MATILDA BOOK CLUB
ADULT READERS

WHEN: Tuesday evening, monthly at 6pm or 730pm
VENUE: Stirling Hotel Library Room
COST: $10
CONVENOR: Molly

OUR NEXT BOOK CLUB DATE: Tuesday August 26th, 2025

Our Matilda Bookshop Book Club has been running for more than nine years and is a lively, informal and informative meeting where we chat over the best in Australian fiction, new-release fiction, classics and international fiction. The sessions are convened by Molly (who is an author and manager of the bookshop), who has experience teaching literature and creative writing at a tertiary level. But most importantly, the evenings are fun and engaging.

If you are interested in receiving regular information about the book club, please sign up to the newsletter below.

MATILDA BOOK CLUB July Wrap Up

In July at Matilda Bookshop Book Club, we chatted about Charmian Clift's riven love story between a sponge-diver and an upper class Australian woman recuperating on the Greek Island of Kalymnos, in the classic Honour's Mimic (1964). With renewed interest in the work of talented women who have been overlooked/overshadowed as demonstrated by recent exhibitions such as Dangerously Modern (AGSA), Clift's solo novels have been reissued recently to a new generation of readers. At book club we considered the ways in which the novel as artefact has shifted (and is always shifting) since 1964. For instance, Clift's use of language is both exhilarating and dense, and the careful structure shows a fine craftsperson at work, but sometimes kept us from getting close to the narrative. Then we asked, do we need to be close? Is that a contemporary concern?

The passionate unravelling between Fotis and Kathy--in a Byzantine ruin, a riverbed, a cliff ledge, a ship-yard--is both transgressive and transformative. Opinions were varied as to whether the depiction of the relationship held up, but all agreed that distinctions in class, wealth, tradition, opportunity put the lovers in peril. Clift's writing of a Greek island, and of sponge diving, especially, is vivid, brilliant and compelling. The exposure of marriage as drudgery for all the women in the novel, Greek and foreign, pointed to Clift's own struggles as a wildly talented writer, mother, wife, and expat. This was a fascinating discussion. MOLLY

To read the full wrap up of JULY book club, please click HERE.

THE RED DOOR BOOK CLUB
ADULT READERS

WHEN: Wednesday evening, monthly, either 6.00pm OR 7.10pm
VENUE: Matilda Bookshop
COST: $12 (includes a glass of red or white wine or sparkling water on arrival)
CONVENOR: Rose

OUR NEXT BOOK CLUB DATE: Wednesday August 13, 2025

The Red Door Book Club is our newest club! The sessions are convened by Rose, an avid reader, published author and bookseller at Matilda Bookshop.

If you are interested in receiving book club updates, please sign up to the newsletter below.

RED DOOR BOOK CLUB July wrap up

You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue

This month at Red Door book club we dove into the psychedelia of the Aztecs of 1500s Mexico and some of us really did dive deep, with various podcasts listened to and Wikipedia rabbit holes entered. Many of us absolutely loved Alvaro Enrigue’s re-imagining of the meeting between Cortes and Moctezuma in 1519, and our discussions about the role that translators and sheer luck (see: smallpox) have played in shaping history was funny and engaging. We talked about our notions of violence and put in context the human sacrifices and wearing of human skins that were practised by priests in Tenochtitlan at that time, comparing it to European witch-burnings, flayings and public executions. 

We also talked about the power of literature to transport us to another time and place, and how the author’s own deep dive into history and his visits to archeological digs - including time spent in a room containing 40,000 human skulls, which made its way into a scene in the novel - helped him viscerally bring the era to life in vivid detail with all its sounds and smells. We also talked about how history is written by the winners, in this case the much-hated and incredibly violent Cortes, and how the novel’s reimagining of history has therefore been described as a colonial revenge story. This prompted someone to make the beautiful observation that in this case, perhaps “revenge” just means understanding the other side of the story.  ROSE

CHAPTER & INK BOOK CLUB
AGES 13+ (Year 8s, Year 9s, Year 10s)

WHEN: Wednesday, twice a term, from 5.30pm - 6.30pm
VENUE: Matilda Bookshop
COST: $8
CONVENOR: Rosie

NEXT BOOK CLUB DATES: Wednesday, August 20; Wednesday, September 17 2025

Chapter & Ink meets twice a term in Matilda Bookshop. This exclusive group contemplates the latest in teen and young-adult fiction, chats all things books and receives exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming titles with the opportunity to review titles for display in-store and online. Books chosen for Chapter & Ink are sophisticated, fun, and perfect for contemporary readers looking for something new.
Each session is convened by Rosie, an avid reader who has grown up surrounded by books, is inspired by art and design, loves sushi and travel and, rumour has it, was once a teen herself. Rosie guides the informal conversation with reading prompts, discussion topics and helps keeps ideas flowing!

A small snack is provided each session.

THE MATILDA SOCIETY BOOK CLUB
AGES 10-12 (Year 5s, Year 6s, Year 7s)

WHEN: Monday, twice a term, from 5.30pm - 6.30pm
VENUE: Matilda Bookshop
COST: $8
CONVENOR: Kasey

NEXT BOOK CLUB DATES: Monday, August 18; Monday, September 15 2025

The Matilda Society meets twice a term in the kids room of Matilda Bookshop. This exclusive society devours the latest in middle-grade fiction, chats all things books, receives exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming titles and has the opportunity to review titles and have their reviews displayed in-store and online. The titles chosen to read at The Matilda Society are slightly more challenging and may feature heavier themes than those chosen for Magical Minds.

