Book club: sit down to a good book
Caitlin Brien
Features Editor
The Carroll College Book Club was started last year by Jeremy Laurin, class of 2007, who initially began an English Club which morphed into the current organization. In its first year the Book Club read A Density of Souls, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and I, Lucifer. Last year, Stacy Friedman took over as president and led the group in discussing Dracula, A Clockwork Orange, and Slaughterhouse 5.
“While the group has remained fairly small, as president for the 2008-2009 school year, I am optimistic for the future. Members from this year have preliminarily voted for The Bell Jar, Catch 22, and Beautiful Boy to read for next year, plus we have Frankenstein in our collection from this year. We will decide for certain which books to read at our first meeting next year,” Friedman said.
Some students have stayed out of Book Club because they do not believe they have the time to commit to leisurely reading. Members of the organization have come to realize, however, that the commitment is only as great as you make it. At each meeting, they “assign” a set number of pages for the next meeting, which is usually at least two weeks away. Members who have not completed the reading still attend meetings and discuss as far as they have read. Numerous students have also skipped entire books when their schedules were too hectic.
The Carroll College Book Club is a great organization, giving students increased motivation to read for pleasure. Conversations remain light and are largely group based.
The organization is hoping to grow next year by increasing publicity for meetings through word of mouth. Keep your eyes and ears open for information concerning the first meeting!