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
1848454120 
Year 2016
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Resource type: Physical
Note: Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do. You'd like to get to know Grace better. But it's difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart. Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn't work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows. Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.
384 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
1785760459 
Year 2017
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Zaffre
Resource type: Physical
Note: Racing breathlessly from uncharted CIA prisons to the skyscrapers of Dubai, from stormbeaten oil rigs off the African coast to the ancient caverns beneath the city of Naples, Marc Dane returns in the explosive new thriller from the internationally bestselling author of 'Nomad'.
564 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
0241295424 
Year 2016
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Content type: Short story
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Resource type: Physical
Note: There's something nasty in suburbia. In these deliciously dark tales, the daily commute turns into a nightmarish game of hide and seek, the loving wife hides homicidal thoughts and the concerned citizen might just be an infamous serial killer. In the haunting world of Shirley Jackson, nothing is as it seems and nowhere is safe, from the city streets to the country manor, and from the small-town apartment to the dark, dark woods.
176 pages ; 20 cm (hbk)
0593080580 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Bantam Press
Resource type: Physical
Note: Most weapons do what you tell them. Most weapons you can control. But what if the most dangerous weapon in the world isn't a smart missile or a stealth submarine or even an AI computer programme? What if it's a 17-year-old boy with a blisteringly brilliant mind, who can run rings around the most sophisticated security services across the globe, who can manipulate that weaponry and turn it against the superpowers themselves? How valuable would he be? And what wouldn't you do to get hold of him?
307 pages ; 24 cm (hbk)
140912004X 
Year 2010
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Orion
Resource type: Physical
Note: Freshly promoted to the Major Crimes Unit, Faraday is thrown into the deep end with the investigation of prison officer Sean Coughlin's murder. Was the violent Coughlin killed by a recently released con he brutalized in prison? Or is his death a legacy of a more savage violence from 20 years before? Originally published: 2003. Originally published: 2003 Freshly promoted to the Major Crimes Unit, Faraday is thrown into the deep end with the investigation of prison officer Sean Coughlin's murder. Was the violent Coughlin killed by a recently released con he brutalized in prison? Or is his death a legacy of a more savage violence from 20 years before?
432 p. ; 20 cm (pbk)
1862075867 
Year 2003
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Granta
Resource type: Physical
Note: Originally published: New York: Random House, 2001. In 'Reading Chekhov' Janet Malcolm takes on three roles: literary critic, biographer and journalist. Her close readings of the stories and plays are interwoven with episodes from Chekhov's life and framed by an account of a recent journey she made to St. Petersburg. Originally published: New York: Random House, 2001 Includes bibliographical references
209 p. ; 20 cm (hbk)
024139449X 
Year 2019
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Resource type: Physical
Note: An unnamed country is leaving the darkness of a decade at war, and to commemorate the armistice the government commissions a new road connecting two halves of the state. Two men, foreign contractors from the same company, are sent to finish the highway. While one is flighty and adventurous, wanting to experience the nightlife and people, the other wants only to do the work and go home. But both men must eventually face the absurdities of their positions, and the dire consequences of their presence.
179 pages ; 23 cm (hbk)
0241247470 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Content type: Bibliography
Publisher: Allen Lane
Resource type: Physical
Note: The phrase 'skin in the game' is one we have often heard but have rarely stopped to truly dissect. It is the backbone of risk management, but it's also an astonishingly complex worldview that, as Taleb shows in this book, applies to literally all aspects of our lives. As Taleb says, 'Never trust anyone who doesn't have skin in the game. Without it, fools and crooks will profit and their mistakes will never come back to haunt them'. In his inimitable style, Taleb pulls on everything from Antaeus the Giant to Hammurabi to Donald Trump to Seneca to the ethics of disagreement to create a jaw-dropping tapestry for understanding our world in a brand new way.
