At the end of 2023, I was asked whether I would like to host a new book club with WLQP. Being someone that has never even attended a book club before, I naturally said yes… I mean how hard can it be? Despite some quick learning and ´fake it until you make it´moves on my part, mostly it’s been a breeze and that’s completely down to the fab people that attend.
So what is the WLQP Book Club like?
We have two rules when it comes to the book club:
The book must have a queer theme
The next book must be of a different genre to the last book we read.
Outside of that, anything is acceptable. And because of the above, we really have had a wide range of books that we have covered this year. Out of this, we have had some of the most amazing conversations as well. Every opinion is welcome (as long as it comes from a place of kindness!) and as such we have had some fab experiences shared, and learnt so much not just from the books themselves but also from our discussions out of it.
Firstly, a little summary of the books we covered in 2024 below:
January: First Time for Everything by Henry Fry
February: Queer Footprints by Dan Glass
March: The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
April: Our Wives under the Sea by Julia Armfield
May: Boy Slut by Zachary Zane
June: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
July: This is how you lose the Time War by Max Gladstone
September: Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H
October: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
November: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
The fab thing we have seen is that people who have come to the book club have shared their own personal experiences and opinions inspired by the books that we have read. Obviously, I can only speak to my own reactions, but this is how I’ve found it:
I have laughed out loud with Danny fudging his way through queer adulthood in London in ‘First Time for Everything’, cried uncontrollably as I walked through Young Mungo’s life growing up in Glasgow, and sat aghast in what felt like an afternoon’s therapy session while Zachary Zane spoke volumes to me in Boy Slut. There are books that I will read ten times over again (*cough* write more books Zachary Zane cough) and books that for me probably didn’t hit as much on the mark as the others, but I have loved reading every single one and I can honestly say that, if it wasn’t for this book club, I wouldn’t have read any of them at all.
What I’ve also loved is, while not every book was to everyone’s liking, there have always been people in every session who have ranged from loving it to not so much so each book has spoken to someone… and none have been awful I hasten to say, just - you know - different strokes for different folks. Which is always the best way to be.
So what can you expect from the book club and why do I think that you should join? First off, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Coming to the book club shouldn’t come with any pressure. We meet each month and we discuss the book in detail but as anyone who has been to a session this year will know, despite being the host, I quite regularly turn up each month running on about two hours sleep having only started the book the night before and having finished it during my lunch break that day.
We also have zero problem with people who don’t finish the book, as long as they in turn have no problem with spoilers as we tend to not hold back with getting into the plot!
So if you fancy having a laugh, getting deep with strangers, or you have a book you’re absolutely dying to talk about with about 10-20 people in a dimly lit hotel restaurant, then this is the book club for you. Come on down and either chat away or listen to others talk about a different book each month. Everyone is welcome, can’t wait to see you all in 2025!
Next book is
This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
21st Jan 2025 at 7pm at Room2 in Chiswick.
By Lisa Harries
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