Books are a great way to understand the realities of life. I forgot about my passion for reading but was reminded of it during my Literary Studies class with Professor Merritt. One day Professor Merritt informed me that we will be covering a Dominican American author in class and gave me the book “Drown” by Junot Diaz to read. After not being able to put the book down and reading it within a week, I jokingly told Professor Merritt that we should start a book club at CIS. He heard my comment and put my idea into action and within a week or two we started the first book club at CIS. I recruited some of my friends who had the same passion for books to join.
During book club we meet once a week after classes for thirty minutes to an hour. Through a budget provided by CIS, we are able to buy snacks and drinks for the members of bookclub and even got some t-shirts made. The first book we read was “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemmingway and then we read “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez. I wish I would have started the book club earlier in the semester so we would have had the opportunity to read more books.
It is important to note that book club is a time to unwind. It is a calm and easygoing environment that should not feel like an extra course or give you any stress at all. That is what I enjoy about book club so much – I am able to read leisurely for my own pleasure, knowing that it is not a homework assignment, and then I can discuss with my friends about what I found interesting and resonated with while reading.
Books are a great way to get out of your own head and enter whichever world interests you that day. Books provide stories and experiences that you may never experience personally. Or if you have, it’s a comfort to know that you’re not alone. You can read something on a page and it can stay with you forever. I am happy I started the book club, especially with the help from Professor Merritt. I hope that after I leave CIS the legacy of book club continues and more students join. I encourage CIS students to get out of their comfort zones and try something new – join book club!
By: Angela Battiata