Branch Interest Groups
BRANCH POLICY: Individuals who are eligible for AAUW membership must join the branch in order to participate in Interest Groups. They may attend two meetings within a fiscal year before joining. Consult the Newsletter for meeting places, hosts, and topics.
For more information on Interest Groups, including adding new ones, please contact Interest Group Coordinator Charlene Vojtilla at charjoy8@gmail.com.
Book Groups Click HERE for detailed information for this year’s schedule of the five book groups. Plus a list of their past books.
Murder by the Book – 2nd Wednesday – 12:00 pm
Are mysteries part of your leisure reading genres? If you like to shiver your way through thrillers, lose yourself in a team of detectives in a police procedural, or curl up with an amusing cozy, you will be welcomed to join other fans in Murder by the Book at noon on the second Wednesday of each month. Lunch is usually at the home of, and provided by, co-chair Stephanie Carter. You might find yourself exploring the manners and preoccupations of another era or country, or even both. If you’d like to receive this year’s reading list, be put on the email list, or just find out more about the group, get in touch with co-chair Jane Taft (taft.jane@gmail.com or 503-709-3185).
Nonfiction Books – 2nd Monday – 11:00 am
Have you ever wondered about the natural environment? AI? CRIPSR? Are you curious about other people and cultures? Who are the seemingly ordinary people who, even in small ways, become extraordinary? How did one woman bring down the Indiana KKK? How did a diabetic Latina child of an impoverished single mother grow up to be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice?
You are cordially invited to join the Non-Fiction Books group. We meet at 11 am on the second Monday of the month at Szechuan Kitchen in Lake Oswego. If you have questions about the group or would like this year’s reading list, please contact Diana Ricks at dmricks472@gmail.com or Cathy Croghan Alzner at c.croghan.alzner@att.net.
4th Tuesday – 11:15 am
This book group has been active since at least 1997. The members have changed, except for one or two, but our literary outlook and reading guidelines have not. To suggest a book, the person needs to have read it already. That’s it! Our youngest member is just turning 65, and our oldest turned 99 in December. Although we generally choose fiction — anything from Lessons in Chemistry to 2034: A Novel to A Gentleman in Moscow — we’ve also read non-fiction such as The Last Slave Ship or On Call in the Arctic or Grace and Grit. Our hope is to learn about cultures unlike our own or challenges others have faced, such as in Pachinko or Honor or James.
We meet the 4th Tuesday of each month at the Szechuan Kitchen on Boones Ferry Road in Lake Oswego from 11-1. The book discussion leader for the month gives us background information about the author, sometimes reads reviews of the book, and then guides our conversation about what we read. Whether a person has read the book or not, she is encouraged to attend to enjoy our community and conversation. Who knows? Maybe the discussion will spark her interest in reading or finishing the book!
Contact Lynda Bigler at libigler@easystreet.net if you’d like to join us.
The Shared Inquiry Book Group – 3rd Thursday – 10 am
The Interpretive Discussion Book Group was created for individuals who enjoy reading good literature and are interested in discussing selections using an interpretative approach. The Great Books Foundation provides guidelines for our discussion leaders and participants. Everyone is encouraged to express her opinion, as there are no right or wrong answers. The only requirement is that members attending should have read the selections. All readings—most are fictional—are nominated and selected by our members. We have two social events each year: a summer luncheon and December brunch. For example, some of our most stimulating book discussions were on James by Percival Everett, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and Radio Girls by Sara Jane Stratford. We have been meeting monthly for over 30 years! Now called The Shared Inquiry Book Group. For more information or to join, please contact Diana Gough, 503-734-9965.
Thursday Evening – 4th Thursday – 7:00 pm
The Thursday Evening Book Group has been a part of LOAAUW almost since its inception. We choose our broad and varied list of books at a summer luncheon where we complete our “yearly” calendar with the names of hostesses, meeting dates, and names of members who will introduce the author & facilitate the discussion for each meeting. Our book choices might include fiction, nonfiction, biographies, and sometimes short story collections. Our discussions provide deeper insights and comparisons into the books with a friendly, well-read group.
This year’s reading list includes an in-depth look at the history of the Grand Canyon, A Walk in the Park by Fedora and Brave the Wild River by Sevigny, A Table for Two, short stories by Amor Towles, and Sipsworth, a sweet, feel-good novel by Van Booy.
Please join us every 4th Thursday at 7 pm. For more information, contact Suzanne Kaveckis at smkaveckis@icloud.com
Delightful Dining
Jane Taft – taft.jane@gmail.com
Lunch Bunch – 3rd Tuesday 11:30 am
Lunch Bunch is one of our most social interest groups. The group meets monthly at a local restaurant for good food and socializing…that’s all! There’s no need to read or analyze a book or cook anything (not that there’s anything wrong with those activities!) Once you have asked to join Lunch Bunch, you will receive an invitation email each month with the details of that month’s meeting. We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. If you enjoy exploring restaurants and want an easygoing way to get to know some of your fellow Lake Oswego AAUW members, consider joining Lunch Bunch. To be placed on the mailing list, send an email to Charlene Vojtilla, Lunch Bunch Coordinator, at charjoy8@gmail.com.