Bunnies, Biscuits, and A Tale of Two Readers
Nottingham’s Bunny Book Club Experience
Waterstones Nottingham Bunny Book Club became something far stranger than a bookshop – it became a warren. A whimsical, slightly eerie warren, filled with paper bunnies, cute cupcakes, and a group of readers ready to talk all things Mona Awad. The occasion? The Bunny Book Club, celebrating the launch of We Love You, Bunny, the hotly anticipated sequel to Bunny.
From doubt to curiosity
Written by Katie Barr
I’ll admit, my relationship with Bunny is complicated. I finished reading it this month, intrigued by its premise: lonely MFA student sucked into a sinister clique of ‘Bunnies’ who blur the lines between art, magic, and madness. I adored the concept, but in practice? I found myself more bemused than bewitched. Still, when I saw Waterstones hosting a whole event dedicated to Bunny and its sequel, I couldn’t resist. And while I’ll save my full thoughts on Bunny for a detailed review at the end of the month, this event definitely pushed me to give Awad’s world another chance.
The evening kicked off with a cosy book chat. Gathered around a table with themed cocktails and delicious bunny-shaped biscuits, we shared our takes on Awad’s first novel. Some adored the surrealism, finding comfort in the chaotic dream-logic. Others, wrestled with it but couldn’t quite shake the imagery. What I loved the most was hearing how deeply it resonated for some readers – how the strangeness mirrored feelings of isolation or the desperate urge to belong. Their passions gave me a new lens to view the story, one I hadn’t considered before.
Then came the Bunny Hunt, and suddenly we weren’t just talking abut the book – we were apart of it. Scattered across the shop floor were little paper bunnies, each scribbled with words and clues. Searching for them in the stacks after hours felt oddly thrilling, like we were on the brink of our own bizarre initiation. The giggles and race to finish only added to the fun.
A real star was the new release being available. We Love You, Bunny was stacked enticingly at the front, glossy covers glinting under the shop lights. I told myself to just browse, but after hearing fellow readers rave about their excitement for where Awad might take the story next, I gave in. Somehow, leaving without a copy felt impossible.
Walking out into the Nottingham night, crumbs of biscuits and cupcakes still clinging to my coat, I realised how much the event had shifted my perspective. Where I once felt distanced from Awad’s world, I now feel pulled back in, curious to re-enter the warren with fresh eyes.
That’s the magic of a book club night like this – it turns reading into a shared experience. And sometimes, hearing other people’s passion is all it takes to spark your own. So here I am, book in hand, ready to give Mona Awad another chance. We Love You, Bunny? We’ll see. But thanks to Waterstones, I’m more than willing to find out.
from strangers to suspiciously interested
Written By Amelia Cropley
Mona Awad’s Bunny has always been a ‘seen and not heard’ book for me, I’ve seen it on the bookstore shelves more often than not, almost as if following me, and yet I still hadn’t picked it up or read its blurb. When Waterstones Nottingham decided to hold the Bunny Book Club, I thought maybe I’d learn of the hype as to why this almost nauseatingly bright shade of pink has been in my peripherals for some time.
I think it’s safe to say I am still very confused about the premise of this novel. But instead of in an off-putting way like before, it is now with skeptical intrigue and open-mindedness. Deciding to go into this event blind however, was somewhat nerve-racking, and walking in wanting my question of “should I read this book?” answered, does not make the stakes low. However, the event, held by Waterstones Nottingham, was led with grace, decor (and literally too! For there were axes and bunny ears all around) and genuine interest to discuss this book, characters and utterly bizarre happenings inside Bunny’s pages.
So, from being strangers to Bunny, I left knowing I had my next read planned. I’ll be honest, it initially didn’t feel like my genre of book. For cliquey mean-girl-esque meets creating demonic men crossed bunnies didn’t ever feel like something I’d try to imagine, never mind a plot I’d follow. But now I sit in front of what I came to learn as a deeply layered and complex novel regarding female friendships, slightly disturbing scientific experiments and a nod to mental health struggles and schizophrenia yet still, unapologetically and unexplainably, entirely up to interpretation. My favourite take away from the event was (and not just the pink bunny cookies book club leader, Kibrina, made) that Bunny is the ‘Heathers meet Frankenstein of literature’ as one of my fellow attendees suggested.
For the book club itself and Waterstones being a kind event leader, it was warm, comfortable and safe. To talk amongst likeminded readers with Bunny-inspired cocktail (for if you know, you know), cookies, cupcakes and a delicate bunny hunt to end the night. Oh and of course, a questionnaire to find out which “Bunny” you are (Katie and I both got Victoria).
Whilst beautifully low-key, the event exceeded expectations for me, and in doing so, is making my eager fingers ready to open up this disturbingly complex novel. With the high praise I saw it receive, I don’t think Bunny and I shall be strangers for much longer.
Shared Refections
In the end, the Bunny Book Club wasn’t just about one strange, glittering novel – it was about community, curiosity, and the joy of diving into stories together. Nottingham’s Waterstones proved that whether you left skeptically intrigued or newly enchanted, the best way to face a bewildering book is not alone, but in a warren full of fellow readers.
Here at The Literary Lounge we feel that talking about books is the best way to engage with them, and this event provided light yet thought-provoking chit-chat filled with laughter and jokes, silly games and exceptional confectionary additions to wrap Bunny up in a neat little bow. These events we would recommend deeply – both for a book you live and breathe for, or even one you want to be convinced to read – either, Waterstones book club will get the job done.
All content is original to The Literary Lounge.
In-article images taken by Katie Barr and Amelia Cropley. Bunny Book Club Nottingham image provided by Nottingham Waterstones. No changes were made to these images.
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