BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Curious Iguana - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Curious Iguana
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://curiousiguana.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Curious Iguana
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20240101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250301T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250331T180000
DTSTAMP:20250228T003212Z
CREATED:20250225T022154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250228T003212Z
UID:10000288-1740823200-1743444000@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Unity Campaign Book Drive
DESCRIPTION:Purchase new children’s books in-store to put in the drop box between March 1-31 for The United Way of Frederick County’s Unity Campaign! \nLearn more about the Unity Campaign here.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/unity-campaign-book-drive/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Curious Iguana":MAILTO:info@curiousiguana.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250313T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250313T200000
DTSTAMP:20250221T212027Z
CREATED:20250221T212027Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T212027Z
UID:10000285-1741892400-1741896000@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Megan Barnard: The Winter Goddess
DESCRIPTION:Come experience a mystical winter as we welcome author Megan Barnard to discuss her new novel\, The Winter Goddess. Megan will share about her reimagining of an Irish myth that teaches us about the beauty of being human and the love of being alive. Afterwards\, Megan will answer questions and sign books. Copies of The Winter Goddess will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis event will be held at Give Rise Studio\, and is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: “The Winter Goddess is a gripping\, bittersweet tale that explores love\, loss\, and the price of power and immortality. . . a perfect read for cold winter nights. I couldn’t put it down.” —Genevieve Gornichek\, bestselling author of The Weaver and the Witch Queen \n“Utterly bewitching. . . Barnard’s novel pairs the beauty and fragility of the human experience with the sharp bite of winter. The result is an enthralling and emotional saga mythology lovers everywhere won’t want to miss!” —A.D. Rhine\, author of Daughters of Bronze \nA goddess is cursed to endlessly live and die as a mortal until she understands the value of human life\, in this inventive\, moving reimagining of Irish mythology. \nCailleach\, goddess of winter\, was not born to be a blight on humanity\, but she became one. She would say with scorn that it was their own fault: mortals were selfish\, thoughtless\, and destructive\, bringing harm to each other and the earth without cause or qualms. \nOne day\, Cailleach goes too far. Thousands die\, lost to her brutal winter. In punishment\, her mother Danu\, queen of the gods\, strips the goddess of her powers and sends Cailleach to earth\, to live and die as the mortals she so despises\, until she understands what it is to be one of them. Though determined to live in solitude\, Cailleach finds that she cannot help but reach for the people she once held in such disdain. She loves and mourns in equal measure\, and in opening herself to humanity\, hears tales not meant for immortal ears—including a long-buried secret that will redefine what it means to be a god. \nAbout the author: Megan Barnard is the author of novels born from an obsession with ancient myths\, powerful women\, and forgotten voices. When she’s not writing\, she’s falling down rabbit holes of research and can share many a random fact\, some of which occasionally even inform her writing. She lives in Maryland with her husband and her pup\, Pippin.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/megan-barnard/
LOCATION:Give Rise Studio\, 125 S Carroll St #101\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!,Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Facebook-Event-Cover.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250319T163000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250319T193000
DTSTAMP:20250221T214526Z
CREATED:20250214T222715Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T214526Z
UID:10000279-1742401800-1742412600@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Dear Reader: A Swiftie Book Fair for Adults
DESCRIPTION:It’s time to get out your Swiftie outfit\, pick your favorite books\, and just read! Darling\, darling\, please join Attaboy Beer and Curious Iguana for our very first Dear Reader (Taylor Swift Inspired) Book Fair for Adults! The greatest luxury is books\, so come wander through our book stacks on Wednesday\, March 19 from 4:30 pm-7:30 pm\, where you and your friends will find books who care. If you plan to have another drink\, Attaboy Barrel House will be open until 9:00 pm.  \nWhat kinds of books will we have? Thrillers\, horror\, mystery\, literary fiction\, poetry\, historical fiction\, and of course\, tons of romance! You don’t have to be a swiftie to come and enjoy this event. It’s just a fun theme we are incorporating\, like a birthday party theme! \nThis event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Families may bring their children\, and furry friends are welcome outside. \nNever take parking advice from someone who hasn’t been to one of our book fairs: Park on-site or park at the East All Saints Street Parking Garage (125 E All Saints St\, Frederick\, MD) and enjoy a 7-8 minute stroll to the venue. \nVendors:\nJessica Jordan\, a local jeweler from Downtown Frederick (who is also a huge Swiftie!) will be joining us at our book fair! Jessica’s beautiful handmade pieces are the perfect touch for any outfit. Please check out her Instagram to preview some of her work: @Jessicajordan_est21 \nLocal author signing:\nAndie Burke: Andie Burke writes books with queer kissing and happily ever afters. She was originally an English major who decided to jump into a pediatric nursing career. Her writing is inspired by over a decade spent working in hospitals with patients of all ages. After the last couple years spent in the pandemic ER\, she escaped to an outpatient pediatric sedation unit. Andie lives in a blue house in Maryland with an alarming number of books and an embarrassing number of ultra-fine point pens. When she’s not writing\, she’s probably feeding snacks to the two small human creatures who live with her or trying not to kill her chaotic houseplants. You can find her on Bookstagram adding to her ever-expanding TBR or letting her ADHD brain happily dissociate while listening to Taylor Swift. \n Megan Barnard: Megan is the author of novels born from an obsession with ancient myths\, powerful women\, and forgotten voices. When she’s not writing\, she’s falling down rabbit holes of research and can share many a random fact\, some of which occasionally even inform her writing. She lives in Maryland with her husband and her pup\, Pippin.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/dear-reader-a-swiftie-book-fair-for-adults/
LOCATION:Attaboy Barrel House\, 24 S Wisner St ste 110\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CI-FB-Event-Graphics-12-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250322T110000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250322T120000
DTSTAMP:20250214T233232Z
CREATED:20250214T233232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250214T233232Z
UID:10000281-1742641200-1742644800@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Seniors Memoir Writing Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Sharing memories with loved ones is a beautiful experience; sometimes\, telling the whole story requires more than just a few words. Please join us and writer Niki Gjoni for a special writing workshop for seniors\, focusing on memoir writing. Niki will lead attendees through a 1 hour workshop to learn about memoir writing and how they can use it to record treasured memories for generations to come. \nThe workshop will be hosted at Middletown Public Library on Saturday\, March 22 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. \nThis event is presented in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries and is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout Niki Gjoni: Nikoletta Gjoni is a writer and editor living outside of Washington\, D.C. Her work has appeared in the 2023 Rising Stars London Independent Story Prize anthology\, Atticus Review\, The Ex-Puritan\, Alan Squire Publishing\, and Emerson Review\, among others. Her work has been previously nominated for the PEN/Robert J. Dau prize\, Best of the Net\, and Best Microfiction. She was a 2024 scholarship recipient for the Salty Quill Writing Retreat in Maine where she worked towards completing her first novel. Visit www.ngjoni.com to view her publications or contact her about workshop opportunities.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/seniors-memoir-writing-workshop/
LOCATION:Middletown Library\, 31 E Green St\, Middletown\, MD\, 21769\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CI-FB-Event-Graphics-16.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250325T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250325T190000
DTSTAMP:20250206T220252Z
CREATED:20250206T215620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250206T220252Z
