Join us April 17 for our Library Journal Day of Dialog virtual event! Spanning a variety of genres, this day-long program will offer an in-depth look at the biggest forthcoming books for summer/fall 2025. You’ll hear directly from top authors as they discuss their new titles, inspiration, process, and more. 

And don’t forget the virtual exhibit hall! Visit the booths to download free resources and chat with representatives.

EVENT HOURS: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET

While the conference will be hosted with ON24, all live sessions will be on Zoom. Make sure to log in to your work or personal Zoom account before the day starts to avoid having to log in for each session.

The Virtual Environment is optimized for 1024 X 768 screen resolution. Joining the environment with a cell phone is not recommended. Please make sure your computer and browser are up to date. Chrome tends to work best. The event platform does not support IE11 + Windows 7 or older versions.

CE certificates are available in the event environment for all keynotes and panels, whether you view them live or on-demand. Certificates are not provided for sponsored content.

If on the day of the event you find that you are unable to access the environment or join a session, please know that sessions will be available for on-demand viewing within 24 hours, and the entire event will be accessible until July 17, 2025.

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Having trouble registering? Contact the Event Manager

9:30 – 10:00 AM ET | Morning Keynote with R. F. Kuang, Katabasis (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Harper Voyager: HarperCollins)

FOUR CONCURRENT PANELS

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Books about Books
These novels explore the world of literature, libraries, bookstores, and reading itself.

Amanda Chapman, Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library (Berkley: Penguin Random House)
Jeannine Cook, It's Me They Follow (Amistad: HarperCollins)
Denise Hunter, The Second Story Bookshop (Thomas Nelson: HarperCollins Christian)
Michelle Lindo-Rice, A Summer for the Books (MIRA: HTP)
Kelly Rimmer, The Midnight Estate (Graydon House: HTP)
Moderator: Lynnanne Pearson, Information Librarian, Arlington Heights Memorial Library (IL)
 

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Conversation Starters
These buzzy books with compelling topics are sure to inspire great book club conversations.

Nathan Harris, Amity (Little, Brown and Company: Hachette)
Bruce Holsigner, Culpability (Spiegel & Grau)
Mirta Ojito, Deeper than the Ocean (Union Square & Co.)
Sarah Penner, The Amalfi Curse (Park Row: HTP)
Ellen Marie Wiseman, The Lies They Told (Kensington)
Moderator: Julie Kane, Collection Strategies Librarian and Professor

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | More Novels to Note
The joys of reading only deepen with even more exciting books coming out this season.

Oyinkan Braithwaite, Cursed Daughters (Doubleday: Penguin Random House)
Jade Chang, What a Time to Be Alive (Ecco: HarperCollins)
Yrsa Daley-Ward, The Catch (Liveright: W.W. Norton)
Angela Flournoy, The Wilderness (Mariner Books: HarperCollins)
Gish Jen, Bad Bad Girl (Knopf: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Jennie Mills, Director, Shorewood-Troy Library (IL)

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Into the Wild World
Works that delve into nature’s profound influence on storytelling.

Bridget Crocker, The River's Daughter (Spiegel & Grau)
David Litt, It's Only Drowning (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Neil Shea, Frostlines (Ecco: HarperCollins)
Helen Whybrow, The Salt Stones (Milkweed Editions)
Moderator: Dontaná McPherson-Joseph, Collection Management Librarian, Oak Park Public Library (IL)

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS

11:00 – 11:50 AM ET | Personal Narratives
Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and learn new perspectives with these memoirs.

Hala Alyan, I'll Tell You When I'm Home (Avid Reader Press: Simon & Schuster)
Aymann Ismail, Becoming Baba (Doubleday: Penguin Random House)
Joseph Lee, Nothing More of This Land (Atria/One Signal Publishers: Simon & Schuster)
Erika J. Simpson, This Is Your Mother (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Nicholas Triolo, The Way Around (Milkweed Editions)
Moderator: Michael Rodriguez, Senior Strategist, Content and Scholarly Communication Initiatives, Lyrasis

11:00 – 11:50 AM ET | Hearts on Sleeves
Romances with unexpected pairings, historical connections, and a little bit of theater.

