Tag: reading groups

Digital Readers – April 2020

Karin, Hampshire Libraries2 Comments

The book our online reading group will be reading (or listening to) and discussing in April has been decided on through a vote in the group. The results are in and the April book is…

Sal by Mick Kitson

Sal planned it for almost a year before they ran. She nicked an Ordnance Survey map from the school library. She bought a compass, a Bear Grylls knife, waterproofs, and a first aid kit from Amazon using credit cards she’d robbed. She read the ‘SAS Survival Handbook’ and watched loads of YouTube videos. And now Sal knows a lot of stuff. Like how to build a shelter and start a fire. How to estimate distances, snare rabbits, and shoot an airgun. And how to protect her sister, Peppa. Because Peppa is ten, which is how old Sal was when Robert started on her. Told in Sal’s distinctive voice, and filled with the silent, dizzying beauty of rural Scotland, ‘Sal’ is a disturbing, uplifting story of survival, of the kindness of strangers, and the irrepressible power of sisterly love; a love that can lead us to do extraordinary and unimaginable things.

Written from Sal’s point of view, it’s a uplifting, sad, heart wrenching story. It’s a story that will grip you from the start and make you want to turn the pages.

From 1 April, until the end of the month, this book will be available to download through the BorrowBox app without having to wait or having to reserve it. It will be available to simply download right away – as both an eBook and an eAudiobook.

The group is open to anyone above the age of 16, with a Facebook account and a Hampshire Library card. If you would like to join the group; just head over to our Facebook page.

Hang on; how does an online reading group work?

Through the BorrowBox app, using your Hampshire Library Card, you will be able to download an eCopy of the selected title to your tablet or smart phone to read and enjoy. Ther will be hundreds of copies, of both the eBook and the eAudiobook version, available for you to download right away, so no need to reserve it or get it added to a waiting list; just download it right away and get reading!

Throughout the month you will be able to talk about the book with others in the group, and there will be regular discussions happening, so check back in to join in on the conversations as they pop up. As is the case with any reading group, there will be books you love, and books you might wish you had never picked up -and that’s okay!
In the group you will be able to discuss your opinions, feelings and thoughts on the month’s title in a friendly environment. To keep the group friendly, and ensure everyone feels confident expressing their thoughts, we ask that everyone keep the language clean and show respect to one another.

There won’t be a set day or time when you have to be available; this means you can join in the discussions whenever it suits you! There is also not a physical place to meet, as all discussions are taking place in the Facebook group, so you won’t have to leave the house to be part of the reading group!
On the last Friday of each month, the book for the following month will be announced, it will then become available for download on the 1st of each month.

If you don’t have a Hampshire Library card, you can apply for one online. It is completely free to sign up to the library, and as long as any physical items borrowed are returned on time, it will continue to be free.
After you sign up, your library card will be sent to your home and you can then join the reading group using your Facebook account.

If you would like to join the group, then head over to our Facebook page and join the ‘Digital readers’ group, you can find it here!

Digital Readers – March 2020

Karin, Hampshire LibrariesLeave a comment

Due to technical difficulties we’ve had to change the book our online reading group will be reading/listening to in March.
Sal by Mich Kitson will instead be April’s book; as per the vote that took place in February.
Because of this, the book that we will read/listen to in March is…

Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

Yejide is hoping for a miracle, for a child. It is all her husband wants, all her mother-in-law wants, and she has tried everything – arduous pilgrimages, medical consultations, dances with prophets, appeals to God. But when her in-laws insist upon a new wife, it is too much for Yejide to bear. It will lead to jealousy, betrayal and despair.

Unravelling against the social and political turbulence of 80s Nigeria, Stay With Me sings with the voices, colours, joys and fears of its surroundings. Ayobami Adebayo weaves a devastating story of the fragility of married love, the undoing of family, the wretchedness of grief, and the all-consuming bonds of motherhood. It is a tale about our desperate attempts to save ourselves and those we love from heartbreak.

From 1 March, until the end of the month, this book will be available to download through the BorrowBox app without having to wait or having to reserve it. It will be available to simply download right away – as both an eBook and an eAudiobook.

The group is open to anyone above the age of 16, with a Facebook account and a Hampshire Library card. If you would like to join the group; just head over to our Facebook page.

