At times, college can seem as if it is all about books; textbooks, that is. With all the reading assigned by professors, students may feel like the only literature they get to read is in the form of textbooks, rather than the books they love.

Students who loved to read in high school might go months without reading something fun. That’s how some students from the Honors College Assembly, including Kaycee McFalls, felt last year.

“We wanted to bring back leisure reading,” McFalls said.

They decided to do something about it, and got together to form The Honors College Book Club, founded by the Honors College Assembly.

“Amongst the students, there was a real desire to combine learning and academics with informal hangouts and recreation,” said Michael Forst, founder of the club.

The club chooses books as a group based on members’ various interests. They then read the assigned book on their own time and gather at a local restaurant to discuss the reading.

“We are a very diverse group of students who read everything from science fiction to autobiographies,” McFalls said. “Our book list reflects that. We try to read a little bit of everything.”

Students said they like the open-minded environment during discussions.

“I feel, in college, we are told to read a literary work, and then the professor tells us what to think about it,” club member Cobie Caples said. “In book club, we actually get to discuss our different interpretations of the novels. Everyone’s opinion is heard. It’s a very fair and open-minded environment.”

In the past year, the club has gone to Surin, Crimson Café, Epiphany and several other area restaurants, McFalls said. At a typical meeting, they enjoy dinner, dessert, or both. After eating, they discuss what they are reading, and anything else they find interesting.

The book club’s next meeting is today at a memeber’s house. They are currently reading “The Magician” by Lev Grossman. Interested students should contact Kaycee McFalls with questions at [email protected]