Next Meeting
Thursday 5th August ’26
8pm at The Alfred Hitchcock
Future dates
Current books
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
Primary textOcean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling. This is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born. It tells of Vietnam, of the lasting impact of war, and of his family’s struggle to forge a new future.
And it serves as a doorway into parts of Little Dog’s life his mother has never known – episodes of bewilderment, fear and passion – all the while moving closer to an unforgettable revelation.
Metamorphosis
Secondary textTraveling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes to discover he has been transformed overnight into a monstrous insect-like creature. Trapped in his room and unable to work or communicate, Gregor must confront what his sudden uselessness means for the family that once relied on him—and watch how their love is tested by revulsion, duty, and the strain of caring for something they can barely recognize. Darkly comic and deeply unsettling, this landmark novella probes alienation, family obligation, and the terrifying fragility of identity, asking what remains of a person when they can no longer be who others need them to be.
Welcome to the Tired Mums Book Club. A group of friends with offspring committed to the gargantuan task of reading a minimum of 6 WHOLE BOOKS in a year. We meet every 8 weeks in a local (to Woodford) pub to discuss a book. You will have 8 weeks to read only one book, with an optionally secondary book too for those with the time. It’s low commitment: if you don’t turn up, no one will care – but when you do, you’ll come away feeling refreshed on the tonic of good company and high-brow discussion of literary delights that we have all read or half-read and, most likely, meandering conversation about our child’s bowel habits. We started as Mum pals who needed some reading accountability but welcome anyone to join us – offspring or otherwise.
weeks per book
members
books so far