English majors create "Chapter Chat," a book club for women

By Abigail Botsford

Sophia Dalton and Mandi Stoyanov became friends when they connected over reading the same book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, a popular series among young adult readers. The Florida State University students have since enjoyed reading and discussing many books with one another.

They took their shared commitment to literature and developed a meaningful literary community on campus, founding a women’s book club named Chapter Chat for FSU students.

“I noticed there wasn’t any book club that was accessible, and the ones that I did find were very specific to science fiction or horror,” says Dalton, discussing the club’s beginning in December 2024. “I wanted a community to read the types of books that I like— fantasy, romance, and historical fiction— and be able to talk about them with friends.”

When Dalton thought about starting her own book club, she believed creating a space for women to have those conversations was important, inspired by her involvement with Her Campus at FSU, an online publication for college women.

“This has been on my mind for a while, especially since I was coming up on my senior year,” Dalton says. “When I found that there wasn’t anything pre-established, I texted Mandi about starting a club, and the idea was born.”

Dalton texted Stoyanov over winter break in 2024 with her ideas, and Stoyanov immediately expressed interest in the club. The students created an Instagram account as their primary promotional method for Chapter Chat.

“We wanted to create this place where people could come and read what they wanted to read,” Stoyanov says.

Both students graduate from FSU at the end of the Fall 2025 semester. Dalton is a double major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in psychology. Stoyanov’s major is English-Creative Writing. Isabelle Krukoski is the club’s secretary; she is a senior double majoring in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in media and communication studies. She also is editor in chief for Her Campus at FSU.

Now celebrating its first year on campus, Chapter Chat has grown to include 33 members.

“There's definitely something to be said about women who enjoy the same books because it almost feels like reading is a bit of a niche hobby in our day and age,” Stoyanov says. “Everybody's so connected on social media and on an electronic device constantly, so when you find an individual, especially a woman, who has read the same book as you… you can have that conversation, [and] it's an immediate click.”

The club meets once a month to enjoy snacks and have discussion questions, games, and a roundtable conversation relating to the members’ chosen book. This year, the club added an additional programming event to promote team bonding: bookmark-making with coffee at Vice Society.

“It's nice to be able to have open discourse with people, especially when your opinions are not the same,” explains Dalton, referencing Sunrise on the Reaping, a 2025 politically underlined dystopian novel, written by author Suzanne Collins, who also wrote The Hunger Game series. “To be able to talk about that very openly in a group of people that you trust, [and] having those conversations is nice.”

Dalton and Stoyanov were friends long before they founded Chapter Chat, and they appreciate that starting this club strengthened their friendship. They admit to stepping on each other’s toes sometimes, but they also have learned to be more honest with one another, hold each other accountable, and support one another in the process.

“The leadership part of Chapter Chat has definitely taught me how to be more communicative,” Stoyanov says. “I've always been OK at communication, but it’s kind of hard for me to not people please—and you can’t please everyone. That’s what this position has taught me…not everybody is going to like the book that is chosen.”

Dalton agrees, adding that there was an adjustment period as they grew into their roles as co-founders.

“It naturally turned into Mandi who chooses the books, and I kind of spearheaded creating the graphics and the social media,” Dalton says.

Stoyanov researches different books each month and asks for feedback from the members to create a list of potential readings. She then narrows that list to six books for a vote.

“Chapter Chat is a refreshing outlet for people who read as a hobby,” Stoyanov says. “This club is important in creating a community where you can come and use your critical thinking skills, discuss freely, and feel comfortable, even if it is about a silly romance novel.”

Dalton and Stoyanov want to hand over running the club to younger members, and they hope it continues to stay active and grow after they leave FSU. Although the co-founders were not able to register the club as a Registered Student Organization because of other time commitments, Dalton encourages the remaining members to do that in the future for Chapter Chat.

“This has been so enjoyable, and this was a new experience for me to build something from the ground up,” Dalton says. “This was such a good experience, and I think it was transformative.”

For more information about the club, follow its Instagram account, @chapterchat.tlh.

Abigail Botsford is a major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media, with a minor in communication. She is returning as an intern for the department in the Spring 2026 semester, when she will be a senior writer.

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