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, March 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. The nearest lot is at Iolani Palace (metered, free after 6), which is also secure, because the palace locks the gate at 6. If you wish to leave before the library closes at 7, just let a security guard know and they’ll open the gate for you.
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.
Friday, March 6, from 4 to 8 in Chinatown.
Silent Book Club HQ is hosting a reading retreat in Honolulu, with participants from across the country, including Silent Book Club cofounder Guinevere.
And Honolulu Silent Book Club is hanging with the book-loving visitors.
The Bookstore & Curiosity crawl begins at 4:00 at the Tin Can Mailman.
The readup begins at 6:00 at Skull & Crown Trading Co., a fantastic tiki bar on Hotel Street.
Join us for part or all!
Treasure map:
- Tin Can Mailman
- Roberta Oaks Hawaii
- Hound & Quail
- Native Books at Arts & Letters
- Skull-Face Books & Vinyl
- Downtown Art Center
- Skull & Crown Trading Co.
If you’re joining us mid-crawl, text Mitchell at 830-255-7423 so we can tell you where we are!
If you’re joining us at Skull & Crown, bring something to read, although I doubt we’ll actually read. 🙂
Thursday, March 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. Baron donated a box of foam earplugs, and Mitchell will bring them if he can find 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.
Saturday, March 14, from 3 to 5 at Kawaikui Beach Park.
Kawaikui is on the far east end of Aina Haina, pretty much on the edge before entering Niu Valley going east. Free parking, shady trees, and a (public park) restroom.
Gina is hosting!
If the parking is full, maybe wait a few minutes to see if anyone leaves, and if not, the closest neighborhood parking is on Kirkwood, which is about a 7- to 10-minute walk from the beach park.
Look for her in a shady spot on the Waimanalo side of the park (the left side as you face the ocean). She has a table sign with a reading hippo on it.
Bring snacks and drinks if you want. Bring a chair or beach towel, and perhaps some sunscreen. Bring your physical books, ebooks, audio books, textbooks, comic books, or whatever!
We’ll chat a little, take a voluntary group photo, then read for about an hour, and then chat a little more. Socializing is totally optional, of course! Please add your name to our email list (if you’re not on it), and please take a Honolulu Silent Book Club sticker if you don’t already have one, a Honolulu Silent Book Club bookmark, and a couple of our calling cards so you can spread the love.
Saturday, March 21 The Boba Room in Waipahu.
Silent Book Club plus live piano music by Noah Hull (@noahplayspiano).
12 to 2: reading and boba!
2 to 4: Piano!
Bring a book, get a yummy boba drink (or espresso drink!), and enjoy some live piano bar music with Noah!
The Boba Room is in the Waipahu Town Center. 98-300 Farrington Hwy, suite G-15, across the parking lot from Savers.
Wednesday, March 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!
Friday, March 27!
The organizer of the East Los Angeles Silent Book Club is in town and would like to read with us! This is still in the planning, so keep an eye on this space or any of our other platforms!