Book Swaps Los Angeles

Evening Book Club: The Stranger

Book for **October**: The Stranger by Albert Camus. Club is for the girls (and the gays!) to get together and chat about the book we read this month. Age range early/mid twenties ✨ Please RSVP to join the event! Since we only have 10 spots no cancellations please. We will discuss over tea or wine at historic Cafe Mak in ktown. If you cannot finish the book on time, feel free to still come and hang out :)

The Thief of Always by Clive Barker

**It’s spooky season!**

October Book Club - The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales. In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch. Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.

A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst

A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and a Shipwreck. Written by Sophie Elmhirst, Marriage at Sea is a nonfiction story about a British couple who spent 118 days stranded on a tiny raft in the Pacific Ocean after a whale sank their boat. It is said to be gripping and a page turner. Please join us at 10:30am for Discussion and Brunch at The Farmhouse at Descanso Gardens. Any questions, please reach out to the organizer, Alison.

Short Scary Stories October

"I See You've Called In Dead" by John Kenney: Book TBD

**\*\*\*NOTE: We have changed the date for this event, to October 17th\*\*\*** **LOCATION:** Marla's House! Address will be emailed and posted the Friday before! (South Redondo Beach) **WHAT WE'RE READING:** *The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.* Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a “far more interesting” man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company’s system has him listed as dead. And the company can’t fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living. As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live. Thurber Prize-winner and *New York Times* bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life. **NO SHOW POLICY:** In April 2019, a new NO SHOW POLICY was put into place to help ensure people on the waitlist can get into each meeting with enough time to read the book while also weeding out flakey flakers who reserve a seat but don't use it. The new NO SHOW POLICY is in two parts: (1) If you RSVP 'Going' and cancel your RSVP within seven days of book club WITHOUT EXPLANATION, you'll be immediately removed from the group. (2) If you RSVP 'Going' and cancel your RSVP within seven days of book club with explanation, but for any reason, you'll be marked a 'No Show.' If you rack up three 'No Shows," you'll be removed from the group.

Queer Book Club- "Palm Meridian" by Grace Flahive

[Book + Movie] HORROR BOOK CLUB (October): “Incidents Around the House”

October Discussion: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Our October Book Has Been Chosen! 📚 Thanks to everyone who voted! Our next Books & Brew read is: **The Vegetarian — Han Kang** Grab a copy, start reading, and join us for a great conversation! **About the Book:** After a series of disturbing dreams, Yeong-hye makes the seemingly simple decision to stop eating meat. But as her family reacts with increasing confusion, anger, and attempts to control her, that decision becomes the beginning of a much more profound transformation. Told through the perspectives of those around Yeong-hye, The Vegetarian explores autonomy, desire, conformity, violence, and the ways we understand—or fail to understand—the people closest to us. Originally published in Korean and translated by Deborah Smith, Han Kang’s unsettling novel won the 2016 International Booker Prize and invites plenty of questions about identity, choice, and what happens when someone refuses to live according to the expectations placed upon them.

"A Resistance of Witches" by Morgan Ryan

Meet for a discussion of "A Resistance of Witches" by Morgan Ryan. Summary: With Hitler’s army rampaging across Europe, the witches of Britain have joined the war effort, and Lydia Polk is key to the cause: she must use her magic to track down magical relics before Hitler and his sycophants can. When a Nazi witch infiltrates the Academy with heart-breaking consequences, the coven is left shaken, exposed and divided. The elder British witches have no interest in further loss of coven life in service of a government that has forced them into hiding for decades, no matter the consequences to the world. But with the discovery of the Grimorium Bellum, an ancient book that leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever it goes, Lydia knows her mission has never been more urgent.

Tarot Study Circle: The Suit of Pentacles — Money, Work & The Material World

### WEEK 6 **Tarot Study Circle: The Suit of Pentacles — Money, Work & The Material World** We've made it to the final suit! For Week 6, we'll explore the **Suit of Pentacles** and complete our journey through the Tarot. We'll study each card by looking at its **symbols, imagery, meanings, themes, and possible interpretations**. We'll also connect what we've learned throughout the previous five weeks to better understand how the different parts of the Tarot work together. This final gathering is for everyone—from someone who has never picked up a Tarot deck to experienced readers looking for a refresher. Bring your **Tarot deck, journal, notebook, and any Tarot materials** you'd like to use. By the end of this 6-week study group, our goal is for everyone to have a **stronger understanding of all 78 Tarot cards and the confidence to begin putting the cards together in a reading.** Come learn, practice, ask questions, and complete the Tarot journey with us! 🔮 **Stay Connected!** Follow us on Instagram **@SpiratualKreatives** for updates on future Tarot Study Groups, upcoming events, and more opportunities to connect with our community.

Thank You, John by Michelle Gurule IN PERSON at Aroma Cafe