UID:10000277-1742925600-1742929200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Bob Shea: Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Curious Iguana at 6:00 pm on Tuesday\, March 25 for a meet-and-greet with author Bob Shea as he promotes his new book\, Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend. After spending the day visiting schools\, Bob will be at the Iguana in the evening to meet fans and sign books! \nThis event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. \nAbout the book: Fall in love with a turtle wearing a bear suit—determined to prove that he’s a “for-real” bear—in this laugh-out-loud silly friendship story from the award-winning Bob Shea\, author-illustrator of the popular Dinosaur VS. series and Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great. \nWhen a turtle in a bear suit claims he is a “for-real” bear\, he must prove himself to another turtle who just so happens to be a for-real bear expert. Hilarity ensues as Bearsuit Turtle proves he can climb trees\, hibernate\, and do other for-real bear stuff . . . like riding bikes\, eating ice cream\, and smashing pumpkins. But when Bear-Expert Turtle reveals a secret\, Bearsuit Turtle has to admit a truth of his own. Whether or not these two turtles are for-real bears or experts\, they just might become for-real friends. \nWith a fabulously endearing\, offbeat\, and memorable new character; playful\, true-to-life child dynamics; and a goofy\, kid-perfect sense of humor\, Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend is sure to charm readers everywhere. Includes a page of “for-real bear facts” at the end. \nAbout the author: Bob Shea has written and/or illustrated over 20 picture books including the popular Dinosaur Vs. series\, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great\, and the Ballet Cat early readers series. His most recent picture book\, Chez Bob\, received three starred reviews\, with Booklist calling it “terrifically funny and surprisingly sweet.” Bob’s characters and animations have appeared on Nick Jr\, Playhouse Disney\, and PBS Kids.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/bob-shea-signing/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/February-2025-Events-2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Curious Iguana":MAILTO:info@curiousiguana.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250326T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250326T200000
DTSTAMP:20250822T000340Z
CREATED:20250115T221147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T000340Z
UID:10000260-1743015600-1743019200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Global Voices 2025
DESCRIPTION:Explore literary fiction by international authors with our Global Voices Book Club\, meeting at 7 pm on last Wednesdays\, January through October\, at Grace United Church of Christ\, Room 3 (lefthand entrance at end of hall)\, 25 East 2nd Street\,  Downtown Frederick. Parking is available on the street and in Church Street parking deck. \nFeatured titles are 20% off at Curious Iguana (just mention Global Voices at checkout)\, or order through Bookshop.org to have books shipped to your home. \nAugust 27 – Clear by Carys Davies \nSeptember 24 – The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem \nOctober 29 – The Understory by Saneh Sangsuk \nWant to print the schedule? Click here for a PDF list of this year’s titles.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/global-voices-2025/2025-03-26/
LOCATION:Grace United Church of Christ\, 25 E 2nd St\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Global-Voices-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250401T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250401T190000
DTSTAMP:20250306T223655Z
CREATED:20250214T235641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250306T223655Z
UID:10000283-1743530400-1743534000@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:James Riley Meet + Greet
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Curious Iguana at 6:00 pm on Tuesday\, April 1 for a meet-and-greet with author James Riley as he promotes his new book\, The Dragon’s Apprentice. After spending the day visiting schools\, James will be at the Iguana in the evening to meet fans and sign books! If you can’t make it to the meet and greet but would  like to order a signed and personalized copy\, click here. \nThis event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. \nAbout the book: STOP. Don’t read any further. There are magic spells in this book\, and the Emperor has forbidden anyone from learning magic\, because it’s way too dangerous! If you try one of the spells\, any number of terrible things might happen (or so the Emperor says). \nDon’t be like Ciara\, a twelve-year-old girl living in the tiny village of Skael. When she used a spell from within this book\, she ended up summoning a dragon. A DRAGON! Those things breathe fire! From their mouths! She’s obviously doomed. \nAnd don’t listen if Ciara tells you that dragons won’t hurt humans\, and that they even once taught us magic\, a thousand years ago. Definitely don’t pay any attention to the fact that the dragon she summoned\, Scorch\, might be willing to help rescue Ciara’s mother and free her village from the Emperor and his Warden\, because it’s all obviously a big lie. So put this book down\, and forget about it. Magic is just way too dangerous. After all\, you wouldn’t want to summon your own dragon\, would you? \nAbout the author: James Riley is the New York Times bestselling author of the HALF UPON A TIME series\, the STORY THIEVES series\, the REVENGE OF MAGIC series\, the ONCE UPON ANOTHER TIME series\, and the new DRAGON’S APPRENTICE series. He was born in Connecticut\, where he lived for only a short time before moving to … well\, quite a few states. He currently lives in Boston\, Massachusetts\, because that’s where his cats are. He has three of them. Other people think that’s a bit much.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/james-riley-meet-greet/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CI-FB-Event-Graphics-18.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250402T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250402T193000
DTSTAMP:20250403T004638Z
CREATED:20250224T221347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250403T004638Z
UID:10000287-1743618600-1743622200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Mike Tidwell: The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue
DESCRIPTION:Please join us Wednesday\, April 2 from 6:30-7:30 pm at the Frederick Book Arts Center for an evening with author Mike Tidwell. Mike will discuss his new novel The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue\, which shares his perspective of the impacts of climate change on his own street near Washington D.C. Following his presentation\, Mike will answer questions and sign books. Copies of The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis event is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: In 2023\, author and activist Mike Tidwell decided to keep a record for a full year of the growing impacts of climate change on his one urban block right on the border with Washington\, DC. A love letter to the magnificent oaks and other trees dying from record heat waves and bizarre rain\, Tidwell’s story depicts the neighborhood’s battle to save the trees and combat climate change: The midwife who builds a geothermal energy system on the block\, the Congressman who battles cancer and climate change at the same time\, and the Chinese-American climate scientist who wants to bury billions of the world’s dying trees to store their carbon and help stabilize the atmosphere. \nThe story goes beyond ailing trees as Tidwell chronicles people on his block sick with Lyme disease\, a church struggling with floods\, and young people anguishing over whether to have kids\, all in the same neighborhood and all against the global backdrop of 2023’s record heat domes and raging wildfires and hurricanes. Then there’s Tidwell himself who explores the ethical and scientific questions surrounding the idea of “geoengineering” as a last-ditch way to save the world’s trees – and human communities everywhere – by reflecting sunlight away from the planet. No book has told the story of climate change this way: hyper local\, full of surprises\, full of true stories of life and death in one neighborhood. The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue is a harrowing and hopeful proxy for every street in America and every place on Earth. \nAbout the author: Mike is a writer and climate activist. His previous six books include Bayou Farewell (2003) about the disappearing wetlands in south Louisiana. As a contributing writer for The Washington Post\, he has won four Lowell Thomas Awards\, the highest prize in American travel journalism. In 2002 he founded the Chesapeake Climate Action Network\, where he has led local and national campaigns for clean energy. He lives on Willow Avenue in Takoma Park with his wife Beth and their cat Macy Gray.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/mike-tidwell-the-lost-trees-of-willow-avenue/
LOCATION:Frederick Book Arts Center\, 127 S Carroll St\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!,Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Facebook-Event-Cover-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Curious Iguana":MAILTO:info@curiousiguana.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250405T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250405T160000
DTSTAMP:20250405T012644Z
CREATED:20250327T205035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T012644Z
UID:10000296-1743850800-1743868800@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Paws Around Town First Saturday: Jenn's Uncommon Critters
DESCRIPTION:Snakes\, lizards\, and… dragons? Oh my! We are excited to welcome local animal rescue and non-profit Jenn’s Uncommon Critters to join us as part of our First Saturday fun! From 11:00 am – 4:00 pm on Saturday\, April 5\, swing by the Curious Iguana to spot some amazing scaly creatures! \nDuring the time of their visit\, 5% of all sales will be donated to Jenn’s Uncommon Critters to support the work they do for animal rescue\, fostering\, and adoption. To find out more about this amazing team\, check out their website and follow them on social media!
