Resources
The Book Club Hub is here to support leaders and members of book clubs by sharing digital resources for the latest releases. Filter the resources for adults, children’s or young people’s books.
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron - digital resources
Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Crime & Thriller Book of the Year 2024 About the book Two years ago, the Monochrome inquiry was set up to investigate the British secret service. Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out misconduct, allowing the civil servants seconded to the inquiry, Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, unfettered access to confidential information in the service archives. But with progress blocked at every turn, Monochrome is circling the drain . . . Until the OTIS file...
Radio 2 Book Club extract of Clear by Carys Davies
1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger’s intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile on the mainland, John’s...
GollanczFest - digital assets
Gollancz is the UK’s #1 Sci-fi, Fantasy & Horror publisher, bringing you epic books by the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Victoria Aveyard, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, Natasha Pulley, and many more. Its fan-favourite festival GollanczFest returns on 16 March, and to celebrate, we’re taking over libraries nationwide! Download a digital pack to help you put a fantastical spin on your library. Dig out your favourite sci-fi classics and celebrate the romantasy stars of tomorrow with an...
The Reading Agency’s March booklist - Wonder Women
To mark International Women’s Day (8 March) and celebrate the achievements, triumphs and general brilliance of women and girls around the world, we have created a booklist with stories about wonder women and girls. We would love to hear what books you’d recommend on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency. You can see our past booklists here. Our monthly booklists The monthly themed booklists are co-ordinated in-house by the Reading Partners team. The aim of our booklist...
Radio 2 Book Club extract of The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
Yorkshire, 1979 Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South. Because of the murders. Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn’t an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv’s mum stopped talking. Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all? So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a...
The Reading Agency’s February booklist - LGBT+ History Month
LGBT+ History Month takes place every February. Our booklist this month is for librarians and teachers to help them celebrate stories with strong LGBTQ+ representation or that are by LGBTQ+ creators. LGBT+ History Month is an opportunity to discover LGBT+ past and celebrate its present and future. Every year, Schools OUT sets a different theme for the month and provides free resources for education settings, businesses, services and organisations to help them celebrate and ‘Usualise’ LGBT+...
Radio 2 Book Club extract of The Painter's Daughters by Emily Howes
1759, Ipswich. Sisters Peggy and Molly Gainsborough are the best of friends and do everything together. They spy on their father as he paints, they rankle their mother as she manages the books, they tear barefoot through the muddy fields that surround their home. But there is another reason they are inseparable: from a young age, Molly has had a tendency to forget who she is, to fall into mental confusion, and Peggy knows instinctively that no one must find out. When the family move to Bath,...
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey - Book Club question cards
Yorkshire, 1979 Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South. Because of the murders. Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn’t an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv’s mum stopped talking. Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all? So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a...
The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson - book club kit
Jersey, 1943. Once a warm and neighbourly community, now German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule on the people of the island. Grace La Mottée, the island’s only librarian, is ordered to destroy books which threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, postwoman Bea Rose, she wants to fight back. So she forms the wartime book club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of...
Radio 2 Book Club extract of The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
Her decision changed history. Now her family must survive it. British Malaya, 1930s Discontented housewife Cecily is seduced by Japanese general Fujiwara and the glorious future he is promising for ‘independent’ Malaya, free from British colonialism. As she becomes further embedded as his own personal spy, she unwittingly alters the fate of her country by welcoming in a punishing form of dictatorship under the Japanese in WWII. Japanese-occupied Malaya, 1945 Cecily and her family are barely...
Reader Reviews January 2024
Did you know that we offer free reading group sets of books for groups every month? All we ask for in return are reviews. If you’d like to find out more you can sign up to our newsletters. Every month we will be sharing reviews from our readers who have received copies of the latest books from our publisher partners. If you are part of an adult reading group, make sure you sign up to our Reading Groups for Everyone where you can find lots more reviews from readers and apply for sets of books...
