there when I called...I thought I might finally have a man in one of these book club photos!!!). They were a fun, energetic group ... and they even have a snazzy web site for their book club - a great idea for any reading group to keep everybody involved, organized & enthusiastic. Pictured here: Last row. DeAnna, Ada, April, Brooke, LeeAnn, Donna, Jennifer, Cindy; in chairs: Timolin, Holly and Anna

Florence Welcoming Book Club Group

What better way to make people feel welcome to the area than to share a love of reading? I think it's such a great idea that a book club is part of the Florence Welcoming Club in Florence, SC - and thanks, ladies, for inviting me to join in your discussion. I really enjoyed talking to you!

The Chicklits Book Club

Thanks to the Chicklits Book Club for inviting me to call in & join their meeting! I love how they do so many things to keep meetings interesting. At this particular one, everyone brought a list of things they want to do in the next five years, which they put into a basket anonymously. Then as each list was read aloud, everyone tried to guess who submitted it. Plus, in keeping with the "guess who" theme, they also all brought their high school photos for a guessing contest... apparently one Chicklit stumped them all with a photo of her in a beehive. Now I want to know who it is, too!!

Diva-Lit Book Club, Atlanta, GA

I had the privledge of being the first book chosen for the Diva-Lit Book Club in Atlanta, GA - thanks, ladies! Pictured here: Back Row: Sharon L., Deidra, Connie, Mia, Lashae, Front Row Standing: Sebrina, Sharon U., Front Row Kneeling: Katrice, Stacey

The Harbor Point Page Turners, Chicago, IL

I love the fact that the members of this reading group all live in the same condo building - what a great way to meet your neighbors by discussing books (plus the view over Lake Michigan looks amazing...wish I was there in person instead of just by speakerphone). They had some great & challenging questions for me that even helped ME look at my book in a different way! Thanks, ladies!

"Book Bitches" in northern VA

I had a great chat with this group whose name must be ironic because they were very nice! They came up with an interesting activity: each member brought a list of five things they wanted to do before the next milestone birthday. Everyone then wrote down one of the things they chose - those were then put in a hat and, as the papers were picked, they had to guess whose it was. Love it! Pictured here (giving a "thumbs up" for one of their members currently deployed in Afghanistan):First row l-r: Lori, Nui, Meg,Leslie; Second row: Carmel, Barb, Donna; Third row: Annette, Jackie, Lisa.

Book Club from St. Louis, MO

I enjoyed my chat with this book club from St. Louis, MO - a great group of gals who have been together about eight years and have read the gamut ...from The Next Thing on My List to War and Peace!

Bebe Book Club, Old Hickory, TN

Thanks so much to the Bebe Book Club for inviting me to call in... wish I could have been there for a Margarita! Seen here:
(back row) Michele, Joelle, Marti (front row) Julie, Lisa

Book Club in San Diego, CA

I had a great chat with this former Bunko group now a book club in San Diego, CA. They had a lot of great questions and observations about the book - plus all brought their own life lists to the meeting. They also always make food in the theme of whatever they're reading and tried out Marissa's taco soup recipe, telling me, "to all of our amazement, it was TERRIFIC, everyone went back for seconds." Thanks, ladies! From left to right, back row - Dianne, Lisa S., and Lisa A; front row - Mary, Rhona, Nan, and Susan

A Book Club on the Run in Pearland, TX

The group the runs together reads together! That might be a good motto for this book club - they have a running club that's also a book club. They agree to read the same book and, after a month or so, go for a run and then meet at a Starbucks or someone's house to discuss it. Thanks, ladies, for choosing The Next Thing on My List as your reading/running selection. BTW, All of them have run at least one marathon ... maybe that's for the really long books.

Cypress Readers Book Club, CA

One of the things I loved when talking to the Cypress Readers Book Club was that as part of their meeting, they each had to bring a list of five things that they wanted to do by their next "big" birthday. One of the members, Lisa Munley, also runs a great book site called Books on the Brain - visit it at lisamm.wordpress.com

Huntington Beach Book Club

Thanks so much to book club in Huntington Beach, CA, for inviting me to "join" their meeting! After the call, Dee Wood wrote me this great note: "We talked about it after we talked with you, and decided that it relates to all of us – no matter at what stage of life – as June successfully made a difference in herself & others around her -- & isn’t that what we all strive to do!?"

