BLOSSOM BOOK CLUB
For women, and those identifying as women; a health and wellbeing book club. We currently meet every 6 weeks online.
For those who have an interest in wellness, self-growth, and selfcare for the mind and body - through learning and sharing. A chance to meet like-minded health conscious women, who love to read, watch or listen, whilst being on their journey.
We run through a WhatsApp group, where we share resources, ideas and thoughts. And of course chat too! This makes it much more of a 'theme' for each 6 week period, rather than simply a book.
If interested in joining our friendly women's group,
please WhatsApp me (Cathy Houghton) on
07972 374150
Next book club dates in 2026 are:
(August summer break)
Thursday 10 September
Thursday 22 October
Thursday 3 December
We meet every 6 weeks on a Thursday evening, from 7-8pm, on zoom
Thursday 10 September 2026
How to Age - Liz Earle
So much of what we have been told about ageing - especially as women, is wrong. We're not meant to shrink, fade or be sidelined, we're not here to spend our later years in silent decline. We have just never been shown the full picture of what is possible - or how we can take control of it. But now Liz Earle's new book How to Age is here to blow the cover.
The strategies Liz shares in this book are different from anything you have read before. Liz has tried and tested these protocols, combed the scientific papers and cutting-edge reports on cellular renewal and longevity to synthesise the very best evidence-based biohacks and practical, easy-to-implement, daily plans to improve and boost your energy as you age.
Thursday 2 July 2026
I Know I should Exercise But ....44 reasons we Don't Move & How to get over them.
Diana Hill & Katy Bowman
Whether your internal barrier is born of fear, malaise, inertia, embarrassment, or difficulty managing competing priorities, you will learn how to disempower it by applying effective science-based tools for changing the way you think.
You’ll learn to identify your resistance—whether it’s an unhelpful thought, a misplaced motivation, or a contextual barrier—and respond wisely and effectively, using tools and techniques that can be applied to other areas of your life as well.
This is a must-have book for anyone struggling with the mental barriers to moving more and an essential resource for personal trainers, fitness instructors, and mental health professionals wanting to better connect with their clients.
Thursday 21 May 2026
Lynne Twist - The Soul of Money
This liberating book shows us that examining our attitudes toward money―earning it, spending it, and giving it away―offers surprising insight into our lives.
Through personal stories and practical advice, Lynne Twist asks us to discover our relationship with money, understand how we use it, and by assessing our core human values, align our relationship with it to our desired goals. In doing so, we can transform our lives.
Thursday 9 April 2026
The topic of INTEROCEPTION
Caroline Williams - INNER SENSE
Interoception is one of our most important - and most mysterious - senses. It's how our bodies tell our brains what we're feeling - when we're hungry, when we're cold, how we should respond to stress and panic.
In Inner Sense, Caroline Williams uncovers a field that's poised to revolutionise health, and explores groundbreaking new techniques that can improve our mental and physical wellbeing. Combining science, medicine, mindfulness and physical therapy, Inner Sense is the first book to bring this exciting new field of medicine to a general readership.
Thursday 19 February 2026
The topic of CONNECTION
Atlas of the Heart draws on Brene's research and skills as a researcher/storyteller, to lay out an invaluable, research-based framework that shows us that naming an experience doesn't give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding, meaning and choice.
Brown takes us on a journey through 87 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and lays out an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances.
Thursday 8 January 2026
The topic of REST
Whilst the rest of the world is ramping up with thoughts of new year resolutions, we are purposefully choosing to consider the theme of Resting. Starting the new year with the intention of relaxation, calm, and peacefulness.
This month we will again be bringing our own choice of specific book, to the meeting. The image to the left is an example of one of the books on offer. So it is the topic, rather than the book, we will be focusing on.
What a wonderful way to start 2026
Thursday 20 November 2025
Dr Lani Simpson - No-Nonsense Bone Health Guide
Dr. Lani Simpson cuts through the confusion and inaccuracies surrounding osteoporosis to explain her whole-body approach to bone health, which includes discussions of digestive health, diet, supplements, and exercise. You may be surprised to learn which foods and medicines hurt bone health and which ones help in building strong bones.
