Come write with us!

Many people believe that morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 AM come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.

About the instructor:

Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is HOUSE OF HEARTS now out in paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/

Come make some magic at the Village Well! All genres and levels are welcome!

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd, Suite 1B, Culver City, CA 90232 

Website: https://villagewell.com

Robertson Writers Group at Robertson Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Writing a book, poem, or screenplay? Need deadlines? Want constructive feedback? Then this is the place for you. Bring 5 – 10 double-spaced typed pages to read. Everyone will get a chance to read.

RSVP:

This group mostly meets in person, but email rbrtsn@lapl.org if you’d prefer to join via Zoom.

Where: Robertson Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 11 am

Address: 1719 S. Robertson Blvd.. Los Angeles, CA 90035

Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/robertson-writers-group-2

Seniors Writing Group at Studio City Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Danny Stone, a Saved by a Story member, leads an ongoing writing group for seniors. New members are welcome at all or any sessions.

Write to prompts, share (if you want), connect with fellow seniors in the neighborhood, hone your writing skills, and find your story.

RSVP:

An RSVP to studio@lapl.org is recommended but not required. If you RSVP we will send you a welcome packet, guidelines, and a reminder the day before the meeting.

Where: Studio City Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 11 am

Address: 12511 Moorpark St., Studio City, CA 91604

Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/senior-writing-group-2

Book Discussion: Crazy Brave: A Memoir at Junipero Serra Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Join us for a book discussion on Crazy Brave: A Memoir by Joy Harjo, one of our leading Native American voices, as she recounts her journey to becoming a poet. Born in Oklahoma, the end place of the Trail of Tears, Harjo grew up learning to dodge an abusive stepfather by finding shelter in her imagination, a deep spiritual life, and a connection with the natural world.

Where: Junipero Serra Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 4 pm – 5 pm

Address: 4607 S. Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/book-discussion-crazy-brave-memoir

Queer Book Club: Mirage City at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event

Participants will discuss Mirage City: An Evander Mills Mystery by Lev AC Rosen.

Private Investigator Evander “Andy” Mills’ next case takes him out of his comfort zone in San Francisco—and much to his dismay, back home to Los Angeles. After a secretive queer rights organization called the Mattachine Society enlists Andy to find some missing members, he must dodge not only motorcycle gangs and mysterious forces, but his own mother, too.

Avoiding her proves to be a challenge when the case leads Andy to the psychiatric clinic she works at. Worlds collide, buried secrets are dug up, and Andy realizes he’s going to have to make some hard choices. With secrets, drugs, and doctors swirling around him, time is running out for Andy to locate the missing and get them to safety. And for him to make it back to San Francisco in one piece.

Lev AC Rosen delivers a new and captivating 1950s mystery in this dazzling, award-winning series.

Private Investigator Evander “Andy” Mills’ next case takes him out of his comfort zone in San Francisco—and much to his dismay, back home to Los Angeles. After a secretive queer rights organization called the Mattachine Society enlists Andy to find some missing members, he must dodge not only motorcycle gangs and mysterious forces, but his own mother, too.

Avoiding her proves to be a challenge when the case leads Andy to the psychiatric clinic she works at. Worlds collide, buried secrets are dug up, and Andy realizes he’s going to have to make some hard choices. With secrets, drugs, and doctors swirling around him, time is running out for Andy to locate the missing and get them to safety. And for him to make it back to San Francisco in one piece.

Lev AC Rosen writes books for people of all ages, including the Evander Mills series, which began with the Macavity Award-winning Lavender House and continues with The Bell in the Fog and Rough Pages. His most recent young adult novels are Emmett, Lion’s Legacy, and Camp. Rosen’s books have been nominated for Anthony and Lambda Awards and have been selected for best-of lists from the Today show, Amazon, Library Journal, Buzzfeed, Autostraddle, Forbes, and many others. He lives in NYC with his husband and a very small cat.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Friday the 24^th

Time: 6 pm

Richard Tucci will present and talk about his book Threads of Imagination: The Collaborative Story of Weaving Worlds.

Join us to explore the intersections of art, storytelling, and the human experience!

Where: The Last Bookstore Studio City 

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm

New York Times bestselling author Tod Goldberg celebrates the book launch of his gritty new thriller, Only Way Out, with fellow author Liska Jacobs. The authors will discuss Tod’s new book, as well as their contributions to the Hanukkah-themed mystery/thriller collection Eight Very Bad Nights. A book sale and signing follow.

Only Way Out officially releases on December 1 and will exclusively be available for advance purchase at this launch event.

Where: Main Library, SMPL

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm

Address: 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401, Multipurpose Room

Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events

Rupo Open Mic at Back to the Grind in Riverside – In-Person Event

RUPO Open Mic is every Monday Night at Back to the Grind in Riverside.

Every Monday from 7 pm to 9 pm. Sign-ups are at 6:30 pm and in person only, $4 cash admission. See you then!

NOTE: See site for link and details.

Where: Back to the Grind, Riverside

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 3575 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92501

Website: https://www.facebook.com

Mona May & The Fashion of Clueless at Book Soup – In-Person Event

Join Mona May to hear her present and discuss The Fashion of Clueless.

Celebrate the movie’s thirtieth anniversary with costume designer Mona May, who—alongside fashion writer Monica Corcoran Harel—shares her creative process and her collaboration with actors to make every character come alive. Step inside May’s design studio and fitting room to hear how she conceptualizes costumes from silhouette to ensemble. Whether thrifting through Los Angeles or pulling straight from the runways of Paris, May reveals how she selected and sourced high and low pieces for all your favorite characters including Cher, Tai, Dionne, Amber, and Christian.

Featuring behind-the-scenes photos, production stills, and intimate chats with key cast and creatives such as Alicia Silverstone and director Amy Heckerling, this book explores how personal style reveals a persona—and includes tips for creating your own main character looks. This compelling and stylish book is perfect for fans of pop culture, fashion, design, and art and is a record of the enduring cultural impact of the film.

NOTE: See website for further details and guidelines.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 8818 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2025-11-24/mona-may-discusses-signs-fashion-clueless

Peña de Los Pueblos: Open Mic for the People at Midnight Books LA – In-Person Event

Peña de Los Pueblos returns with @elcondordecalaucan.

Celebrate revolutionary art with this open mic/sharing circle and everything in between! Any and all mediums of art are encouraged, or just come and enjoy the music and stories, always an incredible experience!

Free/Gratis

NOTE: See site for link and details.

Where: Midnight Books LA

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

A beautiful and moving testament to the enduring life of Kobe Bryant and the Mamba Mentality.

