Book Drives London

The Coin by Yasmin Zaher - Pints & Prejudice Book Club

Book Swap Social Event - Make New Friends Who Love Books

Do you have spare books lying around your home? Do you want to read new interesting books for free while socializing with interesting people? This is the event for you. We will enjoy nice drinks and snacks together at a beautiful lounge bar in London. You can bring your books and exchange them with whoever has the books you want to read. Since this is a Science and Philosophy book club, it would be great for you to bring non-fiction books that are insightful and thought-provoking. If you want to bring fiction books that are scientifically or philosophically insightful, feel free to bring those as well. Since it is a social event, I encourage everyone to make deep meaningful conversations and make new friends. You can come alone or bring your friends with you. If you come alone, there is no need to be shy or scared. I will welcome you and introduce you to cool interesting people to speak with. Also feel free to come even if you forget to bring any books.

Discuss November's Book

Grab your magnifying glass and put on your detective hat- it's mystery/thriller month! Let's see if you can crack the case before the final page This month's book is: The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

November: The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean

Hi everyone, for November we have extended October’s theme as this book came very close in the poll! Synopsis below: He is her husband. She is his captive. Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name. She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen. Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished. For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting . . . See you there 🍻 Steph & Christina

November Bingo Book Club : There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak 💧🌊✨

**There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak** 📖 496 pages (approx.) **Genre:** Literary Fiction • Historical Fiction • Magical Realism • Mythology **Trigger Warnings:** War and genocide • Religious persecution • Suicide and suicidal thoughts • Child abuse • Domestic violence • Alcoholism • Death and grief • Displacement • Racism • Poverty **Summary:** Across centuries and continents, three lives are connected by two great rivers, an ancient poem, and a single drop of water. In Victorian London, Arthur is born into poverty beside the polluted River Thames, but his extraordinary memory opens the door to a world of books and the lost history of ancient Nineveh. In 2014, Narin, a young Yazidi girl facing the loss of her hearing, travels with her grandmother through increasingly dangerous lands beside the River Tigris. In modern-day London, hydrologist Zaleekhah moves onto a houseboat while struggling with the breakdown of her marriage and questions about her future. As their stories begin to flow together, *There Are Rivers in the Sky* explores memory, identity, cultural erasure, displacement, and humanity’s complicated relationship with water. It’s a sweeping and emotional story about everything history tries to bury—and everything water remembers. *** **Join Our Book Club Bingo! 💧📚** For November, we’re diving into an ambitious story that flows across different centuries, countries, and lives. Expect mythology, forgotten histories, emotional journeys, and plenty of connections to uncover as we fill in our Bingo cards. **How It Works:** 💧 **Grab Your Bingo Card:** Filled with themes of water, memory, identity, mythology, displacement, hidden connections, and stories from the past. ✅ **Mark Your Cards:** Check off squares as we discuss recurring symbols, interconnected characters, historical discoveries, powerful quotes, and emotional moments. 🎉 **Shout “Bingo!”** Be the first to complete two rows, columns, or diagonals. 📚 **Win a Book:** Two readers will leave with a new addition to their TBR pile! Expect sweeping storytelling, multiple timelines, ancient mysteries, unforgettable characters, and lots to discuss about history, belonging, and the stories we choose to remember. 📍 The Dog on Surrey Street, Croydon 📅 Wednesday 11th November at 7:00 PM

📚 Active Muslims Book Club❗📖

From the quiet nooks of our cozy meeting spot to the infinite parallel universes of literature, we’re gathering for the inaugural session of the Active Muslims Book Club. The aim is to trial our book club for a few months and see if such an activity by our community raises enough interest. We will vote for a new book during the last week before each month's meeting (details to follow). 📖 **The Book:** **The Midnight Library by Matt Haig** What if you could try out all the lives you could have lived and pick one? Would you choose differently? 🧠 Theme: Regrets, choices, infinite possibilities, and parallel lives 📅 Date: Wed 11th November 📍 Location: Foyles, 107 Charing cross road ⌚ The Meet: 6:15pm (To grab hot drinks) 🎬 Discussion Starts: **6:30pm** ✊ Note: Active Muslims is equally about focusing on the actual activity. In this case, this is a high-octane intellectual debrief, not a passive listening session where the only danger should be the possibility of a paper cut from excited page turns. It is advised to approach this event with the intention of deep philosophical reflection and the purpose of defending your character hot takes. We expect a "paced" discussion—keep the debate flowing, articulate your thoughts, and try not to spiral into an existential crisis midway through chapter five. 📖 **READERS & RECRUITS** Whether you’ve read the book three times, listened to the audiobook at 2x speed, or skim-read the plot summary on the bus over, all are welcome! Feel free to invite your friends, family, or fellow bookworms who enjoy a lively discussion. 🎟️ **TICKETS & FEES** * FREE to attend! * Preparation: Try to have finished (or at least started) the book so you can fully jump into the debate! * RSVP: Please confirm your attendance early via Meetup so we can reserve enough seating. ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ 🚻 Facilities: Restrooms and hot drinks available on-site. 🧎 Prayer: We will not organise Salah for this event as it will be after Isha. 🎒 What to bring: Your copy of the book (dog-eared pages and highlighted quotes encouraged), a notepad for your brilliant insights, and a warm beverage of choice. 🥾 Footwear: Strictly non-athletic. Save the hiking boots for the South Downs; cozy socks and comfy shoes are the order of the day. ⛑️ Disclaimer: You are solely responsible for your own hot takes and philosophical existential dilemmas. You are also responsible for your belongings at all times. **Follow us for updates:** 🌐 **[@Active.Muslims](https://www.instagram.com/active.muslims)**

In-Person Fantasy Silent Reading Party (fancy dress optional!)

