Mary Kubica
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents Bestselling Suspense Author
Mary Kubica
Author of “Just the Nicest Couple”
Wednesday, January 18, 7:00 p.m.
(Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended.)
Bestselling author of “Local Woman Missing,” Mary Kubica’s twisty new thriller is about marriage, trust and secrets. Jake Hayes is missing. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friend’s house after a heated fight. But then five days go by, and Jake is still nowhere to be found. Lily Scott, Nina’s friend and coworker, thinks she may have been the last person to see alive. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, they decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered.
Books available from The Novel Neighbor.
Brad Meltzer
SLCL Authors @ the J and the Westfall Politics & History Series Present
Bestselling Author and Historian
Brad Meltzer
Author of “The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill”
(Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended.)
The J’s Staenberg Family Complex
Mirowitz Performing Arts Center at 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146
Bestselling author and historian Brad Meltzer shares the little-known story of a Nazi plot to kill FDR, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill at the height of World War II. In 1943, President Roosevelt had a critical goal: a face-to-face sit-down with his allies Stalin and Churchill. This first-ever meeting of the Big Three in Tehran would decide some of the most crucial strategic details of the war. Yet when the Nazis found out about the meeting, their own secret plan took shape—an assassination plot that would’ve changed history. A true story filled with daring rescues, body doubles, and political intrigue, “The Nazi Conspiracy” details the pivotal meeting that changed the course of World War II and almost led to a world-shattering disaster.
Books available for purchase from The Novel Neighbor.
Tracy Kidder
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents
Tracy Kidder
Author of “Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell’s Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People”
Presented by the Arthur Gale Medical Arts Lecture Series
Ethical Society of Saint. Louis
9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, MO 63117
314-994-3300
From the bestselling author of “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” Tracy Kidder explores how a small but dedicated group of people have changed countless lives. When Jim O’Connell was nearing the end of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, his mentor made a proposal: Would he defer a prestigious fellowship and spend a year offering health care to homeless citizens? That year turned into Dr. O’Connell’s life’s calling. Tracy Kidder spent five years following Dr. O’Connell and his colleagues as they served their thousands of homeless patients. In this illuminating book we travel with O’Connell as he navigates the city, offering medical care, socks, soup, empathy, humor, and friendship to some of the city’s most endangered citizens.
Peter Blauner
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents Acclaimed Novelist
Peter Blauner
Author of “Picture in the Sand”
(Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended.)
Edgar Award-winning suspense author Peter Blauner presents a sweeping saga told through a grandfather's passionate letters to his grandson. When Ali Hassan's grandson Alex becomes involved with religious extremists, he offers him a plea. If Alex will stay in touch, Ali will share a secret story of his own life that he’s kept hidden from his family. It's the tale of his heartbreaking past rooted in Hollywood and the post-revolutionary Egypt of the 1950s, when young Ali was a movie fanatic who attained a dream job working with Cecil B. DeMille on the set of the epic film, "The Ten Commandments." But Ali’s vision of a golden future in Hollywood gets upended when he is unwittingly caught up in a web of politics and espionage.
Books available from Left Bank Book.
Becky Vollmer
St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents Author and Yoga Teacher
Becky Vollmer
Author of “You Are Not Stuck: How Soul-Guided Choices Transform Fear Into Freedom"
(Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended.)
We all feel stuck sometimes: in our jobs, our relationships, our habits, or when the life we’re living simply doesn’t add up to the one we want. We feel stuck when it seems like we don’t have options, or when we don’t trust or allow ourselves to make the changes we so deeply long to make. Speaker and yoga teacher Becky Vollmer believes that, when we feel paralyzed by our fears, the answer isn’t just courage—it’s choice. Because we all have choices, we just have to be brave enough to make them. "You Are Not Stuck" is a blend of straight talk, humor, and clear steps for action to help change-seekers reset their priorities, drown out the naysaying voices in their heads, and make bold choices.
Books available for purchase from The Novel Neighbor.
Steve Sheinkin
St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Reading Garden Series for Young Audiences Presents
Award-Winning Nonfiction Children’s Book Author
Steve Sheinkin
Author of “BOMB: The Race to Build–and Steal–America’s Most Dangerous Weapon–Graphic Novel Edition”
In conversation with artist and illustrator Steenz.
