Monthly Group Reads for 2025

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Maggie requested that we bring back the the monthly group read.

If you are interested, please put forward your suggestion for our first group read of the year in the thread. I can then create a poll and we can vote for our preferred choice.

We can then share our thoughts as we read along together.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

So my suggestion would be: Beasts of England, (which is a follow up to George Orwell's Animal Farm).

Please post yours :)

[Dave]

I'll go the sleeping doll jeffery deaver The Sleeping Doll

[Abigail]

I’ll nominate Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris.

[Carla]

Hi there, I’m new to GR. very much looking forward to the group read though! No idea what to suggest as I’m an avid reader of many genre & currently have Susan Lewis’ newest next to my desk 🙂

[Elaine]

I don’t have any suggestions but wanting to try something different. I have been reading crime fiction which is fine but not challenging. Since the pandemic my concentration span has been limited but want to ease myself back in.

[Tabitha]

Hello there, My nomination is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Tabitha 🙂

[Rhia]

Hi, I nominate The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

[Kerensa]

Hi everyone! I'm going to nominate Perfume from Provence (my choice for prompt no. 2 on the 52 Book Club 2024 challenge - Bibliosmia: A smelly book).

[Caoimhe]

A Terrible Kindness .. Jo Browning Wroe

Thank you. Looking forward to joining group

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will leave it open until Saturday, as I mentioned in the email, and then set up a poll so we can all vote.

The winner will be announced next week and we can start reading! :)

[Paul]

Eye for an eye - m j Arlidge

[Paul]

Hi All, as The Song of Achilles has already been nominated (thanks Tabitha) I add a nomination for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow though these both maybe past reads?! x

[Abigail]

Paul wrote: "Hi All, as The Song of Achilles has already been nominated (thanks Tabitha) I add a nomination for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow though these both maybe past reads?! x"

That’s a wonderful book! People should not be put off by the fact that it’s about video gamers. It’s beautifully written and a good one for discussion because of its multiple thematic layers and recurrent imagery.

[Nicholas]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is calling at me, finally. Might be my vote this time.

[Helen]

No suggestions, I am sorry. But I would like to join the challenge and try to join in with the discussions (I have a lot going on atm- hoping this will force me to enjoy the escape into books which I know I need but finding hard to fit in!)

[Jessica]

Greetings Friends,

Please accept my humble request to recommend The Quest for Family , Jessica Clancy. A story of perseverance and hope where kind people help others. If we all lived like this helping others and creating family where there was none the world would be a different place.

Cheers to a new year 2024!

[Jessica]

The world would be a different place!

[Carole]

I'd like to read Lessons Ian McEwan with this group.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks everyone. I will be sending the poll out tomorrow!

[Emma]

Im a newbie - both to the group and GR and desperately trying to navigate my way around! Thank you for having me.
I’ve not got a suggestion at this moment but very much looking forward to joining in on my first ever group read!

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Well, I've set up the poll and will send out invitations. Thank you for a great selection, we are definitely spoilt for choice!

If you are looking for the poll, you'll find it either on the 'Polls Page' or at the bottom of the UK Book Club Home Page, (both on the web version of GR).

You have until Thursday to cast your vote.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

It looks like Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is going to be our first group read of the year!... It's way out in front, but I will wait until the end of the day today, as planned,

Tomorrow, I will set up the thread (within this 'Book Discussions/Buddy Reads' folder) for our discussion, and we can get stuck in.

The read date will start from Monday 22nd Jan (a few days to get hold of a copy) and it will run until Thursday 22nd Feb.

I'll make sure we have time to select our next book, so we can start that immediately after (22nd Feb-22nd March).

Now I'm going to check my library app to see if I can reserve it...

[Paul]

Awesome, I'm new to this kinda thing...is it fitting to have guidelines regarding review or spoiler posts for those still reading/starting the book, allowed post contents? or best to avoid the chat until finished?! Paul x

[Kate, Your Friendly Moderator]

HI Paul,
Its generally recommended you type SPOILER ALERT at the start of the message but there is a way to hide spoilers. I can't demonstrate here because of the coding but if you follow this link it shows you how. https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/...
I'm sure Liz will give some guidance when she opens the thread up for comments.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

If you've started the book, don't forget to head over to the thread and join in the discussion :)

[Amanda Knight]

Hi everyone! I'm late joining this group and thread but this sounds like exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. I am a week late starting the book, is it ok to join in and try and catch up? :)

[Amanda Knight]

also is there anyway of sharing this group and these threads with another member of Goodreads? I have a friend who might be interested but I find the app really difficult to navigate let alone explain where to find this to her!

[Kate, Your Friendly Moderator]

Hi Amanda, welcome to the group. We are only about a week into reading this book so you have plenty of time to jump in.

There's an option to "send invite" top right of our home page (I am on a laptop though). When you click on it it brings up all your goodreads friends so you can select who you want to join. Hopefully that should work.

[Amanda Knight]

thanks Kate, I'll download the book tonight and get cracking :) looks like I'll need to log into my goodreads account on my laptop as that option isn't available on the app.

[Emma]

Finally finished Leech which was a tough read - wouldn’t recommend - so now I can finally start this months challenge!! Excited for this book!

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Glad you're joining us, Emma. :)

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Sorry, I'm behind again. We need to choose the next group read! Please make your suggestions here.

I will nominate: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead - I've been meaning to read this one for a while...

What would you like to nominate? Please post your suggestions before Friday - Thanks!

[Paul]

A Man Called Ove or Demon Copperhead please

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Great suggestions, Paul.

[Emma]

The secret life of Bees

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks, Emma.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

I will go ahead and set up the poll...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The new poll should be open soon. If you want to check out the options, before you cast your vote, just click on the links below:

A Man Called Ove
The Underground Railroad
The Secret Life of Bees
Demon Copperhead

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The poll can be found on the UK Bookclub home page....

[Carole]

Hi is the poll open yet?

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Carole wrote: "Hi is the poll open yet?"

So sorry everyone. Something weird was happening and for some strange reason the poll wasn't viewable. I have redone it and it now seems to work (and be in the right place!)

[Emma]

Thanks Liz 😊

[Carole]

Thanks Liz, I have placed my vote!

[Amanda Knight]

hi everyone! has this been picked?

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Hi all, with the end of the month swiftly approaching, please could I have your nominations for next month's group read. Thanks.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

I'm going to suggest 'Yellow Face' by R. F. Kuang.

[Carole]

I would like to nominate Weyward by Emilia Hart.

Also, The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry.

[Paul]

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab 🙂

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks Paul and Carole. If anyone else has suggestions, please post them here before the end of the weekend. Then I'll set up the poll on Monday.