Northeast (NE)

Broadway Books is thrilled to welcome Anthea Kreston with her debut memoir Crescendo: Chronicles of an Adventurous Violinist (Paul Dry Books, 2026). She will be joined in conversation with Ling Ling Huang, author of Natural Beauty and Immaculate Conception.

When American violinist Anthea Kreston, called “An Indomitable Spirit” by Yo-Yo Ma, is selected as the fourth member of Germany’s Artemis Quartet, it is the culmination of decades of dedication. In Crescendo, her enchanting and deeply personal memoir, Kreston writes about growing up in a well-to-do but difficult family in Chicago, leaving home at age sixteen, studying at the ultracompetitive Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (Hilary Hahn was a classmate), then burning out and leaving it all behind for a commune in Oregon.

Review our venue FAQ here

Parallel Worlds Bookshop and the Hollywood Theatre present a special author conversation with Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu, celebrating the release of Jane’s debut novel, Public Access Afterworld, followed by a screening of Schoenbrun’s acclaimed film I Saw the TV Glow.

When: November 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Where: Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Tickets: $18 sold via Hollywood Theatre
Ticket price does not include a copy of the book. Preorder Here!

A mysterious realm waits on the other side of our screens. A dark force draws victims into its static. An unlikely hero must save them, and herself, from an electric hell.

Spanning decades and realities, Public Access Afterworld follows an unforgettable ensemble of outcasts and obsessive television viewers whose lives become entangled with a surreal pirate network. At the center is Bethany Peters, a trans content moderator working the night shift at a sprawling tech corporation. When a young streamer begins appearing in her feed and calling out to Public Access Afterworld, Bethany is pulled into a conspiracy stretching across screens, timelines, and realities.

A mesmerizing collision of speculative fiction, horror, conspiracy, and queer transformation, Public Access Afterworld marks the literary debut of the celebrated filmmaker behind I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.

Jane Schoenbrun is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. Their films include I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. Their newest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, releases in 2026. Public Access Afterworld is their first novel.

Tickets for the screening and conversation are sold through the Hollywood Theatre. Copies of Public Access Afterworld will be available for purchase onsite from Parallel Worlds Bookshop.

Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu will not be signing books. Pre-ordered books or books purchased at event will be pre-signed.

Still photography is permitted. Audio and video recording are not permitted unless approved in advance.

1. Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun - Signed Edition
   (Pub Date: October 27, 2026)
   A mysterious realm on the other side of our screens. A dark force that draws victims into its static. The unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Public Access Afterworld is the profound, binge-all-night, headrush of a novel by the celebrated filmmaker of I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

2. Alchemised by Senlinyu Signed Edition (Out Now)

3. Alchemised by Senlinyu 3 Volume Deluxe Boxset(Pub Date: October 13)
   In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.

Portland Book Festival welcomes Molly and Meherwan Irani, the husband-and-wife team behind Asheville’s nationally celebrated Chai Pani Restaurant Group. Their flagship restaurant, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2022.

This year, Molly and Meherwan each bring a new book to the table. Meherwan has written No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India. Molly’s Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality was published earlier this year. Together, the books offer two very different—and deeply connected—perspectives on food, restaurants, and hospitality.

In celebration of Diwali—the Hindu festival of lights, marked by food, gathering, and celebration—Molly and Meherwan will join their longtime friend Chef Troy MacLarty at Bollywood Theater on Alberta Street for a collaboration. Bollywood Theater will serve a special menu inspired by recipes from Meherwan’s book alongside its own Diwali-inspired menu. It’s a gathering of longtime friends, great food, and two books that reflect different sides of a shared life in restaurants.

Both books will be featured at Portland Book Festival, and Molly and Meherwan will be on hand at Bollywood to meet guests and sign copies.

Closing out the Portland Book Festival with a special edition Soju Party, celebrating Korean food, drinking culture, and Irene Yoo’s James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean, as part of Portland Book Festival’s “living cookbook” weekend.

Expect Han Oak favorites and anju-inspired bites with specialty soju + wine cocktails with CHO Wines, and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. Irene will be there celebrating the book, with copies available for purchase throughout the evening. Come eat, drink, and learn to party like a Korean. Everyone’s invited.

About the author:

Irene Yoo is a Korean American food writer, recipe developer, chef and co-owner of Brooklyn’s Orion Bar, whose work explores Korean food, drinking traditions, and the culture of gathering around the table.

Oregon Humanities and Constellation Reading Series are teaming up to ask Portland writers the question: “What’s the book that made you say, Books are for me?”

