Arguably, reading has become a more niche hobby over the past few decades, and it can be difficult to find people to connect to about it. That’s where book clubs come in, specifically for me, Newcastle Uni Book Club, which is open to all Newcastle University students who wish to join. I spoke to Welfare and Social Media officer, Aliya to find out all about it.
Book Club focuses on reading one book a month, each with a “different theme or genre”, and then they discuss it at the end. Every book is democratically elected by the entire society. The committee decide on a theme, take suggestions of books, and narrow that down to a shortlist which is then voted on by the members. This means that there is always a “very varied book choice” as all suggestions are taken into account.
Aliya tells me that her main aim for the society is to keep it as inclusive as possible, and “get people reading without the pressure”. Book Club takes measures to achieve both of these aims. A membership for the society is just £5 for the entire year. They also make the book buying process more inclusive by selling second-hand books to the members for around £3, much cheaper than anything you would get in a bookshop. For their September book choice ‘Everything I know about love’, they sold 56 copies.
Deciding to focus on one book a month makes it less overwhelming and far more achievable for people to be able to read. Especially with all the reading required for university it can be hard to sit down and enjoy reading so its important to choose realistic goals.
But what book do you start with? Aliya says that the book that got her into reading was ‘This is going to hurt’ by Adam Kay. The non-fiction book chronicles the diary of a junior doctor working on the frontlines of the NHS. The chapters are like diary entries, and therefore short enough that they don’t feel overwhelming. After that she read Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’, which helped her get into fiction.
We both discussed the importance of reading, and how its “good to have a hobby that’s not related to screens” and can help you relax. In terms of fitting in reading around your studies, Aliya recommends reading before bed, adding that “ten minutes a day is better than nothing”.
As well as helping to develop a reading community, Book Club helps to support small businesses around Newcastle. All book discussions are held in cosy independent cafes, and other socials also help to support local businesses. We also agreed the importance of independent bookshops, and how “if you can buy a book from anywhere but amazon then you should.” Second-hand bookshops and libraries are super useful as well, as new books can be pretty expensive.
Despite potentially looking overwhelming at first, reading is a hobby that anyone can get easily take up. If you are struggling, try asking friends for recommendations, or a book club will always be a great place to find support and enthusiasm from other readers.