The standard cliché of book clubs is the image of middle-aged women discussing romance novels and droning on in passive tones. But a new one formed by media center specialist Lori McCall is anything but staid and boring.

The club is called Tome Society – or just “book club” and according to freshman Ellie Hodgson, this club does more than talk about books they read. Group members take on book-related projects and work up PowerPoints about their past reads to facilitate discussion. The society creates these projects from a provided list of 20 books they called the “It List” and once they complete a project, they can enter their work into competitions at regional book club gatherings.

Of course simply talking about the book is still a huge part of the club with conversations discussing a range of topics including emotion, characters, plot, and author’s writing style. “I just really wanted a place where I could express something I loved to do when I was young and still love to this day,” said Hodgson.

Formally, Tome Society was created a few years back by McCall, the librarian that greets students when they walk in to the second floor library. This year, however, it debuted in August and many couldn’t wait to be a part of it. “I love the freedom we have to talk about what we really think,” said freshman Sparrow Harrell. “And we can read at our own pace.”

Open to everyone, no matter grade or gender, this book club meets every other Wednesday in the library. One novel they have touched on so far is called “Caraval” by Stephanie Garber and delves into a magical realm with secrets and a struggle for power. But, they aren’t partial to only fantasy. “There are so many genres in the literary world. We couldn’t just stick to one,” said Hodgson.

The library is usually a silent place, but with Tome Society it gets a little more interesting. They are currently looking for new members. And all prospective members need are an open mind and — of course — a love of reading.