Inspired by Oregon Humanities magazine’s Works Cited section—where authors unpack the foundational texts that shaped their lives—we’re gathering a stacked lineup of OH contributors and Constellation alums at the new P.A.LS. (Portland Arts & Literary Society) Building for a night of literary show-and-tell. Featuring flash readings from Lydia Kiesling, Eric Tran, Aleksandr Chernosov, Jae Nichelle, Christopher Rose, Tim Lane, and more, plus a lightning-round open mic where you can step up to share the book that started your literary origin story.

Come celebrate the reading life with us!

Portland Book Festival welcomes Molly and Meherwan Irani, the husband-and-wife team behind Asheville’s nationally celebrated Chai Pani Restaurant Group. Their flagship restaurant, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2022.

This year, Molly and Meherwan each bring a new book to the table. Meherwan has written No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India, releasing September 22. Molly’s Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality was published earlier this year. Together, the books offer two very different—and deeply connected—perspectives on food, restaurants, and hospitality.

In celebration of Diwali—the Hindu festival of lights, marked by food, gathering, and celebration—Molly and Meherwan will join their longtime friend Chef Troy MacLarty at Bollywood Theater on Alberta Street for a collaboration.

Bollywood Theater will serve a special menu inspired by recipes from Meherwan’s book alongside its own Diwali-inspired menu. It’s a gathering of longtime friends, great food, and two books that reflect different sides of a shared life in restaurants.

Both books will be featured at Portland Book Festival, and Molly and Meherwan will be on hand at Bollywood to meet guests and sign copies.

In the “Why Horror?” panel presented by the HWA Oregon chapter, co-hosts Amber and Dan Finnegan of the podcast Dusk to Dawn: Reading Horror and Weird Fiction will sit down with local horror authors Keith Rosson, Danger Slater, Caitlin Starling, and Kelsea Yu to discuss the appeal of horror, how it can be a guiding light through difficult times, and just what it is about bumps in the night that keep us reading page after page.

Farm Fresh Cabaret and mischief with Derek Eisel, aka Beto Renaud. Eisel sings the good news from Lopez Island with songs of Lesbian Potlucks and Husbands Who Fix Tractors, and performs from his book A Little Spanish by Beto Renaud, a fable about a five inch tall gay troll who migrates to a family farm in Mexico. This performance is in conjunction with the Portland Book Festival’s Cover to Cover Program.

We are delighted to welcome Gavin Van Horn, editor of the new anthology Sensoria: Attending to the Wonder and Vitality of Nature to Broadway Books. He will be joined by poet Brittney Corrigan, one of the contributors to the anthology.

A stunning gathering of creative nonfiction, research, and poetry, Sensoria transports readers into compelling stories and ethical reflections that stretch the limits of the moral imagination, calling attention to the wondrous ways in which humans and other-than-human beings experience and perceive the world. By exploring the sensorium among all forms of life endowed with different kinds of consciousness and communicative abilities, this volume highlights ecologically and socially diverse ways of touching the world with mind, and touching mind with the world.

Inspired by Davide De Pierro’s newly released novel The Letters I Never Sent, his live show blends personal storytelling, humor, and audience conversation. Throughout the night, De Pierro will deliver a monologue and read selections from the book, followed by an open Q&A with the audience. Limited meet-and-greet opportunities will also be available for those who purchase in advance. Davide is a New Jersey native that has cultivated over 3M followers on TikTok and 2.7M followers on Instagram and has been earning millions of views online. Known for his commentary on relationships, finances, and those relatable moments that capture the human experience, Davide is excited to be expanding into a fresh medium.

Join us at Vivienne for an evening with Katherine Anderson, founder and former co-owner of Seattle’s beloved The London Plane, celebrating her new The London Plane Flower & Cook Book.

Part cookbook and part tribute, the book follows a year at The London Plane, pairing seasonal flowers with recipes from the restaurant’s kitchen and bakery. Along the way, essays and stories from the chefs, bakers, florists, and collaborators who shaped The London Plane tell the story of the community behind it.

For our November gathering, Katherine will be joined in conversation by Portland florist Hilary Horvath to talk about flowers, food, seasonality, and the ways both can shape a table and a gathering.

The evening will include conversation, audience Q&A, and a book signing.

Join us the night before the full Portland Book Festival begins as authors Michelle St. Romain, Tara Badstubner, and Liz Collins discuss their recently released novels and the remarkable animals who play starring roles in their work. The evening will include interesting discussion, Q&A, and music by Free the Internet, a Portland area band. Animal-themed trivia will be sprinkled throughout the evening, with great prizes available, including copies of the books and other swag.

Oregon Humanities and Constellation Reading Series are teaming up to ask Portland writers the question: What’s the book that made you say, Books are for me?

