Monthly Group Reads for 2025

[Paul]

Give someone else a chance to get the pick!

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Hey, don't worry Paul, of course you're allowed to suggest. You have your finger on the pulse!

[Leanne]

Can I please suggest Sing, Wild Bird, Sing by Jacqueline O'Mahoney

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Great. Thanks all. So our options for next month will be:

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Clear by Carys Davies
The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo
Youth by J. M. Coetzee
A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
Sing, Wild Bird, Sing by Jaqueline O'Mahoney

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

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The book for July will be The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri.

[Carole]

Well done Liz, your choice I believe. Looking forward to reading it.

[Paul]

Glad this is the book for July, didn’t have this on my TBR list but on reflection it should have been 🙂

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Fingers crossed it's a good one.

[Dima]

Hi Liz! Could I suggest a future read for the bookclub? My debut is being released next month, and I'd love for it to be considered!

Silence In The Basement

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

It's time to hear your nominations for next month's group read. Please post your suggestions here by Saturday and I will then set up the poll. Thanks :)

[Paul]

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov

[Carole]

Earth by John Boyne

[Paul]

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. We will be choosing between:

Silence In The Basement by Alex Mura
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov
Earth by John Boyne
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

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

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The book for August is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I will set up the new thread over the weekend.

[Paul]

Brilliant book, a very human story. Also looking forward to reading another suggestion, Time Shelter :-)

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Paul wrote: "Brilliant book, a very human story. Also looking forward to reading another suggestion, Time Shelter :-)"

I'm looking forward to reading that one too, Paul. :)

[Carole]

I’d like to make a suggestion for the September read, if I may?

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Yes, Carole, that's great. I was going to ask for suggestions this weekend, so you read my mind!

So please post your ideas for the next book here. Thanks.

[Paul]

For September (is it really September next?) I would like to suggest

Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

[Victoria]

The hike - by Lucy Clarke

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

I'll suggest Hagstone by Sinéad Gleeson.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

I know - how did we get to September already?

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Ok, so the suggestions for next month are:

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Hike by Lucy Clarke
Hagstone by Sinead Gleeson

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

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The book for next month will be..... (drum roll)
.... Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. I will go ahead and set up the thread...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

It's time to suggest a book for next month...

I have yet to read The Midnight Library (always behind the curve). I know that it's been very popular, so I'm curious... What do you suggest for next month?

[Carole]

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives By Lola shoneyin

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

A couple more suggestions would be welcome. I'd like to set up the poll on Tuesday. Thanks.

[Carole]

I’d like to suggest another if I may?

The Suspect by Rob Rinder.

[Paul]

I would like to suggest Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks everyone :)

The books we will be choosing from to read in October will be:

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Suspect by Rob Rinder
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

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

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

So The Midnight Library will be the book for October. I will go ahead and set up the thread.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Oh no! It'll be November in a few days. Please give me your suggestions for next month's read by Wednesday. Thanks.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

I'll suggest The Safekeep by Yael Van De Wouden.

[Paul]

All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks Paul. Does anyone else have a suggestion?

[Paul]

Apologies for lateness. I would like to suggest The Land In Winter by Andrew Miller

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Paul wrote: "Apologies for lateness. I would like to suggest The Land In Winter by Andrew Miller"

Great. Thanks, Paul.

So we will be choosing between:
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker,
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden,
and The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller

- I think I'd be happy with any of those :)
I will go ahead and set up the poll...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Our read for November will be All the Colors of the Dark. I will go ahead and set up the new thread.

[Carole]

Hi, as we are now half way through November should we be considering next’s month’s group read?
I missed out on the November read as it was posted late and I couldn’t get a copy in time.

I do so enjoy participating!

I haven’t got a title in mind as yet, but will probably pick something Christmassy.

Any thoughts?

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Sure, Carole. Please post your suggestions for next month by Monday and I will go ahead and set up a poll. Will have a think myself...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Not at all Christmassy, but definitely one to read by a warm fireside, I'm suggesting The Terror by Dan Simmons. Although it's a bit of a long one....

[Carole]

A Thimble for Christmas by Dilly Court.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

I had another thought: Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

I have just set up the poll. The options will be:
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
A Thimble for Christmas by Dilly Court
The Terror by Dan Simmons

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Our group read for December will be....

Hercule Poirot's Christmas. I will set up the new thread.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Are you happy to carry on the group reads into 2025? If so, we will need to choose a book soon, before we all get wrapped up (bad pun intended) in Christmas activities...

Please let me have your suggestions by Monday - thanks.

My suggestion is Booker winner Orbital by Samantha Harvey

[Paul]

Normal People by Sally Rooney

[Carole]

The Women

Kristin Hannah