Originally launched at Books & Books in Camana Bay in 2010, the Bookends Book Club now uses the George Town Library as the place where members meet to discuss a book every month.
The club is made up of members that change out regularly as there is no pressure by the club to retain a formal membership, nor is there any cost.
“Since we’ve been at the George Town Library, we have been able to focus on being a truly public book club that’s open to the community,” said coordinator Tony Walton. “We also have a consistent flow of new members.”
Walton said the organisation doesn’t have a specific leader. Instead, each meeting is led by the members, which aligns to the ethos of the club. The club takes reading seriously but likes to be low key and informal in its approach to memberships and the club’s activities.
Walton said that in a typical meeting, “It’s up to each person to lead the discussion about the book they chose,” he said. “They also provide a biography of the author and a summary of the book. Then we have a round table discussion for about 45 minutes.”
“It’s not too formal,” he added.
The books are chosen on an annual basis, and the only requirement is that the works are literary fiction or literary non-fiction. Each member is responsible for borrowing or purchasing the books.
The 2026-2027 book list
For the current book list, members chose fiction books such as: “The Lie” by Helen Dunmore, “Flights” by Olga Tokarczuk and “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi, as well as non-fiction works such as “The Secret History of Wonder Woman” by Jill Lepore.
For August, the club members will read and then discuss the fictional biography “Stoner” by John Williams, published in 1965. The book follows the life of William Stoner and his love and pursuit of literature.
The club is open to anyone who enjoys reading and who would like to join in a discussion of books with others.
“We meet every second Thursday of the month at the George Town Library to discuss the book from 6-7pm.”
The next meeting is on Thursday, 14 August at 6pm at the George Town Library. People can also join by contacting Walton via WhatsApp at 927-2359 or via Bookends Facebook page.
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