Reading

Hi everyone, in June our theme was books set in or related to places we’ve recently travelled to. Dust Child was the winner! Synopsis below: Finalist for the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. From the bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, a richly poetic and suspenseful saga about two Vietnamese sisters, an American veteran, and an Amerasian man whose lives intersect in surprising ways, set during and after the war in Việt Nam. "Powerful and deeply empathetic. A heartbreaking tale of lost ideals, human devotion, and hard-won redemption. Dust Child establishes Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai as one of our finest observers of the devastating consequences of war, and proves, once more, her ability to captivate readers and lure them into Viet Nam's rich and poignant history."―Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer and The Committed In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village to work at a bar in Sài Gòn. Once in the big city, the young girls are thrown headfirst into a world they were not expecting. They learn how to speak English, how to dress seductively, and how to drink and flirt (and more) with American GIs in return for money. As the war moves closer to the city, the once-innocent Trang gets swept up in an irresistible romance with a handsome and kind American helicopter pilot she meets at the bar. Decades later, an American veteran, Dan, returns to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, in search of a way to heal from his PTSD; instead, secrets he thought he had buried surface and threaten his marriage. At the same time, Phong--the adult son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman--embarks on a mission to find both his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. Abandoned in front of an orphanage, Phong grew up being called "the dust of life," "Black American imperialist," and "child of the enemy," and he dreams of a better life in the United States for himself, his wife Bình, and his children. Past and present converge as these characters come together to confront decisions made during a time of war--decisions that reverberate throughout one another's lives and ultimately allow them to find common ground across race, generation, culture, and language. Immersive, moving, and lyrical, Dust Child tells an unforgettable story of how those who inherited tragedy can redefine their destinies with hard-won wisdom, compassion, courage, and joy. See you there 🍹 Steph & Christina

The discotheque gets disco-technical at **Rock The Docs**! This double headline bill sees **[Marco Spinello](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-spinello/)**, Technical Writer at [Booking.com](http://booking.com/) showing us how music theory can be applied to documentation, using examples from both his professional and creative life. Following this act, **[Jerry Bartlett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-bartlett-content-pro-tech/)**, founder and principal at [Content Pro Tech](https://www.contentprotech.com/) will demonstrate how the fundamentals of technical writing can be applied to gathering and organising metadata for digital music libraries. These presentations will cover: *Why Git is like a metronome - Why managing stakeholders is not unlike managing band members *Why recording an album is not unlike delivering an MVP - How metadata underpins the algorithms of streaming services *How curating metadata is a key aspect of technical writing work - The difference between descriptive metadata and management metadata **Marco Spinello** tells the story of a disco band that shrank from eight members to a power trio, not unlike a company reorganisation with a built-in product pivot. Music and technical writing have more in common than meets the eye; music theory maps the territory like information architecture, a metronome enforces discipline like git, and song dynamics prevent the "wall of text" effect of very long, very dense docs. **Jerry Bartlett** discusses how uploading his music collection to a NAS drive found him drawing on skills honed during his day job as a technical communicator, and working on striking a balance between the right level of granularity, while making sure to not have ‘too much’ metadata. This event is kindly hosted by [Wise](https://wise.com/). **📅Agenda** **When:** Thursday, 18 June, from 6:30pm **Where:** Wise, 65 Clifton Street, London EC2A 4JE **What:** **18:30 - 19:00** Arrival **19:00 - 19:15** Welcome & Housekeeping **19:15 - 19:20** Short introduction to Wise **19:30 - 20:00** Rocks the Docs by Marco Spinello **20:00 - 20:30** Jerry's presentation **20:30 - 21:00** Networking **📍How to find us**: Please head to Wise, 65 Clifton Street, London EC2A 4JE, from 6:30pm onwards -- one of the friendly Write The Docs London team will be checking guests in. 🌎 **Google Maps**: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/r6zdmeDKhyAbLbaf7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/r6zdmeDKhyAbLbaf7) 📜 **What3Words**: [///lift.send.curiosity](https://what3words.com/lift.send.curiosity) 📷 **Photos:** Please note that the organisers may take some photos for the WTD group.