Thursday 9 October 2025
Practical Ayurveda - Siovananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Featuring tailored remedies including ayurvedic recipes, natural skincare, yoga, and mindful meditation techniques, this wonderful wellness book is a one-stop guide to all things nature and nurture.
Ayurveda encompasses a view of the world based on ancient beliefs that everything is connected and that balance is the key to wellbeing.
With a core focus on the prevention of disease by adopting anti-inflammatory and clean-eating diets, mindful meditation, and massages, this little self-care book will take you on a breathtaking journey of holistic healing.
Thursday 11 September 2025
Neurodiversity in Adult Women
For the second time, we have chosen a topic yet not a specific book or author. A 'compare and contrast' session, choosing from a list of about 5 authors who have written on either Autism, and or ADHD is adult women (please note photo is for illustration purposes only).
The focus is on how ND shows up specifically in adult women. Not girls, and not men. Because there is something unique about a whole generation of women who are now realising, as grown women, perhaps anytime from peri-menopause onwards, that they have spent a lifetime masking. Or, perhaps are now watching those they love, unmask.
Thursday 10 July 2025
This Chair Rocks - A Manifesto against Ageism. Ashton Applewhite
From childhood on, we’re barraged by messages that it’s sad to be old. That wrinkles are embarrassing, and old people useless.
Author and activist Ashton Applewhite believed them too—until she realized where this prejudice comes from and the damage it does. Lively, funny, and deeply researched, This Chair Rocks traces Applewhite’s journey from apprehensive boomer to pro-aging radical, and in the process debunks myth after myth about late life.
Thursday 12 June 2025
The Doctor's Kitchen - Dr Rupy Aujla
Dr Rupy Aujla’s first cookbook, The Doctor’s Kitchen, is the go-to book to help you kick unhealthy faddy diets for good. In the book, Rupy, explains the principles of healthy living in a fun and relatable way with over 100 vibrant, tasty recipes steeped in medical science which are easy and inexpensive to make.
The impact of lifestyle on illness has never been higher on the national agenda and Rupy believes that what we choose to put on our plates is the most important health intervention we can make. The Doctor’s Kitchen stands out from the crowd by using medical knowledge to create the recipes. Rupy advocates Plates over Pills every time.
Thursday 8 May 2025
Moonology - Yasmin Boland
Moonology™ is a must-have book for anyone who wants to harness the power of the Moon and its cycles to transform their life.
Did you know the Moon cycles have a huge effect on your health, your mood, your relationships, and your work? By understanding these phases, you can work with them to improve every aspect of your life.
Thursday 10 April 2025
This month we are trying something new in our Book Club.
We have chosen the topic of genetics & epigentics for wellbeing. And then within this small book niche, we are all making our choice of book (or pod or video) to come along and talk about.
A 'compare and contrast'. Looking forward to it!
Thursday 13 March 2025
Brene Brown - Rising Strong
The physics of vulnerability is simple: If we are brave enough often enough, we will fall. This is a book about what it takes to get back up and how owning our stories of disappointment, failure, and heartbreak gives us the power to write a daring new ending.
Struggle can be our greatest call to courage and Rising Strong, our clearest path to deeper meaning, wisdom and hope.
Thursday 9 January 2025
Katherine May - Wintering
Wintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves.
Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life. Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself.
Thursday 12 November 2024
52 Ways to Walk - Annabel Streets
Walking strengthens our bodies, calms our minds and lifts our spirits. But it does so much more than this. Our vision, hearing, respiration, sleep, cognition, memory, blood pressure, sense of smell and balance are all enhanced by how we walk.
52 Ways to Walk is a revelatory and informative handbook for anyone stuck in a walking rut, curious about the lesser-known benefits of walking or merely in need of some on-foot novelty and adventure.
