Though reading is normally a quiet, unaccompanied hobby, Ledyard High School’s Book Club transforms the lonely hobby into a vibrant, shared space. Between lively debates, creative projects, and weekly gatherings, the club offers an inviting haven for students to make everlasting friendships. Instead of the club feeling like an intense academic seminar, the club provides a comfortable, low pressure environment where everyone can unwind after class. The club gives everyone a place to chat about their favorite stories, enjoy snacks, and have fun.
For returning sophomores Layla Dore and Sara Strader, that welcoming feeling is the reason that keeps them coming back week after week. “I really enjoyed the community that we had at the book club, and it was always super fun. We all got along and had the same interests,” Dore shared. She talks about how the book club provides a rare space where everyone feels comfortable being themselves, noting, “Because I know with a lot of clubs, there are different groups inside them, Here, we all enjoy the same passion.” Strader echoed that same sentiment, “I came back because it’s very nice, and I love reading. It’s a very fun group.” She added that she loves the easy going social side of the club just as much as she enjoyed the reading, “Sometimes we don’t even talk about books, it’s just fun.”
The easy going atmosphere has helped spark an increase in attendance and interest this school year, bringing in fresh faces from across the grade levels. Sophomore Mia Castillo joined the club to fill up her schedule, explaining, “I just needed something to do on Monday… it gets me out of the house and I like reading.” Meanwhile, freshman Gabriella Zinewicz signed up after receiving a strong recommendation from her brother, a returning member, sophomore Caleb Kinsall. Zinewicz says, “I joined because my brother is in a book club and he said it was fun.” Beyond reading, the club regularly participates in hands-on activities to keep meetings light and fun. Inewicz highlighted a recent custom bookmark making session as a fun and engaging activity, noting, “Making bookmarks was fun, Everything’s already really fun.”
Despite the relaxed atmosphere, club members bring a high level of ambition and diverse literary preferences to the table. Castillo leans towards dystopian and survival worlds, she points to Virginia Bergin’s H20 as her all time favorite and mentioned she is currently reading Ray Bradbury’s classic Fahrenheit 451. On the classical side, Zinewicz and junior co-leader Nathaniel Briones share an appreciation for Osamu Dazai’s masterpiece, No Longer Human. Zinewicz even read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s heavy classic Crime and Punishment over the summer, she shared, “That one took me like nine, ten months to read because I kept losing the motivation to read it… but it has a good plot line.” She also recently finished Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, which she had to balance with the club’s current group read, Five Feet Apart. Brionis talks about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a personal favorite, noting he can dive into a book anywhere. “I can really read anywhere… whether I’ve read in my noisy aunt’s place or in a cozy basement.” Strader prefers historical fiction, she highlights B.A. Shapiro’s World War II art drama The Muralist alongside Andy Weir’s science fiction, Project Hail Mary, and looking forward to the club’s upcoming pick, Punching the Air. Dore rounds out the list with an interest for dark fantasy and mysteries, naming Holly Jackson’s Not Quite Dead Yet and Suzanne Collins’Sunrise on the Reaping among her top picks, while she’s currently reading Emily A. Duncan’s Beyond the Ruby Veil.
Looking into the near future, the club is excited to dive deep into many new genres. Dore stays busy managing the club’s social media pages, sharing, “I like social media and how everyone has ideas and how we combine them to make them fun.” Under the joint leadership of Jazmin Bagge and Nathaniel Briones, they work on new ways to keep meetings interactive. “I’m looking forward to just spending more time with the members and maybe watching some movies based on the books,” Briones added. “Book club is always lively, and there’s never really a dull moment.” Whether diving into heavy classics over the summer, tackling dystopian survival worlds, crafting custom bookmarks, or simply looking for a friendly space to share a Capri Sun after school, book club offers an open seat for everyone.
Jazmin Bagge, Staff Writer
Senior Jazmin Bagge is a staff writer for the 2026-2027 Colonel News Site. She likes leading the LHS Book club, a good romance book, and playing tennis.
