English Books & Literature

Join us for 30 minutes Spanish conversation then 30 minutes in English Conversaremos 30 minutos en español y luego 30 minutos en inglés. Stay on afterwards for more conversation if you wish. Quédate después para conversar más si lo deseas. We'd love to catch up with you and hear your news in Spanish and English. Looking forward to meeting you there. Nos encantaría pasar el tiempo y escuchar tus historias en español e inglés. Esperamos verte allí. NB: This event includes free salsa and bachata lessons for those interested! 💃🏼🕺💃🏼🕺 ***Please note:*** *For attendance outdoors see disclaimer below:* *By participation in this Spanish English Intercambio Meetup today I agree to do so at my own risk. I know that my attendance and this agreement operates to exclude any liability in negligence for harm that I may suffer. I have been warned that this recreational activity may cause physical harm to me or to someone under my control or accompanying me, and I confirm that I do not have a condition, medical or physical, that could prevent me from, or be aggravated by, participating in this activity. Examples of the risks I have been warned about include: tripping; Tripping, slipping and falling • Collision with someone or something • Something giving way unexpectedly • Back injury, strains • Spillage and burns • Trip hazardBites and stings • Sun • Injury from falling branches*

**🙋‍♀️**Welcome to FREE FRIDAY Social + language ​exchange meetup. Meet people from many countries and make new friends. 👉We always have MANY people attending our Friday event since this event is listed in 3 different meetup groups. Some people come early some come late, best time is between 6:30pm to 9:30pm. 👉This is a great opportunity to learn to speak English with native and non-native speakers. Many English speakers, Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and other Asians attend our fun and friendly party. 👉It is suitable for international students, working holiday people, professional ex-pats, and local Australians.

Jacket Bar!! New bar open in High St Thornbury offering a cosy vibe with live Spanish guitar music this Friday 24 April. I’ve been there and it’s lovely. Finish off the week and start the weekend sipping on your favourite drink(non alcoholic too) while connecting with other like minded women keen to meet new friends. With live Spanish guitar music and flamenco 💃 entertainment and Happy Hour prices until 8pm it’s a fab night out. (Eat before hand as limited food available) HAPPY HOURS @ JACKET $10 Aperol Spritz $10 Pints $10 Glasses of Wine $18 Negroni & Old Fashioned WED-THURS 5pm - 8pm FRI-SUN 3pm - 8pm Would like to book a table so please RSVP if you’re coming along. Cost:$5 (Meetup organiser fee) Payment can be made through PAYID when making your RSVP. PAYID: 0417 387 640 A Rodriguez Hope to see you there 🤗

**This Meetup account will be deleted soon**, but the **Language Exchange hosted by JAPANEASY will continue to be held every week**. **★Notice: JAPANEASY Meetup Account Closure★** Hello everyone, Thank you very much for always joining JAPANEASY’s Language Exchange events and cultural workshops. We are writing to inform you that the JAPANEASY Meetup account will be closed in the near future. Please rest assured that JAPANEASY will continue to run events and programs as usual. If you are interested in our upcoming activities, please visit the links below: (1) **Language Exchange** https://japaneasy.com.au/events/language-exchange/ (2) **Cultural Workshops** https://japaneasy.com.au/workshops/ (3) **Japanese Lessons (Group courses & Private lessons)** https://japaneasy.com.au/courses/ (4) **日本語教師養成講座** https://japaneasy.com.au/courses/日本語教師養成講座/ We sincerely appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing you at our future events. Warm regards, JAPANEASY \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- JAPANEASY Japanese Language & Culture Learning Centre Tel：0422-266-308 Address：Level 1, 183 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Email：[reception@japaneasy.com.au](mailto:reception@japaneasy.com.au) Website：[www.japaneasy.com.au](http://www.japaneasy.com.au/) Facebook：[http://www.facebook.com/EasyPeasyJapaneasy](http://www.facebook.com/EasyPeasyJapaneasy) Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/japaneasymel/](https://www.instagram.com/japaneasymel/) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

Hi Radiant Ladies, Join us for a refreshing Saturday walk at Ruffey Lake Park. 👭 Walk at your own pace 🐕 Dogs welcome ☕ Coffee after 🌦️ We walk every Saturday (unless it’s pouring) New ladies welcome. See you! 
Leanne & Lyn 💕

Come meet us in the burbs in April! For those of you who may be joining us for the first time, we have no set reading list, "homework" or assigned book. We want to hear about what you like to read! Come along and **tell us about up to four** of your recently read and/or to be read books and hear about what we're all reading too! Whilst we encourage all readers, given the nature of the discussions that we have our meetups aren't suitable for children under the age of 14. **Please note that as advised in our email and post of November 14th 2024 our fees have increased from $5.00 to $6.50 per person per meetup. This is due to [Meetup.com](http://meetup.com/) doubling the organiser fees for meetup groups. We now pay at least $50 a month to have a Meetup site (unfortunately this cost fluctuates due to Meetup charging us in USD). All fees go towards paying the meetup fees. This can only be accepted via the Meetup site and we do not accept cash on the day.** Similarly, if you are planning to attend, please RSVP on the Meetup site. RSVPs can be made right up until the moment the event starts, we are unable to accept cash on the day or attendances from those who have not RSVPd as we need to plan for attendance numbers and space. We also ask that you purchase something from San Churro on the day as we are taking up their space. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you've got any questions. Happy reading and see you then!

