Author Discussion: Jennifer Oko, Martha Anne Toll, and Varun Gauri
2025-09-16 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Join Jennifer Oko, author of Just Emilia, a darkly comic, time-bending tale of three versions of one woman stuck in a DC Metro elevator, and Martha Anne Toll, author of Duet for One, a lyrical story of love, loss, and the healing power of music, in conversation with local author Varun Gauri. Together, they’ll explore mothers and memory, identity and time, and transformation in fiction, and share insights into their creative and publishing journeys.

B-CC English Conversation Club
2025-09-17 11:00 - 14:30, 2025-09-24 11:00 - 14:30, 2025-10-01 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-08 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-15 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-22 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-29 11:00 - 12:00 | B-CC Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, 2nd Floor, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Join us every Wednesday at the B-CC Regional Services Center to practice conversational English in small groups. Share your experiences and culture with other non-native English speakers in a friendly environment. For more information, please view our flyer here.

Author Discussion: Alisha Fernandez Miranda
2025-09-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
The author of My What If Year is back with a witty debut novel that takes you inside the world of extreme wealth and charitable giving. She will be in conversation with Victoria Vrana, chief executive of Global Giving.

Jared Fox: Learning Environment: Inspirational Actions, Approaches, and Stories From The Science Classroom
2025-09-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Join educator Jared Fox in – and out – of his New York City science classroom on an excursion beyond textbooks and lectures to reimagine teaching and learning. Learning Environment offers a concrete vision for engaging students and energizing teachers through project-based experiential learning.

Author Discussion: Lauren Willig: The Girl From Greenwich Street
2025-09-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Lauren Willig will discuss her latest historical fiction novel, The Girl From Greenwich Street, set in 1800 about the shocking murder of a young woman that forces bitter rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to work together as the case goes to trial. Based on the true story of the first U.S. murder trial, the novel is part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime.

September's "Our Earth" Book Discussion Club
2025-09-27 15:30 - 17:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Come, share your ideas and learn more about environmental topics in this space for thoughtful exchange, around fiction and non-fiction books.

Starting from a common base to have real discussions about the environment, this book discussion club is a great way to deepen ideas, have respectful debates while listening to the points of view of others and broaden our understanding and vision on this important topic. Together, we may discover new forms of commitment and imagine new sustainable and desirable horizons.
This month’s selection is The Good Ancestor: A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking, by Roman Krznaric.This book is a call to save ourselves and our planet by targeting the root of our inaction: extreme short-sightedness. It outlines six practical ways we can retrain our brains to save our future and create a “time rebellion”-shifting our allegiance from our generation only to all humanity, present and future.
A limited number of copies will be available at the Check Out Desk. This title is also available in eAudio format through Hoopla with no waiting time.

Latin American Literature: A comprehensive Overview
2025-09-28 14:30 - 16:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Discover the main aspects of the different cultural and literary currents within 20th-century Latin American literature with Professor J. Monzón, PhD.

“Latin American literature” is a label that can be used to group together varying works in a uniform, singular genre without taking into account the various countries and cultures which comprise the region it references.
This presentation seeks to give readers of the general public an overview of the cultural and literary diversity of works written by Latin American authors from the 20th century. The talk will highlight three main approaches to 20th century Latin American literature to give the public a more informed view of the various cultural codes of the region.
Firstly, we will highlight the different cultures that make up the region by showing how Latin America can be grouped into various cultural areas which reflect the PreColumbian past as well as the independent national cultures. Secondly, the talk will feature excerpts (in English) from works written by Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, Juan Rulfo, among others, to showcase how each author’s work reflects the culture in which they wrote. Thirdly, these initial works will also be placed alongside works from the latter half of the 20th century and start of the 21st century from a younger generation of writers to show the transformations and development of the varying literary discourses of Latin America.
Jackson Monzón holds his Ph.D. in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is an instructor of Spanish at Montgomery College, Rockville, and is an experienced Interpreter and Translator. He has lived, worked, and studied abroad in Argentina, Morocco, and Spain. He currently lives in Silver Spring with his wife and two young children.

September's Mystery Book Club at Connie Morella
2025-09-30 18:30 - 19:30 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Come join the Connie Morella Mystery book club! We will be reading mysteries, thrillers and whodunits together every month. This September, we will be discussing The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes.
Can they solve the mother of all murders?
For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she’ll learn to make jam? But the rural idyll they’d hoped for doesn’t quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local prenatal class, and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.
With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice and her new-found pregnant friends set out to solve the mystery and clear their names, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier, and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head.
Copies of the book can be picked up at the front desk at the Connie Morella Library, or you can borrow a digital copy from our online collection here.

