South Manchester Book Group

We're a friendly and open reading group, and we share a love of books and discussing them with other people. We meet every fortnight, but you don't have to come to them all. It's dead simple; choose a book you like the sound of, read it (or even part of it) beforehand and turn up with a few ideas and money for beer / wine / flirtinis. It's very informal, and we're quite a friendly bunch.

We meet at a pub in Didsbury around 8 pm. We can usually be found on the table with the books and flirtinis.

We've become rather popular recently so unfortunately aren't accepting new members just at the moment. But please drop us a line on the Contact Us form and we'll add you to our mailing list.

Our reading list, past, present, and future, appears here and a short version of what we’re reading next is here.

Thursday 31 May 2018

Homegoing — Yaa Gyasi

Book cover for Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing in the South Manchester, Chorlton, and Didsbury book groupThe tale begins in the late 18th century in an Asante village, part of the Gold Coast which eventually became Ghana. A young girl, Effia Otcher, is sold by her father to a slaver as a bride, not as a slave — and taken to live with him in Cape Coast Castle, a fort overlooking the sea. The slaves are in dungeons underneath the castle, awaiting transit to the Americas and the Caribbean. Amongst them is 15-year-old Esi Asare, Effia’s half-sister. In a series of subsequent interconnected stories, the bloodlines of these two women are followed through seven generations covering the associated histories of the US and Ghana up to the turn of the 21st century.

This week's book is Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing and we'll be meeting at The Fletcher Moss on William Street in Didsbury.

Thursday 17 May 2018

His Dark Materials 1: Northern Lights — Philip Pullman

Book cover for Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials 1: Northern Lights in the South Manchester, Chorlton, and Didsbury book groupWithout this child, we shall all die.

Lyra Belacqua and her daemon live half-wild and carefree amongst the scholars of Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world ...
This week's book is Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials 1: Northern Lights and we'll be meeting at The Fletcher Moss on William Street in Didsbury.

Thursday 3 May 2018

If You Could See Me Now — Cecelia Ahern

Book cover for Cecelia Ahern's If You Could See Me Now in the South Manchester, Chorlton, and Didsbury book groupWhat if love was right there in front of you — you just couldn't see it ?

Elizabeth Egan is too busy for friends. As a reluctant mother to her sister Saoirse's young son Luke and with her own business to run, every precious moment is made to count. But with Saoirse crashing in and out of their lives, leaving both her sister and her son reeling, Luke and Elizabeth are desperately in need of some magic.

This week's book is Cecelia Ahern's If You Could See Me Now and we'll be meeting at The Fletcher Moss on William Street in Didsbury.