LJ Day of Dialog 2024 Program by Media Source Inc.

#LJDOD October 24, 2024

A SINCERE THANKS TO OUR MANY SPONSORS

IN BOOTH CHATS

9:00 - 9:30 AM ET

9:30 - 10:00 AM ET

EXHIBIT HALL OPENS / VISIT THE BOOTHS

OPENING KEYNOTE

Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, Alex, Reading List, and Locus Award winner Stephen Graham Jones is the author of I Was a Teenage Slasher and the LJ Best Book Don’t Fear the Reaper, along with dozens of other titles and the forthcoming The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (Saga Press: Simon & Schuster). He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Moderator: Becky Spratford, LJ Horror Review Columnist

IN-BOOTH CHATS

9:00 - 9:30 AM ET

Baker Publishing Group Fiction

Join bestselling and award-winning authors Tessa Afshar (The Queen’s Cook) and Mesu Andrews (Brave) as they discuss their writing process and the inspiration behind their books. These seasoned authors will transport readers to ancient times to examine the lives of a cook in Queen Esther’s court and Ahinoam, who has fallen in love with David, the future King of Israel.

9:00 - 9:30 AM ET

HarperCollins

Grab some breakfast and join the Library Love Fest team for a morning of banter and books! From fantasy to nonfiction, we’ll be buzzing about all sorts of books. Be sure to tune in!

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS

10:05 - 10:55 AM ET

LITERARY FICTION

From epic tales to family connections, these literary fiction authors explore a wide landscape.

Isabel Allende, My Name Is Emilia del Valle (Ballantine Books: Penguin Random House)

Karissa Chen, Homeseeking (G.P. Putnam’s Sons: Penguin Random House)

Allegra Goodman, Isola (The Dial Press: Penguin Random House)

Colum McCann, Twist (Random House: Penguin Random House)

Graham Norton, Frankie (HarperVia: HarperCollins)

Moderator: Lillian Dabney, The Seattle Athenaeum (WA)

10:05 - 10:55 AM ET

ROMANTIC COMEDIES

These charming romantic comedies are perfect for chasing the blues away. Alex Aster, Summer in the City (William Morrow: HarperCollins)

Melissa Ferguson, The Perfect Rom Com (HarperCollins Christian/Thomas Nelson Fiction)

Lauren Kung Jessen, Yin Yang Love Song (Forever: Hachette)

Debbie Johnson, Statistically Speaking (Harper Muse: HarperCollins Focus)

Moderator: Migdalia Jimenez, Adult Services Librarian, Chicago Public Library (IL)

SCHEDULE

10:05 - 10:55 AM ET

SPOOKY TREATS

Find new horror novels to instill fear and thrills, just in time for Halloween

Kylie Lee Baker, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng (MIRA: HTP)

Virginia Feito, Victorian Psycho (Liveright: W.W. Norton)

Grady Hendrix, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls (Berkley: Penguin Random House)

Yigit Turhan, Their Monstrous Hearts (MIRA: HTP)

Moderator: Janeé Jackson-Doering, Youth Services Consultant, State Library of Iowa, Des Moines (IA)

THREE CONCURRENT MINI-PANELS

11:00 - 11:30 AM ET

DEEP-DIVE NONFICTION

Focus on hyper-specific topics with these micro-nonfiction primers.

Greg Epstein, Tech Agnostic (The MIT Press)

Nalini Nadkarni, TreeNotes (National Geographic: Disney)

Bonnie Tsui, On Muscle (Algonquin Books: Hachette)

Moderator: Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collection Assessment Librarian, University of Central Florida

11:00 - 11:30 AM ET

RETELLINGS

These books put a new spin on old stories, updating them for today.

Allison Epstein, Fagin the Thief (Doubleday: Penguin Random House)

Eowyn Ivey, Black Woods, Blue Sky (Random House: Penguin Random House)

Natalia Theodoridou, Sour Cherry (Tin House)

Moderator: Kristin L. Anderson, Jackson County Library Services (OR) and School Library Journal Reviewer

11:00 - 11:30 AM ET

SCIENCE FICTION

Explore extraordinary situations that stretch the bounds of the believable.

