Coronado Times

San Diego Storytelling Festival
2025-03-15 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
It’s back! The Storytellers of San Diego return to Coronado Public Library for a daylong celebration of all things storytelling. There’s a reason why storytelling has been around for much longer than the written word. Listening to a storyteller is an immersive, enchanting experience not to be missed.
This free all-day festival takes over the library with storytelling for adults and kids, open mic sessions, and a debut performance by the participants of the Storytelling Institute, a storytelling how-to course for novices.

Mystery Book Club: "Threads of Deception"
2025-03-17 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Public Library’s Mystery Book club will meet regularly on the third Monday of each month.

We will be discussing Threads of Deception with the author herself, Elle Jauffret! Check out the book in print or ebook format from the Coronado Library Catalog by clicking here.
Receive reminder emails about the meeting by registering. Registration is encouraged but not required.

The True Story behind "The Women"
2025-03-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Historical Association, is proud to host Coronado author Taylor Baldwin Kiland in conversation with Diane Carlson, the real-life inspiration for the 2025 Coronado Community Read, Kristin Hannah’s The Women.
This event will take place via Zoom and be broadcast in the Winn Room at the Coronado Public Library on March 18, 2025 at 11 am. Register below to receive the Zoom link for this event.
Ms. Evans, a Vietnam War combat nurse, will share her remarkable story and discuss her book, Healing Wounds: A Vietnam War Combat Nurse’s 10-Year Fight to Win Women a Place of Honor in Washington, D.C. (Permuted Press, 2020). Hear firsthand about her experiences as a young Army nurse in Vietnam, the challenges faced by returning veterans (especially women veterans), and her tireless decade-long campaign to establish the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the National Mall. Learn about the personal journey that led her to write her story and the obstacles she overcame to ensure that the service and sacrifice of women in the military are never forgotten.
Taylor Baldwin Kiland is a writer specializing in military non-fiction who has written, co-authored, ghost-written, or edited eighteen books, including three about our nation’s Vietnam POWs: Unwavering: The Wives Who Fought to Ensure No Man is Left Behind, Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams and Open Doors: Vietnam POWs Thirty Years Later. A former naval officer—the third generation in her family to serve in the Navy, Taylor was raised in Coronado, California, and Alexandria, Virginia. Taylor’s work has been featured in NewYorkTimes.com, WashingtonPost.com, NBC Nightly News, CNN, C-SPAN, International Herald Tribune, Associated Press, military.com, and Naval Institute’s Proceedings, just to name a few. She is also the author of the recently released, Murderer of the Jujube Candy Heiress: A Coronado Cold Case.
This event also serves as a Coronado celebration of Ms. Evans’ recent recognition with the Presidential Citizens Medal, awarded on January 2, 2025, for her exemplary service to the country.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet a true American hero and gain deeper insights into the powerful story behind The Women. Healing Wounds can be purchased here.
Find the full Coronado Community Read 2025 program here.

Candy, Coronado, and a 50-Year-Old Cold Case

Coronado Community READ Book Discussion: The Women
2025-03-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join us for one of our book discussions focusing on The Women by Kristin Hannah. Engage with fellow readers as we explore its themes, characters, and the reasons why it was chosen as the 2025 Coronado Community READ.
Find the full Coronado Community Read 2025 program here.

Coronado Community READ Book Discussion: "The Women"
2025-03-25 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-31 18:00 - 19:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join us for one of our book discussions focusing on The Women by Kristin Hannah. Engage with fellow readers as we explore its themes, characters, and the reasons why it was chosen as the 2025 Coronado Community READ.

Best of the Best Book Club: "The Power" by Naomi Alderman
2025-03-26 11:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Public Library’s Best of the Best Book Club meets regularly on the fourth Wednesday of each month to discuss books that have won major awards. Receive reminder emails about our meeting by registering below. Registration is not required.
For our March meeting, we will discuss the 2017 Women’s Prize for Fiction winner The Power by Naomi Alderman, a book of speculative fiction at its most ambitious and provocative, at once taking us on a thrilling journey to an alternate reality, and exposing our own world in bold and surprising ways.
Place this title on hold via our online catalog, or check out the e-book through the CloudLibrary app.
About The Power
In The Power, the world is a recognizable place: there’s a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool; a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature; an ambitious American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family.
But then a vital new force takes root and flourishes, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power: they can cause agonizing pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world drastically resets.

