Brian Barrabee: Confessions of a Real Estate Man!

July Book Club Discussion: "Half-Blown Rose" by Leesa Cross-Smith

Local Author Keith Mason of "Please Stand Up"

Author Event with Dr. Sheena Howard of Why Wakanda Matters

Jess Zimmerman talks 'Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology'

Riley Sager discusses THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE with Megan Miranda

Victoria Aveyard discusses BLADE BREAKER, book two in the Realm Breaker series, with Vanessa Len!

Ruth Ware celebrates THE IT GIRL #BNMiddayMystery

Katie Lattari celebrates DARK THINGS I ADORE with Leslie Zemeckis #BNMiddayMystery

Ashley Poston celebrates THE DEAD ROMANTICS with Ali Hazelwood!

Zoraida Córdova discusses THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA with Rebecca Roanhorse!

Ramona Emerson celebrates SHUTTER #BNMiddayMystery

Melissa Blair celebrates A BROKEN BLADE!

Sandra Brown celebrates OVERKILL #BNMiddayMystery

Ali Hazelwood talks LOVE ON THE BRAIN with Tessa Bailey!

Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman celebrate ALL OF OUR DEMISE with BookTokker, Maggie Siciliano!

We are very excited to welcome Dr. Sheena Howard, award-winning author, filmmaker, and scholar, in celebration of her book "Why Wakanda Matters". Dr. Howard is, among many other things, a local Philadelphian and the first Black Woman to win an Eisner Award, and she will be speaking, sharing from her book, and signing copies.&nbsp;"Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals about Psychology, Identity, and Communication" received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, who called it "a well balanced combination of contemporary thought and historical analysis".&nbsp; In 2018, the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally delivered on something fans had long been waiting for: a feature film with a solo Black superhero. Black Panther introduced viewers to the stunning world of Wakanda, a fictional African country with incredible technological advancements, and to T'Challa, a young man stepping into his role as king and taking up the mantle of the Black Panther title from his late father. The unforgettable story, coupled with the film's mega-success, has undoubtedly shaped the future of superhero cinema, in addition to genuinely changing viewers' lives. Why Wakanda Matters gives this iconic film the in-depth analysis it deserves under the lens of the latest psychological concepts-as well as delving into the lasting cultural impact of this long-awaited saga.Join us on our third floor at 5 PM!

Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication

We're excited to welcome Thom Nickels, celebrated author of many books on our beloved City of Brotherly Love! He's here to talk about his books and sign copies. His newest book, "From Mother Divine to Corner Swami: Religious Cults of Philadelphia", focuses on the many colorful religious cults that have set up residence in the city. He'll be discussing and reading from this book, and answering any questions that might arise about the characters from it's pages. Also available will be books from his prestigious backlist, including:<ul><li>Gay and Lesbian Philadelphia</li><li>Legendary Locals of Center City Philadelphia</li><li>Literary Philadelphia: A History of Poetry and Prose in the City of Brotherly Love</li><li>Philadelphia Architecture</li></ul>and others!The event will start at 4 PM in our third floor event space! We hope to see you there for a celebration of our beloved home city!&nbsp;

Local Expert Thom Nichols signing books on Philadelphia!

Gay and Lesbian Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Images of America Series)

Legendary Locals of Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Literary Philadelphia: A History of Poetry and Prose in the City of Brotherly Love

Brian Barrabee, a Philadelphia native, shares his book "Confessions of a Real Estate Man"! This collection of some unusual stories and observations from a man with more than forty years in the real estate business is sure to delight and entertain all those who want an inside look at one of the most fascinating businesses today. The author shares his unique perspective about the people he met, the lessons he learned, and the true tales that unfolded during his years in real estate, hoping that readers will "see it's important to see the humor in our human folly."Brian will be with us from 11 on, to talk and sign copies of his book! Stop by and grab yours!

