Today's Featured Books— Events

Free online: Starburst Speculative Poetry Reading for Women’s History Month, featuring Vivian Faith Prescott, born and raised on the island of Kaachx̱ana.áakʼw, Wrangell, Alaska, in the Alexander Archipelago. Vivian is author of 13 books, including poetry, short stories, and a foodoir. Sunday, March 23, 7-8 PM ET.

“Spring is made of solid, fourteen-karat gratitude." ~Barbara Kingsolver

Free online: Strong Women, Strange Worlds. Celebrate the first day of spring with author readings of science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. Join to hear six authors do quick (8-minute) reads of their work. Thursday, March 20, 6-7 PM CDT. 

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ~Leo Tolstoy

Free online: NYPL Open Book Hour. Join staff from two branches of the New York Public Library to talk about what books you've been reading and to hear new recommendations and thoughts about good reading. Tuesday, March 18, 4-5 PM ET. 

“A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.” ~Shelby Foote

Free online: What's New in Historical Fiction. Join this regular panel series featuring historical novelists with new and upcoming titles. Moderated by Colin Mustful, founder of History Through Fiction, this special panel includes J. E. Weiner, author of The Wretched and Undone; Penny Haw, author of Follow Me to Africa; Fiona Davis, author of The Stolen Queen; and Susan Meissner, author of A Map to Paradise. Sunday, March 16, 1-2 PM CDT.

“History is a vast early warning system.” ~Norman Cousins, American journalist (1915-1990)

Free online: Virtual Tour of The Mark Twain House & Museum. Mark Twain's mansion in Hartford, Connecticut, is opulent and educational. Each room features historical facts and photos that you can see via your virtual tour. You can also view recordings of past literary events held at the mansion. 

"The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog." ~Mark Twain

Free online: Cocktails & Conversation. Join authors Jacqueline Faber, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew Ludington, and Gigi Pandian for Cocktails & Conversation, sponsored by The Back Room. Sunday, March 9, 7 PM ET.

“Three be the things I shall never attain: Envy, content, and sufficient champagne." ~Dorothy Parker

Free online: First Friday Book Talk & Reading. Presented by Larksong Writers Place, join this Friday for a Book Talk & Reading with Cassie Premo Steele, author of Beaver Girl, a novel set against the backdrop of a post-pandemic and climate-collapsed world. Friday, March 7, 12 PM CT. 

"I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is?" ~Vincent van Gogh

Free online: Hill Writers Reading Series. Join for a cozy evening of storytelling and poetry with authors Willie Edward Taylor Carver and Amy Le Ann Richardson. Presented by Hill Writers: A Southern Writers' Collective. Saturday, March 1, 6-8 PM EST.

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” ~William Wordsworth

Free online: An Evening of Poetry from the Hudson Valley Writers Center, featuring new poetry from Tiana Clark, Shanta Lee, Ruben Quesada, Ruth Ellen Kocher, and Matthew Johnson. Wednesday, February 26, 7 PM ET. 

"Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history." ~Plato

Free online: Writers' Room of Boston, Readings From the Room. Join for an evening hosted by Spencer Storey Johnson and featuring the work of Gisela Heffes and Eliza Macdonald. Tuesday, February 25, 7:00 PM EST.

"Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism." ~Malala Yousafzai

Free online: 41st Annual Black Book Fair. Presented by the Brooklyn Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, this year's theme is "Our Story, Our Bridge, Our Legacy." Saturday, February 22, 12:00 - 5:00 PM EST. 

“Stretch your mind and fly.” ~Whitney M. Young, Jr.

Free online: Virtual Chat with Poet Karen Rigby, presented by The Writers' Center. Join for this virtual chat about the craft of poetry with poet Karen Rigby who will be discussing her new poetry collection, Fabulosa. Thursday, February 20, 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST.

“The poet is the priest of the invisible.” ~Wallace Stevens

Free online: Verses & Vibes. Join for a high-energy lunchtime poetry jam that will also include music from DJ ROC and education on HIV awareness and prevention. Don’t miss this dynamic fusion of education, community, and rhythm! Tuesday, February 18, 1:30 - 2:30 CST. 

"Once we choose hope, everything is possible.” ~Christopher Reeve

Happy Valentine's Day! Celebrate with one of the seven romance novels included in today's Featured Books. In the mood for something other than romance? You'll also find works of literary fiction, sci-fi, young adult, and memoir in today's Featured Books, too. 

