Save the Date & Summer Reading Challenge

What's new with the University Book Club?

Author

UMN Book Club
June 27, 2025

News & Updates

New Look to Newsletter

You may have noticed that our newsletter looks different. We have switched from using MailChimp to beehiiv for our correspondences. This change will allow us to have more subscribers and will allow us to keep everyone apprised of events more frequently. There will likely be changes to the newsletters appearance over the next few emails as we find a style that suits the book club.

Summer Reading Challenge

As a tie-in to reading Lessons in Chemistry, the book club board thought it would be fun to have a reading challenge for this summer. Based on the periodic table of elements, there are two challenges to choose from. You can read a book from all the genres or be bold and read books from one genre to complete a “family!”

Challenge sheets can be downloaded and remember to submit your entry through the online form by September 6th, and you’ll be entered into a prize drawing.

If this challenge isn’t really your element, the University Libraries have a Summer Reading Bingo celebrating the 100 year anniversary of The Great Gatsby.

Summer Book Selection

Lessons in Chemistry Book Discussion

By popular demand and recently out in paperback, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is our summer book club pick.

This will be our read for the duration of the summer and we'll reconvene on Saturday August 16 from 1pm to 3pm in the Wilson Library Collaboration Studio to discuss the book before the semester starts.

Get a Copy from the Libraries!

Need a copy of Lessons in Chemistry? We have a limited number of copies available exclusively to the University Book Club to check out from Wilson Library. Please reach out to [email protected] to reserve a copy. Please note due to the checkout window, we can only offer Library copies to summer local UMN folks.

Book Club Kits
Image of book covers; Text in center of image "Book Club Kits: Read with Friends! In a book club or want to start one? Let the libraries help you get started! Available exclusively at Wilson Library

Read with your friends! The University Book Club has been working closely with the University Libraries on a brand-new pilot program, funded by the Libraries' strategic initiatives award, to build a collection of book club and buddy reading kits available for anyone at UMN to check out. The kits are available to check out TODAY at Wilson Library on a first-come-first-serve basis.

We have a number of new kits that will be available around noon on Monday, June 30th. New book club kits include The Idiot by Elif Batuman and The Three-body Problem by Cixin Liu. Along with a new buddy read kit for The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo.

Book Club Board Member Spotlight

Get to know your book club board!

Speed Q&A with board member and news letter writer Anisse!

Favorite genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Preferred book format: Paperbacks

Favorite book club selection: 

The Secret History

Favorite book club activity: Bookstore Crawl

Number of books read last year: 30

Book Access

Ways to access our current book selection:

  • Borrow a physical copy from UMN Libraries: email [email protected] to reserve a copy

  • Buy the book at a 20% discount from the UMN Bookstore (either in-person or online) Note: The discount is automatically applied when you check out.

  • Borrow a physical copy from UMN Libraries or using the Interlibrary Loan service

  • Borrow via the UMN Libraries Libby, the book club has our own collection!

  • Public Libraries:

    • Hennepin County Library: Library cards are free and Arvonne Fraser Library is located just a few blocks from campus, in Dinkytown

    • Ramsey County Library: Library cards are free and the Roseville Library is about a 10 minute drive from the St. Paul campus

  • The Book House: Used book store in Dinkytown

If your financial situation makes it hard to obtain a copy of our current book selection, please reach out to us at [email protected] as we may be able to help.