Reading

**[Everything I Never Told You](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693763-everything-i-never-told-you) by Celeste Ng (292 pages)** *Genre: Literary Fiction, Family Drama, Mystery* **Summary:** Lydia is the favorite child of the Lee family, and her parents are determined she will fulfill the dreams they could never reach. But when Lydia’s body is found in a nearby lake, the fragile balance of their family shatters. As the truth of her life and death slowly unfolds, each family member is forced to confront long-held secrets, unspoken expectations, and the weight of silence. Celeste Ng’s stunning debut is a moving exploration of identity, family pressures, and the invisible ties that bind us together. ***Trigger Warning:*** *This book contains themes of racism, sexism, parental pressure, and grief. Please take care while reading.* *** **Join Our Book Club Bingo! 📚💔** For our May pick, we’re diving into an intimate and heart-wrenching family story that blends mystery with emotional depth — with a side of Book Club Bingo, of course! **How It Works:** 🎲 Grab Your Bingo Card: We’ll give you a custom card with prompts and themes from the book. ✅ Mark Your Cards: Tick off squares during our discussion. 🎉 Shout “Bingo!”: First to complete 2 rows, columns, or diagonals wins. 🎁 Win a Book: Two lucky winners will go home with a new read! Expect a night of thoughtful discussion on family expectations, cultural identity, love, loss, and the things we leave unsaid. Come ready to share your reflections and reactions. 📍 *The Dog & Bull (in Surrey Street) in Croydon* 📅 *13th of May 2026 (Wednesday) at 7:00 PM* Are you ready to uncover *everything they never told you*? 🌊📖

**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

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.

Dive into a meaningful **in-person discussion** at the Literature & Theology Reading Group's next meetup as we explore 'The Journalist and the Murderer' by Janet Malcolm. orn in Melbourne in 1939, Gerard Murnane has - in the past two decades - come to be recognised as one of the most innovative novelists working in the English language. His debut novel is a semi-autobiographical account of his coming of age in a Catholic family in rural Australia. **Each session is accompanied by a lecture** from Dr Aidan Cottrell-Boyce, exploring its spiritual and theological significance. Please make sure you have **[sign up for this session](https://londonjesuitcentre.churchsuite.com/events/n2amuy9x)** on our online portal. If you cannot attend in person, you can also [join us online](https://londonjesuitcentre.churchsuite.com/events/o9c67jds) on 22nd April. All are welcome to be a part of this vibrant community dedicated to exploring the intersection of faith and literature!

**This event is supported by The Royal Institute of Philosophy’s [Local Partners Programme](https://royalinstitutephilosophy.org/news/fund-your-event/).** **N.B. this meeting will be held in person in the Prince of Wales pub near Covent Garden. There is also an online session held on Thursday if you are not in London or are not able to attend in-person.** **Important** \- The unabridged translations of this book are over 2\,000 pages\, so we're not recommending you read the unabridged version \- although\, if you want to\, please go ahead\! There are two very popular abridged translations \- Julia Lovell's Monkey King and Arthur Waley's Monkey \- so we'd recommend either of those\. This month, we continue with our fantastical quests and discuss one of the most beloved classics of Chinese literature. We'll explore redemption, virtue, vice and the search for enlightenment in the company of four legendary characters - a monk, a pig, a monster and, of course, Monkey himself. The meeting starts at 7pm with drink breaks at 8 and 9. The discussion will end around 10pm, but leave whenever you need to. Here's the blurb from goodreads.com: A shape-shifting trickster on a kung-fu quest for eternal life, Monkey King is one of the most memorable superheroes in world literature. High-spirited and omni-talented, he can transform himself into whatever he chooses and turn each of his body's 84,000 hairs into an army of clones. But his penchant for mischief repeatedly gets him into trouble, and when he raids Heaven's Orchard of Immortal Peaches, the Buddha pins him beneath a mountain. Five hundred years later, Monkey King is finally given a chance to redeem he must protect the pious monk Tripitaka on his journey in search of precious Buddhist sutras that will bring enlightenment to the Chinese empire. Joined by two other fallen immortals - Pigsy, a rice-loving flying pig, and Sandy, a depressive river-sand monster - Monkey King does battle with Red Boy, Princess Jade-Face, the Monstress Dowager, and all manner of dragons, ogres, wizards and femmes fatales; navigates the perils of Fire-Cloud Cave, the River of Flowing Sand and the Water-Crystal Palace; and is serially captured, lacquered, sautéed, steamed and liquefied - but always hatches an ingenious plan to get himself and his fellow pilgrims out of their latest jam. **Our confirmed 2026 books are:** * January - The Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin * February - The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway * March - The Bell, Iris Murdoch * April - Haroun and Sea of Stories, Salman Rushdie * May - Journey to the West/Monkey - Weng Cheng-En * June - The Odyssey, Homer

Unleash your inner artist, sip your fave drink, and have a blast painting with friends! ## Join Us for Create & Sip- Painting! Get ready for a fun night out with Create & Sip- Painting! Join us in person to unleash your inner artist while sipping on your favourite drink. No experience needed – just bring your creativity and good vibes. It's all about relaxing, painting, and having a great time with friends, family or come on your own. Don’t miss this chance to make some cool art and new memories! Choose either the Giraffes or the Ostriches. Email/message me with your choice once you have booked. What's included: * your 1st drink * all materials and tools * guidance and tips Booking Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/create-sip-painting-tickets-1985054172466?aff=oddtdtcreator

