A blog by Lucy who runs the Manchester Book Club and, lucky us, volunteers in our shop

It’s that glazed-over look your partner starts to get as you describe (in great detail) the denouement of your latest literary obsession – the pros and cons of the characters, the highs and lows of the plot – that makes you wonder whether you ought to find yourself a place where your book chat is officially sanctioned … a place that will save your loved one’s sanity.

In my case, that move was to set up – with another blogger friend who eventually moved on to loftier bookish heights – the Manchester Book Club; a friendly, all-inclusive, free, no pressure monthly meeting where folk could come to get all of this stuff of their chests. That was in April 2012 and we’ve been going strong ever since!
From a strictly bookish point of view, the group has afforded me the chance, not only to indulge in all the nerdy chat I like but to widen my literary horizons considerably. Since we all take it in turns to bring a selection of books to choose from for next month’s read – and no two people have an identical taste – this has led me to genres and writers I would never have otherwise considered (and, boy, have my preconceptions been shattered.) In 7 years of book clubbing I have read about; a gender-bending, cross-dressing Victorian aristocrat (Misfortune by Wesley Stace), a gun-toting, hard-drinking, chess-playing cat (The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov) and a reincarnated Adolf Hitler (Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes) ….and that’s only the beginning.
 
For me, however, a good book club represents so much more than the books we read or the discussions we have. Yes, the group is a comfortable space in which to chat all things books and something to look forward to/read towards each month but, as time goes by and people grow up and move on in their lives many of us have developed friendships and had experiences that go far beyond the boundaries of a humble book club.

We’ve been on the telly together (our appearance as ‘Novel Idea’ was arguably BBC Eggheads’ finest episode), toured Manchester together, done the Crystal maze, got drunk, had babies, had cats….you name it. Needless to say, often discussions will often range dangerously into other areas until we’re reminded about our monthly book. We’ve gained people and inevitably lost a few as life moves on but we’re still going strong and it’s reassuring to know that, whatever may happen from week to week, I still have that cosy hour and a half every month where I can sit down, stuff my face and chat a lot of nonsense to people who are when all is said and done, some very good friends indeed. 

It’s that glazed-over look your partner starts to get as you describe (in great detail) the denouement of your latest literary obsession – the pros and cons of the characters, the highs and lows of the plot – that makes you wonder whether you ought to find yourself a place where your book chat is officially sanctioned … a place that will save your loved one’s sanity.

In my case, that move was to set up – with another blogger friend who eventually moved on to loftier bookish heights – the Manchester Book Club; a friendly, all-inclusive, free, no pressure monthly meeting where folk could come to get all of this stuff of their chests. That was in April 2012 and we’ve been going strong ever since!

From a strictly bookish point of view, the group has afforded me the chance, not only to indulge in all the nerdy chat I like but to widen my literary horizons considerably. Since we all take it in turns to bring a selection of books to choose from for next month’s read – and no two people have an identical taste – this has led me to genres and writers I would never have otherwise considered (and, boy, have my preconceptions been shattered.) In 7 years of book clubbing I have read about; a gender-bending, cross-dressing Victorian aristocrat (Misfortune by Wesley Stace), a gun-toting, hard-drinking, chess-playing cat (The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov) and a reincarnated Adolf Hitler (Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes) ….and that’s only the beginning.
 
For me, however, a good book club represents so much more than the books we read or the discussions we have. Yes, the group is a comfortable space in which to chat all things books and something to look forward to/read towards each month but, as time goes by and people grow up and move on in their lives many of us have developed friendships and had experiences that go far beyond the boundaries of a humble book club.

We’ve been on the telly together (our appearance as ‘Novel Idea’ was arguably BBC Eggheads’ finest episode), toured Manchester together, done the Crystal maze, got drunk, had babies, had cats….you name it. Needless to say often discussions will often range dangerously into other areas until we’re reminded about our monthly book. We’ve gained people and inevitably lost a few as life moves on but we’re still going strong and it’s reassuring to know that, whatever may happen from week to week, I still have that cosy hour and a half every month where I can sit down, stuff my face and chat a lot of nonsense to people who are, when all is said and done, some very good friends indeed. 

It’s that glazed-over look your partner starts to get as you describe (in great detail) the denouement of your latest literary obsession – the pros and cons of the characters, the highs and lows of the plot – that makes you wonder whether you ought to find yourself a place where your book chat is officially sanctioned … a place that will save your loved one’s sanity.

In my case, that move was to set up – with another blogger friend who eventually moved on to loftier bookish heights – the Manchester Book Club; a friendly, all-inclusive, free, no pressure monthly meeting where folk could come to get all of this stuff of their chests. That was in April 2012 and we’ve been going strong ever since!

From a strictly bookish point of view, the group has afforded me the chance, not only to indulge in all the nerdy chat I like but to widen my literary horizons considerably. Since we all take it in turns to bring a selection of books to choose from for next month’s read – and no two people have an identical taste – this has led me to genres and writers I would never have otherwise considered (and, boy, have my preconceptions been shattered.) In 7 years of book clubbing I have read about; a gender-bending, cross-dressing Victorian aristocrat (Misfortune by Wesley Stace), a gun-toting, hard-drinking, chess-playing cat (The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov) and a reincarnated Adolf Hitler (Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes) ….and that’s only the beginning.
 
For me, however, a good book club represents so much more than the books we read or the discussions we have. Yes, the group is a comfortable space in which to chat all things books and something to look forward to/read towards each month but, as time goes by and people grow up and move on in their lives many of us have developed friendships and had experiences that go far beyond the boundaries of a humble book club.

We’ve been on the telly together (our appearance as ‘Novel Idea’ was arguably BBC Eggheads’ finest episode), toured Manchester together, done the Crystal maze, got drunk, had babies, had cats….you name it. Needless to say, often discussions will often range dangerously into other areas until we’re reminded about our monthly book. We’ve gained people and inevitably lost a few as life moves on but we’re still going strong and it’s reassuring to know that, whatever may happen from week to week, I still have that cosy hour and a half every month where I can sit down, stuff my face and chat a lot of nonsense to people who are when all is said and done, some very good friends indeed.