Reading

[Last Argument of Kings](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/944076.Last_Argument_of_Kings) (The First Law #3) by Joe Abercrombie 📖 536 pages Genre: Fantasy • Grimdark • Epic Fantasy Summary: The end is here—and it won’t be clean. Last Argument of Kings brings the First Law trilogy to its explosive conclusion. War consumes the North. The Union trembles under siege. Old debts are called in, long-laid plans come to fruition, and the true cost of ambition is finally revealed. Logen Ninefingers must decide what kind of man he really is. Glokta navigates a crumbling political landscape where survival depends on choosing the right master. Jezal is forced into a role he may not be fit to play. And Bayaz’s grand design—patiently constructed over decades—comes into devastating focus. Abercrombie delivers a finale that refuses easy answers. Power has a price. Justice is rarely fair. And sometimes the last argument of kings is simply who survives to tell the tale. Expect twists, reckonings, and consequences that linger long after the final page. *** Join the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series Squad! 🗡️📚 We’re wrapping up The First Law trilogy together—one last month to debate loyalties, question motives, and decide whether grimdark fantasy has ruined traditional heroes for good. *** How It Works: 🪐 Series Focus: This month’s read is Last Argument of Kings, Book 3 and the epic conclusion to the trilogy. Threads converge, masks fall, and we finally see what this story has truly been building toward. 🙌 No Pressure Zone: Finished it? Fantastic. Still catching up? Come anyway. We’ll dive into the ending, character payoffs, shocking revelations, and whether the journey was worth the bloodshed. *** 📍 Join us at the Dog in Croydon on the 29th of April 2026 at 7:00 PM Raise a glass to fallen heroes, surviving schemers, and a trilogy that proves sometimes the sharpest weapon is the truth.

Hi all, arranging our first book swap of the year! If you’d like to attend, please bring a book that you think highly of (or maybe one you want rid of!) and give a short summary. Once we’ve all shared we’ll then go around and pick the book we’d like to choose. Please be prepared to give your book up in exchange for someone else’s. We’ll draw numbers to see who goes first, second etc. Looking forward to seeing what everyone brings! Christina 🍾

April is the time for recycled reads! This means that books we voted on before but didn't make the cut now can be chosen again! The winning book is: * The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Get it now!

Let's read Modern Standard Arabic together and help each other. This get-together continues weekly. Please disregard attendee numbers, as most members come without registering here. There is no charge for this time together.

Kennington Book Club Pick #1: The Merge Thank you to all of you who have joined the group. For our very first read together, I thought we could dive into The Merge by Grace Walker. This book is set in a near-future world facing overpopulation and climate collapse. To address this society introduces a radical solution: merging two people into a single consciousness. But what begins as a bold fix quickly raises deeper questions about identity, love, and what it really means to be human. Looking forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts - I’m hoping this one should give us a lot to talk about. If it helps you to have something to focus on while you’re reading, you could think about: - Where do you draw the line between sacrifice and loss of self? - Who should have the power to make decisions like this? - Is this a solution… or a warning? Going forward we’ll pick the next read together at the end of each meet up. Happy reading! Rachael

For our second April meeting, we will read Jane Sanderson's 2020 novel, *Mix Tape*. The book is her fifth and was made into a television series in Australia that later aired on BBC2. This '[t]ouching, peppily nostalgic love story' set in Adelaide is a 'lovely novel, delicately drawn, with characters that really linger in the mind and memory.' 'You never forget the one that got away. But what if ‘what could have been’ is still to come?' -Book jacket https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45298339-mix-tape The meeting will be held at Milk Beach Soho. So join us for some Australian fare as we delve into this fun read. N.B. We will be charging an event fee of £3, non-refundable, to discourage no-shows and contribute to the running costs of the group. Please only sign up if you intend to come along as space is limited to make for an effective discussion!