The Reading Agency’s January booklist - New Year, New Adventures
To kick off 2024 we have picked books that will either help you learn something new or will take you away on new adventures. Whether you’re looking to delve into some self-improvement, explore the wonders of nature, conduct mind-boggling science experiments, or embark on thrilling fictional journeys, our picks should help to start your year of exciting adventures. Tell us on social media by tagging readingagency and using #booklist. You can also find the booklists on our Bookshop.org page...
Reading Friends resource pack: The Imperfect Art of Caring
This free resource pack for The Imperfect Art of Caring by Jessica Ryn has been designed for Reading Friends projects. It contains an extract from the book and discussion questions intended to support conversations and reflections on personal experiences and stories. About the book Violet Strong is strong by name but not by nature, or so she thinks. She listens but never talks about herself. She’s friendly but doesn’t have many real friends. She’s become good at keeping people at a distance...
The Reading Agency’s December booklist for adults - Books of the Year!
At The Reading Agency, we have read a lot of brilliant books over the past year; books that have made us laugh, cry and left us with a lot to discuss. Members of our team have picked the books that have stood out for them in 2024. We hope you find some inspiration for your next read, or perhaps spot a few titles you have enjoyed yourself! Tell us on social media by tagging readingagency and using #BooksOfTheYear. You can also find the booklists on our Bookshop.org page where you can buy...
Fundraising Guide
Interested in raising funds to help us on our mission to get everyone reading? Our fundraising guide is packed with ideas, tips and materials to get you started.
Tottenham's Big Read 2023 - Amazing Bodies Activity Pack - Greyscale
This version of the activity pack is in greyscale for printing. This activity pack is available to support children’s reading of the book, Amazing Bodies by Dr Ronx. Find fun reading and writing activities to test children’s understanding, as well as exciting science experiments to show the content of the book in real life. The Reading Agency are supporting the Bernie Grants Arts Centre in giving away free copies of Amazing Bodies, by award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor, CBBC’s...
Tottenham's Big Read 2023 - Amazing Bodies Activity Pack
This activity pack is available to support children’s reading of the book, Amazing Bodies by Dr Ronx. Find fun reading and writing activities to test children’s understanding, as well as exciting science experiments to show the content of the book in real life. The Reading Agency are supporting the Bernie Grants Arts Centre in giving away free copies of Amazing Bodies, by award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor, CBBC’s Operation Ouch! presenter, and activist, Dr Ronx. Children can...
Reading Power Fundraising Materials
If you’re planning to raise money for The Reading Agency, take a look at our fundraising materials to help you plan your event Every penny you raise will help to bring the magic of books to more people around the UK.
The Reading Agency’s November booklist – Debuts
November marks National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo (as it’s more commonly known). We want to celebrate some of our favourite debut authors/illustrators of 2023. From beautifully illustrated picture books, thrilling middle grade, YA titles to escape with and a mixture of non-fiction and fiction adult titles. Dive in today and don’t forget to tell us what you thought of any of the books on the list. You can buy the books from Bookshop.org. Looking to share the magic of reading with young...
A Memoir of My Former Self by Hilary Mantel - digital resources
The magnificent final book from one of our greatest contemporary writers. As well as her celebrated career as a novelist, Hilary Mantel long contributed to newspapers and journals, unspooling stories from her own life and illuminating the world as she found it. This strand of her writing was an integral part of how she thought of herself. ‘Ink is a generative fluid,’ she explains. ‘If you don’t mean your words to breed consequences, don’t write at all.’ A Memoir of My Former Self collects the...
Reader Reviews October 2023 - what readers thought about books this month!
Did you know that we offer free reading group sets of books for groups every month? All we ask for in return are reviews. If you’d like to find out more you can sign up to our newsletters. Every month we will be sharing reviews from our readers who have received copies of the latest books from our publisher partners. Books reviewed in October include: Children’s The Stories Grandma Forgot Questions and Answers about Refugees Adults The Favour A Tidy Ending The Good Servant The Bookbinder of...
