Serenity Booksellers Book Club

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy is our Book Club Read for August!

Our Book Club pick for August is Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2026, it's a spectacularly choreographed eco-thriller that is full of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty and ferocious love. It's been a huge word of mouth hit and we can't wait to discuss it with you all!

About the book:

What if your perfect life was a charade?

It is August, and eight old friends have gathered at a country house for a writers' retreat. By day, there is reading beside the pool or writing in the shady corners of the estate. In the evenings – drinks, dinner outdoors, games, midnight swimming.

But as temperatures rise in the stifling last days of summer, tensions do too. Old jealousies, new temptations and bitter rivalries bubble to the surface. By the end of the week, friendships – and lives – will have changed forever.

Astute, witty and page-turning, The Book Game is a novel about ambition, competition, regret and desire; about paths not taken and last chances suddenly seized; about the games people play. It asks what it means, in all senses, to be in the middle of life.

Next Book Club dates:

Tuesday 18th August - Romiley Daytime

11am - 12pm - Romiley Bookshop

Wednesday 19th August - Stockport Evening

6pm - 7pm - Stockport Bookshop

7:30pm - 8:30pm - Stockport Bookshop

Thursday 20th August - Romiley Evening

6pm - 7pm - Grapevine Romiley

7.30pm - 8.30pm - Romiley Bookshop

We don't charge for Book Club and have always wanted these to be accessible and open to everyone. However, with the rising costs of everything, we are asking for a contribution of £2 per person as a donation, only if you are comfortable and able to. We don't want money to be a barrier to accessing the Book Club community so this will be completely voluntary. Your support is always appreciated and thank everyone that buys the Book Club book and more.

Want to sign up? Let us know at the counter of either shop or message us and we will add you to the Book Club Mailing List, where you’ll get exclusive member offers throughout the year and always a 10% off the book choice for the month. No lock-ins or monthly obligations to come every single month, but we guarantee it is so welcoming and fun, you won’t want to miss it!