Nestled in their own corner of the school in a world full of magic and mystery and whatever else they may desire, is the book club. Every other Friday during DEN, members join together in the library to discuss their love and passion, books.

Librarian Debby Barnes is the sponsor of the book club, which she created in 2013. Barnes said students should join the club to gain not only gain an opportunity to share what they are reading but to also listen to what others are reading. 

 “We start off with any announcements – for example the Texas Book Festival this month in Austin,” Barnes said. “Then I usually begin by discussing what I’ve read since our last meeting.  Then, we go around the group so everyone has a turn to talk. I turn into [the] monitor during this time to keep us on track so everyone has an opportunity to talk. We always go on tangents when certain books come up. Anything counts – not just books. Many of our members read fanfiction online or listen to audiobooks or podcasts.  It’s all up for discussion.”

Junior Morgan Kasel, who has been in the book club since freshman year, said her favorite aspect of the club is the discussions they have with each other, as it introduces her to not only new books but new people as well. 

“[It] gives me the chance to discover new authors and titles, I always have new ideas for something to read,” Kasel said. “I have met some amazing people through book club who share the same interests as me, it’s great being part of a club where everyone shares my love of reading.”

According to Barnes, book club doesn’t just give students the chance to talk about books but also them to see things from a different viewpoint. 

“I think it allows us all to see the same thing from another’s perspective and learn that those differences don’t make one right and the other wrong – just different,” Barnes said. “We learn to appreciate diversity not just with who we are as individuals, but with what we choose to read.  We are also learning that it’s ok to be uncomfortable and to talk about things that make us uncomfortable. It’s okay to be uncomfortable and to experience adversity; it’s how we learn to cope with this thing called life. Literature is a great catalyst for those conversations as it helps us understand the differences among us and learn not to fear or discriminate because of them, but to take that knowledge and find acceptance and empathy.”

And that is true for Kasel, as she said that the club has given her the opportunity to learn how to be more receptive. 

“Book club has taught me to be more open, whether it’s with books or with people,” Kasel said. “It’s taught me that I can’t judge someone based on their looks, and the most unlikely of people end up having the same interests and sometimes the same hobbies as me.”