# From Horror to History and More
Halloween is almost here and with it comes some seriously spooky (and a couple kooky) reading recommendations from our 15+ Library Book Clubs. There's even a few new clubs! Plus, we've got a Lit Chat Interview with an award-winning and genre-bending novelist who combines horror, noir, and supernatural elements with stories inspired by his Puerto Rican heritage and experiences. Or, join us for a History Chat exploring the life and work of the Florida writer and folklorist who infiltrated and unmasked the Klu Klux Kan.
We're also observing Dyslexia Awareness Month with a special documentary film screening and workshop with our partners at Hope Haven and Education and Reading Intervention Network, Inc. (E.R.I.N.). Keep reading to learn more.
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# Featured Program
The Screening Room: Embracing Dyslexia
Embracing Dyslexia is a 51-minute documentary designed to help educators and parents better understand dyslexia and support struggling students. Watch and discuss the film from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, in the Conference Center at Main Library. The screening will be followed by a group conversation, led by Dr. Laura Bailet. A licensed school psychologist and assistant professor, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, she has expertise on a wide range of learning problems, including dyslexia and autism. She established and directed the Neurocognitive Assessment Program within the Division of Neurology at Nemours Children's Clinic for 18 years before creating the Nemours BrightStart! initiative.
Hope Haven is a local nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that children and families realize their full potential by providing specialized services and individualized educational opportunities. Note: This Screening Room will be followed by a Life Lab: Unlocking Dyslexia at noon with strategies to understand educational approaches to dyslexia.
# History & Current Events
History Chat: Stetson Kennedy with Tim Gilmore
Florida writer and activist Stetson Kennedy gained notoriety for having infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan but he is also remembered as one of the pioneer folklore collectors during the first half of the 20th century. His books include Palmetto Country, Southern Exposure, Jim Crow Guide, and The Klan Unmasked. Local author Tim Gilmore recounts his life and works from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 13, at the South Mandarin Branch Library. An audience Q&A will follow the 40-minute presentation.
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# Authors, Books & Writing
Find Some Scary Good Book Club Picks this October
If you're looking for chillers, thrillers, or stories of real-life serial killers, join us for the Wednesday Night Frights, Cautionary Tales, and/or True Crime 364.1 book club(s). Or mark your calendar for a bonus Halloween meeting of the Comic Club Graphic Novel Book Club. There is also a second book club starting up at San Marco Branch Library called Uncanny Valley, designed for busy readers who love everything edgy, eerie, and extraterrestrial.
Writer's Lab: Writing Violence During Violent Times
Attend a free workshop with award-winning novelist, Gabino Iglesias from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, at West Branch Library. Participants will explore the most popular types of violence in fiction and learn how to use it as a tool to improve storytelling. He will discuss their dos, don'ts, and grey areas in between while paying attention and taking into consideration real violence on a local, national, and international level. Participants will also analyze the role of empathy in violent narratives, otherness, physicality, and other core elements of great character development.
Lit Chat Author Interview with Gabino Iglesias
Are you a fan of horror? Join us from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, at West Branch Library for a special Lit Chat Interview, just in time for spooky season. Gabino Iglesias is the author of the Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker award-winning novel, The Devil Takes You Home, as well as author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning novels Zero Saints and Coyote Songs. This writer, journalist, professor, and literary critic hails from Austin, Texas. You may also know him as the horror columnist for the New York Times Book Review.
PS: Did you know that any book by a 2025 Lit Chat author counts toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion?
Lit Chat Author Talk with Catherine Wu
Like the protagonist in her debut novel, The Moon Goddess’s Smile, Catherine Wu spent her formative years in China before coming to New York City as a graduate student. After a career in biomedical research and podiatry practice, she followed her heart to pursue her dream of becoming a storyteller. She honed her fiction-writing skills at Boston’s GrubStreet to tell this unique story, a labor of love.
Nowadays, she lives with her husband in Jacksonville, FL. If she isn’t taming the sword ferns and pennyworts in her weedy garden, you will most likely find her in her kitchen, experimenting with impossible flavor combinations or researching her dream family vacation in southern Europe.
Join us from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, at South Mandarin Branch Library for a 20-minute presentation by debut author Catherine Wu and 10 minutes of audience Q&A. A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on site.
# Other Adult Programs
Life Lab: Improve Your Day-to-Day Life
Grow your own garden or small business and take control of your health, career, and personal finances! Life Lit is now Life Lab - a series of free workshops offered by trained professionals and volunteers, aimed at improving your life. They cover a wide range of topics from gardening to financial literacy to small business needs. No need to bring anything but yourself to participate!
Upcoming Workshops:
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Unlocking Dyslexia - in partnership with Hope Haven and E.R.I.N.
- 12 - 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, in the Conference Center at Main Library
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Foodscaping with UF IFAS Extension Office
- 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Murray Hill Branch Library
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Genealogy Workshop on Census Records with C. Ann Staley
- Intro to African American Genealogy
- 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, at Dallas Graham Branch Library
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Reduce Stormwater Runoff with UF IFAS Extension Office
- 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at San Marco Branch Library
Search our events calendar for more workshops offered by our community partners at the Library.
