Author Visits & Talks

We invite you to join us as we chat with the amazing New York Times bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt about her beloved novel Remarkably Bright Creatures. You don’t want to miss this deep-dive exploration of friendship, reckoning, hope, and so much more! Remarkably Bright Creatures is a luminous debut novel about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium—and the truths she finally uncovers about her son’s disappearance 30 years ago. After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago. As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope–a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. Register now for a conversation you just don't want to miss!   Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/53350 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

Don’t forget to register for this incredibly moving virtual chat with New York Times bestselling author Garrett Graff! An expert at capturing the human drama, Graff will speak about his body of work with particular focus on his oral histories, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 and When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day. Much has been written and said about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the profound impact they had on America and the world. But those names, stories, and memories have never before been collected in one place to tell the full, 360-degree story of what happened that day, and in the days after. In The Only Plane in the Sky, award-winning journalist Garrett Graff draws on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, and original interviews and stories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members to paint the most comprehensive, minute-by-minute account of the September 11 attacks yet, all told in the words of those who experienced that dramatic and tragic day. In his most recent work, When the Sea Came Alive, Graff explores the full impact of a world changing event: D-Day, one of history’s greatest and most unbelievable military and human triumphs. Though the full campaign lasted just over a month, the surprise landing of over 150,000 Allied troops on the morning of June 6, 1944, is understood to be the moment that turned the tide for the Allied forces and ultimately led to the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II. This book dives deep into the complexities—from the secret creation of landing plans by top government and military officials and organization of troops, to the moment the boat doors opened to reveal the beach where men fought for their lives and the future of the free world. Graff’s work, filled with impressive detail, captures a human drama and history like no other. Register today! Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/55728 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

Join us as New York Times bestselling author and philosopher Nate Klemp helps us explore pathways back to openminded living when he talks to us about the core tenets in his new book Open: Living with an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World. With the avalanche of information we get every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. We close off to ourselves by compulsively checking our devices. We close to each other by getting caught in echo chambers of outrage. But what if there’s another way? In this climate of distraction and division, Nate Klemp’s Open offers a path back to a way of living that is expansive, creative, and filled with wonder. Drawing on personal stories, scientific findings, and traditional wisdom, Klemp explores why we close down when faced with stressors or threats―then reveals why training ourselves to fully engage even with discomfort, pain, and sadness leads to greater well-being in the long run. Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/56181 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate? If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny? Join us as we chat with mega-bestselling author Liane Moriarty about her newest novel Here One Moment. Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. In Here One Moment, aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed. Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all. How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.” Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable. A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel. Be sure to register now! Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/56634 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

Join us in kicking off October as we welcome three Smithsonian-affiliated scientists to teach us about the remarkable world of tropical bats! For decades, scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute have studied the remarkable biodiversity of bats on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, where an astonishing seventy-six species coexist. Now, for the first time, Smithsonian scientists’ expertise pairs with the stunning photography of National Geographic contributor Christian Ziegler for a captivating visual journey into the fascinating world of these elusive night creatures, to bring you the book Bat Island: A Rare Journey into the Hidden World of Tropical Bats. Bats are unique among mammals: they have acquired true flight, they provide essential ecosystem services, and represent the ecologically most diverse group of mammals worldwide. Synthesizing decades-worth of intensive study, Drs. Rachel Page, Dina Dechmann, Teague O’Mara, and Marco Tschapka provide authoritative insight alongside 150 photographs that showcase bats’ extraordinary environmental adaptations and rich natural history. This presentation will cover topics from the book, such as the diverse sensory abilities of bats, their foraging strategies, roosting ecologies, and social systems. Bat Island presents decades of study of the hyper diverse bat population on Barro Colorado Island in addition to the most comprehensive and long-term datasets on tropical bats. The book and this presentation highlights how bats are threatened by habitat fragmentation and land degradation, and communicate the initiatives needed to ensure the survival of these animals, which are critical to maintaining healthy, balanced ecosystems. And let’s not forget, the award-winning photojournalist Christian Ziegler’s photography as the images within the book illuminate the unique beauty and allure of bats and the tropical rainforest in Panama. Register now for this rare look into Bat Island! Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/57646 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

You’re invited to free your mind with the highly acclaimed Silvia Moreno-Garcia, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of several novels including Mexican Gothic, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and many more! Moreno-Garcia’s most recent novel, The Seventh Veil of Salome, is set in 1950s Hollywood. Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingénue, has just won a star-making role in a big budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times–Salome. Vera quickly becomes the talk of the town and an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, an actress whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves. The Seventh Veil of Salome follows two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—makes for a sizzling combination. But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod. Salome is a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart. Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga. Join us as Moreno-Garcia chats with us about Latin American Genre fiction, her writing process and journey, as well as her newest book The Seventh Veil of Salome. Register now! About the Author:  Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of a number of critically acclaimed novels, including Gods of Jade and Shadow (Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, Ignyte Award), Mexican Gothic (Locus Award, British Fantasy Award, Pacific Northwest Book Award, Aurora Award, Goodreads Award), Velvet Was the Night (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Macavity Award), The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, and The Seventh Veil of Salome. She writes in a variety of genres including fantasy, horror, noir and historical. Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination. Cachanilla and Canuck, originally from Baja California, she now resides in Vancouver. She has an MA in Science and Technology Studies from the University of British Columbia. Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/58098 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

