Students from all disciplines are coming together to share their love of reading with the rise of JCU’s new Young Adult Literature Book Club. 

Katherine Hermann, a graduate student at JCU and one of the creators of the club, said, “I would say to people thinking about joining that this is an easy, stress-free and hopefully fun way to stay connected to your peers in this weird time.”

Dan Reynolds, a professor of Education and School Psychology, taught an adolescent literature class in the fall semester for the first time, which Hermann and a few other members attended. Hermann said they enjoyed reading young adult literature in the class so much that they decided to create a book club.

Reynolds said, “It’s [young adult literature] usually not too hard to read, so you can read it and not feel like you’re struggling through it for homework.”

The members are required to get the books on their own. According to Reynolds, the members of the club are the “kind of people who like buying books anyway and having our own copies.”

The club’s first book is Elizabeth Acevedo’s “Clap When You Land,” a novel written in verse about two sisters losing their father, and finding each other along the way. Sophomore member Katherine Boyer said the club has already started coming up with ideas for other books they want to read including “Concrete Rose,” “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Persepolis.” “After we finish our first book, we are going to revisit the list of ideas to decide what to read next,” Boyer explained.

The club is open to all people at any time. Reynolds only discussed one requirement: “You have to show up and not be a jerk.”

To students who want to join, Boyer said, “It’s a super chill atmosphere to meet with like-minded readers and just enjoy books!”

The YA Literature Book Club meets twice a month on a rotating schedule between Saturday afternoons, Sunday afternoons and Sunday nights. The next meeting is at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7. 

Here is the Zoom link to join the meeting: https://johncarrolluniversity.zoom.us/j/9271877917