Today's Featured Books— Events

Free online: NYPL Virtual Book Tasting. Join the New York Public Library's "Book Tasting" for a taste of a variety of books from the NYPL collection. Friday, January 26, 2-3 PM CST. 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~Leonardo Da Vinci

Free online: Rogue Reads. Enjoy a fabulous night of new releases from thriller authors James Grippando, Lisa Malice, Duane Swierczynski, and Stephen Hunter. Monday, January 22, 6 PM CT. 

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." ~Maya Angelou

Free online: The Back Room. Join authors Charlaine Harris, Eriq LaSalle, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Danielle Trussoni for an evening of great conversation! Each online event starts with a short introduction to a panel of authors. The audience is then divided into breakout rooms and each author visits each room in turn. Sunday, January 21, 6-8 PM CST. 

“Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while working." ~Henri Matisse

Free online: Winter Out East. Warm your soul with prose from the authors of Thirty West Publishing House. Featuring Sarah Edmonds, Adam Gianforcaro, Alison Lubar, and Lauren Saxon. Wednesday, January 17, 7PM EST / 4PM PST.

“Wisdom comes with winters.” ~Oscar Wilde

Free online: MLK Celebration at Interlochen Arts Academy. Celebrate Martin Luther King via a free online evening of words and music from the acclaimed Interlochen Arts Academy. Monday, January 15, 7:30 PM ET. 

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend." ~Martin Luther King

Free online: Let's Read Ulysses! Ever wanted to read Ulysses by James Joyce but maybe found it a bit intimidating? Or maybe you'd like to read it again and share the experience. Either way, you can join a weekly online meet-up of readings led by an experienced Joyce presenter, himself a Dubliner, who provides introductions and step-by-step guidance through the various episodes. Sundays from 7:00 - 8:30 PM Irish time (2 PM EST) beginning January 14.

"There is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present." ~James Joyce to Jacques Mercanton on the structure of Ulysses

Free online: A Historical Evening. Join the authors of History Through Fiction for an evening of trivia, prizes, and Q&A. Earn prize entries by submitting questions for the authors ahead of time or by correctly answering trivia questions during the event. Tuesday, January 9, 7 PM CST. 

"Events are as much the parents of the future as they were the children of the past." ~John Galsworthy, Saint’s Progress

Free online: Virtual tour of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. Come along on a virtual road trip to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. Monday, January 8, 9-10 a.m. CST. 

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." ~Edgar Allan Poe

Free online: Publishing Scandals of 2023. This past year was an eventful one in the publishing world, including lots of literary scandals. Join the hosts of Writers Lunch for a discussion of some jaw-dropping and bonkers literary misdeeds from 2023. Thursday, January 4, 1-2 PM CST.

"Good writers borrow, great writers steal." ~T.S. Eliot

Free online: Speaking Crow Open Mic Series. Presented by the Winnipeg International Writers Festival and Winnipeg Public Library, this event is held the first Tuesday of each month and features a series of short (three minute!) readings from open mic participants. Tuesday, January 2, 7 PM CST.

"I think storytelling is a fundamental part of being human. It's how we make sense of the world and pass on our knowledge." ~Jim Welch

Free online: NYE around the world with EarthCam. Join EarthCam's live-stream of New Year’s celebrations from around the globe and in Times Square! Enjoy video and audio from multiple live webcams and watch as the world rings in 2024. Sunday, December 31. 

"And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been." ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Free online cultural event: Festive Valkenburg City Tour. Get yourself in the holiday spirit with this virtual tour of Valkenburg, a lovely town in the south of the Netherlands that turns its cobbled streets and medieval houses into a festive wonderland for the holidays. Saturday, December 23, 2-3 PM CST. (PS: Get your free ticket soon...the tour is almost full!) 

"Ik ben altijd dingen aan het doen die ik nog niet kan om zo te leren hoe ik ze moet doen." (I am always doing things that I can’t yet do, in order to learn how to do them.) ~Vincent van Gogh

Free online: The Parable of the Sower. Join the New York Public Library Grand Concourse staff for a discussion of Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower, a story set in a post-apocalyptic Earth (2024!) heavily affected by climate change and social inequality. Thursday, December 21, 1-2 PM EST. 

