“Gallant” by V.E. Schwab was the book picked for this fall session of the book club. The librarian Carmen Anderson leads the book club and is looking forward to the book club after the first meeting.
Anderson picked this book for the fall book club because it received mixed reviews. The book club has yet to have a second meeting and discuss the book as a whole, but some members have started reading the first section for the upcoming meeting.
“No, I have never heard of it or read it until I joined the book club,” junior Madison Kynaston said. “Ever since I started reading it, it’s hard to put it down.”
The book “Gallant” is about a character named Olivia who has lost her mother. Anderson is reading the book along with everyone else in book club, but she has some explanation of the book.
“Well then one day Olivia gets a letter and the letter is inviting her home, come home, it’s warm, it’s welcoming come home to “Gallant”,” Anderson said. “Now she’s in this position where she’s torn do I heave my mother’s warning do I take her, you know, advice and stay away or do I go”
The first book club meeting attracted around 25 people, much bigger than in the past. With all the people there will be more ideas, predictions, and feelings about the book “Gallant”.
“That is one thing I love about the club is, yes, I’m here to sponsor it and facilitate and moderate, be the adult in the room, but my favorite thing is to take a step back and listen to the conversations that the young adults are having,” Anderson said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just been so impressed or just astonished at what they contribute and what they bring to the table.”
Coming to book club can be a way for some people to talk about books, reading, and their love for it.
“Being able to talk to other people about books you read can also help you see different perspectives on the same story,” sophomore Layla Endres said. “It can help you better understand it and it’s fun.”
Coming to book club can also be a way for people to meet new people or be around other people and just participate in a club.
“I think a lot of people are looking for ‘where do I fit?’ like I want to be involved in this school ‘is book club for me?’ and I feel like in addition to having a good time reading the book, they have a good time socially,” Anderson said. “Even if you don’t consider yourself a reader you can still come because it fills the need social need that some people have.”
Anderson enjoys having the library and book club open to more than just reading and books. The library is supposed to be an inclusive place for everyone.
“I try really hard to make it feel more like a community hub, so even if you’re not a reader, or you don’t consider yourself a reader, there should be something here for you,” Anderson said. “That might be the opportunity to just sit and study, that might be the opportunity to meet new people that might be sitting and doing a puzzle, expressing yourself artistically through some of our arts and crafts, or we have writing journals.”
Book club is thriving and a much bigger group right now, but people have different availability as the year goes on. The book club is open whenever people who want to be involved are available.
“It is never too late to join. Even though we’ve just started there may be some people out there who don’t know, or they’re still thinking about it, and they’re feeling like it’s November, it’s December, I can’t go, it’s too late, that’s not true,” Anderson said. “You can come anytime, you’re always welcome.”