Confessions of a Real Estate Man

Join us in welcoming local author Jess Zimmerman as she discusses her book "Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology'&mdash;A fresh cultural analysis of female monsters from Greek mythology, and an invitation for all women to reclaim these stories as inspiration for a more wild, more "monstrous" version of feminismThe folklore that has shaped our dominant culture teems with frightening female creatures. In our language, in our stories (many written by men), we underline the idea that women who step out of bounds&mdash;who are angry or greedy or ambitious, who are overtly sexual or not sexy enough&mdash;aren't just outside the norm. They're unnatural. Monstrous. But maybe, the traits we've been told make us dangerous and undesirable are actually our greatest strengths.Through fresh analysis of eleven female monsters, including Medusa, the Harpies, the Furies, and the Sphinx, Jess Zimmerman takes us on an illuminating feminist journey through mythology. She guides women (and others) to reexamine their relationships with traits like hunger, anger, ugliness, and ambition, teaching readers to embrace a new image of the female hero: one that looks a lot like a monster, with the agency and power to match.Often, women try to avoid the feeling of monstrousness, of being grotesquely alien, by tamping down those qualities that we're told fall outside the bounds of natural femininity. But monsters also get to do what other female characters&mdash;damsels, love interests, and even most heroines&mdash;do not. Monsters get to be complete, unrestrained, and larger than life. Today, women are becoming increasingly aware of the ways rules and socially constructed expectations have diminished us. After seeing where compliance gets us&mdash;harassed, shut out, and ruled by predators&mdash;women have never been more ready to become repellent, fearsome, and ravenous. Roxanne Gay, New York Times Bestselling author, describes Jess Zimmerman as "risking it all so that the rest of us can see the map and the shape of the world and travel through it with a little more confidence, even change it for the better." Come find a bit more of the map at 4 PM on our third floor.

Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology

Come celebrate Pride with local Philadelphian&nbsp;Jadzia Axelrod, the author of DC's latest YA graphic novel Galaxy: The Prettiest Star!&nbsp;It takes strength to live as your true self, and one alien princess disguised as a human boy is about to test her power. A vibrant story about gender identity, romance, and shining as bright as the stars. Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life. Good looks, good grades, a starting position on the basketball team, a loving family, even an adorable corgi. Every day in Taylor&rsquo;s life is perfect. And every day is torture. Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, an alien princess from the planet Cyandii, and one of the few survivors of an intergalactic war. For six long, painful years, Taylor has accepted her duty to remain in hiding as a boy on Earth. That all changes when Taylor meets Metropolis girl Katherine &ldquo;call me Kat&rdquo; Silverberg, whose confidence is electrifying. Suddenly, Taylor no longer wants to hide, even if exposing her true identity could attract her greatest enemies. From the charming and brilliant mind behind the popular podcast The Voice of Free Planet X, Jadzia Axelrod, and with stunningly colorful artwork by Jess Taylor comes the story of a girl in hiding who must face her fears to see herself as others see her: the prettiest star.The event will start at 7 PM on our third floor! We're excited to see you all there!

Celebrate Pride with Jadzia Axelrod of DC's Galaxy: The Prettiest Star

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star

We are so excited to host the book launch event for local author Eileen Brill's debut novel A Letter in the Wall! Her book was inspired by an old letter she found in the wall of her house in Elkins Park. It was likely written around 1930 by a teenaged girl whose family were the first owners of the house. They were prominent Quakers who attended&nbsp;schools like Friends Central, Abington Friends, Haverford College, Swathmore, Penn, Bryn Mawr, and other local institutions. From this, Eileen Brill crafted a psychological thrill that spans&nbsp;seven decades in the life of a complex and determined woman. Moving through several decades and events&mdash;from the 1918 influenza pandemic to Prohibition to the Great Depression to Vietnam&mdash;A Letter in the Wall examines the internal and external factors that influence one woman&rsquo;s journey toward independence and empowerment.This event will begin at 4 PM on our third floor. Eileen will be reading an excerpt from the book and signing copies for anyone who purchases one. This local thriller is sure to be a hit, and we'll see you on the 4th for it's birthday party!&nbsp;

Book Launch for A Letter in the Wall by Eileen Brill

A Letter in the Wall: A Novel

Join us for a reading and discussion with Dr. Saladin Ambar as we celebrate the release of his new book, Stars and Shadows: The Politics of Interracial Friendship from Jefferson to Obama.Dr. Ambar is a Philadelphia Native, and a Professor of Political Science and Senior Scholar at the Center on the American Governor at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. His newest book focuses on the friendships of highly influential political figures from every era of American Politics, and highlights the way racial politics in particular have evolved through the lens of these high-profile friendships.&nbsp;Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe-- these are some of the pairs that lead us through this illuminating study. Dr. Ambar makes a case that friendships can influence politics in a subtle yet powerful way, and that&nbsp;&ldquo;we cannot disavow friendship&rsquo;s role in making over our democratic republic.&rdquo;This event will take place starting at 5:30 PM in our event space on the third floor, and will be moderated by Anita Allen.&nbsp;

