September 25, 2020 - Book Club Meeting 6:00 PM - At RWC
The next Book Club meeting will be held on Friday September 25th at 6:00 pm. It will be an "in-person" socially-distanced meeting at the clubhouse. All participants must wear a mask except when taking a sip of your drink/water. If more than 10 are planning to participate, it will be changed to a video chat.
The book selection is Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing by Allison Winn Scotch. She is a New York Times Bestselling author. Below is a summary of the book as well as the questions we will be discussing. Our book discussion leader is Karen Hensley.
If you have any questions, please email or call Lois C. at: 951-233-7906 / loislc@sbcglobal.net. If you plan to join us let Lois know asap!
Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing: A Novel
Politics is a test of wills in a sharp, funny, and emotional novel about truth and consequences. Cleo McDougal is a born politician. From congresswoman to senator, the magnetic, ambitious single mother now has her eye on the White House—always looking forward, never back. Until an estranged childhood friend shreds her in an op-ed hit piece gone viral. With seven words—“Cleo McDougal is not a good person”—the presidential hopeful has gone from in control to damage control, and not just in Washington but in life.
Enter Cleo’s “regrets list” of 233 and counting. Her chief of staff has a brilliant idea: pick the top ten, make amends during a media blitz, and repair her reputation. But there are regrets, and there are regrets: like her broken relationship with her sister, her affair with a law school professor…and the regret too big to even say out loud. But with risk comes reward, and as Cleo makes both peace and amends with her past, she becomes more empowered than ever to tackle her career, confront the hypocrites out to destroy her, and open her heart to what matters most—one regret at a time.
Discussion Questions (from LitLovers website)
1. Describe Cleo McDougal. Prickly, yes, but does that make her unlikable in your eyes? Does your opinion of Cleo change over the course of the novel? If so, how and why? Same for "no"—if your opinion of Cleo doesn't change, why not?
2. (Follow-up to Question 1) Consider Cleo's rise, at the age of 37, to the position of a U.S. Senator and possible presidential contender. What does it take to reach those heights, not just as a male but, more to the point, as a female?
3. (Follow-up to Question 2) While this book isn't explicitly political, it takes place in the political arena. What are the double-standards in the political world that author Allison Winn Scotch explores? Is the sexism in politics different from, say, the corporate, professional, academic, or scientific worlds?
4. Cleo refuses to accept offers of help from others. Why? Is it because of her idea of self-reliance… or perhaps it has to do with the power dynamics involved in allowing others to help, at least according to Cleo? Do you know people like that? Are you yourself prone to decline someone's offer of help?
5. Talk about Cleo's familial relationships. How would you describe her as a mother? What about Lucas—do you find his teenage snark funny? What about the fact that Cleo has not dealt with the matter of Lucas's father? Then there is Georgie, Cleo's younger sister. What's the history behind their relationship which makes it so difficult?
6. What do you make of Cleo's list of 233 regrets? Why has she compiled such a list and kept it up over all these years? What is the purpose of the list?
7. Talk about your own regrets: do you have your own list? Maybe your regrets tend to be simply vague, uneasy memories that occasionally (or frequently?) crop up to remind you of your missteps. Or perhaps they're more pronounced. Have you ever made attempts to repair the missteps in your life which you regret?
8. Gaby decides that Cleo should address the top 10 regrets at the top of her list in order to repair her reputation. Does that mean that Cleo's regrets—and her desire for reparations—are inauthentic? Discuss Cleo's journey as she goes about attempting to atone for her missteps.
9. By the end of her journey, what does Cleo learn about what it takes to become a truly good person? In fact, how would you define the qualities of a "truly good person"—what is required to be one? Does Cleo become that good person?
The book selection is Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing by Allison Winn Scotch. She is a New York Times Bestselling author. Below is a summary of the book as well as the questions we will be discussing. Our book discussion leader is Karen Hensley.
If you have any questions, please email or call Lois C. at: 951-233-7906 / loislc@sbcglobal.net. If you plan to join us let Lois know asap!
Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing: A Novel
Politics is a test of wills in a sharp, funny, and emotional novel about truth and consequences. Cleo McDougal is a born politician. From congresswoman to senator, the magnetic, ambitious single mother now has her eye on the White House—always looking forward, never back. Until an estranged childhood friend shreds her in an op-ed hit piece gone viral. With seven words—“Cleo McDougal is not a good person”—the presidential hopeful has gone from in control to damage control, and not just in Washington but in life.
Enter Cleo’s “regrets list” of 233 and counting. Her chief of staff has a brilliant idea: pick the top ten, make amends during a media blitz, and repair her reputation. But there are regrets, and there are regrets: like her broken relationship with her sister, her affair with a law school professor…and the regret too big to even say out loud. But with risk comes reward, and as Cleo makes both peace and amends with her past, she becomes more empowered than ever to tackle her career, confront the hypocrites out to destroy her, and open her heart to what matters most—one regret at a time.
Discussion Questions (from LitLovers website)
1. Describe Cleo McDougal. Prickly, yes, but does that make her unlikable in your eyes? Does your opinion of Cleo change over the course of the novel? If so, how and why? Same for "no"—if your opinion of Cleo doesn't change, why not?
2. (Follow-up to Question 1) Consider Cleo's rise, at the age of 37, to the position of a U.S. Senator and possible presidential contender. What does it take to reach those heights, not just as a male but, more to the point, as a female?
3. (Follow-up to Question 2) While this book isn't explicitly political, it takes place in the political arena. What are the double-standards in the political world that author Allison Winn Scotch explores? Is the sexism in politics different from, say, the corporate, professional, academic, or scientific worlds?
4. Cleo refuses to accept offers of help from others. Why? Is it because of her idea of self-reliance… or perhaps it has to do with the power dynamics involved in allowing others to help, at least according to Cleo? Do you know people like that? Are you yourself prone to decline someone's offer of help?
5. Talk about Cleo's familial relationships. How would you describe her as a mother? What about Lucas—do you find his teenage snark funny? What about the fact that Cleo has not dealt with the matter of Lucas's father? Then there is Georgie, Cleo's younger sister. What's the history behind their relationship which makes it so difficult?
6. What do you make of Cleo's list of 233 regrets? Why has she compiled such a list and kept it up over all these years? What is the purpose of the list?
7. Talk about your own regrets: do you have your own list? Maybe your regrets tend to be simply vague, uneasy memories that occasionally (or frequently?) crop up to remind you of your missteps. Or perhaps they're more pronounced. Have you ever made attempts to repair the missteps in your life which you regret?
8. Gaby decides that Cleo should address the top 10 regrets at the top of her list in order to repair her reputation. Does that mean that Cleo's regrets—and her desire for reparations—are inauthentic? Discuss Cleo's journey as she goes about attempting to atone for her missteps.
9. By the end of her journey, what does Cleo learn about what it takes to become a truly good person? In fact, how would you define the qualities of a "truly good person"—what is required to be one? Does Cleo become that good person?
October 13, 2020 - Business Meeting 6:00 - 7:30 PM - Via Zoom
Please join us for our Riverside Woman’s October Business Meeting on Oct. 13, 2020! Due to COVID-19 we will hold this meeting via Zoom. An Agenda and the Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you prior to the meeting. The Zoom meeting will open at 6:00 PM for Federation Time. That time is spent re-connecting with your fellow club members. The meeting will start at 6:30 PM.
6:00 pm Federation Time
6:30 pm Call to Order
7:30 pm Adjournment
Dinner Menu: Since you will be attending this meeting from the comfort of your own home feel free to snack or enjoy a drink will attending this meeting!
Since 1896 the Riverside Woman's Club has supported our local community with a variety of community programs. The RWC is comprised of professional women, homemakers and retirees who volunteer their time to help build a better community. We are located at the corner of Brockton Ave. & 10th St.) in downtown Riverside. Everyone is welcome!
6:00 pm Federation Time
6:30 pm Call to Order
7:30 pm Adjournment
Dinner Menu: Since you will be attending this meeting from the comfort of your own home feel free to snack or enjoy a drink will attending this meeting!
Since 1896 the Riverside Woman's Club has supported our local community with a variety of community programs. The RWC is comprised of professional women, homemakers and retirees who volunteer their time to help build a better community. We are located at the corner of Brockton Ave. & 10th St.) in downtown Riverside. Everyone is welcome!