Facilitated by: Peyton Jeter

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegorical novella where farm animals overthrow their human farmer, aiming to establish a society of equality. Led by the intelligent pigs Napoleon and Snowball, the animals expel the farmer and create their own government based on the principles of Animalism. However, Napoleon seizes absolute power, banishing Snowball and establishing a tyrannical regime. Under his rule, the pigs become increasingly corrupt, adopting human behaviors and exploiting the other animals, ultimately reducing the revolution’s ideals to a single, cynical commandment: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.

Doors: 5:30 p.m.
Meal & Program: 6:00 p.m.

Join Bear’s Books and MD Exchange for a delicious evening of tasting new recipes, as well as tips and tricks from MD Exchange to help you make all of your holiday gatherings beautiful.

Preppy Kitchen Super Easy “is filled with dishes that are incredibly simple yet still feel special. With particular attention to variations and tons of time-saving hacks for nearly every recipe, these recipes are easy to prepare anytime! With over 120 super easy sweet and savory recipes, there’s something for every cooking and baking need or craving. Breakfast and one-pot recipes you can make once and eat all week, easy snacks and apps to make hosting a breeze, and over 40 cakes, brownies, cookies, and desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth.” John Kanell

Zenith Man is ” . . .the complete inside story of the Alvin Ridley trial that set out to determine if a small-town TV repairman was, in the words of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, ‘a harmless eccentric or a bizarre killer.’ Told by Ridley’s defense lawyer, it is an extraordinary tale of friendship and an idealistic young attorney’s quest to clear his client’s name—and, in the process, rebuild his own life.”

This event is free and open to the public.

Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon follows Macon “Milkman” Dead III, a young Black man from a troubled, materialistic family in Michigan, as he travels south to uncover his ancestral roots and forge a deeper sense of personal and cultural identity. Guided by his mysterious aunt Pilate, Milkman learns of his family’s history, including the legend of his ancestor Solomon, a flying African who escaped slavery, and the tragedies that shaped the Dead family’s legacy. The novel blends realism and folklore to explore themes of race, systemic racism, family, and the importance of heritage in a journey of spiritual and psychological growth.

5:30 p.m. Doors and light refreshments
6:00 p.m. Reading
Signing immediately following reading
This event is free and open to the public.

For fans of the new Matlock reboot, a legal thriller featuring an idealistic young lawyer who believes her bruised and abused client . . . even after discovering that client is keeping secrets that are beyond belief.

Attorney Jessica Fischer is back, and this time she feels good about helping her client. Susan Wolan is the wife of a county commissioner and the victim of domestic violence. Jessica knows the abuse happened—she’s seen the handprints on Susan’s body. But she also suspects her client is holding something back from her. What is it—and can she help save Susan from her powerful and connected abuser without damaging her own career?

As if all this weren’t enough, Jessica is simultaneously forced to deal with her estranged father, who has just come back into her life with secrets of his own. After a fall lands him in the emergency room, Jessica realizes that he and her paralegal, Diane—a person she depends on to keep her sane—might be falling for each other. She wonders if she’ll be able to stop herself from falling . . . apart.

Doors: 5:30 p.m.
Dinner: 6:00 p.m.
Games and contests to follow

Meet Me at Luke’s! Get ready to celebrate 25 years of our beloved Gilmore Girls with an evening of dinner, games, contests, and prizes!

Bear’s Books and MD Exchange are coming together with Satterfield’s BBQ to bring you a dinner inspired by Stars Hollow. Exclusive books and merchandise will be available for purchase. Come dressed as your favorite character from the show for a chance to win our Best Dressed contest. Brush up on your Gilmore Girls knowledge for Trivia and Who Said This? for your chance to win prizes!

There will be coffee. There will be quick wit and chatter. There will be fun!

Seating is limited, grab your ticket today!

“When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well.

The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby’s high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that’s exactly what they get.

So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what’s happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family’s history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future.

In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.” Penguin Random House

Session 1: Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume
Thursday, October 9 at 6:30pm
Facilitated by Rebekah Scarborough

Session 2: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Tuesday, November 4 at 6:30pm
Facilitated by Brumby Dwyer

Session 3: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Tuesday, December 2 at 6:30pm
Facilitated by Peyton Jeter