When Kobe and Gianna Bryant died, tragically and unexpectedly, in 2020, the world mourned with a wholehearted ferocity. In perhaps the largest and most intense outpouring of public art the world has ever seen, murals went up on seemingly every available wall in Los Angeles and around the globe. The paintings were both professional and amateur, some public and some private, many of them colossal. All of them expressed love and respect for Kobe and Gianna Bryant as athletes, as a father and daughter, as heroes who will not be forgotten.

In Mamba & Mambacita Forever, Vanessa Bryant brings together the images and stories of more than a hundred murals honoring her husband and daughter. Taken together, what emerges is the story of a man who became even more than he himself could have imagined, an avatar of determination, discipline, and competitiveness. He was also a worldwide icon, one of the greatest athletes of our time, a man committed to his family and to fatherhood. Kobe was a figure of transformation and hope.

Mamba & Mambacita Forever ensures that the legacy of Kobe and Gianna Bryant will live on even after the most monumental murals themselves have all crumbled.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Monday, the 24^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-11-24/andrew-bernstein

Monday Night Fiction Workshop via Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – Online Zoom Event

This free Monday Night Community Writing Workshop led by Raquel Baker is a workshop in which participants are asked to bring copies of 2-3 pages of fiction to read, and to use for critique and discussion. Registration is required.

Raquel Baker earned a PhD in English Literary Studies from the University of Iowa and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Postcolonial and Transnational Literatures at California State University Channel Islands, teaching courses on creative writing and contemporary African literatures. Raquel has published poetry in Africology and The Arrow; fiction in Enculturation, The Daily Palette, The Womanist, and Crux; and non-fiction in Little Village; and has done readings with the Ventura County Poetry project. Raquel is passionate about discussing everything related to the craft and social significance of literature!

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – Online event

Date: Monday the 24^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)

Website: https://www.beyondbaroque.org

Lit Angels: Heal Through Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Let Francesca help you with all aspects of your writing!

Do you want to write professionally or for personal satisfaction and healing but aren’t sure where to start and need some inspiring tips and support? Do you have a project that needs revision? Are you feeling stuck creatively? Join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a discussion of her 12 Questions followed by free writing and Q&A. Come be a part of the supportive Lit Angels writing community and consider writing a story to share at our Valentine’s event on 2/7 for possible submission in Lit Angels Journal.

About the instructor:

Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is House of Hearts now out in paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/

Tuesdays & Thursdays @10AM | $15

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 10 am – 11 am

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://villagewell.com

Tuesday Tales: A Travelin’ Storytime, Session 1 at Ocean Park Branch Library, SMPL – In-Person Kids Event

This fun and engaging weekly series, featuring stories, songs, and rhymes, travels to a different library location each week. Limited space; free tickets available. For ages 3 – 5.

Where: Ocean Park Branch Library, SMPL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 10:30 am – 11 am

Address: 2601 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405

Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events 

Virtual Book Club: The Listeners via La Crescenta Library, LACL – Online Event

Join us weekly on Zoom on Tuesday mornings at 11 am for the Virtual Book Club. In September we will be discussing The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater. For adults.

Please contact Marta Wiggins at mwiggins@library.lacounty.gov for your invite to join the Zoom discussion and other details about the Virtual Book Club. You can pick up your copy of Isola at the La Crescenta Library Customer Service Desk. Below is the breakdown for the weekly discussion.

Each week we read and discuss 1/4 of the book. Please see the weekly discussion breakdown below.

Week 4: November 25: Part 3: Chapters 16 – 22, Pages 197 – 278

Week 5: December 2: Part 4: Chapters 23 – Epilogue, Pages 283 – to end of book.

January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa is where high society goes to see and be seen. Located deep in the West Virginia mountains, where healing sweetwater flows, the hotel is managed by a local, June Hudson, whose skills were noted by the wealthy Guilfoyles who own the place. War has begun, and June is trying to shield the Avallon from it, but when the owner’s son makes a deal with the State Department to house dozens of Axis diplomats, June must convince her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to battle—to offer luxury to Nazis for the war effort. Peacefully.

Meanwhile, FBI agent Tucker Minnick is searching for a spy among the detainees. He has his own history with West Virginia and would have done anything to avoid coming back, but this mission is an exile that he can’t escape unless he earns it. As tension grows between locals and the detainees, Tucker’s spy games disturb the peace, and the eerie sweetwater proves more dangerous than once thought. June’s future at the Avallon hangs in the balance—but who is she without the hotel? And what is it without her? Maggie Stiefvater makes her adult fiction debut in this mesmerizing portrait of an unlikely heroine, a hotel—and a world—in peril, and the love that can bloom even in such unlikely circumstances.

Where: La Crescenta Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14602517

Tuesday Tales: A Travelin’ Storytime, Session 2 at Ocean Park Branch Library, SMPL – In-Person Kids Event

This fun and engaging weekly series, featuring stories, songs, and rhymes, travels to a different library location each week. Limited space; free tickets available. For ages 3 – 5.

Where: Ocean Park Branch Library, SMPL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 11:30 am – 12 pm

Address: 2601 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405

Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events

Bestsellers Book Club: Bewilderment at Stevenson Ranch Library, LAPCL – In-Person Event

Join us to discuss Bewilderment by Richard Powers. Copies available at the library. For adults.

Astrobiologist Theo Byrne searches for life throughout the cosmos while single-handedly raising his unusual nine-year-old, Robin, following the death of his wife. As his son grows more troubled, Theo hopes to keep him off psychoactive drugs. He learns of an experimental neurofeedback treatment to bolster Robin’s emotional control, one that involves training the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother’s brain…With its soaring descriptions of the natural world, its tantalizing vision of life beyond, and its account of a father and son’s ferocious love, Bewilderment marks Richard Powers’s most intimate and moving novel.

Where: Stevenson Ranch Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 12 pm – 1 pm

Address: 25950 The Old Rd., Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14890403

Mike Sonksen Presents Mural History and Poetry, with Reading by Professor Edwin Aguilar at CSUN, Northridge – In-Person Event

Join us for a presentation on Los Angeles mural history. A showcase of community voices through public art. All are welcome!

A few students will present highlights from their completed “Art as Resistance” mural projects. There will also be a Q&A.

Mike the Poet will also be doing a set of poems honoring Paul Botello & Judy BACA. Big thx to Professors Yvette De La Vega and Allan Aquino for hosting this event.

Where: CSU Northridge, Jerome Richfield Jr 319

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 12:45 pm – 2:15 pm

Address: 8111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Book Club: Remarkably Bright Creatures at El Monte Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Bibliophiles are welcomed! Join us each month for a facilitated discussion of fiction and non-fiction titles. A limited number of copies are available for book club attendees at the library. Light refreshments will be served. For adults.

