Activities
Most of our groups start on a trial basis with a member providing an activity idea. Have an idea for a new activity or a question? Contact the current Activity Chair.
Usually meets at noon on the last Friday of the month at the Athenaeum for lunch and a lively conversation about books.
Past titles read (recently featuring an international location) include:
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Twenty Chickens for a Saddle by Robyn Scott
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
A Death in Brazil by Peter Robb
Big in Sweden by Sally Franson
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
Retreat to the Spanish Sun by Jo Thomas
When the Ground is Hard by Mall Nunn
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
The Paris Library by Janet Charles
Murmur of the Bees by Sofia Segovia
The Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gramus
Wood, Water and Wild Things: Learning Craft, Cultivation in a Japanese Mountain Town by Hannah Kirshner
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
142 Ostriches by April Davila
Votes For Women American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot by Winifred Conkling
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
They Left Us Everything by Plum Johnson
Love and Saffron by Kimi Fay, who joined us for our June 2022 meeting
Monthly lunches at 12:00 p.m. at the Athenaeum. Join us as we gather for lunch usually on the first Friday of the month.
Second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. Casual, informal discussion of the selected book. Join us on a regular basis or just drop in occasionally for a particular book discussion.
2026-2027 Books
Jul. 13 In the Land of Invisible Women by Qanta Ahmed
Aug. 10 The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Sep. 14 American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield
Oct. 12 The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida
Nov. 9 The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray
Dec. 14 The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
Past Titles discussed:
Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Last White Man by Mohsin Mahid
Say Nothing by Patrick Keefe
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Such Kindness by Andre Debus, III
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
Invisible Child by Andrea Elliot
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Miracle Country by Kendra Atleework
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
The Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Breast and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
Bad Fruit by Ella King
Stay True: A Memoir by Hua Hsu
Caltech Playreaders: 76th Season, 2026-2027
Athenaeum Hall of Associates, 6:30 p.m. once a month on a Tuesday.
Season runs October - May.
Caltech Playreaders meet six times a year for semi-staged script-in-hand readings of comedy and drama. Performances run about two hours. Stay after the performance for discussion with the cast.
Second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. The Investment Club offers its members the opportunity to learn about investing in stocks, starting with a small buy-in.
This group of parents with young children comes together for playdates and field trips, offering mutual support through the ups and downs of parenting. The CWC Casita serves as the location for social gatherings and also provides a lending space for children's clothing, toys, and household items. Subscribe to the group WhatsApp for updates. More information can be found on the Community Services page.
Occasional group tickets arranged to theatrical productions. Recent excursion to Suffs at the Pantages
Join us as we explore sights of interest in and around Pasadena.
Past excursions have included:
Caltech Birdwalk, Huntington Gardens, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Pasadena Museum of History & the Tournament of Roses House
Last Thursday of the month 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Meeting virtually on Zoom for a social hour. Bring your own wine and cheese and enjoy the camaraderie of the CWC from the comfort of your own home.
First Thursday of the month. 9:00 a.m. The schedule can change depending on the weather.
Past walks have included trails in Pasadena, La Canada and Glendale: Arroyo Seco Trail, Brand Library, Chantry Flat, Deukmejian Wilderness Park, Gabrielino Trail, Hahamongna Park & Oak Grove Park