New York Times-bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid will speak in October at Darien Library’ seventh annual Novel Tea fundraiser at Wee Burn Country Club. — an announcement from Darien Library
Reid is the author of Daisy Jones and the Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Her upcoming book, Carrie Soto Is Back, is arriving this month. Copies of that book will be available for purchase courtesy of Barrett Bookstore. The event will also include a silent auction with “exclusive items.”
Discover the advantages of going on a personal retreat with author Brie Doyle, speaking online from 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan 6 in an event sponsored by Darien Library. In a world where speed, outcomes and achievement rule, and where health means fitting into your skinny jeans, You Should Leave Now: Going on Retreat to Find Your Way Back to Yourself poses a revolutionary wellness solution – transformational personal retreats. — an announcement from Darien Library
Taken once or multiple times a year, a solo retreat is an opportunity to rest, reboot and cultivate the most valuable relationship in one’s life – the relationship with yourself. Brie Doyle, founder of She Glows Retreats, LLC and a mindfulness teacher of over 20 years, shares her vibrant wit and wisdom to take the reader on this ultimate journey to wellness. About the Book
In this time of extraordinary change and transition, You Should Leave Now offers the perfect restorative for emotional well-being.
Start 2022 at the edge of your seat with four bestselling thriller authors— Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore present a virtual evening with Debbie Babitt, author of “Saving Grace;” Lynne Constantine, author of “The Stranger in the Mirror;” Wendy Walker, author of “Don’t Look for Me;” and Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of “Her Perfect Life.” Follow the stories of mysterious disappearances, forgotten pasts, shady characters, and secrets galore at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 12. Register online. — an announcement from Darien Library
What makes a thriller so hot that it gives you the chills?
Darien Library invites bookworms between the ages of 9 and 12 to join this month’s Tween Book Club. Read any book that falls under the month’s theme, then stop by the virtual book group to chat with fellow book lovers. Share book recommendations, enjoy snacks, and find a safe space to share your thoughts. December’s theme is “M is for Mystery.” Read or listen to a book that centers on a character that has to solve a mystery. This story can be in any format, from chapter books to audiobooks to graphic novels.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore are presenting an online program that simplifies the art of cooking. Founding editor of New York Times Cooking Sam Sifton and cookbook author Dawn Perry will discuss their latest cookbooks: The New York Times Cooking No-Recipe Recipes and Ready, Set, Cook. Learn how to cook intuitively and confidently, whether you are serving up a regular weekday meal or a holiday feast. — an announcement from Darien Library
This event is co-sponsored by Barrett Bookstore. If you would like to add to your cookbook collection, please visit their website.
Travel through the United States’ national forests from the comfort of home with author Greg Peters, who will discuss his book, Our National Forests, in a virtual conversation Tuesday evening. From the lowland swamps of coastal Carolina, across the tallgrass prairies of Illinois, to Colorado’s iconic snowy peaks and California’s towering redwood forests, our national forest system is a legacy that belongs to each of us. These beautiful landscapes have a story to tell, and so do the people who help keep them alive and thriving—whether it’s citizen scientists tracking wildlife populations, dedicated members of the Forest Service overseeing sustainable timber harvests, or everyday advocates for responsible usage and equitable access. If You’re Attending … The event runs from 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov.
What’s better than a night under a starry sky, by a warm fire, with great food and a good book? Darien Library, Barrett Bookstore, Darien Land Trust, and Darien Nature Center are excited to host a unique book group for Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert. Join Kiera Parrott, director of Darien Library, at the Darien Nature Center on Oct. 28 for an enlightening discussion. — an announcement from Darien Library
Elizabeth Kolbert’s highly anticipated new book, Under a White Sky, is a powerful and resonant exploration of human innovation.
Interior designer Charlotte Moss and textile guru Lisa Fine will share their expertise on designing private spaces and speak about their latest books, Flowers and Near & Far: Interiors I Love. — an announcement from Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore
This virtual event will take place on Thursday, June 3 at 7 p.m. You can register on Darien Library’s website. About Charlotte Moss
Charlotte Moss is an interior designer, author, and philanthropist. She has designed private residences in the United States and abroad, in addition to collections of carpets, furniture, fabrics, china, and enameled jewelry. She has authored ten books, most recently Rizzoli’s Charlotte Moss Entertains (2018).
Author Alexandria Andrews’ new novel about a young woman faced with a bizarre career opportunity has been described as “taut, twisty, and unpredictable.” Ashley Audrain’s first novel describes how a mother’s fears about her young child become an awful reality. Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore invite you to an online discussion Thursday with both novelists as they discuss their new books with a third author Wendy Walker. — an announcement from Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore
Andrews and Audrain both have captivating debut novels that readers won’t be able to put down. Join Wendy Walker as she dives into the questions we want answers to!