Suzan Palumbo, Countess (ECW Press)

Silvia Park, Luminous (Simon & Schuster)

Stacy Nathaniel Jackson, The Ephemera Collector (Liveright: W.W. Norton)

Moderator: Matthew Galloway, Anythink Libraries, Adult Fiction Buyer

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET

BREAK / VISIT THE EXHIBIT HALL

IN-BOOTH CHAT

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Baker Publishing Group Fiction

Robin Jones Gunn (Tea with Elephants) is a bestselling author with more than 100 novels. Kit Tosello (The Color of Home) is a debut novelist. Join their conversation as they discuss a fresh approach to writing contemporary fiction.

12:00 – 12:30 PM ET

AFTERNOON KEYNOTE

Imani Perry is the author of the National Book Award–winning South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, as well as Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, which won the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award. She is the Henry A. Morss Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. Her forthcoming book is Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People (Ecco: HarperCollins).

Introduced by Thomas J. Davis, PhD, JD, Professor emeritus, Arizona State University, Tempe

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS

12:35 - 1:25 PM ET

ABOUT FAMILY: IT’S ALL RELATIVE

Everyone can relate to family drama. These novels give readers a chance to see how other people resolve household affairs.

Curtis Sittenfeld, Show Don’t Tell (Random House: Penguin Random House)

Weike Wang, Rental House (Riverhead Books: Penguin Random House)

Jennifer Weiner, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits (William Morrow: HarperCollins)

Moderator: Jennie Mills, Library Director, Shorewood-Troy Public Library (IL)

12:35 - 1:25 PM ET

CRIME FICTION

From comics-related capers to cozy British baking mysteries to remote murders, these novels have a thrill for every reader.

Alafair Burke, The Note (Knopf: Penguin Random House)

Rebecca Connolly, The Crime Brûlée Bake Off (Shadow Mountain Publishing)

Adam Oyebanji, Two Times Murder (Severn House: Canongate Books)

Alex Segura, Alter Ego (Flatiron Books: Macmillan)

Tessa Wegert, The Coldest Case (Severn House: Canongate Books)

Moderator: Allison Gray, Retired Director of Goleta and Santa Ynez

Valley Libraries (CA)

TWO CONCURRENT MINI-PANELS

1:30 - 2:00 PM ET

BIBLIOGRAPHIC TRENDS: NOVELS ABOUT BOOKS

The only thing better than reading a book is reading a book about books. Or authors. Or librarians. Write (and read) what you know!

Allen Eskens, The Quiet Librarian (Mulholland Books: Hachette)

Patti Callahan Henry, The Story She Left Behind: A Novel (Atria: Simon & Schuster)

Nnedi Okorafor, Death of the Author (William Morrow: HarperCollins)

Moderator: Lynnanne Pearson, Information Librarian, Arlington Heights

Memorial Library (IL)

1:30 – 2:00 PM ET

FUNNY, CHARMING, FEEL-GOOD NOVELS

Sink into novels of second chances, harmony, healing, and compassion.

Kira Jane Buxton, Tartufo (Grand Central Publishing: Hachette)

Fran Kimmel, Cattail Lane (ECW Press)

Edward Underhill, The In-Between Bookstore (HarperCollins)

Moderator: Julie Kane, Professor and Collection Strategies Librarian, Washington and Lee University (VA)

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS

2:05 – 2:55 PM ET

NOVEL HISTORIES

These works of fiction offer a front-row seat to fascinating historical events.

Erin Crosby Eckstine, Junie (Ballantine Books: Penguin Random House)

Michelle Griep, Of Gold and Shadows (Bethany House Publishers: Baker Publishing Group)

Alka Joshi, Six Days in Bombay (MIRA: HTP)

Heather B. Moore, Lady Flyer (Shadow Mountain Publishing)

Moderator: Joanna M. Burkhardt, Full Professor/Collection Development Officer, University of Rhode Island

2:05 – 2:55 PM ET

SPELLS, WITCHES, FAIRIES AND MORE

If you’re looking for fantastical escapism, you’ve found the right panel. Explore magical worlds via these fantasy novels.

Cassandra Clare, The Ragpicker King (Del Rey: Penguin Random House)

Amal El-Mohtar, The River Has Roots (Tordotcom: Macmillan)

Luis Jaramillo, The Witches of El Paso (Atria/Primero Sueno Press: Simon & Schuster)

Breanne Randall, Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things: A Novel (Dell: Random House)

Moderator: Jessica Trotter, Collection Development Specialist, Capital Area District Libraries (MI)

2:55 - 3:25 PM ET

BREAK / VISIT THE EXHIBIT HALL

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS

3:25 - 4:15 PM ET

BOOKS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT

Diane Morrisey, You Got This! (Simon Element: Simon & Schuster)

Ashleigh Shanti, Our South (Union Square & Co.)