Sarah M. Eden, The Tides of Time (Shadow Mountain Publishing)
Ivy Fairbanks, Heart Strings (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Alice Murphy, A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love (Union Square & Co.)
Chip Pons, Winging It with You (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Jesse Q. Sutanto, Worth Fighting For (Hyperion Avenue: Disney)
Moderator: Linsey Milillo, Assistant Branch Manager and Librarian, Fairfield Lane Library (OH)

11:00 – 11:50 AM ET | Echoes of War
World War II still looms large in our history, and these books, some biographical, some fictional, offer new ways to learn about the conflict.

Robert M. Edsel, Remember Us (Harper Horizon: HarperCollins Focus)
Kristin Harmel, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Lynne Olson, The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck (Random House: Penguin Random House)
Morgan Ryan, A Resistance of Witches (Viking: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: TBD

11:50 AM – 12:20 PM | BREAK / VISIT THE EXHIBIT HALL
 

12:20 – 12:50 PM ET | Afternoon Keynote with Susan Orlean, Joyride (Avid Reader Press: Simon & Schuster)

FOUR CONCURRENT PANELS

12:55 – 1:45 PM ET | Food for the Soul
Try out a new style of cuisine, fix up an old favorite, or learn about the history of food in these culinary delights.

Jill Damatac, Dirty Kitchen (Atria/One Signal Publishers: Simon & Schuster)
Pyet DeSpain, Rooted in Fire (HarperOne; HarperCollins)
Peter J. Kim, Instant Ramen Kitchen (Chronicle Books)
Lonnae O'Neal, Bibb Country (Andscape Books: Disney)
Alix Traeger, Scratch That (Union Square & Co.)
Moderator: Ron Block, Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library System (OH)

12:55 – 1:45 PM ET | Beyond the Panels
Graphic novels that tell stories with humor, action, and heart.

Peter Bagge, Hate Revisited! (Fantagraphics)
Alison Bechdel, Spent (Mariner Books: HarperCollins)
Greg Broadmore, One Path (Mad Cave Studios)
Alex Krokus, Talking to My Father's Ghost (Chronicle Books)
Peter Kuper, Insectopolis (W. W. Norton & Company)
Moderator: Gregg Winsor, Regional Librarian, Johnson County Library (KS)

12:55 – 1:45 PM ET | Lit Fic
Explore the ups and downs of the human experience with these buzzy literary novels.

Amy Bloom, I'll Be Right Here (Random House: Penguin Random House)
Natalie Guerrero, My Train Leaves at Three (One World: Penguin Random House)
Adam Johnson, The Wayfinder (MCD: Macmillan)
Allison Larkin, Home of the American Circus (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Kathy Wang, The Satisfaction Café : A Novel (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Andrea Gough, Adult Services Librarian, The Seattle Public Library (WA)

12:55 – 1:45 PM ET | Switching It Up
Listen to authors describe the ways they’re exploring new genres to craft stories.

Rachel Joyce, The Homemade God (The Dial Press: Penguin Random House)
Laura Lippman, Murder Takes a Vacation (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Ken Liu, All That We See or Seem (Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Sarah MacLean, These Summer Storms (Ballantine Books: Penguin Random House)
Adriana Trigiani, The View from Lake Como (Dutton: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Lillian Dabney, The Seattle Athenaeum (WA)

TWO CONCURRENT MINI-PANELS

1:50 – 2:20 PM ET | Imagining the Past
Be transported back in time as these authors weave history into compelling narratives that bring the past to life.

Princess Joy L. Perry, This Here Is Love: A Novel (W. W. Norton & Company)
Katherine Reay, The English Masterpiece (Harper Muse: HarperCollins Focus)
Lucy Steeds, The Artist and the Feast (Union Square & Co.)
Moderator: Joanna Burkhardt, Collection Development Officer, University of Rhode Island

1:50 – 2:20 PM ET | Women in History
Unsung heroines of the past finally get their due in these deep historical dives.

