Book Drives Sydney

The Curious Mum: Baby-Friendly Books & Ideas Circle (Book via Humanitix)

Have you ever wished there was a space where you could reconnect with the part of yourself that existed before motherhood? I created The Curious Mum after searching for a community where I could discuss books, explore new ideas and connect with like-minded mums—all while bringing my baby along. When I couldn’t find it, I decided to create it. This is a relaxed, baby-friendly gathering for mums with babies and young toddlers (approximately 0–3 years) who enjoy meaningful conversation and lifelong learning. 📖 Our first book: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman No pressure to finish the book—come along even if you’ve only read a chapter or listened to part of the audiobook. Expect thoughtful conversation, curious minds, and a welcoming space where babies are part of the experience. 🎟️ Places are limited, so registration is essential. Please register via Humanitix using the link in this event. https://events.humanitix.com/the-curious-mum-a-baby-friendly-books-and-ideas-circle

August Book Club on Degrowth: Less Is More

Welcome to Meet the Moment Book Club, where we read books that meet the moment and make sense of it all together. Please see our [group page](https://www.meetup.com/meet-the-moment-book-club/) for a list of upcoming books. After discussing the true origins of illness and health, and seeing how much the current system affects our health, as well as the power we now have, armed with this new knowledge from *The Myth of Normal*, to get healthy -- we now take a look at the system itself. How did things become the way they are? Why is the world we live in so antithetical to life and health? And armed with this knowledge, what can we do about it? *Less Is More* was a game changer for me. After experiencing some health crises, I slowed down my life, and was transformed; because in this very fast-paced world, even slowing down is somehow revolutionary and transformative. So when I read *Less Is More*, it clicked immediately -- ah, this very fast-paced system itself needs to slow down, too. That alone would transform our world, our lives. Degrowth may be an off-putting word for some. Don't let it faze you. You'll understand it once you see it in context. *Less Is More* is also just beautifully written and an excellent read. You'll see. \*\*\* A Financial Times Book of the Year "'A powerfully disruptive book for disrupted times ... If you're looking for transformative ideas, this book is for you.' KATE RAWORTH, economist and author of Doughnut Economics ______________________________________ Our planet is in trouble. But how can we reverse the current crisis and create a sustainable future? The answer is: DEGROWTH. Less is More is the wake-up call we need. By shining a light on ecological breakdown and the system that's causing it, Hickel shows how we can bring our economy back into balance with the living world and build a thriving society for all. This is our chance to change course, but we must act now." https://www.amazon.com.au/Less-More-Degrowth-Will-World/dp/1786091216/ \*\*\* We will be meeting at The Erko Hotel, in the outside area in the back. We will start and end on time. There's no fee, but please purchase your own food/drinks from the venue. \*\*\* If you have trouble getting the book, message me. On reading a book: I encourage people to read books over just interviews or summaries, because nothing beats the slow digesting of the beauty and nuances in a book. Especially for the books in this book club that challenge our worldviews and help us see the world as it truly is, these books need to be really grappled with, to be fully engaged with, to receive the full benefits. For reference, I use book clubs to motivate me to finish the books I want to read, so the date of the book club becomes a deadline to finish the book by. I calculate the number of pages in a book and the number of days I can realistically read, and work out how many pages on average I need to read each day. That's how I've finished many books. Invariably, they're worth reading to the end. Of course, life happens and we're all busy. If you really can't finish a book or can only watch videos this time, that's okay. Come by with an attitude of listening, open to being inspired, and take in what others have to say; perhaps you'll want to read/finish the book afterwards. Just know that books are like most things in life: what you put in is what you get out of it. A podcast or ChatGPT can give you the high-level points, sure, perhaps to BS your way to a decent grade in class; but we're not in school anymore, and we read these books because they better our lives and help us see more clearly. But they can only do so if we read them, because reading is what makes all the new concepts come to life enough to maybe change yours. For the full magic, you just gotta read. Alright, thanks for reading my ode to reading. \*\*\* If the RSVP list is full, please join the waiting list as there will likely be fluctuations closer to the date. If you RSVP'ed and can't make it, please edit your RSVP so that others can attend. No-shows will be noted and barred from the book club. Look forward to seeing you there!

Tough Guy Book Club - Drummoyne NSW

Join us for the Drummoyne Chapter of Tough Guy Book Club. You can find out this month's book here [https://toughguybookclub.com/books](https://toughguybookclub.com/books?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExcTVleWRsd0ZYSWdqZXV4QXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5aL8E3xpn05czDIaY5kEiHH3oABs4hICFLOrNXUsW-0gY5HePBTW1ni0SYzw_aem_qNxAzG9ij-sVr5-Rf8Uw3Q) If you have the chance, try to pick up the book and read a couple of pages before the night. If you haven’t, come anyway, no one gives a damn. We are not your boss. If you got one, make sure to bring your copy of the books down, it’ll help you talk about bits of it, we suggest underlining stuff that sticks out to you as important. Also like all months, we will be announcing next month’s book at the meeting and handing them out to those of you who were wise enough to pre-order last month. See you there. Want to know more about Tough Guy Book Club? Read this - [http://toughguybookclub.com/about-us](http://toughguybookclub.com/about-us?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExcTVleWRsd0ZYSWdqZXV4QXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5QrDxxQmsaiuIfgbomTP4b6948UogKCm9U4Dudq5-VU_8aUx5RnTiUjO_R1Q_aem_n5AIic3b6NMTZ5TUJGTLkw)

