Bluejay’s Book Club unites book lovers

Bluejay’s Book Club, one of Elmhurst University’s newest clubs, started so they could create a fun literary environment and build a community through their passion for reading. 

“I’ve always been passionate about reading because I love exploring fictional worlds. This past year, I was fortunate enough to form friendships with other girls sharing my interests,” said club president Fariyal Khan. 

“We collectively started Bluejay’s Book Club, intending to create a fun literary environment. We hope to build a meaningful community, connected through a common hobby of reading and discussing stories,” Khan continued. 

The club started this semester and was excited to bring the campus community together and provide an environment where students can have an open discussion, and share their thoughts and opinions on different books. 

Since the club began at the beginning of the semester, they were only able to read and discuss one book, which was “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Starting next school year, the book club plans on having season themes as opposed to having a different theme each month. 

“For example, we would collectively read one book during the fall season, one during the winter, and finally a third book during the spring semester, splitting up each season by themes reflective of three distinct genres,” said club vice president Saba Mohiuddin. 

“In structuring the meetings, we plan to read the first half of the chosen novel during the beginning of a particular season, discuss characters, and opinions regarding the plot, and also propose theories for what we think the second half of the book would look like,” said Mohiuddin. 

“During the second meeting, we plan to discuss the second half of the novel and reflect on our theories with some fun and engaging activities too,” She continued.

Along with book discussions, the club also held fun activities for members to enjoy. Teaming up with the HR club, students made bracelets and bookmarks and socialized at an event during Valentines Day. 

They are also looking forward to their Summer Book Swap event, where students bring a book and cover up the titles. They provide a short summary of the book and swap with other members to pick a new book to read and be open to exploring new genres. 

Umiamah Syed, treasurer for Bluejay’s Book Club, has enjoyed having the opportunity to meet new people and share her same passion for reading.

“I feel like being part of this book club creates a sense of community on campus. It provides a space for individuals to come together and share their love of literature and their thoughts and opinions on different books,” said Syed. “It can also provide a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment.”