Recently, I rediscovered a passion of mine: reading. I never quite let go of this hobby, and I always have at least three books that I am inactively reading at one time. It is a hobby that I always come back to when I have a free schedule.Â
What’s strange this time around, though, is that I am busier than ever. I have many commitments around campus, and yet, each night, I have been tucking myself in with 20 minutes of reading. During the day, I listen to audiobooks, supplementing my ability to read in a more efficient way!
I recently joined two book clubs. One is the SBU Book Club (wooo! go SBU!), and we’re reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley, and it’s definitely getting me out of my comfort zone. I have been having a tough time staying engaged with it (admittedly, I’m only about 30 percent of the way through), but it’s still exciting to know I have a group on campus to chat with about it.Â
The other book club I am a part of is Allie Bennett’s book club called “The Girl Kissers book club.” Now, I can guarantee you that you likely don’t know Allie Bennett as a common name of an influencer, but if you have ever looked for a 12-3-30 treadmill strut on Spotify, you’ve likely come across her playlists!
“The Girl Kissers Book Club” is just what it sounds like: sapphic and girly! The recent picks were Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, and last night’s meeting was about Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. I read each of them but couldn’t attend any of the Zoom meetings until this month.Â
Admittedly, I have never been a part of a formal, or really even informal for that matter, book club. It was a dream of mine as a kid to create a book club for my friends, and I even had the American Girl Doll Book Club kit. I truly believe that every girl in the 2000s/2010s who was a nerd and sought a bookish community knows the kit I’m talking about.Â
I just wanted people to connect with over literature. I wasn’t reading anything novel, but I loved telling my parents about each new read I picked up, and I wished that I could have a group for just that purpose!Â
I was briefly a member of an informal book club that my neighbor at home put on at our local library. She is an English teacher and thought that inviting only her teenage neighbor and youth group students would be enough to have a successful book club. Twas not.Â
I sort of gave up on this hope for community over books until I came to SBU. I have a distinct memory of being at Mt. Irenaeus and Abbey Taber (fellow Her Campus writer) and Dr. Tara Walker (our fabulous advisor for Her Campus) finally connected and began talking about their recent reads. Abbey is the reason why I entered the audiobook world, and I have never looked back. It’s so special how much these seemingly small moments contribute to such great things!
I feel so at peace that I have found ways to reimplement one of my favorite activities into my life. I feel good that I am finding communities that welcome commitment to literature and expression in writing. I have found my people and found my space in the reading world!