Molly Beer, Angelica (W. W. Norton & Company)
A'Lelia Bundles, Joy Goddess (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Jane Harrington, Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance (Black Dog & Leventhal: Hachette)
Moderator: Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collection Assessment Librarian, University of Central Florida

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS

2:25 – 3:15 PM ET | First Impressions
Discover debut authors as they talk about their forthcoming books and writing inspiration.

Tochi Eze, This Kind of Trouble (Tiny Reparations Books: Penguin Random House)
Lidija Hilje, Slanting Towards the Sea (Simon & Schuster)
Allison King, The Phoenix Pencil Company (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Danie Shokoohi, Glass Girls (Gillian Flynn Books: Zando)
Emma Nanami Strenner, My Other Heart (Pamela Dorman Books: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Jen Jumba, MLIS, Popular Department Manager, Cleveland Public Library (OH)

2:25 – 3:15 PM ET | Nightmares Unleashed
From personal peril to historical hauntings, these horror novels will keep you up and keep you guessing.

Isabel Canas, The Possession of Alba Diaz (Berkley: Penguin Random House)
Jenny Kiefer, Crafting for Sinners (Quirk Books)
Leigh Radford, One Yellow Eye (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Sam Rebelein, Galloway's Gospel (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Markus Redmond, Blood Slaves (Dafina: Kensington)
Moderator: Janee Jackson-Doering, Youth Services Consultant, State Library of Iowa

2:25 – 3:15 PM ET | Love and Magic
Whether you like magic in your romance or romance in your fantasy, these romantasy books have you covered.

Akwaeke Emezi, Son of the Morning (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Avon: HarperCollins)
Brigid Kemmerer, Warrior Princess Assassin (Harper Voyager: HarperCollins)
Stacey McEwan, A Forbidden Alchemy (Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Kaylie Smith, Daemonica (Forever: Hachette)
Moderator: TBD

3:15 – 3:45 PM ET | BREAK / VISIT THE EXHIBIT HALL

3:45 – 4:15 PM ET | Why We Need Horror
Join Award winning author Alma Katsu and Library Journal's Horror Review Columnist Becky Spratford as they discuss the importance of reading horror during the darkest times.

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS

4:20 – 5:10 PM ET | Crime Time
Thrilling crime novels that cover murder, mafiosos, money, and more.

Megan Abbott, El Dorado Drive (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Lou Berney, Crooks (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Eli Cranor, Mississippi Blue 42 (Soho Crime: Soho Press)
Mel Pennant, A Murder for Miss Hortense (Pantheon: Penguin Random House)
Julia Seales, A Terribly Nasty Business (Random House: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Jane Jorgenson, Branch Supervisor, Madison Public Library, Madison (WI)

4:20 – 5:10 PM ET | Worlds Beyond
From cozy to epic, these fantasy novels will showcase new realms and fire the imagination.

Melissa Bobe, Electric Trees (Indie Author Project)
Oliver Darkshire, Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil (W. W. Norton & Company)
Marie Lu, Red City (Tor Books: Macmillan)
Louis Sachar, The Magician of Tiger Castle (Ace: Penguin Random House)
Michelle Wong, House of the Beast (Standard Edition) (Harper Voyager: HarperCollins)
Moderator: Ashley Rayner, Librarian at NORC, University of Chicago (IL)

4:20 – 5:10 PM ET | Mixing It Up
These novels combine genres in new and inventive ways, breaking new ground in what is possible for literature.

Catherine Chidgey, The Book of Guilt (Grand Central Publishing: Hachette)
Karen Dukess, Welcome to Murder Week (Gallery/Scout Press: Simon & Schuster)
Hayley Gelfuso, The Book of Lost Hours (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Kara Loo & Jennifer Young, Alice Chen's Reality Check (Quirk Books)
Nell Stevens, The Original (W. W. Norton & Company)
Moderator: Kristi Chadwick, Library Director, Ballston Community Public Library (NY)

5:15 – 5:45 PM ET | Closing Keynote TBD

Becky Spratford panel