Young Adult Reading Group

Join us in the bookshop on the 25th of November at 7:15pm for the second instalment of Topping and Company Bath's Young Adult Reading Group. It's with great excitement that we announce a special guest at this week's reading group... A recognisable face for many who watch his brilliant bookish content online: Joel (@fictionalfates)!

Our reading group will be an opportunity to explore an eclectic range of the best of the Young Adult genre - both fiction and nonfiction. It's a chance for 14-22 year olds to discover new genres, form new opinions, and make like-minded bookish friends. Maisy is busy powering through possible books for the next few months, and is excited to announce that our November pick is The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas.

If you're planning on attending every month of the reading group, our chosen read will be announced around the 15th of each prior month through an event listing or our Instagram (@toppingsbath). The books will be available right from the announcement for you to get started on reading!

The cost of this ticket takes £5 off of the price of the book, meaning that you'll pay only £3.99 for your copy. If you already have a copy of the chosen read you can just buy a standard ticket and bring along your book!

You can collect your copy of The Sunbearer Trials any time between now and the book group - we have plenty of stock ready and waiting for you to pick up. We hope that you enjoy it, and can't wait to hear your thoughts on the 25th!

(Unfortunately at this time we are unable to take on any readers under 14 and over 22 but we hope to open up other groups in the future to cover all ages.) We want it to be a space with an emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility, where everyone feels able to share their thoughts about the books we study. So don't be shy - come along and make some friends!

The Sunbearer Trials

Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidios and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn’t worried about the Trials … at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidios and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.

But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo’s annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidios Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed - for fame, glory, and their own survival.