Not sure what to read next? Join Jody for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations - every genre and interest! We're sure you'll find something to like from Jody's many enthusiastic reviews. Jody is an Instagram reviewer and Book Club leader.  We can't wait to hear what she'll be recommending - be ready for your TBR pile to fall over!   We'll send out a list of all recommendations for those who register. 

 

Please register.

 

 

If you are fascinated by the untold stories of women's contributions to war efforts, please join author and historian, Helen Fry, as she discusses her latest book "Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World Wars". It is a ground-breaking history of women in British intelligence, revealing their pivotal role across the first half of the twentieth century.

 

About Helen:  Dr. Helen Fry is a distinguished WWII historian and author with a profound focus on the contributions of 10,000 Germans and Austrians who fought for Britain during WWII. Her specialization extends to the intriguing realm of the 'Secret Listeners' and the intricate world of 20th-century spies and espionage. 

 

 

Alterian Inc. is a Los Angeles based studio specializing in the design & creation of animatronic & prosthetic makeup effects. Join Alterian Inc. Founder Tony Gardner, an American makeup designer, special effects designer & puppeteer.  Jeff DePaoli, Host of "That Halloween Podcast", leads the discussion of the history, impact, & fun of this essential Hollywood Halloween staple.  Learn more about Alterian, Inc.

 

About our Host:  Jeff DePaoli grew up in Woburn, Massachusetts and graduated from Emerson College with a B.F.A. in the Performing Arts. He has been obsessed with Halloween from a very early age, and it truly is his favorite day of the year. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California where he provides his skills and talents for Halloween conventions and events including Midsummer Scream, Creep It Real OC,  and beyond. Jeff is an avid podcaster where he shares his love of Halloween with special guests on "That Halloween Podcast." He has been podcasting since 2014 when he launched his flagship show, "Dizney Coast to Coast."  You can learn more about Jeff's podcasts at www.DePodcastNetwork.com and follow @JeffDePaoli on social media.

 

Jennifer's book, "So Fetch" just came out on Jan 16th and we can't wait to ask her all of the nitty gritty details of this story of one of the most iconic teen comedies of all time, Mean Girls, in which she reveals how it happened, how it defined a generation, “like, invented” meme culture, and why it just won’t go away. The book is filled with exclusive interviews from the director, cast, and crew - Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams & Tina Fey (oh my!).  Timed for the 20th anniversary and the release of the new movie musical adaptation, So Fetch is the perfect companion for fans and anyone who understands that when it comes to Mean Girls’ enduring legacy, the limit does not exist!

About Jennifer:  Jennifer Keishin Armstrong has written seven books, including the New York Times bestseller Seinfeldia; When Women Invented Television; Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted; and Sex and the City and Us. Formerly a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where she worked for a decade, her writing appears in many publications, including BBC Culture, The New York Times Book Review, Vice, New York magazine, and Billboard. 

 

Please register.

 

About the book:  London, 1812. Oliver Bennet feels trapped. Not just by the endless corsets, petticoats and skirts he's forced to wear on a daily basis, but also by society's expectations. The world - and the vast majority of his family and friends - think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He is therefore expected to mingle at balls wearing a pretty dress, entertain suitors regardless of his interest in them, and ultimately become someone's wife.  

 

As Oliver is able to spend more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares begin to hope that his dream of love and life as a man to be possible. But suitors are growing bolder - and even threatening - and his mother is growing more desperate to see him settled into an engagement. Oliver will have to choose: Settle for safety, security, and a life of pretending to be something he's not, or risk it all for a slim chance at freedom, love, and a life that can be truly, honestly his own.

 

About Gabe:  Gabe Cole Novoa (he/him) is a Latinx transmasculine author who writes speculative fiction featuring marginalized characters grappling with identity.  Gabe is the author of The Wicked Bargain, Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Retelling (out January 16, 2024), The Diablo's Curse (out February 20, 2024), and the Beyond the Red trilogy, written under a former pseudonym. You can find him across a variety of social media sites at @thegabecole.

 

Please register.

 

 

John Leysath is the curatorial director at Hammond Castle Museum, a position he has held since 2021. He specializes in exploring the history of Hammond's scientific career, and communicating the importance of his groundbreaking work to the Museum's many visitors. He is also responsible for the Museum's exhibits and digital media.

 

Please register. 

 

We welcome authors Lauren J. A. Bear, Rita Chang-Eppig, and Nishita Parekh to our virtual stage. We'll be talking all about getting into publishing, the pitfalls, challenges, and roadblocks as well as the excitement, fulfillment, and reader enthusiasm that makes it all worthwhile. Bring your questions as this will be in a Q&A format.  

 

Please register.

So many of us are passionate about finding ways to reduce food waste so we're thrilled to be hosting author and professor Daniel N. Warshawsky for a virtual discussion of his new book "Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Globalization of Food Banks".  Food banks—warehouses that collect and systematize surplus food—have expanded into one of the largest mechanisms to redistribute food waste. From their origins in North America in the 1960s, food banks provide food to communities in approximately one hundred countries on six continents. This book analyzes the development of food banks across the world and the limits of food charity as a means to reduce food insecurity and food waste.

 

Daniel N. Warshawsky is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences and International Studies at Wright State University where he teaches courses in geography and public administration. He is also the Director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. 

 

Please register.