Two Authors You'll Love
This Library Lovers Month, show your love for the library and great books―all while meeting and supporting your next favorite author! In February, you'll have two fabulous authors to choose from: Local author Brianna Ellis just released an inspiring debut poetry collection. Terah Shelton Harris went from being a librarian to writing highly acclaimed "upmarket fiction." If you haven't heard the term, it's the "sweet spot" where literary fiction meets meets the page-turning plots and mainstream appeal of genre or more "commercial" fiction. She must really know what people love to read!
Read more about this month's Lit Chat lineup below.
Lit Chat Author Talk with Brianna Ellis
Brianna Ellis fell in love with poetry as a young girl, eventually exploring this passion as a rap lyricist. Her skillful writing also led to a career in journalism, after graduating from Queens College in her hometown of Queens, NY. She's pursued many creative endeavors along the way: In addition to her debut poetry book, Eternally You, Brianna has published multiple children's books.
Get to know this enthusiastic author at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9 at Brentwood Branch Library. A book signing will follow the presentation, with books available for sale on site.
Check out Brianna's books from the Local Author Collection.
When she isn’t inspiring and empowering children, Brianna immerses herself in history and rich cultures around the world. Find out more about Brianna on her official website BooksbyBrianna.com.
Books That Have Inspired Brianna Ellis
- The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
- The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur
- Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Lit Chat Interview with Terah Shelton Harris
If you read upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings, you may know the name Terah Shelton Harris from One Summer in Savannah or Long After We Are Gone. Her books have been chosen as a Target Book Club pick, LibraryReads pick, Kobo Best Book, Together We Read pick, Publisher’s Marketplace Buzz Book, and a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for Best Debut. Reminder: Any book by a 2026 Lit Chat featured author counts toward the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge.
Her third book, Where the Wildflowers Grow, is due out on February 17. Meet this acclaimed author at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19 at Mandarin Branch Library. This program is sponsored by the Friends of Mandarin Library. A book signing will follow the interview, with books available for sale on site.
Reading one of her books with a group of your bookish besties? Or do you want to prep for the audience Q&A portion of the Lit Chat? Find Discussion Guides on her website.
Praise for Where the Wildflowers Grow
"If you haven’t read Terah Shelton Harris yet, you now have three incredible books to choose from. Her latest, Where the Wildflowers Grow, is as stunning as a garden in bloom. Harris lovingly tends these characters as they struggle and fight for a place in the sun. Humming with beautiful prose and a slow burn romance, Wildflowers will delight Harris’ many fans and those just discovering her for the first time." ― Joshua Moehling, USA Today bestselling author of And There He Kept Her and A Long Time Gone
"A rich, atmospheric lyrically told love story where the best parts of humanity bring about deep healing." ― Annabel Monaghan, New York Times bestselling author of It's a Love Story
If You Like These Books, You'll Love Terah Shelton Harris
- Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- Mudwoman by Joyce Carol Oates
- The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
- The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
- Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
- Old Enough by Haley Jakobson
- Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
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