November’s Book Pick is Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a heartwarming debut novel about unexpected friendships, second chances, and the quiet ways we find hope. Told with charm and insight, it explores the connections that can form between even the most unlikely of companions.

A small number of copies will be available for checkout on October 28, 2025.

Where: El Monte Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 5 pm – 6 pm

Address: 3224 Tyler Ave, El Monte, CA 91731

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14590885

LGBTQ+ Book Club: I Will Greet the Sun Again at El Monte Library, LACL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event

Join the LGBTQ+ Book Club for a hybrid (in-person and online) discussion of I Will Greet the Sun Again by Khashayar J. Khabushani. For adults.

This is a hybrid event and will be hosted in-person in the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room as well as on Zoom. Please register at the link below to receive the link to the meeting via email.

https://library-lacounty-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pd-Goqz4uGNNbzVuW720zsRrGxTK1VeLG

West Hollywood Library’s LGBTQ+ Book Club meets on the last Tuesday of the month to discuss literary works of relevance and interest to the LGBTQ+ community.

Please contact the library to borrow a print copy of the book. eBook and eAudiobook are available through Libby app/OverDrive.

Summary provided by the publisher:

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley with his two brothers, all K wants is to be “a boy from L.A.,” all American. But K—the youngest, named after a Persian king—knows there’s something different about himself. Like the way he feels about his closest friend, Johnny, a longing that he can’t share with anyone.

At home, K must navigate another confusing identity: that of the dutiful son of Iranian immigrants struggling to make a life for themselves in the United States. He tries to make his mother proud, live up to her ideal of a son. On Friday nights, K attends prayers at the local mosque with Baba, whose violent affections distort K’s understanding of what it means to be a man and how to love.

When Baba takes the three brothers from their mother back to Iran, K finds himself in an ancestral home he barely knows. Returning to the Valley months later, K must piece together who he is, in a world that now feels as foreign to him as the one he left behind.

Where: West Hollywood Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14319009

Hooked on Books Book Club: The Mighty Red at Quartz Hill Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Join us as we immerse ourselves in Louise Erdrich’s The Might Red. Copies are available at the Customer Service desk and newcomers are always welcome! For adults.

In the Red River Valley of North Dakota, several lives revolve around a wedding fraught with desire, jealousy, and uncertainty. A novel of tender humor, disquietude, yearning, community, and family, The Might Red is about ordinary people who dream, grow up, fall in love, struggle, endure tragedy, carry bitter secrets; men and women both complicated and contradictory, flawed and decent, lonely, and hopeful.

Where: Quartz Hill Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 5040 W. Ave. M 2, Quartz Hill, CA 93536

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14757551

Phy-Sci Book Club: A Brief History of Intelligence at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event

Join participants to discuss A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, AI, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains by Max Bennett.

A Brief History of Intelligence offers a paradigm shift for how we understand neuroscience and AI. Artificial intelligence entrepreneur Max Bennett chronicles the five “breakthroughs” in the evolution of human intelligence and reveals what brains of the past can tell us about the AI of tomorrow.

In the last decade, capabilities of artificial intelligence that had long been the realm of science fiction have, for the first time, become our reality. AI is now able to produce original art, identify tumors in pictures, and even steer our cars. And yet, large gaps remain in what modern AI systems can achieve—indeed, human brains still easily perform intellectual feats that we can’t replicate in AI systems. How is it possible that AI can beat a grandmaster at chess but can’t effectively load a dishwasher? As AI entrepreneur Max Bennett compellingly argues, finding the answer requires diving into the billion-year history of how the human brain evolved; a history filled with countless half-starts, calamities, and clever innovations. Not only do our brains have a story to tell—the future of AI may depend on it.

Now, in A Brief History of Intelligence, Bennett bridges the gap between neuroscience and AI to tell the brain’s evolutionary story, revealing how understanding that story can help shape the next generation of AI breakthroughs. Deploying a fresh perspective and working with the support of many top minds in neuroscience, Bennett consolidates this immense history into an approachable new framework, identifying the “Five Breakthroughs” that mark the brain’s most important evolutionary leaps forward. Each breakthrough brings new insight into the biggest mysteries of human intelligence. Containing fascinating corollaries to developments in AI, A Brief History of Intelligence shows where current AI systems have matched or surpassed our brains, as well as where AI systems still fall short. Simply put, until AI systems successfully replicate each part of our brain’s long journey, AI systems will fail to exhibit human-like intelligence.

Endorsed and lauded by many of the top neuroscientists in the field today, Bennett’s work synthesizes the most relevant scientific knowledge and cutting-edge research into an easy-to-understand and riveting evolutionary story. With sweeping scope and stunning insights, A Brief History of Intelligence proves that understanding the arc of our brain’s history can unlock the tools for successfully navigating our technological future.

Max Bennett is an entrepreneur and researcher. He has co-founded multiple AI companies, holds several patents for AI technologies, and has published numerous scientific papers on the topics of evolutionary neuroscience and intelligence. He has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as well as the Built In NYC’s 30 Tech Leaders Under 30. Most notably, Bennett was the cofounder and Chief Product Offi­cer of Bluecore, one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S., providing AI technologies to some of the largest companies in the world. Bluecore has been featured in the annual Inc. 500 fastest growing com­panies, as well as Glassdoor’s 50 best places to work in the U.S. Bluecore was recently valued at over $1 bil­lion. Bennett graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, summa cum laude, with a degree in economics and mathematics.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 6 pm

Participants will discuss James by Percival Everett. For adults.

From Percival Everett, a recipient of the NBCC Lifetime Achievement Award and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, and numerous PEN awards-comes James, a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. While many narrative set pieces of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin…), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light. Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a “cult literary icon” (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.

Where: La Crescenta Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm

Address: 2809 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta-Montrose, CA 91214

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14757578

The Mystery Book Club at Playa Vista Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Join us for a discussion of Death at La Fenice by Donna Leonn. All are welcome!

Where: Playa Vista Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 6:30 pm

Address: 6400 Playa Vista Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90094

Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-11

Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club: Blood Over Bright Haven at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

The Village Well Book Club offshoot, the Sci-fi Fantasy Book Club! To the Tolkien nerds, SJM stans, and R.F. Kuang enjoyers, this group is for you! On the fourth Tuesday of every month, we will come together and discuss a story that falls within the realms of either science fiction or fantasy (or sometimes both!). To join our emailing list, reach out to events@villagewell.com.

This month’s pick is Blood Over Bright Haven by M L Wang.

The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd.,1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Read your poetry, fiction, spoken word, or lyrics.

