Taylor Memorial Library Hosts Monthly Book Club

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”

 -Marcus Tullius Cicero, ancient Roman orator, rhetorician, and lawyer

Do you love reading? Would you like to discuss great reads with your fellow classmates? 

Look no further than the book club held every month at Taylor Memorial Library hosted by Victoria Ramsay, part-time archivist and librarian. 

Over the last school year, students have discussed riveting novels, such as The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. This month, the group read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel, which follows a civilization after a swine flu pandemic has wiped out most of the population. 

The discussions are both lively and casual, uncovering the deeper meaning of the texts and discovering ways of relating to the fascinating characters.

In the past, former TML archivist Colleen Bain ran a non-fiction book club that was popular amongst the community. However, there was no fiction book club on campus, according to Ramsay. 

Typically, college students don’t find the time to read fiction unless they are already avid fantasy readers or English majors, because their classes tend to focus more on non-fiction texts. Ramsay wanted a chance to help students find books they haven’t read in a casual and non-judgmental group setting.

The best part of the book club is “really hearing everyone else’s opinion,” said Ramsay. “With fiction more than nonfiction, it’s easier to come to an opinion about a character or something that happens, because you can relate to a story or not relate to a story. [In book club], you can hear other people’s opinions about something crazy that happened in the book.”

“These books range from contemporary adult fiction, such as the existential story of appreciating one's life through The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, to young adult fictional classics, such as the story of self-discovery in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky,” said Alyssa De Borja, Centenary graduate and book club member. 

“While our monthly discussions in the Taylor Memorial Library are primarily focused on talking about the literary elements of that month's book, we sometimes drift off topic to break the ice and form meaningful conversations with our fellow peers. After all, I find this aspect of being part of the Fiction Book Club fulfilling as a recent Centenary alumna. This club has kept me in touch not only with my personal literary interests, but I have also cultivated meaningful friendships with both current Centenary students and alumni on campus.” 

No need to make reservations. Feel free to show up at the next meeting even if you haven’t finished the book. Copies are usually available at Taylor Memorial Library. 

This month's reading was a fantasy YA novel, Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, on Tuesday, March 25 at 6 p.m. 

Keep an eye out for the next meeting on our new Upcoming Events tab and happy reading!