Book & Bottle Book Club

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

Death on the Lusitania by R.L. Graham

to be discussed Monday 2nd December at Harvey Leonard’s Wine & Ale

Death on the Lusitania by R.L. Graham

£9.99

Book & Bottle Book of the Month November 2024. 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 .


Last Month’s Book – 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