Unyielding Courage: A Conversation with a Vietnam Navy Nurse
2025-03-29 15:00 - 16:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Casey Meehan, a retired Navy nurse who served in the Vietnam War, shares her experience and lessons from her service.

Alice: Illustrating Wonderland - Art Contest, Entry Deadline March 31
2025-03-31 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Library was founded in 1890. The original library was built as a classical building that architect Harrison Albright designed in 1909. The building still stands at 640 Orange Avenue located in the heart of the Coronado community. This original building serves as the Spreckels Reading Room within the 40,000 square feet remodeled and expanded library building. The library includes study space at tables and carrels, lounge seating, wireless internet access, a large public meeting room, conference room, study rooms, separate Children’s Library and teen area, public-access computers, and collections in various subjects and formats. The library also has several large exhibit spaces where we display curated art from the local Coronado and San Diego community and museum-like curated cultural exhibits.

This summer, the library will host Alice: Illustrating Wonderland, a special exhibit celebrating 160 years of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In honor of this milestone, we invite artists of all ages to reimagine the whimsy and wonder of Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale. Choose a character or scene that inspires you—from the Mad Hatter’s tea party to Alice’s encounter with the Queen of Hearts—and craft your own two-dimensional masterpiece. Winners will receive prizes, and at least 10 pieces from each age category will be featured in the exhibit alongside 160 beautifully illustrated editions of the book. Don’t miss this chance to showcase your creativity and become part of Wonderland’s artistic legacy!

Spring Storytelling with Aunt Li-Anne
2025-03-31 14:30 - 15:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Spring is in the air, so come enjoy some spring storytelling! Aunt Li-Anne is back with stories to tell, this time all about spring holidays around the world. Drop by to hear some familiar stories, and learn some new ones as well.

Get Published Now Workshop
2025-04-03 18:30 - 19:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Would you like to see your work published in a variety of media? This six-part writing workshop will show you how to get what you write published. Instructor George Galdorisi is a New York Times best-selling writer who has published multiple works in all media.
This course is designed for beginning, emerging and even accomplished writers who seek to have their work – novels, non-fiction books, articles, essays, you name it – published.
We’ll explore all options, from major publishing houses to popular magazines and newspapers, not to mention the ubiquitous on-line and electronic opportunities. The course is results-oriented, the aim being to get your work out into the world and, once it’s out there, to get it noticed and appreciated by a wide audience! Attendees are encouraged to attend all classes.
Registration is encouraged but is not required.
WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS

Why Write?
First – and Essential – Steps
Non-fiction – The Hungry Market
“The Great American Novel”
Establishing an Online Presence
Social Media – Challenges and Opportunities

George Galdorisi is a New York Times best-selling writer (four best-sellers, with one peaking at number four) who has published multiple works in all media and who offers something for everyone to take their writing to the next level with the explicit goal of getting it published. He is a career naval aviator and long-term Coronado resident who began his writing career with an article in a professional journal in 1978. He has written a total of 18 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, all published by mainstream publishers, contributions to multiple other works of non-fiction, and well over 400 articles in national media including newspapers, professional journals, popular magazines, and conference proceedings.
George’s work has been recognized with numerous writing awards, including the Navy League of the United States Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement, the Military Writer’s Society Award for fiction and non-fiction, the Surface Navy Association Author of the Year, Hook Magazine Contributor of the Year, as well as a diverse array of literary awards from organizations such as the U.S. Naval Institute, Naval Helicopter Association, Navy League of Australia, Naval Helicopter Historical Society, and the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific.