Tough Guy Book Club - Balmain NSW

Join us for the Balmain Chapter of Tough Guy Book Club. You can find out this month's book here [https://toughguybookclub.com/books](https://toughguybookclub.com/books?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExcTVleWRsd0ZYSWdqZXV4QXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5aL8E3xpn05czDIaY5kEiHH3oABs4hICFLOrNXUsW-0gY5HePBTW1ni0SYzw_aem_qNxAzG9ij-sVr5-Rf8Uw3Q) If you have the chance, try to pick up the book and read a couple of pages before the night. If you haven’t, come anyway, no one gives a damn. We are not your boss. If you got one, make sure to bring your copy of the books down, it’ll help you talk about bits of it, we suggest underlining stuff that sticks out to you as important. Also like all months, we will be announcing next month’s book at the meeting and handing them out to those of you who were wise enough to pre-order last month. See you there. Want to know more about Tough Guy Book Club? Read this - [http://toughguybookclub.com/about-us](http://toughguybookclub.com/about-us?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExcTVleWRsd0ZYSWdqZXV4QXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5QrDxxQmsaiuIfgbomTP4b6948UogKCm9U4Dudq5-VU_8aUx5RnTiUjO_R1Q_aem_n5AIic3b6NMTZ5TUJGTLkw)

Bring your own book club

Bring yourself and your book. 1. Shoes off, kettle on. 2. Read quietly for an hour with soft lo fi music at low volume 3. Have a biscuit 4. Chat for 15 minutes at the end See you every month. *Note: this is my home, so please be respectful in the space.*

The Complete Works of Jane Austen (play at the Genesian)

A comedy of errors leads to two actors needing to perform the complete works of Jane Austen in one play. Can it be done? I (Dale) will be going along to the Genesian Theatre on Sunday 9 August 2026 to see this play. Come along and enjoy the fun! We can talk about the play at a local pub afterwards. Tickets are about $35 and need to be bought from the website at https://genesiantheatre.com.au/

Book Club: Cormac McCarthy's The Road

Cormac McCarthy's The Road is a haunting post-apocalyptic novel that follows a father and son through a devastated world stripped of civilization. Beneath its sparse prose lies a profound philosophical and religious meditation, drawing on themes associated with Gnosticism: a fallen and broken world, the struggle to preserve an inner spark of goodness, and the search for meaning amid overwhelming darkness. Join us as we discuss McCarthy's vision of humanity, hope, evil, and redemption, exploring whether The Road offers a fundamentally bleak outlook or points toward the possibility of transcendence. This meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 12, at 6:30 PM at the UTS Sydney Library.

Emma by Jane Austen

Meeting at the usual place, upstairs at The Shakespeare Hotel, 200 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, at 7.00pm on Thursday 6 August 2026, we will be discussing *Emma* by Jane Austen. *Emma* is compared to *1984* for being a book that many people think they have read but haven't. It tells the story of Emma Woodhouse, a headstrong woman in Regency England, who fills up her time with meddling in the romantic lives of her neighbors. Meanwhile, she is oblivious to her own needs, her social blunders and her misunderstandings. *Emma* is frequently cited by scholars as Austen's most technically perfect novel. It is the gold standard for 'free indirect discourse,' a style where the narrator’s voice blends seamlessly with the protagonist’s thoughts. This allows the reader to experience Emma’s delusions and biases in real-time, creating a sophisticated psychological portrait. Being a well-read lot, I suspect that the group as a whole will have read all six of Austen's novels. This will be a great discussion to honour the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth. The format of the meeting is that we will discuss the novel in a fairly focused way for an hour, and then the meeting formally ends. Most people stay back and speak more about the novel or anything else.

Book discussion: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Published in 2005, *Never Let Me Go* is Kazuo Ishiguro’s quietly devastating exploration of memory, love, and mortality. The novel follows Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, whose childhood at an English boarding school gradually reveals itself to be something far more unsettling. As the truth of their lives comes into focus, the narrative unfolds with restraint and emotional precision, examining how individuals come to accept, resist, or rationalise the conditions imposed upon them. The world they inhabit feels eerily familiar, yet ethically compromised. Subtle and deeply affecting, *Never Let Me Go* asks what it means to live a meaningful life within limits one did not choose, and whether love and memory can offer any form of redemption.

FIRST SUNDAY BOOKCLUB Author- Julia Armfield

AUGUST BOOK –'The Land In Winter' by Andrew Miller

Queer Reads

Reading list for 2026: * Feb: Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend by Dan Jones * Mar: Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin * Apr: Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard * May: In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado * Jun: Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell * Jul: Pageboy by Elliot Page * Aug: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder * Sep: Jack Charles: Born-again Blakfella by Jack Charles * Oct: We Are Never Meeting In Real Life by Samantha Irby * Nov: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar * Dec: Carol by Patricia Highsmith