Book Drives Melbourne

JustUs: The Page Turners Book Club

Our book club is designed for disabled adults who enjoy reading and thoughtful discussion. The club explores a range of accessible books across different genres throughout the year. Each month, members read an assigned book and receive a small set of questions to think about while reading. When the group meets, discussion is open and welcoming, encouraging participants to share their ideas and interpretations. The focus is not only on reading, but on learning how to engage with stories, exploring characters, themes and different perspectives while building confidence in discussions. Our first book is **Gregor the Overlander**, a fast-paced adventure about family, responsibility, and being pulled into a world you don’t understand. It’s an accessible, engaging story that gives us plenty to explore together through discussion and shared thinking. **Themes:** Responsibility & growing up, war & violence, family & belonging **Trigger warnings:** * **Graphic:** Death, Violence, Animal death * **Moderate:** War, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail * **Minor:** Dementia, Torture, Confinement

The Famished Road, Ben Okri (Booker 1991)

Just a quick bit of admin. Once we complete this Booker we will have covered every winner from 1978-2023. I purposely wanted to cover that range to then expand the list to International Bookers (so we're not stuck doing some 70s books that didn't stand the test of time). This book is challenging, but this is the reward! Ben Okri was the first black and youngest writer to win the Booker. When he was first published his father gathered the elders of his town so they could buy a pen and he could continue writing. This book is an allegory for the transformation of Nigeria from a British colony to an independent nation. Written as magic realism inspired by *One Hundred Years of Solitude,* the novel follows a spirit child of native myths who is repeatably reborn taking multiple journeys through different realities creating a wise and terrifying character. The time scale is simultaneously a present-day ghetto and a primitive village. So the challenging part? The Guardian describes it as a 574 page dream sequence that is really a nightmare where "hardly anything of note occurs" and "pretty much everything you need to know is expressed in the first paragraph." I hope people are up for the challenge and that this is indeed a "Marmite" book where you either love it or hate it. Since starting this book club a few years ago we have formed a nice core membership. If you haven't come yet, please look out for the books on the table, pull up a chair, order a wine and join us. We like to hear what everyone has to say and enjoy the conversation, we're not cliquey at all! Oh, and to defray the Meetup monthly bill I will accept gold coin contributions or wine if you want to pay for multiple in one hit. I hope to see everyone again at this one with some new faces.

Book swap brunch meet up

June Book Club Event

📚 #InPursuit – A Book Club for Builders, Thinkers, and Doers

📚 #InPursuit is a book club for entrepreneurs, creatives, and curious minds who know personal growth fuels business growth. **See a lot of RSPVPs and wonder how it works? We'll break up into groups of 6-8 to share our insights, then swap groups after 30-45min so you can maximise learning from everybody!** *Note: this even is not organised by or affiliated with The State Library of Victoria* **That's what #InPursuit is all about** It’s not a traditional book club, it’s a space for people who are actively designing a better life through the pursuit of business, creativity, and personal growth. This event is for anyone #InPursuit of better business, life and relationships. Instead of reading the same book, we each come prepared to share one powerful insight from something we’ve read in the past 3-months. Anything non-fiction that’s moved us forward. Whether it’s a mindset shift, a productivity system, a new philosophy, or just a truth that punched us in the gut. This is a place to unpack it together and hear what others are learning too. We’re not just here to *read*. We’re here to *integrate*. Because when we grow, our business and our lives grow too. **🔍 Why Join? You'll leave with:** * 5–10 fresh insights from books you may never have picked up * Deeper awareness of how others think, lead, and evolve * New connections with people walking a similar path toward purpose, results, and impact This isn’t a lecture. It’s a room full of people building themselves while they build the thing. **📖 How It Works** First time? No pressure to share, just come curious. We'll break up into groups of 6-8 and share our insights, then swap groups so you can maximise the learning! Returning? Bring one idea you’ve read about in the last 3-months and be ready to speak on: 1. What did you learn? 2. How did it shift your perspective about the world or yourself? 3. How has it changed the way you show up or behave? We keep it structured, but flexible. After sharing, we open up to Q&A, personal stories, challenges, and deep dives. Some of the best insights come from the conversations *after* the share. **🧠 Who This Is For** * Entrepreneurs or side-hustlers finding their footing * Business owners, and doers building toward better * Curious minds who love ideas but care more about action * People tired of shallow conversations and hungry for growth If you’re working on something—or becoming someone—this space is for you. It’s a practice ground for people who want to grow forward. We’re all #InPursuit of mastery, momentum, and the kind of success that starts from within. **Map on how to get there** We're in the Create Quarter on the ground level (back right of the Quad as you enter from Swanson St). We'll likely be on a long table together. https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/SLV-EnglishMap_Jan25.pdf

The Twenty-second Page

Join us for the Twenty-second Page! Theme: **bookshop or library setting** This month we're celebrating books about bookish places. Choose a book where the setting is as much a character has the people wandering through it. Feel free to bring along any discussion questions you can think of or theme suggestions. Happy reading :) See you there!

