| Group | Book Group |
| When | Once a month on the third Tuesday 14.00 until about 15.30. |
| Where | Islesburgh Community Centre, King Harald Street, Lerwick ZE1 0EQ Tel: 01595 745100. |
| Contact | Email Book Group Coordinator |
| Next meeting | Our next meeting is on 18 August when we will discuss Under a pole star by Stef Penney. An alternative or additional book suggested is A woman in the polar night by Christine Ritter. |
| Accessibility | There is a car park on the same level as the entrance with two spaces for disabled drivers, plus a lift to the first and second floors. |
| Refreshments | The centre includes a café; a good place to come and have lunch before the group meets. |
Members choose the books each year. At each meeting the person who chose that month's book introduces it, then everyone has the opportunity to say what they thought of it. A wider discussion then follows. It is not an academic discussion!
Once a year, we invite a Shetland author to talk to the group.
We read a wide variety of books. We welcome everyone who enjoys reading and sharing views with each other.
We each pay £10 a year to cover room booking fees.
Books for 2026
- 20 January: Cancer ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- 17 February: Postillion struck by lightening by Dirk Bogarde
- 17 March: To Siberia by Per Petterson
- 21 April: Muckle Flugga by Michael Pederson
- 19 May: Murder at the Grand Raj Palace by Vaseem Khan
- 16 June: The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
- 21 July: Mountains beyond mountains: Tracy Kidder
- 18 August: Under a pole star by Stef Penney
- 15 September: Grace notes by Bernard Machaverty
- 20 October: The shadow killer by Arnalder Indridason
- 17 November Speaker: Kay Riise from Shetland Library Service
Two reviews from our last meeting on 21 July - Mountains beyond mountains
"was blown away by this book. I had no idea of the appalling conditions in Haiti, though I did know that there had been a lot of political instability there. I had never heard of Paul Farmer either, but after I’d finished reading the book, I felt that the man was a giant, no less so than people like Gandhi or Mother Theresa. His energy never seemed to flag, and he demonstrated sheer dogged determination, assisted by enormous vision, amazing medical skills and the belief in the vital role he had to play. He also had the astonishing ability to canvas for all the help he could, financially and practically. The man was a force of nature, and yet so humble. He utterly convinced his team of his ideas and how to put them into action, and engendered huge respect, affection and enthusiasm from them."
Thanks so much for this recommendation, (can’t remember who suggested it!), it was a privilege to read about this wonderful man."
"Really enjoyed this account of a very interesting life. Here was an 'above and beyonder' who tried so very hard for his chosen cause. A fascinating story, testament to human strength and ingenuity in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. A stark portrait of the haves and have nots, with many of the resulting life outcomes eloquently stated"