Free books for Gloucestershire reading groups

A free literary feast is up for grabs for Gloucestershire's reading groups.

If you love literature, but are loathed to pay for the latest paperback, help is at hand in the form of Gloucester Library which stocks a swelling selection of titles for the growing number of reading groups across the county.

Taking advantage of the local library’s service for reading groups has never been simpler. Firstly nominate a group member to act as the main contact – they will be responsible for collecting and returning the books. Then, get them to pop into any library in Gloucestershire to sign-up for membership free of charge. Books are usually loaned out for six weeks at a time, although you can request extensions. There are no fines to pay and no reservation charges.

There is an impressive range of books to borrow, including:

• This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M Homes
• Zorro by Isabel Allende
• The Farm by Richard Benson
• The 6th Lamentation by William Brodrick
• March by Geraldine Brooks
• Perdita – the Life of Mary Robinson by Paula Byrne
• The Promise of Happiness by Justin Cartwright
• The War at Troy by Lindsay Clarke
• The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connolly
• The Conjurers Bird by Martin Davies
• Going Home by Harriet Evans
• The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
• Hot Pursuit by Gemma Fox
• The Mulberry Empire by Philip Hensher
• Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde
• The Abortionist’s Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde
• The Kaiser’s Last Kiss by Alan Judd
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
• Utterly Monkey by Nick Laird
• The Girls by Lori Lansens
• Small Island by Andrea Levy
• The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch
• Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
• The Whaleboat House by Mark Mills
• Empress Orchid by Aimchee Min
• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
• The Colour of Love by Preethi Nair
• And God Created the Au Pair by Benedicte Newland
• The Time-Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Wildfire Season by Andrew Pyper
• The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice
• The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
• Set This House in Order by Matt Ruff
• The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
• The Cairo House by Samia Serageldin
• The Death & Life of Charlie St Cloud by Ben Sherwood
• A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
• The Girl in Times Square by Paullina Simons
• Moon Dust by Andrew Smith
• The American Boy by Andrew Taylor
• The News From Paraguay by Lily Tuck
• The Silent and the Damned by Robert Wilson
• Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

To request one of the above titles contact Gloucester Library. Remember to discuss second and third choices with the members of your reading group in case your first choice is already reserved and then let the library know how many copies you need. You will need your group’s library account number to hand and will need to know which library you would like to collect the books from.

Then all you have to do is collect the books, distribute them, read cover-to-cover and discuss the merits of the library service for reading groups at great length.

Michelle Byrne
20 August 2007