Free event. 21+

Note: Please RSVP at site.

Where: The Aftermath Bar

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 7 pm – 10 pm

Address: 14537 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Muse on Fire Open Mic at the Wicked Wolf, Long Beach – In-Person Event

Muse on Fire Open Mic begins at 7 pm with a meet and greet, and starts at 7:30 pm sharp.

We offer poetry as an art of spoken word, guitars strung with perfection, and voices sung with grace. This open mic is for everyone to share with community and friends.

Hosted by Philosophy.

Note: Please RSVP

Where: The Wicked Wolf

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 7 pm – 10 pm

Join us to discuss Proof by author Joe Cowan.

As a disgraced lawyer with a drinking problem that he doesn’t view as a problem, Jake West is coasting on what’s left of his charm and money. He used to be the kind of lawyer who could convince anyone of anything—until he decided to take on his father’s biggest client and prove his dad was corrupt. Now Jake finds himself almost at rock bottom, and that’s before his ex-best friend is murdered and Jake is accused of the crime.

In a desperate bid to save himself, Jake must sober up and search for the real killer, whom he suspects might be hidden in one of the case files of his father’s illustrious law firm. As he delves into a labyrinth of lies and corruption, Jake teams up with an eclectic group of equally broken people as they all must skirt the law to find the proof he needs…no matter the personal or professional cost.

Jon Cowan is a veteran television writer, showrunner, and executive producer with extensive experience in the legal thriller genre. He has written for hit shows like Suits, Suits LA, Private Practice, and Bones; has written pilots for ABC, NBC, FOX, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros., NBC Universal, and 20th Century Television; and has recently adapted the works of both John Grisham and James Patterson. Jon began his career as a playwright, getting his MFA from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. Proof is his first novel. He lives with his family in Los Angeles, where he’s hard at work on the next Jake West novel.

This meeting includes a copy of the book and a drink of your choice.

Where: Culture Brewing

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 7 pm

Address: 327 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Facilitated by Mark Polak

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-11-25/nonfiction-book-club

Dark Olympus Book Clubat Underdog Books Off-site at Mt. Lowe Brewing Co. – In-Person Event

Join us for book talks and brews as we read our way through Dark Olympus!

Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series is a spicy collection of stand-alone dark romance books inspired by different Greek mythology tales.

Whether you read all, some, or none of the books, all are welcome!

Grab your books from Underdog Bookstore or support the store online:

https://libro.fm/playlists/10184

Find the full meeting schedule and reading order at website.

Where: Mt. Lowe Brewing Co. 

Date: Tuesday the 25^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Cobalt Poets Reading & Open Mic and host Rick Lupert welcomes featured poet Heather Romero-Kornblum.

Heather Romero-Kornblum is a former academic researcher, returning to poetry after several near-death experiences due to Long Covid. She captures the crumbling of her marriage following her near-death experiences in I’m Not Over You—the 2025 Four Feathers Press Chapbook Contest winner.

Where: Cobalt Poets – Online Zoom Event

Date: Tuesday, the 25^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

The nation’s largest weekly spoken word Open Mic event is 26 years strong. DPL is a community space for every poet to be heard. They provide a platform to celebrate poetry while using it as the foundation for creativity, innovation, and expression across an array of media outlets.

$10 suggested donation. Pay what you can. Do NOT line up prior to 7:30 pm Free parking adjacent to the theater.

Masks are encouraged.

Where: Ora Café

Date: Tuesday, the 25^th

Time: 9 pm – 11 pm

Address: 4331 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park, CA 90008

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Come write with us!

Many people believe that morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 AM come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.

Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is House of Hearts now out in paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Wednesday the 26^th

Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am

Meets monthly outside of the shop in the circle in front of Star Cafe.

Participants will discuss Listen for the Lie: a Novel by Amy Tintera.

Whether you loved it, hated it, or haven’t finished it, we want to see you at our Mystery Book Group at America’s Oldest Children’s Bookstore!

Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose

Date: Wednesday the 26^th

Time: 9 am

Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020 

Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/2025-11-26/mystery-book-group-listen-lie-amy-tintera

Classics Book Club: The Kong Goodbye at Granada Hills Branch, LAPL – In-Person Event

Join us for a discussion about the book The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler.

Where: Granada Hills Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Wednesday the 26^th

Time: 1:30 pm – 3 pm

Address: 10640 Petit Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344

Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/classics-book-club-long-goodbye

Poets Café via KPFK 90.7 FM – Live On-Air Event

Poets Café celebrates Poetry. This program is a weekly half-hour literary arts discussion and reading program featuring guest authors and their works.

Poetry From Around the World is a segment of this series offered monthly on the 2^nd Monday of the month on KPFK Los Angeles 90.7 FM.

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: KPFK 90.7 FM

Date: Wednesday, the 26^th

Time: 2 pm – 2:30 pm

Address: On-air Event (live)

Website: https://www.kpfk.org/on-air/poets-cafe/

Let’s Read Los Angeles: What Makes Sammy Run? at North Hollywood Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Join us for a lively discussion of the book What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg.

Sammy Glick is not a nice man in What Makes Sammy Run? Budd Schulberg’s 1941 novel is a classic, following Glick from his poor childhood in New York to the top of Hollywood’s screenwriting profession in the 1930s.

Glick was supposedly modeled after the author’s father, Hollywood mogul B.P. Schulberg, head of production for Paramount, who promoted stars such as Clara Bow and Mary Pickford.

Check out the book, e-book, audiobook, or e-audiobook for free with your library card!

Where: North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Wednesday the 26^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 5211 Tujunga Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601

Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/lets-read-los-angeles-what-makes-sammy-run

Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club: Black Sun at Quartz Hill Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Join us to discuss Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. For adults.

In the holy city of Tovah, an eclipse heralds the return of an old god and the beginning of a new age. A swashbuckling sea captain, a scarred young man, and a sun priest race to meet their destinies in this epic fantasy inspired by the civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas.

Attendance is limited, and advance registration is required. Please register every individual in your party, including kids. This will be used to save your spots in the program. We cannot guarantee availability for any unregistered attendees.

Where: Quartz Hill Library, LACL

Date: Wednesday the 26^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 5040 W. Ave. M 2, Quartz Hill, CA 93536

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14857374

RECESS Open Mic: Annual Friendsgiving Mic hosted by Lady B at SIPA HQ, Palms Up Academy – In-Person Event

RECESS Open Mic is at SIPA HQ on Wednesdays.

This date is our annual Friendsgiving Mic hosted by Lady B 🥘 be sure to see our link in bio or on our website to let us know what you’re contributing to the potluck! Every potluck contribution grants free entry—otherwise, it will be the standard $10 at the door for admittance.

