How It Works

The LSE Alumni Online Book Club covers a range of topics, giving you the opportunity to continue to learn and engage in thought provoking discussions through a private forum.

Participation is completely free, just pick up (or download) a copy of the book to read along. There will be 5 books per year - that’s one book approximately every two months. This should give you plenty of time to read and share your thoughts on the forum. There is no requirement to participate in each book, you can jump in and out of the programme as you wish. LSE has partnered with Professional Book Club (PBC) Guru to bring this programme to you.

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Our May to July Selection:

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The Mountains Sing:

A Novel

by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

Why Join?



The LSE Alumni Online Book Club provides our community with regular opportunities to interact and continue learning with other alumni- wherever you are in the world. Whether you’re based in London, or have not returned to Houghton Street since your graduation, we hope this provides tangible benefits that help you to:


1. Connect with fellow LSE alumni: Joining our book club will introduce you to fellow alumni across industries, generations, and geographies. It will help you gain different perspectives and expand your network.
2. Advance your career: The books you read will help you learn more about areas critical to success like leadership, communication and productivity.
3.Time away from your screen: Take the time to enjoy reading for its own sake. In our busy lives, we rarely take the time to stop and enjoy the simple pleasure of reading. Book clubs motivate you to keep reading and thinking critically.
4. Discover LSE Research: Where possible, supplementary reading from LSE’s extensive digital resource library will be provided around the themes and topics of the chosen book. Occasionally, one of the bimonthly book choices may be from members of the LSE community.

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The Books

Below are a few examples of the kind of books the group may read. We will vote between several options each period and select a book based on reader interests.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often will books be read, what is the time commitment and what are the expectations?

We will read one book every two months. Selected titles will cover a range of genres and it will take you an average of nine hours to read cover to cover. If you have between 1 and 2 hours a week to read you should be fine.

Will there be any in-person meetings of the book club?

No, the book club will be entirely online. You can participate from anywhere and at the times that are convenient to you, as long as you have internet access.

Is there any cost to participate?

Participation is completely free for LSE alumni, just pick up (or download) a copy of the book to read along.

How do I get the books?

Members can borrow the books for free from their local library, or buy them.

How do book club discussions work?

The book club has a moderator from PBC Guru, who manages the forum where discussions occur online. The moderator poses questions to the book club, shares relevant articles and facilitates conversation about the book. Members are encouraged interact by posting and sharing their views as well. This format allows for ongoing conversation and makes it easy for readers to connect with each other.

How do I make a forum profile?

A private forum is used to host the virtual book club so it's easy to connect with fellow alumni. During the sign up process, you’ll enter the information to auto-generate your free profile. After you complete the sign up, PBC Guru will send you a link to the forum and you can begin to post right away!

What exactly is PBC Guru and what do they have to do with the book club?

Professional Book Club (PBC) Guru is a book club management company that works with businesses, alumni associations and professional societies. We have teamed up with PBC Guru to offer this service to our alumni. You can check out their website at www.pbc.guru to find out more about them.

I've already signed up. How do I log in?

If you are already a member, you can click here to log in.

Can I promote my book with the Book Club

The LSE Alumni Online Book Club is a place for alumni to discuss the book we are currently reading. You are also welcome to share books you have found particularly interesting and thought provoking. To ensure the book club remains a friendly and open space for objective discussions, please do not use the platform to promote your own books. If you have published a book, we are very happy to add it to our Alumni Books webpage, where we feature books written by our alumni community.

What if my question isn't answered?

Feel free to send an email to info@pbc.guru and we will be happy to help.

If you have questions regarding alumni benefits and services or any other questions for the Alumni Engagement Team please contact alumni@lse.ac.uk

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