Author Discussion: Kitty Zeldis: One of Them
2025-09-30 19:00 - 20:00 | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
The author of Not Our Kind and The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights returns with a story of secrets, friendship, and betrayal about two young women at Vassar in the years after World War II, a powerful and moving tale of prejudice and pride that echoes the cultural and social issues of today. Moderated by Kevin Berrill and sponsored by the Vassar Club of DC.

Bethesda Reads Book Discussion Club: "Things Fall Apart"
2025-10-09 10:30 - 12:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Interested in joining? The Book Club meets the second Thursday of each month from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, meeting room 2. The book chosen for this month’s discussion is “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. This is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe’s critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa’s cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man’s futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political andreligious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.

Copies of this book will be available at the check out desk, while supplies last.

Author Event: Lucy Lehane
2025-10-12 14:00 - 15:30 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Come meet author Lucy Lehane and get a sneak peak at forthcoming paranormal romantic comedy Thirsty! Lucy will read from Thirsty and then be open to questions from readers.
A revenge plot sets sparks flying in this screwball paranormal romantic comedy of enemies-to-lovers, chaotic supernatural friend groups, and scorching chemistry from debut author Lucy Lehane.
Charlie needs to revamp his career. Writing advice columns was hard enough before the whole internet was dying to know how to date the undead – but Charlie’s as human as they come. And he has no idea how to answer the messages flooding his inbox, like My Workplace Slack Is Haunted; Should I Cross Dimensions For a Fling? and How Exactly Do You Smash A…
When a chance nocturnal meeting at a local coffee shop sees him reuniting with Lorenzo – a vampire with an axe to grind – Charlie thinks he’s found his ticket to immortal career success. But Lorenzo has plans of his to get revenge on Charlie for separating Lorenzo from the love of his life years ago. When Lorenzo draws Charlie into his world of monsters and mayhem, he finds new friends and old souls that span centuries of existence, yet are somehow just as lost as the two of them. But as Charlie and Lorenzo grow unexpectedly closer, the secrets they dwell under might just crush them.
Can their love survive demons and drama? And which will prove deadlier… bloodlust or betrayal?

Virtual Craft Chat with Poet Mary Ardery
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:00
Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Mary Ardery to discuss her debut collection, Level Watch. Mary is in conversation with Emily Holland, poet and editor of Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry journal.
RSVP here to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern.

Poet Shaheen Dil Book Release w/ Grace Cavalieri, Holly Karapetkova & Lyubomir Nikolov
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:30 | The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD, 20815, United States
The Writer’s Center welcomes poet Shaheen Dil for a reading of her new collection, Letters to My Younger Self. Shaheen is joined by poets Grace Cavalieri, Holly Karapetkova, and Lyubomir Nikolov.
FREE & open to the public. RSVP here.

Author Talk: Rebecca Little and Colleen Long
2025-10-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Authors Rebecca Little and Colleen Long will be appearing at the Connie Morella Library to read from and discuss their book, I’m sorry for my loss: an urgent examination of reproductive care in America. Little and Long will read passages from their book and take questions, followed by book sales and signing.
Combining powerful personal narratives with exhaustive research into laws, culture, medicine, and history, I’m Sorry for My Loss is a comprehensive sociological take on how pregnancy loss came to be so stigmatized and why a system of more compassionate care is critical for everyone.
I’m Sorry for My Loss is a surprising, enraging, and unusually witty effort to detangle this societal knot. Rebecca Little and Colleen Long, childhood friends who grew up to be journalists, both experienced late-term loss, and together they take an incisive, deeply reported look at the issue, working to shatter taboos that have made so many pregnant people feel ashamed and alone.
Rebecca Little is an accomplished Chicago-based freelance writer and former contributing editor for Chicago Magazine. She has written for The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent, WBEZ, Zagat, Google, The Irish Times, and Crains Chicago Business, among other publications, as well as many corporate and university clients.
Colleen Long is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. who has covered some of the nation’s most important news including the White House, presidential elections, national security and law enforcement. She has written extensively on the nationwide repercussions from the fall of Roe, and on the intersection of women and the criminal justice system including an award-winning story on prison nurseries.
You can borrow I’m Sorry for My Loss in multiple formats here.
Registration is required for this event.

Mystery Book Club @ Wonderland Books : We Used to Live Here
2025-10-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Join the Mystery/Thriller Book Club to discuss our October read: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. All are welcome!

