Activities
Have an idea for a new activity or a question? Please contact our Activity Chair. Most of our groups start on a trial basis with a member providing an activity idea.
Meets every six to eight weeks on a Friday. Meets at the Athenaeum for lunch and a lively conversation about books.
Past titles read (recently featuring an international location) include:
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
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.
Second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. Meeting monthly on Zoom to enjoy a casual, informal discussion of the selected book. Feel free to join us on a regular basis or just drop in occasionally for a particular book discussion.
2025-2026 Books
Jul 14 - Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
Aug 11 - Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Sep 8 - Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Oct 13 - Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
2024-2025 Books
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
May 12 - An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Jun 9 - The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
2023-2024 Books
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
2022-2023 Books Discussed
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
2021-2022 Books Discussed
Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
Sansei and Sensibility by Karen Tea Yamashita
Transcendent Kingdom by Yea Gyasi
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall
2020-2021 Books Discussed
Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet
Tomorrow Will Be Better by Betty Smith
In the Country of Women by Susan Straight
Burning by Megha Majumdar
Caltech Playreaders: 74th Season, 2024-2025
Athenaeum Hall of Associates
[email protected]
Athenaeum Hall of Associates, 6:30 p.m. Season runs October - May. The 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. Please check the Caltech Playreaders website for latest details. A donation of $8 is requested at the door (only $5 for CWC members). Dining Before the Show: No reservations are needed for the reading, but are requested for those joining the Playreaders' table in the Athenaeum Main Dining Room. If you plan to dine at the Athenaeum before the reading, your party should be seated by 5 p.m. You may order before everyone in your party has arrived and you are welcome to join the Playreaders' table.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024: On Approval by Frederick Lonsdale
Tuesday, November 26, 2024: She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith - New Date
Tuesday, February 11, 2025: The Vinegar Tree by Paul Osborn
Tuesday, March 11, 2025: The Book of Will by Lauren Gunderson
Tuesday, April 8, 2025: Seven Keys to Baldpate by George M. Cohan
Tuesday, May 6, 2026: London Assurance by Dion Boucicault
Caltech Playreaders: 73rd Season, 2023-2024
Tuesday, October 16, 2023, 6:30 p.m. Five Degrees Above Polaris by Karen Howes
Directed and Introduced by Arden Thomas
Followed by a post-show discussion with the playwright
Five Degrees Above Polaris is presented by special arrangement with Karen Howes
Tuesday, November 7, 2023, 6:30 p.m. The Escape by David Brin
Directed and Introduced by Joanne Doyle
The Escape is presented by special arrangement with David Brin
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 The Bargain by Michael Gilbert
Directed and Introduced by Douglas Smith
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 The Women of Lockerbie by Deborah Brevoort
Directed and Introduced by Ann K Lindsey
Women of Lockerbie is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin
Directed and Introduced by K. Zachary Abbott
Picasso at the Lapin Agile is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time adapted by Simon Stephens from the novel by Mark Haddon
Directed and Introduced by Barbie Insua
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
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.
Used to be third Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m. Looking for a new leader. We hike together along some lovely trails in the San Gabriel mountains. The schedule can change depending on the weather. Past hikes have included:
Dawn Mine in Millard Canyon, Altadena, 6 miles roundtrip, 1300 ft. elevation gain
Chantry Flat Winter Creek, Arcadia, 5.6 miles roundtrip, 1400 ft. elevation gain
Trail Canyon Falls, Tujunga, 4.8 miles roundtrip, 1000 ft. elevation gain
Henninger Flats, Pasadena, 5.1 miles roundtrip, 1350 ft. elevation gain
Beaudry Loop, Glendale, 5.5 miles roundtrip, 1500 ft. elevation gain
Mt. Wilson to First Water, Sierra Madre, 3.4 miles roundtrip, 1000 ft. elevation gain
Echo Mountain, Altadena, 4.8 miles roundtrip, 1400 ft. elevation gain
San Gabriel Peak, Altadena, 5.5 miles roundtrip, 1700 ft. elevation gain
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 our biweekly social gatherings and also provides a lending space for children's clothing, toys, and household items. More information can be found on the Community Services page.
First Thursday of the month. 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. The schedule can change depending on the weather. RSVPs to Eva are highly appreciated.
Past walks have included:
Arroyo North Loop, Near Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Gabrielino Trail, Pasadena
Hahamongna Park, Pasadena
Eaton Canyon, Pasadena
Arroyo Seco Trail, Pasadena
Oak Grove Park, La Canada
South Arroyo, Pasadena
Join us as we explore sights of interest in and around Pasadena.
Past excursions have included:
Caltech Birdwalk
Huntington Gardens - Outdoor visit
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Tournament of Roses House
Pasadena Museum of History: California Women Artists Exhibit
Last Thursday of the month 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Still meeting virtually for a social hour. Bring your own wine and cheese and enjoy the camaraderie of the CWC from the comfort of your own home. Join us on Zoom.