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10 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 12 DECEMBER 2025 CULTURE Book Club Gozo prepares for 2026 with monthly meetings and author talks BOOK Club Gozo will kick off its first meeting of 2026 on Wednesday, 28 January, to discuss The Surf House by Lu- cy Clarke, a destination thrill- er set in Morocco. Details of the meeting venue and oth- er events are available on the club's Facebook page and at the Gozo Central Public Li- brary. The free, monthly reading group has been active on the island for over eight years, bringing together Gozo's book lovers to meet over coffee and discuss the featured book of the month. Members engage in conversations, share opinions, and explore a wide variety of genres and authors, including works they might not normally pick up. All book titles for 2026, along with meeting dates and ven- ue details, are available on the club's Facebook page. Copies of the selected books have been added to Gozo Central Public Library's collection and can be borrowed free of charge. Some titles are also available via Mal- ta Libraries' online e-book ser- vice. Book Club Gozo aims to cre- ate a welcoming space where reading, often a solitary ac- tivity, becomes a social ex- perience, and to encourage members to go "beyond the bestsellers" by discovering new genres, themes, and authors. Members also become part of a diverse community of enthusi- astic readers, discussing books and related cultural events in Gozo. In addition to monthly ses- sions, Book Club Gozo has col- laborated with Malta Libraries to host author talks. In 2025, guest speakers in- cluded Lynne Marie Taylor on her debut historical crime novel Death in Valletta, Karen Elizabeth Steed on Malta – The Beautiful Hour, and contem- porary crime fiction novelist AJ Aberford, creator of the De- tective George Zammit series. The final author event of 2025 will take place on Wednesday, 17 December at 10.30am at Gozo Central Public Library, featuring an illustrated talk and book launch of The His- tory of Dwejra Tower and its Surroundings. Further author talks and events are planned for 2026. Book Club Gozo aims to create a welcoming space where reading, often a solitary activity, becomes a social experience, and to encourage members to go "beyond the bestsellers" by discovering new genres, themes, and authors The Surf House is the first book the Gozo Book Clubt will be reading in 2026