This dynamic open mic is the most accessible public program in the Palms Up Academy curriculum and manifests their mission statement in a physical (and digital) space.

Join them at the intersection of Historic Filipino town & The World: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans.

NOTE: See site for RSVP, cost, guidelines, and details.

Where: SIPA HQ

Date: Wednesday, the 26^th

Time: 7 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 6:30 pm; Open Mic at 8 pm)

Address: 3200 W. Temple St., Ste. 100, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Website: https://www.palmsupacademy.com

Anansi Writers Workshop at The World Stage – In-Person Event (Cancelled this date Only)

The Anansi Writers Workshop was founded in 1990 by Kamau Daáood, Akilah Oliver, Nafis Nabawi and Anthony Lyons. In 1993, Michael Datcher initiated the development of a three-part format for the workshop. Our tradition of a community workshop began in the late 1960s at the Watts Writers’ Workshop, where World Stage co-founder Kamau Daáood started his writing career. Hosted by Jessica Gallion aka “Yellawoman.”

• 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm — Formal workshop;
• 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm — TBA;
• 9:05 pm – 10:00 pm — Open mic.

Suggested: $10.00 Donation via PayPal: The World Stage Gallery.

NOTE: See site for further details and any change in the schedule. Contact on Instagram @ _yellawoman

Where: The World Stage (use left rear entrance)

Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Story Salon: Urgent Care at Art Parlor in Valley Village – In-Person & Virtual Hybrid Event (CHECK TO VERIFY)

Los Angeles’s longest running storytelling venue is now a hybrid event!

An alternative to stand-up clubs + self-conscious performance spaces

Story Salon challenges you all to tell stories in 90 seconds! Can you do it? If you can, join us!

Tickets can be purchased early with the link in bio or at storysalon.com.

Theme: Urgent Care.

Where: Art Parlor

Date: Wednesday the 26^th (Check to verify this date)

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 7 pm)

Address: 5302 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village, CA 91607 

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-salon-urgent-care-tickets-1909776074649?aff=Socials

Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop with Jose Hernandez Diaz via Beyond Baroque – Online Event

The West Coast’s longest-running free poetry workshop is offered by Beyond Baroque on Zoom and welcomes new and seasoned poets to share their work and provide feedback. Please be prepared to share one poem. This workshop will be hosted via the Zoom video-conferencing platform. Please be prepared to share one poem.

Please spend some time before the workshop learning how to share documents via Zoom. It will keep the session moving if you’re able to make your poem viewable quickly and easily. An instructive video is available on the site.

The workshop can sometimes reach high levels of attendance, which means not everyone will get a chance to read every session.

Jose Hernandaz Diaz is a 2017 NEA Fellow. He is the author of The Fire Eater (Texas Review Press, 2020) Bad Mexican, Bad American (Acre Books, 2024) The Parachutist (Sundress Publications, 2025) and Portrait of the Artist as a Brown Man (Red Hen Press, 2025). He has been published in Bennington Review, The Yale Review, The London Magazine, The Southern Review, Poetry Ireland Review, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011, and in The Best American Poetry 2025. He has taught creative writing at the University of California at Riverside. Currently, he is the Visiting Writer in Residence at the University of Tennessee.

NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information. 

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

Date: Wednesday, the 26^th (Check to verify this date)

Time: 8 pm – 10 pm

Address: Online event (see site)

Website: https://beyondbaroque.org

Poetry Reading & Open Mic by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry with Ben Trigg and Guest at The Ugly Mug – In-Person Event (Cancelled this date)

Host Ben Trigg and Two Idiots Peddling Poetry to welcome featured guests.

$5 cover fee, cash only

Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange

Date: Wednesday, the 26^th (Cancelled this date)

Time: 8 pm – 10 pm

Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866

Website: https://www.facebook.com/events

Lit Angels: Heal Through Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Let Francesca help you with all aspects of your writing!

Do you want to write professionally or for personal satisfaction and healing but aren’t sure where to start and need some inspiring tips and support? Do you have a project that needs revision? Are you feeling stuck creatively? Join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a discussion of her 12 Questions followed by free writing and Q&A. Come be a part of the supportive Lit Angels writing community and consider writing a story to share at our Valentine’s event on 2/7 for possible submission in Lit Angels Journal.

About the instructor:

Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is House of Hearts now out in paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/

Tuesdays & Thursdays @10AM | $15

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Thursday the 27^th

Time: 10 am – 11 am

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com

Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Many people believe that morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 am come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.

About the instructor:

Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is House of Hearts now out in paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/

Come make some magic at the Village Well! All genres and levels are welcome!

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Friday the 28^tht

Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com

Weekly Pajama Storytime at Once Upon a Time, Montrose – In-Person Kids & Family Event

Our most popular story time is ready to delight and dazzle! This is also the prime time to see Pippi Longstocking, our bookstore cat in action.

There is a large FREE parking lot off Florencita Dr. as well as metered parking along Honolulu Ave. and Montrose Ave.

Free to attend.

NOTE: Free to attend.

Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose

Date: Friday, the 28^th

Time: 9:30 am

Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020

Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event

Plaid Friday Sale 2025 at Once Upon a Time, Montrose – In-Person Event

Who needs Black Friday when you can have Plaid Friday?!

In-store deals:

10% off everything* in store.

Wear plaid and get 20% off ONE in-stock item.

FREE chocolate goodie with purchase of $50 or more.

FREE gift with purchase of $150 or more.

Online only deal:

10% off online orders, use code PLAID at checkout.

20% off featured titles – browse the discounted titles!

FREE shipping with purchase of $50 or more.

FREE gift with purchase of $100 or more.

Two FREE audiobooks with a new Libro.fm membership.

$5 or less audiobooks through Libro.fm—no code needed, valid 11/25 – 12/1.

*Sales not valid on school orders, select small publishers, or gift cards. No holds. Cannot be combined with other discounts.

Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose

Date: Friday, the 28^th

Time: 10 am – 7 pm

Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020

Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/

Bilingual Storytime at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Bilingual Storytime! Exposing your children to multiple languages is highly beneficial for their learning and development, and what better way to do it than through this fun activity where we will read a wonderful story in both English and Spanish.

¡Hora de cuentos bilingüe! Exponer a tus hjijos a varios idiomas es de gran beneficio para su aprendizaje y desarrollo, y qué mejor que hacerlo en esta divertida actividad en donde leeremos un maravilloso cuento en inglés y en español.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Friday the 28^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com

Writing Gets Lonely at Heavy Manners Library – In-Person Event

Writing Gets Lonely: Open Writing Studio will be held every other Friday at Heavy Manners Library form 1 pm – 3 pm, in November and December.

