Women's Book Club

**The Lost Letter Club 📜** A gentle, community gathering for women, centred around letter writing, reflection, and quiet connection. Rooted in soft, Celtic-inspired rituals, the evening opens space for pen, paper and presence. Held in Shellspace, an ethereal bubble filled with wonder and magic 🧚🏻🍭 Thursday 14 May \| 6\.30 PM \- 8\.30 PM Our theme this month is **Impermanence.** *Impermanence reminds us that everything moves, shifts, and changes. Nothing stays the same, not our thoughts, our relationships, or even the versions of ourselves we once were.* What might open if you gave those quiet parts of you time, space, and attention? Through guided prompts and earthy ritual, you’ll be invited to write freely, without pressure, without expectation. **What to expect ✨** * Guided meditation * Celtic-inspired rituals * Curated instrumental music to soften the senses (The Lost Letter Club playlist) * Letter writing * Self-inquiry and sharing element * Tea, chai, chocolate and berries As the evening comes to a close, you’ll be invited to follow what feels right for you: to send your letter, release it through ritual, or place it gently into the *Lost Letterbox* 🌒 🕰️ Only 11 spots left 🕯️. Early bird tickets are still on sale. Click **[here](https://events.humanitix.com/the-lost-letter-club)** to buy your ticket.

Hi Radiant Ladies, See you at the lovely Warran Glen Café for lunch! Lyn 🥂💓

Join the Kingston Music Club Melbourne for an enjoyable evening of group singing and acoustic music. Whether you're a seasoned performer or a newcomer looking to share your love for music, everyone is welcome to join in the fun. Bring your favorite instrument or just your vocal cords, and immerse yourself in the joy of live music. This event is the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow music enthusiasts, exchange song recommendations, and above all, enjoy the magic of making music together! We meet on the second and fourth Thursday evenings of each month at the Dingley-Heatherton Uniting Church Hall, 186 Old Dandenong Rd, Heatherton 3202.

**Unlock Meaningful Connections at Our Speed Friending Event** [LINK TO BOOK](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/group-speed-friending-with-meaningful-conversations-tickets-1985108869065?aff=oddtdtcreator) Ready to step out of your comfort zone and make authentic connections? Join us at *The Bank on Collins* for an exclusive Speed Friending event with structured conversations designed for ambitious professionals and like-minded individuals who are eager to forge meaningful connections - not just small talk. This event attracts a diverse group of individuals who are serious about building friendships and expanding their network. Whether you're a professional climbing the career ladder, a creative pushing the boundaries of innovation, or an entrepreneur chasing your next big idea, you'll find yourself surrounded by like-minded go-getters who think big and dream even bigger. In a world where quality relationships are key to success, we believe that life is better with great people in it. This event is your opportunity to meet dynamic, driven individuals who are all about growth, collaboration, and real conversations. Be prepared to dive deep with thought-provoking questions that foster vulnerability and genuine connections so you can Find Your Tribe. Whether you're a seasoned event-goer or this is your first event, we're here to support you every step of the way. Push past surface-level interactions and start building the kind of relationships that truly matter. **Event Structure:** * **6:30 pm:** Arrive, grab a drink, and mingle. (Tip: Happy hour ends at 6:30 pm, so come early to snag a deal!) * **6:45 pm - 7:30 pm:** 3 rounds of group speed friending. You'll meet 12+ like-minded people ready to connect on a deeper level. * **7:30 pm - 8:00 pm:** Post-speed friending social networking. This is where the magic happens—spend time with the people you vibed with most and start building real friendships. **Investment:** $10. We are for passion, not profit. 50% of your contribution supports the running costs of the group, while the other 50% goes towards The Man Cave, Australia's leading preventative mental health charity for teenage boys and their communities. [Home - The Man Cave - Preventative mental health programs for teenage boys](https://themancave.life/) Link to book: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/group-speed-friending-with-meaningful-conversations-tickets-1985108869065?aff=oddtdtcreator To support the venue, please buy a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) or snack during the event. **Liability Disclaimer:** By attending this event, you acknowledge that you are participating voluntarily and are responsible for your own health, safety, and well-being during the session. *Find Your Tribe Melbourne* and its hosts are not liable for any injury, loss, or damage that may occur. Please take care, be mindful of your surroundings, and participate within your own comfort level. **Photo & Video Disclaimer:** Please note that photos and videos will be taken throughout the event and may be used on our social media channels or other platforms. If you prefer not to be photographed or filmed, kindly inform one of the hosts at the beginning of the event. **Take the leap - join us for a night of transformative connections and step into a community of movers and shakers. We can't wait to meet you!** [LINK TO BOOK](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/group-speed-friending-with-meaningful-conversations-tickets-1985108869065?aff=oddtdtcreator) Instagram: @findyourtribemelb

