Book clubs allow students to read for fun

At various times during the year, some students set aside their notes, close their textbooks and forget about their professors for a set period of time.

They join other students at their book club, grab a cup of coffee and learn about themselves and others through in-depth literary discussions.

Junior Kristen Rafdal, a Liberal Arts and Management Program student, is also a member of the LAMP book club.

“I was looking for an interesting way to get plugged into LAMP and thought this was an activity that was well-suited to my interests,” she said.

Because students are busy with other homework assignments, the club only reads four books a year.

“We usually have one that’s relatively controversial, our ‘sexy sell,’ a non-fiction book, a novel and maybe a set of essays,” Rafdal said.

Rafdal said the discussions are the most interesting part of a club meeting. For instance, the group discussed “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” at the beginning of last year.

“There’s nothing better than discussing a womanizer’s sex and drinking antics with a bunch of intelligent LAMP students,” Rafdal said.

Junior Erin Chapman, an Indiana Daily Student opinion columnist, started the Collins Living-Learning Center book club and also enjoys the discussions.

“The club allows me to meet new people in a more personal way. You’re talking about really deep things,” Chapman said.

Sophomore Ronak Shah, another member of the Collins book club, found time in his busy schedule to read the club’s monthly novels and reads between homework assignments.

“There are so many ways I would otherwise just waste time that this is probably a much better alternative,” Shah said.

Many students have expressed interest in joining the various book clubs on campus. Freshman Derek Riebau, for example, said he wanted to join the Hutton Honors College’s Succinct Saga Society.

“I love literature, and I want a reason to find time to enjoy it,” Riebau said.

The clubs bring different people with a variety of opinions and backgrounds together to discuss issues relating to life, love, sexuality and human emotion. The novels become common ground, and the clubs become a way to form close friendships.

“Reading can be this really great thing we share with other people,” Chapman said.