Virginia Festival of the Book

Author talks can be a fascinating way to learn more about the ideas, research, and inspiration behind your favorite books. Every spring, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities brings authors and readers together to promote and celebrate books, reading, literacy, and literary culture -- this year in virtual form! There are panels, discussions, and interactive workshops for readers of all ages, and HCPL offers many of the featured books. Check out the full schedule on their website and peruse selected titles below.

Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby – Beauregard Montage steps back into his old life as a highly skilled wheelman for one last job, but the off-ramp isn't as straightforward as it seems. Blacktop Wasteland is a literary thriller with fast cars, incisive observations about poverty and race in rural Virginia, and characters so fully realized they're ready to walk off the page. Also available on Libby/OverDrive.

Once Upon A Sunset by Tif Marcelo – When an OBGYN floundering in her personal and professional life takes a sabbatical, what's she to do but take a big trip, try to make sense of a family secret, and find a little love along the way? Marcelo sweeps romance lovers off their feet with this exploration of passion, identity, and the meaning of success.

Waste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret by Catherine Coleman Flowers – Expanding on the environmental and humanitarian issues she now champions, Flowers traces her lineage as an activist and shares organizing strategies that have helped her consolidate support for improved rural wastewater infrastructure along the way. Also available on Libby/OverDrive.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko – A girl raised in seclusion to fulfill others' political motives arrives in the city where her destiny is to unfold, only to decide she'd rather write it herself. Ifueko tackles emotions, motivations, and injustices recognizable from our own world in a spellbinding YA fantasy. Also available on Libby/OverDrive.

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison – With brief, illustrated biographies of often-overlooked women, Harrison explores creative contributions to the arts and sciences. Her broad scope and fusion of fields promise new stories for nearly any reader. Also available on Libby/OverDrive.

Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum – Whether you're an aspiring writer yourself or merely curious about the behind-the-scenes processes that bring us books, Maum demystifies the publishing industry at every turn. Her practical and detailed account aims to make life easier for first-time authors. Also available on Hoopla.

And if you can't get enough of author talks, remember to join us on Thursday April 1st at 7 PM for this year's virtual All Henrico Reads, featuring Robin Sloan's Sourdough!