"Read every day and learn from what you read." ~Octavia Butler

Free online: Dueling Detectives author talk. Presented by the New York Public Library, UK author Tom Mead (who specializes in locked room mysteries) will discuss his writing career and his recent mystery titles, Death and the Conjuror and The Murder Wheel. Tuesday, December 19, 3-4 PM EST. 

"This man was poisoned! Oh, wait, is that blood? That is blood. This man was poisoned in the chest with a knife!" ~Hercule Poirot

Free online Sunday: The Back Room. Join authors Jeffery Deaver, Karen Dionne, James L'Etoile, and Nishita Parekh for an evening of great conversation. Sunday, December 17, 6-8 PM CST. 

"The more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me is the pleasure and charm of conversation." ~Plato, Republic

Free online: Realms of Imagination. Join the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow to celebrate the launch of Realms of Imagination: Essays from the Wide Worlds of Fantasy, recently released by British Library Publishing as a companion volume to the Fantasy: Realms of Imagination exhibition. Thursday, December 14, 12:00 - 1:30 PM CST. 

"Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today." ~Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos

Free online: What's New in Historical Fiction, a panel discussion about new and upcoming historical fiction titles. This week's panel features Emily Bleeker, author of When We Were Enemies; Sean Lusk, The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley; Katherine Vaz, Above the Salt; and Katherine Howe, A True Account. Hosted by Colin Mustful, founder of History Through Fiction. Wednesday, December 13, 4-5 PM CST. 

"How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us without our past?" ~John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

Free online: Larksong Speedwriting & Reading Party. Kick off the holiday season with this writing/reading party from Larksong Writers Place. The format is simple: 5-minute readings alternated with 15-minute mini writing workshops that start with a craft talk and end with a writing prompt. Five readings and four workshops followed by a Q&A with writers and other participants. Saturday, December 9, 10 AM CST. 

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." ~E. L. Doctorow

Free online: Poetry Lit! Online Reading Series. Explore the world of poetry from the comfort of your own home. Join Poetry Lit! for their monthly online reading series featuring international poets and their passionate fans. This week: poets Jennifer Wong and Degna Stone. Friday, December 8, 1:00 - 2:30 PM CST.

"Poetry is the deification of reality." ~Edith Sitwell

Free online: Love in Winter Wonderland, a discussion with prize-winning children/YA author Abiola Bello about the YA Christmas romance Love In Winter Wonderland. Hosted online by the Pelham Parkway-Van Nest Branch of the New York Public Library. Tuesday, December 5, 3:30 - 4:30 PM EST. 

"Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul." ~Library at Thebes, inscription over the door

New giveaway: Enter the Merry Giveaway (hosted by Reader Central) for a chance to win a $150 Amazon.com gift card. Deadline: December 31, 2023. 

"Remember that the most important thing is to try and love other people as much as they love you." ~David Sedaris, Holidays on Ice

Free online: First Friday Book Talk & Reading. Presented by Larksong Writers Space: Join freelance journalist Carson Vaughan for a discussion of his first book, Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream, and his upcoming book, a travelogue through the Nebraska Sandhills. Friday, December 1, 12 PM CST.

"Kindness is like snow—it beautifies everything it covers." ~Kahlil Gibran

Free online: Your Heart Was Made for This. Copperfield’s Books presents author Oren Jay Sofer for a virtual celebration for his new book, Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love, a practical roadmap to cultivating the heart’s capacity to face and transform our greatest challenges. Tuesday, November 28, 6 PM PST.

"Just as our cells know how to heal a cut, our psyche possesses the intelligence to heal emotional wounds." ~Oren Jay Sofer

Free online: Thanksgiving Virtual Storytime. Presented by Preschool Readers, enjoy a Thanksgiving-themed virtual storytime event in the spirit of gratitude and togetherness. Let Preschool Readers keep the kids entertained while you put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving preparations. Wednesday, November 22, 7 PM EST.

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude." ~A.A. Milne

Free online: Holiday Survival Guide. This is not a literary event (although we think reading is a great way to "survive" any season), but it sounds like a fun way to prepare for the holidays. The organizers will share expert tips, tricks, and hacks to equip you with everything you need to make this your best holiday season ever.

"Life moves fast. One day, you’re playing kick the can with kids named Flick and Schwarz, and the next thing you know, you’re paying taxes and pulling out grey hairs." ~Ralphie from A Christmas Story (based on In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd)