Book Swaps London

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.

Book Swap Meetup 📚📚📚

Basic Ideas: 🌞 📚☕ Any books sitting there collecting dust? Some holiday gifts? Or it’s a book that has changed your life that you want to share? Feel free to bring book(s) to discuss or swap, we usually have more books than people in the end, so feel free to pop along just to have a chat as well. Aiming for every 4 weeks book swap meetup. Note: The event is free to attend, so the only cost for you will only be buying a drink at the location, so coffee/tea/beer etc.

LGBTQ+ Queer Fiction Book Club - Fruit Fly by Josh Silver

**QUEER FICTION BOOK CLUB!** Our next read will be ‘Fruit Fly’ by Josh Silver ***Synopsis:*** A mordantly dark literary satire about our insatiable desire for authenticity, the gripping adult debut from the author of Happy Head sees a struggling writer begin to unravel when she attempts to tell a troubled young addict's story. Anyone can write a bestseller. Here’s how… **Go gay.** It’s been seven years since Mallory shot to fame as a literary sensation. But after years of struggling with writer’s block, she’s desperate to resurrect her career before it spirals into obscurity. She needs inspiration to strike – and fast. **Go sad.** Enter Leo – a young struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for. **Go dark.** Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. Authenticity sells, and there’s nothing more authentic than real life. She’s the perfect person to tell Leo’s story. Gay, sad, dark – just what the world needs right now. But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must decide: just how far will she go to pen the perfect story? A darkly funny literary satire that examines privilege, queer identity, and our modern obsession with authenticity, perfect for fans of Detransition, Baby, Evenings and Weekends and Eliza Clark. Purchase the book here: [LINK](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fruit-Fly-Savage-darkly-hilarious/dp/1836432399/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0) At the end of the meeting we will set the next book, based on ideas and feedback from the group, giving everyone two months to read the book. All the books will be LGBTQ+ themed, by LGBTQ+ writers, or with themes likely to be of interest to LGBTQ+ people and communities. Please read the book ahead of the meeting and come with a view to share your opinions and views. If you would like to attend but are unable to afford the book, please email Chris on cwray@kingstonlgbtforum.org.uk who will be able to help out. **Support us**: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, [please click here](https://www.kingstonlgbtforum.org.uk/donate).

Zee Coffee & Book Club

Hey book lovers! Join us **in person** for the **Zee Book Club** — a chill spot to chat about your favorite reads, discover new authors, and meet fellow bookworms. Whether you're into thrillers, romance, or non-fiction, there's a place for you here. Grab your latest read and swing by for some great convo, laughs, and awesome vibes. BYOB for the first meet up, then we'll discuss our next amazing read. Or borrow a book from our mini libarary. Event will be hosted by one of our lovely staff members. @Cafe Zee , Ealing Broadway Tues 4th Aug 2026, then every other Tuesday. 1pm- Meet and greet, grab your drinks & food, and chat about your latest read. 1:30pm- 2:30pm Reading time. 2:30pm- 4pm- Discuss your read and our next book. Great tasting, Coffee, Tea, Cakes, Pastries, Lunch available to purchase. Limited number of tickets. [Book free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/zee-coffee-book-club-tickets-1994795636447)

Book shop exploring (Greenwich, Cutty Sark)

In the digital age💻📡📱, do you still like getting a physical book to read? Where do you buy them? Amazon? Waterstone? Blackstone? How about join us for a bookshop crawl, let's try to find some hidden gems of independent bookshops. (Or just tag along for a chat😁) Find out more book shops to try, this time we will be going to further north in London than usual. We will meet at Camden Town tube station, then walk along mostly along the main road to Tufnell Park station. There will be 4 book shops in total, never been to most of them, so it will be some new experience for me as well. Upon finishing, we can find somewhere to sit and chat about books. The time is just a guidance, some shops take longer and some are less. If you ever want to stay in one shop for longer (I know, been there, done that😂) feel free to do so, you can join us at other shops. (See itinerary below) Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the shops, so you are not obliged to buy any books, just get whatever you like. *** 📚💃🏼 📖💃🏿☕️ ITINERARY ☕️💃🏾🍷💃🏻🍴📚 Looking to do one near Cutty Sark in Greenwich, not too many bookshops, so probably will be an hour one overall for the shops. We will all meet up at Cutty Sark DLR Station. Don't worry if you are late, join us in along the walks. Then the tour shall begin! 1: Greenwich Book Time Address: 277 Greenwich High Rd, London SE10 8NB 2: Rare Books & Curios Address: 8 Greenwich Market, London SE10 9HZ 3: Oxfam Bookshop Address: 2 College Approach, London SE10 9HY 4: Waterstones Address: 51 Greenwich Church St, London SE10 9BL \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Wow, you made it, hopefully you have found some books that will make you happy🎈🎉✨. For people who likes to have more socials or talk more about books (or just to show off your purchases😆), we can find some place for a cup of coffee or a late lunch.