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/jenns-uncommon-critters/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-15.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250408T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250408T194500
DTSTAMP:20250405T012706Z
CREATED:20250125T002432Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T012706Z
UID:10000249-1744137000-1744141500@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Jenni Howell: Boys with Sharp Teeth
DESCRIPTION:New book alert! Please join us in celebrating the release of Jenni Howell’s debut novel Boys With Sharp Teeth! Jenni will be joined in conversation with fellow author\, Charlene Thomas! The book launch will be held at C. Burr Artz Library in Downtown Frederick on April 8th from 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm. Jenni will share about her work and take questions from the audience; afterwards\, she will sign books. Copies of Boys With Sharp Teeth will also be available for purchase at the event. Preorder a signed and personalized copy ahead of time here. \n\n\nThis event is presented in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries and is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \n\nAbout the authors: \n\n\nJenni Howell tried out archaeology\, linguistics\, mongoose herding (known to some as “teaching”)\, finance\, and espionage\, but always got bored. Now she writes books\, so her entire world changes every six months—and she will never be bored again. Boys with Sharp Teeth is her debut novel. \nCharlene Thomas is an American author of young adult fiction and a writing coach. Her debut novel\, Seton Girls\, released with Penguin Random House in 2022\, and her sophomore novel\, Streetlight People\, released in November 2024. She also has a third novel\, titled It’s You Every Time\, coming from Scholastic in Summer of 2025. \nCharlene was sixteen when she wrote a manuscript that won the National Novel Silver Award from Scholastic Books and went on to minor in creative writing at North Carolina State University. She also has her MBA from Emory University\, and recently completed the Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing post-graduate program at The University of Cambridge. Charlene is also a trained marketer\, with experience working on major brands. \nShe’s a big dreamer and believes a lot in people and what all of us are capable of\, and maybe that’s why she loves creating big characters who are steadfastly determined to change their own little parts of the world. If you ever want to reach out\, or are interested in learning more about her coaching offerings for writers\, never hesitate to contact her via email at charlenethomasbooks@gmail.com. \nAbout the book: We Were Liars meets The Raven Boys in this mind-bending YA debut about dark revenge\, twisted desire\, and the sinister secrets lurking behind the walls of an elite boarding school. \n\n\nSeventeen-year-old Marin James has spent her entire life living in the shadow of the exclusive Huntsworth Academy. And when her cousin’s dead body is found in a creek on school property\, Marin knows exactly who’s to blame: Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu\, the enigmatic yet dangerously alluring leaders of the school’s social elite. \n\nSwapping her ripped jeans for a crisp prep school skirt\, Marin infiltrates Huntsworth to seek justice. But her quest is quickly muddied by a confusing attraction to her new life\, and to the two dysfunctional and depraved boys who somehow understand her better than anyone ever has.\nWhen Marin uncovers an otherworldly secret the boys are hiding within Huntsworth’s ivied gates\, the lines between right and wrong\, love and hate\, and nightmare and reality begin to crumble — and nothing is as it seems.\nWelcome to Huntsworth Academy.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/jenni-howell-event/
LOCATION:C. Burr Artz Public Library\, 110 E Patrick St\, Frederick\, MD\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CI-FB-Event-Graphics-19.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250412T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250412T120000
DTSTAMP:20250405T012724Z
CREATED:20250327T210634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T012724Z
UID:10000297-1744455600-1744459200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Storytime + Craft with Melinda Beatty at Heritage Frederick
DESCRIPTION:Please join us Saturday\, April 12\, from 11 am-12 pm for a storytime and craft with Melinda Beatty for her latest release\, The Witch’s Table! This children’s book tells of the wobbly relationship between a young witch and the unique table she inherited and of how they come to understand one another. Mel will lead the audience in storytime followed by a personalized craft activity. Books will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis event is hosted in partnership with Heritage Frederick at their location: 24 E Church St\, Frederick\, MD 21701. It is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: When a young witch inherits a rather cantankerous family heirloom; she has to figure out how to outwit her cursed companion. \nThe Table had been in the Witch’s family for a very long time. No one remembered who had cursed it to stay with them forever\, but none of them liked it much. The young witch initially tries to thwart the Table’s shenanigans. But after some time living with the Table\, she begins to notice how cold the kitchen floor is on a brisk winter’s day\, how many nicks and scratches the Table has endured\, and how hard it is to stand on all four legs for so many hours\, and she comes to realize compassion will get her further than cleverness. This charming and hilarious picture book is about empathy and trying to find common ground with the people–or furniture–around you. \nAbout the author: Melinda Beatty has had years of practice trying to explain to others why she was just having an imaginary conversation between two people that don’t exist\, so becoming a writer seemed like the best way to stop everyone from looking at her funny. After years of narrowboat living on the English canals\, she and her British husband are now back on dry land in Maryland\, where by day\, she’s a mild-mannered indie bookseller\, and by night\, she wrangles words\, crafts projects\, and raises a Labrador and two fierce mini-women.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/storytime-craft/
LOCATION:Heritage Frederick\, 24 E Church St\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI-FB-Event-Graphics-20.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250422T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250422T180000
DTSTAMP:20250405T012743Z
CREATED:20250314T201717Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T012743Z
UID:10000289-1745316000-1745344800@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Great Big Beautiful Life Release Day
DESCRIPTION:Calling all romance and Emily Henry fans! To celebrate the release of Emily’s new book Great Big Beautiful Life\, we will have some free goodies at the store for those who come to pick up a copy on release day\, April 22! Freebies are available on a first come\, first served while supplies last. \nPre-order your copy of Great Big Beautiful Life by clicking here. \nAbout the book: Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry. \nAlice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress\, former tabloid princess\, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century. \nWhen Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period\, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story\, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game. \nOne: Alice genuinely likes people\, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over. \nTwo: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication. \nThree: Hayden Anderson\, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book\, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition. \nBut the problem is\, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room. \nAnd it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery\, tragedy\, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/great-big-beautiful-life-release-day/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250425T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250425T193000
DTSTAMP:20250405T012806Z
CREATED:20250314T203708Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T012806Z
UID:10000290-1745605800-1745609400@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Nicole Cuffy: O Sinners!