Each session is convened by Kasey, an avid reader, experienced English teacher and teacher-librarian, as well as mum to a tiny human. Kasey guides the group with reading prompts, discussion points and a fun game or two to keep things interesting!

A small snack is provided each session.

MAGICAL MINDS BOOK CLUB
AGES 8-10 (Year 3s, Year 4s, Year 5s)

WHEN: Monday, twice a term, from 5.30pm - 6.30pm
VENUE: Matilda Bookshop
COST: $8
CONVENOR: Kasey

NEXT BOOK CLUB DATES: Monday, August 11th; Monday, September 8th 2025

Do you know a young reader whose dream it is to live cosied among the shelves in the bookshop? Magical Minds is designed for our young readers to feel part of our bookshop community. With a maximum of 12 members per club, each reader will meet up with like-minded peers to chat all things books, receive exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming titles and have the opportunity to review titles and have their reviews displayed in-store and online.

Each session is convened by Kasey, an avid reader, experienced English teacher and teacher-librarian, as well as mum to a tiny human. Kasey guides the group with reading prompts, discussion points and a fun game or two to keep things interesting!

A small snack is provided each session.

2025

We Do Not Part by Han Kang

Flesh by David Szalay

Elegy, Southwest Madeleine Watts

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser

2024

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Scaffolding by Lauren Elkin

Clear by Carys Davies

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry

Take What You Need by Idra Novey

Until August Gabriel García Márquez

We All Lived in Bondi Then by Georgia Blain

The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

Days of Innocence and Wonder by Lucy Treloar

2023

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright

Chai Time at the Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

In Ascension by Martin MacInnes

Small Things Like These & Foster by Claire Keegan

August Blue by Deborah Levy

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

Out of Africa by Karen Blixen

Euphoria by Elin Cullhed

The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane

2022

Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

This Devastating Fever by Sophie Cunningham

Faithless by Alice Nelson

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Bedtime Story by Chloe Hooper

Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes

Loveland by Robert Lukins

The Colony by Audrey Magee

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

2021

Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard

Real Estate by Deborah Levy

Still Life by Sarah Winman

Stranger Care by Sarah Sentilles

From Where I Fell by Susan Johnson

The Performance by Claire Thomas

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart

Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson

2020

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Greenwood by Michael Christie

The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott

The Things She Owned by Katherine Tamiko Arguile

A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry

The Scent of Eucalyptus by Barbara Hanrahan

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey

In Search of the Woman Who Sailed the World by Danielle Clode

2019

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Walking on the Ceiling by Aysegul Savas

Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi

The White Girl by Tony Birch

Lanny by Max Porter

The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie

Islands by Peggy Frew

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Heart of the Grass Tree by Molly Murn

2018

The Children’s House by Alice Nelson

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Flames by Robbie Arnott

Monkey Grip by Helen Garner

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

In the Garden of the Fugitives by Ceridwen Dovey

The Only Story by Julian Barnes

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

The Choke by Sofie Laguna

2017

The Passage of Love by Alex Miller

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

The Last Garden by Eva Hornung

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

House of Names by Colm Tóibín

Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

Barking Dogs by Rebekah Clarkson

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

2016

The Good People by Hannah Kent

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

LaRose by Louise Erdrich

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes

Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar

2015

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

Nora Webster by Colm Toibin

The Golden Age by Joan London

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick de Witt

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

Sweet Caress by William Boyd

2025

The Antidote by Karen Russell

The Leopard by Guiseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa

The Most by Jessica Anthony

It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over by Anna de Marcken

2024

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

All Fours by Miranda July

Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Vladivostok Circus by Elisa Shua Dusapin

The Variations by Patrick Langley

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Held by Anne Michaels

2023

The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

North Woods by Daniel Mason

Strangers at the Port by Lauren Aimee Curtis

Cousins by Aurora Venturini

Ghost Music by An Yu

Shy by Max Porter

When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

A Sunday in Ville d’Avray by Dominique Barberis

Delphi by Clare Pollard

2022

Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

2025

This Stays Between Us by Margot McGovern

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivanun Plozza

My Family and Other Suspects by Kate Emery

2024

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzalez

Birdy by Sharon Kernot

The Space Between Here & Now by Sarah Suk

2023

The Faint of Heart by Kerilynn Wilson

Island by David Almond

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

Animal Life by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir

A Dark Inheritance by H.S. Askwith

Grace Notes by Karen Comer

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

2022

Something About Alaska by JA Cooper

Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone

The Snow Laundry by Mette Jakobsen

Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

The Revelry by Katherine Webber

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Medusa by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill

2021

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Game Changer by Neal Schusterman

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

2020

Call Down the Hawke by Maggie Stiefvater

Taking Down Evelyn Tait by Poppy Nwosu

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Snow by Gina Inverarity

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume

Future Girl by Asphyxia

2019

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

2025

The Green Kingdom by Cornelia Funke

Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest by Liz Flanagan

Bravepaw #1 by LM Wilkinson

Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold

2024

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart by Samera Kamaleddine

The Night War by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley

Andromache Between Worlds by Gabriel Bergmoser

Tyger by SF Said

2023

Ghost Book by Remy Lai

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell

Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer

Wilder by Penny Chrimes

Odder by Katherine Applegate

The Book of Stolen Dreams by David Farr

Honour Among Ghosts by Sean Williams