Book Drives Sydney

The Curious Mum: Baby-Friendly Books & Ideas Circle (Book via Humanitix)

Have you ever wished there was a space where you could reconnect with the part of yourself that existed before motherhood? I created The Curious Mum after searching for a community where I could discuss books, explore new ideas and connect with like-minded mums—all while bringing my baby along. When I couldn’t find it, I decided to create it. This is a relaxed, baby-friendly gathering for mums with babies and young toddlers (approximately 0–3 years) who enjoy meaningful conversation and lifelong learning. 📖 Our first book: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman No pressure to finish the book—come along even if you’ve only read a chapter or listened to part of the audiobook. Expect thoughtful conversation, curious minds, and a welcoming space where babies are part of the experience. 🎟️ Places are limited, so registration is essential. Please register via Humanitix using the link in this event. https://events.humanitix.com/the-curious-mum-a-baby-friendly-books-and-ideas-circle

Bring your own book club

Bring yourself and your book. 1. Shoes off, kettle on. 2. Read quietly for an hour with soft lo fi music at low volume 3. Have a biscuit 4. Chat for 15 minutes at the end See you every month. *Note: this is my home, so please be respectful in the space.*

August Books and Bevvies

Welcome to **Books & Bevvies** — a casual book swap and drinks social in the Sydney CBD. This is not a book club with homework. It’s a simple, low-key way to meet people, chat about what you’ve been reading, and walk out with something new. **HOW IT WORKS** Bring a book you’re happy to part with. Pop it on the swap table when you arrive. Mingle, chat, and swap recommendations. When the swap opens, take a book that catches your eye. Stay for a drink and a conversation after. **WHAT TO BRING** One book, any genre and any reading level. **GOOD TO KNOW** The venue relies on accurate numbers for staffing, so if you can’t make it, please change your RSVP to “not going”. Repeated no-shows may result in removal from the group. The venue is kindly not enforcing a minimum spend, but please support them by buying a drink, soft drink, or some lunch during the swap if you can. There is no mandatory entry fee, but voluntary contributions are **very much** appreciated. The group costs around **$65 a month to keep running**, so if you enjoy the swap and are in a position to chip in, even $5 or $10 makes a real difference. I’ll have a jar near the sign-in list on the day. Please feel free to contribute at any stage through the swap. **WHERE WE’LL BE** We’ll be in the Market Street Garden Bar, with a table full of books and bevvies.

SEPTEMBER BOOK –'The Invention of Wings' by Sue Monk Kidd

Queer Cinema

August's movie cannot be named due to copyright however here is a description to give you a hint. A gender-queer punk-rock singer from East Berlin tours the U.S. with her band as she tells her life story and follows the former lover/band-mate who stole her songs. This is a musical comedy that has developed a devoted cult following over the years. Director: John Cameron Mitchell Writers: John Cameron Mitchell, Stephen Trask Stars: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, Michael Pitt MA 15+ 2001 CC Run time: 1h 33m *You don't need to be a library member to attend our events but we value your membership and would love you to join. Discover everything the library has to offer including free e-books, audiobooks, e-magazines, movie streaming and so much more. Access our e-library 24/7. Join our library [here](https://library.waverley.nsw.gov.au/libero/WebOpac.cls?VERSION=2&ACTION=SIGNUPAGREE&RSN=&DATA=DWL&TOKEN=75KA1hXWhx6590&Z=1&NewBreadCrumb=1)*

Book discussion: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Published in 2005, *Never Let Me Go* is Kazuo Ishiguro’s quietly devastating exploration of memory, love, and mortality. The novel follows Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, whose childhood at an English boarding school gradually reveals itself to be something far more unsettling. As the truth of their lives comes into focus, the narrative unfolds with restraint and emotional precision, examining how individuals come to accept, resist, or rationalise the conditions imposed upon them. The world they inhabit feels eerily familiar, yet ethically compromised. Subtle and deeply affecting, *Never Let Me Go* asks what it means to live a meaningful life within limits one did not choose, and whether love and memory can offer any form of redemption.

Queer Reads

Reading list for 2026: * Feb: Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend by Dan Jones * Mar: Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin * Apr: Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard * May: In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado * Jun: Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell * Jul: Pageboy by Elliot Page * Aug: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder * Sep: Jack Charles: Born-again Blakfella by Jack Charles * Oct: We Are Never Meeting In Real Life by Samantha Irby * Nov: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar * Dec: Carol by Patricia Highsmith

Bhagavad Gita (c.200 BCE)

The second in our **Journey to the East** reading series exploring texts from the Middle East, India, China and Japan. *Join the Really Old Books Whatsapp to see the full schedule - the Meetup site only allows me to advertise one event at a time:* [https://chat.whatsapp.com/IzXLwdM1Fa33dNe4suamLV](https://chat.whatsapp.com/IzXLwdM1Fa33dNe4suamLV) \-\-\- To be honest, I don't actually have any witty or thoughtful descriptions of what we'll be reading this time - the Bhagavad Gita is one of those famous really important books that belongs to a whole tradition I know essentially nothing about. I could quote the Wikipedia article at you but what of it? Consider this event, above all we've done so far, to be a comfortable space for grappling with the unfamiliar. Join us on this adventure through this 200\~ page text, a book that is not only central to Hindu tradition and broader Indian culture, but has also inspired luminaries such as Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi and Will Smith. As always, read whatever translation you have closest at hand - I'll be reading Eknath Easwaran's translation which I picked up in Dymock's and I assume therefore is readily available. Please reach out if you have any trouble finding a copy or need anything else.