No frills. No prompts. Just write.

Drop in and stay a while.

Where: Heavy Manners Library

Date: Friday the 28^th

Time: 1 pm – 3 pm

Address: 1200 N. Alvarado St. Unit D, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Selena Sol-Valencia is an in-denial teenage werewolf battling for her life against family tradition, human traffickers, and teen crushes. But her biggest antagonist might just be her own mind. Could womanhood really be the most dangerous part of a girl’s life? Selena must learn family history, her Tío’s rules of survival, and figure out how to make the most of the nightmare situations brought on by teen-wolf puberty and the intrusive world. Secrets lay behind everyone she meets, but once the claws come out, nobody’s safe. Especially on the night of the Blue Moon.

About the Author:

Angelica Martinez, an Orange, California author, explores neurodivergent life through fiction, when not breaking up cat battles between her two cats. She holds degrees in psychology, education, and an M.F.A. in creative writing. Martinez can often be found reading romance, watching horror films through tense fingers, reading manga, and practicing Tai Chi with friends. Her debut novel is Livin’ La Vida Loba.

RSVP

Where: LibroMobile, Santa Ana

Date: Friday the 28^th

Time: 6 pm

Address: 1150 S. Bristol St. A3, Santa Ana, CA 92704

Website:https://www.libromobile.com/event-details/freaky-friday-reading-series-livin-la-vida-loba-by-angelica-martinez

Celebrate 16 Years of Los Angeles Poet Society at Speakeasy at Bodevi Wine Bar, San Fernando – In-Person Event

Their show will be hosted by the amazing Diosy from Vôces Unidas en Pacoima!

The Los Angeles Poet Society would like to provide Sweet 16 treats to our attendees at our upcoming Speakeasy at Bodevi, on November 28th at 7:00 p.m.

We want to offer cake, ice cream, and conchas—for this we would like to raise at $350. Please donate and help us reach our goal.

Featuring:

Fxlln N/A

Katherine Preza Leonor is a poet from Panorama City, is an editor and reviewer for LA Poet Society, Hinterland Literary editor, and founder of irisandcyrus. She is the author of Russeting Fruits (Daxson Publishing, 2025).

Hope Cerna is the author of A Sentimental Garden (Daxson Publishing, 2025) and offers custom typewriter poetry.

Jad3 N/A

Open mic to all creative artists. You get 5 minutes each.

No cover for this show but donations are encouraged. Consider being part of our sweet 16 campaign and donate $16 to help us continue our work in bringing 75 events a year to the creative communities across LA county and the San Fernando valley.

Where: Bodevi Wine Bar

Date: Friday the 28^th

Time: 7 pm

Address: 909 San Fernando Rd., San Fernando, CA 91340

Website: https://www.instagram.com/losangelespoetsociety/?hl=en

Triptych Reading Series at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event

Triptych Reading Series is hosted by Shy Watson, and features:

Tess Pollok (@tessanditsdiscontents) is a writer and critic based in New York and Los Angeles. She is the editor of Animal Blood Magazine and has fiction published in Heavy Traffic Magazine, X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, and Forever Magazine, among others.

Charents Apkarian is a half Armenian poet from Chicago, Il. His debut work, Ice Crean in Republic Square, was published in HyeBred magazine. In 2019, he graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in creative writing. He enjoys hip hop, shawarma, and stand-up comedy.

Coco Gordon-Moore is an actress, known for Gilmore Girls (2000), Sam’s World (2024) and Lucan Asks Why (2019).

Shy Watson is the author of two poetry collections: Horror Vacui (2021) and Cheap Yellow (CCM 2018). She co-founded Blush Lit. More work can be found at [PANK], Joyland, The Rumpus, New York Tyrant, and more. Shy is currently at work on her debut novel. Follow @formermissNJ on Twitter for updates.

Where: Stories Books & Café

Date: Friday the 28^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. 90026

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 10 am – 6 pm (All Day)

Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508

Website: https://cellardoorbookstore.com/SBS2025

INDIES First Small Business Saturday 2025 at Once Upon a Time, Montrose – In-Person Event

Once Upon A Time Bookstore is pleased to announce Indies First day, on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

Deals of the Day:

Early Bird Special: 10 am to 11 am get 20% off EVERYTHING in the store*

All Day: 15% off in-stock 2026 calendars

All Day: Spin the OUAT wheel of prizes with a purchase!

All Day: Free chocolate goodie with every purchase of $50 or more!

All Day: Free gift with every purchase of $150 or more!

All Day: Complimentary gift wrap

All Day: Pets with the one and only Pippi Longstocking, our bookstore kitty! (as available while she’s meandering around the store)

Night Owl Special: 6 pm to 7 pm get 20% off all in-stock adult hardcover books.

Local Authors signing & personalizing books who are celebrating at Once Upon A Time:

10 am – 11 am – Scott Campbell for Cabin Head and Tree Head

11 am – noon – Janie Emaus for Latkes for Santa Claus

11 am – noon – Sydney Hanson for I Am Not Happy

1 pm – 2 pm – Porsche Thomas for Twins, but Different

2 pm – 3 pm – Avery Robinson for Bloom In

All authors will be at a signing table outside, in front of our shop and books can be purchased ahead of time or the day of inside the store.

Remember: Signed books make great gifts for everyone on your list!

Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose

Date: Saturday, the 29^th

Time: 10 am – 7 pm

From their bestselling early chapter book series, The Princess In Black, their popular Best Friends graphic novel series, to the fabulous and expanding picture book universe of Kitty-Corn series, Shannon Hale & LeUyen Pham spread joy and laughter to young readers everywhere. LeUyen will be signing and drawing in person and every Kitty Corn book purchase will include a Shannon Hale bookplate as well.

Plus, we have rollicking and festive holiday music from Kevin Schatz featuring original songs from his Christmas album, The Magic of Christmas. We will be dancing like sugar plum fairies all morning long.

Where: Children’s Book World

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 10:30 pm – 11:15 am

Address: 10580 ½ W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

This picture book introduces children to the magic of gratitude. Through vibrant illustrations and upbeat, relatable rhymes, kids of all ages can easily grasp what gratitude means and what it looks like in their everyday life.

Sabrina Cohen is an LA-based author, copywriter, and creative director. Inspired by the benefits of her own gratitude practice, she wanted to give kids an easy way to access its benefits and spark a daily practice for themselves.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com

Special Storytime: Shop Local with Richard Scarry (and Ms. Marie & Mr. Steve) in Celebration of Indies Firstat Vroman‘s – In-Person Kids Event

Join the Vroman’s Children’s Department on November 29th at 11am for a special Indies First celebration, inspired by Richard Scarry and the Busytown books! There will be music with Ms. Marie and stories with Mr. Steve, along with activities, giveaways, and more!

