The Secret of the Blue Lake by Marcy Blesy

At what point do you make a decision so radical that it hurts those you love but saves yourself, if only for a moment in time?

The only true certainty in life is dying, but there’s a whole lot of life to live from beginning to end if you’re lucky.

When Chicago news reporter Meg Popkin’s dad makes a surprise move to a tiny town called Blue Lake, Michigan, in the middle of nowhere and away from his family after losing his wife to cancer, she wonders if there is more to the move than just a change of scenery.

With the help of a new, self-confident reporter at the station, Brian Welter, she tries to figure out what the secret attraction to Blue Lake is for its many new residents and along the way discovers that maybe she’s been missing out on some of the joys of living herself.

• Welcome – A gentle ease-in, because we understand socialising can sometimes feel like a high-stakes interview. Grab a drink, settle in, and meet your fellow book lovers. No pressure, no pop quizzes, just good conversation.

• Book Review – A brief and lively (or possibly chaotic) discussion about this month’s book. Read the whole thing? Fabulous. Read half and then Googled the ending? Also valid. Barely made it past page 10? No one’s judging, your insight is still welcome, and honestly, we've all been there.

• Book Swap - Wrap-up to two of your old books, add a tag with the genre and swap them at the event.

If you’re a woman in your 20s or 30s and fancy an evening of book chat, cultural musings, and potentially forming lifelong friendships over a shared love of fictional characters—this is your kind of thing.

The Fine Print (Not That Fine, Really)

So you’ve been publicly shamed, by Jon Ronson

For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made a joke on social media that came out badly, or made a mistake at work. Once their transgression is revealed, collective outrage circles with the force of a hurricane and the next thing they know they're being torn apart by an angry mob, jeered at, demonized, sometimes even fired from their job. A great renaissance of public shaming is sweeping our land. Justice has been democratized. The silent majority are getting a voice. But what are we doing with our voice? We are mercilessly finding people's faults. We are defining the boundaries of normality by ruining the lives of those outside it. We are using shame as a form of social control. Simultaneously powerful and hilarious in the way only Jon Ronson can be, So You've Been Publicly Shamed is a deeply honest book about modern life, full of eye-opening truths about the escalating war on human flaws - and the very scary part we all play in it.

• Welcome – A gentle ease-in, because we understand socialising can sometimes feel like a high-stakes interview. Grab a drink, settle in, and meet your fellow book lovers. No pressure, no pop quizzes, just good conversation.

• Book Review – A brief and lively (or possibly chaotic) discussion about this month’s book. Read the whole thing? Fabulous. Read half and then Googled the ending? Also valid. Barely made it past page 10? No one’s judging—your insight is still welcome, and honestly, we've all been there. We will be revisiting this book in April as well having a book swap.

• Alfresco dining - Bring your food and drink.

If you’re a woman in your 20s or 30s and fancy an evening of book chat, cultural musings, and potentially forming lifelong friendships over a shared love of fictional characters—this is your kind of thing.

The Fine Print (Not That Fine, Really)

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.

They have almost no money for food or shelter and must carry only the essentials for survival on their backs as they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter, and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.

The Salt Path is an unflinchingly honest, inspiring and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt, and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways

• Welcome – A gentle ease-in, because we understand socialising can sometimes feel like a high-stakes interview. Grab a drink, settle in, and meet your fellow book lovers. No pressure, no pop quizzes, just good conversation.

• Book Review – A brief and lively (or possibly chaotic) discussion about this month’s book. Read the whole thing? Fabulous. Read half and then Googled the ending? Also valid. Barely made it past page 10? No one’s judging—your insight is still welcome, and honestly, we've all been there. We will be revisiting this book in April as well having a book swap.

• Alfresco dining - Bring your food and drink.

If you’re a woman in your 20s or 30s and fancy an evening of book chat, cultural musings, and potentially forming lifelong friendships over a shared love of fictional characters—this is your kind of thing.

The Fine Print (Not That Fine, Really)

The Sweetheart Killer

Stevie spends her time stalking her ex boyfriend James. She knows everything about him, but when James’s mistress is murdered, Stevie wonders if she is innocent as keeps blacking out. But as the investigation unfolds, there turns out to be more victims. Who really is capable of murder?

• Welcome – A gentle ease-in, because we understand socialising can sometimes feel like a high-stakes interview. Grab a drink, settle in, and meet your fellow book lovers. No pressure, no pop quizzes, just good conversation.

• Book Review – A brief and lively (or possibly chaotic) discussion about this month’s book. Read the whole thing? Fabulous. Read half and then Googled the ending? Also valid. Barely made it past page 10? No one’s judging—your insight is still welcome, and honestly, we've all been there. We will be revisiting this book in April as well having a book swap.

• Alfresco dining - Bring your food and drink.

If you’re a woman in your 20s or 30s and fancy an evening of book chat, cultural musings, and potentially forming lifelong friendships over a shared love of fictional characters—this is your kind of thing.

The Fine Print (Not That Fine, Really)