Who are we? Portsmouth Library service supports almost 40 reading groups, 16 of which are run by library staff. The Book Case website allows us to share our reading adventures with you, so why not let us guide you through the overwhelming choice of what to read next? Portsmouth Libraries host and support reading groups across the city to give readers the opportunity to share and enjoy books, to socialise and talk! The books are supplied by the Library Service free of charge and selected so that all of our groups will get the opportunity to read them. It is important to us that the books we provide reflect what our groups want to read so we welcome suggestions of in-print, paperback titles. All members of each group are encouraged, without pressure, to contribute ideas, reactions, to pose questions and give opinions. Anyone is welcome to comment on the books we are reading in Portsmouth.

Who can contribute and how? Feel free to read our reviews, or indeed leave one of your own. Everyone can contribute to this wiki by leaving comments at the bottom of any page, in order to share your views and thoughts. However, if you are a member of a reading group in Portsmouth and want to get more involved please let us know by signing up, and then click on the Apply to be a Writer button. We look forward to hearing from you! For a full overview of everything we have to offer, take a look at our sitemap.

Useful Links Our complete book set list What are we reading right now?

Join us... If you would like to join one of our reading groups, or would like further information please email libraries@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call Clare Forsyth on 023 9268 8064.

Independent Reading Groups

If you don't want to join a library based group, you are more than welcome to start your own. For help and advice with this, please contact Jenny Bond on 023 9268 8064. or email libraries@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

What's new on the Book Case?

• We've added some new books to our collection. Take a look at the updated booklist.
• Portsmouth Libraries is now on Facebook
• Portsmouth Libraries is now on Twitter. Follow us to receive important reading group updates. www.twitter.com/PortsmouthReads

Featured Review

This month Cosham Reading Group have reviewed Secret scripture by Sebastian Barry. We couldn’t decide if this book was a work of genius or just simply okay. The story revolves around an old lady, Roseanne, who has lived in a psychiatric hospital in Sligo, Ireland for most of her life. She is recalling her past life and the circumstances which led to her incarceration there. To counterpoint her perspective we also listen to the voice of her physician, Dr Grene. He is intrigued by Roseanne and delves through old files to also get to grips with her story. What’s fascinating is how the two versions differ so dramatically. The reader is left wondering if Roseanne is a dotty old lady who can’t remember the facts – an unreliable narrator in fact, or if the paperwork and testimonies of the men who were responsible for her imprisonment there were deliberately falsified. To put this into some historic perspective Roseanne grew up in the Ireland of the 1920’s and 30’s where the ‘troubles’ and the Catholic Church had such a defining impact on people’s lives. The book grapples with these themes alongside those of sexual liberation and the role of women at that time. According to the writer the character of Roseanne was inspired by one of his great aunts so she’s written with a certain amount of sympathy, Barry also writes evocatively of Sligo and there is no doubt he is a good writer but the book is spoilt by a melodramatic plot twist that would put Eastenders to shame.

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