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Friday\, April 25 at 6:30 pm to dive deep into cult culture with author Nicole Cuffy as she discusses her new novel O Sinners! with local author Hailey Piper. Following the experiences of a young\, grieving journalist who investigates an enigmatic cult leader\, this novel draws the reader in to explore what it really means to belong to something greater. After the discussion\, Nicole will answer questions and sign books. Copies of O Sinners! will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis is free\, public event will be hosted in partnership with Give Rise Studio at their location\, 125 S Carroll St #101\, Frederick\, MD 21701. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: Faruq Zaidi\, a young journalist reeling from the recent death of his father\, a devout Muslim\, takes the opportunity to embed in a cult called The Nameless. Based in the California redwoods and shepherded by an enigmatic Vietnam War veteran named Odo\, The Nameless adhere to the 18 Utterances\, including teachings such as “all suffering is distortion\,” and “see only beauty.” Faruq\, skeptical but committed to unraveling the mystery of The Nameless\, extends his stay over months\, as he gets deeper into the cult’s inner workings and compassionate teachings. But as he gets closer to Odo\, Faruq himself begins to unravel\, forced to come to terms with the memories he has been running from while trying to resist Odo’s spell. \nTold in three seamlessly interwoven threads between Faruq’s present-day investigation\, Odo’s time before the formation of the movement as a an infantryman during the Vietnam War alongside three other Black soldiers\, and a documentary script that recounts The Nameless’s clash with a Texas fundamentalist church\, O Sinners! examines both longing and belonging. Ultimately the novel asks: What is it that we seek from the people we admire and\, inevitably\, from each other? \nAbout the author: Nicole Cuffy is the author of Dances\, longlisted for the Carol Shields prize for fiction and the Pen/Hemingway award. Cuffy has a MFA from The New School. She is a lecturer at the University of Maryland and American University. Her work can be found in Mason’s Road\, The Master’s Review Volume VI (curated by Roxane Gay)\, Chautauqua\, and Blue Mesa Review\, and her chapbook\, _Atlas of the Bod_y\, won the Chautauqua Janus Prize and was a finalist for the Black River Chapbook Competition. She is based in D.C. \nAbout the moderator: Hailey Piper is the Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Queen of Teeth\, A Light Most Hateful\, The Worm and His Kings series\, and other books of dark fiction. She is also the author of over 100 short stories appearing in Weird Tales\, Pseudopod\, Cosmic Horror Monthly\, Cast of Wonders\, and various other publications. Her nonfiction appears in Writer’s Digest\, Library Journal\, CrimeReads\, and elsewhere. She lives with her wife in Maryland\, where their occult rituals are secret. Find Hailey at HaileyPiper.com.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/nicole-cuffy/
LOCATION:Give Rise Studio\, 125 S Carroll St #101\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!,Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-11.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250426T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250426T200000
DTSTAMP:20250418T194835Z
CREATED:20250221T224141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250418T194835Z
UID:10000286-1745661600-1745697600@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Independent Bookstore Day 2025
DESCRIPTION:Save the date! Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with us on Saturday\, April 26\, anytime between 10 am-8 pm! What is Independent Bookstore Day? A nationwide celebration of indie bookstores! \nHere’s how we are celebrating at the Iguana: \n-We will have one golden ticket from Libro.fm hidden amongst the shelves for one lucky winner to find! This golden ticket gives the winner 12 audiobook credits from Libro.fm – a platform where you can enjoy books while supporting indie bookstores like us. Please note: the ticket will not be hidden in our lovely books\, just amongst the shelves.  \n-The first 50 customers who spend $50 or more in-store on 4/26 will receive a free IBD tote bag! \n-Bestselling horror author Clay McLeod Chapman is joining us from 2 pm-3 pm to sign all his books and meet fans! \n-We’ll have Indie Bookshop Crawl Passports available for anyone who wants to participate this year! The crawl kicks off on Indie Bookstore Day but you have the whole month of May to visit as many locations on the passport as you’d like to win prizes. All details can be found on our pinned post and on the passport. 
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/ibd25/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-21-at-12.12.08-PM.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250426T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250426T150000
DTSTAMP:20250405T013011Z
CREATED:20250314T204815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T013011Z
UID:10000291-1745676000-1745679600@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:In-Store Meet + Greet with Clay McLeod Chapman
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to host Clay McLeod Chapman for an in-store meet & greet on Saturday\, April 26 as part of our Indie Bookstore Day fun! His new book\, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes\, is a riveting thriller about a country hypnotized by propaganda media channels. Clay will be at Curious Iguana from 2:00 pm-3:00 pm to meet fans and sign books. Copies of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes will be available for purchase and signing at this event. \nThis event is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years\, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reawakening” is here\, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered\, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond\, Virginia. There\, he discovers his childhood home in shambles\, a fridge full of spoiled food\, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked\, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help. \nThen Noah’s mother brutally attacks him. \nBut Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels\, using certain apps\, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family\, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together\, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn–-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes? \nThis ambitious\, searing novel from “one of horror’s modern masters” holds a mirror to our divided nation\, and will shake readers to the core. \n“Clay McLeod Chapman is one of my favorite horror storytellers working today.”—Jordan Peele \n“Surreal\, hypnotic\, unrelenting\, profoundly claustrophobic\, and an absolutely scathing sendup of the pitfalls of American divisiveness.”—Keith Rosson\, author of Fever House \nFrom Vulture‘s “master of horror” Clay McLeod Chapman\, a relentless and emotionally charged social horror novel about a family on the run from a demonic possession epidemic that spreads through media\, for fans of The Last of Us and When Evil Lurks \nAbout the author: Clay McLeod Chapman writes novels\, comic books\, and children’s books\, as well as for film and TV. He is the author of the horror novels The Remaking\, Whisper Down the Lane\, Ghost Eaters\, and What Kind of Mother. He also co-wrote Quiet Part Loud\, a horror podcast produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw for Spotify. Visit him at claymcleodchapman.com.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/clay-mcleod-chapman/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI_Facebook_Event_Cover_3.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T190000
DTSTAMP:20250405T013041Z
CREATED:20250214T235138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T013041Z
UID:10000282-1746036000-1746039600@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Aliza Layne Meet + Greet
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Curious Iguana at 6:00 pm on Wednesday\, April 30 for a meet-and-greet with author Aliza Layne as she promotes her new book\, Beetle & the Chimera Carnival. Aliza will be at the Iguana to meet fans and sign books! \nThis event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. \nAbout the book: Beetle and her friends attend a carnival full of dragons and magic\, only to discover something sinister at play behind the scenes\, in this delightful sequel to the Stonewall Honor–winning Beetle & the Hollowbones middle grade graphic novel. \nHidden behind the clouds\, giant dragons guard the most powerful magic in the world from prying eyes. On one magical night\, once every ten years\, these leviathans reveal themselves to a fanfare of costumes\, music\, and parades in the Chimera Carnival. \nBut this time\, something’s wrong. \nWhen Beetle\, Penny\, and Kat decide to check out the empty carnival site one night\, they discover an injured dragon screaming for help. And the more Beetle uncovers about the Chimera Carnival\, the more sinister it gets. Dragons who arrive for the early festivities disappear without a trace. Beetle’s magic begins to go haywire. And Kat’s parents come back to town\, worrying both girls about whether they have a future together. \nIn the catacombs beneath the demolished ’Allowstown mall\, something hungers for dragon magic. And Beetle and her friends are already more entwined with it than they could possibly imagine. \nAbout the author: Aliza Layne was raised by two married dogs but is now a cat. She makes monsters and goblins and Halloween costumes in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains\, where she lives with her gay friends. Beetle & the Hollowbones\, her first graphic novel\, was a Stonewall Honor Book. Find more of her work for adults and kids at Aliza Layne .