You Could Be So Pretty by Holly Bourne Reading Group Questions
Reading group questions for You Could Be So Pretty by Holly Bourne. Change the rules. Reclaim your power. If you can… What would you choose? “Razor-sharp and compelling, it is essential reading for every teenage girl.” The Observer “This book is brilliant, brutal and beautiful. A spectacular must-read that manages to put into words all the things that can be so hard to say about the world today.” Beth Reekles “The Doctrine exists to make us believe we are less than, so we don’t have...
Reading Power: Communications Toolkit
Support our fundraising campaign focused on improving adult reading confidence across the UK.
The Reading Agency’s October booklist – Poetry
National Poetry Day (5 October) is a day to share, read and even write poetry. To celebrate, we’ve put together some of our favourite poetry picks. You can buy the books from Bookshop.org. Looking to share the magic of reading with young readers? Join us on 29 November at 10am where award-winning poet Joshua Seigal will be sharing the magic of poetry in a free digital workshop. Perfect for KS2 students. Book your place here We would love to hear what books you’d recommend for the theme on...
When You Lose it by Roxy and Gay Longworth Extract and Discussion Guide
A reading guide plus extract for When You Lose it by Gay Longworth. About the book Roxy was 13 years old when she was coerced then blackmailed into sending explicit photos, which were spread around her school. The shame led to self-loathing. The blame led to a psychotic breakdown. Roxy started hearing voices. Then she started seeing things… What happens when your teenager starts to lose it, and then you lose each other? What happens when you can’t tell your mother you desperately need help?...
The Reading Agency’s September booklist – STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
National Coding Week is an annual event that aims to help adults, young people and children with learning digital skills. National Coding Week will be happening from the 18-24 September so we are celebrating our favourite books that have strong themes to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). You can buy the books from Bookshop.org. We would love to hear what books you’d recommend for the theme on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency. You can see our past...
I Know It's You by Susan Lewis - digital resources
Don’t miss the next emotionally gripping thriller from Sunday Times bestseller Susan Lewis! THE STORY… The first chapter of a manuscript arrives on Publisher Marina’s desk. She assumes it’s just another novel by another aspiring writer… THE SECRET… As the chapters arrive one by one, Marina is convinced they are about her past. There’s only one person who can know everything about the scandal, the trial, and the trauma that nearly broke her. THE SILENCE… This is one story that should never be...
Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard - digital assets
A DIVIDED REALM MUST RALLY, AN UNSTOPPABLE ENEMY MUST BE DEFEATED, AND THE FATE OF THE WORLD RESTS ON A BLADE’S EDGE. Andry, a former squire, fights for hope amid blood and chaos. Dom, a grieving immortal, strives to fulfill a broken oath. Sorasa, an outcast assassin, faces her past when it returns with sharpened teeth. Valtik, an old sorceress, summons a mighty power. And Corayne, a pirate’s daughter with an ancient magic in her blood, steps closer to becoming the hero she’s destined to...
Spear by Nicola Griffith - promotional guide
About the ADCI Literary Prize 2023 Launched in 2022, the ADCI (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) Literary Prize seeks to encourage greater positive representation of disability in literature. Founded by author Penny Batchelor and publisher Clare Christian together with the Society of Authors, the prize is generously sponsored by Arts Council England, ALCS, the Drusilla Harvey Memorial Fund, and the Professional Writing Academy. Open to authors with a disability and/or chronic...
Reader Reviews August 2023 - what readers thought about books this month!
Did you know that we offer free reading group sets of books for groups every month? All we ask for in return are reviews. If you’d like to find out more you can sign up to our newsletters. Every month we will be sharing reviews from our readers who have received copies of the latest books from our publisher partners. Books reviewed in August include: Children’s Thief of Farrowfell Spellstone Between Night and Day Emerald and the Ocean Parade Wider Than The Sea The Deadlands Nic Blake and the...
