Our famous Book & Bottle Book Club meets monthly at the wonderful Harvey Leonard’s Wine & Ale. New members are always welcome to join us on the first Monday of the month for fine wine, good people and excellent book chat. It’s free to join, all we ask is that you buy the book from us, and we’ll give you a discount as a thank you.
CURRENT BOOK
Wild Houses by Colin Barrett
to be discussed Monday 3rd February 2025 at Harvey Leonard’s Wine & Ale
Wild Houses by Colin Barrett
Book & Bottle Book of the Month January 2025. An Observer best debut novelist shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year and longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.
Last Month’s Book – December 2024
Run to the Western Shore by Tim Pears
Britain, AD 72. Quintus, long exiled from his people, has travelled great odysseys in the retinue of a powerful Roman. Though a citizen of nowhere, is a man of reason, fluent in many languages.
Olwen, imperious tribal royalty, is rooted in her native land – a volatile warrior, fiercely attached to the natural world. Given away by her father as part of a peace treaty, Olwen flees during the night, taking Quintus with her. Hunted by an army, the two make their way across the country, living off the land, heading for the western shore…
Book & Bottlers loved the nature and landscape aspects of this book, although we weren’t all fully convinced by the two main characters. Still a very enjoyable read, and a good short one for over the Christmas break!
November 2024
Death on the Lusitania by R.L. Graham
The ship was doomed before it ever left port. His fate was sealed before he ever stepped on board. From R.L. Graham, Death on the Lusitania is an immersive WW1 historical novel set aboard the ill-fated ocean liner. Welcome on board the Lusitania’s final voyage
A very enjoyable read and an almost unanimous hit with our group. Classic Agatha Christie type locked-room mystery set during real-life events, this was a good page-turner with lots of interesing history tied in.
October 2024
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck
Winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize, this is the intimate and devastating story of the path of two lovers through the ruins of a relationship, set against the backdrop of a seismic period in European history.
Not our favourite Book & Bottle choice. Well translated and set in a fascinating time in the 20th Century but we ultimately weren’t fans of the writing style and the characters in general. Still a good one to read, and one we may not have picked up if it wasn’t for our book club.
September 2024
Diva by Daisy Goodwin
A fictionalised biography of legendary opera singer, Maria Callas. Enjoyed by most of the group, even those of us who had never heard of Callas. A tragic story in the end but a fascinating portrayal of a complex woman. Good to read while listening the Diva playlist of some of Maria Callas’ greatest performances.
August 2024
The Stranger in the Seine by Guillaume Musso
An easy to read thriller, translated from the original French, this book divided our book club. Some people really enjoyed it, while others weren’t so keen. There were some intriguing plot points, including some Greek mythology (we all learned a lot about the cult of Dionysus!) but it’s possible that some of the finer detail got lost in translation. The ending suggested there may be a sequel which for some of us will be one to look out for!
July 2024
8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee
Book & Bottlers this month found 8 Lives an engrossing read, rich in historical detail but also very tough in parts. The main focus of the novel was survival but it covered a range of themes including identity, war, trauma, family, parenthood and love, all of which were discussed at length. Overall most people enjoyed the book despite it being tough going at times. Well worth a read for an insight into the history of 20th Century Korea.
June 2024
THE BLACK CRESCENT by Jane Johnson
Everyone at Book & Bottle on July 1st really enjoyed The Black Crescent. An immersive book with brilliant detail of Moroccan culture, bringing to light a period in history that most people said they didn’t know a lot about. There were also a lot of parallels with what is, unfortunately, still happening to this day in other parts of the world. People also enjoyed the spiritual aspects of the book and the likeable qualities of the main character, Hamou. Overall a Book & Bottle hit!
April/May 2024
BLACK THORN by Sarah Hilary
We met on June 3rd to discuss Black Thorn by Sarah Hilary. We enjoyed some in-depth discussion and in general we agreed it was a good book club choice. A well written thriller which surprised us by being more about family dynamics than the actual murder that takes place. Sarah Hilary has a new book coming out in July called Sharp Glass which is set in and around The Peak District, and mentions Glossop in particular. Keep an eye on events page for news of an author Q&A with Sarah.
Previous books
Hokey Pokey by Kate Mascarenhas – March 24
I couldn’t be at Book & Bottle on Monday night but by all accounts it was another busy and excellent night, wonderfully hosted by Holly for the first time. Mixed reception for Hokey Pokey, some people loved it, some found it a bit too weird and gory when it took a turn. But that’s what’s glorious about a book club – trying new things and reading books you wouldn’t necessarily pick up!
For April we’ve chosen Black Thorn by Sarah Hilary.
Clytemnestra by Constaza Casati – February 24
So many people at Book & Bottle on Monday night, it was great to see you all. Two and a half years and we’re still going strong, and lovely to see new people as well!
I think it’s fair to say that we pretty much loved our February book, Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati. A brilliantly written debut novel, centred around a fascinating and immense woman from Greek mythology. Lots of people didn’t think they would like it but then couldn’t put it down. Definitely a hit!
For March we’ve chosen Hokey Pokey by Kate Mascarenhas.
In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan – January 24
Great to see so many people at this month’s Book & Bottle. Everyone loved January’s book, In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan. Even Bilbo the dog was impressed and he’s a notoriously tough literary critic. Lots of interesting discussion about AI, medical ethics and policing. We’re definitely looking forward to the next instalment in this series.
For February we’re heading to Ancient Greece for Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati.
Browse all our Book & Bottle choices
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Wild Houses by Colin Barrett£9.99 -
Run to the Western Shore by Tim Pears£9.99 -
Death on the Lusitaniaby R.L. Graham£9.99 -
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck£9.99 -
Diva by Daisy Goodwin£9.99 -
The Stranger in the Seine by Guillaume Musso£9.99 -
8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster – Mirinae Lee£9.99 -
The Black Crescent – Jane Johnson£9.99 -
Black Thorn – Sarah Hilary£9.99