Book clubs in Reading

These brilliant comedians and authors aren't falling for politico flim-flam and arrive to save the world from double-speak, flat writing and worthless words. I kept breaking out into proper laughing on the train. The guy next to me had ordered it to collect from Waterstones before we pulled into Paddington. It will make you put your head in your hands, smile, groan and roll your eyes - but most importantly - it is seriously funny.

The form of story-telling is engrossing - we follow the main character through a life-changing event that is reflected not only in his experiences, but also the author's style of writing.

Beautiful plot, and very educative. The characters and events envoked such strong feelings for me, and although it is a (very) long read - I completed it in 3 sittings, it's absolutely riveting.

It doesn't get much cosier than this, and it's one of my favourite genres- people solving murders who have no business solving murders. It's cosy, funny and heartwarming, and involves senior citizens and dragons solving mysteries!

A beautiful story of friendship and adventure through the American Midwest, blurring magical realism with stories like Catcher In The Rye, Of Mice and Men and more.

A beautiful story of friendship and adventure through the American Midwest, blurring magical realism with stories like Catcher In The Rye, Of Mice and Men and more.

Mabel's husband passes away and leaves a note for her to find 'D', a special someone in her life. The story follows Mabel's search and the new people she meets along the way, it's a beautiful story that makes you fall in love with the characters.

The realistic twist the author put on a classic Disney story is absolutely brilliant and highly recommend this whole series!

’This is a female text borne of guilt and desire, stitched to a soundtrack of cartoon nursery rhymes.’ ‘This is a female text and it is a tiny miracle that it even exists, as it does in this moment, lifted to another consciousness by the ordinary wonder of type. Ordinary, too, the ricochet of thought that swoops, now, from my body to yours.’ ‘This is a female text, written in the twenty-first century. How late it is. How much has changed. How little.’ ‘This is a female text, which is also a caoineadh: a dirge and a drudge-song, an anthem of praise, a chant and a keen, a lament and an echo, a chorus and a hymn. Join in.’ This is a strange and beautiful book about women telling stories of birth and death across centuries in Ireland. It's about motherhood and grief and longing and language. It is part memoir and part translation of an old Irish story from 1773. When I finished it I felt lucky to have found something so beautiful, and I also felt completely haunted by it.

I love French’s centralisation of Dublin and her highly visual style that engrosses you in to the world of the Murder Squad series. However, I enjoyed this book the most as it presented the kinship between a group of young girls as almost magical in a way that resonated with me so much, increased by an actual supernatural element she involves that draws them closer. I would recommend to anyone even if they’re not in to detective novels, as I believe it’s accessible to people that are interested in lots of different genres.