Hang on; how does an online reading group work?

Through the BorrowBox app, using your Hampshire Library Card, you will be able to download an eCopy of the selected title to your tablet or smart phone to read and enjoy. Ther will be hundreds of copies, of both the eBook and the eAudiobook version, available for you to download right away, so no need to reserve it or get it added to a waiting list; just download it right away and get reading!

Throughout the month you will be able to talk about the book with others in the group, and there will be regular discussions happening, so check back in to join in on the conversations as they pop up. As is the case with any reading group, there will be books you love, and books you might wish you had never picked up -and that’s okay!
In the group you will be able to discuss your opinions, feelings and thoughts on the month’s title in a friendly environment. To keep the group friendly, and ensure everyone feels confident expressing their thoughts, we ask that everyone keep the language clean and show respect to one another.

There won’t be a set day or time when you have to be available; this means you can join in the discussions whenever it suits you! There is also not a physical place to meet, as all discussions are taking place in the Facebook group, so you won’t have to leave the house to be part of the reading group!
On the last Friday of each month, the book for the following month will be announced, it will then become available for download on the 1st of each month.

If you don’t have a Hampshire Library card, you can apply for one online. It is completely free to sign up to the library, and as long as any physical items borrowed are returned on time, it will continue to be free.
After you sign up, your library card will be sent to your home and you can then join the reading group using your Facebook account.

If you would like to join the group, then head over to our Facebook page and join the ‘Digital readers’ group, you can find it here!

Digital Readers – February book

Karin, Hampshire LibrariesLeave a comment

The book our online reading group will be reading (or listening to) and discussing in February has been decided on through a vote in the group. The results are in and the February book is…

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

Rates of stress and anxiety are rising. A fast, nervous planet is creating fast and nervous lives. We are more connected, yet feel more alone. And we are encouraged to worry about everything from world politics to our body mass index. How can we stay sane on a planet that makes us mad? How do we stay human in a technological world? How do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious? After experiencing years of anxiety and panic attacks, these questions became urgent matters of life and death for Matt Haig. And he began to look for the link between what he felt and the world around him.

This 2018 non-fictional book by Matt Haig sets out to answer three important life questions:
– How can we stay sane on a planet that makes us mad?
– How do we stay human in a technological world?
– How do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious?
Having experienced anxiety and panic attacks for years, Notes on a Nervous Planet is a personal and vital look at how to feel happy, human and whole in the twenty-first century.

From 1 February, until the end of the month, this book will be available to download through the BorrowBox app without having to wait or having to reserve it. It will be available to simply download right away – as both an eBook and an eAudiobook.

The group is open to anyone above the age of 16, with a Facebook account and a Hampshire Library card. If you would like to join the group; just head over to our Facebook page.

Hang on; how does an online reading group work?

Through the BorrowBox app, using your Hampshire Library Card, you will be able to download an eCopy of the selected title to your tablet or smart phone to read and enjoy. Ther will be hundreds of copies, of both the eBook and the eAudiobook version, available for you to download right away, so no need to reserve it or get it added to a waiting list; just download it right away and get reading!

Throughout the month you will be able to talk about the book with others in the group, and there will be regular discussions happening, so check back in to join in on the conversations as they pop up. As is the case with any reading group, there will be books you love, and books you might wish you had never picked up -and that’s okay!
In the group you will be able to discuss your opinions, feelings and thoughts on the month’s title in a friendly environment. To keep the group friendly, and ensure everyone feels confident expressing their thoughts, we ask that everyone keep the language clean and show respect to one another.

There won’t be a set day or time when you have to be available; this means you can join in the discussions whenever it suits you! There is also not a physical place to meet, as all discussions are taking place in the Facebook group, so you won’t have to leave the house to be part of the reading group!
On the last Friday of each month, the book for the following month will be announced, it will then become available for download on the 1st of each month.

If you don’t have a Hampshire Library card, you can apply for one online. It is completely free to sign up to the library, and as long as any physical items borrowed are returned on time, it will continue to be free.
After you sign up, your library card will be sent to your home and you can then join the reading group using your Facebook account.

If you would like to join the group, then head over to our Facebook page and join the ‘Digital readers’ group, you can find it here!

