Navigation Like chatting about books? If you like chatting about books, why not join one of the reading groups in Bexley's libraries? New members are always welcome.
Please contact your local Bexley library for more details
We'd love to hear your reading group's book news and reviews. Email will.cooban@bexley.gov.uk
Recent review
0552779105 
Year 2015
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Black Swan
Resource type: Physical
Note: Matilda has the day from hell when she's sacked from her barristers' chambers and then discovers her husband in bed with her best friend. She and her daughter escape to Matilda's mother - an exuberant lawyer whose outrageous take on men, work and family life is the despair of her more conventional daughter. Roxy comes up with a radical plan for the. Originally published: London: Bantam Press, 2014 Matilda has the day from hell when she's sacked from her barristers' chambers and then discovers her husband in bed with her best friend. She and her daughter escape to Matilda's mother - an exuberant lawyer whose outrageous take on men, work and family life is the despair of her more conventional daughter. Roxy comes up with a radical plan for their future - they'll set up a new-style law firm mainly for women.
347 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
0593071352 
Year 2017
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Bantam Press
Resource type: Physical
Note: As a crossword-addicted English teacher, Lucy never expected to be arrested for kerb-crawling. But her autistic 20-year-old son Merlin is desperate to lose his virginity, and a prostitute seems like the only option - only Lucy picks up an undercover policewoman instead. Let off with a suspended sentence, Lucy resigns herself to the fact that her son will never have sex, let alone find love - until the morning she miraculously discovers Merlin in bed with a girl. But is tough, tattooed Kayleigh just taking Merlin for a ride? If so, why? And what has brought Lucy's snake of an ex-husband wriggling back into their lives? As all her best laid plans for Merlin's happiness chaotically unravel, will Lucy ever be able to cut her son's psychological umbilical cord and start to live her own life?
vii, 306 pages ; 24 cm (hbk)
1782113312 
Year 2015
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Canongate
Resource type: Physical
Note: Film tie-in Originally published: as A slight trick of the mind. 2014 It is 1947, and the long-retired Sherlock Holmes, now 93, lives in a remote Sussex farmhouse with his housekeeper and her young son. He tends to his bees, writes in his journal, and grapples with the diminishing powers of his mind. But in the twilight of his life, as people continue to look to him for answers, Holmes revisits a case that may provide him with answers of his own to questions he didn't even know he was asking - about life, about love, and about the limits of the mind's ability to know.
x, 253 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
1786814757 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Bookouture
Resource type: Physical
Note: When teenager Sadie Winter jumps from the roof of her school, her death is ruled as suicide - a final devastating act from a troubled girl. But then the broken body of a young boy is discovered at the same school and it's clear to Detective Kim Stone that these deaths are not tragic accidents. As Kim and her team begin to unravel a dark web of secrets, one of the teachers could hold the key to the truth. Yet just as she is about to break her silence, she is found dead. With more children's lives at risk, Kim has to consider the unthinkable - whether a fellow pupil could be responsible for the murders. Investigating the psychology of children that kill brings the detective into contact with her former adversary, Dr Alex Thorne - the sociopath who has made it her life's work to destroy Kim. Desperate to catch the killer, Kim finds a link between
379p ; 20cm (pbk)
0718157486 
Year 2011
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Resource type: Physical
Note: Jack and Jill are brother and sister. Nobody has ever heard Jack speak, except Jill. They communicate in a secret language that nobody can understand. So what happens when Jill, Jack's mouthpiece to the outside world, has a terrible accident? Could it be the trigger that finally moves Jack to speak? Jill loves her little brother, Jack. She understands what he's thinking, which is just as well because Jack won't speak. There are plenty of things Jill doesn't understand though. Why is her mum dumping her and Jack in the country? Why did her dad leave and she's not allowed to talk about it?
72 p. ; 20 cm (pbk)
0751578371 
Year 2019
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Sphere
Resource type: Physical
Note: A desperate Kremlin takes advantage of a military crisis in Asia to simultaneously strike into Western Europe and invade east Africa in a bid to occupy three Rare Earth mineral mines that will give Russia unprecedented control over the world's hi-tech sector for generations to come. Pitted against the Russians are a Marine lieutenant colonel pulled out of a cushy Pentagon job, a French Special Forces captain and his intelligence operative father, a young Polish partisan fighter, an A-10 Warthog pilot, and the commander of an American tank platoon who, along with his German counterpart, fight from behind enemy lines. Through grand land, sea, and air battles to a small unit fighting hand-to-hand in the jungle, Russia and the US face off in a terrifying but thrilling battle for world dominance - with constant the threat of a Russian nuclear detonation ever present.
