u3a

Bedale & District

BOOK GROUP 2

Status:Active, open to new members
Group leader:
Jan
When: On Monday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
On 4th Monday every month
Venue: The Reubens, Leeming Bar
Cost: No charge for venue hire but members attending are expected to buy a refreshment.

Books to be read in 2026:

Cuddy by Ben Myers

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Glass Maker by Tracy Chevalier

This is a friendly group, attended by several members. Books are decided by the group. Please come to our next meeting to find out more information. Details below.

Forthcoming events

27th April 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Meeting
The Island by Victoria Hislop
This historical novel is set in Crete and the nearby former leper colony of Spinalonga. It follows Alexis Fielding, who discovers her family's hidden history of leprosy, passion and tragedy […]
Cost: No charge for venue hire but members attending are expected to buy a resfreshment
25th May 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Meeting
On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming
This is a memoir and mystery that investigates the 1929 kidnapping of the author’s mother from a Lincolnshire beach. Although found safely five days later, the child has no memory […]
Cost: No charge for venue hire but members attending are expected to buy a refreshment.
22nd June 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Meeting
Lessons by Ian McEwan
This epic novel follows Roland Baines through the, often turbulent, political and social changes of the late 20th century, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall […]
Cost: No charge for venue hire but members attending are expected to buy a refreshment.

Recent Books

  • The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

    23.03.26 The group had mixed feelings about this book as some struggled with the way the narrative skipped from the present day to events when the characters were younger. However, […]

  • The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller

    This book received mixed reviews from the Group. One member loved it whilst another gave up and didn’t even finish it. Most found the characters lacked depth and they were […]

  • A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

    Most of the group found this book had to be read in small bites and some found it hard to get into.  Not everybody enjoyed it, but all agreed it […]

  • Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

    This book was enjoyed by all group members who found it well written, descriptive and educational. Everybody gained new information regarding hares, their way of life and the countryside in […]

  • The Royal Rebel by Elizabeth Chadwick

    All but two of the Group were not very keen on this book and those already familiar with work by this author agreed it was not one of her better […]

  • Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

    27th October 2025 Whilst most of the Group thought the book captured 17th century social life and religion, it was felt that the relationship between Griet and Vermeer could have […]

  • Butter by Asako Yusuki

    Although a few group members couldn’t get into the book and thus did not read the whole thing, overall, the group found it to be well written and interesting. Inspired […]

  • "Three Days in June" by Anne Tyler

    Overall it was agreed that this book would encourage us to read more from this author whose simple style has been honed to leave the reader some work to do […]

  • "Precipice" by Robert Harris

    "Precipice" by Robert Harris was the first book to be read and discussed by Book Group 2. Not all enjoyed the book but most found the writing style easy to read and […]