u/IrishGayReader

Welcome to Week 3 of our August read, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

For this section, we’re reading chapters 17-24.

As always, if you’re reading ahead or catching up, no bother, join in when you can.

A few moments that stood out for me in this section >! were the sudden summons back from Pelion, the revelation that Helen’s suitors have been called to war, and the tense time on Scyros where Achilles is hidden as Pyrrha. The section builds real pressure as Odysseus and Diomedes arrive, Achilles is unmasked, and the choice to go to Troy becomes impossible to avoid. !<

A few things to chat about this week:

The shock of leaving Pelion and returning to Phthia.

What you thought of the news about Helen and the oath.

Achilles’s time on Scyros and the disguise as Pyrrha.

The arrival of Odysseus and Diomedes.

Any scenes or quotes that really stayed with you.

UPDATE: The guest list is by Lucy Foley NOT Sophie Hanna sorry for the confusion

I know we’re only halfway through our current read, but I want to keep things moving and give everyone a bit more notice this month so we’ve got plenty of time to choose and sort our next read-along. The poll will stay open for the next week, so hopefully that gives everyone time to vote and pick up a copy if they need one.

Again we have 3 very different books, I encourage everyone to vote for one, and to read along regardless of weather your pick is chosen or not. It might not be the type of book you usually read but you might end up loving it.

New readers are always very welcome too, and we’d love to have you read along with us.

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Welcome to Week 2 of our August read, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

For this section, we’re reading chapters 9 - 16.

Again if you’re a little ahead or behind, no bother, just jump in whenever suits you.

A few things to chat about this week:

- How the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles is developing.

- What you think of their life together at this stage.

- The role of >! Chiron and the training on the mountain. !<

- Any memorable scenes, lines, or moments from this section.

A few moments that stood out for me in this section >! were the growing closeness between Patroclus and Achilles, their life together on the mountain, and the way Chiron helps shape them both. You can feel the relationship deepening in this section and get a feel for what's to come. !<

Welcome to Week 1 of our August read, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

For this first section, we’re reading chapters 1-8. If you’re ahead or behind, no bother, just jump in whenever suits you.

A few things to chat about this week:

• First impressions of Patroclus.
• What you make of Achilles so far.
• The early dynamic between the two of them.
• Any memorable scenes, lines, or moments from this section.

I have read ahead a little so I can post this today so I can say a few moments that stood out to me were

Patroclus’s >!exile!< , the first glimpse of Achilles at the games, and their first proper meeting. Even in the quieter scenes, you can already feel the story beginning to shift.

Keep it spoiler-safe for anyone still catching up or blur any insight that may be a spoiler, and feel free to share as much or as little as you’d like.

Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks.

Apologies for being a day late posting this, but I hope you can forgive a Mayo man for celebrating a day we have been a lifetime waiting for 😂

Thanks to everyone who voted, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is our first monthly read for August.

We’ll be reading it together over the month with weekly check-ins, then leaving 3 days at the end of August to finish up, catch up, and share final thoughts before we move on to the next book.

August reading plan:

1-7 August: Chapters 1-8

8-14 August: Chapters 9-16

15-21 August: Chapters 17-24

22-28 August: Chapters 25-end

29-31 August: Final wrap-up, catch-up, and discussion

I’ll post a check-in thread each week, and everyone is welcome to join in at whatever pace suits them. If you’re reading a little ahead or behind, no bother, just jump in whenever you’re ready.

Also if you could post some suggestions below for books to read in the coming months too.

Let's get a bit of conversation going about our favorite characters, it'll give us all a chance to get to know each other a little better and what kind of books we like to read.

Mine was Sand Dan Glokta, The First Law's inquisitor who somehow manages to be both ruthless and strangely hilarious. I loved his dry humour, his constant inner grumbling, and the way his sharp mind keeps him interesting even when he’s being an absolutely terrible person. He’s the sort of character you probably shouldn’t like, but somehow you can’t help it.

For all you readers out there I’ve just set up a new subreddit called r/IrishGayReaders, a book club and reading community for gay readers in Ireland (and beyond). While primarily geared towards Gay Readers, we will welcome everyone and won't turn anyone away. It’s a space for book lovers to chat, swap recommendations, and pick one book a month to read and discuss weekly. We’re not just sticking to gay character/themed books either, all genres are welcome, from crime and thriller to sci-fi, fantasy, literary fiction, and plenty more besides. The aim is to build a friendly little community around reading, good chat and a bit of craic. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you’re more than welcome to join us. Our first month poll is up and we will (hopefully) start reading first week in August.

Welcome to our first book poll, For August 2026.

We’ll be reading one book each month and discussing it weekly, so let’s kick things off with a strong first pick. For our first read, I’ve chosen three very different books so we can see what the community is most excited about. Vote for our first book:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

All three offer something different, so this should give us a good sense of what kind of reads people want for the club. Feel free to vote, comment and most importantly suggest books for future months.

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Hey guys so a little about this Subreddit. This subreddit is a book club and community for gay readers, based in Ireland and open to readers everywhere. The objective is simple: one book a month, weekly discussion, and plenty of recommendations, chat and craic along the way.

A few things you can do to start:

• Introduce yourself in the comments.
• Suggest books for future months.
• Vote in monthly book club polls.
• Join the weekly discussion threads.
• Share recommendations, favourite authors, and reading plans.
• Help shape the community as it grows.

We welcome all genres and all kinds of readers. If you love books and want a friendly space to talk about them, you’re in the right place.