Every year, nearly 30 million Americans sit on a therapist’s couch—and some of these patients are therapists. In her remarkable book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb tells us that despite her license and rigorous training, her most significant credential is that she’s a card-carrying member of the human race. “I know what it’s like to be a person,” she writes, as a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but. In her book, Lori explores the inner chambers of her patients’ lives—a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can’t stop hooking up with the wrong guys (even one from the waiting room)—she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell. With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb reveals our blind spots, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is revolutionary in its candor, offering a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human, and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them. We invite you to join us as Gottlieb shares her wisdom on examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves to help us breakthrough what is holding us back and getting in the way of living the life we desire. Register now to start your journey! About the Author: Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over two million copies and is currently being adapted as a television series starring Kristen Bell. In addition to her clinical practice, she co-hosts the popular “Dear Therapists” podcast produced by Katie Couric and writes The Atlantic’s “Dear Therapist” advice column. She is a sought-after expert in media such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, CNN, and NPR’s “Fresh Air” and her TED Talk was one of the Top 10 Most Watched of the Year. She is the creator of the Maybe You Should Talk To Someone Workbook: A Toolkit for Editing Your Story and Changing Your Life and the Maybe You Should Talk To Someone Journal: 52 Weekly Sessions to Transform Your Life. Learn more at LoriGottlieb.com or by following her on Instagram @lorigottlieb_author and X @LoriGottlieb1. Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/58550 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

You are welcome to join us in conversation with Navajo Ranger, Stanley Milford, Jr. as he chats about the chilling and clear-eyed memoir of his investigations into bizarre cases of the paranormal and the unexplained in Navajoland. As a Native American with parents of both Navajo and Cherokee descent, Stanley Milford, Jr. grew up in a world where the supernatural was both expected and taboo, where shapeshifters roamed, witchcraft was a thing to be feared, and children were taught not to whistle at night. In his youth, Milford never went looking for the paranormal, but it always seemed to find him. When he joined the fabled Navajo Rangers—a law enforcement branch of the Navajo Nation who are equal parts police officers, archeological conservationists, and historians—the paranormal became part of his job. Alongside addressing the mundane duties of overseeing the massive 27,000-square-mile reservation, Milford was assigned to utterly bizarre and shockingly frequent cases involving mysterious livestock mutilations, skinwalker and Bigfoot sightings, UFOs, and malicious hauntings. In The Paranormal Ranger, Milford recounts the stories of these cases from the clinical and deductive perspective of a law enforcement officer. Milford’s Native American worldview and investigative training collide to provide an eerie account of what logic dictates should not be possible. Register now to expand your own worldview and be ready for a chill to run down your spine! About the Author: Stanley Milford, Jr., graduated from the United States Indian Police Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico, and worked continuously as a sworn law enforcement officer for over twenty-three years. He served as the delegated Chief Navajo Ranger for over two years through March of 2019. While with the Navajo Rangers, Stan oversaw a section called the Special Projects Unit (SPU), whose responsibilities included the investigation of cases that did not fit within everyday parameters of law enforcement or criminal investigation, many of which involved reports of the paranormal or supernatural. After leaving the Navajo Rangers, Stan served as the senior investigator for the Navajo Nation’s White Collar Crime Unit.   Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/59503 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

Tune in for a special conversation with New York Times bestselling author Javier Zamora as he chats with us about his riveting tale of survival and perseverance as told in his award-winning memoir Solito. Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks. At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family. Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home. Register today to learn more about this gripping and moving story! About the Author: Javier Zamora was born in El Salvador in 1990. His father fled the country when he was one, and his mother when he was about to turn five. Both parents’ migrations were caused by the U.S.-funded Salvadoran Civil War. When he was nine Javier migrated through Guatemala, Mexico, and the Sonoran Desert. His debut poetry collection, Unaccompanied, explores the impact of the war and immigration on his family. Zamora has been a Stegner Fellow at Stanford and a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard and holds fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/60413 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library

You’re invited to join us as Mona Susan Power chats about her newest novel A Council of Dolls. This conversation highlights how her work explores Native Rights and Native American culture, in particular using an important symbol that anchors comfort and companionship in Native life: dolls. From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried.... Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life. Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls. Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost... A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page. Register now to join the conversation! About the Author: Mona Susan Power is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Her novel, A Council of Dolls, was longlisted for the National Book Award and the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. She is the author of three previously published works of fiction, The Grass Dancer, which won the Pen/Hemingway Prize, Sacred Wilderness, and Roofwalker. Her short stories have been published by The Atlantic Monthly, The Paris Review, The Best American Short Stories, and more. Mona is a graduate of Harvard and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.   Register Now: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/60868 Unable to attend on that date? You can view the recording of this talk and all other past talks at: https://libraryc.org/tiltonlibrary/archive Funded by The Friends of Tilton Library