If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please contact us — we're happy to help!
BDS book clubs choose their own books from our catalogue of over 1,000 titles. If you're struggling to choose books, check out our staff picks or use the 'group favourites' filter in the catalogue — they're a great place to start.
Most book clubs give everyone in the group a chance to choose some of the books. You can allocate a certain number of choices per member, or cast votes for the books you'd most like to read.
However you share the responsibility of selecting books, make sure you check your final 25 for variety. We recommend a good mix of fiction, non-fiction, lighter and literary reads, with various themes and subjects.
We won't send you a book that isn't on your list. The order you receive them in depends on availability. If you put your book list in priority order, our system will select the book nearest the top of your list which has sufficient copies in stock.
If you receive a Holiday Read during Dec/Jan we will email you ahead of time to ask if you have a preferred title on your list your group would like to read over this period and do our best to provide that book.
Generally, your books are ready to be picked up / delivered seven days before your meeting. At certain times of the year, they may be ready earlier as we work dispatches around public holidays, for example.
BDS add 60 new titles to the catalogue every year. We announce these on Facebook, Instagram and in our newsletters. We have made these books available to groups as soon as they are added to the catalogue while we work on the tailored discussion notes. You must opt-in to receiving generic book notes by selecting this on enrolment or by emailing
Yes. Once you've registered with us, the coordinator receives an online login where they can manage the group's book list. This includes putting the list in priority order, adding and removing books.
If a book goes missing, we allow up to three months for it to appear before issuing an invoice. If a book is returned damaged, we will email the coordinator and issue an invoice. We recommend the coordinator uses the consignment note provided with each book set to record who has each book by writing their name next to the relevant barcode. This makes it clear that each member is responsible for the care and safe return of their book.
For lost or damaged book notes, we ask for a gold coin donation to help cover the cost of reprinting.
Book notes / discussion questions are provided to give you background information and a starting point for your discussion. They are entirely optional to use. Some groups use these as a guide, others like to follow them more strictly — your group is self directed, so it's up to you how you use these.
Books are always distributed at the meeting before they are discussed. If a member can't attend a meeting, you need to agree on an alternative mode of exchange.
Always write who has each book on the consignment note provided in each book set.
The coordinator can access your group's calendar anytime via their online login. We recommend sharing your calendar with your group members and sticking to a regular meeting day as much as possible. If you need to change a meeting date, let us know as soon as possible by requesting a change online or emailing
If you are picking up books from our Christchurch office, these are located on the shelves to the right-hand side of reception. Book bags are in alphabetical order according to coordinator surname. Remember to check around the corner for letters R-Z!
Yes. Once you've registered with us, the coordinator receives an online login where they can manage the group's book list. This includes putting the list in priority order, adding and removing books.
If a book goes missing, we allow up to three months for it to appear before issuing an invoice. If a book is returned damaged, we will email the coordinator and issue an invoice. We recommend the coordinator uses the consignment note provided with each book set to record who has each book by writing their name next to the relevant barcode. This makes it clear that each member is responsible for the care and safe return of their book.
For lost or damaged book notes, we ask for a gold coin donation to help cover the cost of reprinting.
Books are due back seven days after each meeting date. If you know your books will be overdue for any reason, please get in touch and let us know. Overdue books can result in your next book set being withheld.
You can book a courier bag pick-up online on the NZ Post website: https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/bookapickup/address
No, there is no weight limit on our courier bags. You should not be charged an additional fee if you choose to drop these into a post shop. Please contact BDS if you have trouble leaving your parcel at a post shop or book a pick-up online: https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/bookapickup/address
Our NZ Post Prepaid Courier Track-paks have no weight limit and are a safe an affordable way to return your books. Please wrap books tightly, spine inward before sliding into the courier bag to prevent them being damaged in transit.
Occasionally you may need to purchase additional, smaller Track-paks for overflow, especially if you are a large group or have requested a book with lots of pages! The coordinator can order these through their online login or you can email
Yes. This is located to the right-hand side of our main doors and is always available for returns when you can't get to us during our office hours of 9:00AM-5:00PM Mon-Fri
All our books are individually barcoded, so whether you're placing them on the returns trolley, using the after hours returns slot, our using a courier bag, we'll know where they came from!