xii, 638 pages, maps (black and white) ; 20 cm (pbk)
1509805095 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Content type: Bibliography
Publisher: Picador
Resource type: Physical
Note: 'Wilding' tells the story of a remarkable experiment: the rewilding of the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, the restoration of natural ecological processes, and the stunning recovery of flora and fauna.
xviii, 362 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates, illustrations (black and white, and colour), map (black and white) ; 24 cm (hbk)
1471156346 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Resource type: Physical
Note: '37 years in the force, and if I was allowed to choose just one thing to erase from my mind, what's inside that room would be it.' That's what a LAPD Lieutenant tells Detectives Hunter and Garcia of the Ultra Violent Crimes Unit as they arrive at one of the most shocking crime scenes they have ever attended. In a completely unexpected turn of events, the detectives find themselves joining forces with the FBI to track down a serial killer whose hunting ground sees no borders; a psychopath who loves what he does because to him murder is much more than just killing - it's an art form.
500 pages ; 24 cm (hbk)
0349406588 
Year 2016
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Piatkus
Resource type: Physical
Note: Nothing ever happens in August, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shackleton deserves a break. Heading off for a long-overdue holiday to Whitby, she visits her school friend Alma who works as a fortune teller there. Kate had been looking forward to a relaxing seaside sojourn, but upon arrival discovers that Alma's daughter Felicity has disappeared, leaving. Nothing ever happens in August, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shackleton deserves a break. Heading off for a long-overdue holiday to Whitby, she visits her school friend Alma who works as a fortune teller there. Kate had been looking forward to a relaxing seaside sojourn, but upon arrival discovers that Alma's daughter Felicity has disappeared, leaving her mother a note and the pawn ticket for their only asset: a watch-guard. What makes this more intriguing is the jeweller who advanced Felicity the 30 shillings is Jack Phillips, Alma's current gentleman friend. Kate can't help but become involved, and goes to the jeweller's shop to get some answers. When she makes a horrifying discovery in the back room, it soon becomes clear that her services are needed. Met by a wall of silence by town officials, keen to maintain Whitby's idyllic facade, it's up to Kate to discover the truth behind Felicity's disappearance.
391 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
Reading Groups in Bexley Libraries
Reading groups for adults are held in all Bexley Libraries and meet monthly.
- Central Library - Thursday evenings
- Crayford Library – Wednesday mornings
- Erith Library – Wednesday mornings
- Sidcup Library – Wednesday evenings
- Thamesmead Library – Monday mornings
- Welling Library – Friday mornings
Informal, family friendly “Reader’s Choice” reading groups for parents and carers with babies and toddlers are held monthly at
- Central Library – Thursday mornings
- Sidcup Library – Monday mornings
Welling Library also host an informal reading group called “Book Marks” where members can discuss their latest reads and pass on recommendations. This group meets monthly on Wednesday mornings.
For Jane Austen lovers, there is also a “Jane Austen Reading Group” which meets at Welling Library on alternate Thursday afternoons to learn/discuss all about Jane Austen's life and her novels.
Central Library hosts a reading group for the visually impaired – the group meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 10.30am. Guide dogs welcome.
For more information about any of these groups, when the next meeting will be held or how to join, please contact the library or visit our Regular Events for Adults Page
Bexley’s Online Reading Group
Bexley Book Buzz is the new online book group from Bexley Libraries. Hosted on the Goodreads website, it’s the place to swap tips about great reads and new authors to try and to catch up on the latest book news. Why not sign up and join in?
Its quick and easy – just click on the link below to sign up and then verify your email address to get started.
Reading Groups recommend…
From classics to crime to contemporary fiction, our book groups love discovering different things to read and passing on their recommendations.
The Central Library Reading Group have just recommended “The Colour” by Rose Tremain.
Joseph and Harriet Blackstone emigrate from Norfolk to New Zealand in search of new beginnings and prosperity. But the harsh landscape threatens to destroy them almost before they begin.
“We loved this book… it was a well written & captivating novel about hardship and hope in 1860’s New Zealand. It’s reflecting Colonial settlements and the Gold rush with a presence of Maori mysticism. A brilliant read!”