Klara and the Sun by Kazio Ishiguro

Join us for a friendly and engaging book club discussion of *Klara and the Sun*, the thought-provoking novel by **Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Prize laureate in Literature**. Through Klara, an Artificial Friend who observes the world with remarkable curiosity, Ishiguro explores love, humanity, hope, loneliness, and what it truly means to be human. Whether you loved the book, found it puzzling, or have plenty of questions, come along to share your thoughts, hear different perspectives and enjoy a relaxed conversation with fellow book

Country People by Daniel Mason suggested by Susan

Friendly book group Please remember to change your RSVP if you can't make it so someone on the waitlist can take your slot. New books chosen by popular vote and read 2 months later. We look forward to seeing you there!

Blaze (In Person MeetUp)

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW VENUE & TIME CHANGE! The meeting will probably last about 2 hours including drinks breaks (the venue closes at 9pm). Please look out for any great second hand versions, there are a load of great covers out there - do post them on here and/or bring them along to the meeting! We will be meeting in the big Pret opposite the Royal Court of Justice (217 Strand). Please do not bring in your own food or drink from outside as they'll kick us out! The second session on Thursday will be on Zoom so if you are not able to attend in person in London then please RSVP to the second session. Book Blurb follows: A fellow named Richard Bachman wrote Blaze in 1973 on an Olivetti typewriter, then turned the machine over to Stephen King, who used it to write Carrie. Bachman died in 1985 ("cancer of the pseudonym"), but in late 2006 King found the original typescript of Blaze among his papers at the University of Maine's Fogler Library ("How did this get here?!"), and decided that with a little revision it ought to be published. Blaze is the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. --of the crimes committed against him and the crimes he commits, including his last, the kidnapping of a baby heir worth millions. Blaze has been a slow thinker since childhood, when his father threw him down the stairs--and then threw him down again. After escaping an abusive institution for boys when he was a teenager, Blaze hooks up with George, a seasoned criminal who thinks he has all the answers. But then George is killed, and Blaze, though haunted by his partner, is on his own.

Book Spotlight with Author Simon Rudd

**Every adversary she's faced was caught off guard. This one came ready.** In the Cornish harbour town of Blackwater Quay, Elowen Finch reads what other people can't. Lay a hand on an old letter and the feeling bleeds through — grief, love, the quiet shape of a lie. It's the gift she inherited along with the bookshop, the journals, and a cat named Atlas who notices trouble before she does. So when a poised, soft-spoken stranger named Sylvie Carver makes a Tuesday appointment with a box of legitimate documents and a set of questions that are *far* too precise, Elowen knows she's looking at something new. A hire car parked on Harbour Street each morning. Three months of research across three archives. A grief that's genuine — and a grievance aimed straight at the Finch family's past.

Docs in Practice: Behind the State of Docs

This month, we're joined by **[GitBook](https://www.gitbook.com/),** one of the most widely used and recognised platforms for publishing documentation. Join us for an evening with [Addison Schultz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/addisonschultz/) (Developer Relations Lead), [Tal Gluck](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tal-gluck-32464131/) (Developer Advocate), and Stephen Ashby (Content Marketing Lead) for an exclusive behind-the-scenes at how they do documentation themselves. In the first half, they’ll take us inside the tooling and workflows from [docs.gitbook.com](http://docs.gitbook.com). Then, they’ll take us through the widely distributed **[State of Docs Report](https://www.gitbook.com/blog/state-of-docs-2026)**: How they ran the global survey, the industry trends it revealed, and where they believe documentation is headed. **🗒️ Agenda** **When:** Thursday, 19 November from 6:00pm **Where:** Wallacespace Spitalfields: 15 Artillery Ln, London E1 7HA **What:** **18:00 - 18:30** Arrival **18:30 - 18:40** Welcome & Housekeeping **18:40 - 19:10** Talk 1: How GitBook runs its own docs **19:10 - 19:40** Break (with drinks and nibbles 🫒) **19:40 - 20:10** Talk 2: Behind the State of Docs **20:10 - 20:30** Q&A **20:30 - 21:00** Networking **All times are approximate.** **📍 How to find us** Look for WTD signs and friendly organisers in the lobby, they’ll direct you to the lifts to reach the Rooftop Kitchen. **📸 Photos** Please note that organisers may take photos during the event for the Write the Docs London community.