Book Swaps Sydney

I Am That - Book Circle @ Prince Alfred Park

**“The seeker is he who is in search of himself.”** *- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj* For our first circle, we’ll be exploring the text *I Am That* by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Regarded as a modern spiritual classic, this collection of timeless teachings presented through dialogues with seekers, has become one of the most influential books on self-inquiry and has profoundly shaped the lives of countless readers around the world. Its clear and uncompromising words point us back, again and again, to the simplest and perhaps the most important question we can ask: **“Give up all questions except one: ‘Who am I?’** **After all, the only fact you are sure of is that you are.** **The ‘I am’ is certain.** **The ‘I am this’ is not.** **Struggle to find what you are in reality.”** *- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj* Rather than reading the book from beginning to end, we’ll simply open it wherever feels alive on the day and allow the conversation to unfold naturally from there. We’ll take turns reading aloud, pause to reflect, and share any thoughts, insights or observations that arise. 🌳 We’ll be meeting in the beautiful **Prince Alfred Park, just a short walk from Central Station.** The exact meeting location will be shared on the day via our WhatsApp group (the invitation link will be sent once you’ve RSVP’d). 🍃 We’ll be sitting on the grass, so feel free to bring a picnic blanket, cushion, or camping chair - whatever helps you feel comfortable. 📖 If you have a copy of *I Am That*, please bring it along, although it’s not essential. ➡️ **To find out more about the book:** https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2462992 🔈 **Full audiobook (Ai version) available on YouTube:** https://youtu.be/rTGTtOMsYB4?si=LO9GaetqPi1ins42 🙋🏻‍♀️ **Any questions?** Feel free to PM me! I look forward to sitting with you in inquiry. Maryanne 🌻

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.

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 Book Club on Degrowth: Less Is More

Welcome to Meet the Moment Book Club, where we read books that meet the moment and make sense of it all together. Please see our [group page](https://www.meetup.com/meet-the-moment-book-club/) for a list of upcoming books. After discussing the true origins of illness and health, and seeing how much the current system affects our health, as well as the power we now have, armed with this new knowledge from *The Myth of Normal*, to get healthy -- we now take a look at the system itself. How did things become the way they are? Why is the world we live in so antithetical to life and health? And armed with this knowledge, what can we do about it? *Less Is More* was a game changer for me. After experiencing some health crises, I slowed down my life, and was transformed; because in this very fast-paced world, even slowing down is somehow revolutionary and transformative. So when I read *Less Is More*, it clicked immediately -- ah, this very fast-paced system itself needs to slow down, too. That alone would transform our world, our lives. Degrowth may be an off-putting word for some. Don't let it faze you. You'll understand it once you see it in context. *Less Is More* is also just beautifully written and an excellent read. You'll see. \*\*\* A Financial Times Book of the Year "'A powerfully disruptive book for disrupted times ... If you're looking for transformative ideas, this book is for you.' KATE RAWORTH, economist and author of Doughnut Economics ______________________________________ Our planet is in trouble. But how can we reverse the current crisis and create a sustainable future? The answer is: DEGROWTH. Less is More is the wake-up call we need. By shining a light on ecological breakdown and the system that's causing it, Hickel shows how we can bring our economy back into balance with the living world and build a thriving society for all. This is our chance to change course, but we must act now." https://www.amazon.com.au/Less-More-Degrowth-Will-World/dp/1786091216/ \*\*\* We will be meeting at The Erko Hotel, in the outside area in the back. We will start and end on time. There's no fee, but please purchase your own food/drinks from the venue. \*\*\* If you have trouble getting the book, message me. On reading a book: I encourage people to read books over just interviews or summaries, because nothing beats the slow digesting of the beauty and nuances in a book. Especially for the books in this book club that challenge our worldviews and help us see the world as it truly is, these books need to be really grappled with, to be fully engaged with, to receive the full benefits. For reference, I use book clubs to motivate me to finish the books I want to read, so the date of the book club becomes a deadline to finish the book by. I calculate the number of pages in a book and the number of days I can realistically read, and work out how many pages on average I need to read each day. That's how I've finished many books. Invariably, they're worth reading to the end. Of course, life happens and we're all busy. If you really can't finish a book or can only watch videos this time, that's okay. Come by with an attitude of listening, open to being inspired, and take in what others have to say; perhaps you'll want to read/finish the book afterwards. Just know that books are like most things in life: what you put in is what you get out of it. A podcast or ChatGPT can give you the high-level points, sure, perhaps to BS your way to a decent grade in class; but we're not in school anymore, and we read these books because they better our lives and help us see more clearly. But they can only do so if we read them, because reading is what makes all the new concepts come to life enough to maybe change yours. For the full magic, you just gotta read. Alright, thanks for reading my ode to reading. \*\*\* If the RSVP list is full, please join the waiting list as there will likely be fluctuations closer to the date. If you RSVP'ed and can't make it, please edit your RSVP so that others can attend. No-shows will be noted and barred from the book club. Look forward to seeing you there!