**Dead Product Society \| After Work Drinks** Come along, bring a friend/colleague or two and join us for a relaxed evening of informal product and tech chats over a few drinks and doughnuts. We aim to connect everyone without awkwardness or LinkedIn spiel, and value good conversation over boring presentations. **Who is welcome?** Product Managers, CEOs, UX/UI Designers, Developers, Scrum Masters etc. We welcome anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product. *Note: We intentionally keep our After Work Drinks on the smaller side to allow for more in-depth conversations.* **The Bike Shed** We'll be hanging out in the lounge area (behind the area with all the tables, next to the store). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Dead Product Society** Dead Product Society is a collective of like-minded professionals sharing real-talk and joining forces to navigate the twists and turns of the product world. Our down-to-earth community is for anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product teams regardless of their background or experience. **Our Sponsors** Shout out to our generous sponsors at Waggel Pet Insurance; Lifetime pet insurance, simplified. With their support we are able to host these events for you and create a space for those important, honest conversations.

Fellow Systematic Traders, we hope your trading fares well! Let us meet for summer drinks. Please join us anytime from 7pm onwards on Thursday 18th June at our 'classic' venue: The Banker, no preparation required, just turn up and talk trading ... directions for those who don't know our usual "Arch" area are at the bottom of this message. All levels of experience are welcome. As always please keep your RSVPs up to date so that we can plan things accordingly. I'd really like to forge a larger organisational team and draw more on members' talents in running this meetup. Then we can have bigger events with more networking, and possibly include pitch sessions and online talks. So do let me know if you can contribute, even in small ways such as taking photos during events. Best wishes from the LST *** PS - Directions to the Arch area within The Banker: Walk into the pub and towards the bar, which will have bartenders in front and to the left. To the right you should see some steps to more private areas. Go up the first set of these and slightly to the left, to reach the "Arch" area. If in doubt, ask a bartender for the area called "Arch 1" / reserved for Nikhil Shenai.

**LeadDev London meetup** 🎟 Please **RSVP BELOW!** 🎟 Join us for our next LeadDev meet-up on June 18th and enjoy an evening of networking and talks. **Date:** Thursday, 18th June **Time:** 6 - 9pm **Location:** Softwire, 315, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Rd, London NW5 1TL Spaces are limited - you must RSVP to attend. We hope to see you there! ⏰ **SCHEDULE** ⏰ 18:00 - Arrival, networking and refreshments 18:30 - Welcome from our host 18:40 - **Unchartered territory: From Engineering Manager to Head of Engineering - Natalie Parker, Head Of Engineering at ENSEK** 19:00 - **Extreme Curiosity: The solution to all of AI's challenges - Andy Huang, Technical Lead at Softwire** 19:10 - Break 19:40 - **Certainty is an illusion - Mary Gudman, Senior Engineering Manager at ENSEK** 20.00 - Networking 21.00 - Close **🎤 SPEAKERS 🎤** **Unchartered territory: From Engineering Manager to Head of Engineering - Natalie Parker, Head Of Engineering at ENSEK** Making the leap from engineering manager to head of engineering is one of the least-documented transitions in a technical career. There's no shortage of advice for moving from senior engineer to tech lead or engineering manager, yet the step up to senior leadership remains rarely documented. It's also the point when your day to day will likely change most significantly from previous roles. This talk is the resource I wish I'd had. I'll walk through the five biggest shifts you'll encounter when moving from managing a single team to leading multiple teams and workstreams: where intentional time management becomes non-negotiable, why "disagree and commit" hits differently at this level, how organisational politics become unavoidable, why you'll need a crash course in product, marketing and finance, and why getting your team right is the foundation for everything else. For each area I'll share practical tips from my own experience, followed by honest advice on how to assess whether this transition is right for you — and how to prepare when the time comes. Whether you're actively considering a move into senior leadership or simply curious about what could lie ahead, this talk will give you an honest, grounded picture of what the role actually demands. **Extreme Curiosity: The solution to all of AI's challenges - Andy Huang, Technical Lead at Softwire** The impact that agentic AI tooling has had on the industry is undeniable, destroying barriers-to-entry and producing immeasurable levels of output. Working applications can be created by non-coders in a matter of minutes in a chat window, and unmanageable numbers of pull requests, issues, and vulnerabilities are demanding the attention of engineers. How does the unrelenting drive to explore digressive questions help us thrive where AI would otherwise threaten our very existence? **Certainty is an illusion - Mary Gudman, Senior Engineering Manager at ENSEK** Most engineering leaders have been here: the company is restructuring, the strategy is shifting, and your team is looking to you for answers you don't have. The instinct is either to project confidence you don't feel, or to be radically transparent in a way that destabilises everyone around you. Neither works. Leading through uncertainty when you're uncertain too is a skill. It can be learned. This is what learning it looked like for me. 🔹 **CODE OF CONDUCT** 🔹 As with our conferences, LeadDev Meetups are a safe and inclusive event for all. By attending, you agree to our **[code of conduct](https://leaddev.com/code-conduct)**. 🔸 **SLACK COMMUNITY** 🔸 You can also join our **[Slack workspace](https://theleaddeveloper.slack.com/)** to keep up with everything in our London community. Join the channel #leaddev-london or #london. 🙏🏻 **THANK YOU** 🙏🏻 Thank you to our London meet-up partner **[Softwire](https://www.softwire.com/)**.