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Recent rating
1471170314 
Year 2019
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Resource type: Physical
Note: "First published individually as ebooks, titled New beginnings at the Star and Sixpence, Christmas kisses at the Star and Sixpence, Cosy nights at the Star and Sixpence, Last words at the Star and Sixpence in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd., 2018, 2019"--Title page verso It's September and the new season is bringing change to the village of Little Monkham. Nessie has moved in with the lovely Owen and his son Luke, leaving her sister Sam next door in their renovated pub, the Star and Sixpence. But is all change for the good? Sam and Joss have gone their separate ways and he's left Little Monkham for good. New chef Gabriel Santiago is causing a flutter among the women of the village but Sam is determined not to make the same mistake again and keeps things strictly business between them. But an inconvenient attraction to Gabe is the least of Sam's worries when an unexpected visitor arrives at the Star and Sixpence.
455 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
150985861X 
Year 2017
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Picador
Resource type: Physical
Note: Adam Kay was a junior doctor from 2004 until 2010, before a devastating experience on a ward caused him to reconsider his future. He kept a diary throughout his training, and 'This Is Going to Hurt' intersperses tales from the front line of the NHS with reflections on the current crisis. The result is a first-hand account of life as a junior doctor in all its joy, pain, sacrifice and maddening bureaucracy, and a love letter to those who might at any moment be holding our lives in their hands.
267 pages ; 23 cm (hbk)
1405921749 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Resource type: Physical
Note: Originally published: UK: Michael Joseph Major Tom Fox is dispatched to East Berlin to bring home a traitor who defected to escape justice. But it's clear that there's more at stake than an old man wanting to return home to face the music. Powerful forces on both sides of the Iron Curtain stand to lose if the defector is given his day in court. Fox soon finds that in the upside-down world of Cold War Berlin he's operating alone in the enemy's backyard, unsure of who he can trust. And if Fox is going to succeed in his mission, let alone escape with his life, he will need to draw on skills learned during a past he's trying to forget.
453 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
1786090333 
Year 2019
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Windmill Books
Resource type: Physical
Note: Originally published: London: William Heinemann, 2018 2017 - the time of Trump, Brexit and fake news. And time for the return of Steven Stelfox, exactly 20 years on from his Britpop heyday. Now 47 and rich beyond the dreams of avarice, Stelfox works only occasionally as a music industry 'consultant'. A fixer. A problem solver. He's had a call from his old friend James Trellick, now president of Unigram, one of the largest record companies in America. Trellick has a huge headache on his hands in the shape of Lucius Du Pre. With stealth and cunning Stelfox begins to chart a road out of the nightmare and to make a killing in the process. For this age of 'American carnage' - of populism, of the lowest common denominator, of the Big Lie - is truly Stelfox's time to shine. But in this time of uncertainty, nothing is a given.
341 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
0571334644 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Resource type: Physical
Note: Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years. This is an exquisite love story about how a person can change another person's life - a simple yet profound realisation that unfolds beautifully over the course of the novel. It tells us how difficult it is to talk about how we feel and it tells us - blazingly - about cycles of domination, legitimacy and privilege.
266 pages ; 23 cm (hbk)
0571338755 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Resource type: Physical
Note: In this unnamed city, to be interesting is dangerous. Middle sister, our protagonist, is busy attempting to keep her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. But when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle, and rumours start to swell, middle sister becomes 'interesting'. The last thing she ever wanted to be. To be interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous.
348 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
0241371007 
Year 2019
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Limited
Resource type: Physical
Note: Popular BBC TV presenter Chris Bavin is a resourceful home cook who uses his freezer efficiently, makes the most of leftovers and prides himself on producing healthy food fast for his young family. In this, his first solo cookbook, he shares over 100 simple recipes and his approach to no-fuss home cooking so you too can save time.
252 pages, illustrations (colour) ; 24 cm (hbk)
0241355214 
Year 2019
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Content type: Bibliography
Publisher: Allen Lane
Resource type: Physical
Note: Originally published: New York: Tim Duggan Books The signs of climate change are unmistakable even today, but the real transformations have hardly begun. We've been taught that warming would be slow - but, barring very dramatic action, each of these impacts is likely to arrive within the length of a new mortgage signed this year. What will it be like to live on a pummelled planet? What will it do to our politics, our economy, our culture and sense of history? And what explains the fact we have done so little to stop it? These are not abstract questions but immediate and pressing human dramas, dilemmas and nightmares. In 'The Uninhabitable Earth,' David Wallace-Wells undertakes a new kind of storytelling and a new kind of social science to explore the era of human history on which we have just embarked.
310 pages ; 24 cm (hbk)