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/aliza-layne-meet-greet/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CI-FB-Event-Graphics-17.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T200000
DTSTAMP:20250822T000340Z
CREATED:20250115T221147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T000340Z
UID:10000261-1746039600-1746043200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Global Voices 2025
DESCRIPTION:Explore literary fiction by international authors with our Global Voices Book Club\, meeting at 7 pm on last Wednesdays\, January through October\, at Grace United Church of Christ\, Room 3 (lefthand entrance at end of hall)\, 25 East 2nd Street\,  Downtown Frederick. Parking is available on the street and in Church Street parking deck. \nFeatured titles are 20% off at Curious Iguana (just mention Global Voices at checkout)\, or order through Bookshop.org to have books shipped to your home. \nAugust 27 – Clear by Carys Davies \nSeptember 24 – The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem \nOctober 29 – The Understory by Saneh Sangsuk \nWant to print the schedule? Click here for a PDF list of this year’s titles.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/global-voices-2025/2025-04-30/
LOCATION:Grace United Church of Christ\, 25 E 2nd St\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Global-Voices-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250506T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250506T190000
DTSTAMP:20250405T013100Z
CREATED:20250321T232655Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T013100Z
UID:10000293-1746554400-1746558000@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Michelle Jabès Corpora: His Face Is the Sun
DESCRIPTION:Enter a magical work inspired by Ancient Egypt with us on Tuesday\, May 6 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm! We are excited to celebrate the book launch of Michelle Jabès Corpora’s YA novel His Face Is the Sun. Set in a mythical kingdom inspired by the land of the Nile River\, this story follows four unlikely characters swept up in an oracle that will change their world forever. Michelle will discuss her work with local author Andie Burke\, then answer questions and sign books.  \nClick here to preorder a signed and personalized copy of His Face Is the Sun. Copies will be also available for purchase at the event.  \nThis event will be held at Urbana Regional Library in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries and is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: Ancient Egyptian Game of Thrones for YA readers! Romance\, magic\, adventure\, and horror collide in the start to this lush\, epic trilogy perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas. \nDesire\, War\, Magic\, Monsters…a forgotten oracle will unite them against an ancient enemy. But who will be on the throne when the red dust of Khetara settles? \nThe Kingdom of Khetara is a gift of the River Iteru\, the jewel of the desert. Yet a crisis looms on the horizon. The crowns of the north and south were joined through war a generation before\, but Khetara remains a land divided. The pharaoh is wasting away from a mysterious illness—and forces in the south and within his own family are plotting against him. As rebellion grows and secrets flourish\, an even more deadly threat emerges. An ancient evil awakes among the rolling dunes of the Red Land that threatens to destroy everything in its path. \nFour strangers—a princess\, a young priestess\, a rebel\, and a tomb robber—are ripped from their lives and thrown into the conflict. Amid murder and betrayal\, magic and monsters\, gods and visions\, love and war\, these four unlikely heroes find themselves connected by a forgotten oracle that whispers insistently across the land. Only together can they save the kingdom from destruction\, but when the bloodshed is done\, who of Khetara’s children will sit on the throne? \nAbout the author: MICHELLE JABÈS CORPORA is the author of the Holly Horror series for young adults\, which includes Holly Horror (Penguin Workshop\, 2023) and The Longest Night (2024). As a Senior Commissioning Editor at Working Partners\, Ltd.\, Michelle has been creating successful concepts for series fiction for more than twelve years\, including books that have sold in more than 20 languages. Find out more about Michelle at michellejcorpora.com. \nAbout the moderator: Andie Burke writes books with queer kissing and happily ever afters. She was originally an English major who decided to jump into a pediatric nursing career. Her writing is inspired by over a decade spent working in hospitals with patients of all ages. After the last couple years spent in the pandemic ER\, she escaped to an outpatient pediatric sedation unit. Andie lives in a blue house in Maryland with an alarming number of books and an embarrassing number of ultra-fine point pens. When she’s not writing\, she’s probably feeding snacks to the two small human creatures who live with her or trying not to kill her chaotic houseplants. You can find her on Bookstagram adding to her ever-expanding TBR or letting her ADHD brain happily dissociate while listening to Taylor Swift.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/michelle-jabes-corpora/
LOCATION:Urbana Regional Library\, 9020 Amelung St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21704\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI_Facebook_Event_Cover_5.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250510T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250510T150000
DTSTAMP:20250405T013123Z
CREATED:20250314T210744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T013123Z
UID:10000292-1746885600-1746889200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Author Panel with Cat Pleska\, Karen Salyer McElmurray\, and Magin LaSov Gregg
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to welcome authors Cat Pleska and Karen Salyer McElmurray to speak with Magin LaSov Gregg about their latest novels in a unique author panel. Focusing on themes of identity\, faith\, and human connection\, Cat’s book My Life in Water and Karen’s book I Could Name God in Twelve Ways each reveals the shared experiences of the working class community. Following their conversation\, Cat\, Karen\, and Magin will take questions from the audience and sign books. \nThis author panel will be held at 2:00 pm-3:00 pm on Saturday\, May 10 at Middletown Public Library. \nThis event is presented in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries and is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout Cat Pleska: Cat Pleska\, a native West Virginian\, is an award-winning author\, educator\, and storyteller. Her memoir\, Riding on Comets\, was published by West Virginia University Press. Her current memoir is My Life in Water\, UnCollected Press. Cat edited four anthologies and her stories and essays have appeared in The Appalachian Heritage Anthologies\, Still: The Journal\, Heartwood Magazine\, Change 7 Magazine\, and many others. She teaches in Marshall University’s English Department and in the Graduate Humanities Program. \nAbout Cat’s book\, My Life in Water: “My Life in Water is a collection of essays about the fluidity of life\, its ebb and flow. Each essay tells the story of a time when one comes close to drowning\, floats in joy and peace\, watches others sink or swim. It’s about how liquid of some type\, such as membranous croup\, wild river rapids\, floods\, small islands\, the rising ocean tides—can bring deep realizations to help connect the individual to the basic elements of life\, to navigate its streams. \n“Strap on a life jacket and dive into this often perilous\, at times funny\, always poignant collection bubbling with the language of water. Ever present is the danger of drowning from inattentive caregivers\, from white-water rapids or a bridge collapse into a roiling river. From fluid-filled lungs gasping with croup or pneumonia. But water also brings healing and an understanding that navigating tricky waters\, whether literal or metaphorical\, has made Cat the surest captain of her own life.” \n~ Marie Manilla\, author of Patron Saint of Ugly \nAbout Karen Salyer McElmurray: Karen Salyer McElmurray’s Surrendered Child: A Birth Mother’s Journey\, was an AWP Award Winner for Creative Nonfiction.  Her novels are The Motel of the Stars\, Editor’s Pick by Oxford American\, and Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven\, winner of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing.  As a fiction writer\, she is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts\, the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her work in nonfiction has been a recipient of the Annie Dillard Award for the Essay\, the New Southerner Award\, the Orison Anthology Award for Creative Nonfiction and\, most recently\, the LitSouth Award. She has co-edited\, with poet Adrian Blevins\, an essay collection called Walk till the Dogs Get Mean\, Wanting Radiance\, a novel\, and Voice Lessons\, a short collection of lyric essays\, came out in 2021. A new essay collection\, I Could Name God in Twelve Ways came out in September 2024 from University Press of Kentucky. \nAbout Karen’s book\, I Could Name God in Twelve Ways: I could dream in poetry\, could summon words for spiritual experience\, could name God in twelve ways and in ten times and places in history. \nAward-winning writer Karen Salyer McElmurray details her life’s journey across continents and decades in a poetic collection that is equal parts essay-as-memoir\, memoir-as-Künstlerroman\, and travelogue-as-meditation. \nIt is about the deserts of India. A hospital ward in Maryland. The blue seas of Greece. A greenhouse in Virginia. It is about the spirit houses of Thailand. The mountains of eastern Kentucky. The depths of the Grand Canyon. A creative writing classroom in Georgia. An attic in a generations-old house. It is about coming to terms with both memory and the power of writing itself. \nAt turns lyrical\, poignant\, and alluring\, McElmurray probes her personal history from the stance of different places\, perspectives\, and vulnerabilities as she tenderly and fiercely searches for acceptance and a place to call home. \nAbout Magin LaSov Gregg: Magin LaSov Gregg teaches courses in literature and writing at Frederick Community College\, where she advises the award-winning literary magazine Tuscarora Review. Her memoir in essays\, An Altar in My Heart\, is a two-time Autumn House Press Nonfiction Book Prize finalist (2023 and 2024). Magin’s creative nonfiction has been noted in Best American Essays\, nominated for a Pushcart Prize\, and appeared in the Washington Post\, Gettysburg Review\, Bellingham Review\, National Public Radio\, The Rumpus\, and elsewhere. Recent poetry appears in The Ekphrastic Review and Offerings: A Spiritual Poetry Anthology from Tiferet Journal.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/authorpanel/
