The Magic of Books and Starting Anew
Emma Straub is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and Guggenheim Fellow whose novels have made her a favorite among readers worldwide. With her signature humor and emotional insight, Straub explores reinvention, family, friendship, and the unexpected turns that shape who we become.
BOLD, Bookish Fun for Readers of All Ages
Meet her and get your books signed at Jax Book Fest 2026.
This free, one-day event for book lovers of all ages features 120+ authors of local and national acclaim and talks with #1 New York Times bestselling authors John Patrick Green and Emma Straub.
Lit Chat Interview
On stage, Emma brings wit and warmth to conversations about her blockbuster novels and modern life, leaving audiences laughing and reflecting. Join the conversation from 3 - 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Main Library in the Hicks Auditorium (Conference Level) during Jax Book Fest 2026.
A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on-site from Happy Medium Books Café.
Emma Straub is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books for adults: the novels American Fantasy, This Time Tomorrow, All Adults Here, The Vacationers, Modern Lovers, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures, and the short story collection Other People We Married. Emma and her husband own Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.
Praise for American Fantasy:
"When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous 1990s boyband, and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them for thirty years..."
"Packed with wisdom, heart, and laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, youth, nostalgia, marriage, and middle age, Emma Straub delivers a richly textured, uplifting story about the magic of revisiting youthful feelings, and the even greater magic of starting anew."
Keep Reading
Check out Emma's books from the Library!
Similar Books and Authors:
- Three Days in June, by Anne Tyler
- Daisy Jones & the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney
- Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid
- Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett
- Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
- Heart the Lover, by Lily King
- Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfeld
- Every Tom, Dick & Harry, by Elinor Lipman
- We All Live Here, by Jojo Moyes
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