SILENT BOOK CLUB @ DYMOCKS CAFE

Welcome! Last month, we trialled Dymocks Cafe for our venue and people loved it. So we're going to meet there this month too. **HOW TO FIND US** When you enter 234 Collins, go down the escalator to the basement where Dymocks is (you can't miss it, there's books and people everywhere), turn right and you'll see the cafe next to the cashier. Come up the stairs and join us. **ITINERARY** 11am: Meet at Dymocks Cafe (upstairs) inside Dymocks Bookstore, 234 Collins St. Choose your seat. Order a drink to support the cafe. (They have a decent range of sweet and savoury snacks.) Enjoy your book. 12.15pm: Let's chat about what we read, what we loved, and why. 1pm: End of event. [OPTIONAL EXTRA] For those who are not too tired, we can go for lunch together after the event. **COST:** There is an organizer fee of $5 for this event. You can bring cash on the day or PayID me at 0403 413 056 (Serena Low). **GETTING THERE:** The closest train stations are Town Hall (4 min) and Flinders St (6 min).

Indigenous Voices in North and South: Patricia Grace vs Linnea Axelsson

Yarra and Botanics Walk discussing 'Mad Mabel' by Sally Hepworth

We'll meet at the spot where Fed Square meets the Princes Bridge over the Yarra (near the pedestrian crossing closest to the river from Flinders St, on the Fed Square side). We'll walk for about 6km along the Yarra River, through the Botanic Gardens and back along the river to Federation Square for a coffee after the walk. This month, we're reading and talking about 'Mad Mabel' by Sally Hepworth The blurb: "In 1959, at just fifteen years of age, Mabel Waller became the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of murder. In 2025, on a quiet Melbourne lane, an elderly man is found dead by his neighbour, 81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick. No one suspects any foul play. Until they discover Elsie's past. In the 1950s, her name was not Elsie. It was Mabel. She is known around the world as Mad Mabel. But is she mad? More importantly, is she guilty? When the police open a new investigation and the media descend upon her, the elderly Mabel decides it's time to set the record straight. In a world first, at the age of 81, Mabel Waller is speaking. New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth is at her finest in this twisty, compulsive thriller of friendship, family and murder. Or is it justice . . . ?" Goodreads rating: 4.40 How does a walking bookclub work? Like a normal bookclub, we talk about the book, what else we're reading, have read, or want to read (as well as a few tangents into life outside literature!) but we do it while walking around Melbourne and then over a coffee. We often split into smaller groups as we walk, but we also regroup through the walk. Should I read the book beforehand? The conversation will be more interesting if you do, but you can still come along if you haven't finished it yet! Do I need to bring anything? **Comfy** walking shoes, drinking water, some money for coffee or a bite to eat after if you wish. No need to bring the book unless you want to. No shows No shows (RSVPing yes and not attending) mean the group waits unnecessarily for those who are not coming, thinking you are running a little late. It’s absolutely fine to change your rsvp for any reason up until the walk begins, and you don’t need to leave a comment, send a message or give a reason, but if you don't click that 'change rsvp' button, you may be removed from the group. Membership Fee Did you know that while it is free to attend most events, Meetup charges organisers about $600 a year to organise a group? Members of the Walking Book Club are asked to pay a membership fee of $10 per year (not per event) to help cover this cost. When you join the group, you'll be automatically given a three month trial so you can see what the group is like, without needing to make any payment. If you would like to continue attending events after this, please follow Meetup's instructions to pay the $6.50US/approx $10AUD fee once per year (or contact group organisers if you would prefer to make payment using paypal, payID, cash or bank transfer).

Paranormal Romance Book Club and Culture

Hi all, Welcome to the June Paranormal Book Club!! If you love books that are lighter and fluffier to read, with supernatural elements (magic, vampires, werewolves, etc.) then you will enjoy this group. After book club we head off and become a tourist in our own city, by attending an exhibition or some other cultural activity. For June, we are going to meet at Time Out Fed Square for book club, then head up to the State Library to visit the Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations exhibition: [Rebel Heart: Love letters and other declarations | State Library Victoria](https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/rebel-heart-love-letters-and-other-declarations) The books for Sunday 21 June 2026 are: Can't Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne [Can't Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes & Tea, #1) by Rebecca Thorne | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61753288-can-t-spell-treason-without-tea) Cinder House by Freya Marske [Cinder House by Freya Marske | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222376570-cinder-house) Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman [Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236064352-red-star-rebels) If you would like to look at all the books that we have read so far, click [here](https://1drv.ms/x/s!Am2wjNpl1c1ijCNvt-hrWM8gPaem?e=riV48x). Finally, if you can't make it, please change your RSVP to a NO. Spaces are limited, so it will give other people a chance to attend. Happy reading until then!! 🤓

Socialise and discuss a book over coffee

We read Sally Hepworth’s novel Mad Mabel, about an 81yo Melbourne woman with a big secret - as a 15yo she murdered someone.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann - Thursday 11 June 2026 Meeting