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Saturday, the 29^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-11-29/shop-local-richard-scarry-special-story-time

Double Book Launch: Max Brallier & The Last Kids on Earth and the Detractor’s Lair and Joshua Pruett & The Last Comics on Earth at Children’s Book World – In-Person Event

Max Brallier presents The Last Kids on Earth and the Detractor’s Lair as a full color graphic novel.

Max Brallier is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His books and series include The Last Kids on Earth, Eerie Elementary, Mister Shivers, Galactic Hot Dogs, and Can YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? He is a writer and producer for Netflix’s Emmy-award-winning adaptation of The Last Kids on Earth. Visit him at MaxBrallier.com.

Special guest Joshua Pruett isco-author of The Last Comics on Earth book series and author of Gyro and the Argonauts

Joshua Pruett is an Emmy Award-winning TV Writer and New York Times bestselling author, the only human being on Earth to have written for both Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Doctor Who. Currently working on the widely anticipated return of Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, Joshua is also coauthor of The Last Comics on Earth, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series alongside coauthor Max Brallier, illustrated by Jay Cooper and Douglas Holgate. His newest book Gyro and the Argonauts is available now.

Where: Children’s Book World

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 12:30 pm

Address: 10580 ½ W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Website: https://childrensbookworld.com/event/2025-11-29/last-kids-earth-creator-max-brallier-person-special-guest-joshua-pruett

Book Club: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Healer of the Water Monster at Live Oak Library, LACL – In-Person Kids & Family Event

Join us as we discuss the book Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young. For ages 8-12. Books are available at the Customer Service Desk.

Synopsis:

When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer. Still, he loves spending time with Nali, and with his uncle Jet—though it’s clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him. One night, while lost in the nearby desert, Nathan finds something extraordinary. A Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story—a Water Monster—in need of help. Now Nathan must summon all his courage to save his new friend. With the help of other Navajo Holy Beings, Nathan is determined to save the Water Monster, and to help Uncle Jet heal from his own pain.

Where: Live Oak Library, LACL

Date: Saturday, the 29^th

Time: 2 pm – 3 pm

Address: 22 W. Live Oak Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14960222

2^nd Anniversary Celebration: Featuring Susan Black Allen & The Best Sex I Never Had at The Libros, Lincoln Heights – In-Person Event

Join us on #smallbusinesssaturday, Saturday November 29th.

Come celebrate #2years of @thelibros_lincolnheights. At 2:30 pm, our very own @poetsusanblackallen will read from her collection we published! @lauriemarkvart will also be reading. Spend the day with us. At 6 pm, @losangelespoetsociety will have several authors read & Susan will be one of the features!

Susan Black Allen is the author of The Best Sex I Never Had.

Where: The Libros, Lincoln Heights

Date: Saturday, the 29^th

Time: 2:30 pm

Address: 22 W. Live Oak Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

See site for details.

Don Kingfisher Campbell hosts and curates these events.

Where: Online Zoom Event

Date: Saturday, the 29^th

Time: 3 pm – 4:30 pm

Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)

Website: https://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com

Hearts & Hands Mercadito: Small Business Saturday at Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore – In-Person Event

Forget Black Friday, here we support small businesses and ethical consumerism! Join us on Small Business Saturday, November 29 from 3 pm – 7 pm to shop small businesses and artisan vendors.

For more information email heartsandhands@tiachucha.org

Music | Coffee | Food | Shop Small

Where: Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore

Date: Saturday, the 29^th

Time: 3 pm – 7 pm

Cody Cisco, in conversation with Rasheed Newson, will discuss and sign Altered Bodies: Resonant Earth Volume 3.

A breakthrough treatment promises salvation for Broken Mirrors-but the price could be Victor’s sanity, and the end of the American Union of Nations.

Altered Bodies plunges deeper into the fractured psyche of Victor Eastmore and the unraveling world of the American Union in this thrilling third installment of the Resonant Earth series.

Victor found a fragile kind of freedom. After escaping the Classification Commission in Semiautonomous California, he now works for his family’s healthcare company in the Louisiana Territories, striving to heal the mirror resonance syndrome patients he risked everything to save. But his hard-won peace is as precarious as his mental state, and he’s moving closer to the edge of insanity.

When a mysterious figure known as the Diamond King offers a revolutionary new technology that could cure the patients and rescue the company from collapse, Victor is both intrigued and wary. Is this the breakthrough he’s been searching for-or a trap with devastating consequences?

This alternate history journey through a cautionary utopia tests the limits of trust, the costs of ambition, and the seductive pull of power. With cyberpunk intrigue, high-stakes alliances, and relentless tension, this volume propels the series into thrilling new territory.

Cody Sisco is an author, editor, publisher, and literary culture producer. His LGBTQ psychological science fiction series, Resonant Earth, includes three novels thus far: Broken Mirror, Tortured Echoes, and Altered Bodies. He is a freelance editor specializing in genre-bending fiction. In 2017, he co-founded Made in L.A. Writers, an indie author cooperative dedicated to supporting and appreciating independent authors. His startup, BookSwell, is a literary events and media production company dedicated to amplifying voices and connecting readers and writers in Southern California and beyond. He serves as a co-chair of the Board of Directors for the Editorial Freelancers Association.

Rasheed Newson is the author of the national bestseller My Government Means to Kill Me. The novel was a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction and was named one of the “The 100 Notable Books of 2022” by The New York Times. His forthcoming novel, There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood, is slated for publication by Flatiron in 2026. Rasheed was selected as a 2025–26 American Library in Paris Visiting Fellow.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 4 pm

Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2025-11-29/indies-first-celebration-cody-sisco-conversation-rasheed-newsondiscussing-signing

People’s Open Mic at Avenue 50 Studio – In-Person Event

When larger forces want to silence you, speak louder. Speak your truth into The People’s Mic on Saturday, November 29th, 2025. Hosted by Tichina and W. Yusef Doucet.

Featured Guests and Open Mic.

Refreshments.

$5 donation. No one turned away.

Where: Avenue 50 Studio

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 5 pm

We will be inaugurating North Figueroa Bookshop’s New Gallery and Event Space, with an event celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Nib Geebles Calendar and a screening of Nib Is My Pen Name, a film by Robert Caruso. Live presentation by Abira Ali and Gordon Henderson.

The paintings will be on exhibit from November 29 to December 31.