How can identifying as a sinner bring peace of mind, a clear conscience, and love for others? Peter Bouteneff, author and internationally recognized professor of Orthodox theology, will join Dr. Matthew Croasmun to discuss his latest work “How to Be a Sinner,” addressing topics such as guilt, shame, and self-care through his compassionate narrative. This discussion is a free, online Zoom event hosted by Grace Farms Foundation. It takes place from 12 noon to 1 p.m., this Tuesday, May 11. Grace Farms’ “Books on Faith & Meaning” series consists of monthly presentations introducing selections from the Faith & Meaning section of the Grace Farms Library. Spanning multiple religious and philosophical traditions, both ancient and contemporary, these texts encourage us to think critically about the meaning in our lives.
You can join in when Anna Sale, host of public radio’s “Death, Sex and Money” podcast, and Kelly Corrigan, host of both “Tell Me More” on PBS and the podcast “Kelly Corrigan Wonders” will have a virtual conversation Thursday, May 13. — an announcement from Barrett Bookstore
There will be an opportunity for Q and A. The event, from 7 to 8 p.m. and sponsored by Barrett Bookstore, celebrates the release of Sale’s book, Let’s Talk About Hard Things and Corrigan’s new children’s book, Hello World!
TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE
Please note that if you purchase a copy of both books, you will receive a 20% discount on your order (see details on the registration page). Let’s Talk About Hard Things is an invitation to discuss the tough topics that all of us encounter. Readers will hear why Anna Sale wants you to have that conversation. You know the one.
Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore welcome author SJ Bennett will speak at an online event May 12 to speak about her latest book, a detective novel — The Windsor Knot, in which a royal pain in the palace is dealt with by Her Royal Highness, the Queen of England. — an announcement from Darien Library
This virtual event will take place on Wednesday, May 12 from 3 to 4 p.m. You can register here on Darien Library’s website. Something’s Afoot in the Castle … In The Windsor Knot, Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90th birthday celebrations. The preparations are interrupted when a guest, a young Russian pianist, is found dead in one of the castle bedrooms.
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The “Our Darien” book club says its second virtual book group title: For All She Knows, a novel involving a teen party, drinking, parents and a community that “explodes.” It’s by New Canaan author Jamie Beck. — an announcement from the Our Darien campaign of the Community Fund of Darien
With the book club, which has online discussions on Facebook, the “Our Darien” campaign continues its conversation about youth mental health, the dangers of substance use and how parents can best support their teens. A former Darien police youth officer and a knowledgeable social worker will participate in an online book club discussion. Participants are invited to read at their own pace, and thought-provoking questions will be posted each week on the Our Darien Facebook page (www.facebook.com/OurDarien, click “Groups”) to enhance the reader’s experience.
Natural history writer Jon Dunn will speak about his latest book, The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds on Tuesday morning in a Darien Library online event. — an announcement from Darien Library
Hummingbirds are a glittering, sparkling collective of over three hundred wildly variable species. For centuries, they have been revered by indigenous Americans, coveted by European collectors, and admired worldwide for their unsurpassed metallic plumage and immense character. Yet they exist on a knife-edge, fighting for survival in boreal woodlands, dripping cloud forests, and subpolar islands. They are, perhaps, the ultimate embodiment of evolution’s power to carve a niche for a delicate creature in even the harshest of places.
Darien TV79’s Jim Cameron, author of Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant, will speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 8 in a Darien Library webinar about communication. — an announcement from Darien Library
In “Off the Record,” Jim will use his 35 years of expertise as a media trainer and share his tips and techniques for communicating with any audience, from mastering tough interviews to creating a motivational presentation. You can register for this event, here, on Darien Library’s website. Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant is Jim Cameron’s first book, based on his career as a media trainer prepping C-level executives for challenging media encounters and earlier years as an award-winning journalist at NBC. About Jim Cameron
Jim Cameron is best known in Connecticut for his decades of advocacy for rail commuters.
In an online lecture Wednesday, Author Robert Ellsberg will reflect on his life and work as a “saint-watcher,” how this came to shape his own vocation and spiritual discipline, and what he hopes it might achieve. From St. Francis to Dorothy Day, Ellsberg’s many books on “saints, prophets, and witnesses” for our time — as well as his acclaimed daily “Blessed Among Us” column for Give Us This Day — have helped expand the conception of holiness and the meaning of saints. His lecture, titled “Walking With the Saints: My Writing Life,” starts at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 7. — an announcement from Fairfield University
Robert Ellsberg is the long-time editor-in-chief and publisher of Orbis Books.