Page Turners Unite in Brewster's Book Club

One group of Brewster students is proving that reading for fun is one of life’s greatest—and simplest—pleasures. Now in its fourth year, Brewster’s Book Club meets in Kenison Library once a month to discuss the good reads they select (bonus: pizza and cookies are often involved!). So far this school year, they have discussed Elie Wiesel's 1960 memoir Night and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Atticus Baden ’26 from Andover, Mass., has been a Book Clubber since 9th grade. “I like coming to the club meetings because it’s a way for students to interact with each other through a more fun and interactive environment than class,” he tells us. “It’s a way for students to discuss their ideas on topics where we’ve all read the same thing, but people can be different and creative.”

Callie Pilkington ’26 of Lynnfield, Mass., joined last year, and says she likes reading and the community aspect of the club discussions, adding, “Also, you can’t pass up pizza when it’s offered. I also have friends in the club and it’s nice to hang out with my friends with an interest we all enjoy.”

Director of Library Services Jen Dumont hosts the Book Club, but students select each read at their monthly meetings. Avid reader Katherine Twombly ’26 from Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, has noted that selections have become more serious over her three years in the club. “But that’s been nice too,” she says, “because it’s great to talk to people about things I’m also interested in.” Katherine names Yellowface by R.F. Kuang as one of her favorite club reads. “It was different than anything else that we read,” she says. “It was fast-paced but not entirely unrealistic like Babel, also by R.F. Kuang. It was relatable.”

Atticus says Oscar Wilde’s 1890 Gothic philosophical novel The Picture of Dorian Gray as his favorite so far. “I think with it being kind of hard to understand sometimes, we all had super different ideas…and it was interesting to listen to others and hear what we might have missed or other ideas we might not have considered on our own,” he says. “Talking as a group about it helped bring new perspectives on it that we might not have seen when we were reading.”

Not every book hits home, and busy schedules mean that not every student can commit to a deep dive into every selection. Callie found this with a Donna Tartt novel last year: “I feel like if I put a little more effort into it, I would have really enjoyed The Secret History.” But no matter, sometimes the fellowship of the club is its own reward. And there’s always next month! The Brewster Book Club is currently reading Piranesi by British author Susannah Clarke. Published in 2020, this fantasy novel has been described by reviewers as magical, mysterious, and melancholy. Far from an “easy read,” readers say it’s worth the effort.

The Book Club welcomes new students anytime…just check in with Mrs. Dumont for more information.