Book & Film Society October Newsletter
Hi, my name is Pari and I’m the President of the Book and Film society. I have been running the society for the past two years and I’m very proud to bring the first instalment of our Torchfire newsletter.
Welcome to our monthly newsletter! Each month our committee brings you updates on all things books, films, culture and our society. This is our first piece, so I hope you enjoy hearing about the work we’re doing within the society.
First of all, our theme for last month was spooky season! Our book of the month was The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. The films we watched were Jennifer’s Body, Scary Movie and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We had a great turnout at each social and loved hearing everyone’s thoughts so thank you for attending!
Here’s on average how our committee rated last month’s spooky film selections:
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show – 4.25 stars
- Scary Movie – 4.16 stars
- Jennifer’s Body – 4 stars
Next, we have some reviews from our committee members on their favourite film from last month:
Pari (President):
Favourite film social: Scary Movie
Rating: 4 stars
“Typically, this isn’t a genre I usually watch however I really enjoyed Scary Movie. It surprised me with how humorous and witty it was, one of my favourite horror comedies for sure. I don’t usually watch horror films so was glad that this was more satirical than gory. I loved the use of references to other films and pop culture. Overall, this film was so fun to watch!”
Lei (Vice President):
Favourite film social: Scary Movie
Rating: 4 stars
“unlike the other films of October – this was my first watch of the film and it was a lot funnier than expected! Some jokes were a little outdated (causing me to revoke a star!!)”
Wiki (Treasurer):
Favourite film social: Jennifer’s Body
Rating: 5 stars
“This is one of my favourite movies so I was very excited to watch it as a society. While some scenes were more cringe than I remembered, the movie is way too iconic, quotable and camp! The symbolism and overall metaphor for the movie’s core themes is tackled really well and I feel like it can fly over people’s heads when they focus on the 2000s cringe a little too much.”
Leone (Social Secretary):
Favourite film social: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Rating: 5 stars
“This was not a new film for me, I have seen it so many times – I love the songs and the feel of the movie. It always puts me in a good mood afterwards. I find the overall message of the film to be really moving.”
Now moving on to this month, we’re brightening things up with our new theme: Feel Good Faves!
Here are some of our favourite feel-good books and films:
- Pari (President):
- Books: The Midnight Library, Emily Henry books, Before the Coffee gets Cold and Pride & Prejudice.
- Films: Bridget Jones Diary, Legally Blonde, Superman, Bridesmaids and 13 going on 30.
- Lei (Vice President):
- Books: n/a
- Films: Fantastic Mr Fox, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde and The Iron Giant.
- Wiki (Treasurer):
- Books: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates and Animal Stories.
- Films: Mean Girls, The Wild Robot, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Lilo & Stitch and The Mitchells vs the Machines.
- Leone (Social Secretary):
- Books: The Midnight Library, Lessons in Chemistry, The Mysterious Benedict Society and Red, White & Royal Blue.
- Films: Pitch Perfect, Grease, Uncle Buck and Bridget Jones Diary.
Let’s move on to discuss the most anticipated releases for the rest of 2025. Here’s just a short list on what’s coming up in the world of books and film this year:
Books:
- 04.11.2025 – We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart (Young Adult Mystery & Thriller) – the third instalment of the We Were Liars series.
- 04.11.2025 – The Same Backward as Forward by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Young Adult Fiction) – the sixth book in the Inheritance Games series containing Hannah and Toby’s love story.
- 04.11.2025 – The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer (Fantasy) – A fake witch runs a scam to rid an ancestral home of ghosts only to confront a very human murderer.
- 18.11.2025 – Simply More by Cynthia Erivo (Nonfiction) – A debut memoir by the Wicked star on her life and how we are capable of more than we think.
Films:
- 07.11.2025 – Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro) – del Toro’s much awaited adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic on the big screen. Starring: Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth & Oscar Isaac.
- 07.11.2025 – Die My Love (Lynne Ramsay) – Ramsay’s latest film on a couple who moves back to their hometown to have their first child, only to be faced with the realities of unravelling in love and madness. Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, Nick Nolte
- 14.11.2025 – Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (Ruben Fleischer) – Fleischer’s third film in the Now You See Me franchise. Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Rosamund Pike.
- 14.11.2025 – The Running Man (Edgar Wright) – Wright brings a new adaptation of the Stephen King sci-fi novel. Starring: Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian, Karl Glusman.
- 21.11.2025 – Wicked: For Good (Jon M. Chu) – on the back of the success of Wicked (part one), part two follows the storyline and incorporates the Wizard of Oz. Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Keala Settle.
Finally, here are some of our upcoming Society Events in November:
Movie Nights:
- Legally Blonde
- Fantastic Mr Fox
- Kiki’s Delivery Service
- Dead Poets Society
- The King’s Speech – Joint Social with Politics Society
Other Events:
- October Book Club
- Reading Week Social
- Cinema Trip – Wicked
Plus keep an eye out for our Film & TV licence fundraiser on the 3rd of December 2025, 11am-2pm where we will be selling film prints on the ground floor of the Students Union.
Thanks for reading! We hope to see you at our next social!
– Pari.
For more information or to contact us:
Email: bookandfilmsoc@gmail.com
Instagram: @hullunibookandfilm
Buy a Membership: https://hulluniunion.com/shop/product/8612-
