Why should you join a book club?

Are you looking for a way to banish “brain rot” and destroy declining concentration? Do you want to build community outside of standard work obligations? Are you looking for a way to relax that will subconsciously make you a better professor and human by absorbing diverse writing styles, improving your own writing craft, and expanding your vocabulary? A CTL book club might just be the thing for you.

According to a 2025 NPR poll for many of us reading has become aspirational. 82% of respondents think reading is a useful way to learn about the world, 76% say reading is relaxing and a whopping 98% of respondents with children in their household want their children to “develop a love of reading.” However, the NEA reported in its 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, only 48.5 percent of adults reported having read at least one book in the past year. I’m sure as a lifelong learner, this isn’t you, but joining a book club is a great way to remind yourself that reading is a powerful tool for wellbeing, reducing stress by up to 68%—surpassing the effects of listening to music. Ultimately, this short time investment provides an elusive combination of pleasure, utility, and intellectual stimulation necessary for a balanced life. If you read before bed, it can help you sleep (especially if it helps you put down your phone). And studies have shown that people who read actually live longer.