San Diego Writers Festival
2025-04-05 09:00 - 18:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
100 Speakers – 45 Events – 1 Day. Keynotes, workshops, food vendors, live performances, prizes, and more!
Whether you’ve written several books or are just starting your journey, the San Diego Writers Festival is the perfect place to learn, connect, and grow. Join the Coronado Public Library on Saturday, April 5 from 9 am to 6 pm for this free literary event. Featuring expert-led panels on pitching to an agent, marketing your work, and making a living as a writer, you’ll learn tools to take your writing to the next level.
With keynotes by Emmy Nominated actor Ed Begley Jr., Emmy Award Winner Hank Phillipi Ryan, and NYT Bestseller Tembi Lock (along with Matthew Quirk, Lisa See, R.F. Kuang and over 100 other speakers), you won’t want to miss this event!
Events take place at the Coronado Public Library and Coronado High School.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Crafty Hour: Mini Libraries
2025-04-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Feeling crafty? Join us on the second Tuesday of every month for arts and crafts.
In celebration of National Library Week, we’ll be making our own mini libraries in April!
This program is for adults over the age of 18. Registration is not required but recommended.

Author Event: "All Eternity Lies Before Me" - A Military Family's Story of Enduring Love and Resilience
2025-04-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join us for a moving and heartfelt author event with Loreen Gibbons, as she shares her deeply personal book, All Eternity Lies Before Me. Written in the wake of her husband’s death while serving in the U.S. military, Gibbons’ work is both a tribute and a testament—a poetic reflection on grief, love, healing, and the enduring strength of the military spouse community.
Come hear Loreen read from her work, discuss the journey behind the book, and share in a conversation about hope, remembrance, and finding meaning after loss. A Q&A and book signing will follow the talk.

About Loreen Gibbons
Loreen Gibbons is a former Navy wife, remarried Navy widow, and retired elementary school teacher. Her debut memoir began as letters to her grandson Spencer, intended to introduce him to the grandfather he never met. It is a powerful narrative of survival, resilience, and the enduring strength of love.
About All Eternity Lies Before Me
Alfa Foxtrot 586, a P-3 Orion turboprop, was conducting a sensitive Cold War mission off the Kamchatka Peninsula on October 26, 1978, when a propeller malfunction turned into four engine fires and the pilot—Loreen Grigsby’s husband Jerry—was forced to ditch into remote, mountainous seas churned by a frigid North Pacific gale. The aircraft sank within ninety seconds, taking one of the three rafts with it—which left thirteen men to huddle together in the remaining two rafts, the smaller of which soon began to leak.
Told from Loreen’s perspective as a Navy wife at home as well as through the eyes of the men who survived the disaster, All Eternity Lies Before Me weaves a gripping tale of struggle, uncertainty, grief, and heroism. It shares Loreen’s terror as she receives notifications about her husband’s crew’s desperate battle against wind, seas, and biting cold. It details the ad hoc search and rescue mission, a valiant effort to rescue the men before time runs out. And, tragically, it tells how a young Navy wife becomes a widow and single mom.
But Jerry’s death is not the end of Loreen’s story—and in the years following his loss, she discovers resilience, strength, and a new future. As she begins her journey toward a brighter future, she’s inspired by the camaraderie and brotherhood forged between the survivors and their rescuers—and ultimately, the long-term lessons learned by all involved become part of the lasting legacy of this event.

53rd Annual Spring Book Fair by Friends of the Coronado Library
2025-04-12 10:00 - 16:00 | Library Lawn, Coronado Public Library, 640 orange, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Book lovers, mark your calendars! The Friends of the Coronado Public Library proudly present the 53rd Annual Spring Book Fair, a one day event, on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 10am to 4pm, outside in front of the Library.
The Spring Book Fair is a beloved community tradition offering thousands of books across every genre, plus unique gifts and collectibles—all at unbeatable prices. Shoppers can browse selections outside the Coronado Public Library, and inside at the Lobby Bookstore and at Second Hand Prose Bookstore on D Avenue.
In addition to the vast array of books available, the event will offer fun activities for everyone. The Family Corner, open from 10am to 4pm, will include face painters for the kids, a coffee stand for adults to enjoy a relaxing coffee break, and the chance to purchase exclusive FOL merchandise. Don’t miss this exciting day of books, bargains, and community!
Looking for your next favorite book? Whether you love fiction, history, children’s literature, or rare finds, this is your chance to discover incredible reads and support the Coronado Library at the same time.
Don’t miss this exciting day of books, bargains, and community, and support the Coronado Public Library at the same time!