**PLEASE PAY FOR ANY GUESTS YOU BRING!!!!** **Waitlist and Cancellation Policies - Please Read** **\-\-\-Start of Waitlist and Cancellations section\-\-\-** * Please pay before you attend the session, if the situation occurs that there's a waitlist you will be removed from the attending list and added to the waitlist if payment isn't made at least 8 hours before the session start time. * It is solely YOUR responsibility to check your attending and waitlist status for any changes as you will not be notified by any member of staff on real time changes. * If you have been moved to the attending list please pay promptly if payment isn't made within 2 hours of been added to the waitlist your spot will be forfeited to the next person in the waitlist if applicable. Changes in attending and waitlist will happen in two hour intervals till the last two hours which then it will change to a one hour interval. E.G 8,6,4,2,1 * Any members that have been moved from the waitlist to the attending list and cancel will be charged 50% of the full member fee of the session. * Any members that cancel from the waitlist will not be charged. * We have a 24 Hour late cancellation policy, if you cancel any session within 24 hours from its start time, you will be charged the full standard member amount for the session which if you have not already paid regardless if a replacement is found or not. Existing payments will not be refunded within this time period. * Any cancellations done more than 24 hours before the session start time will be refunded or not charged. * All Late cancellations are classified as you holding a potential spot that another member could have had so you will be charged accordingly on this principle. * Failure to pay your late cancellation fee before your next session will result in revoked access from future games till its paid off. **\-\-\-End of Waitlist and Cancellations section\-\-\-** This is an all levels badminton SRP session hosted by Kevin.O @ Brentwood Centre CM15 9NN **Session:** This session has a runtime of 2 hours starting from 20:00 to 22:00 (24 clock format). **Shuttle type**: The shuttle type used will be feathers (Sheer Yellow) **How to get there:** Visual Directions: https://www.sweatyracketplayersbadminton.co.uk/directions/brentwood From the town centre you can take bus 61 to blackmore from Bus Stop High Street (Stop B) to Pilgrims Hatch Leisure Centre (5 Stops) \*\*From Brentwood railway station you can take 60 to Warley way, Eagle way (StopID: esxgajgd) to Pilgrims Hatch Leisure Centre (7 Stops) **Payments:** All payments can be made via direct bank transfer here please add **"Your name - SRP Badminton or Your name - date of session"** as a reference when you send the payment. We have a 24 Hour cancellation policy, if you cancel within 24 hours from game time payment will still have to be made, failure on payments will result in revoked access from future games till its paid off. Please pay for any guests you bring. **Session Fee:** £10.00 pp (Per Person) **Account Name:** Bolaji Olakitan **Account No. :** 75191151 **Sort Code:** 04-00-03 **Bank:** Monzo The Host will organise people into new pairs before each new game to avoid repetitive games and allow everyone to play as many matches as they can. Please bring your own racket, appropriate clothing and a refillable water bottle there is an available water fountain and a vending machine. any questions or concerns please email [sweatyracketplayers@gmail.com](http://sweatyracketplayer@gmail.com/) or text message 07990330521.

The foundational adventure story of Western literature and the quintessential hero's journey. Homer's Odyssey follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on his ten-year voyage home from the Trojan War — past Cyclopes, Sirens, vengeful gods and treacherous seas — while his wife Penelope holds off a houseful of suitors and his son Telemachus goes searching for him. We're reading the E.V. Rieu translation for Penguin Classics, which turned the poem into vivid, pacy English prose and has been a gateway to Homer for millions of readers since 1946. Timely with Christopher Nolan's film adaptation landing this July. Look forward to discussing at the Metronome.

