If you’ve been in book clubs you know how stressful and maddening they can be. People don’t read. Or they don’t read well. Or you hurry to get the reading done and don’t get to enjoy the book. Or someone always picks that super-long book about the economic history of some country you’ve never heard of.
Silent book clubs take this bother away: just show up, say hi (or not!), have a drink (or not!), and read whatever you brought!
We’re indebted to articles we’ve read about the original Silent Book Club, which inspires us and provides the model.
Follow us in any of these places!
I maintain an updated-monthly list of events, groups, and other stuff of interest to readers. Here’s the October list (opens in Google Docs).
Thursday, January 8, from 6 to 8 at Kahala Mall.
Meet at the enormous round table outside Whole Foods Market, if it’s available. Look for two hippos perched atop a book on the table, and you’ll know you found us. We’ll have the book exchange table again, so bring a book or two if you’d like to make room on your bookshelf.
We’ll follow roughly this schedule:
- 6:00 say hi (or not!), get something to eat or drink (or not!)
- 6:30 optional group photo, read whatever you’ve brought
- 7:30 chat or keep reading
We’re not rigid about time, so these are just approximations. 🙂
It’s been a bit noisy lately, so if you’re sensitive to the sounds of yelling kids, beeping trucks, and loud engines, bring some noise-canceling ear things if you have them.
RAIN PLAN: We’ll try to get the tables right by the Whole Foods door, beneath the eaves, and take a few tables inside the mall. If you usually come early and the weather is yucko, maybe we can try to claim tables inside early. I haaaaate to forgo the introductions and stuff so somebody think of how we might do it in the mall without drawing mall security’s attention.
Thursday, January 15, 6 to 9(ish) at The Manifest.
FIELD TRIP!
We’re jumping into pub trivia. There are games at 6:30 and 7:30, each just under an hour (I suppose). The quizmaster is Mitchell’s longtime friend Jonathan Wong, who says if we get there at 6 we should be able to grab a table or two. There is no limit on participants per team, but if enough of us show up, I think we should split into two groups! I’ll be there before 6 if you’d like to say hi and scope out the space. Come for one or both games!
Again, if you’d like a ride home, just ask. Please. Text me at 830-255-7423!
Friday, January 23, 5 to 8(ish) at Ward Center and South Shore Market.
FIELD TRIP!
It’s time for the Friends of the Library Music & Book Sale, this year at Ward Centre in the space that used to be Roger Dunn Golf and (before that) Famous Footwear, on the far Ewa end of the mall.
We’ll meet in front at 5, or whenever you can get there. The sale closes for the day at 7. If anyone wants to join up for a silent reading sesh, we’ll head across the street to South Shore Market. Meet at the long table in the common area on the ground floor. Food and drink options nearby but no need to spend money. Clean bathrooms.
Again, if you’d like a ride home, just ask. Please. Text me at 830-255-7423!
Wednesday, January 28, from 6 to whenever at Proof Social Club.
We have a special announcement for this event! Keep an eye on this site or our other channels for an update soon!
Proof Social Club is a bar in Downtown Honolulu where Chaplain Lane meets Fort Street Mall.
There is no program. Just show up, get something to eat or drink, read, and (if you like!) meet other book-lovers. Pasta Boys have said they’ll be there to provide reading fuel. Check out their Instagram to see what they might be offering!
We’ll have the book exchange table again, so bring a book or two if you’d like to make room on your bookshelf. The kitty lamps will also be there. And Proof has its own book exchange shelf, so please take a look there too!
Once again, if you can spell Mitchell for a half-hour shift at the greeting table, he would appreciate it. Please let me know if you can help.
Text mitchell at 830-255-7423 if you’d like a ride there, a ride home, company walking to or from your car or bus stop, or a long joke with a terrible punchline!
Thursday, January 29, from 5 to 6:50 at Hawaii State Library.
Emily (a librarian!) is our host. Meet in the Language, Literature, and History section — first floor, left wing as you enter, straight back.
Parking. There’s metered parking all around. Street parking is free after 6. Text Mitchell for some inside info on parking.
We’ll spend the first half hour chatting and taking voluntary photos. Then we’ll read for an hour, and then call it a night, or chat a little more. The library closes at 7.
Thursday, February 5, from 5 to 6:50 at Hawaii State Library.
Emily (a librarian!) is our host. Meet in the Language, Literature, and History section — first floor, left wing as you enter, straight back.
Parking. There’s metered parking all around. Street parking is free after 6. Text Mitchell for some inside info on parking.
We’ll spend the first half hour chatting and taking voluntary photos. Then we’ll read for an hour, and then call it a night, or chat a little more. The library closes at 7.
Thursday, February 12, from 6 to 8 at Kahala Mall.
Meet at the enormous round table outside Whole Foods Market, if it’s available. Look for two hippos perched atop a book on the table, and you’ll know you found us. We’ll have the book exchange table again, so bring a book or two if you’d like to make room on your bookshelf.
We’ll follow roughly this schedule:
- 6:00 say hi (or not!), get something to eat or drink (or not!)
- 6:30 optional group photo, read whatever you’ve brought
- 7:30 chat or keep reading
We’re not rigid about time, so these are just approximations. 🙂
It’s been a bit noisy lately, so if you’re sensitive to the sounds of yelling kids, beeping trucks, and loud engines, bring some noise-canceling ear things if you have them.
RAIN PLAN: We’ll try to get the tables right by the Whole Foods door, beneath the eaves, and take a few tables inside the mall. If you usually come early and the weather is yucko, maybe we can try to claim tables inside early. I haaaaate to forgo the introductions and stuff so somebody think of how we might do it in the mall without drawing mall security’s attention.
Wednesday, February 25, from 6 to whenever at Proof Social Club.
Proof Social Club is a bar in Downtown Honolulu where Chaplain Lane meets Fort Street Mall.
There is no program. Just show up, get something to eat or drink, read, and (if you like!) meet other book-lovers. Pasta Boys have said they’ll be there to provide reading fuel. Check out their Instagram to see what they might be offering!
We’ll have the book exchange table again, so bring a book or two if you’d like to make room on your bookshelf. The kitty lamps will also be there. And Proof has its own book exchange shelf, so please take a look there too!
Once again, if you can spell Mitchell for a half-hour shift at the greeting table, he would appreciate it. Please let me know if you can help.
Text mitchell at 830-255-7423 if you’d like a ride there, a ride home, company walking to or from your car or bus stop, or an arbitrary quote from a good YA novel!