What we’re about
This is a group for people who enjoy meeting new friends and having lively discussions about books! We meet once a month (usually on the first Wednesday) at Uno Chicago Grill in Hamilton. Everyone orders something to support the business - food, drinks, or both. We read a variety of genres: mostly recent fiction, but some classics, nonfiction, sci-fi, and graphic novels as well.
If you’re interested in attending an upcoming event but the list of people “going” is full, please do sign up for the waitlist. Most months, everyone who was originally on the waitlist is able to attend. If you have any trouble signing up, please comment on the event or send a message to the organizers, and we will be happy to add you.
We look forward to meeting you!
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Anxious People, by Fredrik BackmanUno Chicago Grill, Hamilton, NJ
The results are in! The winner of our poll is Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. Anxious People was in the lead in the first round of voting but only received 35% of the first choice votes, so we implemented ranked choice. Two of the books were tied for last place, so both were eliminated in the first round. When those ballots were redistributed to those people's next highest choice, Anxious People won 60% of the votes in the second round. Thank you to everyone who voted! If you didn't hear about the poll or otherwise have not been receiving Meetup messages, email one.drink.minimum.book@gmail.com and we'll be happy to add you to our mailing list. Your email address will remain private as we send all messages blind cc.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 2020 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD NOMINEE FOR FICTION • 2020 BOOK OF THE MONTH BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEE
A poignant, charming novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.
Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.
Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.
Humorous, compassionate, and wise, Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times.
- description from Goodreads
“Backman again captures the messy essence of being human...It’s clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry.” —Washington Post
“The perfect balance of heartwarming and heart-wrenching, and Fredrik Backman has a way of simply yet elegantly describing relationships. We can all be idiots, but we’re still all human beings worthy of connection and love.” —NPR
"This book examines how a shared event can change the course of many lives at once. And if you like strongly drawn characters and a mix of humor and heartbreak, this one's for you.” —The Skimm
Attendance policy: Please be considerate of others!
- RSVP: Sign up if you plan to attend.
- Cancellations: If you need to cancel, please update your RSVP as soon as possible.
- Attendance: Show up if you are on the “Going” list.
- Emergencies: If a last-minute emergency arises, please communicate as soon as you can.
- Consequences: Repeated lack of consideration may result in removal from the group.
Available in local libraries:
If you have any trouble signing up, please comment on the event, message Chris or Gary, or email one.drink.minimum.book@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to add you.