Reading, Q&A, and Signing with Dr. Saladin Ambar

Stars and Shadows: The Politics of Interracial Friendship from Jefferson to Obama

Join us for our first post-pandemic meeting of the YA Book club! Meet up with other book-lovers to talk about the season's greatest new hits! The book for this month's session is The Agathas by Kathleen Gleeson and Liz Lawson.&nbsp;Who killed Brooke Donovan? It&rsquo;s the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks it&rsquo;s the wrong guy. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and Riverdale can&rsquo;t miss this page-turning who-done-it that&rsquo;s sure to be the next must read Young Adult thriller!Set against the backdrop of a wealthy oceanside town, The Agathas follows two teenage girls &mdash; rich and popular Alice Ogilvie and her less popular, less rich tutor, Iris Adams &mdash; as they work together to solve the murder of Alice&rsquo;s ex-best friend. With all signs pointing to one person, the girls consult the complete works of the master herself, Agatha Christie, to help uncover the truth once and for all.We'll have light refreshments, a lively discussion, and a chance to get the book for the next month's book club at a discount-- as well as a free copy that will be a prize for one lucky participant. We're excited to see you at 7pm on the 9th to solve the mystery of the Agathas!&nbsp;

May YA Book Club: The Agathas by Kathleen Glasglow and Liz Lawson

The Agathas (Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Edition)

We're celebrating Pride Month with David Schulze, author of The Sins of Jack Branson. This&nbsp;literary novel, inspired by true events, blossoms into a complex, ensemble-driven odyssey through the unforgiving world of Gay men in Victorian England, defying genre expectations with a unique blend of plot twists, romance, dry humor, tragedy, philosophy, and modern relevance.&nbsp;After an unspeakable incident gets him exiled from his idyllic Irish hometown, twenty-four-year-old Jack Branson rebuilds his life in fog-and-mold London as a house call prostitute for closeted members of the British aristocracy. His dangerous, lucrative profession makes him dependent on the very people who deprive him of a normal life, but he is grateful for the opportunity to finally be his true self. Jack's rave reviews impress the mysterious Oliver Hawkett, a street rat turned entrepreneur/activist with gorgeous green eyes and a plan to change his oppressive society with the opening of a homosexual brothel. Despite a growing attraction to Oliver, Jack believes he is safer in the hands of his privileged clients, learning the hard way just how wrong he is to trust them.David Schulze was born and raised in Phoenixville, and we're proud to partner with a local author and promote his book this June. Come join us at 6 PM on the 3rd floor for a reading and signing to get your own copy of this magnificent, emotional, and incredibly entertaining novel.

Reading and Signing with David Schulze

The Sins of Jack Branson: A Novel

It's a double feature with Dr. Jaime Zuckerman and Mindie Barnett! They'll be discussing their newest books to help you succeed and find some peace in a world that seems to be doing it's best to throw obstacles in your way.&nbsp;Dr. Jaime Zuckerman is a psychologist who released a workbook "Find Your Calm: A Workbook to Release Anxiety".&nbsp;With wise advice and helpful exercises, this beautifully designed, interactive workbook will help you find a path toward a calmer, happier daily life. Stress, worry, and anxiety can make it hard to enjoy your days, and these feelings tend to build up over time. This enjoyable workbook is a colorful, friendly guide that&rsquo;s written to be straightforward and easily accessible, with the feel of a guided journal rather than a dry clinical tome. Inside, you&rsquo;ll find a simple toolkit for reducing your anxiety, no matter where it pops up. Accompanied by engaging, inspirational illustrations, this workbook offers writing prompts, meditations, tracking exercises, and more&mdash;giving a gentle, eye-opening introduction to scientifically proven techniques to reduce anxiety in everyday life. Mindie Barnett believes softness is a superpower and shows you how to harness it in "You Don't Need to Be a Bitch to Be a Boss". Many women are struggling with the notion of softness and empathy while living up to the strong-suiter persona in order to win at work. Compassion and femininity are superpowers, and toughness and fear will never earn trust and loyalty in the workplace or in life. While many women fight to put on their best &ldquo;bitch face,&rdquo; they should simply slip on a smile instead. In her book, Mindie Barnett explores her own experiences working for the &ldquo;devil&rdquo; in that famous book of Prada and how she constructed her company on the complete opposite premise. Instead, she embraces her femininity and steers her team with a sense of warmth and compassion without losing her competitive edge. Learn how to create camaraderie with your competition, inspire your team to soar, and rock a haute shade of lipstick while doing it.This event will begin at 4:30 PM on our 3rd Floor. We hope to see you all there!