Also, be sure to continue the celebration tomorrow with the Vine Leaves Press International Authors Reading, featuring Andrew Verlaine, Janet Clare, Jill Amber Chafin, and Raphael Pond for a virtual reading and chat. Saturday, February 15, 6 - 7 PM CST. 

“To love or have loved, that is enough. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.” ~Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Free online: Pen America event featuring author Fabienne Josaphat in conversation with Barbara Kingsolver. Join for an evening celebrating Fabienne Josaphat, winner of the 2023 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Josaphat will discuss her new novel, Kingdom of No Tomorrow. Thursday, February 13, 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET. 

"We set free the songs swirling in our bodies / and let those birds fly out into the burning sun." ~Fabienne Josaphat, Political Silence

Free online: Canadian Artists' Book Symposium. Join for all or part of this free all-day symposium to hear book artists talk about the art and process of bookmaking. Presented by Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) University. Wednesday, February 12, 9 AM to 5 PM EST. 

“i am a museum full of art / but you had your eyes shut” ~Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey

Free online: Veteran Poets & Storytellers. Military veterans Ralph S. Carlson, Ken Klemm, Benjamin Fortier, and Kyrie Ravencry will present their original poetry and creative nonfiction via Zoom. In addition to sharing their experiences in the military and coming home, they will take questions from the audience afterwards. Saturday, February 8, 5:00 - 6:30 PM PST. 

“No soldier ever really survives a war.” ~Audie Murphy

Free online: First Friday Book Talk & Reading with author Susan Aizenberg, who will read from her newest poetry collection, A Walk with Frank O'Hara: Poems. Presented by Larksong Writers Place. February 7, 12 pm CT. 

"Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away." ~Carl Sandburg

Free online: What's New in Historical Fiction, a regular panel series featuring historical novelists with new and upcoming titles. Moderated by Colin Mustful, founder of History Through Fiction, this special panel includes Tiffany L. Warren, author of The Unexpected Diva; Elaine Neil Orr, author of Dancing Woman; Julia Bryan Thomas, author of The Kennedy Girl; and Rosa Kwon Easton, author of White Mulberry. Monday, February 3, 7 PM CST. 

"If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree." ~Michael Crichton

Free online: NYPL Virtual book Tasting. Get a "taste" of a variety of new and popular books, courtesy of the librarians of the New York Public Library. Friday, January 31, 3 - 4 PM EST. 

“When the going gets tough, the tough get a librarian.” ~Joan Bauer

Free online: Talk with Janika Oza, author of A History of Burning, winner of the 2024 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a finalist for the 2023 Governor General’s Award for Fiction, longlisted for the 2024 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, and a New York Times Editor’s Choice. A masterful and breathtakingly intimate saga of colonialism and exile, complicity and resistance. Presented by the Mississauga Library, Ontario, Canada. Wednesday, January 29, 7 - 8 PM EST. 

“What was love but one long act of forgiveness, of choosing to return, over and over again.” ~Janika Oza, A History of Burning

Free online: An Evening with Amy Tan. Best known for her iconic novel The Joy Luck Club, Amy will share insights from her latest work, Backyard Birding Chronicles, a heartfelt exploration of her connection to nature through birdwatching. Through this intimate look at her own backyard, Amy’s book highlights the profound impact that everyday interactions with the natural world can have on our lives. This event is several weeks away, but it's sure to sell out, so reserve your spot now! February 25, 7 PM PST. 

"In the quiet mornings, the birds' songs are a symphony, a reminder of life's simple, enduring beauty." ~Amy Tan, Backyard Birding Chronicles

Want to see more of the world this weekend? Visit the Cinque Terra, the Sahara Desert, the Antartic, Manhattan, the Great Pyramids, and more via AirPano.com. 

"Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." ~Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Free online: Author Talk with Anika Hussain. Join the New York Public Library online for a discussion with Anika Hussain about her YA romance novel, This Is How You Fall in Love. Perfect for young readers ages 13 - 18. Friday, January 24, 3 - 4 PM ET. 

"You don’t have to understand things for them to be.” ~Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

Free online: Fairy Tale Variations. Five amazing storytellers will each bring you a unique version of the Snow White fairy tale. A Q&A with the tellers will follow the show, and a recording will be sent to all ticket holders. Please note that this is an Adults Only show. Some of these stories will be adult retellings, so the show is recommended only to those over 18 years of age. Saturday, January 18, 7 - 9 PM CST.

"When hearts are high, the time will fly, so whistle while you work." ~Snow White