Book Drives Melbourne

Book Club at Iddy Biddy

Bookaholics Anonymous - stop scrolling and start reading Calling all book lovers and enthusiasts to a new monthly pub book club at Iddy Bar in St Kilda at 7.30pm sharp on Monday 4 May. Hosted by author Annie Lawson, we will chat about our favourite books of all time this month. What - Bookaholics Anonymous Where - Iddy Biddy Bar When - 7.30pm, Monday 13 April How often - Monthly Who - Anyone who wants to stop scrolling and start reading Format - Find out Monday

May Book of the month - Hekate - The Witch

Book Club: [Hekate](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223296200-hekate---the-witch) the Witch by Nikita Gill Step into the shadowed spaces where myth, magic, and self-discovery intertwine. Hekate the Witch is a powerful collection of poems that channels the voice of the ancient goddess Hekate, exploring themes of transformation, independence, and feminine power. Nikita Gill gives voice to the marginalized, the mystical, and the misunderstood, weaving a tapestry of verse that is at once haunting, comforting, and profoundly empowering. Through vivid imagery and spellbinding language, Gill guides readers on a journey of introspection and resilience. The poems confront heartbreak, identity, and personal evolution, reminding us that embracing our own power often requires walking through the darkness. With Hekate as both guide and metaphor, this collection asks us to honor our intuition, our shadows, and the quiet strength that resides in the unseen. Gill’s work resonates as both a personal and collective call to awaken, offering moments of reflection, rebellion, and radical self-acceptance. Whether read slowly, aloud, or in fragments, these poems linger—like magic in the air, or footsteps in a midnight forest. Discussion Points: • Power and Autonomy: How does Gill explore self-sovereignty through the figure of Hekate? Are her poems a call to reclaim personal agency? • Darkness and Transformation: How are loss, grief, or shadowed experiences reframed as sources of strength? • Feminine Archetypes: How does the goddess Hekate function as a symbol for modern empowerment? • Poetic Form and Voice: How does Gill’s style—short verses, repetition, vivid imagery—shape the emotional impact of the work? • Spiritual and Emotional Resonance: Which poems spoke to your own journey of self-discovery, resilience, or empowerment, and why?

May - The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

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).

Book 150: The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

The Reading Room

Step into the room, not just to read, but to experience what happens when curious, learning minds gather in the same space. There’s something unexpectedly powerful about people arriving with different ideas, perspectives, and questions, then discovering what unfolds when they pause, explore, and reflect together. This isn’t a traditional book club—there’s no assigned reading, no pressure to perform—just a simple rhythm: 60-Minute Flow: **👋 0:00–0:15 \| Arrive & Introductions** **📖 0:15–0:30 \| Quiet Reading Time** Settle in with your book, article, or notes. Highlight something that stands out—a line, an idea, or even something you disagree with. This is your space to explore. **💬 0:30–0:45 \| Sharing & Insights** We come back together to share what we picked up. It can be a quote, a question, a new perspective—anything that sparked your thinking. Expect a mix of ideas and thoughtful discussions. **🤝 0:45–1:00 \| Open Networking** A wrap with relaxed conversation. Swap recommendations, continue discussions, or simply connect with others

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.

June Book of the month - Three Reasons for Revenge

Book Club: Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan It is a high-stakes standalone crime thriller focusing on a dangerous game involving three targeted victims, featuring Detective Sergeant Judith Lee as she investigates a series of tailored, malicious packages. The story begins when Alexis Turner reports an assault and then disappears. Shortly after, three identical packages arrive at different homes, containing items that will destroy the recipients' lives. The thriller tackles themes of modern, intimate danger and revenge. This follows her highly successful 2024 thriller, *What Happened to Nina?* Discussion Points: * **The Ethics of Revenge:** Does the novel suggest that vigilante justice is sometimes necessary when the legal system fails? Discuss the motivations of the "antagonist" versus the moral failings of the three victims. * **Cycles of Trauma:** How does the childhood trauma of sisters **Renee** and **Margaux** mirror the past of **Judith Lee**? Discuss how their shared history of being "damaged" by others influences their present-day actions. * **Manipulation and Control:** The novel is described as a "deadly game". Talk about how the perpetrator uses intimate knowledge to hurt victims where they are most vulnerable and how they force Judith into playing along. * **Modern Dangers:** How do themes like **deepfakes**, **online manipulation**, and the rapid spread of misinformation heightening the stakes for the characters?

