California State University, Northridge (CSUN) students are starting a campus book club this week to give students a place to connect with other readers, despite busy schedules and long commutes.

The club began with a Reddit post from Nicholas Deliberto, a second-year political science major. Deliberto said he wanted to find other students who enjoyed reading and create a space to talk about books.

The post received about 30 upvotes. After that, Deliberto created an Instagram account and a Discord server for the club.

The club is still working to complete its chartering process through the Matador Involvement Center. Deliberto said this prevented the club from having an official table at the Meet the Clubs event this fall semester.

The club is meant to give students a place to take a break from classes, talk with other readers and find new books.

“I love reading so much. And I love speaking about the books that I like. And for the longest time, I’ve had no one to do that with,” Deliberto said. “I’m sure other people kind of feel that way as well.”

Early members said the club could help students who want to read more but struggle to find the time.

Miguel Martinez, a junior transfer student majoring in accounting, joined the club to “make the time to read more.” He said school assignments made it hard to focus on books, including one of his favorites, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”

“I want to try to make more time, but it does kind of get hard,” Martinez said. “And I know I do have time because sometimes I’ll use it to go on my phone instead. But I want to be using that time instead of reading.”

Stephanie Gamez, a second-year radiology student, found the club through Instagram. She said the club is “a super good opportunity to build a community” at CSUN, where many students leave campus soon after their classes because they commute.

The club plans to hold two meetings each month to make it easier for students to attend. One meeting will be held on the first Tuesday of every month and another on the last Wednesday. This club also plans to hold virtual meetings for students with long commutes.

Details about the location and more will be shared about a week before each meeting through the club’s Discord server and Instagram account.

Deliberto said the members are still deciding how the club should be organized. He originally wanted members to talk about whatever books they were reading. Some members, however, preferred the traditional book club format, where everyone reads the same book.

The group is now considering a mix of both ideas. Members may choose an optional shared book while also talking about books they are reading on their own.

Jared Lapuz, a junior transfer student majoring in film, said reading the same book could help keep discussions focused. However, he is open to both formats.

“If everyone is reading different books,” Lapuz said. “There is a greater chance that someone may not have much to contribute to a particular conversation.”

Spencer Maclaughlin, a junior transfer student majoring in anthropology, said they like the current format because members can talk about different interests while sharing a common interest in books.

Members also want the club to welcome students with different reading habits. Maclaughlin said some students may read a lot for a short time and then stop reading for months. He said the club should make room for different speeds and formats, including short stories.

Maclaughlin uses Libby to borrow books and audiobooks from public libraries. They also use Libro.fm to buy audiobooks and support independent bookstores. Lapuz also recommended Libby because students can access e-books and audiobooks for free.

In the future, Deliberto hopes the club can host guest speakers, organize book drives and create “free book boxes” on campus.

Maclaughlin also suggested events such as a book swap on the campus lawn or near the library to attract more students.

“I hope the CSUN Book Club empowers readers. I want it to give current readers a space to discuss what they have been reading and the books they love, but I also hope it brings in new readers,” Deliberto said. “Reading can be something really amazing if you let it.”