By Clare Coughlan, News Correspondent
Northeastern students spend hours each week reading textbooks and Blackboard assignments, so when the opportunity presents itself to read something other than chemistry or business case
studies, some students jump at the chance. Book clubs provide the opportunity to take a break from classes and meet other students with similar interests. Across campus and throughout Boston, groups are forming to help individuals with similar tastes or interests network and share ideas.
According to Northeastern’s student activities website, the only official book club on campus, is the Honors Book Club. But other NU organizations, like Kappa Kappa Gamma, are creating book clubs for their members.
“People come out of the woodwork for book clubs,” said freshman biology major Josh Kruchten, who started a book club at his high school in Pittsford, N.Y.
Meghan Smart, the vice president of academic excellence for Kappa Kappa Gamma, decided to start a book club with her sorority after seeing how much fun her mother had after she joined a book club with her friends.
“I also wanted to start it because I take mostly math and science classes, so reading for fun had fallen by the wayside,” the middler pharmacy major said. “Plus it’s a nice way to stay in touch.”
More than 60 women in Smart’s 100-member sorority signed up to join the new book club. Because of the club’s size, Smart said the club will probably have to break out into several smaller groups for discussions.
Smart said Kappa Kappa Gamma recently broke up into groups based on interest, so participants can choose to read and discuss what appeals to them. But they plan to read the first book, “Summer at Tiffany” by Marjorie Hart, an alumna of their sorority, as an entire group.
Middler political science major Janelle Peiczarka joined the Honors Book Club to maintain friendships.
“I started co-op and it was a way to stay connected. I didn’t want to feel totally removed from everything happening on campus,” she said. The Honors Book Club pays for every book the members of the club decide to read, and is limited to 25 members. The first book the club plans to read is “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini.
Book clubs and special events like the Boston Book Festival help readers meet to discuss narrow fields of interest. Freshman physics major Laura Fleming attended the book festival held last month in Copley Square.
“There were probably about 10 workshops at any given time,” she said. “There were also lots of local vendors.” Fleming bought two books and said the festival made her aware of some local foreign bookstores.
This weekend, there is another Boston event to cater to bibliophiles: The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, which runs Friday through Sunday at Hynes Convention Center. Book sellers from North America and Europe will gather in the convention center to sell collectible and antique books, according to the event site.
There are also some non-Northeastern affiliated book clubs in the area, including the Back Bay Book Club, which typically caters to an older crowd, and a couple of 20s and 30s book clubs. One focuses on classic novels and the other on chick lit.
“Book clubs make reading a more social event,” said junior psychology major Meredith Cohen, who also joined the Honors book club in order to meet other students.
Krutchen said book clubs were a great way to meet people. He met his best friend in the high school book club he founded.
“If it weren’t for that club, we wouldn’t have become the friends we are today,” he said.
