Diverse Books for a Neighborhood of Readers
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Events

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Joanne McLaughlin in conversation with Jane M. Von Bergen: Chasing Ashes
Jun
6
7:00 PM19:00

Joanne McLaughlin in conversation with Jane M. Von Bergen: Chasing Ashes

Joanne McLaughlin, Chasing Ashes
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Joanne McLaughlin, Chasing Ashes
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Joanne McLaughlin joins us together with local author and journalist Jane M. Von Bergen to discuss Joanne’s new murder mystery, Chasing Ashes. To reserve your copy of the book for the event, please use the “Add to Cart” button on this page.

Reporter Laura Cunningham’s childhood friend and college roommate vanished the day a deadly fire destroyed The Challenge, a residential counseling center for troubled students. Not something Laura could just forget — not after a year, not after almost twenty-five. Kate McDonald’s car was found at the fire scene, headlights on, driver’s door open. So why wasn’t Kate’s body discovered among the victims? And if she didn't die, what happened to her? Laura writes a true-crime book demanding a new investigation and envisions uncovering past secrets. What she can’t imagine is the fresh torment her book will unleash.

Like protagonist Laura, author Joanne is a Mt. Airy resident! Joanne is a longtime editor of prize-winning news and features for newspapers (Philadelphia Inquirer) and public media (WHYY News), involved in coverage of topics ranging from politics and public health to fashion and financial markets, as well as Pulitzer Prize-finalist architecture criticism (Inga Saffron, for several years before she won) and a Peabody Award-nominated podcast (WHYY's "Half-Vaxxed"). In the 1990s, she was vice president of Never Before Noon Artist Management, her husband's company representing blues musicians. In her spare time, she tweaks the decor of her home, indulges her young granddaughters whenever she can, and when the weather is pleasant, she roams Awbury Arboretum with We Walk PHL and other groups. Chasing Ashes is Joanne’s fourth novel and her first published mystery.

Jane M. Von Bergen is an award-winning journalist and teacher with a passionate belief in story and culture. For 35 years, Von Bergen reported for The Philadelphia Inquirer, where she last covered labor, jobs, and the economy. Von Bergen co-founded The Reentry Project, the predecessor to Resolve Philadelphia, a renowned journalism collaborative.

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Amy Jane Cohen: Black History in the Philadelphia Landscape - Deep Roots, Continuing Legacy
Jun
20
7:00 PM19:00

Amy Jane Cohen: Black History in the Philadelphia Landscape - Deep Roots, Continuing Legacy

Black Philadelphians have shaped Philadelphia history since colonial times. In Black History in the Philadelphia Landscape, Amy Cohen recounts notable aspects of the Black experience in Philadelphia from the late 1600s to the 1960s and how this history is marked in the contemporary city.

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Laura Piper Lee & Eric Smith at Kismet: Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair
Feb
13
6:30 PM18:30

Laura Piper Lee & Eric Smith at Kismet: Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair

Laura Piper Lee, Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair
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Laura Piper Lee, Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair
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Join us at Kismet in Chestnut Hill to celebrate the launch of Laura Piper Lee’s debut novel Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair! Laura will be appearing in conversation with Eric Smith, whose most recent book is With or Without You. Please RSVP HERE for the event; Kismet is located at 12 West Willow Grove Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118.

Laura says: “Y’all, this event’s going to be crazy. Come to the lovely Kismet space in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia for a night of loud talking, laughing, sequins, scene reads with friends, a scintillating conversation with Romcom Author and Literary Agent Eric Smith, romcom trivia, giveaways, and more. You’ll be able to pick up your preordered copy of Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair from the local indie favorite Big Blue Marble Bookstore right at Kismet and enjoy wine, chocolate, and snacks, too.”

About the book: A new mom repairs her broken dreams in this hilarious rom-com about starting over that sparkles with intelligence, wit, and compassion.

Hannah Tate can hardly believe her sleep-deprived eyes when she finds an engagement ring hidden in the closet. Killian, her super responsible, incredibly attractive boyfriend — and the father of her new baby, Bowie — is finally going to propose. But a romantic night out goes horribly wrong when Killian reveals he’s dumping Hannah, not proposing.

Furious and heartbroken, Hannah takes Bowie and moves in with her mama and stepdaddy in the mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Hannah realizes that her parents’ cabin has vacation property gold written all over it — and could save her mama from going broke. Again.

Only problem? The cabin’s décor is . . . mildly terrifying and it’s in desperate need of renovation. Hannah hires the hot carpenter living in the treehouse next door to fix up the place. Not only does River respect Hannah’s business acumen, he looks at her like she’s a woman, not a hot mess. And Hannah can’t deny that River awakens something new inside her.

Can Hannah embrace a future that looks different from the picture-perfect family she once dreamed of . . . and maybe start living life on her own terms?

Pre-order your copy to pick up at the event!

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claus and the scorpion: A Discussion & Bilingual Poetry Reading with Lara Dopazo Ruibal & Laura Cesarco Eglin
Jan
6
7:00 PM19:00

claus and the scorpion: A Discussion & Bilingual Poetry Reading with Lara Dopazo Ruibal & Laura Cesarco Eglin

Centered around claus and the scorpion, written by the Galician author Lara Dopazo Ruibal and translated by Laura Cesarco Eglin (co•im•press, 2022), this event includes a bilingual reading, a discussion about translation and being translated, and a Q&A.

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Indies First Day
Nov
25
11:00 AM11:00

Indies First Day

Indies First Honorary Bookseller: In the morning, local author/illustrator Amy Ignatow will be sharing her favorite books with Big Blue Marble shoppers.

There will also be a Small Business Saturday Maker’s Market with handmade items from local artists and crafters on the 600 Block of Carpenter Lane from 10 AM to 4 PM

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Obscured: From Words to Weapons
Nov
16
7:00 PM19:00

Obscured: From Words to Weapons

Journalists Emily Previti and Stephanie Marudas of Kouvenda Media present their new limited series, From Words to Weapons, which is focused on survivors of law enforcement trauma. The series is a part of their new Obscured podcast for underreported, complex issues missed by the daily news cycle. 

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Naomi Vladeck & LM Feldman, Braving Creativity: Artists who Turn the Scary, Thrilling, Messy Path of Change into Courageous Transformation
Nov
4
2:00 PM14:00

Naomi Vladeck & LM Feldman, Braving Creativity: Artists who Turn the Scary, Thrilling, Messy Path of Change into Courageous Transformation

Naomi’s new book Braving Creativity: Artists Who Turn the Scary, Thrilling, Messy Path of Change into Courageous Transformation shares 16 life transition stories from artists who identify as women to illuminate how our lives and our art can be transformed as a result of a big life change and the period of uncertainty that follows. She’ll be joined in conversation by LM Feldman, a Philadelphia playwright and trapeze artist who shares a story in the book about about the impact of big life change on her own growth and creative transformation.

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