The idea comes from the Works Cited section of Oregon Humanities magazine, where authors reflect on the foundational texts that shaped their lives. On Wednesday, November 4, we’re bringing that idea to the new PALS (Portland Arts & Literary Society) Building for an evening of literary show-and-tell.

We'll hear from Aleksandr Chernousov, Lydia Kiesling, Tim Lane, Jae Nichelle, Christopher Rose, and Eric Tran about the books that shaped them, and they'll also share passages from their work. Then we’ll open the mic to you.

Bring the book that started your literary origin story! It could be a children’s book, a comic, a classic—all books count. During our lightning round open mic, you’ll have 60 seconds to share your book and why it matters. If you’d rather just listen, that’s welcome too, just pull up a seat and enjoy the evening.

Up Up Books will be open especially for the event, and the readers’ books will be for sale.

Come celebrate the reading life with us! This event is part of the Portland Book Festival's Cover to Cover series.

A safe place where ALL are welcome to be themselves. Find support, eat snacks, get creative, discuss favorite books, and more! Bring a friend, or make a new one. For grades 5-8.

Queer Youth Club is a youth-run club for that unites LGBTQIA+ and allied youth from neighboring schools. Email [email protected] for more information.

Babies from birth to 12 months (with a favorite adult) enjoy songs, action rhymes, and playtime, with bonus socialization for babies and the adults. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Celebrate the release of A Thousand Flames, the debut poetry collection by Corey S. Pressman. Corey S. Pressman's debut collection, A Thousand Flames, offers poems of secular devotion in which a bird feeder can stand as the axis mundi and the bees have a god of their own. Across twelve sections, they travel from a Rockland County childhood to a hilltop in the fog, and as far back as the rooftops of Neolithic Çatalhöyük. Each poem asks you to slow down and stay a little longer than expected.

"Corey Pressman is a magical human - magical art, magical writing. His finely made poems are bells of vision and clarity to help us 'stay the same changing.'" - Naomi Shihab Nye

Practice your new reading skills! Each week you'll listen to a story, practice reading with a teen volunteer. This program is especially for kindergartners to second graders. Register here.

Practice your new reading skills! Each week you'll listen to a story, practice reading with a teen volunteer. This program is especially for kindergartners to second graders. Register here.

The African and African American experience comes alive for children from birth to age 6 (with their favorite adult/family members). Have fun with books and stories, songs, and movement activities in a positive and affirming environment. Black Storytime builds language and literacy skills your child needs to be ready for kindergarten. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Join the Portland release of I Believe in Everything: A Memoir of Illness, Motherhood and Magic. Jen Dary will give a reading from her debut memoir before local Portland artist Lisa Congdon facilitates a conversation and and audience Q&A. Jen will sign books as well.

Books and drinks will be available for purchase. This event is for ages 21+.

Bring a friend or a book club, or come alone, ready to make some new friends. Whether you've known Jen for years or stumbled upon this event by accident, you are welcome.

Tickets cost $10. $5 of every ticket will be donated to the American Brain Tumor Association.

Horror Bookclub! The Eyes Are The Best Part Monika Kim

Where: PW
When: Thurs Nov 19 @ 6:30pm

Children from birth to age 6 (with a favorite adult) enjoy books, songs, rhymes and movement activities while building language and literacy skills. Attendance is limited and free tickets are available 15 minutes before storytime.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

🦷✨ Join us for the release of MILKTEETH, the newest release from Caitlin Starling.

We're thrilled to welcome Caitlin in conversation with Stephanie Binx for an evening of author discussion, reader Q&A and a book signing.

📚 Books available for purchase and signing at the event.

When: Tues Nov 10 @ 630pm

Broadway Books is thrilled to celebrate Wandering Aengus Press with editor-in-chief Jill McCabe Johnson, and authors Chrys Buckley, John Fadely, Veronica Kornberg, and A. Molotkov.

Wandering Aengus Press and its imprint, Trail to Table Press, are dedicated to publishing works to enrich lives and make the world a better place, because why not do as much good as we can in the world with what little time we have? Established in 2017, they publish literary works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Publishing between two to six books a year, they work closely with each author to create books they can feel proud of and readers will love, be inspired by, and treasure. Their editors generously donate their time and expertise, and every book is a work borne of love and dedication. Wandering Aengus is named after the title of a poem by Yeats. Aengus is the Celtic god of love and poetic inspiration, as well as the treasured cat of press founder Jill McCabe Johnson.

Improve your reading skills and make a new friend by reading aloud to a therapy dog. For kids and teens. Call 503.988.5123 to register or stop by the library.

Kids in grades 4-5 are invited to talk about graphic novels and eat snacks! Every meeting includes a short activity related to this month's book. A limited number of books are available for pick up at the library.

