Katie Couric joins local book club virtually to discuss “Going There”

VENTURA, Calif.-Journalist Katie Couric followed her "Going There" book tour by inviting book clubs to tell her about their plans to discuss her memoir.

When she read Jennifer Lawler's email letter she chose to join her Ventura book club for a virtual discussion via Zoom.

"Thank you for suggesting it. It means the world to me because this was a labor of love. It took me three years to write," said Couric.

Book club co-founder Nicole Scurrah told Couric how the club has helped members enjoy reading during the pandemic.

Club members also invited their moms, husbands, siblings, and children to attend.

"A Boob's Life" author Leslie Lehr and Lawler's daughter Audrey Mayer, who is a TV reporter in Reno, joined via Zoom, too.

Mayer asked Couric for the kind of advice she would give her younger self starting out.

Couric told Mayer she had a very nice speaking voice. "It's nice and deep and rich so that is a good thing you have going for you," said Couric, "I think, you know, I would tell my younger self to do a lot of the stuff I did."

She told Mayer to be a sponge.

"You know it makes me laugh when 22-year-olds ask me about work life balance."

She told Mayer now is the time to really focus on your career.

"Work really hard, read everything you can get your hands on, if you are interested in foreign news then really read a lot about the world because U.S. news is very U.S.-centric, and you should understand what is going on in Ethiopia and what is going on in Ukraine, and that requires a lot of time and discipline and also appreciating the history of those places as well."

Couric poured her heart into the memoir and the discussion went there, too.

Joan Dodge, who lost a son to cancer, listened to the audio version of the book voiced by Couric and complimented her humanity.

Couric lost her first husband Jay Monahan to cancer said, "That means so much to me."

She added, "You don't know how strong you are until you have to key into that inner strength."

Leslie Lehr thanked her for doing Stand Up To Cancer. Couric's book talks about the on-air colonoscopy she did on the Today Show to raise awareness about getting checked.

Dr. Claire J. Lehr said she looks forward to seeing what Couric does in the future.

Couric said she started a company with her husband, John Molner, that has 40 employees.

"What is really nice is to build something from scratch. We are responding to the media environment."

She is doing podcasts, her Wake Up Call newsletter and developing documentaries and working on scripted series.

The former network primetime anchor was wearing a "Phenomenal Women" tee-shirt she received as a gift.

Since "Going There" details how Couric met Jay, the father of her two grown daughters, and her new husband John Molner, Lawler asked if she had any single friends.

Couric recalled asking friends to bring single guys to a cocktail party.

She recommended asking friends to bring two single guys to a gathering.

Couric had the club in stitches several times before she signed off by wishing everyone a happy holidays and Merry Christmas.