For June 2026 we are reading “Most Important Arab Novel of the 20th Century” , Season of migration to the North . Considered a classic of postcolonial literature, the novel explores the impact of British colonialism and European modernity on Sudanese culture and identity. It’s a haunting, layered story about belonging, displacement, and what it means to live between two worlds . We are meeting on the 20th of June at 2 pm at SHOT Marylebone to discuss it .

Welcome to our Epping book club — a welcoming space for people who love reading, meaningful conversation, and meeting like-minded book lovers. We’ll explore a mix of thought-provoking fiction, contemporary favourites, and empowering reads, creating engaging discussions in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Our meet-ups will take place at The George and Dragon on Epping High Street, the perfect cosy venue to unwind, connect, and share perspectives. There’ll be plenty of options to enjoy during the evenings too, including tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks, and non-alcoholic options, so everyone feels comfortable and included. Whether you’re an avid reader or just getting back into books, everyone is welcome! This is not a paid event, though we do ask that you purchase a copy of the book we will be reading.

Please join us to enjoy *The Jane Austen Experience* in London! Discover Regency England in the heart of London through immersive exhibits, interactive experiences, and live storytelling. **We will meet shortly before the event outside of the venue**. The Meetup organisers purchased their tickets for the **12:20pm slot on the 20th June (Saturday).** Tickets are available, so please book yours as soon as you can! Looking forward to meeting you in person and enjoying the experience and the gift shop. [https://janeausten.co.uk/pages/jane-austen-experience-in-london](https://janeausten.co.uk/pages/jane-austen-experience-in-london)

**This is an opportunity for you to meet native English speakers and get lots of conversation practise and see some London sights** **Our walk starts at**:- Richmond station (District, Mildmay lines, National lines), we'll Meetup just outside the exit on the left in the small photo. We'll **start walking at 11am** or soon after. I'll try to post a Location Sharing link to help you keep track of me or catch up, especially if you're late to the start. Toilets are near the station. Our walk is Richmond to Barnes Bridge. I estimate we'll be walking for about 3½hours **The walk ends at**:- Barnes Bridge Rail station, and for those that want to, we can go to a nearby tavern. The train station is National Rail, I'll be using one of the three bus routes outside the station to get home **About the walk**. Basically the walk is fairly flat with steps here and there, the surface is generally hard concrete/stone/tarmac/road, soil etc. i.e. varied. I'll try to post some photos beforehand to give you an idea. Please post your photos too :)

Alt ladies London go to a post punk/ goth biography book reading! Hi everyone, save the date and join us for a literary/goth-punk day! **Mark "Max" Freeth**, vocals from the Goth Rock, Deathrock band **Ausgang** will be reading from his musical biography book, *Ausgang: Scarred Lips*. And this is not all, Martin Oldgoth & DJBen (from the club night Mondlicht) & Mortasha Kinski (The Belfry) will be spinning some cool goth, post-punk tunes in the afternoon. We can hang, chat, groove, buy a book (cash only) and generally soak up the beat poet vibes 🦇𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋♡🪶 We will meet at the venue at 12:30. The book reading starts at 1pm, and the event finishes at 5pm. Can't wait to see you there, Darinka**🖤** **𖤝 The Other Place (downstairs at The Albany)** \- 240 Great Portland Street\, W1W 5QU **𖤝 To purchase books - cash only** This is a women only event, feel free to bring female friends. If you would like to join the WhatsApp group, please contact an organiser.

