You wouldn’t know Eastern had enough readers that could fill up a classroom until they hit you in the face with their five hundred paged novels. “Why aren’t there more readers in school?” Wrong question to ask. “Do readers have a place in Eastern?” Now, that’s a better question. They do now. Welcome to Book Buzz: a book club for all the avid readers in Eastern. 

    But reading is not my thing, you’re probably thinking as you turn the page to the next article. Hear me out. You might just find your place knowing that you’re not reading alone. Too many times have I found myself needing to gush to someone about that one insane plot twist in my current read. I know I’m not the only one who vividly imagines these characters blossoming to life right in front of me and I got tired of talking to myself about them. I just knew our school had to have a book club, because… need I explain? Books. School. Those two words are practically best friends. So, imagine the way my jaw unhinged when I found out that Eastern didn’t have a book club? 

      Book Buzz is a glowing beacon in hopes of attracting all readers alike to come and share their thoughts. Set in Mr. Isshak’s history class, Room 303, Book Buzz aims to spark conversation about character development, themes, plot development, author message, and so much more as we all read the same book. No, this isn’t English class. Reading doesn’t have to be hip-to-hip with your notorious least favorite subject. 

      Think about the movies you watch: they’re just like books with less thinking. An example of character development is Sokka from Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. In the beginning of season one, Sokka is an arrogant, sexist, teenager who believes it’s a man’s world despite his younger sister washing his dirty laundry and saving him throughout the series. By the end of the show, Sokka has grown up to be a humble young man who has ditched his toxic masculinity for human decency. Yet, his charms and humor still won the hearts of audiences. 

      All this to say, elements of reading are everywhere. In a book club, readers hone these skills in activities and discussions that will still leave a smile on your face long after the meeting has ended. What’s even better is the fact that some books are movies! Our book club will take advantage of this book-to-movie adaptation to talk about the differences between them. 

     As we all know, having conversations with people not only teaches you about them, but it teaches you about different experiences. Books have the ability to take you around the world without having to worry about the price of a plane ticket or how much gas you have. All you need is time and the discipline to. If you have that, it takes you on a journey to a life that could possibly be different from yours. In a book club, you’re surrounded by others who may live these different perspectives and will help you understand it too.

     In our book club, we just finished reading They Both Die At The End, a speculative young adult novel set in a day about two boys in New York both on a countdown to the time they die, by Adam Silvera. The club as a whole didn’t really vibe with the book as some saw it as “overhyped” while others commented that the author was trying too hard to relate to teenagers. Guess what? That’s completely fine! The point of a book club is to read books and discuss why they liked it or why not. We had a lot to say about They Both Die At The End. 

      What will be Book Buzz’s new read? Come and find out or even participate in the next picking! Meetings are mostly held on Wednesdays and run by our four club officers: Mahawa Bangoura, Destiny Robinson, Laura Silenzio, and Gowri Manem. We’d love to see you there!