August Book Club Meetup: Whistler by Ann Patchett

London's Friendly Book Club's pick for August is **Whistler** by **Ann Patchett**. When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again. *Whistler* is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. Please only RSVP if you think you'll be able to make this event. **We host three sessions per book, you only need to attend one.** Everyone is welcome! Grab your copy and join us for a relaxed and engaging discussion.

BOOKCLUB: Shy Creatures - Clare Chambers

This month we will be reading/discussing [Shy Creatures - Clare Chamber](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/199531966-shy-creatures)s. If you have not read the book, you are more than welcome to join. Be aware, there will be spoilers! 18:30 - 18:45 - Meet, get drinks, get settled (at the back and upstairs) 18:45 - 19:45 - Discuss the book 19:45 onwards - pick book for next meet and socialize **The Venue: [Shinner and Sudtone](https://shinnerandsudtone.co.uk/)**[ ](https://shinnerandsudtone.co.uk/) A lovely little pub with a variety of craft beer. Usually quiet on a Monday and we get the upstairs area. They serve food and dogs are most welcome. **The Book:** [Shy Creatures - Clare Chamber](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/199531966-shy-creatures)s In all failed relationships there is a point that passes unnoticed at the time, which can later be identified as the beginning of the decline. For Helen it was the weekend that the Hidden Man came to Westbury Park. Croydon, 1964. Helen Hansford is in her thirties and an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital where she has been having a long love affair with a charismatic, married doctor. One spring afternoon they receive a call about a disturbance from a derelict house not far from Helen's home. A mute, thirty-seven-year-old man called William Tapping, with a beard down to his waist, has been discovered along with his elderly aunt. It is clear he has been shut up in the house for decades, but when it emerges that William is a talented artist, Helen is determined to discover his story.

August 2026 - Sci-Fi & Fantasy - Affinity by Sarah Waters

For our August meeting, we will be reading a book from the Sci-Fi & Fantasy category of The Guardian's "*[1000 Novels Everyone Must Read](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jan/23/bestbooks-fiction)*" list. The winner of the poll was 'Affinity' by Sarah Waters. To find out why it was nominated, please see the group's [discussion page](https://www.meetup.com/1000-books/discussions/?eventOrigin=home_groups_you_organize). You can find our Code of Conduct [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s3kphOY8w_uH_ay5RVpdwVkHgG6O3QYsCZ5wpaE6A1E/edit?usp=sharing).

August Meetup (in-person): The God of Small Things by A Roy

Discuss: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy (320 pages) Kindle £0.99 Amazon Paperback £8.99 There is nothing special about the day Cushla meets Michael, a married man from Belfast, in the pub owned by her family. But here, love is never far from violence, and this encounter will change both of their lives forever. As people get up each morning and go to work, school, church or the pub, the daily news rolls in of another car bomb exploded, another man beaten, killed or left for dead. In the class Cushla teaches, the vocabulary of seven-year-old children now includes phrases like 'petrol bomb' and 'rubber bullets'. And as she is forced to tread lines she never thought she would cross, tensions in the town are escalating, threatening to destroy all she is working to hold together. The cost of the meetup is £2 (cash). Looking forward to seeing you there!

Marathon Classic - The Tale of Genji - Murasaki Shikibu

Hi all! On top of regular monthly sessions, we are going back to the root of the book club, the big door stoppers. We aim to give 3 months of advanced notice, so no more excuse of not able to read it. Just do it!👌 Usual message: If you want to meet in a casual atmosphere over a drink or even a bite of food 🍔, join us for a discussion of the book and overall chatting about books. Whether you are an advanced bookish person or just starting out: Everybody is welcome! 📚 We usually meet near a pub by the London Bridge, a book will be placed on the table for you to find us. New members are always welcome. :)

Beloved by Tony Morrison

Let's catch up to discuss Beloved by Tony Morrison. Come and join us!!!