Last Friday was our school’s Club Fair in the small gym. All of the clubs at THS joined together to show off their clubs. One of these clubs was Book Club, run by Ms. Schaake. Last year, they read a total of 6 books, ranging from fantasy to romance to dystopian. I interviewed some of the members in Book Club and asked them what they thought of Book Club last year, what their favorite book was last year, and what their favorite book of all time is.
What did they say?
Keegan Willoghby said that it was nice to have a safe space to talk and read books. She also said she loved it because she got more into reading. Her favorite book she read in book club was How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow. Her favorite book of all time is 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
Similarly, Brooklyn Drogmund said she loved Book Club because Ms. Schaake is awesome, and she liked being able to have a voice on what they read. Her favorite book they read was also How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow, but her favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
Ms. Schaake said she loved creating a book club because it combined her two favorite things, reading and creating a safe space for people to talk. She also loved getting other people excited to read and broaden their horizons on what they were reading. Her favorite book was also “How to Excavate a Heart.” After deliberating for about 10 minutes, she told me her favorite book of all time was Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language.
All of the people I interviewed said that How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow was their favorite book from last year. So what is this book about?
According to Goodreads, this book follows Shani, who accidentally hits May with her mom’s Subaru. “Attempted vehicular manslaughter was not part of Shani’s plan. She was supposed to be focusing on her month-long paleoichthyology internship. She was going to spend all her time thinking about dead fish and not at all about how she was unceremoniously dumped days before winter break. […]
But when a dog-walking gig puts her back in May’s path, the fossils she’s meant to be diligently studying are pushed to the side—along with the breakup. Then they’re snowed in together on Christmas Eve. As things start to feel more serious, though, Shani’s hurt over her ex-girlfriend’s rejection comes rushing back.
Is she ready to try a committed relationship again, or is she okay with this just being a passing winter fling?”
All of the books Ms. Schaake’s Book Club read last year were amazing, and hopefully, this year we will have some more great reads! I highly recommend going to the library during club time and checking out book club! Hope to see you there!
Works Cited
Arlow, Jake Maia. “How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow.” Goodreads, 1 November 2022, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55348105-how-to-excavate-a-heart. Accessed 26 September 2025.