Paola Velez, Bodega Bakes (Union Square & Co.)

Laurie Woolever, Care and Feeding (Ecco: HarperCollins)

Moderator: Ron Block, Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library System (OH)

3:25 – 4:15 PM ET

ROMANTASY ROUNDUP

Some of the biggest books of the moment are found in this mash-up genre with a devoted fan base.

Kristin Cast, The Empress (Bloom Books: Sourcebooks)

Penn Cole, Spark of the Everflame (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)

Maxym M. Martineau, House of Blight (Harper Voyager: HarperCollins)

Rebecca Robinson, The Serpent and the Wolf (Saga: Simon & Schuster)

Samantha Sotto Yambao, Water Moon (Del Rey: Penguin Random House)

Moderator: Eve Stano, Collection Strategist, University of Iowa Libraries

TWO CONCURRENT MINI-PANELS

4:20 – 4:50 PM ET

EYE-OPENING DEBUTS

Explore three works by debut authors that delve into historical China, daring heists, and a devastating walk toward the unknown.

Jesse DeRoy, Safecracker (Union Square & Co.)

Emma Pattee, Tilt (Marysue Rucci Books: Simon & Schuster)

Jane Yang, The Lotus Shoes (Park Row: HTP)

Moderator: Linsey Milillo, Assistant Branch Manager, Fairfield Lane Library (OH)

4:20 – 4:50 PM ET

MEMORABLE MEMOIRS

Gain new perspective with personal stories of finding self and home.

Vicky Nguyen, Boat Baby (Simon & Schuster)

Theresa Okokon, Who I Always Was: A Memoir (Atria: Simon & Schuster)

Tara Roberts, Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging (Nat Geo: Disney)

Moderator: Michael Rodriguez, Senior Strategist, Content & Scholarly Communication Initiatives, Lyrasis

TWO CONCURRENT MINI-PANELS

4:55 – 5:25 PM ET

CURRENT EVENTS: OUR WORLD, OUR STORIES

Nonfiction that examines the world and suggests how to make it a better place.

Mariana Chilton, The Painful Truth about Hunger in America (The MIT Press)

Alice Driver, Life and Death of the American Worker (Atria/One Signal

Publishers: Simon & Schuster)

Jeff Hobbs, Seeking Shelter (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)

Moderator: Natalie Marshall, Executive Director, Flint River Regional Library System (GA)

4:55 – 5:25 PM ET

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Check out stories of Hollywood, past and present.

Phil Hanley, Spellbound (Henry Holt and Co.: Macmillan)

Jim O’Heir, Welcome to Pawnee (William Morrow: HarperCollins)

Mallory O’Meara, Daughter of Daring (Hanover Square Press: HTP)

Moderator: Jill Cox-Cordova, Associate Editor, Library Journal

5:30 – 6:00 PM ET

CLOSING KEYNOTE

Marie Benedict is an LJ Best Book novelist beloved for her historical fiction about women. She is the author of the Barnes & Noble book club pick The Only Woman in the Room and coauthor (with Victoria Christopher Murray) of GMA book club pick The Personal Librarian and Target Book of the Year The First Ladies Her forthcoming novel is The Queens of Crime (St. Martin’s Press: Macmillan).

Introduced by Liz French, LJ Reviews Senior Editor

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Marie Benedict is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Mitford Affair, Her Hidden Genius, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Only Woman in the Room, Lady Clementine, Carnegie’s Maid, The Other Einstein, and with Victoria Christopher Murray, the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian and the Target Book of the Year The First Ladies. All have been translated into multiple languages, and many have been selected for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, Costco Book Club, Indie Next List, and LibraryReads List. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians. He has been an NEA fellowship recipient and a recipient of several awards including the Ray Bradbury Award from the Los Angeles Times, the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Alex Award from American Library Association. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Imani Perry is the author of South to America, winner of the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction. She is the Henry A. Morss, Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. Perry’s other books include Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, winner of the 2019 BogradWeld Biography Prize from the Pen America Foundation; Breathe: A Letter to My Sons; Vexy Thing: On Gender and Liberation; and May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem. Perry lives between Philadelphia and Cambridge with her two sons.