Winter Warmer Drinks & Chat

Sydney: Tech writing in 2005, then 2026, and beyond

Technical writing has changed a lot in the last couple of years. New tools, shifting job titles, restructured teams, and a whole lot of opinions about AI. So what does it actually look like to be a tech writer in 2026? This is the second in a series of relaxed evening meetups where we dig into that question. We've got speakers from inside and outside the tech writing world sharing short talks, followed by open conversation. **For this session**, we're starting with a look way back, as far as 2005. How was it working as a technical writer in 2005, compared to 2026! **Talk: Tech Writing like it is 2005** Remember when technical writers lived in perpetual fear of the blue screen of death erasing three days of work? When “version control” meant emailing Word documents with increasingly creative filenames like “UserGuide_FINAL_v2_REALLY_FINAL_ updated.doc”? This talk takes us back to 2005, when technical writing was equal parts craft and survival skills. This nostalgic journey will cover: * Misplaced tags and reformatting nightmares * The delicate dance of managing conditional text that would mysteriously disappear during PDF generation * The herculean efforts required to generate help files that displayed correctly across the browser landscape * Backup strategies that bordered on paranoia, including the daily ritual of copying work files to storage devices * The logistics of managing review comments scribbled in margins and on sticky notes * A true appreciation of how far we have come as technical communication specialists Seasoned writers will rediscover appreciation for today’s collaborative tools, while newer professionals will gain perspective on the ingenuity and resilience that built the foundation of modern documentation practices. **About Swapnil Ogale** Over the last 20 years, Swapnil has consulted at, and worked with multiple organisations, setting up documentation teams, processes, workflows and toolchains. He initiated the Write the Docs community in Australia and organises meetup events across Australia, and has chaired the annual conference since 2016.

Southern highlands free drive! Text luke if u want a free car ride 0418499490

Southern highlands free drive. Text luke to rsvp & if u want a free car ride 0418499490. Car pick up point is right near central railway station ie [Sydney Central YHA](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-33.881454%2C%20151.20546) 11 Rawson Place · Sydney Our first stop from sydney is in very pretty and Historic Berrima to look around, toilet break, or experience a free visit to an historic colonial house ! Open sat and sun 11am to 3pm Here is the link for u to look [https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/harpers-mansion/](https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/harpers-mansion/) 9 Wilkinson Street, Berrima, New South Wales 2577 , Berrima Publican James Harper was having a good year in 1834. The only son of convicts William Harper and Margaret Morgan, he built the [Surveyor General Inn](https://thefoldsouthernhighlands.com.au/listing/surveyor-general-inn-berrima.html) in the centre of Berrima and became licensee in 1835. Meanwhile, he and his wife Mary built [Harper’s Mansion](https://thefoldsouthernhighlands.com.au/listing/k:harpers-mansion-berrima), a beautifully proportioned Georgian townhouse, on the hill overlooking the village. Today, the Surveyor General is Australia’s oldest continually licensed inn and the National Trust runs Harper’s Mansion with its two acres of gardens and significant maze THEN we travel to the beautiful Mittagong Club for lunch (inexpensive and very comfortable). you dont have to order any food...you can just bring your own food, if you like, and snack on the way...your choice. Here are more places of interest that might interest you on this trip or in the future..plz let Luke know and we will make it happen! [https://www.visitsouthernhighlands.com.au/trip-ideas/heritage-trail](https://www.visitsouthernhighlands.com.au/trip-ideas/heritage-trail/)

Tough Guy Book Club - Drummoyne NSW

Join us for the Drummoyne Chapter of Tough Guy Book Club. You can find out this month's book here [https://toughguybookclub.com/books](https://toughguybookclub.com/books?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExcTVleWRsd0ZYSWdqZXV4QXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5aL8E3xpn05czDIaY5kEiHH3oABs4hICFLOrNXUsW-0gY5HePBTW1ni0SYzw_aem_qNxAzG9ij-sVr5-Rf8Uw3Q) If you have the chance, try to pick up the book and read a couple of pages before the night. If you haven’t, come anyway, no one gives a damn. We are not your boss. If you got one, make sure to bring your copy of the books down, it’ll help you talk about bits of it, we suggest underlining stuff that sticks out to you as important. Also like all months, we will be announcing next month’s book at the meeting and handing them out to those of you who were wise enough to pre-order last month. See you there. Want to know more about Tough Guy Book Club? Read this - [http://toughguybookclub.com/about-us](http://toughguybookclub.com/about-us?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExcTVleWRsd0ZYSWdqZXV4QXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5QrDxxQmsaiuIfgbomTP4b6948UogKCm9U4Dudq5-VU_8aUx5RnTiUjO_R1Q_aem_n5AIic3b6NMTZ5TUJGTLkw)