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Original poster

Book club...?

228 replies

clairesparkle · 07/11/2009 17:48

Does anyone belong to/know of/want to start a book club in Bristol? I've had a bit of a google and most I've found are closed to new members. I'm in Long Ashton but as long as it's an evening thing, can travel (a bit!)

Thanks!

OP posts:
MrsWembley · 15/05/2012 14:33

Spero You can put your whiteboard over the big screen tv - I'm sure no-one will mind...

MrsWembley · 16/05/2012 19:56

GrinGrinGrin

exexpat · 16/05/2012 20:55

Martha Kearney was talking about this on the world at one today - it's on iplayer, right at the end of the programme, around 42 minutes in.

She was asking about bookclubs on twitter earlier, so I replied about my old book club - and she used my tweet. See if you can guess which was mine...

Spero · 17/05/2012 15:19

Thanks for that link exexpat, now following them on twitter so I don't miss another trick. I have already killed one book club by suggesting wildly unsuitable turgid text so here's hoping I am not a book club albatross.

bookwormthatturned · 19/05/2012 23:04

Rats, I won't be able to make it on the 28th, but AM still up for book club and will be watching out for any updates on book choices / future dates.

... I've now got a small voice in my head saying 'the first rule of book club is: you do not talk about book club!' Grin

Enjoy the wine bar!

exexpat · 24/05/2012 12:33

This thread has gone very quiet. I hope lots of you are still planning to be at the wine bar on Monday, or I shall be sitting there with my books and glass of wine (and maybe a packet of pombears for identification purposes?) all by myself.

By the way, how are we going to recognise each other? I don't have the MN haircut/scarf/whatever...

MrsWembley · 25/05/2012 20:05

I was wondering at the quietness, but I just put it down to RL.Grin

I shall either have a packet of Pom Bears by my glass or, if I'm late, I shall wander in with a sign asking for directions to the naice ham...

boopbedo · 27/05/2012 08:19

I'm coming! I bet we'll easily figure who it is we're meeting

Lamazeroo · 27/05/2012 18:03

What time are we meeting? My baby is currently going to bed between 8.30 and 9 so I probably won't be able to pop out til then, but this weather is making him sleepier, so you never know.

exexpat · 27/05/2012 18:08

7.30 was the time mentioned further up the thread, but if 8pm or later suits more people, that's fine by me.

Looking at the website, the wine bar seems to have rather a nice garden/terrace, so shall we aim to be out there if the weather is still like this tomorrow?

I will be carrying at least one book, which may make me identifiable.

BobblyGussets · 27/05/2012 19:07

Sorry to hi-jack, is anyone still interested in the Abbott's Leigh meet up rather than Clifton?
I noticed SaggyHairyArse, Claire Sparkle and a few others were up for that initially, so if anyone wants to do Abbott's Leigh, I could do that as I am in Portishead.

exexpat · 27/05/2012 19:42

Couldn't you make it as far as Clifton? It's only another 5 mins drive from Abbot's Leigh.

BobblyGussets · 27/05/2012 20:33

No, I am Portishead, so it would be 1/2 hour drive, Suspension Bridge etc rather than the 10 minutes.

Thanks for the encouragement, exexpat, but I just know I wouldn't make the time and I don't want to waste your time.

Happy book club though, I hope you enjoy it.

BobblyGussets · 27/05/2012 20:35

And I'd want to go on the piss in Clifton too.....

boopbedo · 28/05/2012 11:36

See you there at 8 then and I'll have a book under my arm in the garden

exexpat · 28/05/2012 12:34

OK, are we going for 8pm then? And are Spero, Lamazeroo, xkcdfangirl, Tercear and Dolcegusto still coming?

xkcdfangirl · 28/05/2012 17:50

Yes I'm still coming. 8pm will be slightly easier too. I guess I'll clutch a book too so as to be identifiable. See you later!

Lamazeroo · 28/05/2012 18:05

So we're carrying books are we? I'll most probably be there later than 8, as my DS is a champion non-sleeper and doesn't usually go down until well after 8, usually closer to 9. I guess I'll wander in and look for a table of women with books - keep the books visible please!

Spero · 28/05/2012 18:20

I will be there with a book or possibly ipad

MrsWembley · 28/05/2012 19:20

I'll be there with a glass of wine...

MrsWembley · 28/05/2012 19:20

If my two yr old goes to sleep, that is...

exexpat · 29/05/2012 10:39

Great to meet everyone last night.

So, for the benefit of Dolcegusto and anyone else who wanted to join but couldn't make it last night, we are planning to meet the last Monday of the month (so next one June 25th), venue to be decided but preferably a pub with a garden and easier parking than Clifton, and we are reading Persuasion this month.

Did we agree that future books are to be decided by putting suggestions in a hat and pulling one out? With possible vetos for books anyone has read too recently (or Middlemarch, anything by Will Self etc).

Spero · 29/05/2012 10:50

Brill, it's in the diary. I am afraid I have no idea re venue unless everyone wants to come to Southville, there are a couple of places on North Street with big outside bits, parking not great but certainly better than Clifton.

xkcdfangirl · 29/05/2012 15:18

It was great to meet and lovely to have some time out of the house with wine!

If it's south-of-the-river's turn, how about Grounded on Bedminster Parade. I go there regularly during the day as it's quite child-friendly, but is also open into the evening. There is usually parking spaces free on the other side of the road by the library, and a car park on the north corner by the roundabout (plus it's walking distance for me and probably for Spero too). They do have an outside area at the back, not quite as pretty as last night's. I asked the staff whether it would be OK when I was there at lunch time today and they said it's usually extremely quiet on a monday night (they have live music at the weekend and on wednesdays) but that there is another group of some kind who regularly meet there on the last monday of the month so if we particularly want the outside tables they would advise us to reserve them in advance (which they would be fine with).

The suggestion I made for choosing next month's books was to put suggestions into a hat and then pick out two so that we can have a brief discussion at the end and choose which one appeals more to most of us (allowing there to be some right of veto in case of russian victorians).

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