Monthly book-talk over a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink.

When: 2nd Monday of each month, 6.30-8p.m.

Where: The Woodstock Bookshop, 23 Oxford Street, Woodstock OX20 1TH

Who: Existing members. Owing to limited space and enthusiastic uptake, we regret that our book group is full for now. We hope our monthly choices will provide reading ideas and inspiration for others wishing to read along!

This month’s choice: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Enjoy a 15% discount when you buy your copy at The Woodstock Bookshop. 

Please join us at The Woodstock Bookshop where Anna Beer (author of Death of an Englishman : An Oxford Mystery)  will re-join us to talk about her new crime fiction novel An Inkling of Death.

Old papers hide dangerous secrets. Old houses hide even more.

Eve Brook, literary consultant and newly minted sleuth, expects a peaceful autumn: a hunt for ‘Hobbit gold’ in the papers of a forgotten contemporary of Tolkien and Lewis.

Instead, in a crumbling Victorian villa in Oxford’s Norham Manor, she uncovers unsettling truths about her city’s past, disturbs an unquiet ghost, and crosses paths with someone hiding secrets of his own.

New Year, and an invitation to a house party in a Jacobean manor deep in the Chilterns, offers a welcome escape; a few days to forget the musty papers and the darkness they reveal in a setting straight from the pages of her beloved crime fiction.

But then, the body is found.

Only months after her first case, Eve Brook is pulled into a new murder inquiry far more personal, and far more dangerous, than anything she’s encountered before. And this time, she must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.

PRAISE FOR Death of an Englishman

‘A high octane jaunt full of laughter and wisdom. Funny, wise, with some deliciously sexy stepping stones... I adored Eve immediately.’
Judith Holder, star of the Older and Wider Podcast

‘Gripping, atmospheric and pleasingly twisty, Death of an Englishman is a captivating and engrossing read: I loved it.’
Chloé Houston, co-author of The Book Game by
Frances Wise

‘Always entertaining... Anna Beer plunges the reader into Oxford’s murky depths with the mystery of a missing manuscript and a cast of the eccentric to the obnoxious, even both...’
Amal Chatterjee, author of Across the Lakes

‘An absorbing, intriguing read... Lovers of detective fiction will relish the witty references to other crime writers and characters.’
Dr Lynn Robson, author of Early Modern Murder,
Calvinism and Female Spiritual Authority

‘Anna Beer constructs a riveting, often amusing narrative around conflicting cultural ideologies, revealing her characters with warmth and humanity,’
Helen Carr, author of Sceptred Isle

8pm finish is approximate. Please note that if there is sufficient demand this event may be moved to a larger central Woodstock venue. The date and time will remain unchanged and we will notify you in good time if this is planned.

For further information contact: info@woodstockbookshop.co.uk

TICKETS £5.00 including wine (or a soft drink) & canapés.

Lara Feigel’s Custody: The Secret History of Mothers is a ground-breaking study of an often-overlooked but vital feature of the modern world. It is also a blisteringly original work of biographical imagination and large-scale historical argument. Custody: The Secret History of Mothers is the story of seven women – Caroline Norton, George Sand, Elizabeth Packard, Frieda Lawrence, Edna O’Brien, Alice Walker, Britney Spears – who have fought for their children and been found wanting. And through these case studies it unpacks the embattled and often tortuous meanings of motherhood, parenthood and care in modern culture.

In this exciting event, Feigel is joined by acclaimed writer Nell Stevens, whose novels are themselves magnificently wide-ranging investigations of gender, social change and the power of creativity. They will discuss not only custody past and present and the changing nature of the family but how to write complex books about women’s lives, how to throw yourself into history while getting it to speak to the current world, and how to reconcile the apparently competing demands of emancipation and care.

Lara Feigel is the author of four highly acclaimed works of cultural history and a novel. Professor of Modern Literature and Culture at King’s College London and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, she reviews regularly for the Guardian and contributes to a range of BBC radio programmes. Custody: The Secret History of Mothers is her latest book.

Nell Stevens is an award-winning writer of fiction and memoir. She is the author of the novels The Original and Briefly, a Delicious Life, the memoirs Bleaker House and Mrs Gaskell & Me, and a new short-story collection, The Good Time. Mrs Gaskell & Me won the Somerset Maugham Award. She is Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Warwick.

8pm finish is approximate. Please note that if there is sufficient demand this event may be moved to a larger central Woodstock venue. The date and time will remain unchanged and we will notify you in good time if this is planned.

For further information contact: info@woodstockbookshop.co.uk

TICKETS £5.00 including wine (or a soft drink) & canapés.

Monthly book-talk over a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink.

When: 2nd Monday of each month, 6.30-8p.m.

Where: The Woodstock Bookshop, 23 Oxford Street, Woodstock OX20 1TH

Who: Existing members. Owing to limited space and enthusiastic uptake, we regret that our book group is full for now. We hope our monthly choices will provide reading ideas and inspiration for others wishing to read along!

This month’s choice: The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet

Enjoy a 15% discount when you buy your copy at The Woodstock Bookshop. 

SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL SHORT STORY PRIZE
'Sensual, spiky, tender and utterly original' Pandora Sykes
'A fierce and fascinating debut' Lily King

I was told of an older woman who was asked by her granddaughter, 'Granny, when was the happiest time of your life?'

'I don't know,' she replied, 'I may not have had it yet.'

The stories found in this collection explore the worlds of thirteen older women, reframing their intellectual and emotional lives in intimate vignettes that will shock and comfort in equal measure. In elegant prose Jane Campbell ignites the voices of women who are fighting to live on their own terms, energised by the stuff of human living: a need for companionship, attachments to love-objects, freedoms, integrity and sense of self. Cat Brushing confronts the tragic misconceptions of ageing showing older women to be nothing less than courageous, fearless and defiant in the face of overwhelming odds.