May Book club - The Atom Station by Haldor Laxness

How is it that you can Help kids or yourself to become a better student!

Too many kids as well as teenagers and adults have problems with study. Today's meetup will inform you about the basics in STUDY TECHNOLOGY that provides an understanding of the basics of learning and supplies exact ways to overcome all the pitfalls one can encounter during study. This is applicable to young children, teenagers (or their parents that are trying to help them) and adults alike. Study Technology shows how one studies in order to comprehend a subject so one can apply it. Laws on which learning is based and workable methods have also been discovered for anyone to apply for themselves or when teaching others. Too many students graduate from school and college unable to put to use what they’ve learned in school. It’s not that they’re stupid or that their teachers didn’t know how to teach. More than likely it traces back to the one thing missing from most educations—learning how to learn in the first place. We all went to school, yet isn’t it odd that no one taught us how to study? The information presented at this meetup can help anyone improve others or his own ability to learn. It is a practical tool that parents and teachers alike can use to enhance a child's study performance. You’ll learn the barriers that lie between your own or a child's education. And you will very quickly learn how to overcome them. This technology will enable you or a child to pursue any subject with skill and confidence. Teachers who have "hard to handle/distributive " or slow learners in class will absolutely love the amazing turn around most often seen in improved behaviour and student performance in class. If you or your child has difficulties at school (or learning new things at work or online) than this meetup is important to you. If you can not make it to our meetup than contact the organizer and arrange it to suit your time. This technology can if one was to live far away be taught online. (extension course) You may offcourse also opt to have this technology taught to your own child by experienced volunteeer staff or learn about this yourself and transfer this knowledge to those you want to have better grades. Yes it is possible to improve anyone's study performance. All it takes is just 5 steps. See you at this meetup. Pam

Explore the '1000 Steps' Walk in the Dandenong's - Nature + Coffee & Connection

Join me to explore the stunning '1000 Steps' in the Dandenong Ranges, the first section of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk. For those who would like to, we can catch the train together from Southern Cross to Upper Fern Tree Gully, a chance to chat, connect, make new friends before we begin our walk. The track starts at the Fern Tree Gully picnic grounds, the staircase winds up a steep hill along a creek through rainforest, before emerging into a clearing where we can enjoy beautiful views of Melbourne through the trees. We will complete the loop by taking the Lyrebird Track back to the picnic grounds, and will stop in at the 1000 Steps Cafe for a coffee or something to eat. The Dandenong's is home to beautiful flora and fauna, including giant Mountain Ash trees, Rainbow Lorikeets and Lyrebirds. The path has steep sections on both the staircase and down Lyrebird Track, and is described as moderate to challenging and suitable for reasonably fit people. The track is **3kms** and takes around **1.5 hrs** to complete. The staircase is one way, however there are many places along the track to stop and rest. We will walk slowly, and have a rest at the clearing before heading back down. For anyone who would like to join but is not keen on the stairs, there are walking tracks to explore that run along the creek, from the Ferntree Gully Picnic Ground, with many beautiful spots to sit and relax and enjoy the environment. **Agenda:** I will meet you at **Southern Cross Station at 10.20am** at the Water Tower Clock We will catch the **10.35am Belgrave train** to **Upper Fern Tree Gully** Anyone driving can meet us at the Memorial Mates Statue, at **12pm** We will walk the 1000 Steps, and reach the cafe around 2pm After a coffee or something to eat we can explore the tracks at the foot of the hill, And then catch the **3.30pm** Belgrave train back, reaching Flinders St Station at **4.30pm.** We will keep to the times in the schedule as public transport runs to a reduced timetable on weekends. When you RSVP please click attend on the event page, and I will be in touch about the details, I will also be available in the Event Comments on the day and add any updates there about weather conditions if needed.