Steve Sheinkin presents the highly-anticipated graphic novel adaptation of the award-winning nonfiction book “Bomb.” In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned three continents. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. Combining science and spycraft, this is the story of the atomic bomb.
Books available for purchase from The Novel Neighbor.
Otis Moss, III
The St. Louis County Library’s 2023 Black History Celebration Presents
Spiritual and Civil Rights Leader Otis Moss, III
Author of “Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Surviving in Turbulent Times”
Florissant Valley Branch
195 New Florissant Rd. S., Florissant, MO 63031
Reverend Otis Moss, III, Senior Pastor at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ and one of the country’s most renowned spiritual and civil rights leaders, offers a guide to uplift our spirits as we work toward justice. Inspired by a sermon he wrote on his own cycle of worry and anger, “Dancing in the Darkness” is a life-affirming guide to the practical, political, and spiritual challenges of our day. Drawing on the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Howard Thurman, sacred scripture, southern wisdom, global spiritual traditions, and his own personal experiences, Dr. Moss shares wisdom on combining justice and love and the spiritual reserves we all possess but too often overlook.
Books available from Left Bank Books
De’Shawn Charles Winslow
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents
Award-Winning Fiction Writer De’Shawn Charles Winslow
Author of “Decent People”
2023 Black History Celebration Event
Presented in partnership with December Magazine
In Conversation with Ron A. Austin - Fiction Writer and Saint Louis University Professor
Natural Bridge Branch
7606 Natural Bridge Rd. St. Louis, MO 63121
From Center for Fiction First Novel Prize-winning author De’Shawn Charles Winslow, “Decent People” is a sweeping and unforgettable novel of a Black community reeling from a triple homicide, and the secrets the killings reveal. In the still-segregated town of West Mills, North Carolina, in 1976, three enigmatic siblings—are found shot to death in their home. The people of West Mills— on both sides of the canal that serves as the town’s color line—are in a frenzy of finger-pointing, gossip, and wonder. The crime is the first reported murder in the area in decades, but the authorities don’t seem to have any interest in solving the case. Fortunately, one person is determined to do more than talk.
Books available from Left Bank Books.
Marie Benedict
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents
Bestselling Historical Novelist Marie Benedict
Author of “The Mitford Affair”
Grant’s View Branch
9700 Musick Rd, St. Louis, MO 63123
From bestselling historical fiction author Marie Benedict comes an explosive novel about history's most notorious sisters. Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters—each more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next—dominate the English social scene. Though they've weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana marries a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister's lead all the way to Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress. As the Nazis rise in power, novelist Nancy Mitford grows suspicious of her sisters' constant visits to Germany. Probing the ways that seemingly sensible people can be sucked into radical action, “The Mitford Affair” follows Nancy's valiant resistance efforts and the complicated choices she must make between her country or her family.
Books available from The Novel Neighbor
Jaer Armstead-Jones
St. Louis County Library’s 2023 Black History Celebration Presents
Jaer Armstead-Jones
Author of “My Invisible Father”
Oak Bend Branch
842 S. Holmes Ave., MO 63122
Local author, songwriter, librarian, and educator Jaer Armstead-Jones presents a young adult novel about three teens coping with issues around missing fathers. As they try to make sense of their lives without a stable father figure, they encounter tragedies and triumphs. For this event, Armstead-Jones will discuss the importance of music in his writing. As he weaves through the book’s musical soundtrack, Armstead-Jones shares how music can be a powerful tool to help readers see and hear stories in novels.
Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
James Rollins
St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents
Internationally Bestselling Thriller Writer
James Rollins Author of “The Cradle of Ice"
Daniel Boone Branch
300 Clarkson Rd. Ellisville, MO 63011
Internationally bestselling author of the Sigma Force adventure-thriller series, James Rollins presents the second installment in his critically-acclaimed speculative fiction series. In “The Starless Crown,” Rollins introduced a magical world on the edge of apocalypse. To stop a looming disaster, a fellowship was formed: a soldier, a thief, a lost prince, and a young girl bonded by fate. Now, they must split, traveling into a vast region of ice and to a sprawling capital city they’ve only known in stories. Time is running out and only the truth will save their world. “The Cradle of Ice” is a page-turning tale of adventure, ambition, and alliance.
Books available from Left Bank Books
Peter Shinkle
The St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Westfall Politics & History Series Presents
Former St. Louis Post-Dispatch Reporter Peter Shinkle Author of “Uniting America: How FDR and Harry Stimson Brought Democrats and Republicans Together to Win World War II”
In partnership with the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs - Alumni Association
Grant’s View Branch
9700 Musick Rd, St. Louis, MO 63123
Former St. Louis Post Dispatch reporter Peter Shinkle shares the untold story of the most crucial bipartisan alliance in United States history. As Hitler’s armies threatened Europe, Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged a divided America to mobilize to defend democracy and freedom. FDR shocked the country by appointing prominent Republican Harry Stimson as secretary of war–placing . The move placed a bipartisan relationship at the center of America’s confrontation with global fascism. “Uniting America” is the first book to paint a full portrait of this extraordinary collaboration.
Books available from Left Bank Books.
Tahereh Mafi
St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Reading Garden Series for Young Audiences Presents
Bestselling Young Adult Author Tahereh Mafi Author of “These Infinite Threads”
In conversation with Emily Bain Murphy, Young Adult Fantasy Author
Daniel Boone Branch
300 Clarkson Rd. Ellisville, MO 63011
The breathtaking sequel to the international fan-favorite YA fantasy “This Woven Kingdom!”
National Book Award-nominated, bestselling author of the “Shatter Me” YA series presents the second installment in a series full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal. With the heat of a kiss, the walls between Alizeh, the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom, and Kamran, the crown prince of the Ardunian empire, have crumbled. And so have both of their lives.
Books available for purchase from The Novel Neighbor.
Elle Cosimano
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents
Bestselling Mystery Writer Elle Cosimano
Author of “Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun”
Grant’s View Branch
9700 Musick Rd, St. Louis, MO 63123
From USA Today bestseller Elle Cosimano, comes the hilarious next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan mystery series. Dating. Diapers. And dodging bullets. Who said single moms can't have fun? Finlay is still in debt to the Russian mob after they got her out of her last jam. Still running the show from behind bars, mob boss Feliks has a task for Finlay: find a contract killer before the cops do. Problem is, the killer might be an officer. Luckily, hot cop Nick has started up a citizen's police academy. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with the tempting detective), Finlay has the perfect cover to sleuth out the real criminal and free herself from the mob's clutches—all the while dodging spies and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.
Books available from The Novel Neighbor
James Ponti
St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Reading Garden Series for Young Audiences
Presents Bestselling Middle Grade Author
James Ponti Author of “City of the Dead: City Spies #4”
In Conversation with George Jreije, author of “Shad Hadid and the Alchemist of Alexandria”
Daniel Boone Branch
300 Clarkson Rd. Ellisville, MO 63011
In this fourth installment in the bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo. Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series of cyberattacks hits key locations in London, it’s clear that Kat’s skills make her the perfect candidate to lead the job. The team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt to discover who is behind the attacks and why.
Books available for purchase from The Novel Neighbor.
Alvin Hall
SLCL Authors @ the J and St. Louis County Library’s 2023 Black History Celebration
Present Renowned Broadcaster Alvin Hall
Author of “Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance”
The J’s Staenberg Family Complex
Mirowitz Performing Arts Center at 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146
In the era of Jim Crow, Black travelers encountered locked doors and potentially violent encounters throughout the U.S. From 1936 to 1967, millions relied on “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” the definitive guide to businesses where they could safely rest, eat, or sleep. Award-winning broadcaster Alvin Hall set out to revisit the world of the “Green Book”-- visiting motels, restaurants, and stores where Black Americans once found a friendly welcome. Along the way, he gathered memories from some of the last living witnesses for whom the Green Book meant survival—remarkable people who not only endured but rose above the hate, building vibrant Black communities against incredible odds.
Books available from Left Bank Books.