**A special Saturday afternoon workshop session from 3pm for those who find weekday evenings challenging.** In our regular feedback workshops, we have three writers sharing a sample of their writing for constructive critique, advice and encouragement. Critique is always constructive and moderated by your host. You learn more by listening to the writing of others and the feedback their piece receives on the night than you can imagine. We've been running these sessions since 2010 and there's a reason they fill up so fast! For people reading, pieces must be **3,500 words or less** as you'll have about 45mins for reading and discussion on your excerpt from around the table. Most people bring 3,500 words from their novel or a short story of all genres and styles. If you'd like to read, please **post a comment below**. *Please don't ask to read until you have booked your ticket to attend.* If you are reading, **please bring enough printed copies (at least 10)** of your pages so members can make additional feedback/editing notes for you during the reading. All copies will be returned to you after the feedback has concluded. New members are always welcome in these groups. Most people come along to a few sessions before offering feedback, commenting or requesting to read but it's up to you. If you want to read right away, great, but if you want to come along and see how we roll first, that makes sense too. Again, you'll be surprised by how much you can learn from others by listening to the pieces and their feedback. **TICKETS:** £15.00 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Ticket price pays for venue fees, planning, hosting and organising which involve time and effort. A community of 4,500+ writers takes time to manage. **PLEASE NOTE:** Refunds or credits will only be provided if the workshop is cancelled by us. We cannot offer refunds or credit for another session if you decide not to attend. Please change your RSVP if you can't be there. We often have people on the waiting list and we'd hate for others to miss out. Location: The Artillery Arms, 102 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8ND. Grab a drink and find us in the private room upstairs. Closest stations are Old Street and Barbican. Try the official Meetup app to receive last-minute updates and notifications about our events as they happen to your phone. [Download it now](https://www.meetup.com/apps/). These workshops are hosted by me, Lisa Goll, Boss Lady at London Writers' Cafe. I'm a publishing professional with more than twenty years of working within the publishing industry. Since 2010 I've been programming and hosting LWC workshops for fiction writers. See more about [me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagoll/) or Insta me @LisasShare @LondonWritersCafe Question? Post a comment below.

Welcome, readers! Our June read is ***Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible*** ***Voyage*** **by Alfred Lansing.** A work of nonfiction, and one of the most astonishing survival stories in history, we follow Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew after their ship is crushed by Antarctic ice. Stranded in one of the harshest environments on Earth, the men endure months of isolation, freezing temperatures, and near starvation—yet refuse to give up hope. Lansing brings their ordeal to life through vivid detail and firsthand accounts, capturing both the brutality of nature and the resilience of the human spirit. At its core, the story is a powerful testament to leadership, perseverance, and the unbreakable will to survive against impossible odds. 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 **all** **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Welcome, readers! Our July read is ***A Short Walk Through a Wide World*** *by Douglas Westerbeke*. We'll follow a young woman bound by a mysterious condition that forces her to keep moving across the globe. As she journeys through vibrant cities, quiet landscapes, and centuries of time, each stop reveals new connections, fleeting relationships, and deeper questions about belonging. The novel blends adventure with introspection, exploring what it means to search for home when you can never stay in one place. It’s both a love letter to the vastness of the world and a poignant meditation on identity, memory, and human connection. 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!

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

You might check out the [Columbus Book Festival](https://www.columbusbookfestival.org/) the weekend prior! Celebrating Pride Month and Juneteenth [Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3366564) We're going some place new! (to us) Location: [Tupelo Honey](https://tupelohoneycafe.com/) 1678 W. Lane Ave., · Columbus, US [Menu](https://tupelohoneycafe.com/columbus/menu/) Book summary: A singular and stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation, the refuge they find in each other, and a betrayal that threatens their existence

Come join us to discuss our July pick "Tusk Love" by Thea Guanzon! Book description: A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars. “A true delight of a book! Spicy and heartfelt—this one is a winner all around.”—Katee Robert, author of Neon Gods As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure. Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack. Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise. Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance. Written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life.

Join us to discuss our August read, Dire Bound, as we paint small canvases! Book description: Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this spicy, page-turning romantasy where humans and direwolves forge unbreakable bonds and fight for survival at all costs. Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them. Meryn Cooper has always hated the Bonded, elite warriors who form mental links with the massive, vicious direwolves they ride. While they live in luxury, Meryn struggles to keep her family out of poverty. When her little sister, Saela, is kidnapped—stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting—Meryn’s world falls apart. Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army and is thrown into the deadly Bonding Trials, where any mistake will cost her life. Now Meryn must survive four months of training at the castle. She is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her cold and beautiful instructor, Stark Therion, is eager to punish any weakness. Everything is a competition, and everyone is out to get her—everyone except the dangerously handsome crown prince, whose attention adds another target to her back. In the castle, every smile hides a knife…and the halls hide dark secrets. It’s bond or bleed. Duel or die. Failure is ruin.

This month we’ll be reading Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel. Feel free to come even if you don’t finish the book!