English Club | Photo by Caitlin Shatsby | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University’s (WSU) Book Club will meet virtually on Nov. 16 to discuss the novel “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson. Anyone interested is welcome to join.
What is Book Club
Mandy Shannon, an interim associate for the library, believes that the Book Club is a great place where people meet. Shannon also thinks that book clubs are where people can make friends that enjoy books as much as the next person.
The Book Club has been going on and off at WSU for several years and is sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, WSU Alumni Association and WSU Retirees Association. The club has been operating virtually since the start of the pandemic.
“It’s a really rewarding experience to have this conversation and community around a shared book,” Shannon said.
The picks for Book Club usually range from nonfiction, creative nonfiction and fiction which are chosen the previous spring. There will be an upcoming announcement for the May 10, 2022, Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction book pick.
“Being in a book club showcases books a reader might not normally read or come across,”
Dr. Sarah Twill, a sociology professor, said.
Participating is easy
Anybody with an interest in reading and discussing books can join the Book Club. For this upcoming club meeting, registration is not required but recommended for anybody that wants to participate. There is no limit on how many people can join.
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the book during the hour and a half time limit. Shannon says that sometimes people will join the club meeting without having read the book just so they can get a feel of what to expect.
“Reading helps expose people to a world, culture, or situation they might never encounter in real life,” Twill said. “[I love] hearing from another reader who sees a novel very differently than I do.”
The ideal number of participants in book discussions is between eight and 12 so that everyone has a chance to share their opinion during the limited amount of time for the meeting, according to Dr. Donna Curry, a retired Nursing Professor and an associate running the book club.
What is the next Book Club pick?
For November’s pick, the creative nonfiction of WWII during the Blitz in London from the journals of Winston Churchill and other resources will be the entertainment of the night. Its title and author being “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson.
Curry states that the book itself is nonfiction but written like it is a novel. Something that Larson has done extensive research to make the book possible.
It is also not the first book that Larson has written. He has done several nonfiction books throughout the years and this one is his newest addition to the growing list.
