BookSwell

A chill hangout where you can read, socialize, make new friends, & enjoy a chill dinner/snack/non-alcoholic drink. An evening well spent.

On June 26 we welcome four authors to the library at the PRS to have a conversation about their works, Southern California, and more!SoCal Authors in Conversation: Barret Baumgart, Kate Maruyama, Mike Sonksen & Desiree ZamoranoIn the PRS Library!On June 26, as part of YesterdayLA, we welcome four Southern California authors to the library at the PRS to have a conversation about their works, Southern California, and so much more! Ticket price: $10 (In person event)Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.About Alterations and Kate Maruyama:Alterations is Maruyama’s first historical, literary fiction novel, although she is the author of several critically acclaimed horror books and is inspired by the “Boston Marriage” of one of her aunts in New England. Set in 1940’s LA, the novel tells the story of Adrianna, a seamstress at Paramount’s costume department, who falls in love with a bit player named Rose, who returns their affections. For the most part, their affair goes unnoticed, but as Adriana’s career blossoms, society and life begin to interfere. Fast forward to 1998, Adriana’s granddaughter Laura leaves LA to move in with her grandma Adrianna in Baltimore and a newly orphaned 13 year old relative. In this compelling Read More ...

Three esteemed nature authors discuss the written word and the great outdoors.Join us at Village Well Books & Coffee for a panel of nature writers!It's important now, more than ever, to appreciate and acknowledge the natural world around us, and authors Sharman Apt Russell, Jeff Share, and Lila Higgins have made a career doing just that. Together, the three will read from their distinguished works, engage in a moderated conversation, and take questions from the audience. By the end of the event, you might just feel closer to the wild world around us, even in Los Angeles.About the participants:Author Sharman Apt Russell has published a dozen books translated into nine languages. Her Diary of a Citizen Scientist won the prestigious John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Natural History Writing. Her recent nonfiction What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs (Columbia University Press, 2024) is part lyrical memoir and part introduction to common mammal tracks in North America. By the end of this book, readers should be able to look down at a print on the ground and say, with some satisfaction, “Raccoon” or “Skunk,” “Bobcat” or “Mountain lion,” “Coyote” or “Domestic dog.” Sharman lives Read More ...

NYT bestselling author, Jess Walter, discusses and signs copies of his newest book, So Far Gone"A warm, funny, loving novel. . . . It's an American original."--Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake"So Far Gone is a marvel."--Tom Perrotta, New York Times bestselling author of The LeftoversFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins--and in the propulsive spirit of Charles Portis' True Grit--comes a hilarious, empathetic, and brilliantly provocative adventure through life in modern America, about a reclusive journalist forced back into the world to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren.Rhys Kinnick has gone off the grid. At Thanksgiving a few years back, a fed-up Rhys punched his conspiracy-theorist son-in-law in the mouth, chucked his smartphone out a car window and fled for a cabin in the woods, with no one around except a pack of hungry raccoons.Now Kinnick's old life is about to land right back on his crumbling doorstep. Can this failed husband and father, a man with no internet and a car that barely runs, reemerge into a broken world to track down his missing daughter and save his sweet, precocious grandchildren from the members of a dangerous militia?With the help of his Read More ...

Bel Canto Books is delighted to host a conversation with authors C.B. Lee and Emery Lee at KUBO LB.Bel Canto Books is delighted to celebrate COFFEESHOP IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE by C.B. Lee and DON'T DRAG THIS OUT by Emery Lee.We will also have a special coffee popup by Shio Coffee.Kindly RSVP so we can plan accordingly. Please stay home if you feel sick.This event will be held indoors at KUBO LB (3976 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach CA).EVENT SCHEDULE3:45pm - Event check-in begins4:00pm - Welcome & event start4:15-5:00pm - Author reading, conversation, and Q&A5:00pm-6:00pm - Book signing & shopping time6:00pm - Event endsABOUT THE AUTHORSC.B. Lee is an author of young adult and middle grade fiction including the NYT Bestseller Minecraft: The Shipwreck. Their works also include the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selected A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix, the Lambda Literary Award nominated Sidekick Squad series, Ben 10 graphic novels, Out Now: Queer We Go Again, and From A Certain Point Of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Lee’s work has been featured in NPR, Teen Vogue, Wired Magazine, Hypable, Tor’s Best of Fantasy and Sci Fi and the American Library Association’s Rainbow List. Learn more at Read More ...

Join us for The Conscious Tea, an online and local book club for Asians in diaspora, hosted by Eileen x Bel Canto Books x KUBO LB.

