New titles available now...

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A modern love story about a computer scientist and her charismatic high school crush who together create a successful new social media app...read more

A wealthy art dealer is saved from drowning & his saviour is convinced their lives are now linked, even as their relationship grows darker ... read more

A modern Kiwi couple grapple with forbidden love, cultural complications, family life and social media fame ... read more

Book Cover Graphic: The Thursday Murder Club

Four friends in a retirement village investigate unsolved murders for fun. The stakes are raised when it happens on their doorstep...read more

A fictional account of the real-life tragedy in 1966 Wales when a pile of coal mine waste slid downhill, engulfing a school... read more

View the full list of new titles with plot descriptions and reviews

Book notes for these titles now available...

For groups who like to wait for tailored discussion/book notes, we've recently completed the notes for:

Kia ora BDS whānau,

Welcome to the Kōanga (Spring) edition of Footnote! We've got some important reminders for groups, including a final plea to vote for BDS in The David Awards (if you haven't already) as well as the latest staff pick, literary events happening near you and, of course, the Barbara Brown Cryptic Clue — scroll down to play and you could win a mystery parcel of five pre-loved books delivered anywhere in NZ!

We hope you enjoy this issue and remember to join us on Facebook and Instagram, or email us anytime. We love hearing from you!

Renee and the BDS Team

Picture of some smiling BDS staff members below the words Vote For Us

Vote for BDS in The David Awards

Voting in the People's Choice Category closes on Friday 30 September. Place your vote for BDS now!

The David Awards celebrate New Zealand's small businesses who punch above their weight. Our small but mighty team, comprised of just five FTEs and some amazing volunteers, deliver our service to around 13,000 book club members across the country. We dispatch over 120,000 books a year!

But as you know, book club isn't just about the books. We're helping people stay connected, support their mental wellbeing, broaden their minds, improve their literacy and learn new things. In keeping with our values of diversity and community, we also subsidise and prioritise: prison book groups, ESOL and migrant book groups, library book groups, men's book groups and rural book groups. We also offer a high school-based half programme for young people.

Voting for us will help spread the word out about BDS, so more more New Zealanders can start reaping the benefits of book group.

Vote Now

BDS News

Our New Website

We invite you to check out our new website. We've improved the catalogue's search functions, re-vamped the 'join a group' map, added staff profiles with links to their recommended reads, made key information easier to find, and given everything a fresh look.

The convenor section (the area you see when you login) remains unchanged for now. We'll work on improving this area in the future as time and budget allow.

Please feel free to send any feedback, questions, or requests for more features to renee@bds.org.nz — so we can keep improving your BDS experience.

Example of a Quick Read Title: Canterbury Quake

TIP: How to avoid selecting Quick Reads by mistake

Some full and half programme groups are inadvertently adding 'Quick Reads' or Intermediate English titles to their book lists. These are books in easier-to-read English and are used by our ESOL/migrant groups and some prison groups. Here's how to identify if a book is a 'Quick Read' and not part of the main catalogue:

There is a [QR] symbol after the title of the book.
The catalogue listing displays the 'Intermediate English' tag.
The cover image will include a 'Quick Read' sticker.
The reading level of English is noted in the description.

Staff Pick

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Recommended by Cherie Gordon

If you like character-driven stories, laugh-out-loud humour, strong female protagonists and insightful non-human characters, you may enjoy Lessons in Chemistry as much as Cherie did!

WORD Book Club: Last chance to register

The WORD book club is a six-month mini-book club featuring titles by WORD 2022 authors. Just $35 per person and you only need a minimum of three to join. Participate from anywhere in NZ. View all the details and register here on our website. Registrations close Sunday 2 October.

Re-enrolment Reminder

Calendar Year Groups: Don't forget to re-enrol your group by:
Friday 9 December

Online re-enrolment opens as soon as your last book set for the year has been dispatched (usually about seven days before your last meeting of the year). Paper re-enrolments can be returned any time.

Follow us on Facebook

Keep in touch with us between newsletters! We post new BDS titles, book reviews, recommendations, literary news and more.

Follow @bookdiscussionscheme on Facebook.

We also have a private group for book clubbers around NZ to share news, ideas and book recommendations with other groups: Request to join The Book Group Group and be part of the conversation.

Find us on Instagram

We're also on Instagram @bookdiscussionschemenz posting book reviews, new title announcements, quotes and other book-related content. We'd love to see you there too.

Follow @bookdiscussionschemenz on Instagram.

Two images of Lola the puppy and her owner Sean

When your courier driver brings their new puppy in for a visit and work in the office grinds to a halt

Meet Lola, the springer spaniel/lab cross.

It's no secret that the team at BDS are animal lovers as well as book lovers. Work always takes a brief pause when one of our staff, or in this case our courier driver, Sean, brings in a furry family member for an introduction. We couldn't resist sharing some snaps from Lola's visit on our socials.

See the original post (with all the photos) here and Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more cute content.

Events

Antartica is Waiting Event Promo Image showing a husky in the snow

Connecting readers and book groups

The best place to start if you're a group looking for new members, or a reader looking for a group, is the interactive map at www.bds.org.nz/join. Using the map you can:

Contact group coordinators directly to enquire about joining their group
Invite individuals to your own group
Create a listing as an individual who would like to start or be invited to join a group

TIP: Existing BDS groups should keep their Group Profile up to date in the convenor section of the website. This is the information that appears on the map if you are open to new members contacting you. You can tick and untick the 'Looking for new members?' box in your Group Profile according to your current preference.

More tips for forming and growing book groups

Leave a message in your local library, community noticeboard or workplace. Download and use one of our two free book club poster templates here and here on our website.
Join your neighbourhood's Facebook group and place a post there.
Neighbourly is another great online tool for connecting with people in your area.
Place a free ad in your local newspaper.
Contact renee@bds.org.nz if you'd like to be featured as either a reader or a group in an upcoming newsletter or on BDS social media.

Cryptic Challenge

Each newsletter, Barbara Brown, BDS Manager and author of the cryptic crossword in the Your Weekend section of The Press, Dominion and Waikato Times newspapers, will provide a cryptic clue. The answer can be found in the BDS online catalogue. Send your answers to renee@bds.org.nz and go in the draw to win a mystery parcel of five pre-loved books.

Congratulations to last quarter's winner: Arthur Green

Footnote Winter 2022 Cryptic Clue Explained:

Later, the politician is after thanks for a BDS non-fiction book (5,3,5)

After the Tampa = BDS non-fiction book

A charade clue: After = later, the = the, ta = thanks, mp = politician, a = a

Later, the politician is after thanks for a

Footnote Spring 2022 Cryptic Clue:

Pinch the musical instrument before the heartless boy becomes a BDS author (4, 6)

The answer will be explained in our next quarterly Footnote

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