LOCATION:Middletown Library\, 31 E Green St\, Middletown\, MD\, 21769\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-12.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250518T140000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250518T150000
DTSTAMP:20250409T013254Z
CREATED:20250409T013254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250409T013254Z
UID:10000303-1747576800-1747580400@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Nilah Magruder: Creaky Acres
DESCRIPTION:Interested in creating your own graphic novel? Come join us on Sunday\, May 18 at Urbana Regional Library from 2:00 pm-3:00 pm to hear from author-illustrator Nilah Magruder! Nilah will be sharing about her creative process for her latest work\, Creaky Acres. Following her talk\, Nilah will answer questions and sign books. Copies of Creaky Acres will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis free public event is presented in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries. \nFor accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: A heartwarming graphic novel about being the new kid in middle school\, making new friends\, and learning to trust yourself through the power of horseback riding—perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson’s Roller Girl. \nNora is a prize-winning horseback rider in a suburban area\, with a tight-knit circle of best friends. But when her mom gets a prestigious new job in a poor\, rural area\, she has to adjust to a lot of change: to being the only Black kid in a new class and to a new barn called Creaky Acres\, where her beloved horse\, Hay Fever\, will make his new home. \nIt’s there she meets sweet and geeky Laura\, goofy and fun-loving Wilson\, and fearless Dolores (aka Dizzy). With her ragtag team of equestrians\, Nora learns it’s okay to stand out and steps into her power as a leader\, realizing that being a rider isn’t just about winning—or maybe that winning just might look different than what she’d thought. \n“Readers will fall in love with Nora and her quirky crew\, the world of Creaky Acres\, and all the horses . . . and cows . . . and possums!” —Varian Johnson\, award-winning author of Twins \nAbout the author-illustrator: Nilah Magruder is the author of M.F.K.\, How to Find a Fox\, and Wutaryoo. She has written comics\, illustrated children’s books\, and worked as a writer and storyboard artist for animation. Nilah lives in Maryland and spends her free time baking\, gardening\, and wrangling her dogs\, cats\, and chickens. Find her at http://NilahMagruder.com.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/nilah-magruder-creaky-acres/
LOCATION:Urbana Regional Library\, 9020 Amelung St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21704\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-22.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250524T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250524T150000
DTSTAMP:20250408T235151Z
CREATED:20250405T000011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250408T235151Z
UID:10000298-1748095200-1748098800@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Tayler Brianne: Make Yourself at Home
DESCRIPTION:Local poet alert! Saturday\, May 24\, we are excited to welcome local poet Tayler Brianne for a meet & greet at our store as she promotes her latest book\, Make Yourself at Home. Tayler will be at Curious Iguana from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm to meet readers and sign books. Copies of Make Yourself At Home will be available for purchase at this event. \nThis event is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: Make Yourself at Home is a deeply intimate collection of poetry that traces one woman’s journey through healing\, self-discovery\, and the art of belonging to oneself. These poems explore the fractured selves we carry\, the echoes of our past\, and the quiet triumph of learning to coexist with every version of who we have been. This is a book for anyone who has ever felt like a stranger in their own skin and has longed for the comfort of coming home. \nAbout the author: Tayler Brianne is local to Frederick and writes poetry\, short stories and screenplays. Make Yourself at Home is her second self-published poetry collection. Her first collection You Were Never Nice was released in 2023.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/tayler-parsons/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-21.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250528T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250528T200000
DTSTAMP:20250822T000340Z
CREATED:20250115T221147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T000340Z
UID:10000262-1748458800-1748462400@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Global Voices 2025
DESCRIPTION:Explore literary fiction by international authors with our Global Voices Book Club\, meeting at 7 pm on last Wednesdays\, January through October\, at Grace United Church of Christ\, Room 3 (lefthand entrance at end of hall)\, 25 East 2nd Street\,  Downtown Frederick. Parking is available on the street and in Church Street parking deck. \nFeatured titles are 20% off at Curious Iguana (just mention Global Voices at checkout)\, or order through Bookshop.org to have books shipped to your home. \nAugust 27 – Clear by Carys Davies \nSeptember 24 – The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem \nOctober 29 – The Understory by Saneh Sangsuk \nWant to print the schedule? Click here for a PDF list of this year’s titles.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/global-voices-2025/2025-05-28/
LOCATION:Grace United Church of Christ\, 25 E 2nd St\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Global-Voices-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250529T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250529T200000
DTSTAMP:20250405T013157Z
CREATED:20250214T231852Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T013157Z
UID:10000280-1748543400-1748548800@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Robert Fersh: From Conflict to Convergence
DESCRIPTION:Please join us for an evening with author Robert Fersh as he discusses his book From Conflict to Convergence\, which draws on his experience with conflict resolution as a former policy maker. Rob will discuss the ideas and strategies presented in his book and how they can be applied in our local community. Afterwards\, he will answer questions and sign books. Books will be available for purchase at the event.  \nThis event will be held at C. Burr Artz Library in partnership with FCPL. It is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: In From Conflict to Convergence: Coming Together to Solve Tough Problems\, two expert collaborative problem solvers deliver an incisive\, hands-on guide to de-escalating conflict and constructively engaging with those you disagree with to find better solutions to problems. In this book full of real-life stories and examples\, you’ll find a collection of tried and tested strategies you can employ immediately as you negotiate and navigate your most seemingly intractable conflicts. You’ll learn how finding what the authors call “higher ground” can advance your interests even when facing people and groups you think you have little in common with and how this can set the stage for longer term cooperation. \nPerfect for business and organizational leaders\, board members\, community and religious leaders\, public servants\, mediators\, and anyone else looking to find common ground with people with differing views and perspectives\, From Conflict to Convergence also speaks to concerned citizens looking for concrete pathways to lessen troubling divides in their workplaces\, their communities\, and society at large. From Conflict to Convergence is a must-read resource for an increasingly combative and conflicted world. \nAbout the author: Rob Fersh is the Founder and first CEO of Convergence Center for Policy Resolution He has spent over 45 years bridging policy differences and moving important public policy solutions forward in Washington D.C. through working for Congress and in the Executive Branch as well as in leading non-profit organizations. He is the author of multiple articles and op eds\, has been a plenary speaker at many conferences including recently at the National Association of Counties and PathNorth\, and has been interviewed on multiple podcasts\, including Our Voices Matter\, Let’s Find Common Ground\, The Great Battlefield Podcast\, and more.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/robert-fersh/
