Literary Fiction · Free kit
Circe
In the halls of Helios, a Titan's daughter is born with a thin mortal voice and none of the golden shine her family prizes. Scorned, Circe finds a craft the gods insist should not exist: witchcraft, worked from herbs that grew where divine blood once fell. Exile to the island of Aiaia is meant to be a punishment. Instead it becomes a life — lions at the door, a loom, unwelcome ships, and the long work of becoming someone the stories never bothered to understand. Madeline Miller's epic follows one woman through centuries of gods, mortals, and the question of whether power is worth the isolation it costs.
“I thought: I cannot bear this world a moment longer. Then, child, make another.”
Complete free book club kit
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Plan your meeting
Circe Hosting Guide
A free, printable-minded plan for hosting Circe.
Invite hook
“An island of herbs and lions, a witch the poems got wrong, and a long argument about whether power is worth the solitude. Come talk about Circe — bring a snack and a strong opinion about famous guests.”
The question you’re arguing about: If the world refused to see you, would you make another one — even if it cost you everyone who still might visit?
Shopping list
- □Olives, cucumber, tomatoes, and feta for a simple Aegean plate — island food, not palace food
- □Honey cakes or sesame-honey bars (Circe's world is thyme, bees, and work, not a feast hall)
- □Lemon-herb roasted chicken or baked white fish with oregano and garlic
- □Fresh or dried figs, grapes, and pita with hummus
- □Mint tea, pomegranate juice, lemonade, coffee, and sparkling water
- □Small pots of rosemary, thyme, or bay for the table — a miniature Aiaia garden
- □Olive branches or eucalyptus, plus one gold candle for Helios beside the green
- □Printed bingo cards and extra tissues — the assault chapter and the ending both land
Day-of timeline
- 0–10 minWelcome & icebreakers (readers, not spoilers — keep the pigs and the ending off the welcome mat)
- 10–20 minTrivia warm-up — Helios, Aiaia, moly, and a stingray
- 20–50 minMain discussion (start with Prometheus and Glaucos; save Telegonus, Ithaca, and the draught for last)
- 50–65 minSpeed debate: pigs as justice, or mortality as the real ending
- 65–75 minBingo, one-word rating, pick next month
Surprise touch
Set a 'visitor log' by the door, as if Aiaia kept records: columns for name, mortal or immortal, and whether they are staying. Guests sign in as they arrive. It puts them in Circe's doorway for ten seconds — every ship was a choice — without turning the assault chapter into a joke.
Wrap-up
- □Group photo with the herb pots or the visitor log in the frame
- □Quick rating round: 1–5 stars and one word each (expect 'lonely,' 'furious,' and 'I would have stayed on the island')
- □Vote on next month's book together