What we’re about
Welcome to the Surrey Book Club! We are a very social book club and look forward meeting new members.
The Book Club will meet at minimum once a month, usually on the first Monday of the month. Occasionally, we will have a second book or event during the month.
The primary format will be fiction and memoirs. From time to time I will announce other formats/topics/movies/meet-ups. Members, please feel free to message me with suggestions or requests.
What you can expect when we meet up: This is a casual and social group. The month's book is discussed and reviewed with all members sharing thoughts and insights. The conversation flows naturally, and we take time to get to know each other. We typically meet at a restaurant and our group members do order food and drink. Don't worry if you haven't read or completed the book; you're still welcome to attend.
Note: There is a $3 attendance fee for each Meetup, to help cover the organizer fees. Please remit payment online to complete your RSVP. To e-transfer your event fee, please submit to surreymeetups@gmail.com. If you have any issues with completing payment, please contact the group organizer, Satbir.
How are the books selected? We welcome and support all authors. The administrators research the books online via Goodreads and other platforms before books are added to the reading list. Our criteria for adding books to the reading list include availability of the books in different formats including a physical book, e-books, audiobooks etc., and availability at various locations or online, including purchasing in-store, online or borrowing from local libraries. The group administrators will request books be added to the library, however, this process may take several months.
2024 Book Club Update:
The Surrey Book Club event list is now available from March to August reading. Please note the below updates to the group information.
Surrey Libraries:
I have checked availability at the Surrey Libraries and made a note in the Meetups, so you may anticipate how long you might be waiting for the book, in which formats and how soon you should get on the waitlist.
RSVPs are important!
RSVP as early as possible to your preferred events. For all future events, I will be closing RSVPs a few days prior to the event date each month, If nobody has signed up at least 7 days prior to the event, it will be cancelled.
Please feel free to come and enjoy the event whether you have read the book or not.
If you are unwell and/or cannot attend, keep your RSVP updated accordingly to "not attending".
Book Recommendations:
Recommendations are welcome via updating your member profile, message to the group chat, or message to the group owner.
Hosts Welcome:
I mostly post books in the genres of Historical Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, and Mystery. If you are interested in hosting Meetups for other genres, please reach out to me.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Fiction: A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya LalliRoyal Oak Restaurant, Surrey, BCCA$3.00
## Details
This book is available at the Surrey Libraries with versions available as a downloadable audiobook, book and e-book. There is a short waitlist for the e-book format.
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Holiday
Book: A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
Synopsis: One type-A data analyst discovers her free-spirited side on an impulsive journey from bustling Mumbai to the gorgeous beaches of Goa and finds love waiting for her on Christmas morning.Twenty-nine-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya's wedding.
Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual.
When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband and their friends on a group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life--to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of.
Goodreads link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56637919-a-holly-jolly-diwali?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=rNhUTVCZ6M&rank=2 - Non-Fiction/History: Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah HarariRoyal Oak Restaurant, Surrey, BCCA$3.00
This book is available through Surrey Public Libraries as a book, e-book, and downloadable audiobook. It is also available as an audiobook CD.
The holds list is quite big for the downloadable audiobook and the book. Please be sure to put your hold request in as soon as possible.Genres: Non-Fiction, History
Title: Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Synopsis: From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas. Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23692271-sapiens?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=990cC5cKGf&rank=1