The first rule of WRITE CLUB is that you do not talk ***during*** WRITE CLUB. This very simple meetup is based on the premise that public and peer accountability enables more productive writing than sitting at home and getting distracted by the fridge. We will write/read for an hour in silence. (I will be writing thought experiments for my other meetup group: [THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS](https://www.meetup.com/thought-experiments-in-pubs)) If you'd like to hang out afterwards, or if you prefer just to hang out, I have another event immediately afterwards in the same place :-) You can find that here: [HANGING OUT AT THE SOUTHBANK](https://www.meetup.com/experimentsin/events/313686740) And if you'd like to finish the evening with a dance, there is a free social salsa meetup just outside The Southbank Centre just afterwards. More info [here](https://www.instagram.com/salserosfriends/). **This event will take place in the foyer of The Southbank Centre.** You can find us by looking out for: * A tote bag with WRITE CLUB sewn onto it * My T-Shirt, which will have HANGING OUT embroidered on the back of it * A big red flag with THE SUNRISE CLUB emblazoned on it (though this clearly isn't THE SUNRISE CLUB! If you want to find out about that, you can do so [here](https://www.meetup.com/the-sunrise-club/).) * Other writers - who may be spread out across the centre. They will have white pieces of paper with the WRITE CLUB stamp at the top of the page. There are plenty of places to buy refreshments, but you can also bring your own if you prefer. [WHATSAPP GROUP](https://chat.whatsapp.com/BpMwnRev0H237KMx4uPnek) [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/experimentsingroupwisdom) [SUBSTACK](https://experimentsingroupwisdom.substack.com/) Looking forward to meeting and writing with you :-) Bonny

***"In this complex and terrible development which has carried the epoch of class struggles toward new conditions, the proletariat of the industrial countries has completely lost the affirmation of its autonomous perspective and also, in the last analysis, its illusions, but not its being. It has not been suppressed. It remains irreducibly in existence within the intensified alienation of modern capitalism[.]"*** **\- Guy Debord\, *The Society of the Spectacle*** Welcome back readers! By popular request, we're bringing back (for a new generation of LMRG readers) an old favourite: the always-relevant Guy Debord and his masterful *Society of the Spectacle*. This is meeting two, where we'll be reading the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters. Find the classic text here: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/debord/society.htm Or an alternative, possibly more readable translation here: [https://files.libcom.org/files/The%20Society%20of%20the%20Spectacle%20Annotated%20Edition.pdf](https://files.libcom.org/files/The%20Society%20of%20the%20Spectacle%20Annotated%20Edition.pdf) Often maligned as theorymaxxed nonsense but little-read, this slim volume is certainly dense with ideas - all of which carry as much relevance today as those half-forgotten postwar years when the Situationist International made its mark on the world, if not more. With the rise of the Internet and social media, the decline of literacy and the closing of the mass mind, the endless doom-loop of doomscrolling and bed-rotting, increasingly performative protest, the commodification of everything, the Epstein-approved culture war, and the theatre of spectacular cruelty that is imperialist colonial policy from Gaza to Venezuela, we really are living an age where everything that was once directly participated in has passed into representation. Every hand-grip one searches for to get some kind of grasp on the world seems to be a mirage; "participation" in anything, from politics to culture, has been reduced to fandom - limited to nothing more than expressing approval or disapproval through totally mediated social media platforms. Above it all stands an utterly corrupt, irresponsible elite class more and more transparent in how it relishes in conspiratorial play, power-games with unlimited stakes for us and no consequences for them. Such a world where power wears a shit-eating grin and keeps us off our balance by endlessly[ "flooding the zone"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_the_zone) (in Steve Bannon's terms) with distractions so intricate they short-circuit the collective brain is exactly what Debord not only predicted but described in frightening detail, with more than a little bit of humour. So let's dig in and find out: just what can we do to unplug from the spectacle? Is the spectacle even un-plug-from-able? Debord haters, cope and seethe: as a much more orthodox Marxist than he ever gets credit for, there really are some strategies in here. We just need to be creative. Take care and happy reading!

Our very first meet! Join us at \*a to be determined location\* to discuss The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson! We'll update the event with the location closer to the time. Please come having read the book and is possible with fun/creative discussion questions!

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: August: Osage County, by Tracey Letts [https://drive.google.com/file/d/12c-BAnxdz4mUhbqtWE7llqdx5gAK-Vp1/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/12c-BAnxdz4mUhbqtWE7llqdx5gAK-Vp1/view?usp=sharing) You will need: \- a digital or physical copy of the text \- enthusiasm for theatre

May's Book; Alan Hollinghurst - Our Evenings A fresh, intentional space for readers in East London who take their fiction seriously. We aren't a social mixer that happens to have a book in the background; we are a dedicated circle of six readers who meet once a month to dissect, debate, and celebrate high-quality literature. Why Only Six? We believe the best literary analysis happens when everyone has a seat at the head of the table. By strictly limiting our meetups to 6 people, we ensure: No one is talked over. The conversation stays focused and nuanced. An intimate environment where we can truly get to the heart of the text. The Reading List Our focus is strictly fiction only. We explore the boundaries of the craft, focusing on: Contemporary Literary Fiction (The Booker, International Booker, and beyond). Modern Classics that deserve a second look. Translated Works that offer a different lens on the world. How We Work When: Once a month on a Sunday Where: Carefully selected, quiet spots across East London—from Hackney to Bow—where the atmosphere suits a serious conversation. The Commitment: Because spaces are so limited, we ask that you only RSVP if you are certain you can attend and have finished the book. We dive straight into spoilers and structural analysis from minute one. If you cannot attend, pleaae cancel 24 hours before hand to allow someone else to attend

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! 📖

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! 📖

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.

[Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3351321) Location: The Goat River South 219 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215 Street parking is free on Sundays [Menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/686d3ed16745133042482c5f/t/68ff654dbb03b96875430bde/1761568077220/all_brunch-20250311.pdf) Book summary: On a hot day in Bethlehem, a twelve-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: 'You exist too much,' she tells her daughter. Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer.

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

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!