Kids in grades 4-5 are invited to talk about graphic novels and eat snacks! Every meeting includes a short activity related to this month's book. A limited number of books are available for pick up at the library before the book club.

Children from birth to age 6 (with a favorite adult) enjoy books, songs, rhymes and movement activities while building language and literacy skills. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Improve your reading skills and make a new friend by reading aloud to Dobin, a therapy dog. For kids and teens. Call 503.988.5123 to register.

One-year-olds (with a favorite adult) enjoy songs, movement activities, rhymes, books and playtime. This action-packed program engages new walkers in language-based activities. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

This preschool storytime is especially welcoming for children ages 3-5 and families who are looking for a smaller, more adaptive library experience.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Join us as we are celebrating the 4th book in Chen's Kangraoo series, Kangaroo Forth Curtis will be in conversation with local SF author Jessie Kwak

Conversation, Q&A, followed by book signing

When: November 18th. 630-8pm

Bios:

Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) now writes stories near Portland, Oregon. He's the award-winning author of the bestselling KANGAROO series of funny science fiction spy thrillers and has written for the Realm original podcasts Echo Park, Ninth Step Murders, and Machina. Curtis' shorter works have appeared in Playboy Magazine; the ENNIE Award-winning Kobold Guide to Roleplaying; The Year's Best Fantasy, Volume 2; Aliens vs. Predators: Ultimate Prey; and elsewhere. His homebrew cat feeding robot was displayed in the "Worlds Beyond Here" exhibit at Seattle's Wing Luke Museum. Visit him online: https://CurtisCChen.com

Jessie Kwak is an author, storyteller, and business book ghostwriter living in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not writing, she can be found sewing, mountain biking, and exploring the Pacific Northwest (and beyond). She is the author of thriller novels, two series of space scoundrel sci-fi crime novels, and a handful of productivity books including From Chaos to Creativity and From Big Idea to Book. You can learn more about her at www.jessiekwak.com.

We're partnering with Rose Haven for a special weekend book drive in November!

Rose Haven provides essential services, resources, and community support to women, children, and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Portland. To help support their community, we're collecting gently loved books across all genres.

Looking to make room on your shelves? Bring your books to Parallel Worlds Bookshop and help Rose Haven expand access to books and build community!

Donation Dates: Nov 13-15
Location: Parallel Worlds Bookshop

Toddlers (with a favorite adult) enjoy interactive stories, songs and games that encourage their emerging language skills. Attendance is limited and free tickets are available 15 minutes before storytime.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Hunger Games Bookclub: Part 3/3

The Hunger Games Book Club
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Join Parallel Worlds as we return to Panem for a special Hunger Games Book Club series in preparation for the theatrical release of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, arriving in theaters and IMAX on November 20, 2026.

Dates:

📚 August 12: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay
🐍 October 14: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
🌅 November 11: Sunrise on the Reaping

For our third gathering, we'll discuss the most recent installment of the series, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

Whether you're revisiting Panem or volunteering as tribute for the first time, join us as we discuss rebellion, propaganda, survival, spectacle, and why these books continue to resonate nearly two decades later.

📍 Parallel Worlds Bookshop
🗓 Wednesdays | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
📚 Free to attend. No RSVP required.

Children ages birth to 6 along with their families, elders, aunties and uncles are welcome for songs and stories celebrating Native cultures and building language and literacy skills. Presented by Native library staff. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Play and learning go hand in hand. While our storytimes are on break, join other Black families in a fun playtime at the library with books, toys, music, and all the room you need to learn through play in a positive, affirming environment. As Mr. Rogers said, "... for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."

Toddlers (with a favorite adult) enjoy interactive stories, songs and games that encourage their emerging language skills. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Contact Audrey Webster for more [email protected]

Children from birth to age 6 (with a favorite adult) enjoy books highlighting LGBTQ+ families, along with songs, rhymes and movement activities building language, literacy, and community in an identity-supporting environment.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Babies from birth to 12 months (with a favorite adult) enjoy songs, action rhymes, and playtime, with bonus socialization for babies and the adults. Attendance is limited and free tickets are available 15 minutes before storytime.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

One-year-olds (with a favorite adult) enjoy songs, movement activities, rhymes, books and playtime. This action-packed program engages new walkers in language-based activities. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Toddlers (with a favorite adult) enjoy interactive stories, songs and games that encourage their emerging language skills. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.

Play and learning go hand in hand. While our storytimes are on break, join other families for a fun playtime (for ages 2-3) with books, toys, music, and all the room you need to learn through play. As Mr. Rogers said, "... for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."