Tarleton State Page Turners: Starting a new chapter on campus

BY BROOKLYN MCKINNEY

Multimedia Journalist

Kayla Moore, a senior biology major at Tarleton State University, decided to turn the page to a new chapter of her life in 2024.

Looking for new connections, she went on social media and asked if anyone would be interested in forming a book club, since none of the other clubs appealed to her.

On January 16, Moore and her friends Abigail Elrod and Natalya Robles passionately discussed their latest read over coffee. Little did they know that their small gathering would become the catalyst for a book club on campus called the Tarleton Page Turners, with 22 active members just a year later.

“We started out at Cold Smoke, and then once our group got a lot bigger, we were like, ‘Okay well, Cold Smoke closes at a certain time on Wednesdays, and we’re really loud,’” Elrod said. “So then, we tried to get a place here on campus.”

The book club had met in the library’s media room for a short amount of time before moving to the student center. 

The lack of open chairs was less than ideal, so Moore found a better solution with help from an employee in the library.

“I came back here and talked to one of the people at the front desk, and they were like, ‘Why don’t you just go ask the dean if you can use a room in the OA Grant building?’” Moore said. “I was like, ‘That’s smart.’”

This year, they are back in room 237 of OA Grant and better than ever, having gained at least eight new members from their first meeting of the semester alone.

“Last year, everybody showed up, we talked about a book for like a few minutes and then just had therapy sessions kind of. But this year, we wanted to do activities, so we’re making bookmarks this year for the first meeting,” Elrod said.

In the past, they had also watched a few movie adaptations of books that they read and even held a potluck.

Prior to their first meeting of the year, the original group of 13 members had elected Moore as their president.

Nora Hanson, a senior from Minnesota studying agriculture industries and agencies, was voted in as the club’s vice president and runs their social media page. Elrod was also elected as secretary for the Page Turners.

The dream team has already been generating new ideas for upcoming meetings, like playing Bingo and Pictionary, or even “speed dating” with a book in February, where someone would have about five minutes to describe their book recommendation to other members around the room.

While the book club has been growing, Moore has also discussed the possibility of becoming university-affiliated. Her main concern is ensuring the club can continue reading its monthly selections without any formal restrictions.

“I expect everyone in the book club to act like an adult. Obviously, we’re not going to read anything that’s really out there, however, things that have sprinklings of [explicit content] in there are rollable. It’s not like it’s going to be the main thing we’re doing,” Moore said.

The book of the month is usually selected by a majority vote, and members are asked to bring a list of trigger warnings so that everyone can make an informed decision and enjoy the book without having to read content they may be uncomfortable with.

Most of the books the Tarleton Page Turners have read so far would fall under the “romantasy” genre, which has been a trend among many readers, particularly women. However, the group is open to exploring other genres and even welcoming male members.

“We’ve read a lot of romantasy, which I’m okay with. That’s my favorite genre. I like any romance or fantasy. Put it together, and I’m really happy,” Elrod said.

Moore’s all-time favorite book is “Flowers for Algernon,” a well-known science fiction novel about a mentally disabled man who undergoes surgery to increase his intelligence. She has been working with mentally disabled clients for over 5 years at various nursing homes and mental health institutions, so the story holds a special place in her heart.

“In the future, I want to read more classics, but I know that’s more of an English class thing,” Moore said.

The romance novel that the Tarleton Page Turners will have their noses in this month is “Happy Place” by Emily Henry. Follow their Instagram page, @tsupageturners, for more updates.