My Mom's Book Club!

My mom's book club read my novel when it first came out but - due to technical difficulties - are just getting around to sending me their photo. They're mostly teachers and have all been very supportive of my writing career. That's my mom, Pat, in the front row in the white sweater. It's clear where I get my stunning good looks!

Reading Group at Lancaster, Ohio

Thanks to the book club at West Elementary School in Lancaster, Ohio, who invited me to join their meeting that was held in the principal's office (and as the mom of a teenage boy, being asked to the principal's office isn't usually good news!) . I had a great time talking books, life lists & writing.

The Spine Crackers, Houston, TX

Thanks, Spine Crackers, for inviting me to join you! This was my first book club with an at-work group (which they pointed out was sort of like Weight Watchers At -Work, only with better food). At their meeting, they had a fun life list idea: Everyone brought a list of a few things they want to do, and they voted on who had the list most would like to complete. Here they are: Top Row (L-R) Geni, Linda, Jackie Claude, Bottom (L-R) Mary, Ann, Felicia

The One Too Many Book Club, Bellbrook, OH

I had a great chat with the One Too Many Book Club (so named because they decided to form a book club after they had, you guessed it, "one too many"). One great idea they're going to try out is that each of them will fill out a "life list" of 5 things to do, then bring it to the next meeting - only they don't do their own list but have to choose someone elses! I love how it mirrors June's task in the novel & can't wait to see how it works out for them. Pictured here:
Marilyn Wick, Mary Madden Lynn Bender ( Ali Wick in gray or Cathy Derrico in Blue) Pam Witzmann and Beverly Francis.

De Cordova Divas Reading Group

I joined the De Cordova Divas from Granbury, TX for a great discussion - thanks for inviting me, (back) Jackie, Melissa, Lauren, Candy (on sofa) Jacquie, Donna, Laurie.

The Once a Month Club in Lexington, NC

Thanks, ladies, for a great call-in meeting!

The Third Coast Moonlighters

Here's a pic I just received from one of the first book clubs I ever met with on the phone - the Third Coast Moonlighters - a group from an area of Michigan not far from where my mom grew up and an area I've visited often.

The Newcomers Book Club, Menomonee Falls, WI

I had a lot of fun talking with the ladies of the Newcomers Book Club in Menomonee Falls, WI. Not only did they have some really interesting questions for me & insights into life lists, but they had a great reading group idea: They have a rule that if you don't read the book, you have to put a dollar into a jar. At the end of the year, they use it for a party! I'm going to steal it for the book club I belong to.

Life Lists With Wynne, Arkansas

I'm always delighted to hear from readers who are doing life lists, like this book club from Wynne, Arkansas.

Booktalk Group in Hortonville, WI

I had plenty of laughs & a great conversation with the Booktalk reading group in Hortonville, WI: Lynn Dillon, Kathy Schweitzer, Mindy Roever, Denise Giguere, Edie Norenberg, Lisa Downey, Lori Lauerman and Sharon Allen (and sorry I missed you Angel Barlow & Tami Peters).

I Visit Camarillo, CA

I want to thank Janett Whitlock & all the ladies of the unofficially named "Raucous Readers" for inviting me to join them and for being such an amazing group - I had a great time. (And I want that shrimp dip recipe!)

UCLA Book Babes

I always learn something new & interesting from book groups I meet - with the UCLA Book Babes, we wound up talking about how to "turn a table," which I never knew was an actual thing you DO to keep conversation moving.

Join the gals in Alexandria, VA for a phone chat

Isn't it funny how even at reading group, people always seem to gather in the kitchen? Thanks for inviting me Kelli, Mary, Alana, Jeannine, Tami, Nicole, Karman, Loredana and Kate!

Norwood, MA - I join the ladies in the pool (sort of)

Sue, Outi, Kathi, Kristie and Rita of Norwood, MA, invited me to join their reading group meeting in the pool



I chatted with them on speakerphone - what a great group of gals. And since I couldn't be there in person, they set up the "spirit of Jill Smolinski" poolside. I love it!