Double Author Event with Dr. Jaime Zuckerman and Mindie Barnett

Find Your Calm: A Workbook to Manage Anxiety

You Don't Need to Be a Bitch to Be a Boss: How to Flaunt Femininity, Embrace Empathy, and Win with a Vengeance

Join romance author Mazey Eddings, whose debut novel A Brush with Love has become a BookTok and Bookstagram sensation in a conversation about her book, the romance world, and more with Bookstagram sensation Katie Holt&nbsp;(@readinromance)!Mazey, a dentist herself, set this edgy romcom at a dental school right here in Philadelphia, PA! Two quirky dental students run into each other (literally!) and have to contend with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-through when their intentions to stay "just friends" (despite the attraction they're both feeling) start coming apart at the seams. A seemingly-frothy, entertaining plotline where the control-freak girl meets a guy trying to live up to a family legacy gets endearingly touching as the characters start dealing with their deep-set emotional issues and move towards more self-actualization then they might have bargained for.&nbsp;Don't miss this exciting event, starting at 6 PM on our 3rd floor!&nbsp;

Mazey Eddings in Conversation with Bookstagramer Katie Holt (@readinromance)

A Brush with Love: A Novel

Join us for the debut meeting of our monthly BN Book Club!&nbsp;We're back everyone! We'll be starting off with an excellent pick: Elektra by Jennifer Saint. We'll be meeting at 7 PM to discuss what we thought, what larger issues the book sparks, and anything else you might want to bring to the circle! Find a group of open-minded book lovers and leave with new friends. We're all so excited to get back into this after the pandemic stalled our meetings for so long, and I can't wait to talk to you all again!A spellbinding reimagining of the story of Elektra, one of Greek mythology&rsquo;s most infamous heroines, from Jennifer Saint, the author of the beloved international bestseller, Ariadne, this book tells the story of three women who are tangled in an ancient curse. Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, thought the talk of doom upon his family line were just insidious whispers, but then he betrays her in the most unforgiveable way. Cassandra, captured by Agamemnon when he sacks Troy and brought back home with him as a slave, has the gift of prophecy but no one believes what she sees. She can foretell the tragedy about to unfold, but can do nothing as it starts to unravel. And Elektra, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra's youngest daughter, just wants her beloved father to come home-- but is she bound to the violence in her blood, or can she escape it? Is there any way to escape destiny?Light refreshments will be served, the book for the next session will be announced (you'll be able to get it at a discount!), and one lucky participant will go home with a free copy.&nbsp;

May BN Book Club: Elektra by Jennifer Saint

Elektra (Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition)

