English Books & Literature

Unlike the usual BYOB format of this group, this is an **assigned reading format.** **You are expected to have read some of the book** to join the discussion :) I am excited to finally read this book, its an award-winning, one of the most highly rated non fiction books across Goodreads/Amazon and for good reason! About the book: # "In vivid detail... examines the little-known history of two extraordinary dynasties."--The Boston Globe An epic, multigenerational story of two rival dynasties who flourished in Shanghai and Hong Kong as twentieth-century China surged into the modern era, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Shanghai, 1936. The Cathay Hotel, located on the city's famous waterfront, is one of the most glamorous in the world. Built by Victor Sassoon--billionaire playboy and scion of the Sassoon dynasty--the hotel hosts a who's who of global celebrities: Noel Coward has written a draft of Private Lives in his suite and Charlie Chaplin has entertained his wife-to-be. And a few miles away, Mao and the nascent Communist Party have been plotting revolution. By the 1930s, the Sassoons had been doing business in China for a century, rivaled in wealth and influence by only one other dynasty--the Kadoories. These two Jewish families, both originally from Baghdad, stood astride Chinese business and politics for more than 175 years, profiting from the Opium Wars; surviving Japanese occupation; courting Chiang Kai-shek; and losing nearly everything as the Communists swept into power. In The Last Kings of Shanghai, Jonathan Kaufman tells the remarkable history of how these families participated in an economic boom that opened China to the world, but remained blind to the country's deep inequality and to the political turmoil at their doorsteps. In a story stretching from Baghdad to Hong Kong to Shanghai to London, Kaufman enters the lives and minds of these ambitious men and women to forge a tale of opium smuggling, family rivalry, political intrigue, and survival. Note: ***location subject to change **but we'll keep it nearby. *You **must** buy something at the venue. *** First timer attendees **are requested to contribute 20HKD to fund the Meetup Group Subscription. *No-Shows make the host sad (please update your attendance)

THE DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT TO CONFIRM SPOT IS 15 MAY 2026. We welcome members who CAN PLAY FROM STARTING 3 FAANS(POINTS) TO WIN, to join us this time. (If you know little about rules and scoring, not familiar with the characters and playing strategies you are recommended to join the meetup for beginners first). Exact meeting point will be shared in chat group. Each spot costs $198(including teaching fee, venue and facilities rental and one non-alcoholic drink) REQUIREMENTS : 1. As we need to confirm booking of the tables in advance, please send payment to confirm your spot no later than 15 May 2026. Once paid your spot will be confirmed by host. $198 via PayMe or FPS to tel # 91784798 (please sent notification). 2. The payment is non-refundable for whatever reason, unless otherwise stated. 3. We aim at having 2-3 tables, 4 players each table. Any extra people who paid but can't form a table will be refunded. 4. As we need 4 people to form a table and do the game, to be fair to players on your table no late arrival or early leave please. 5. In order to be fair to all players, English speaking in the game is required. 6. If you want to bring any guest not registered, please agree with the host first, as we need to control the number of players and people the venue can accommodate. No extra chair will be available for the guest though. 7. Any person "no show" or do not follow all the requirements here will be removed from this group. 8. Any guest(s) you bring "no show" or do not follow all the requirements here you will be removed. We advise your guest to sign up himself/herself. 9. Please note we will not play with money as the locals do.

Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life. 開卷有益！大家最近有冇讀到一啲好書呢？不如出黎分享下讀書心得呀？參加呢個讀書活動，分享好書，分享喜悅。😊 有興趣參加可以WhatsApp我：95182994

(Partner's Event) English Corner Time: Every Wed, Fri & Sun 19:00 - 23:00 Location: The Crazy Coconut Bar, ShenZhen Longhua Baishilong, 3rd floor, 3N100, Above Metro Exit B2 (BaiShiLong Metro Station) 瘋狂酒吧， 深圳龍華白石龍地鐵站B2上方，3樓 Refer to the picture for details on the BBQ Sat event.

Star Road Language Exchange 🌃 . *Update: Click Attend and get $20 discount! . Welcome to Star Road Language Exchange. In this group, everyone is a star! :) . Enjoy learning a new language or meet new friends in a relax atmosphere. . We try to organise every week. Looking forward to seeing you. :) . Time: Sunday 5:15-7:15 Place: Rizzy Coffee, LKF, Central , HK (G/F, LKF 29, 29 Wyndham St, Central Hong Kong) https://maps.app.goo.gl/pVyy1Hbj8i95QR227?g_st=ic . Entrance Fee: $40 (Plz buy at least 1 drink!) Click Attend and get $20 discount! . Proposal 😂 17:15 Star Rd Lang Ex 19:15 Dinner together . Whatsapp (65078638) me for any enquiries . Check out Star Road Language Exchange on Meetup https://meetu.ps/c/4vfpY/xy0yQ/a . #HK #English #friends #language

🍷飯後睇戲・輕鬆配對夜 工作再忙，也要留一點時間給自己。這個下午，我們先享受一頓美味 Tea，再一起去睇戲，讓電影成為彼此交流的橋樑。 「專業以外，遇見心動」 活動時間：預計 14:00 - 20:30 (\*視乎電影上映時間調整安排) 費用：$350 (包下午茶餐及電影) ✨ 活動亮點 •⁠ ⁠輕鬆氛圍：不用刻意表現，專業人士也能自在放鬆 •⁠ ⁠自然互動：心理輔導與溝通技巧巧妙融入，幫助你更容易打開話題 •⁠ ⁠以浪漫形式及有深度話題：令電影帶來共鳴，交流更有火花 💡 適合你 •⁠ ⁠想在繁忙工作之餘，認識志同道合的異性 •⁠ ⁠希望提升人際溝通力，讓交流更順暢 •⁠ ⁠想在輕鬆環境中，找到專業與生活的平衡 Interested parties please join to our \*\* [WhatsApp Group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/FCBdnusno62F2WhuEwO2wV?mode=gi_t) to register!