Thursday 10 October 2024
Bring along your own wellness book
We tried this last year, worked so well we are repeating it for October.
A chance for group members to either:
- re-read a book from the last year, a book that really got their attention
- read something new they have their eye on
- take a break from wellness & read some fiction
Then come along on the night to share their reading, or simply to listen and perhaps pick up ideas for future reads.
Thursday 12 Sept 2024
'Get Well Stay Well' - Dr Gemma Newman
Determined to help her patients, Dr Gemma Newman has studied nutrition, psychotherapy and a wide range of holistic approaches alongside her medical practice. This book brings together everything she has learned, in twenty years of clinical experience.
Six essential health prescriptions distilled into simple and free, daily habits.
Give yourself the best chance of a healthy, happy life – whatever life throws at you. This is accessible, uplifting, evidence-based advice you can trust.
Thursday 8th August 2024
Hagitude - Sharon Blackie
Deftly interweaving myth, psychology and memoir, Sharon Blackie argues that menopause ushers in a rich and vibrant new phase of life.
Hagitude unearths the stories of the little-known but powerful elder women in European myth and folklore, inspiring readers to imagine that the last decades of our lives might be the most dynamic of all. This moving and uplifting book will inspire a new generation of female elders: women who have reclaimed their Inner Hag, matured into their own unique brand of hagitude and who are ready to pass down their deep feminine wisdom for the benefit of the wider Earth community.
Thursday 11th July 2024
The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel van der Kolk
The effects of trauma can be devastating for sufferers, their families and future generations. Here one of the world's experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for treatment, moving away from standard talking and drug therapies and towards an alternative approach that heals mind, brain and body.
Thursday 9th May 2024
Tiny Habits - B J Fogg
For years, we’ve been told that being more healthy and productive is a matter of willpower: that we should follow the latest fad and make constant changes to our lifestyles. But whether in our diets, fitness plans or jobs, radical overhauls never work.
Based on 20 years research, BJ Fogg shows us what is easy to change, not what is hard; focus on what you want to do, not what you should do. At the heart of this is a startling truth ― that creating happier, healthier lives can be easy, and surprisingly fun.
Thursday 11 April 2024
The Mind-Gut Immune Connection - Emeran Mayer
In The Gut-Immune Connection, Dr. Mayer proposes that the gut microbiome is at the center of virtually every disease that defines our 21st-century public health crisis.
Cutting-edge research continues to advance our understanding of the function and impact of the billions of organisms that live in the GI tract, with evidence that the "conversation" that takes place between these microbes and our various organs and bodily systems is critical to human health.
Combining clinical experience with up-to-the-minute science, The Gut-Immune Connection offers a comprehensive look at the link between alterations to the gut microbiome and the development chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, as well as susceptibility to infectious diseases like Covid-19.
Thursday 14th March 2024
Breathe In, Breathe Out - Stuart Sandeman
In Breathe In, Breathe Out, breathwork expert Stuart Sandeman reveals the hidden power of breathing and how, by changing the way you breathe, you can transform the way you think and feel.
Combining modern science and ancient wisdom, he sets out how to stay on top of your game, overcome a negative mindset and heal from your past.
Breathe In, Breathe Out is a practical, illuminating guide to living a healthier, happier life through breathing. Good breathing will change your world. All you need to do is breathe in, breathe out.
Thursday 8th February 2024
Fear Less - Trinny Woodall
FEARLESS is a collection of everything Trinny has learnt throughout her life and career, and it will empower you to feel confident at every stage of your life.
This manual can be used as inspiration to challenge yourself; whether you need help with putting together an outfit that will make you feel great, knowing how to care for your skin, finding the colours that suit you and choosing makeup that enhances your natural beauty, FEARLESS includes all the tools you need to understand what suits you and will bring you joy.