Digital Readers – December book

Karin, Hampshire LibrariesLeave a comment

The book our online reading group will be reading (or listening to) and discussing in December has been decided on through a vote in the group. The results are in and the December book is…

A boy called Christmas by Matt Haig

You are about to read the true story of Father Christmas. It is a story that proves that nothing is impossible. If you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. It is most certainly not for you. Because this book is full of impossible things. Are you still reading? Good. Then let us begin.

This 2015 children’s book by Matt Haig is packed with magic, humour and festive cheer and whilst its target audience is those aged 7-9, all ages are bound to enjoy this festive tale.
It starts of very bleak, but soon this tale of adventure, snow, kidnapping, elves, more snow, and an 11-year-old boy called Nikolas, will keep you reading and fill you with festive cheer.

From 1 December, until the end of the month, this book will be available to download through the BorrowBox app without having to wait or having to reserve it. It will be available to simply download right away – as both an eBook and an eAudiobook.

The group is open to anyone above the age of 16, with a Facebook account and a Hampshire Library card. If you would like to join the group; just head over to our Facebook page.

Hang on; how does an online reading group work?

Through the BorrowBox app, using your Hampshire Library Card, you will be able to download an eCopy of the selected title to your tablet or smart phone to read and enjoy. Ther will be hundreds of copies, of both the eBook and the eAudiobook version, available for you to download right away, so no need to reserve it or get it added to a waiting list; just download it right away and get reading!

Throughout the month you will be able to talk about the book with others in the group, and there will be regular discussions happening, so check back in to join in on the conversations as they pop up. As is the case with any reading group, there will be books you love, and books you might wish you had never picked up -and that’s okay!
In the group you will be able to discuss your opinions, feelings and thoughts on the month’s title in a friendly environment. To keep the group friendly, and ensure everyone feels confident expressing their thoughts, we ask that everyone keep the language clean and show respect to one another.

There won’t be a set day or time when you have to be available; this means you can join in the discussions whenever it suits you! There is also not a physical place to meet, as all discussions are taking place in the Facebook group, so you won’t have to leave the house to be part of the reading group!
On the last Friday of each month, the book for the following month will be announced, it will then become available for download on the 1st of each month.

If you don’t have a Hampshire Library card, you can apply for one online. It is completely free to sign up to the library, and as long as any physical items borrowed are returned on time, it will continue to be free.
After you sign up, your library card will be sent to your home and you can then join the reading group using your Facebook account.

If you would like to join the group, then head over to our Facebook page and join the ‘Digital readers’ group, you can find it here!

Digital Readers – November book

Karin, Hampshire LibrariesLeave a comment

The book our online reading group will be reading (or listening to) and discussing in November has been decided on through a vote in the group. The results are in and the November book is…

Room by Emma Donoghue

It’s Jack’s birthday and he’s excited about turning five. Jack lives with his Ma in Room, which has a locked door and a skylight, and measures 11 feet by 11 feet. He loves watching TV but he knows that nothing he sees on screen is truly real. Until the day Ma admits that there’s a world outside.

This 2010 novel by Emma Donoghue was longlisted for the Orange Prize – now called Women’s Prize for Fiction. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and Governor General’s Awards. It also won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize regional prize (Caribbean and Canada).
The inspiration for this book came from two different news stories about children being held captive; it was after hearing about five-year-old Felix in the Fritzl case, and a 2008 court case in which a Pennsylvania woman held her children captive for eight years in a small room.

The book is written from the point of view of five year old Jack, and deals with difficult themes such as rape, abuse and imprisonment.
The book has received world wide acclaim and was turned into a movie in 2015, directed by Lenny Abrahamson and starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay.

From 1 November, until the end of the month, this book will be available to download from the BorrowBox app without having to wait or having to reserve it. It will be available to simply download right away – as both an eBook and an eAudiobook.

The group is open to anyone above the age of 16, with a Facebook account and a Hampshire Library card. If you would like to join the group; just head over to our Facebook page.

Hang on; how does an online reading group work?

Through the BorrowBox app, using your Hampshire Library Card, you will be able to download an eCopy of the selected title to your tablet or smart phone to read and enjoy. Ther will be hundreds of copies, of both the eBook and the eAudiobook version, available for you to download right away, so no need to reserve it or get it added to a waiting list; just download it right away and get reading!