8pm finish is approximate. Please note that if there is sufficient demand this event may be moved to a larger central Woodstock venue. The date and time will remain unchanged and we will notify you in good time if this is planned.

For further information contact: info@woodstockbookshop.co.uk

TICKETS £5.00 including wine (or a soft drink) & canapés.

3 Best Friends. 1 Deadly Secret.
With Ali's wedding fast approaching, her friendship with Erin and Sophie threatens to implode with deathly consequences when a twisted teenage game comes back to haunt them.

As teenagers, Ali, Erin and Sophie are bonded by a secret, and a promise to protect each other. Years later, Ali’s wedding is looming when the three women set off for their annual couples’ trip, unaware that one final drunken game and a weekend of secrets and revelations will bring their teenage promise back to haunt them.

As the truth begins to creep out, making headlines that threaten to pull their lives apart, it puts their friendship to the ultimate test – has it been love or fear holding them together, and if one of them cracks, will any of them survive?

'A twisty-turny tale of friendships put to the ultimate test … terrifyingly relatable and shockingly surprising'  Charlotte Duckworth, author of ‘The Perfect Father’

'The complexity of female friendship is brought to breaking point as long-buried secrets threaten far more than the bonds of sisterhood in The Games We Play’  Natalie Chandler, author of ‘The Voices’

'This sharp and suspenseful thriller had me hooked from start to finish. The Games We Play is a classy and compelling read, superbly written and terrifyingly relatable. Claire Quinn is one to watch'  Nicola Whyte, author of ‘10 Marchfield Square’

'An intricate blend of friendship, dark secrets and sinister betrayal had me turning the pages into the early hours … Twisty and suspenseful, I cannot wait to see what comes next from this author.'  Nasheema Lennon, author of ‘Going Going Gone’

'Deftly written and deadly entertaining.'  Tracy Maton, author of ‘The Artful Anna Harris’

What readers are saying about ‘The Games We Play…’

‘A sharp and beautifully written suspense novel that was pacy, twisty, and gut wrenching. A superb debut.’ 5 stars

‘This was a strong, upmarket suspense novel, well written and pacy, with believable characters. I ended up reading it one sitting and really enjoyed it. This author might be one to watch.’ 5 stars

‘A fantastic exploration of trust, friendship and long-buried secrets, The Games We Play by Claire Quinn is a compelling suspense novel.
This was brilliant. I loved it.’ 5 stars

8pm finish is approximate. Please note that if there is sufficient demand this event may be moved to a larger central Woodstock venue. The date and time will remain unchanged and we will notify you in good time if this is planned.

For further information contact: info@woodstockbookshop.co.uk

TICKETS £5.00 including wine (or a soft drink) & canapés.

Set in Belfast and Derry at a time known as 'The Troubles', a group of junior nurses try to live ordinary lives in extraordinary times. A nostalgic read for nurses who worked and trained during this difficult period. They find their experiences inevitably, relentlessly, involved in the civil unrest.
The main character, Teresa McCann and her friends Eileen, Caroline and Sue are changed by the life they lead, coming face to face with terrorists, soldiers and riots in their everyday working lives.
Other characters play their part in influencing the lives of the friends with both humour and aggression, love and betrayal. The story offers an insight into the changes which were taking place in Northern Ireland which were so very different from the 'swinging sixties' enjoyed elsewhere.

The author, Mary McClarey was a a very senior nurse in the NHS. During her early years of nursing, she lived and worked in a Belfast which was torn apart by rival sectarian fighting. 

8pm finish is approximate. Please note that if there is sufficient demand this event may be moved to a larger central Woodstock venue. The date and time will remain unchanged and we will notify you in good time if this is planned.

For further information contact: info@woodstockbookshop.co.uk

TICKETS £5.00 including wine (or a soft drink) & canapés.

Tom Butler-Bowdon is most notable for the 50 Classics series of books, which provide commentaries on key writings in personal development, psychology, philosophy and economics.

The 50 Classics concept is based on the idea that every subject or genre will contain at least fifty books that encapsulate its knowledge and wisdom. By creating a list of those landmark or representative titles, then providing commentaries that note the key points and assess the importance of each work, you will learn about valuable books you may otherwise have never discovered.

Each book contains 50 insightful, engaging commentaries on the key writings in a subject, along with key quotes and biographies of the authors. By distilling the essence of major books for you, Tom ramps up your knowledge while saving you precious time and money.

The series began with 50 Self-Help Classics, and has since covered the key books in Success, Spirituality, Psychology, Prosperity, Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Business. 

Referring to his earlier work on the personal development literature, Butler-Bowdon was described by USA Today as ‘a true scholar of this type of literature’. His 50 Self-Help Classics won the 2004 Benjamin Franklin Award (US) for the Psychology/Self-Help category. Butler-Bowdon's 50 Economics Classics: The Greatest Books Distilled was awarded a silver medal in the 2018 Axiom Business Book Awards, in the Business Reference category.

The series is published in English by Nicholas Brealey Publishing. The books have been translated into 25 languages, with over 500,000 copies sold in English in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, Singapore and elsewhere.

8pm finish is approximate. Please note that if there is sufficient demand this event may be moved to a larger central Woodstock venue. The date and time will remain unchanged and we will notify you in good time if this is planned.

For further information contact: info@woodstockbookshop.co.uk

TICKETS £5.00 including wine (or a soft drink) & canapés.