OK, as I was dishing up a fantastic meal of tiny, juicy, multicolored heirloom tomatoes over pasta and fresh baby greens (and eying the bite-size brownies on the sideboard) at my last bookgroup meeting, I started to feel a little nervous. The table was set with good silver and fun plates. We were there to discuss Water for Elephants. With that in mind, the hostess had made clever little napkin rings that looked like baggage tags; they had a photo of an elephant on them along with the name "Rosie." And they were so cute I took one home to my younger daughter to put on her school backpack. There had been wine and cheese and good crackers beforehand in a house that smelled really good; was decorated beautifully; and, best of all, was free of kid clutter (or, really, clutter of any kind). As I moved along in the buffet line, I asked (afraid I allready knew the answer): "Who is hosting next month?"

"You are," one of my friends said with a teasing smile too big.

And so I'm nervous. What to do? What to serve? What do I do with my kids? My new group is setting high standards for an entire evening of literary fun. So far, each hostess has served dinner in a lovely setting that in some way or another relates to the book we've gathered to discuss.

In the spririt of The Big Read, next month we're talking about To Kill a Mockingbird-- at my house. So far I have this: We'll meet on my front porch, which is a great setting for this book. We spend a great deal of time there, visiting with neighbors, rocking, swinging-- like many people in Harper Lee's book. And I'll serve pound cake. I make a wonderful pound cake, which my friends occasionally beg for. It's a recipe out of the Taste of Tallassee cookbook, which my grandmother gave to me several years ago. It's just about the only recipe in there that doesn't call for Crisco or something out of a can, and I love it.

So ... beyond seating and dessert, what else should I do? In the book, after the trial, people send food over to Atticus. We read about rolls from the hotel, chicken from Tom Robinson's daddy. There are "hunks of salt pork, tomatoes, beans, even scuppernongs." There is a jar of pigs' knuckles.

I'm leaning toward fried chicken. Maybe cornbread. Biscuits if I'm feeling brave. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.