The Standard Life of a Temporary Pantyhose Salesman

**Meeting at the usual place, the Shakespeare Hotel, 200 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, on Thursday 13 August 2026, we will be discussing *The Standard Life of a Temporary Pantyhose Salesman* by Aldo Busi.** **It is a sprawling, semi-autobiographical picaresque novel, first published in Italian in 1985. It established Busi as one of Italy's most original and controversial contemporary writers.** **The novel follows Angelo Basarovi, a highly educated gay man in his thirties who is completing a university thesis while earning a living as a temporary pantyhose salesman. Angelo and the owner of the factory travel across Western Europe trying to sell hosiery, but the sales trips are really a framework for Angelo's observations on the people and institutions around him.** **Angelo reflects on his childhood, his homosexuality, class differences and the the search for authenticity in a conformist society.** **This is quite a long novel, at about 430 pages. Soft copies available from the usual places, including a pdf from Dale: email me at dalemills@cantab.net As this is a novel translated from the Italian, it may be a bit difficult to find hard copies through local libraries. Hard copies can be on the expensive side - at least from ebay and Amazon.** **As this is a novel** **translated from the Italian, it may be a bit difficult to find hard copies through local libraries. Hard copies can be on the expensive side.** **Some of us will be there from about 6.00pm onwards, but the meeting formally starts at 7.00pm. We will be meeting in one of the semi-private rooms upstairs. Look for the sign.**

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

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.

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

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)*

Winter Warmer Drinks & Chat

📚🍷 Drinks & Cookbook Swap Social

Cookbooks are more than collections of recipes. They're full of ideas, memories, and inspiration waiting to be shared. Join Kitchen Catch-Up for a relaxed social & cookbook swap session at **Hive Bar in Erskineville**. **How it works:** • Bring a cookbook you'd be happy to pass on. • Choose another cookbook to take home. • Don't have a cookbook? That's absolutely fine! Come along anyway to join the conversation with fellow kitchen enthusiasts. Whether your shelves are filled with baking books, regional cuisines, restaurant cookbooks, or modern favourites, there's every chance you'll head home with something that inspires your next meal. It's a fun, easy-going way to refresh your cookbook collection, meet fellow food enthusiasts, and spend an evening talking about the thing we all love most... creating foodie memories! The Hive is in the heart of Erskineville, a very short walk from the Erskineville train station. Nearby parking is also available. Address: 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville NSW 2043 We've reserved the upstairs room. Drinks & Nibbles: Available for purchase at The Hive bar. Looking forward to catching up and exploring all the wonderful cookbooks you have to share ! Cheers, Natia \-\-\- Kitchen Catchup Code of Conduct The Kitchen Catchup community is a space for all members, of all skill levels to, both in person and online, \>\> safely discuss\, cook and eat all types of foods from around the world\, \>\> be treated fairly\, equally and with respect by all members\, and \>\> socialise & learn in an environment free from all forms of harassment and discrimination\. If you do not care for a certain ingredient, dish, cuisine or cooking technique (we all have these!), there is no issue with mentioning that you don't like it; however, please avoid negative reactions (verbal or otherwise) that could make other members in the group feel uncomfortable. If any further questions or to raise any concerns from any of our events, please feel free to get in touch with the event and/or meetup organisers. Thanks for helping to keep our community amazing!

The End of the World is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan

Meeting at the usual place, upstairs at the Shakespeare Hotel, 200 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, on Thursday 27 August 2026, at 7.00pm, we will be discussing The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalisation (2022) by Peter Zeihan. This book is highly relevant in the shadow of the blockage of the Strait of Homuz and the interruption to the world's energy supplies. The book argues that the globalisation in trade was only possible after World War 2 because the US Navy guaranteed the free flow of international shipping. Now that the USA is unwilling or unable to keep the supply chains open, there will be an inevitable fall-back to regional trade blocs. Some countries have the resources to look after themselves (the USA has the best geography, energy, food and demographics) while other countries are more import-dependent and vulnerable (China, Germany). Australia would muddle through, as it is largely energy and food self-sufficient, but would be vulnerable to the international supply of manufactured goods and medicines. The format of the meeting is that we speak about the book in a fairly structured way for about 45 mins, with one person speaking at a time, and where everyone gets to have a say. Dissenting opinions are given a lot of space. The meeting then formally ends, where almost everyone stays back in smaller informal groups to speak more about the book, or anything else! Under our new R̶e̶i̶g̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶T̶e̶r̶r̶o̶r̶ updated policy, only those people who have read the book are encouraged to come. Do check out our Social events for those wanting to meet up without reading a book. Contact our friend Anna for soft copies or dalemills (at) cantab.net for a free pdf.