Books are something social—a writer speaking to a reader—so I think making the reading of a book the center of a social event, the meeting of a book club, is a brilliant idea. ~Yann Martel
I started the Colorado Academy Upper School Book Club six years ago. As a new librarian, I wanted to create a way where I could get to know the Upper School students, and they could get to know me. A book club seemed like a natural, perfect fit. And I’m happy to report it was, and still is.
Through many different members, lots of different books, and lots and lots of desserts, one thing has remained constant—books have a magical way of bringing people together. Whether the students love the book, absolutely hate the book, or didn’t finish the book—every month, they show up, we meet, and we talk about anything and everything. And our book club book is briefly discussed, of course. There have been meetings where we don’t talk about our book at all. There have been meetings where people passionately talk about how horrible the book was, and once, just once, there was a session where every single reader liked the book.
At our most recent meeting, we talked about Anthony Doerr’s new book, Cloud Cuckoo Land. Described as “A magical (and hopeful) tale of humanity” (People), “Wildly inventive” (New York Times Book Review), and “Stunning, deeply imagined” (San Francisco Chronicle), Cloud Cuckoo Land was deeply loved by the members who finished it. At 640 pages, this book is definitely a commitment, and admittedly, this librarian, and mom of two tiny humans, did not finish it. However, after hearing from those who did, I cannot wait to keep reading it and discuss it with the club very soon.
Senior Lee Kenney said it was their new favorite book (and that is saying a lot!). They said they loved it so much because it reminded them that we as humans are all connected, and they were so sad when it ended because they didn’t want the story to end. Lee said it was beautiful and tragic, and it was so relevant to everything that is going on today. After discussing the book, eating some brownies, and sitting and chatting about life, we finalized our next read and our next meeting time. It was a wonderful meeting and the highlight of my week.
And that’s the magic of books and of stories. They bring us all together—through the good, through the bad, and everything in between. Over the years, I’ve been thanked by members for bringing books back into their lives. And I hope, through our wonderful Upper School Book Club, I’ll continue to do that for many years to come.
I am so fortunate to be part of a beautiful, lively book club. I hope that your book club brings you just as much joy, especially during these crazy times. And if you are not part of a book club, I encourage you to start one. It’s a great, easy way to read new books and meet with friends.