Join us for our Monthly Book Club discussion! We will be talking about July's pick,&nbsp;Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith. If you're looking for a group of literature-lovers to talk books with, to find new people to connect with, or to explore books you wouldn't typical get to talk about, we're excited to welcome you! <div aria-expanded="true" class="a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content a-expander-content-expanded" style="box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;position:relative;color:#0f1111;font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:#ffffff;padding-bottom:20px;">Half-Blown Rose is an irresistible story of a woman remaking her life after her husband&rsquo;s betrayal leads to a year of travel, art, and passion in Paris, from the award-winning author of&nbsp;This Close to Okay. &nbsp; Vincent, having grown up as the privileged daughter of artists, has a lovely life in many ways. At forty-four, she enjoys strolling the streets of Paris and teaching at the modern art museum; she has a vibrant group of friends; and she&rsquo;s even caught the eye of a young, charismatic man named Loup. But Vincent is also in Paris to escape a painful betrayal: her husband, Cillian, has published a bestselling book divulging secrets about their marriage and his own past, hinting that when he was a teenager, he may have had a child with a young woman back in Dublin&mdash;before he moved to California and never returned. &nbsp; Now estranged from her husband, Vincent has agreed to see Cillian again at their son&rsquo;s wedding the following summer, but Loup introduces new complications. Soon they begin an intense affair, and somewhere between dinners made together, cigarettes smoked in the moonlight, hazy evenings in nightclubs, and long, starry walks along the Seine, Vincent feels herself loosening and blossoming. &nbsp; In a journey that is both transportive and intimate,&nbsp;Half-Blown Rose&nbsp;traverses Paris, art, travel, liminal spaces, and the messy complexities of relationships and romance, with excerpts from Cillian&rsquo;s novel, playlists, and journal entries woven throughout. As Cillian does all he can to win her back, Vincent must decide what she wants . . . and who she will be.</div>The discussion will start at 7 PM on our third floor. Light refreshments will be provided. If you haven't read (or finished!) the book, we still encourage you to join us, as long as you're okay with spoilers!&nbsp;

Half-Blown Rose

Join us as we host Sara Novic for a reading and signing of her most recent novel,&nbsp;True Biz!A Reese's Book Club Pick, this New York Times Bestseller has receieved rave reviews from across the literary world. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they&rsquo;ll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who&rsquo;s never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school&rsquo;s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another&mdash;and changed forever.Our event will be starting at 6 PM on our third floor. We will have a translater for those who aren't fluent in ASL.

Author Event with Sara Novic 

True Biz

Keith Mason will be here to share his book&nbsp;Please Stand Up --the most curious, surprising found family story you've ever read!On an episode of a TV quiz show from the early 1960s, a writer finds the father he never knew - an underwater adventurer diving for treasure and bodies on sunken U-boats, after leaving the author&rsquo;s mother behind.&nbsp;The diver&rsquo;s own father, a crusading journalist, is killed in an effort to keep the lid on a scandal that threatens Texas politics and a future president - and the corrupt sheriff who murdered him is found dead in his cell. The existence of eight previously unknown siblings comes to light, and the author races the clock to find his oldest brother, an honored &ldquo;cold case&rdquo; homicide detective with a threatening health problem. A curious circumstance brings the author closer to his father than he ever expected, as he deals with a lifetime of disconnect, anger and forgiveness. Please Stand Up is a completely true, poignant and sardonic tumbling tale of a family line, set against the backdrop of unique chapters of the American parade. Keith Mason will be here starting at 11 to share the book with readers and sign copies!&nbsp;

Please Stand Up

Join us for a panel event with four local LGBTIA+ YA Authors!&nbsp;Brian Zepka is the author of the recently-published debut novel&nbsp;The Temperature of Me and You. It is&nbsp;is the story of first love, and the lengths we'll go to figure out our hearts. What starts as an electric, chance encounter at a Dairy Queen quickly evolves into a heated romance, a journey of trust and identity, and a ticking clock for survival.&nbsp;Katherine Locke has editited and contributed to many anthologies, including This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, Us and Out Now: Queer We Go Again. Her most recent novel is This Rebel Heart, a rollicking tale set amid the 1956 Hungarian revolution in post-WWII Communist Budapest with queer representation, fabulist elements, and a pivotal but little-known historical moment.Erik J. Brown's debut novel,&nbsp;All That's Left In the World, has been described as "What If It's Us meets They Both Die at the End". It is a postapocalyptic, queer YA adventure romance perfect for fans of Adam Silvera, Alex London, and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.Alex London is the author of the&nbsp;Skybound&nbsp;series, a YA fantasy set in a world of cut-throat falcolnry. It begins with&nbsp;Black Wings Beating and continues with Red Skies Falling and Gold Wings Rising. He also recently published the first book in his Battle Dragons series, set in a modern mega-city built around dragons, where one boy gets caught up in the world of illegal dragon battles and a high-stakes gang war that could tear his family apart.Join us starting at 4 for a fun, Pride-filled event of books, representation, Queer recommendations, and more!

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