For April we’ll be reading “Mad Mabel” by Sally Hepworth. As always, if you haven’t finished the book, or haven’t had a chance to read the book- please still join us for a wine with some like-minded ladies! I ask that you please only RSVP if you are absolutely committed to attending, and please update ASAP if you decide not to attend. This means that everyone who really wants to come can join us! RSVP OPENS SATURDAY APRIL 18th AT 12PM. *Please note the PayPal fee to join is to cover MeetUp admin app costs.

**人是为了活着本身而活着的，而不是为了活着之外的任何事物而活着。** **墨尔本中文文学读书活动之《活着》（余华）** * 书籍类型：当代小说 * 《中国时报》十大好书奖、《亚洲周刊》二十世纪中文小说一百强、「豆瓣读书TOP250」NO.2 * 日期：2026年4月26日，礼拜日，3:00-5:00PM * 地点：墨尔本 Nunawading Community Hub，Meeting Room 3 **作者简介：** 余华。作家。1960年4月出生，1983年开始写作，主要作品有《兄弟》《活着》《许三观卖血记》《在细雨中呼喊》《第七天》《文城》等。其作品被翻译成40多种语言在40多个国家和地区出版，曾获意大利格林扎纳·卡佛文学奖（1998年）、法国文学和艺术骑士勋章（2004年）、法国国际信使外国小说奖（2008年）、意大利朱塞佩・阿切尔比国际文学奖（2014年）、塞尔维亚伊沃·安德里奇文学奖（2018年）、意大利波特利·拉特斯·格林扎纳文学奖（2018年）等。 **组织简介：** 墨尔本中文文学读书会。旨在为热爱中文文学的读者提供一个开放、包容且富有启发性的交流平台。通过共同阅读与讨论中文文学作品（包括中文原著及优秀中文译作），我们希望： 1. 激发成员的阅读兴趣与思考深度； 2. 促进文化与思想的交流； 3. 建立一个有温度、有连结的中文阅读社群。

**🎲Board Game Morning: Games, Friends & English Practice!** Join us for a relaxed and fun-filled morning of tabletop gaming! Whether you're a grandmaster or have never picked up a dice, this is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, build friendships, and practice your English skills in a friendly, casual environment. **🍱What to Bring** To keep the energy high for all those winning moves, please **bring your own lunch** to enjoy during the event. Date: 25 April 2026 Saturday Time : 10am - 1pm Venue : 552 City Road, South Melbourne

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. 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! 📖

Posting this early because seemingly all Sundays in May are holidays or busy! I picked a shorter thriller that's hopefully a fast read/listen. [Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3458940) Location: Grandview Cafe, *1455 W. 3rd Ave*, Columbus, OH 43212 [Menu](https://www.grandviewcafe.com/menu) Book summary: Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He's got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy -- despite the fact that he's suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair. Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he's not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he's almost sure he sees her being kidnapped.

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.

Join us for a cozy evening of books and conversation. 🗓 Tuesday\, May 12 \| 6:30 p\.m\. Hilliard Branch \| 4500 Hickory Chase Way Schedule 6:00 p.m. – Book sale opens 6:30 p.m. – Author talk 7:15 p.m. – Audience Q&A 7:30 p.m. – Book signing It’s a great chance to pick up a new book, hear an author’s perspective, and share the experience with a community of readers.

This month we’ll be reading Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. Feel free to come even if you don’t finish the book!

Love getting lost in a good book? [The Book Loft](https://www.bookloft.com/) of German Village is an iconic independent bookstore packed with hard-to-find literary treasures! This isn’t your run-of-the-mill bookstore; it’s a 32-room literary wonderland that would make even the most seasoned bibliophile’s head spin (one of the largest in the country)! **MEET**: We'll gather outside the storefront and then start browsing... **DESSERT**: We'll grab some famous macaroons to start our foodie tour. [Pistacia Vera](https://www.pistaciavera.com/) is a delicious bakery and cafe in the German Village. This charming shop is especially known for its classic macarons. **LATE LUNCH:** *After we browse the bookstore maze, let's gather for the best traditional Jewish deli in town, [Katzingers!](katzingers.com) Choices include stacked Reubens, hot pastromi on rye, chicken salad, macaroni salad, knish, chicken soup, NY cheesecake, and dozens of other sandwiches and sides!* **PARKING**: Street parking all around here. Check the parking time limit. The bookstore and the foodie stops are all on 3rd Street within 4 blocks on the same side of the street.