Normal West Book Club provides book-lovers with a unique opportunity to discuss literature that many clubs, or even classes, don’t have.

The club meets before school on Fridays in the IMC and is sponsored by IMC Media Specialist Tera Hafermann. Book Club discusses the book or books that are currently the Book Club selection. The meetings are typically spent talking about any parts of the book finished during that week that may interest the members. Senior Kylie Black said of the meetings, “Anyone can share what they want, but the [club] leaders normally have specific questions about the book.”

As the book club is still pretty early in the semester, the club members have only finished one book: Ashfall by Mike Mullin, and are currently in groups to read the next book. “The deadline is still to be determined” for the next book, according to senior Kaitlan Jacobs. 

Despite having a set book to read and discuss, book club is quite different from reading in an English class, because the meetings “[aren’t] very structured and if you don’t finish the book it doesn’t matter,” according to Black. Jacobs adds that “no one expects you to… prepare a book in a week to talk about or over analyze,” promoting a relaxed atmosphere.

Ultimately, the book club environment is “very welcoming and inclusive,” according to Black, and it’s a place to, as Jacobs added, “maybe try something new, simply chat, and enjoy the morning.”