March

Contemporary Books Discussion Group: The Butterfly Effect Mar 23, 2022 from 07:00 PM to 08:30 PM — Bettendorf: Bettendorf Public Library,: Please join us for a discussion of the 2022 All Iowa Reads selection: The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny. Greta Oto, an entomologist, prefers the company of bugs to humans, and people don't seem to like her much, with the exception of her twin brother, Danny, though they recently had a falling out. When she lands a research gig in the rainforest, she leaves them all behind. When Danny suffers an aneurysm, Greta abandons her research and hurries back to the Midwest to be there for him. Coming home means confronting what she left behind, including her lousy soon-to-be sister-in-law, her estranged mother, and her ex-boyfriend Brandon, who runs the butterfly conservatory. Dissertation woes mixed with romantic and family drama create chaos for Greta. Greta must ask herself if she has the courage to open up for the people she loves, and for those who want to love her. Rachel Mans McKenny is scheduled to join the discussion virtually through GoToMeeting. Please visit www.bettendorflibrary.com/adult-programs for more information. Books are available on a first-come basis at the Information Desk. You may also call the Library at 563-344-4179 to have a book signed out to you and placed on the Holds shelf. Remote attendance is possible; please register in order to have the login information sent to you (registration closes at 9 P.M. the evening before the discussion). This program is funded by the Friends of the Bettendorf Public Library.
The Butterfly Effect with Rachel Mans McKenny Mar 15, 2022 from 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM — Carroll,: Monthly Evening Book Discussion Rachel Mans McKenny joins us as we discuss the All Iowa Reads book "The Butterfly Effect". We'll meet in the Large Meeting Room. Join us Monthly September - April as we discuss interesting books. Can't make it to the discussion? Come into the library to pick up a copy anyway. Send us your email and we'll keep you updated on the groups activities.
Brown Bag Book Club Mar 03, 2022 from 12:10 PM to 01:00 PM — Carroll,: Heather Gudenkauf is live streaming to the Carroll Library! Last year our book clubs read Not A Sound and Before She Was Found. Heather will discuss these two and other projects she's been working on.
All Iowa Reads 2022: Exploring the Shortlists Mar 22, 2022 from 02:00 PM to 03:00 PM — Online,: This webinar will introduce you to the 2022 All Iowa Reads shortlists.
Richland Public Library's "All Iowa Reads" Book Discussion Mar 30, 2022 from 01:00 PM to 02:00 PM — Richland Public Library meeting room,: Join us for lunch and a discussion of this year's All Iowa Reads book, The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny. We will meet in the Richland Public Library's meeting room at noon. Be sure to bring your lunch, table service and lively conversation! For more information or to reserve a copy of "The Butterfly Effect" call 319.456.6541) or email (richlib@natel.net) the library.
The Des Moines Book Festival Mar 26, 2022 from 09:00 AM to 07:00 PM — Des Moines,: The DSM Book Festival connects people who love books with people who create them. The Festival features nationally acclaimed authors, hands-on workshops, children’s activities and more. The story will begin on Saturday, March 26, 2022. https://www.dsmpartnership.com/dsmbookfestival/
Virtual Visit & Author Event: Rob Osler Mar 03, 2022 from 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM — ZOOM from home,: Join author Kali VanBaale at Beaverdale Books as she hosts the Zoom call OR ZOOM from home Devil’s Chew Toy Perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Armistead Maupin, this light, LGBT mystery follows an unlucky in love—and life—teacher who unwittingly ends up the prime suspect in a disappearance. Seattle teacher and part-time blogger Hayden McCall wakes sporting one hell of a shiner, with the police knocking at his door. It seems that his new crush, dancer Camilo Rodriguez, has gone missing and they suspect foul play. What happened the night before? And where is Camilo? Determined to find answers, pint-sized, good-hearted Hayden seeks out two of Camilo’s friends—Hollister and Burley—both lesbians and both fiercely devoted to their friend. From them, Hayden learns that Camilo is a “Dreamer” whose parents had been deported years earlier, and whose sister, Daniela, is presumed to have returned to Venezuela with them. Convinced that the cops won’t take a brown boy’s disappearance seriously, the girls join Hayden’s hunt for Camilo. About the author... Rob Osler writes the Hayden & Friends contemporary mystery series featuring a rainbow of kick-ass characters. With Devil’s Chew Toy, Rob coined the term, “Quozy Mystery,” firmly establishing a new sub-sub-genre of mystery. Rob is proud to have created the literary love child of LGBTQ+ fiction and cozy mystery. Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Rob attended college at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where he graduated with a degree in Philosophy. Years later, he earned a master’s degree in business from the University of Washington. Rob was a copywriter and brand strategist before turning to fiction writing. After many years of living in Chicago, Seattle (the setting for the Hayden & Friends series), and San Francisco (where he still spends time), Rob resides in southern California with his long- time partner and a tall, gray cat.