Esme Symes-Smith
St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Reading Garden Series for Young Audiences
Presents Middle Grade Author Esme Symes-Smith Author of “Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston”
Grand Glaize Branch
1010 Meramec Station Rd., Manchester, MO 63021
In a magical medieval world, a 12-year-old nonbinary knight battles for the heart of their kingdom. When Sir Callie’s dad is summoned back to the royal capital of Helston to train a hopeless crown prince, Callie lunges at the opportunity to finally prove themself worthy to the kingdom’s "great and powerful." Except the great and powerful look at nonbinary Callie and only see “girl.” But Callie has always known exactly what they want to be, and they’re not about to let anything stand in their way. In this start to an epic series packed with action, humor, and heart, Callie’s only hope to defeat the threats outside the kingdom lies in first defeating the bigotry within.
Books available from The Novel Neighbor.
Carlotta Walls LaNier
St. Louis County Library’s Black History Celebration Presents
the 2023 Frankie Freeman Inspirational Lecture with
Civil Rights Leader Carlotta Walls LaNier
Author of “A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School”
Ethical Society of Saint. Louis
9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, MO 63117
Dr. Will Ross will receive the Frankie Freeman Inspirational Award during the program. Dr. Ross is Associate Dean of Diversity at Washington University, Alumni Endowed Professor of Medicine, Nephrology and Principal Officer for Community Partnerships. He is founder of the Saturday Neighborhood Health Clinic, a free service for those in underserved areas.
When 14-year-old Carlotta Walls walked up the stairs of Little Rock Central High School on September 25, 1957, she and eight other black students only wanted to make it to class. But the journey of the “Little Rock Nine,” as they came to be known, would lead the nation on an even longer and much more turbulent path, one that would challenge prevailing attitudes, break down barriers, and forever change the landscape of America. For Carlotta, simply getting through the door of her high school involved angry mobs and racist elected officials. But entry was simply the first of many trials. Carlotta Walls LaNier’s engrossing memoir is a testament not only to the power of a single person to make a difference but also to the sacrifices made by families and communities that found themselves a part of history.
Books available from Left Bank Books
Steve Berry
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents
#1 Bestselling Thriller Writer Steve Berry
Author of “The Last Kingdom: A Cotton Malone Thriller”
Ethical Society of Saint. Louis
9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, MO 63117
From celebrated, bestselling political suspense author, Steve Berry, comes the latest Cotton Malone adventure, in which the discovery of a lost historical document challenges the global might of the United States. Eccentric to the point of madness, King Ludwig II of Bavaria engaged in a worldwide search for a new kingdom–a place he could retreat into and rule as he wished. But a question remains: did he succeed? Enter Cotton Malone. Everything hinges on a 19th century deed to lands that Germany, China, and the United States all now want. In a race across Bavaria for clues hidden in Ludwig’s three fairytale castles, Malone battles an ever-growing list of deadly adversaries, all intent on finding the last kingdom.
Books available from Left Bank Books
Amy Poeppel
The St. Louis County Library Foundation Presents Bestselling Novelist
Amy Poeppel Author of “The Sweet Spot”
In conversation with St. Louis-based Novelist Julie Pennell
Grant’s View Branch
9700 Musick Rd, St. Louis, MO 63123
Bestselling author of “Musical Chairs” and “Small Admissions,” Amy Poeppel brings her signature witty, warm-hearted style to this wise and joyful novel that celebrates love, hate, and all of the glorious absurdity in between. In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby—belonging to exactly none of them—lands on their collective doorstep. As each woman juggles her personal crisis–a demanding family, a messy divorce and an unjust firing–together they find a way to move their little village toward the happily-ever-afters they all desire.
Books available from The Novel Neighbor
Bobby Bostic
The St. Louis County Library’s 2023 Black History Celebration Presents
Bobby Bostic Author of “Time: Endless Moments in Prison”
In Conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning St. Louis Post-Dispatch Columnist Tony Messenger
Florissant Valley Branch
195 New Florissant Rd. S., Florissant, MO 63031
At the age of 16, Bobby Bostic was sentenced to 241 years behind bars for an armed robbery. In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile to life without the possibility of parole for non-homicidal crimes. Through the efforts of the ACLU and the now-retired judge who originally sentenced him, Bobby Bostic finally left prison as a free man in 2022. While incarcerated, Bobby earned his GED and wrote several books. He will discuss his memoir "Time: Endless Moments in Prison" with St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger.
Books available for purchase and signing at the event.