Kawaikui Beach Park, on the far edge of Āina Haina going east, just before Niu Valley.
Shady trees, public restrooms, and free parking!
If the main lot is full, give it a few minutes to see if a spot opens up. Otherwise, the closest neighborhood parking is on Kirkwood, which is a lovely 7-to-10-minute stroll (yes, I said stroll) to the park.
Gina is hosting! Look for her in a shady spot on the Waimanalo side of the park (that’s the left side as you’re facing the ocean).
Bring your current read. Physical books, e-readers, audiobooks, manga, textbooks—all formats and genres are welcome!
Get comfy. A beach chair or towel, sunscreen, and your favorite snacks or drinks.
We’ll chat for a bit, snap a quick (and completely voluntary!) group photo, and then dive into one full hour of quiet reading. We’ll wrap up with optional socializing.
See you by the water! Don’t forget to add your name to our email list if you haven’t already!
Back-to-back meetups! Friends’ Books & Music plus Aloha Bakehouse and Café!
The old Village Books & Music at Ward Centre is the new Friends’ Books & Music on Ward, and we are checking it out together! Mitchell is hosting.
Staffed by volunteers with Friends of the Library of Hawaii, the new store opened in mid-July and features thousands of (mostly pre-loved) books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, games, works of art, comic books, and even 8-track tapes (ask your parents) to raise funds for Hawaii’s 51 public libraries.
You don’t want to let 51 public libraries down, do you?
Our hosts will give us a quick tour of the new space and tell us about Friends of the Library of Hawaii.
The bookstore is on the ground floor of the building once known as the Galliher Building, right behind the Jack-in-the-Box on the corner of Ward and Kapiolani. A mural depicting a certain former U.S. President from Hawaii is painted on its side.
📚📖🧁🌯☕️
A hidden gem in Kakaako, Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe is a total vibe with excellent drinks and food, and an airy upstairs seating area with big tables and wifi.
It’s a great spot for reading and caffeinating!
We’ll spend the first half hour or so getting our orders in, chatting, and showing off our purchases from the Friends’ Books & Music field trip immediately before. Then we’ll settle in for a solid hour (or more!) of silent reading. Nikki is hosting.
Assigned reading? Ha! We laugh at assigned reading! Read whatever you want!
After the reading, you can stick around and keep reading, chat some more, or head home with your stash.
A heads-up: The upstairs seating area is not wheelchair accessible, and I don’t think the restroom is either. If you have questions or would like to talk about accommodations, please message us.
A second heads-up: It can get a little warm upstairs, so dress comfortably.
For the bookstore, there’s a small parking lot (enter from Waimanu St. please), but you can also find street parking nearby, or park at Ward Villages and walk a couple of blocks.
These other options might be a good idea if you’re attending our reading sesh right after at Aloha Bakehouse and Cafe. Then you can just leave your car wherever you parked it, and walk to the cafe, which is half a block down Waimanu Street from the bookstore.
Parking for the cafe is on the streets nearby, but if you’re going to the bookshop with us, you’re allowed to park in Ward Villages.
For a slightly shorter walk, you can probably get away with parking in the Whole Foods garage. Don’t park in the parking lot right next to the cafe!
Message Mitchell at 830-255-7423 if you get lost or need help!
Our monthly drop-in for drinks, pasta, books, and easygoing company is back.
Unlike our standard quiet-reading sessions, this one has no agenda. Show up whenever, grab a mocktail or a cocktail, dig into some food, and read at your own speed. Want to chat about what you’re currently reading instead? That works too.
Book exchange table: Bring a title or two you’re ready to pass along, or grab something new off the stack.
Wednesday, August 26 | 6:00 until whenever.
Proof Social Club (Fort Street Mall at Chaplain Lane) 🏢
Come hang out and unwind. 🖤
Need directions or a walking buddy to or from your car or bus stop? Text Mitchell at 830-255-7423 and we’ll work it out! 🚙
Gina is feeling unwell, so we have to move this to sometime in September.
Please renew your library loans and hang on to your notations and annotations! We look forward to having this conversation when Gina’s feeling well and we can book the room again.
If this means you may be able to join us (more reading time, a better date, or whatever), join Gina’s email list at the link.
Our book discussion with Gina is Sunday at 4:30 at the Aina Haina library, in the meeting room. If you haven’t received the details via email from Gina, please drop a comment and we’ll make sure you get them!
The library will be closed, but the meeting room will be open. Come around the building on the right.
Gina is keeping an eye on the weather, so if you plan to participate, please make sure you’re on her mailing list at bit.ly/Empire-Aug2026. We will also share here if there are any changes!
Groove is in the heart, and peace is in the pages, fam. Turn down the volume and crank up the quiet—it’s the second Thursday of the month, and Honolulu Silent Book Club is dropping the needle on another low-key night! 🚡
Slide into Kahala Mall from 6 to 8. Track down the big round table right outside Whole Foods. Your visual beacon: two hippos doing the hustle on top of an Emily Henry novel. Spot the hippos, spot your crew. 🛝
Got a stack collecting dust on your nightstand? Throw down at the book exchange table. Swap a couple, grab a couple, or just browse. Zero rules, pure good vibrations. 🟨
Park the rig for free. Grab a bite if you’re feeling it (Whole Foods ‘za gets plenty of love), but hanging out won’t cost you –save that dime for the jukebox, mama. 🏦
The playlist:
Warm-up chat
Quick photo for the album (totally optional)
Sixty solid minutes of uninterrupted reading
Wrap it up, keep chatting, or stay lost in your chapter 🖤
Paperbacks, e-readers, graphic novels, audiobooks—we play all formats here.
Lost in the mall parking lot? Need a ride back to the pad? Want to hear a terrible joke? Ring Mitchell’s hitline at 830-255-7423 (text preferred!). 🛺
Keep reading, keep grooving. See you under the quiet lights! 🟦
