Homeless Oxfordshire
Help someone experiencing homelessness start a new chapter in their life
Our July Book Selection
We are so exited to announce Jac Shreeves - Lee will be joining us virtually to discuss her book.
Join us on 16 July
Welcome to Broadwater Farm, one of the most well-known housing estates in Britain. A place where post-war dreams of concrete utopia ended in riots, violence and sub-standard housing.
In this collection, Tottenham-born Jac Shreeves-Lee gives voice to the people of Broadwater Farm. With evocative language and raw storytelling, she compassionately portrays their shared sense of community. A community with a rich cultural heritage, comprising over forty nationalities, generations old.
Our Recommended Read
You may also enjoy Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
by Fannie Flagg
Folksy and fresh, endearing and affecting, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is a now-classic novel about two women: Evelyn, who’s in the sad slump of middle age, and gray-headed Mrs. Threadgoode, who’s telling her life story. Her tale includes two more women—the irrepressibly daredevilish tomboy Idgie and her friend Ruth—who back in the thirties ran a little place in Whistle Stop, Alabama, offering good coffee, southern barbecue, and all kinds of love and laughter—even an occasional murder. And as the past unfolds, the present will never be quite the same again.
Previous Meetings
At our June meeting
Isolarian by James Attlee .
Our verdict - An acquired taste
We discussed a lot about how we liked the facts of the story and that it was fun to learn about things that happened in Oxford that we weren’t aware of. However most wished there was more of a storytelling aspect to the novel as then it would have been much more gripping.
There was lots of detail about the huge variety of shops on the Cowley Road, from the time it was written and all agreed that it was amazing that this variety of shops still exists today. This makes the area really special.
On Friday 23rd April we discussed the book '1st to 
Die' by James Patterson.
Our Verdict - A good read especially if you enjoy crime books.
Some found this a difficult book to get into with a strange ending ( no spoilers here). A great pre-curser to the rest of the series, featuring strong female characters, and some gruesomely graphic details.
We had a great discussion about the differences between the movie characters and how we perceived them in our imagination.
Our first meeting was on March 12th with a special guest, Angus Imrie from The Archers (BBC Radio4)! We discussed Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Angus shares his thoughts in the video below.
Did you know that 16.4% of adults in England, or 7.1 million people, can be described as having '
Poor literacy skills can contribute to a person becoming and remaining homeless.
Fewer job opportunities and/or difficulties in accessing appropriate support are just two barriers that people with poor literacy skills might face.
We believe that being able to read and write effectively is something in which everyone deserves to be confident!
Our Book Club has been created to help the clients within our service to develop the crucial literacy skills that will help them to become more independent and move on from homelessness.
*(https://literacytrust.org.uk/parents-and-families/adult-literacy/)
Subscription
£4.99 /month
What you get:
- You decide on 1 book every 6 weeks by voting on suggested reads, recommend your favourite books on any topic, share books that you have loved and tell us why
- We will pick 1 favourite book from a Homeless Oxfordshire poll every 6 weeks to read and discuss at our next meeting
- Every 6 weeks we will host a zoom meeting, You then have the chance to chat and discuss one of the books we have read
- You get access to literary minds and professionals in our discussions.
- We take all the hassle out of organising a gathering online for you, and we provide regular updates on what's coming up next.
How to join
For a donation of just £4.99 per month, you can enjoy a fun and social place to interact virtually with others in our book club. All donations go towards helping those in need of our services. Plus with every subscription, we will donate a book to our clients' reading library to help enhance their literacy skills.
Just complete the form below. You can cancel your subscription at any time. After signing up you'll receive an email link to access our online book club. We look forward to seeing you there!