Throughout the month you will be able to talk about the book with others in the group, and there will be regular discussions happening, so check back in to join in on the conversations as they pop up. As is the case with any reading group, there will be books you love, and books you might wish you had never picked up -and that’s okay!
In the group you will be able to discuss your opinions, feelings and thoughts on the month’s title in a friendly environment. To keep the group friendly, and ensure everyone feels confident expressing their thoughts, we ask that everyone keep the language clean and show respect to one another.

There won’t be a set day or time when you have to be available; this means you can join in the discussions whenever it suits you! There is also not a physical place to meet, as all discussions are taking place in the Facebook group, so you won’t have to leave the house to be part of the reading group!
On the last Friday of each month, the book for the following month will be announced, it will then become available for download on the 1st of each month.

If you don’t have a Hampshire Library card, you can apply for one online. It is completely free to sign up to the library, and as long as any physical items borrowed are returned on time, it will continue to be free.
After you sign up, your library card will be sent to your home and you can then join the reading group using your Facebook account.

If you would like to join the group, then head over to our Facebook page and join the ‘Digital readers’ group, you can find it here!

National Storytelling Week 2018

GilbertLeave a comment

Join in with National Storytelling Week from 27 January until 3 February and celebrate the tradition that is storytelling!

You can be as creative as you like – take part in storytelling activities, make up stories, read stories from books or even act them out.

Make sure to join us for some great storytelling activities:

Storytime Sessions

Storytime sessions are for children and are kept age appropriate, make sure to check what age the session is for – e.g. under 5’s or for 2-7 year olds.

Chatterbooks

Chatterbooks are for children 8-12 years old, allowing them to discover new books, read and write reviews, find new authors and take part in quizzes, activities, crafts and lots more!

Reading Groups

Reading Groups are a friendly way to explore new books each month and share thoughts and ideas.

Rhymetime

Rhymetime is sure to get everyone singing and moving through stories, actions, songs and rhythm!

VIP Reading Group

VIP Reading Group allows people who are visually impaired to come enjoy and relax at a reading group without having to worry about their sight loss. All titles chosen in the reading group are available in large print and audio.

You can also borrow books from any Hampshire Library branch or download eBooks and audiobooks using Overdrive.

For one more day by Mitch Albom

Gilbert1 Comment

About the book

Charley loses his job, leaves his family, and decides, one night, to end his life. Somewhere between this world and the next, he encounters his mother, who died years ago, and he spends one last day with her – a day he never had on earth. the book.

Reviewed by Denmead Reading Circle

A gem of a book, full of understanding and beautiful words. Loved by all. The end left a ? and we wanted more, yet it felt quite finished as well.
**** 4 stars

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Kalooki nights by Howard Jacobson

GilbertLeave a comment

Fixated on the crimes that have been committed against his people, Max Glickman is drawn into the family history of an old childhood friend. It leads him to one conclusion – there can be, and should be, no release from his Holocaust obsessions.

Review by Shipton Bellinger WI

Only 2  of 10 liked this book, many hardly starting it let alone finished. Writers do make the exploration of a social group into good novels bit I feel Jacobson failed to engage with his readers. A pity

Star rating: **

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Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

Gilbert1 Comment

Joe Spork repairs clockwork and lives above his shop in a wet, unknown bit of London. All Joe wants is a quiet life, but when he fixes one particularly unusual device his life is suddenly upended. The client? Unknown. And the device? Its a 1950s doomsday machine.

Review by Monday, Monday Reading Group

Although not everyone liked it, we were agreed that it was well written – comparisons to Neil Gaiman, Mervyn Peake and Douglas Adams were very apt, and it was noted that Terry Gilliam could make a great film from it. In summary : a Hieronymous Bosch painting of a book, descriptive, dark and quite manic

Star rating: ***

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Close range by Annie Proulx

GilbertLeave a comment

These stories are set in the beautiful, wild landscape of Wyoming where cowboys live much as they have done for generations – hard, lonely lives in unforgiving country.

Review by Tuesday Afternoon Reading Group

Stunnig and excellent descriptions of landcape, weather and people. Overall feeling of bleak, hard lives. Very well researched and interesting. Difficult to empathise with any of the characters. Led to a very lively discussion.

Star rating: ***

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Request to borrow a reading group set