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😁) We will start from Tottenham Court Road, pass Russell Square and finish at King's Cross. We will do 10 bookshops📚📚📚! (So do get your comfy walking boots ready.) 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 up at Tottenham Court Road, outside the Dominion Theatre. Don't worry if you are late, join us in along the walks. Then the tour shall begin! 1: Bookmarks Address: 1 Bloomsbury St, London WC1B 3QE Comment: A niche socialist bookshop for books on politics, cultural & history. 2: Oxfam Bookshop Address: 12 Bloomsbury St, London WC1B 3QA Comment: One of my favour bookshops, books are so cheap at the charity shop. (Some books are even brand new!) 3: London Review Bookshop Address: 14-16 Bury Pl, London WC1A 2JL Comment: A literary magazine-owned book store. (A 12mins walk towards Russal Square Station) 4: Skoob Books Address: 66 The Brunswick off, Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AE Comment: Another of my favourite, one of the biggest second-hand bookshop in London 5: Gay's The Word Address: 66 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AB Comment: A bookshop for books on LGBTQ topics, both fiction and non-fictions. 6: Judd Books Address: 82 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AG Comment: Book in the shelf filled to the ceiling. A lot of hardback books as well with great price. Generally we finish here, then for people who want to stay we usually find somewhere to have food and further discussions in the afternoon. *** Optional: (A 10mins walk towards King's Cross St. Pancras Station) (Feel free to leave here for public transport) 9: Hatchards St Pancras Address: Unit 7, St Pancras International Station, Euston Rd, London N1C 4QP Comment: Claims to be the oldest bookshop in the United Kingdom (Piccadilly store), though owned by Waterstone now. 10: Housmans Bookshop Address: 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DY Comment: A bookshop for new and second-hand publications on progressive politics. (A 10mins walk from King's Cross) 11: Word On the Water - The London Bookbarge Address: Regent's Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW Comment: A quirky bookstore on a canal barge, good place for a picture. (Off Angel Station ) 12: Oxfam Bookshop Address: 48 Upper St, London N1 0PN Comment: Quite a bit distance for walking, though pretty close by public transport. If you like another lucky dip into charity bookshop, why not? *** 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: https://goo.gl/maps/3kENnrMv9tSoZ4xB9

Join us to read through a play, script in hand. You don't need to memorise any lines, but you'll get the chance to read, and bring as much character and performance to your reading as you like. You don't have to read aloud if you don't want to, and there's no expectation of ability - we're an encouraging, good-natured group! Play script: TBC You will need: \- a digital or physical copy of the text \- enthusiasm for theatre

One family’s deepest pain. Another family’s darkest secret. On a hot day in 1960s Maine, six-year-old Joe watches his little sister Ruthie, sitting on her favourite rock at the edge of the blueberry fields, while their family, Mi’kmaq people from Nova Scotia, pick fruit. That afternoon, Ruthie vanishes without a trace. As the last person to see her, Joe will be forever haunted by grief, guilt, and the agony of imagining how his life could have been. In an affluent suburb nearby, Norma is growing up as the only child of unhappy parents. She is smart, precocious, and bursting with questions she isn’t allowed to ask – questions about her missing baby photos; questions about her dark skin; questions about the strange, vivid dreams of campfires and warm embraces that return night after night. Norma senses there are things her parents aren’t telling her, but it will take decades to unravel the secrets they have kept buried since she was a little girl. ————————————— Join us at Brockwell Park, Brixton Water Lane side (weather permitting) to discuss The Berry Pickers in the park! If weathers bad it will be at Canova Hall/The Ferndale.

In this event, we will discuss about a science or philosophy book chosen by London Science and Philosophy Book Club. The attendees will be divided into groups and each of them will focus on a chapter in the book. This month we will discuss about a fascinating book called Heartwarming by Hans Rocha Ijzerman. If you haven't read the book, it's no problem. I will bring you up to speed with the discussion materials. We will meet in a nice lounge area at 6 p.m for introductions. Please come on time so you will not miss out on valuable discussion midway. If you end up in the waitlist, feel free to show up. Book Description: A hot cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa is calming and comforting but how can holding a warm mug affect our emotions? In Heartwarming, social psychologist Hans Rocha IJzerman explores temperature through the long lens of evolution. Besides breathing, regulating body temperature is one of the most fundamental tasks for any animal. Like huddling penguins, we humans have long relied on one another to maintain our temperatures; over millennia, this instinct for thermoregulation has shaped our lives and culture. Temperature contributed to our evolution our upright walking, our loss of fur, and our big brains and now continues to affect our lives in unexpected ways, and the link from a warm mug to our emotions is anything but straightforward. Studies have shown, for example, that a chilly deliberation room can predispose a jury to convict and that a cold day can make us more likely to buy a house. Our mind-body connection works the other way, too: thinking about friendly or caring people can make us feel warmer. Understanding how we subconsciously strive to keep our temperature in an optimal range can help us in our relationships, jobs, and even in the world of social media. As IJzerman illuminates how temperature affects human sociality, he examines fascinating new questions: How will climate change impact society? Why are some people chronically cold, and others overheated? Can thermoregulation keep relationships closer, even across a distance? The answers offer new insights for all of us who want to better understand our bodies, our minds, and each other. Heartwarming takes readers on an engaging journey through the world, seen from the perspectives of coldness and warmth. Agenda: 6 p.m to 6:30 p.m: Introduction and Socializing 6:30 p.m to 9:30 p.m: Book Discussion 9:30 p.m to late night: Drinks, Dinner or Feel free to go home.