xiii, 279 pages, illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm (hbk)
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
0349419310 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Piatkus
Resource type: Physical
Note: The universe is conspiring against Ava Breevort. As if flying back to Phoenix to bury a childhood friend wasn't hell enough, a cloud of volcanic ash travelling from overseas delayed her flight back home to Boston. Her last ditch attempt to salvage the trip was thwarted by an arrogant Scotsman, Caleb Scott, who steals a first class seat out from under her. Then over the course of their journey home, their antagonism somehow lands them in bed for the steamiest layover Ava's ever had. And that's all it was - until Caleb shows up on her doorstep. When pure chance pulls Ava back into Caleb's orbit, he proposes they enjoy their physical connection while he's stranded in Boston. Ava agrees, knowing her heart's in no danger since she barely likes Caleb and his existence in her life is temporary. Not long thereafter Ava realizes she's made a terrible mistake because it turns out Caleb isn't quite so unlikeable after all.
361 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
0857637339 
Year 2016
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Resource type: Physical
Note: Zack and Lara have superpowers. Luke has new school shoes and a burning sense of resentment. He knows that aliens disguised as gym teachers are about to attack Earth but will anyone listen? No. So one dodgy pact with a self-styled supervillain later, and Luke is ready to save the world.
297 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)
0099568292 
Year 2015
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Young Arrow
Resource type: Physical
Note: In book two of the 'House of Robots' series, it's 'bot brains versus 'bot brawn in an all-out war! Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez and his 'bro-bot' E are making new friends every day as E works as his bedridden sister Maddie's school proxy. But disaster strikes when E malfunctions just in time to be upstaged by the super-cool new robot on the block - and lo. Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez and his 'bro-bot' E are making new friends every day as E works as his bedridden sister Maddie's school proxy. But disaster strikes when E malfunctions just in time to be upstaged by the super-cool new robot on the block - and loses his ability to help Maddie. Now it's up to Sammy to figure out what's wrong with E and save his family!
316 pages, illustrations (black and white) ; 20 cm (hbk)
0099568268 
Year 2014
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: Young Arrow
Resource type: Physical
Note: It was never easy for Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez to fit in, so he's dreading the day when his genius mom insists he bring her newest invention to school: a walking, talking robot he calls E - for 'Error'. Sammy's no stranger to robots - his house is full of a colourful cast of them. But this one not only thinks it's Sammy's brother - it's actually even. It was never easy for Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez to fit in, so he's dreading the day when his genius mom insists he bring her newest invention to school: a walking, talking robot he calls E - for 'Error'. Sammy's no stranger to robots - his house is full of a colourful cast of them. But this one not only thinks it's Sammy's brother - it's actually even nerdier than Sammy. Will E be Sammy's one-way ticket to Loserville? Or will he prove to the world that it's cool to be square? It's a roller-coaster ride for Sammy to discover the amazing secret E holds that could change his family forever - if all goes well on the trial run!
316 pages, illustrations (black and white) ; 20 cm (hbk)
0008172110 
Year 2017
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Resource type: Physical
Note: Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything. One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted - while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she's avoided all her life.
485 pages ; 23 cm (hbk)
0571342736 
Year 2018
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
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 ; 23 cm (hbk)
0718188721 
Year 2017
Language: English
Media class: Hardback
Content type: Bibliography
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Resource type: Physical
Note: The Greek myths are the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. In Stephen Fry's hands the stories of the titans and gods become a brilliantly entertaining account of ribaldry and revelry, warfare and worship, debauchery, love affairs and life lessons, slayings and suicides, triumphs and tragedies. You'll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia's revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis. Thoroughly spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry's 'Mythos' perfectly captures these stories for the modern age - in all their rich and deeply human relevance.
ix, 416 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates, illustrations (black and white, and colour), maps (black and white, and colour) ; 24 cm (hbk)
0241971543 
Year 2015
Language: English
Media class: Paperback
Edition: Revised edition
Content type: Bibliography
Publisher: Penguin Books
Resource type: Physical
Note: James Wallman explains and analyses why 'stuffocation' is the most pressing problem of our time - and then goes in search of its solution. On the way, he goes down the halls of the Elysee Palace with Nicolas Sarkozy, up in a helicopter above Barbra Streisand's house on the California coast, and into the world of the original Mad Men.
ix, 357 pages ; 20 cm (pbk)