LOCATION:C. Burr Artz Public Library\, 110 E Patrick St\, Frederick\, MD\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CI-FB-Event-Graphics-15.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250607T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250607T150000
DTSTAMP:20250405T013217Z
CREATED:20250321T234155Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T013217Z
UID:10000294-1749304800-1749308400@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Enfys J. Book: Queer Rites
DESCRIPTION:Join us on June’s First Saturday in Downtown Frederick as we kick off Pride Month! We are excited to welcome local author Enfys J. Book for a meet & greet at our store as they promote their latest book\, Queer Rites. Enfys will be at Curious Iguana from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Saturday\, June 7 to meet readers and sign books. Copies of Queer Rites will be available for purchase at this event. \nThis event is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: Embrace Your Personal Power with 20 Queer-Specific Rituals \nQueer people go through all kinds of unique milestones and rites of passage as we grow into our true selves. Whether you are coming out\, attending your first Pride parade\, or changing your pronouns\, this book will help you enter these rites of passage thoughtfully and spiritually. \nExplore rituals for honoring chosen family\, going through gender transition milestones\, exploring and affirming your gender and sexuality\, entering your first queer relationship\, and more. Enhance your rituals with a variety of magickal allies\, including deities and community ancestors (such as queer activists and leaders). \nRegardless of your skill level or spiritual tradition\, Queer Rites makes it simple to connect your lived experiences to your magickal practice and commemorate occasions in a way that resonates with your unique and wonderful self. \nIncludes a foreword by Ariana Serpentine\, author of Sacred Gender\, and rituals by guest writers Storm Faerywolf\, Misha Magdalene\, Brandon Weston\, and Rev. Ron Padrón \nAbout the author: Enfys J. Book (they/them) is the author of the Gold COVR award-winning Queer Qabala\, co-author (with Ivo Dominguez\, Jr.) of Sagittarius Witch\, and author of the forthcoming Queer Rites: A Magickal Grimoire to Honor Your Milestones with Pride (Llewellyn\, 2025). They are the High Priest of the Fellowship of the Ancient White Stag coven near Washington\, DC. Enfys has taught classes on magickal practice around the world. They are also the creator of majorarqueerna.com\, a website devoted to queer magickal practice with a focus on Qabala\, and host a podcast called “4 Quick Q’s: Book Talk with Enfys\,” where they interview pagan authors using questions determined by a roll of the dice.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/enfys-j-book-queer-rites/
LOCATION:Curious Iguana\, 12 N Market St\, Frederick\, Maryland\, 21701
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-13.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250617T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250617T193000
DTSTAMP:20250405T002014Z
CREATED:20250405T001951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T002014Z
UID:10000299-1750185000-1750188600@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Marlene M. Johnson: Rise to the Challenge
DESCRIPTION:Join us Tuesday\, June 17 at Middletown Public Library from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm for a special evening with former lieutenant governor Marlene M. Johnson to discuss her memoir Rise to the Challenge. As Minnesota’s first woman lieutenant governor\, Johnson experienced many challenges while working in government; however\, the new difficulties she also faced when her strong\, supportive husband suffered a traumatic brain injury taught her lessons she never expected. Johnson will discuss her work creating her memoir\, then answer questions and sign books. Copies of Rise to the Challenge will be available for purchase at the event.\n\n\nThis event is presented in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries and is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: Marking a milestone for women in state government\, Marlene M. Johnson became Minnesota’s first woman lieutenant governor under Rudy Perpich’s gubernatorial administration in January 1983. That same year\, she met her husband\, Peter\, and their deeply loving relationship profoundly sustained her for twenty-seven years. Rise to the Challenge weaves these personal and professional stories together in a courageous portrait of dedication and leadership. \nGrowing up in rural Minnesota\, Johnson began organizing and advocating for change early\, beginning with a campaign to introduce foreign languages into her high school curriculum. Pursuing a deeply felt commitment to improving the lives of others\, she continued to sharpen her leadership skills throughout her life\, participating in activist work in college\, cofounding organizations to support women entrepreneurs and politicians\, and eventually running an international education nonprofit. \nA stalwart supporter\, her husband gave Marlene strength and encouragement to face the challenges of the political landscape and its gender biases. Then\, in 2010\, he suffered a traumatic brain injury that would change both of their lives. Learning how to be a medical advocate and\, eventually\, facing the sorrow of Peter’s death\, Marlene relied on the hard-fought resilience and belief in herself that Peter had helped her to develop. \nA story of learning and leadership in politics\, business\, and public service\, Rise to the Challenge is a moving portrayal of spirit\, perseverance\, and grace in the face of daunting personal challenges\, supported by unwavering faith in the public good. \nAbout the author: Marlene M. Johnson was Minnesota’s first woman lieutenant governor\, serving in Governor Rudy Perpich’s administration from 1983 until 1991. She is cofounder of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Minnesota Women’s Campaign Fund and was executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators for nearly two decades. She is now on the advisory board of Kakenya’s Dream\, a board member of the Washington Office on Latin America\, and a trustee of The Alexandria Trust. In 1988\, she was awarded the Royal Order of the Polar Star by the Kingdom of Sweden. She lives in Washington\, D.C.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/marlene-m-johnson/
LOCATION:Middletown Library\, 31 E Green St\, Middletown\, MD\, 21769\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-17.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250622T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250622T150000
DTSTAMP:20250424T225432Z
CREATED:20250405T003328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250424T225432Z
UID:10000300-1750600800-1750604400@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Charlotte Taylor Fryar: Potomac Fever
DESCRIPTION:Join us Sunday\, June 22 from 2:00 pm-3:00 pm for an afternoon with author Charlotte Taylor Fryar as she discusses her debut book Potomac Fever\, which explores the winding history of this well-known river. After her talk\, Charlotte will answer questions and sign books. Copies of Potomac Fever will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis event will be held at Brunswick Branch Library in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries. This event is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: An impassioned meditation on American identity and its ebb and flow through the Capital’s great waterway \nAs she walks the length of the Potomac River\, clambering up its banks and sounding its depths\, Charlotte Taylor Fryar examines the geography and ecology of Washington\, D.C. with all manner of flora and fauna as her witness. The ecological traces of human inhabitancy provide her with imaginative access into America’s past\, for her true subject is the origin of our splintered nation and racially divided capital. \nFrom the gentrified neighborhood of Shaw to George Washington’s slave labor camp at Mount Vernon\, Potomac Fever maps the troubled histories of the United States by leading us along the less-trafficked trails and side streets of our capital city\, steeped in the legacy of white supremacy and colonialism. In the end\, Fryar offers hope for how “we might grow a society guided by the ethics and values of the places we live.” \nA compelling synthesis of historical\, environmental\, and personal narrative\, Potomac Fever exposes the roots of our national myths\, awash in the waters of America’s renowned river. \nAbout the author: Charlotte Taylor Fryar is a writer\, historian\, educator\, and herbalist. She holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lives in Glen Echo\, Maryland\, less than seven hundred feet from the banks of the Potomac River. Potomac Fever: Reflections on the Nation’s River is her first book.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/potomac-fever/
LOCATION:Brunswick Branch Library\, 915 N Maple Ave\, Brunswick\, MD\, 21716\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-18.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250624T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250624T200000
DTSTAMP:20250405T013254Z
CREATED:20250321T234742Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T013254Z
UID:10000295-1750788000-1750795200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Sarah Adler: Finders Keepers