Meet the Author: Lin Thompson Mar 09, 2022 from 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM — Beaverdale Books,: Lin Thompson is a stunning new literary voice who tackles sexual orientation, identity, emotional abuse, and bullying with care and refreshing honesty, and The Best Liars in Riverview answers the call for much needed diversity in middle grade – the book features racially-diverse, nonbinary, and queer protagonists, and the author identifies as queer and nonbinary. Emotionally rich and fulfilling, readers of all ages will connect and sympathize with the characters’ struggling with feelings of isolation and loneliness, gender exploration, and the pain of losing a best friend. The Best Liars in Riverview Aubrey and Joel are like two tomato vines that grew along the same crooked fence— weird, yet the same kind of weird. But lately, even their shared weirdness seems weird. Then Joel disappears. Vanishes. Poof. The whole town is looking for him, and Aubrey was the last person to see Joel. Aubrey can’t say much, but since lies of omission are still lies, here’s what they know for sure: For the last two weeks of the school year, when sixth grade became too much, Aubrey and Joel have been building a raft in the woods. The raft was supposed to be just another part of their running away game. The raft is gone now, too. Aubrey doesn’t know where Joel is, but they might know how to find him. As Aubrey, their friend Mari, and sister Teagan search along the river, Aubrey has to fess up to who they really are, all the things they never said, and the word that bully Rudy Thomas used that set all this into motion. About the author... Lin Thompson (they/them) is a Lambda Literary Fellow of 2018. An earlier version of this novel was workshopped in Pitch Wars, and it also received the Travis Parker Rushing Memorial Writing Award at Emerson College. Lin grew up in Kentucky but now lives in Iowa with their wife and cat. Visit them online at www.linthompson.com.
Meet the Author: Brett Bloemendaal Mar 21, 2022 from 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM — Beaverdale Books,: What are you willing to let go of to obtain the life you truly want? In this honest and intimate debut memoir, the author discards any widely held notions of a successful life and sets out to write his own script. Fishing for More Stuck in a tedious corporate life and suffering from a declining physical state, the memories of father/son fishing trips consume the author. After the passing of his grandfather reminds him of the precious time he has left with his own dad, he suggests they purchase a boat together. While reacquainting themselves with the craft of walleye fishing and the vagaries of boat ownership, and unexpected momentum builds toward a potential way out of the corporate grind. As visions of a fishing guide business quickly take shape, he is faced with a massive career choice; hold on to the perceived financial security of a company job or throw it all away to follow his passion. Testing the waters becomes a cathartic process both of personal growth and reacquaintance with his old, childhood self. A must read for fishing and outdoors enthusiasts, however the powerful reflections on life and purpose alongside vivid descriptions of the author’s fishing adventures have made this memoir a favorite for a wide variety of readers. About the author... Brett Bloemendaal is an author of memoir, essay, and other nonfiction, including his Bert Betterman blog. He left his fourteen-year career as an investment professional to become a full-time fishing guide on Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota, where he spends half the year. He spends his winters in Iowa focusing on writing and other content creation, including his YouTube channel for his fishing business.