An Evening with Bernhard Schlink, Bestselling Author of "The Reader"
2025-04-22 18:00 - 19:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
In his only San Diego appearance, German author Bernhard Schlink will be sharing his new title, The Granddaughter. An “unflinching look at the neo-Nazi movement and the compromises people make out of love” according to Publishers Weekly, it’s a fascinating new novel by the man who wrote The Reader.
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served, subject to availability. Limited preferred seating is available with purchase of The Granddaughter through Adventures by the Book. Please visit adventuresbythebook.com/calendar-event/bernhard-schlink-4-22-25/ for more information.

About The Granddaughter
It is only after the sudden death of his wife, Birgit, that Kaspar discovers the price she paid years earlier when she fled East Germany to join him: she had to abandon her baby. Shattered by grief, yet animated by a new hope, Kaspar closes up his bookshop in present day Berlin and sets off to find her lost child in the east.
His search leads him to a rural community of neo-Nazis, intent on reclaiming and settling ancestral lands to the East. Among them, Kaspar encounters Svenja, a woman whose eyes, hair, and even voice remind him of Birgit. Beside her is a red-haired, slouching, fifteen-year-old girl. His granddaughter? Their worlds could not be more different— an ideological gulf of mistrust yawns between them— but he is determined to accept her as his own.
More than twenty-five years after The Reader, Bernhard Schlink once again offers a masterfully gripping novel that powerfully probes the past’s role in contemporary life, transporting us from the divided Germany of the 1960s to modern day Australia, and asking what unites or separates us.
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins

About Bernhard Schlink
Bernhard Schlink is the author of the internationally bestselling novel The Reader. He is a former judge and teaches public law and legal philosophy at Humboldt University of Berlin and at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City.

Best of the Best Book Club: "Winter in Sokcho" by Elisa Shua Dusapin
2025-04-23 11:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Public Library’s Best of the Best Book Club meets regularly on the fourth Wednesday of each month to discuss books that have won major awards. Receive reminder emails about our meeting by registering below. Registration is not required to attend.
For our April meeting, we will discuss the 2021 National Book Award winner Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin, a novel that explores rifts of identity—personal, cultural, and national—and the fleeting kinship that is possible between solitary strangers.
About Winter in Sokcho
It’s winter in Sokcho, a tourist town on the border between South and North Korea. The cold slows everything down. Bodies are red and raw, the fish turn venomous, beyond the beach guns point out from the North’s watchtowers. A young French Korean woman works as a receptionist in a tired guesthouse. One evening, an unexpected guest arrives: a French cartoonist determined to find inspiration in this desolate landscape. The two form an uneasy relationship. When she agrees to accompany him on trips to discover an “authentic” Korea, they visit snowy mountaintops and dramatic waterfalls, and cross into North Korea. But he takes no interest in the Sokcho she knows—the gaudy neon lights, the scars of war, the fish market where her mother works. As she’s pulled into his vision and taken in by his drawings, she strikes upon a way to finally be seen. An exquisitely-crafted debut, which won the Prix Robert Walser, Winter in Sokcho is a novel about shared identities and divided selves, vision and blindness, intimacy and alienation. Elisa Shua Dusapin’s voice is distinctive and unmistakable.
About Elisa Shua Dusapin
Elisa Shua Dusapin was born in France in 1992 and raised in Paris, Seoul and Switzerland. Winter in Sokcho (Hiver à Sokcho) is her first novel. Published in 2016 to wide acclaim, it was awarded the Prix Robert Walser and the Prix Régine Desforges and has been translated into six languages.

Earth Month Book Signing with Children's Book Author
2025-04-27 14:00 - 16:00 | Fair Trade Decor, 828 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Visit with local author, Marianne Blackstone Tabner, in celebration of Earth Month as she holds a book signing for “Taking Turns” on Sunday, April 27 from 2 to 4 pm outside of Fair Trade Decor, where her books are sold.

An Evening with Brad Taylor: NYT Bestselling Author and Former Special Forces Officer Explores 'Into the Gray Zone'
2025-04-29 18:30 - 19:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
New York Times bestselling author Brad Taylor will be at the Coronado Library discussing his new book, Into the Gray Zone, with Matt Coyle. A book-signing will follow. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served, subject to availability. Limited preferred seating is available with purchase of Into the Gray Zone through Warwick’s bookstore. Please visit https://www.warwicks.com/taylor-2025-reserved-seat or call the store at 858-454-0347 for more information.