*"The blood is the life! The blood is the life!"* (Renfield, Dr. John Seward's patient, in Bram Stoker's Dracula.) **Join LoMAZ for our first interactive series of events in a read-a-long of Bram Stoker's Dracula as the story unfolds over six months...** Dracula Daily is a free subscription newsletter that sends Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula to subscribers via email. The novel takes place within a single calendar year, from May to November. Dracula Daily sends the portion of the novel that occurs each day on the corresponding day. You can read more about it on Wikipedia here: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_Daily](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_Daily) You can sign up for Dracula Daily for free here: [https://draculadaily.substack.com/about](https://draculadaily.substack.com/about) LoMAZ are going to read the book together from the spring to autumn of 2026, with meetup events coinciding with events in the book as they happen. These will include a trip to Whitby in August ([https://www.meetup.com/london-museums-a-z-lomaz/events/314283739/](https://www.meetup.com/london-museums-a-z-lomaz/events/314283739/)) and a trip to Romania in November ([https://www.meetup.com/london-museums-a-z-lomaz/events/314200947/](https://www.meetup.com/london-museums-a-z-lomaz/events/314200947/)). The novel begins on 3rd May, when Jonathan Harker writes that he left Munich on 1st May on his way to meet Count Dracula. The Dracula Daily Read-a-long launch party will start on the day he makes his journey from Munich to Transylvania 🧛🦇😱 **MEET DETAILS:** **FROM 3.00pm:** The Union Jack pub **Address:** 225 Union Street, SE1 0LR [https://maps.app.goo.gl/6BRvJ6h6WcmTxA1c6](https://maps.app.goo.gl/6BRvJ6h6WcmTxA1c6) **GETTING THERE:** **Nearest train stations:** London Bridge, Waterloo and Waterloo East **Nearest tube stations:** Southwark, but Borough, London Bridge and Waterloo are also close. [https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/](https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/) **EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP:** Please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. ***The link can be found in the event comments.*** *Joining this WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group.* **GROUP ETIQUETTE AND RULES:** * LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. Our events usually have an attendee limit to help the host manage the event as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group. However there is no limit on the number of people who can join the Dracula Daily Read-a-long and the launch party. * **However if you can no longer attend, please change your RSVP to 'Not Going' as soon as possible so we can plan for the numbers taking part.** **We remove members from the LoMAZ Meetup group who:** * **RSVP as ‘Going' but then do not show up three times in a row.** * **RSVP as ‘Going' but then change their RSVP to 'No' five times in a row.** * **Are on the Waitlist or who have not RSVPd, but turn up anyway.** **Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ.** Image credit: British Library Board, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Read the Travels of Ibn Battuta in Arabic. The book, The Travels of Ibn Battuta: A Guided Arabic Reader (Paperback) by Inas Hassan (author) and David DiMeo (author), can be bought at Foyles or Waterstones or online: [https://www.foyles.co.uk/book/the-travels-of-ibn-battuta/inas-hassan/9789774167157](https://www.foyles.co.uk/book/the-travels-of-ibn-battuta/inas-hassan/9789774167157) We will cover chapter one. Level: intermediate. This is a monthly event. Note: to make the most of this session, you should read the chapter before hand. Anything you do not understand, we can discuss during the session

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! 📖

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! 📖

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.

Join us for lunch/tea at Asterisk Supper Club to discuss our May book "Under the Oak Tree" by Suji Kim Lady Maximilian is the daughter of the powerful Duke Croyso, but she is rarely allowed outside her family’s sprawling castle for fear that her stutter will tarnish their noble name. When she is forced to marry Sir Riftan, a lowborn knight caught in one of her father’s schemes, Maxi doesn’t dare hope for happiness, let alone love. Her stumbling communication and his gruff manner sour their relationship before it can begin, and Riftan leaves without a word the morning after their vows are exchanged. Now, three years after their disastrous wedding night, Riftan has returned as a war hero. To Maxi’s surprise, despite rumors that he was offered marriage to Princess Agnes, a beautiful and renowned sorceress, Riftan still wants Maxi for his wife. And when he comes to claim her, his longing becomes a desire that bewilders Maxi, even as she is overcome by the scorching heat that Riftan’s presence ignites within her. As she learns to navigate the intricacies of her new life, Maxi will find herself and her courage, and discover that she is anything but powerless.

Join us as we discuss our June pick: Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider! Book description: Even though she's not one of them, Brynn has spent her life among the Alaha, training to be a guard and waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta–the very same people who exiled her adopted community to a life at sea. Going to the market is a rite of passage eagerly anticipated by all young guards, but Brynn does not anticipate breaking a century-long peace treaty while there. Nor does she plan for the intense encounter with an enemy soldier that now threatens to unwind the fragile coexistence between their people–and everything Brynn once believed about herself to be true. Brynn's loyalty to the Alaha is tested when the truth of her identity is brought to light by this soldier who's taken an oath to bring her back to where she belongs. Narrowly escaping death on the violent high seas, Brynn's connection to the Alaha is further tested when she learns about the world of magic she's been denied. She was once certain of her fate and where she belonged, but the dark, knowing eyes of this stranger have her questioning everything, including her heart. Packed with knife fights and seafaring adventure, METAL SLINGER is the smash-hit start to the romantic fantasy duology, the Fire & Metal series