Book Drives London

Fantasy Book Club - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened. Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who. Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood. In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).

Brain Worms 123 / Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick

On the arid colony of Mars the only thing more precious than water may be a ten-year-old schizophrenic boy named Manfred Steiner. For although the UN has slated 'anomalous' children for deportation and destruction, other people—especially Supreme Goodmember Arnie Kott of the Water Workers' union—suspect that Manfred's disorder may be a window into the future. But what sort of future? And what happens to those unfortunates whom Manfred ushers into it? In *Martian Time-Slip* Philip K. Dick uses power politics and extraterrestrial real estate scams, adultery, and murder to penetrate the mysteries of being and time. Available from all good libraries and book shops. You don't have to have read it to join us - but it'll probably help. **We've teamed up with Burley Fisher Book Shop to offer you 10% off Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick. Simply click on the link below and use the code "RIO" to claim your copy of the book:** **[https://burleyfisherbooks.com/products/martian-time-slip](https://burleyfisherbooks.com/products/martian-time-slip)** We will be meeting in The Ludski Bar in the Rio Cinema. [https://www.riocinema.org.uk/your-visit/](https://www.riocinema.org.uk/your-visit/) You are welcome to bring outside food in with you but please buy your drinks from inside the cinema. Thank you. We hope to see you there. ... To join the Brain Worms WhatsApp Group please click here: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EvFibn1d6AsEwdVGmwkhko](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EvFibn1d6AsEwdVGmwkhko) (in order to stop spam bots this will take you to a Waiting Room. Once in please write your name and we will join you to the main chat). Meetup charges subscription fees. If you would like to make a donation please click here: [https://paypal.me/philosophycollective](https://paypal.me/philosophycollective)

Book Club - Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Pls note we are meeting on a Monday. We are reading one of the most influential books of our time that recount memories of survival, human drive and coping with suffering.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, suggested by Sheila

Friendly book group Please remember to change your RSVP if you can't make it so someone on the waitlist can take your slot. New books chosen by popular vote and read 2 months later. We look forward to seeing you there!

Book shop exploring (Liverpool Street → Brick Lane)

In the digital age💻📡📱, do you still like getting a physical book to read? Where do you buy them? Amazon? Waterstone? Blackstone? How about join us for a bookshop crawl, let's try to find some hidden gems of independent bookshops. (Or just tag along for a chat😁) Don't worry, it's not a marathon, don't feel under any obligation to finish all the bookshops. The two hour time is just a guidance, some shops take longer and some are less. If you ever want to stay in one shop for longer (I know, been there, done that😂) feel free to do so, you can join us at other shops. (See itinerary below) Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the shops, so you are not obliged to buy any books, just get whatever you like. *** 📚💃🏼 📖💃🏿☕️ ITINERARY ☕️💃🏾🍷💃🏻🍴📚 We will all meet outside the Liverpool Street Station at street level. Don't worry if you are late, join us in along the walks. Then the tour shall begin! 1: Libreria Bookshop Address: 65 Hanbury St, London E1 5JP 2: Books Iconica Address: The Tea Rooms Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Ln, London E1 6QL 3: Brick Lane Bookshop Address: 166 Brick Ln, London E1 6RU *** Wow, you made it, hopefully you have found some books that will make you happy🎈🎉✨. For people who likes to have more socials or talk more about books (or just to show off your purchases😆), we can find some place for a cup of coffee or a late lunch. *** Google map link for the bookshops: (Not ready yet, will update in the future)

Land by Maggie O'Farrell - Suggested by Sam

Friendly book group Please remember to change your RSVP if you can't make it so someone on the waitlist can take your slot. New books chosen by popular vote and read 2 months later. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Unthinkable Truth by Yona Bouskia (7th Sept 2026)

Long-ish TUESDAY non-fiction: Educated (2018) by Tara Westover

*"A fascinating snapshot of survivalist, rural America and an uplifting tribute to the power of learning, Westover’s memoir charts her journey from a bleak Idaho childhood to a Cambridge-educated academic..."* (Waterstones) If you've been before and would like to help pay for the Meetup group, you can contribute "£1-2" per meeting (now collected around Dec & Jun). This optional payment does not apply to your first meeting and no-one is turned away for lack of funds. General plan: by 7pm some of us should be in the upstairs room at the pub but we usually start by discussing books to read in future in case anyone arrives late. Typically we'll talk about the book until after 8pm, when there's a short break to go to the bar, then any further discussion till after 9, though of course you can leave at any point. The Shirker's Rest takes cards, not cash, and serves a range of soft drinks, wine and spirits in addition to their beer and cider selection [https://theshirkersrest.co.uk/drinks/ ](https://theshirkersrest.co.uk/drinks/)\- they don't have a kitchen but encourage you to order from [https://yardsalepizza.com/menu/](https://yardsalepizza.com/menu/) ..! **COVID-19 safety measures** This is indoors though we should be able to open at least one window. Please do not attend if you feel unwell, or have a positive Covid test/symptoms - you are encouraged to a) be as vaccinated as you can, b) wear a mask if you prefer, c) follow current Covid precautions, especially if you're at risk of passing on or catching the virus.

September's books: I want you to be happy & My sister the serial killer

I want you to be happy by Jem Calder & My sister, the serial killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Join us to talk about two book this time one Romance the other a Thriller. If you read them both come and tell us which one you liked better and if you didn't that's okay come along and listen maybe we can convince you to read the other book . We will talk about one at a time so if you want to only come to half of the meeting that's okay too. " I want you to be happy " will be first. I can't wait to see you there.

September 2026 - State of the Nation - Personality by Andrew O'Hagan

For our September meeting, we will be reading a book from the State of the Nation category of The Guardian's "*[1000 Novels Everyone Must Read](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jan/23/bestbooks-fiction)*" list. The winner of the poll was 'Personality' by Andrew O'Hagan. To find out why this was nominated please see the [discussion page](https://www.meetup.com/1000-books/discussions/?eventOrigin=home_groups_you_organize). You can find our Code of Conduct [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s3kphOY8w_uH_ay5RVpdwVkHgG6O3QYsCZ5wpaE6A1E/edit?usp=sharing)

September | A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

**Agenda:** * 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Introduction and housekeeping * 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm: Book discussion * 8:15 pm - 8:30 pm: Next books

The Big Smug Read 2026 - 'Midnight's Children' by Salman Rushdie