A few weeks ago, I found myself at the Starbucks right around the corner from my school with three history teachers and an English teacher. Now it’s not unusual at all to run into a teacher at Starbucks - it’s actually stranger not to. However, I was the sole girl sitting at a table filled with grown men, and we got more than a few funny looks. It was perfectly harmless, however. Some may even say beneficial; it was simply a meeting of my book club.

At the end of last school year, my U.S history teacher asked me to join his fledgling book club. Actually, he invited the whole class, but the first book was David Maraniss’s 600-page tome on the Vietnam War and the protest movement against it, "They Marched into Sunlight: War and Peace Vietnam and America October 1967". Maraniss’s book, while lengthy and at times difficult to get through, was easily the best book I read all summer. Maraniss weaved together the story of an army battalion, the Black Lions, serving in Vietnam, and the student movement against the Dow Chemical company at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He’s a fantastic writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Only four students in my class of 30 trudged through the novel. We all come from different sectors of the high school, too. I’m the editor-in-chief of the paper, and of the three other students, one is a dedicated athlete, one an active drama club member and the last a competitive dancer. Prior to our first meeting, I was fairly certain there wouldn’t be a second round because of our striking differences.

But I was, happily, proven wrong. Our first meeting was a Friday afternoon in September, with the four students and four teachers. The conversation was stimulating, the company pleasant and the reading material excellent. We formed our own little breakfast club, except instead of bonding over Saturday detention, we were discussing a book. We’ve since met two more times; I can honestly say there are few ways I’d rather spend the first few hours of my precious weekend.

The conversations and books have broadened my mind. I would not have chosen to read the three books we’ve chosen without encouragement. But by taking the suggestions of others, I found new writers that I enjoy and new topics to explore. It’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my high school career.

I know we’re all busy. My group has only been able to meet three times since September. We’re hoping to meet one last time before school lets out. But I think if you have even the teensiest bit of time, it would be incredibly beneficial to start a book group. In my mom’s group, reading the book is optional; people go to the meetings for the conversation and friends.

So call up a friend and choose a book. Make a date and discuss it. If you don’t make it through the book, so be it. You’ll still have learned something and enjoyed the company of a friend.