On Thursday 19 March, Penarth's independent bookshop, Griffin Books, trialled its very first virtual Book Club meeting.

The shop has been holding a regular monthly Book Club since it opened over 5 years ago and rather than cancel last week's session they decided to go virtual.

Following recent government advice on containing the spread of COVID-19 Griffin Books took the decision to suspend their Toddler Storytime sessions and to cancel all physical events in March and April including author visits from Joanne Harris, Stephen Moss and Alexander McCall Smith.

Mel Griffin, owner of Griffin Books said: "We are trying to be as creative as possible and are aiming to move some of our regular activities online. We held our first 'virtual Book Club' meeting last week, with 10 Book Club members connecting via videoconference to discuss this month's read, and I'm pleased to say that it worked brilliantly.

''As well as enabling us to continue existing regular activities using technology to replace in-person gatherings, we see opportunities to introduce new ideas to support our community during this difficult time, for example, virtual book chat sessions, recorded Storytime, live online events and more."

The shop hopes to use the same format for their other Book Clubs, including their lively Children's Book Club for 8-12-year-olds! If you'd like to receive details about forthcoming adult and children's Book Club meetings email [email protected] or call 029 2070 6455.

You can now order from Griffin Books over the phone (029 2070 6455), via email ([email protected]), website, or through their various social media channels.

They are also offering a FREE home delivery service in the local Penarth, Sully and Dinas Powys areas, and will post orders to customers further afield.

Please check the Griffin Books website for details of their revised opening hours. And if you don't know what you're looking for, they're always happy to make recommendations. Just get in touch.

They now also offer 3, 6 or 12-month book subscriptions to suit all tastes. Each package includes a consultation with an expert bookseller to discuss the recipient's reading preferences.

Books can either be delivered or collected from the shop if the reader lives locally. Prices start from £30.

Keep calm and read on!