Lit Chat

Margaret Ryan never really meant to start a book club... or a feminist revolution in the most exclusive and picturesque suburb of Concordia, Virginia. The Book Club for Troublesome Women by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Bostwick is "perfect for those who love book clubs, nostagalia for the 1960s, and stories of female friendship." (Booklist). Meet the author and get your book signed at West Branch Library on Monday, May 19.

Seashells have been the most coveted and collected of nature’s creations since the dawn of humanity. They were money before coins, jewelry before gems, art before canvas. In The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans, acclaimed environmental author Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our long love affair with seashells and the hidden lives of the mollusks that make them. Meet the author and learn more about her work on Saturday, May 10, at Main Library.

Did you know? April 6 - 12 is National Library Week. This annual celebration highlights the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives. Of course, our cardholders are at the center of any celebration. You are the reason we do what we do! On occasions like this, we like to talk a little bit more about those programs and services that we offer and encourage everyone in our communities to read, learn and grow. Chart your next literary adventure by browsing the stacks or joining a book club. Let an author color your imagination at an author talk, outline your big business idea at an entrepreneur workshop, or trace your history with your library’s genealogy resources.

Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer. Recently seen on Vigil, Noughts + Crosses and Boat Story, he has also starred in The Leftovers and Law & Order UK and he also plays Arthur Slugworth in the Wonka movie. The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is his debut novel. Catch the interview between Paterson Joseph and interviewer Kelsi Hasden from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 14 at Southeast Regional Library.

Four years after Kelly Mustian's USA Today bestselling debut novel, The Girls in the Stilt House, started appearing on "must-read" lists and earning starred reviews, the author is set to release her much-anticipated second novel on April 1, 2025. Like her first, The River Knows Your Name is already gathering buzz as a tumultuous and "well-woven mystery."

Are you a fan of Magic the Gathering and tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons? Fantasy author Django Wexler is a featured guest at this year's Jax Pop Con on Saturday, March 22. He takes the stage at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Main Library to talk with fans of fantasy novels about his latest published work. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the interview. Note: A limited number of books will be available for sale on-site from a local bookstore partner, Happy Medium Books Café.

From a Screening Room watching and discussing Great Unsung Women of Computing to a Lit Chat Interview with Jamie Ford, author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the adult program lineup at the Library this March! This Spring Break also marks the return of Jax Pop Con, an all-ages pop culture and fandom event at the Main Library. This year, you'll get a chance to meet fantasy author and guest of honor, Django Wexler.

Jamie Ford is a Northwest author most widely known for his bestselling Seattle-based novels. His most recent novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick. His debut, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Join us from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, at the Southeast Library for 40-minute conversation between author Jamie Ford and interviewer C.H. Hooks, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A.

Join us Wednesday, February 12, at 7 p.m. at the Southeast Library for a Lit Chat Interview with celebrated historical fiction author Jennifer Coburn and Jane R. Wood, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on site by local bookstore the BookMark.

The Friends of Brentwood Library, Inc. and its founder and matriarch, Sharon Coon, invite you to celebrate the 125th anniversary of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" at free, public events February 12-16, 2025, at the Conference Center at Main Library and in other venues throughout Jacksonville. Plus, Great Decisions continues this February to discuss critical issues facing America.