Lit Up: Events with Literary Style

Take an escape with a romance and get to know Bethany Turner, author of "Cole and Laila Are Just Friends", who will join us for a Zoom discussion of her book. New members are always welcome. You don't have to read the book to join, but it is encouraged.

Book Description:
Cole Kimball and Laila Olivet have been best friends their entire lives. Cole is the only person (apart from blood relatives) who's seen Laila in her oversized, pink, plastic, Sophia Loren glasses. Laila is always the first person to taste test any new dish Cole creates in his family's restaurant . . . even though she has the refined palate of a kindergartener. Most importantly, Cole and Laila are always talking. About everything. When Cole discovers a betrayal from his recently deceased grandfather that shatters his world, staying in Adelaide Springs, Colorado, is suddenly unfathomable... When Cole toys with moving across the country to New York City, Laila decides to support her best friend--even as she secretly hopes she can convince him to stay home. And not just for his killer chocolate chip pancakes. Because she loves him.

• Jan. 27: "Scorched Grace" by Margot Douaihy
• Feb 24: "Congratulations, the best is over" by R. Eric Thomas
• Mar 24: "The Skin and its Girl" by Sarah Cypher
• Apr 26: "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" by Emily Chambers
• May 17: "The Very Nice Box" by Eve Gleichman, Laura Blacket
• June 28: "The Guncle Abroad" by Steven Rowley
• July 19: "One Last Stop" by Casey McQuiston
• Aug 30: "Kissing Girls on Shabbat" by Sara Glass
• Sept 20: "High Risk Homosexual" by Edgar Gomez
• Oct 11: "Interesting Facts About Space" by Emily Austin
• Nov 22: "Lies With Man" by Michael Nava
• Dec.13: Happy Hour Book Swap - Location TBD

**Register on the Library's website to receive the Zoom link and passcode. A Zoom account is not required to join.**

This is a volunteer-led book club. We meet the third Wednesday evening of the month online via Zoom. New members are always welcome!

This month's selection is "A Stranger in Olondria" by Sofia Samatar:

Jevick, the pepper merchant's son, has been raised on stories of Olondria, a distant land where books are as common as they are rare in his home. When his father dies and Jevick takes his place on the yearly selling trip to Olondria, Jevick's life is as close to perfect as he can imagine. But just as he revels in Olondria's Rabelaisian Feast of Birds, he is pulled drastically off course and becomes haunted by the ghost of an illiterate young girl.

In desperation, Jevick seeks the aid of Olondrian priests and quickly becomes a pawn in the struggle between the empire's two most powerful cults. Yet even as the country shimmers on the cusp of war, he must face his ghost and learn her story before he has any chance of becoming free by setting her free: an ordeal that challenges his understanding of art and life, home and exile, and the limits of that seductive necromancy, reading. A Stranger in Olondria is a skillful and immersive debut fantasy novel that pulls the reader in deeper and deeper with twists and turns reminiscent of George R. R. Martin and Joe Hill.

A limited number of print copies of the selected book will be available at Central Library's 2nd floor Info Desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Patrons are also encouraged to place holds on available print or digital copies.

We will be voting on future books to read. Please add nominations in the comments, send via email, or via the messaging tool in Meetup.

**Register on the Library's website to receive the Zoom link and passcode. A Zoom account is not required to join.**

Take an escape with a romance and get to know Lindsay Lovise, author of "Perfectly Wicked", who will join us for a Zoom discussion of her book. New members are always welcome. You don't have to read the book to join, but it is encouraged.

Book Description:
There have always been rumors that something magical is afoot at Wicked Good Apples. Rain during droughts and other inexplicable happenings have long haunted the Maine orchard, but only Holly Celeste and her family know the truth: the Celestes are just a little wicked. Despite the magical secret ingredient in their cider, the family business is floundering. When Connor Grimm, a charming and nationally beloved paranormal investigator, requests to film an episode of his popular TV show on the mysterious farm, Holly reluctantly accepts. She knows the publicity could be the miracle her family needs—as long as Connor doesn’t manage to actually make any paranormal discoveries while he’s there. Intent on keeping Connor in the dark and pushing him toward the ghost story believed by the locals, Holly joins him as he interviews eyewitnesses, hunts for old records, and unearths potentially devastating stories from the past. Despite her resolution to dislike him, she begins to fall for the only man who’s ever made her feel like strange could be normal. As Connor gets closer to uncovering the real secrets behind the orchard, his and Holly’s blooming romance begins to threaten everything they value—Connor’s commitment to his career and Holly’s commitment to protect her family.