Three clubs, free to join, the book at ten per cent off, and a bookseller who has read it in the chair
Book clubs
The Thursday fiction club, the Sunday non-fiction club and the teen club on the first Saturday of the month: free to join, ten per cent off the month's book, one of us chairing, the café open for the evening ones, and the book chosen by the members from a shortlist. The clubs page has each one, its next book and whether there is a seat.
A book club with a bookseller in the chair is a different thing from one in a living room: somebody has read everything the author wrote, knows what the reviews missed, and can get the next book on the table by Thursday. Three clubs, each twelve people at most, each choosing its own books from a shortlist we draw up, each free.
The Thursday fiction club meets on the first Thursday of the month at seven and reads novels, old and new, with a bias towards the ones that start arguments. The Sunday non-fiction club meets on the second Sunday at eleven with coffee and reads history, nature, science, memoir and whatever a member can make a case for. The teen club, for thirteen to seventeen, meets on the first Saturday at four with squash and biscuits and is chaired by Rhodri, who reads more young-adult fiction than is probably healthy.
Membership is free; the only cost is the book, at ten per cent off, and you may read it from the library if you prefer. Each club is capped at twelve so everyone speaks, and when a club is full we keep a waiting list and open a second group if the list reaches eight, which is how the Sunday club began. The clubs page has the next three books for each and a seat count.
What is included
- Three clubs: Thursday fiction, Sunday non-fiction, the teen club
- Free to join; the book at ten per cent off
- A bookseller in the chair who has read it
- Twelve members at most; a waiting list when full
- The next three books listed for each club
- Wine, tea and cake from the café on club nights
What it costs
Free. The month's book at ten per cent off. Twelve members a club; a waiting list when full. The café serves wine, tea and cake on club nights. The staff picks shelf says what we are reading this month; the order page gets you any book in print by the next working day.
Questions about book clubs
Do I have to have finished the book?
No, and you will not be the only one. We ask that nobody minds spoilers after the first ten minutes.
Can I start a club?
If you have six people and a theme (a Welsh-language club has been suggested twice), talk to Ceridwen. We provide the room, the chair and the discount.
Any book in print, by tomorrow. Tell us the title.
Title, author or ISBN on the order page, at the counter, by phone or by email: we order it this afternoon, text you when it is in and hold it a fortnight. Nothing to pay until you collect; posted anywhere in Britain for £2.95, free over £25.