November Book Club: The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu
The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu
When I picked The Faculty Lounge for an October read-along, I hadn’t cracked the spine yet. I figured we’d all try a literary experiment together and see what happened. The verdict? Somewhere between “This is alarmingly accurate” and “Surely no real school is this dramatic… right?”
Most of us could relate to the colorful cast of teachers trying to stay sane, caffeinated, and one step ahead of chaos. Several of my book club friends are educators themselves, and while no one confessed to quite the level of faculty hijinks in the book (no supply closet scandals, apparently), everyone agreed that teacher happiness lives and dies by the quality of administration. Just like in the story, a supportive, competent principal who’s willing to run interference with the district can make all the difference between a thriving staff and total burnout.
We also had an interesting conversation about what I’ll call “issue stacking.” Like Yellowface by R.F. Kuang or Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, The Faculty Lounge tries to take on nearly every social debate swirling around modern education: gender politics, cancel culture, systemic bias, burnout, mental health, social justice, and more. While the ambition is admirable, a few of us felt that so many hot-button topics in one short school year sometimes distracted from the rich character work and humor that made the book shine. Still, the chaos made for excellent discussion fodder—especially over a glass of wine.
A couple of readers sent in feedback too. Maureen said, “I got to about page 70 and just had too many other books on my TBR that sounded so exciting and I put it down. I’m sorry!” Debra said, “I loved The Faculty Lounge. I gave it a four star review on Goodreads. Have told all my teacher buddies they have to read it!!”
Overall, The Faculty Lounge gave our book club plenty to talk about: workplace culture, human connection, and the strange comfort of knowing that every profession has its own brand of absurdity. If Goodreads had a 3.5 stars, that’s what I would have given it.
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 17 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children’s literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.
And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.