Where: North Figueroa Bookshop

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 6 pm – 10 pm

Address: 3422 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-21bb5aa2-707c-401c-9d03-b9e0f717994f

Poets for Palestine: Open Mic for the People at Midnight Books LA – In-Person Event

Poets for Palestine LA is hosting our next Open Mic on November 29 at Midnight Books.

🕊️ What to expect? An electric night of resilient poetry and community, featuring the brilliant poet & author Alyesha Wise @alyeshawise.

Please keep poetry centered around love, loss, grief, and the genocide of all peoples.

🚙 Street parking available!

🥮 Vegan baklawa by Bel’Rouh Bakery for purchase! @belrouhbakery

Suggested donation: $10 (all proceeds support a family in Gaza) *no one turned away for lack of funds*

NOTE: See site for link and details.

Where: Midnight Books LA

Date: Saturday the 29^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

The Melrose Trading Post is a pioneering arts-based marketplace held every Sunday at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, CA with 275 local creative small business vendors, delicious food booths, and local live music.

MTP was founded in 1997 with a mission to champion small businesses, art, and community. The market funds Greenway Arts Alliance’s arts education programming and provides employment and leadership development opportunities for students at Fairfax High School.

JOIN us for Poetry on Demand in space R18 each Sunday, from 11 am – 5 pm.

All poems are donation-based, so you name your price.

NOTE: Check every Sunday for story time and reading events

Where: Melrose Trading Post, Greenway Main Stage at Fairfax HS

Date: Sunday, the 30^th

Time: 10 am – 5 pm (market); 12 pm – 5 pm (poets on demand)

Address: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Super Sundays Sale 2025 at Once Upon a Time, Montrose – In-Person Event

Once Upon A Time Bookstore is pleased to announce Indies First events for 2025.

Find a gift for everyone!

In-store Deals:

20% off in-stock adult hardcover books

20% off all in-stock puzzles

Complimentary gift wrap

FREE chocolate goodie with purchase of $50 or more

FREE gift with purchase of $150 or more

Online Only Deals:

20% off featured titles – browse the discounted titles!

FREE shipping with purchase of $50 or more

FREE gift with purchase of $100 or more

Two FREE audiobooks with a new Libro.fm membership

$5 or less audiobooks through Libro.fm – no code needed, valid 11/25 – 12/1.

Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose

Date: Sunday, the 30^th

Time: 11 am – 5 pm

Please join us for a special holiday market outside on the Vroman’s Paseo. We have a confirmed list of local crafters and artisans all set to join us for this day in celebration of Artists Sunday, supporting local artists nationwide.

*All vendors have been approved and there will not be additional space for this program.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Sunday the 30^th

Time: 11 am – 4 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-11-30/artisans-holiday-market

Burning Issues Book Club: Be a Revolution via Bel Canto Books – Online Event

Burning Issues Book Club (BIBC) is an online and local book club that gathers to read and discuss non-fiction works related to climate change, environmental degradation, environmental and social justice, and implementation of social change movements.

Participants will discuss Be A Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World―and How You Can, Too, by author Ijeoma Oluo.

Some general rules for participation are available on the website.

Theis Book Club is held on the last Sunday of the month.

RSVP

Where: Bel Canto Books

Date: Sunday the 30^th

Time: 12 pm – 2 pm

Address: Online Event (see site)

November 30

December 14

Feel free to stop by! Can’t make it into LibroMobile? Need a zoom link? Email libromobile@gmail.com.

RSVP

Where: LibroMobile, Santa Ana

Date: Sunday the 30^th

Time: 12 pm – 2 pm

Address: 1150 S. Bristol St. A3, Santa Ana, CA 92704

Website: https://www.libromobile.com/event-details/oc-poet-laureate-office-hours-with-gustavo-hernandez-2025-11-30-12-00

Book Launch: Diosa X and Guests & Mexicana at The Goddess Mercado Bazaar, Whittier – In-Person Event

Diosa Xochiquetzalcoatl will present and sign her new collection, Mexicana: Poemas y Mas Poemas (Riot of Roses Publishing House).

Guest poets include:

Iris De Anda is a writer, activist, and practitioner of the healing arts. A womyn of color of Mexican and Salvadorean descent. A native of Los Angeles she believes in the power of spoken word, poetry, storytelling, and dreams. She is the author of Codeswitch: Fires from Mi Corazon and Roots of Redemption: You have No Right to Remain Silent.

Juan Amador is the author of Pimping My Trauma.

VOTH (Voice of the Harbor) is the author ofDieagnosis: Poems.

Book bundles available. Free merch with every book purchased.

Where: The Goddess Mercado Bazaar

Date: Sunday the 30^th

Time: 1 pm – 3 pm

Come celebrate Carla Malden’s new book Playback and Greg Anton’s new book It’s About Time, both out this summer.

Greg Anton is best known as a master drummer and the co-founder of the San Francisco band Zero. Anton is also a practicing attorney and has taken his experience from both careers to create his Rock ‘n Roll novels. Anton has published over fifty original songs, many co-written with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, as well as composing music for film, television, and theater. He’s performed on over forty albums and at thousands of concerts worldwide with artists such as John Cipollina, John Lee Hooker, Steve Kimock, Otis Taylor, Stanley Jordan, Perry Farrell, Grace Slick, Jorma Kaukonen, Derek Trucks, members of The Grateful Dead, and many others. It’s About Time is a sequel to his first novel Face the Music. As an attorney Greg has been a champion of medical marijuana rights and in 2015, he achieved a landmark Federal Court decision which allowed medical marijuana to be distributed in California free of Federal interference.

Raised in Los Angeles, Carla Malden began her career working in motion picture production and development before becoming a screenwriter. Along with her father, Academy Award winning actor Karl Malden, she co-authored his critically acclaimed memoir When Do I Start? Carla’s feature writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, highlighting the marvels and foibles of Southern California and Hollywood. She sits on the Board of the Geffen Playhouse. Her previous novels include Search Heartache, Shine Until Tomorrow, and My Two and Only.

RSVP

Where: North Figueroa Bookshop

Date: Sunday the 30^th

Time: 5 pm – 7 pm

Address: 3422 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-0cfa3b67-46a7-4f73-9473-35ea857fe977

November 2025 Queer Romance Book Club: Hammajang Luck at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event

November’s Queer Romance Book Club is led by bookseller Elizabeth. This group reads widely across the romance genre featuring LGBTQIA authors.

Participants will discuss Hammajang by Makana Yamamoto.

Everyone is welcome.

Where: The Ripped Bodice

Date: Sunday the 30^th

Time: 7:15 pm – 8:30 pm

Address: 3806 Main St., Culver City, CA 90232 

Website: https://www.therippedbodice.com/events-and-tickets