Writer Maddie Ballard Book Launch in Conversation w/ Betsy Greer
2025-10-21 18:00 - 19:00
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual book launch! We’re joined by writer Maddie Ballard to discuss her debut memoir, Patchwork: A Sewist’s Diary. Maddie is in conversation with Betsy Greer.
RSVP here to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern
We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online »

Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
2025-10-22 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-10-29 19:00 - 21:00 | The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD, 20815, United States
Prose, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work.

Sign-up starts at 6:45pm, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.
Limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read.

Sponsored by Poet Lore, America’s oldest poetry magazine.
FREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up.

Virtual Craft Chat on Writing Horror w/ Tracy Cross in Conversation w/ Teri Ellen Cross Davis
2025-10-23 19:00 - 20:00
The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of horror! We’re joined by Tracy Cross to discuss her new novel, A Gathering of Weapons. Tracy is in conversation with her sister, poet Teri Ellen Cross Davis.
RSVP here to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern. We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online from the publisher »

"Our Earth" Book Discussion Club
2025-10-25 15:30 - 17:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Starting from a common base to have real discussions about the environment, this book discussion club is a great way to deepen ideas, have respectful debates while listening to the points of view of others and broaden our understanding and vision on this important topic. Together, we may discover new forms of commitment and imagine new sustainable and desirable horizons.
This month’s selection is Turning to stone: discovering the subtle wisdom of rocks, by Marcia Bjornerud. Rocks are the record of our creative planet reinventing itself for four billion years. Nothing is ever lost, just transformed. Marcia Bjornerud’s life as a geologist has coincided with an extraordinary period of discovery. From an insular girlhood in rural Wisconsin, she found her way to an unlikely career studying mountains in remote parts of the world. As one of few women in her field, she witnessed the shift in our understanding of the Earth, from solid object to an entity in a constant state of transformation. In the most tumultuous times of her own life, a deep understanding of our rocky planet imbued her life with meaning. The lives of rocks are long and complex, spanning billions of years and yet shaping our own human lives in powerful, invisible ways. Sandstone that filters out pathogens creating underground oases in aquifers of clean water. Ecologite is “the chosen rock” whose formation keeps the planet running. Earth is not just a passive backdrop, or a source of resources to be mined, extracted, and carved out. Rocks are full of wisdom, but somewhere along the way many of us have forgotten how to hear it. When we are uncertain about where to find truth, a geocentric worldview reminds us that we are Earthlings, part of a planetary community where we can find wisdom in the most unlikely places.
A limited number of copies will be available at the Check Out Desk.

Mystery Book Club at Connie Morella Library: "A Bad Day for Sunshine"
2025-10-28 18:30 - 19:30 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Come join the Connie Morella Mystery book club! We will be reading mysteries, thrillers and whodunits together every month. This October, we will be discussing A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones.
Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.
Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee–and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff–thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her–and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter’s new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.
But even clouds have their silver linings. This one’s got Levi, Sunshine’s sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshal. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol’s normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty–and find the kidnapper who’s terrorizing her beloved hometown–without falling head over high heels in love…or worse?
Copies of the book can be picked up at the front desk at the Connie Morella Library, or you can borrow a digital copy from our online collection here.

Virtual Craft Chat w/ Novelists Lacey N. Dunham & Laura Venita Green
2025-10-30 19:00 - 20:00
Just in time for Halloween, the Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of writing gothic and horror-adjacent fiction! Gothic fiction frequently blends realism with the otherworldly through the presence of doppelgangers, ghosts, the uncanny, and atmospheric prose that elicits dread and unease. We’re joined by authors Lacey N. Dunham and Laura Venita Green for a discussion of their genre-blending debut novels.
RSVP here to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern.
We encourage you to order the books from your local, independent bookseller or online from Bookshop.org.

The Belles by Lacey N. Dunham
Sister Creatures by Laura Venita Green

Surviving Homework for Teens & Parents: Strategies to Navigate Daily Homework Challenges
2025-11-02 14:00 - 15:30 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Homework can turn home life into a battle zone! Benefit from practical tools and tips to help students keep up with the demands of school work. The Huntington Learning Center incorporates proven methods for achieving success to help students build confidence and achieve their potential. As students gain the tools they need to succeed in school, they can avoid poor homework habits and better keep up with homework. Join us for this valuable presentation that can help both students and parents!

Paul Goldberg Author Talk
2025-11-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Join us for a reading from author Paul Goldberg, followed by a Q&A, book sales and signing.
Paul Goldberg’s most recent novel, The Dissident, was shortlisted for the 2024 Wingate Literary Prize. He is the author of the novels The Yid, which was a finalist for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the National Jewish Book Award’s Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction, and The Château.
Check out Paul Goldberg’s books here!
A book sale and signing will follow the reading.