DESCRIPTION:New book alert! Ready for your next summer romance? On Tuesday\, June 24 at C. Burr Artz Public Library from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm as we celebrate the release of local author Sarah Adler’s latest book Finders Keepers! Sarah will be discussing her work with fellow romance author Katie Duggan. Following their conversation\, Sarah will answer questions and sign books. \nClick here to preorder a signed and personalized copy of Finders Keepers! Copies will also be available for purchase at the book launch event. \nThis event is presented in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries and is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: Two estranged best friends find that a long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start—for both their futures and their feelings\, from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler. \nLast week\, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now\, she’s single\, unemployed\, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell\, her childhood neighbor (and okay\, fine\, crush)\, is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago. \nHoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track\, Nina agrees. Granted\, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now—surely things will be different. \nExcept\, Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt\, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure\, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well. \nAbout the author: USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler writes romantic comedies about lovable weirdos finding their happily ever afters. She lives in Maryland with her husband\, daughter\, and very mischievous cat. When not working\, you can find her attempting to course-correct an ill-advised late afternoon nap with an equally ill-advised late afternoon coffee\, as she is incapable of ever learning a lesson. \nAbout the moderator: Katie Duggan is a New England transplant currently living in Northern Virginia. She writes romances that give fat\, neurodivergent\, and queer characters spicy happily-ever-afters. When Katie’s not writing or being kept up at night by her characters\, she can be found drinking Doctor Pepper\, going to therapy\, convincing people to read her favorite books\, and doing whatever hobbies give her the most dopamine at the moment.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/sarah-adler-finders-keepers/
LOCATION:C. Burr Artz Public Library\, 110 E Patrick St\, Frederick\, MD\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-14.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250625T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250625T200000
DTSTAMP:20250822T000340Z
CREATED:20250115T221147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T000340Z
UID:10000263-1750878000-1750881600@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Global Voices 2025
DESCRIPTION:Explore literary fiction by international authors with our Global Voices Book Club\, meeting at 7 pm on last Wednesdays\, January through October\, at Grace United Church of Christ\, Room 3 (lefthand entrance at end of hall)\, 25 East 2nd Street\,  Downtown Frederick. Parking is available on the street and in Church Street parking deck. \nFeatured titles are 20% off at Curious Iguana (just mention Global Voices at checkout)\, or order through Bookshop.org to have books shipped to your home. \nAugust 27 – Clear by Carys Davies \nSeptember 24 – The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem \nOctober 29 – The Understory by Saneh Sangsuk \nWant to print the schedule? Click here for a PDF list of this year’s titles.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/global-voices-2025/2025-06-25/
LOCATION:Grace United Church of Christ\, 25 E 2nd St\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Global-Voices-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250626T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250626T193000
DTSTAMP:20250405T005036Z
CREATED:20250405T005036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T005036Z
UID:10000301-1750962600-1750966200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Susie Dumond: Bed and Breakup
DESCRIPTION:What if the happily ever after didn’t work out? Join us on Thursday\, June 26 from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm to find out in Susie Dumond’s latest novel\, Bed and Breakup\, in which a separated couple crosses paths once again\, this time to renovate and sell the inn that they opened together when they first married. Susie will discuss her work with local romance author Andie Burke\, then answer questions and sign books. Copies of Bed and Breakup will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis free\, public event will be hosted in partnership with Give Rise Studio at their location. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: As newlyweds\, Molly and Robin made the Hummingbird Inn into a trendy destination for queer travelers in the quirky mountain town of Eureka Springs\, Arkansas. But when their career ambitions drove them apart\, the young couple separated\, handed over the property’s upkeep to a management firm\, and never looked back. \nSeven years later\, Molly and Robin return to the Hummingbird Inn for very different reasons. Molly is an artist on the rise who’s been commissioned to create pieces in Eureka Springs; Robin is a celebrity chef whose restaurants have gone belly up. Both feel entitled to their shared property\, furious that the other refuses to leave\, and resort to a series of escalating pranks in the hopes of scaring the other off. When neither woman budges\, they resolve to renovate the bed and breakfast\, sell it\, and at last go their separate ways. But their work to restore the inn’s vintage charm reignites memories—and chemistry—that make it hard to say goodbye. \nAbout the author: Susie Dumond is a queer writer originally from Little Rock\, Arkansas. She is the author of Queerly Beloved\, Looking for a Sign\, and Bed and Breakup\, and she also talks about books as a senior contributor at Book Riot and a bookseller at her local indie bookstore. Susie lives in Washington\, D.C.\, with her spouse\, Mickey\, and her cat\, Maple. When she’s not writing or reading\, you can find her baking cupcakes or belting karaoke at the nearest gay bar. \nAbout the moderator: Andie Burke writes books with queer kissing and happily ever afters. She was originally an English major who decided to jump into a pediatric nursing career. Her writing is inspired by over a decade spent working in hospitals with patients of all ages. After the last couple years spent in the pandemic ER\, she escaped to an outpatient pediatric sedation unit. Andie lives in a blue house in Maryland with an alarming number of books and an embarrassing number of ultra-fine point pens. When she’s not writing\, she’s probably feeding snacks to the two small human creatures who live with her or trying not to kill her chaotic houseplants. You can find her on Bookstagram adding to her ever-expanding TBR or letting her ADHD brain happily dissociate while listening to Taylor Swift.
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/susie-dumond/
LOCATION:Give Rise Studio\, 125 S Carroll St #101\, Frederick\, MD\, 21701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-19.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250629T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250629T150000
DTSTAMP:20250405T011946Z
CREATED:20250405T011946Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250405T011946Z
UID:10000302-1751205600-1751209200@curiousiguana.com
SUMMARY:Barbara Pronin: Winter's End
DESCRIPTION:Join us Sunday\, June 29 from 2 pm-3 pm for an afternoon with the lovely Barbara Pronin as she talks about her latest novel Winter’s End\, a story that explores the lives of the women of the Dutch Resistance during WWII. Following her talk\, Barbara will answer questions and sign books. Copies of Winter’s End will be available for purchase at the event. \nThis event will be held at the C. Burr Artz Public Library in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries. This event is free and open to the public. For accessibility requests\, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. \nAbout the book: A Five-Star Reader’s Award winner\, Winter’s End is a WWII adventure tracing the journey of three young women of the Dutch Resistance from the cobblestoned streets of Nazi-occupied Holland to a remarkable denouement more than 70 years later and a world away. Best-selling author Faye Kellerman calls it\, “…a page-turner filled with honest characters who capture your heart and soul.” \nAbout the author: Born in Brooklyn and now a Laguna Woods resident\, Barbara Pronin saw her first byline in a community newsletter at age eight and was forever hooked on writing. She has worked over the years as an actress\, a probation officer\, a news editor\, and a substitute teacher\, the last of which inspired her first book\, a non-fiction guide to effective subbing that is still in print more than 40 years later. \nHer eight mysteries earned kudos from such best-selling writers as Mary Higgins Clark and Tony Hillerman\, and her new WW II novel\, Winter’s End\, has won a Five-Star Reader’s Favorite award and is praised by best-selling author Faye Kellerman as\, “a page-turner with honest characters who will capture your heart and soul.”
URL:https://curiousiguana.com/event/barbara-pronin/
LOCATION:C. Burr Artz Public Library\, 110 E Patrick St\, Frederick\, MD\, United States
CATEGORIES:Author Talk / Signing,Author Talk / Signing|Join Us!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://curiousiguana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CI-Facebook-Event-Cover-20.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR