Puhoi Fireside Bookgroup
Good books, good company, good wine
Updated 20 February 2026 at 05:58 am
About Us
We're a friendly bunch of book lovers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm in the Puhoi Town Library — quite possibly New Zealand's most charming (and smallest) library. Built in 1913, it's survived floods, wars, and the occasional vigorous literary debate.
Each month, one of us picks a book for the group to read. Choices range from Booker Prize winners to books nobody else has heard of (we're looking at you, Max Havelaar). There are no wrong answers, though turning up without having read the book is frowned upon — unless you bring good wine, in which case all is forgiven.
We've been going for more years than we care to count and have worked our way through well over a hundred books together. New members are always welcome — just bring a love of reading and a willingness to have your taste gently questioned.
Upcoming Books
This month's book
We Are All Birds of Uganda
Hafsa Zayyan
Tuesday, 17 March 2026 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Jackie
ISBN: 9781529118667
Book of Guilt
Catherine Chidgey
Tuesday, 16 February 2027 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Steve
ISBN: 9781761349393
Past Books(72)
Beautiful Family
Jennifer Trevelyan
Tuesday, 16 December 2025 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Steve
ISBN: 9798217161829
Enlightenment Now
Steven Pinker
Tuesday, 19 August 2025 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Michael Frost
ISBN: 9780525529798
Humankind: A Hopeful History
Rutger Bregman
Tuesday, 17 June 2025 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Chris
ISBN: 9789123979851
The Last Quarter of the Moon
Chi Zijian
Tuesday, 18 March 2025 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Bryan
ISBN: 9780099555650
Time Shelter
Georgi Gospodinov
Tuesday, 17 December 2024 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Kate
ISBN: 9781474623063
Small Things Like These
Claire Keegan
Tuesday, 15 October 2024 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Derek
ISBN: 9780802158758
Midnight's Children
Salman Rushdie
Tuesday, 17 September 2024 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Jenny
ISBN: 9781409028536
Shrines of Gaiety
Kate Atkinson
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Kathryn
ISBN: 9780593634097
Empire Of Pain
Patrick Radden-Keefe
Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Michael F
ISBN: 9788417339739
I Am Homeless If this Is Not My Home
Lorrie Moore
Tuesday, 16 January 2024 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Chris
ISBN: 9780307740878
Poor People With Money
Dominic Hoey
Tuesday, 19 December 2023 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Kate
ISBN: 9780143779865
Madhouse at the end of the Earth
Julian Sancton
Tuesday, 19 September 2023 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Steve
ISBN: 9781984824332
Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver
Tuesday, 20 June 2023 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Jenny
ISBN: 9780063251984
Americanah
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Tuesday, 15 November 2022 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Jackie
ISBN: 9781471241468
The Mirror Book
Charlotte Grimshaw
Tuesday, 18 October 2022 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Diane
ISBN: 9780143776000
Klara and the Sun
Kazuo Ishiguro
Tuesday, 16 August 2022 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Chris
ISBN: 9780571364886
The Daughter of Time
Josephine Tey
Tuesday, 21 June 2022 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Mike B
ISBN: 9798738060571
The Power of the Dog
Thomas Savage
Tuesday, 17 May 2022 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Bryan
ISBN: 9781574904727
From There to Here (with an awful lot in between)
Pat Backley
Tuesday, 19 April 2022 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Val
The Garden of Evening Mists
Tan Twan Eng
Tuesday, 15 February 2022 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Mike
ISBN: 9781471216664
A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles
Tuesday, 18 January 2022 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Derek
ISBN: 9780735221673
Skeletons on the Zahara: A true story of survival.
Dean King
Tuesday, 21 December 2021 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Jackie
Where Once My Heart used to Beat
Sebastian Faulks
Tuesday, 19 October 2021 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Judith
Walking With Ghosts
Gabriel Byrne
Tuesday, 21 September 2021 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Annie
ISBN: 9780802157126
A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving
Tuesday, 20 April 2021 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Jenny
ISBN: 9780345361790
Leaves Of The Banyan Tree
Albert Wendt
Tuesday, 17 November 2020 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Bryan
ISBN: 9780582717701
The Strength of Eggshells
Kirsty Powell
Tuesday, 15 September 2020 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Jackie
ISBN: 9780473474201
Little Fires Everywhere
Celeste Ng
Tuesday, 21 July 2020 at 07:00 am
Proposed by Kate
ISBN: 9783423147231
I Heard the Owl Call My Name
Margaret Craven
Tuesday, 18 February 2020 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Judith
ISBN: 9780370109350
Where The Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens
Tuesday, 21 January 2020 at 06:00 am
Proposed by Annie
ISBN: 9788417743390