Calling all book lovers!

Our very popular book club has been fully subscribed for several years, with people languishing on the waiting list for what seems like forever. It has been disappointing having to turn people away.

Now is your chance - there is an amazing opportunity to create a Book Club 2!

Would you be interested in being part of this new group? Joyce Winwood is happy to help the new group get started, and will lead for the first couple of months.

The plan is to hold the meetings on the same day and time as Book Club 1, in the same building, but in separate rooms. Thus, there would be two separate groups, but we could all come together as and when required.

The first meeting for Book Club 2 was on Monday 20th April at 2pm in the Library Room at the Methodist Church. To get them started, they read  “The Girl on the Cliff “by Lucinda Riley.

For further details, please get in touch with Joyce Winwood on the contact link above.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Churchdown u3a Book Club discusses the book that has been selected for each month (one book per month, so quite doable). Our discussions are always broad and lively - it is rare when we all agree, which only makes our chats more interesting, but we are always respectful of one another's views. There are huge benefits for us all in enjoying a good read, and because we all suggest a book we are challenged to try new authors and read a variety of styles.

On months where we do not have an additional activity, or two books to discuss, one of us will say something about what reading and books mean to us (this is optional). At the July meeting we plan together for our next year's programme. This is accompanied by a delicious cream tea. At the December meeting we have a Christmas lunch and a Secret Santa.

Please feel free to take a look at our programme below, as there may be a title that you may fancy reading.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies ...
The man who never reads lives only one"

George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

April Book Review: "The Girl on the Cliff" by Lucinda Riley

This was enjoyed by many, and achieved a score of 8.

After refreshments, Jenny told her story about her life and books. This had rave reviews from those lucky enough to be there.

Thank you, Jenny.

Programme for 2025/26

Date	Book	Author	Proposer	Books & Me
September 15th	The Glassmaker Unruly	Tracey Chevalier David Mitchell	Chris Joyce
October 20th	Charlotte Gray	Sebastian Faulks	Janette	Chris
November 17th	The Tin Man	Sarah Winman	Maggie	Joyce
December 15th	You Are Here Christmas lunch & Secret Santa	David Nicholls	Pat D
January 19th	Before the Coffee Gets Cold	Toshikazu Kawaguchi	Mary/Andy	Norman
February 16th	An Eye for an Eye The Honourable Schoolboy	Jeffrey Archer John le Carré	Robbie Norman
March 16th	Snap	Belinda Bauer	Jenny L	Mary
April 20th	The Girl on the Cliff	Lucinda Riley	Pat T	Jenny W
May 18th	Becoming Mrs Lewis	Patti Callahan	Jenny B	Andy
June 15th	The Spy Coast	Tess Gerritsen	Jilly
July 20th	The Garden of Evening Mists Planning & cream tea	Tan Twan Eng	Jenny W

The BorrowBox app from the Library is a good place to obtain your books. You can also download audio books from there. If you would prefer to purchase used books, we have found that Amazon and Awesome Books are useful sources, among others.

The next Cheltenham Literature Festival will be running from 9th-18th October 2026 at various venues around Cheltenham. There should be some good books coming out, which you may like to read.

Books we have read since 2016