Sports Chanbara Regular Class (Sunday) Sports chanbara is a free-style Japanese combat sport, which originated from Kodachi Goshindo (Self-defense with a short sword). We would like to introduce this new sport to Hong Kong. Please join us and be a Samurai. Dress code: Sport Attire The session will include the following: Warm-up exercise Basic Japanese Dojo manners Sports Chanbara Basic movement (Kihon Dosa) Attaching Techniques Blocking Techniques Basic Movements of Dodging Sparring Date: Each Sunday Time: 2000-2200pm Location: 6/F, Activity Room, Tai Kok Tsui Sport Centre Fee: $600 per 4 classes Others: Attendee no need to bring/buy any helmet or gear and coach will borrow the gears for attendee use during class. For reservation, please message/call Stephen Sensei at 61762261 https://wa.me/85261762261 To find out more, please visit our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HongKongSportsChanbara Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/sports_chanbara_hong_kong/

The DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT to CONFIRM SPOT is 15 MAY 2026. FIRST PAY FIRST SERVED. We invite members who are beginners(who needs to learn from zero, or not familiar with rules, characters of tiles, counting of faans/points...) in mahjong playing to join us. Normally it takes around 5 classes, depending on your progress and if you feel ready, before going to advanced level of learning. Any beginner who finished beginner course may be invited to join my mahjong club where you will have a group of learners to practise and play with. The exact location to meet will be advised later. Each spot costs $310(including fee and venue rental, and one non alcoholic drink) REQUIREMENTS : 1. As we need to book the tables in advance, anyone who signed up needs to *confirm spot with payment no later than 15 May 2026*. Once a person has paid $310 via PayMe or FPS to tel # 91784798 (please notify), his/her spot will be confirmed by host. 1. The payment is non-refundable for whatever reason, unless otherwise stated. 1. We aim at having 2 tables, 4 players each(not including teacher). If at the end we have more than 4 but fewer than 8 people, we will refund to those paid beyond 4 in order. Any payments beyond 8 spots will also be refunded. 1. As we need at least 4 people to form a table and do the game, in order to be fair to all players, no late arrival or early leave please. 1. In order to be fair to all players, English speaking in the game is required. 1. If you want to bring any guest not registered, please agree with the host first, as we need to control the number of players and people the venue can accommodate. No extra chair will be available for the guest though. 1. Any person "no show" or do not follow all the requirements here will be removed from this group. 1. If your guest(s) is "no show" or does not follow all the requirements here, you will also be removed from this group. We recommend your guest(s) to sign up himself/herself. 1. Please note we will not play with money as the locals do.

Hi all, join us for the 33rd BreakFast Club: Weekend Edition. BreakFast Club : Gingko Moment 銀杏時光 Date : Sun, 17 May 2026 Time : 9:00am & 10:00am Location : G/F, 7 Greig Road, Kornhill MTR : Tai Koo Exit B Reviews : https://www.openrice.com/en/hongkong/r-gingko-moment-tai-koo-international-organic-food-r502513 Google Map : https://maps.app.goo.gl/iGMGomB88BPuSnse6

New comer, let’s learn to play magic: the gathering. The oldest & most popular TCG, magic: the gathering have over 50k different cards in the pool, fantasy storyline also super fun in gameplay and deckbuilding. Competitive & casual game style can be fulfilled. And its free! Join us in the mtg world! Please WhatsApp 6704 2789 Zen

**Our May novel is: *The Quiet Librarian* by Allen Eskens** **This month’s book is set in the 20th century and mixes historical fiction with suspense and thriller elements. It also centers on women’s stories and relationships. The novel is 368 pages in print or 8 hours and 12 minutes on audiobook.** Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared. Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head\*\*.\*\*

The theme for May is Thriller. • The book we will be discussing is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. (determined by votes from April Book Club. Let me know if you'd like a free digital copy of the book) • This event will be at the main library. Feel free to come whether or not you've started or finished the book. • Small snacks will be provided. You're welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Let me know if you’d like to volunteer to bring snacks or drinks for the group.

Welcome, readers! Our May read is **_Kindred_ by Octavia E. Butler.** The story follows Dana, a Black woman living in 1976 California, who is suddenly pulled back to a Maryland plantation before the Civil War. She learns her survival is tied to a white slaveholder’s son. Forced to move between centuries, she must endure the brutal realities of slavery while fighting to hold on to her identity. Tense, intimate, and unforgettable, Kindred explores how the past refuses to stay buried. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

This month we’ll be reading Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. Feel free to come and chat even if you don’t finish the book!

By popular demand, the group wanted to read and discuss the semi-autobiographical novel by Henri-Pierre Roche, that inspired the Truffaut movie we watched last year. The book is available through the Columbus Library's interlibrary loan system. They reported there are twenty-eight copies available in the state of Ohio. If you have a library card, you can file an interlibrary loan request here: https://www.columbuslibrary.org/library-services/ . There are also used copies available on Amazon and eBay for under twenty dollars. You may want to rewatch the movie after reading the book, so we can compare and contrast in our discussion. The Columbus Library has four copies on DVD, and it's streaming on HBOMax.

Join us for our May Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Cantoras](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)*[ ](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)by [Caro de Robertis](https://caroderobertis.com/bio/) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.