We'll meet at the spot where Fed Square meets the Princes Bridge over the Yarra (near the pedestrian crossing closest to the river from Flinders St, on the Fed Square side). We'll walk for about 6km along the Yarra River, through the Botanic Gardens and back along the river to Federation Square for a coffee after the walk. This month, we're reading and talking about 'Hollow Air' by Verity Borthwick The blurb: **"Isolation can be hard on a person. It can be hard on the mind, especially when the bush closes in on you in the darkness of night.** In the tin fields of Far North Queensland, Sarah, a fly-in-fly-out geologist, is working alone at a remote mine site. She spends her time in a sort of limbo, never quite fitting into her life at site or back home in Sydney with her fiancé. Strange things keep happening at the mine site, and Sarah can try to explain them away as the ramblings of a lonely mind, but there are dead bodies from a mining accident a century ago at the old Dulcie Ada mine, still buried beneath more than a hundred metres of rock. **A deeply moving novel that explores the friction that comes with the desire to understand the secrets of the Earth coupled with the knowledge that this can exact a toll.**" Goodreads rating: 3.94 How does a walking bookclub work? Like a normal bookclub, we talk about the book, what else we're reading, have read, or want to read (as well as a few tangents into life outside literature!) but we do it while walking around Melbourne and then over a coffee. We often split into smaller groups as we walk, but we also regroup through the walk. Should I read the book beforehand? The conversation will be more interesting if you do, but you can still come along if you haven't finished it yet! Do I need to bring anything? **Comfy** walking shoes, drinking water, some money for coffee or a bite to eat after if you wish. No need to bring the book unless you want to. No shows No shows (RSVPing yes and not attending) mean the group waits unnecessarily for those who are not coming, thinking you are running a little late. It’s absolutely fine to change your rsvp for any reason up until the walk begins, and you don’t need to leave a comment, send a message or give a reason, but if you don't click that 'change rsvp' button, you may be removed from the group. Membership Fee Did you know that while it is free to attend most events, Meetup charges organisers about $600 a year to organise a group? Members of the Walking Book Club are asked to pay a membership fee of $10 per year (not per event) to help cover this cost. When you join the group, you'll be automatically given a three month trial so you can see what the group is like, without needing to make any payment. If you would like to continue attending events after this, please follow Meetup's instructions to pay the $6.50US/approx $10AUD fee once per year (or contact group organisers if you would prefer to make payment using paypal, payID, cash or bank transfer).

For May we’ll be reading “The Butcher” by Jennifer Hillier. As always, if you haven’t read the book or finished, 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 MAY 9 AT 12PM. *Please note the PayPal fee to join is to cover MeetUp admin app costs.

Hi Radiant Ladies, After our morning walk, come and join us at Windchimes Café for coffee, warm conversation, and a lovely relaxed catch-up with your favourite ladies! 🅿️ Easy 2-hour parking right out front. See you there! Lyn ☕💓

Hey girls 💛 Join us on a Sunday for a relaxed afternoon at the Hotel Esplanade. Think ocean views, good chats, and a few drinks to wind down the weekend ✨ 🕒 Time: Sunday, 17th May at 2pm 📍 Location: The Espy, St Kilda Come along for a casual catch-up, meet some new faces, and ease into the week ahead 💫 See you there! xx

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

**Our May novel is: *The Quiet Librarian* by Allen Eskens** **This month’s book is set in the 20th century and mixes historical fiction with suspense and thriller elements. It also centers on women’s stories and relationships. The novel is 368 pages in print or 8 hours and 12 minutes on audiobook.** Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared. Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head\*\*.\*\*