Brant MacDuff, conservation historian and taxidermist, presents The Shotgun Conservationist: Why Environmentalists Should Love Hunting.

At the intersection of hunting and conservation, a man shares his personal journey from staunch anti-hunter to compassionate, ethical hunter, weaving together a larger history of humans, animals, the environment, and our food systems.

"Rarely have the connections between hunting and environmentalism been made so clear."

–Jim Tantillo, Cornell University

Rinker Buck, author of The Oregon Trail, presents Life on the Mississippi: An Epic American Adventure.

The eagerly awaited return of master American storyteller Rinker Buck, Life on the Mississippi is an epic, enchanting blend of history and adventure in which Buck builds a wooden flatboat from the grand “flatboat era” of the 1800s and sails it down the Mississippi River, illuminating the forgotten past of America’s first western frontier.

"A rich mix of history, reporting, and personal introspection."

–St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Karin Lin-Greenberg, author of the short story collections Vanished and Faulty Predictions, joins us to discuss her new novel, You Are Here.

Exploring how the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves are inextricably bound to the places we call home, You Are Here is a keenly perceptive and deeply humane portrait of a community in transition, ultimately illuminating the magical connections that can bloom from the ordinary wonder of our everyday lives.

"Exceptional . . . This is a remarkable study of ordinary people’s extraordinary inner lives."

–Publishers Weekly

Karin will be in conversation with Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light.

Author Cathy Ballou Mealey joins us for Storytime with the Author to read her new picture book, Make More S'mores. This book is the perfect summertime treat!

This is a free event, but we ask that you RSVP with the link below.

T.J. Newman, author of Falling, joins us to discuss her new thriller, Drowning. Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them—against impossible odds.

“Stunning, emotional, and unforgettable. Drowning reads like Apollo 13 underwater.” –Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City on Fire and The Border

T.J. will be in conversation with Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of The House Guest.

Spanning nearly forty years and following its characters from Sarajevo to Shanghai, this novel examines the many shapes of violence, home and love. Hemon's prose is breathtaking, a journey both emotional and linguistic; the story equally so. If you like character-driven historical fiction, this one is for you.

Juno meets Sean--renamed Legs by her--at a strict Catholic school outside of Dublin in the early '80s. Both kids were from unloving homes and marginalized--Juno for her poverty, Legs for his sexual orientation. They become each other’s saviors. This is a beautifully written, heartbreaking story that you won’t soon forget.

An epic, multi-generational saga spanning nearly the entire 20th century in India. A young woman from Kerala and young doctor from Scotland begin their journeys in separate parts of India with each experiencing life through family, faith, mysticism and tragedy while dealing with the “condition,” a genetic medical mystery with symptoms including the inability to survive in water. Their stories follow the historical turns of India as a country, with caste and societal norms playing a key component in their paths crossing. A story of love, faith, heart-break and living life without fear. A remarkably touching book.

Margaret Owen is perfection. Despite the cliffhanger (will never recover), this book has it all--incredible sass, major shade thrown at a certain container ship blocking a certain shipping channel, Backstreet Boys AND Janet Jackson references, and only slightly less than enough Ragne. OH! AND--it takes on virginity as a social construct, normalizes ace relationships, has found family and biological family redemption, trans/non-binary rep, a diverse cast, and OH SAINTS THE CHARACTER ARCS. When it comes close to the miscommunication trope, it USES COMMUNICATION TO FIX IT. I love it. I love Margaret Owen. I love Vanja. I love Emeric. I love this series.

Another graphic memoir from local-ish author Jarrett Krosoczka! Here, he tells the story of volunteering at a camp for terminally ill children, and how that changed his perspective on life. Honest and touching, this book pairs great with National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo.