In the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, Book Club had nearly disappeared. It was hanging on by a thread named Amanda Trussell.

The first meeting of book lovers in the new school year will take place on Thursday at 8 a.m. in the library. Trussell, librarian and club sponsor, wants to get the club going as soon as possible and allow time for students to take pick of new books, which she has been looking through in preparation.

“Last year, I just did not have a lot of kids interested or with time, and so I think we only met twice,” Trussell said. “…It’s strange. I’ve had a lot of upperclassmen that were involved, but not a lot of freshmen.”

The club was formed three years ago and has since watched its members graduate out. However, Trussell still holds out hope that the club will come together again, forming a safe environment for readers and a culture of reading.

“I’ve always just been a reader, and really this year I have probably seen more kids check out books than I’ve seen in a long time. I know that there are kids out there that would want to do it-it just kind of comes hand in hand with being a librarian, you need to have a book club,” Trussell said. “It just kind of naturally came together.”

For Trussell, opportunities for students who enjoy reading are crucial, and as an avid book lover and librarian, Book Club seemed inevitable.

“Just like some people really enjoy sports, some people really enjoy music, some people truly enjoy reading,” Trussell said.

The only problem is not many know Book Club exists.

“I had no idea [there was a book club]. If I don’t [know], they [students] probably don’t either,” English teacher Alicia Blair said.

Teachers of all subjects have stated that reading is of great importance in the learning experience for students, and a book club could be very beneficial to them.

“If you can read well, then it helps with your processing of how you would write,” geometry teacher Emily Alexander said.

In previous years, the books read included “Phantom Tollbooth,” Out of the Darkness”, “One thing Stolen” and “In Cold Blood.” Books will be chosen as a group to allow every reader a voice.

“I would like for it to become a place where people who want to read can just have a place to go and talk about books, and I’d like for us to have official meetings,” Trussell said. “But I would like for it to be sometimes a more unofficial environment where people just come in and say, ‘Hey, have you read this yet?’”