In person author event with Christine Pride and Tembi Locke at Zibby's Bookshop, 1113 Montana Ave, Santa Monica 90403!About the book:From Christine Pride, the beloved coauthor of the Good Morning America Book Club Pick We Are Not Like Them, comes a dazzling solo debut novel about a woman who finds herself in the impossible situation of being in love with the same two men who won her heart in her early twenties again as she nears forty.It’s 1999, TLC’s “No Scrubs” is topping the charts, y2k is looming on everyone’s mind, and Cora Belle has arrived at college ready to change her life. She’s determined to grow out of the shy, sheltered girl who attended an all-white prep in her all-white suburb. Cora is ready to conquer her fears and find her people, her place in the world, and herself.What she’s totally unprepared for is Lincoln, with his dark skin, charming southern drawl, and that smile. Because how can you ever prepare yourself for the rollercoaster of first love with all its glorious, bewildering contradictions? Just when Cora thinks she’s got things figured out, a series of surprises and secrets threaten to upend everything she thought she understood about love Read More ...

Come hear LA’s finest writers share their words. Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry. featured Spot + 10 Open Mic Spots (6 mins)

Join Rep Club for a book launch discussion with author Natalie Guerrero for her debut 'My Train Leaves At Three'.WHO & WHAT: A BOOK LAUNCH event hosted by Rep Club with author of My Train Leaves at Three, Natalie Guerrero and moderator Mara Brock AkilWHEN: Doors at 6:30pm, event begins promptly at 7pm.WHERE: Reparations Club, 3054 S. Victoria Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016HOW:EARLY BIRD TICKET: This ticket guarantees a seat, including a discounted signed book at 15% off, available for pick up at the event.TICKET w/ BOOK: This ticket guarantees a seat including a signed book available for pick up at the event.FREE RSVP (No Book): This RSVP DOES NOT include a copy of the book and entry is based strictly on capacity at the door. Limited book copies may still be available for purchase in-store.SIGNED BOOK ONLY: Can't make it IRL but still want a signed copy? Order directly from our site!Please email us at questions@reparations.club if you have any additional needs, questions, or accessibility concerns.About the Book:A sharp, poignant story of a woman trying to rise from family pressure and grief to make it as a Broadway star, from a striking new voice.After her sister Nena's sudden death, Read More ...

A chill hangout where you can read, socialize, make new friends, & enjoy a chill dinner/snack/non-alcoholic drink. An evening well spent.

Join us for The Conscious Tea, an online and local book club for Asians in diaspora, hosted by Eileen x Bel Canto Books x KUBO LB.

Come hear LA’s finest writers share their words. Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry. featured Spot + 10 Open Mic Spots (6 mins)

Join influential authors Mansi Shah, Suzanne Park, and Carolyn Huynh as they dive into the rich tapestry of culture in America.Join the Friends of the Santa Monica Library as we dive into the rich tapestry of culture in America with influential authors Mansi Shah, Suzanne Park, and Carolyn Huynh on August 13th.Mansi Shah will be discussing her captivating new novel, Saving Face, which explores themes of stolen identity and self-discovery among the Indian diaspora. Suzanne Park, a Korean American author and former stand-up comedian, offers hilarious insights from The Do-Over, a rom-com about rekindling a college romance. Carolyn Huynh delves into Vietnamese American life with her heartfelt novel Family Recipe, a story that beautifully weaves themes of family, love, and cultural identity through culinary traditions.When:  August 13th at 6pm (Doors open at 5:30pm)  Where: Main Library, MLK Jnr Auditorium (601 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401)   Books will be available for purchase on-site via Barnes & Noble.Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to connect with literature and community.

A chill hangout where you can read, socialize, make new friends, & enjoy a chill dinner/snack/non-alcoholic drink. An evening well spent.

A chill hangout where you can read, socialize, make new friends, & enjoy a chill dinner/snack/non-alcoholic drink. An evening well spent.

A chill hangout where you can read, socialize, make new friends, & enjoy a chill dinner/snack/non-alcoholic drink. An evening well spent.

Join us for an evening with bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert in celebration of her forthcoming memoir, All the Way to the RiverWe’re thrilled to invite you to an unforgettable evening with Elizabeth Gilbert, beloved author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic.Join us for an inspiring conversation around her upcoming book, All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation—a deeply personal exploration of healing, transformation, and the courage it takes to begin again.In this one-night-only event, Elizabeth will share exclusive excerpts, behind-the-scenes insights, and the heartfelt stories that shaped her latest work. With her signature warmth and wisdom, she’ll guide us through the emotional and creative journey behind the book.Elizabeth Gilbert is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels City of Girls, The Signature of All Things, and Stern Men; the story collection Pilgrims; and the nonfiction books Big Magic, Eat Pray Love, Committed, and The Last American Man. A finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN/Hemingway Award.SCHEDULE:6PM — 7PM: VIP*Photo with Elizabeth Gilbert and Signed Book (limited to 100 attendees)7:30PM —9PM: Main Lecture and Q&A*60 minute lecture followed by 30 mins audience Q&AIMPORTANT:VIP tickets include a Read More ...

A chill hangout where you can read, socialize, make new friends, & enjoy a chill dinner/snack/non-alcoholic drink. An evening well spent.