Meetings: third Monday of the month, 6pm
Each month, a lively, informal mix of readers gather — usually with a glass of wine nearby — for an hour of bookish conversation and great company. Our discussions are friendly, curious, occasionally passionate and always respectful. Whether you’re the kind of reader who devours every page or someone who would like to read more but doesn’t know where to start, you’ll fit right in.
Every member has a chance to nominate the Book of the Month, and we love being introduced to something unexpected — our reading list ranges across literary fiction, memoir, crime, speculative, thrillers and the odd wildcard.
To view the Book Club’s reading list: Book Club Reading.
Who we are
We’re a group of a dozen or so, though life gets busy and not everyone can make each meeting (and that’s absolutely fine). Some attend regularly, some dip in and out — all are welcome.
If you’re not quite ready to come along in person, you can always join the conversation online and leave your thoughts on the Book of the Month. And if you prefer to follow along without saying a word…you are also very welcome to do so. (But we will gently encourage you to pop in one evening — you might be surprised how much you enjoy it.)
Why join a book club?
A book club:
- Introduces you to books and genres you might never discover on your own.
- Challenges your assumptions and invites fresh perspectives.
- Gives you the chance to unravel plots, explore themes, debate characters, and delight in those books that demand to be discussed.
- Connects you with new friends – an incredibly warm, welcoming circle of all ages and backgrounds and all living in the Burton area.
Where to find the books
You can borrow the books from your local library, or support an independent bookshop (see our curated list on Bookshop.org). Many of our titles are also available on Audible for those who prefer to listen on the go.
Beyond the books
Our gatherings often lead to outings — theatre trips, cinema visits, gallery wanderings, and the occasional stately home or garden adventure.
Past highlights include:
- The Lord Chamberlain’s Men ‘Twelfth Night’ at Dyrham Park.
- A visit to the Tudors: Passion, Power & Politics exhibition at the Holburne Museum in Bath (a perfect tie-in with Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror & the Light).
- A summer ramble at Iford Manor.
Everyone is welcome to join any of our outings.
And in December, instead of our usual meeting, we celebrate the season with our Burton Book Club Christmas Lunch at the pub.
Iford Manor, 2021
In late Summer of 2021 the Book Club made our second visit to Iford Manor gardens which were designed by Harold Peto.
The Book Club: a retrospective
Further details
For further details about the book club generally, please leave a reply at the foot of this page. Even if we never see you at the meetings, please do use the comments section to add your thoughts on the Book of the Month, or perhaps to recommend a book you have read.
And if one book a month isn’t enough…
browse the Bookmark blog of literary news, reviews and reading highlights.
18 Comments
Michelle Yim · 08/27/2019 at 1:27 pm
Dear Burton Book Club,
Grist to the Mill Theatre Productions is on their return from a successful Edinburgh Fringe and will visit the Irving Studio, Everyman Cheltenham from 8-11 October 2019, just in time for Cheltenham Literature Festival.
The new writing theatre company will bring a stunning adaptation of “Moby Dick”, in celebration of bicentennial of Herman Melville’s birth. Their Cheltenham programme will also include the critically acclaimed “Gratiano”, a thought-provoking adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”, which is now published by Methuen Drama, Bloomsbury; “An Evening with Miss Wong”, a cabaret-style tribute to 1930s Hollywood Star Anna May Wong; and “The Empress and Me”, a story about a Chinese princess who was raised in Victorian Europe and was recalled to China to be lady-in-waiting to the infamous Empress Dowager Cixi at the turn of the Century, harking inspirations from literature like “Empress Orchid”.
After our visit last year at Everyman Theatre with the moving, poetic and powerful The Unknown Soldier during WW1 Centenary, we are delighted to be coming back to Cheltenham. Let’s celebrate literature on stage together!
Everyman Theatre Bookings: 01242 572573 and online https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk
‘It’s a masterful performance, a smart spectacle and a further testament to Ericson’s growing magnificence as a modern playwright and performer.’
★★★★★British Theatre Guide (On “Gratiano”)
‘An original perspective on a story we think we all know… poignant and thought-provoking’
★★★★The Independent (On “The Unknown Soldier”)
‘Ericson’s carefully judged one-man play proves there is always room for another when the quality is right’
★★★★The Scotsman (On “The Unknown Soldier”)
‘You don’t have to be a movie fan to enjoy [An Evening with Miss Wong]’
★★★★The Scotsman (On “An Evening with Miss Wong”)
‘Fascinating… Full of ambition, politics and cultural tension’
★★★★Adelaide Theatre Guide (On “The Empress and Me”)
Best wishes,
Grist to the Mill
http://www.gristtheatre.co.uk
Web: http://www.gristtheatre.co.uk Twitter: @gristtheatre Facebook: gristtothemill
LISTING INFORMATION
Venue: Irving Studio, Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham GL50 1HQ
Dates: 08 – 11 October 2019,
MOBY DICK: 9 Oct @ 8:30pm, 10 Oct @ 2pm, 11 Oct 8:30pm;
GRATIANO: 8 Oct @ 7pm, 10 Oct @ 7pm;
AN EVENING WITH MISS WONG: 8 Oct @ 8:15pm, 10 Oct @ 8:15pm, 11 Oct @ 2pm;
THE EMPRESS AND ME: 9 Oct @ 7pm, 11 Oct @ 7pm
Tickets: £12.50 (£11 Concession)
Bookings: 01242 572573 and online https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk
Trish Mitchell · 05/02/2024 at 6:58 am
Dear Burton Bookclub
I have recently settled into Burton after emigrating from Cape Town, South Africa. I am an avid reader and would love to come along to a meeting of the Burton Bookclub to see if you’ll have me 😃. I see from the website it’s the third Monday of the month at the OHAH, would it be fine for me to pop along to your next get-together?
Looking forward to meeting you all.
Warm regards
Trish
1, Nettleton Road
Amanda Read · 05/03/2024 at 6:28 am
Hi Trish,
We’d love to have you join us. That’s right, our next meeting is on Monday 20 May and we’ll be in the pub from 5pm.
Look forward to meeting you then.
Amanda
Lorna Dodsworth · 07/27/2025 at 6:13 pm
Hello! I’m looking for a local book club and love the selection of previous books you’ve read 🙂 Am I right the next meeting is the 18th August? And is it ok to pop along. Thanks, Lorna
Amanda Read · 07/27/2025 at 6:39 pm
Hi Lorna,
Many thanks for your interest. Yes, the book club meets on the third Monday of the month, so our next meeting is 18 Aug.
Look forward to meeting you.
Amanda
Abbie Moylan · 04/04/2025 at 8:06 am
Hello Burton Book Club,
I have a rather random request for you, I’ve written a book (the book is based in Salisbury) and I am at the stage where I am looking to have the book professionally edited however I am unsure how much editing is required. I wondered if anyone/everyone in your monthly reading group would be willing to read the book and provide feedback by answering say 15-20 straightforward questions?
It’s a cosy crime novel!
Many thanks and best wishes,
Abbie Moylan
Amanda Read · 04/04/2025 at 8:22 am
Hi Abbie,
Many thanks for getting in contact with the Burton Book Club. I’ll make sure the members have a chance to beta read your manuscript. As you’re getting ready to polish up your manuscript ready for market, you might find my website (amandaread.net) on writing useful. This particular blog is on editing your manuscript: http://www.amandaread.net/editing-your-manuscript/.
Best wishes and good luck with your writing,
Amanda
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