Thursday 11th January 2024
The Art of Happiness - The Dalia Lamar
The Art of Happiness is a highly accessible guide for a western audience, combining the Dalai Lama's eastern spiritual tradition with Dr Howard C. Cutler's western perspective. Covering all key areas of human experience, they apply the principles of Tibetan Buddhism to everyday problems and reveal how one can find balance and complete spiritual and mental freedom.
For the many who wish to understand more about the Dalai Lama's approach to living, there has never been a book which brings his beliefs so vividly into the real world.
Thursday 14th December
UNLEASH THE POWER OF THE FEMALE BRAIN - Daniel G Amen
Dr Daniel G. Amen offers insight on the unique characteristics and needs of the female brain and provides a practical, prescriptive programme specifically for women to help them thrive.
In this breakthrough guide based on research from his clinical practice, Dr Amen addresses the issues women ask about the most including fertility, pregnancy, menopause, weight, stress, anxiety, insomnia, and relationships.
Thursday 12th October
MOVE The new Science of Body over Mind - Caroline Williams
We all know that exercise changes the way you think and feel. But scientists are just starting to discover exactly how it works.
Hailed as a 'delight' by The New York Times and 'fascinating' by Women's Health, Caroline Williams explores the emerging science of how movement opens up a hotline to our minds. Interviewing researchers and practitioners around the world, Move! reveals how you can work your body to improve your mind.
Thursday 14th September
ULTRA PROCESSED PEOPLE - Chris Van Tulleken
We have entered a new 'age of eating' where most of our calories come from an entirely novel set of substances called Ultra-Processed Food, food which is industrially processed and designed and marketed to be addictive. But do we really know what it's doing to our bodies?
For too long we've been told we just need to make different choices, when really we're living in a food environment that makes it nigh-on impossible. So this is a book about our rights. The right to know what we eat and what it does to our bodies and the right to good, affordable food.
Wednesday 9th August 2023
YOUR FAVOURITE WELLNESS READ (or listen)
The club agreed that instead of a complete summer break, something simple and different this month.
How often have you read a book, thought 'that was amazing' and vowed to re-read? Then didn't.
Well now is your chance. For this month's meet-up, pick your most inspiring, enjoyable and/or motivating health book and take pleasure in reading again. Then, come along on the 9th and tell us a little about it.
Or, if you don't know what to re-read, come along anyway to pick up some inspiration from other group members.
Win win either way.
13th July 2023
'Four Thousand Weeks' - Oliver Burkeman
'Change your Limits. Embrace Your Life. Make your Four Thousand Weeks Count.'
An uplifting, engrossing and deeply realistic exploration of the challenge. Rejecting the futile modern obsession with 'getting everything done,' it introduces us to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing, rather than denying, our limitations.
Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman sets out to realign our relationship with time - and in doing so, to liberate us from its tyranny.
8th June 2023
'Why we Sleep; The New Science of Sleep and Dreams' - Matthew Walker
Professor Matthew Walker explores twenty years of cutting-edge research to solve the mystery of why sleep matters. Why We Sleep delves into everything from what really happens during REM sleep to how caffeine and alcohol affect sleep and why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime, transforming our appreciation of the extraordinary phenomenon that safeguards our existence.
11th May 2023
'Quite like a Woman' Holly Whitaker
The Radical Choice to NOT Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol'
A thought provoking dive into how alcohol is SO ingrained in our developed world - from a women's perspective. And, the story of Holly's journey around giving up alcohol with ideas that can help for letting go of any vice that troubles us.
13th April 2023
'The Ten Steps of Positive Ageing' by Guy Robertson
A new approach to growing older. Can getting older really be a positive experience? Yes it can - according to Guy! A chirpy little book with a different perspective from the usual wellbeing approach to ageing.
9th MARCH 2023
'Glucose Revolution' by Jessie Inchauspe
An easy to read book about how to balance blood sugar levels for longevity, weight loss, energy and ending cravings.
9th FEBRUARY 2023
'Burnout' by Emily & Amelia Nagoski
A hugely readable book about women and stress. Controversial at times? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!