Brad Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.), is a twenty-one-year veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces, including eight years with Delta Force. Taylor retired in 2010 after serving more than two decades and participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has written eighteen New York Times bestsellers and is a security consultant on asymmetric threats for various agencies. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife and two daughters.
About Into the Gray Zone
Pike Logan uncovers a geopolitical scheme that has spiraled out of control in India in this latest pulse-pounding thriller from New York Times bestselling author and former special forces officer Brad Taylor.
While on a routine security assessment in India, Taskforce operator Pike Logan foils an attempted attack on a meeting between the CIA and India’s intelligence service. Both government agencies believe it’s nothing more than a minor terrorist attack, but Pike suspects that something much more sinister is at play. After another terrorist operation at the Taj Mahal, he begins to believe that outside powers are attacking India in the gray zone between peace and war, leveraging terrorist groups for nothing more than economic gain. But the separatists conducting the operations have their own agenda.
After a massive slaughter and kidnapping of hostages during an elaborate Indian pre-wedding party, two global powers are destabilized, and only Pike Logan and his team can de-escalate the tension by rescuing the captives. What follows is a race against the clock that winds through the bustling markets of Old Delhi, the luxurious resorts of Goa, and the epic halls of the Taj Mahal. It will take everything that Logan and the taskforce have to foil an intricate plot that leaves countless lives in the balance.
Matt Coyle is the author of the bestselling Rick Cahill crime series. His books have won the Anthony, Shamus, Lefty, Authors on the Air Book of the Year, and the San Diego Book Awards, among others. He was the 2021 San Diego Writers Festival’s Mystery Writer of the Year. Odyssey’s End was a Lefty Award Finalist. Matt was recently named a 2024 Odin Award-winner from the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. He lives in San Diego and is working on something brand new.

FITT for Life: How to Make Healthy Living Work for You
2025-04-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Healthy living doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. If you’ve ever struggled with figuring out what actually matters, staying consistent, or feeling stuck in an all-or-nothing cycle, this interactive session will give you a new approach. Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve health markers, exercise more, eat better, or simply feel better in your body, the FITT framework will help you break through common barriers and build lasting habits. You’ll walk away with clear next steps to make prioritizing your health easier and more effective—without burnout, frustration, or unrealistic expectations.

Esther Avant is an author, speaker, and health industry veteran with over 19 years of experience helping people unlock their full potential by prioritizing their health. Through her bestselling book, To Your Health, podcast by the same name, and her work as a coach, Esther teaches individuals how to use health as the foundation for achieving lasting success in all areas of life—whether it’s losing weight for good, boosting career performance, or fostering personal growth. With a focus on her signature FITT framework and the three Cs of success, she empowers her clients to build sustainable habits that lead not just to better health but greater confidence, success, and happiness.

The Psychology of Weight Loss: Coronado Health Coach Breaks it Down

Reading Legacies Special Story Time to Feature Local Actor and Author Parker Young
2025-05-03 15:00 | Liberty Station, 2642 Historic Decatur Rd, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
A special story time event will be held at Liberty Station on May 3 at 3 pm with Coronado local Parker Young reading his recently published children’s book, “The Tale of Dolores,” as part of the event. All of the proceeds from the book sales will be donated to Reading Legacies.
The Tale of Dolores book cover

RELATED:
“Reading Legacies” Calls Reading a Tool, Not a Goal

The Power of Story: A Conversation with Asian American Pacific Islander Authors
2025-05-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join the Library and Adventures by the Book for a special author event in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month! New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi, TikTok and IG megastar and founder of Ahnest Kitchen, Sarah Ahn, debut novelist and attorney Rosa Kwon Easton, and New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris will all be sharing their stories.
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served, subject to availability. Limited preferred seating is available with purchase of one of the listed authors books through Adventures by the Book.
Please visit adventuresbythebook.com/calendar-event/aapi-coronadopl-5-13-25/ for more information.

Alice: Illustrating Wonderland Opening Reception
2025-05-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Celebrating 160 Years of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Step into a world of imagination at the opening exhibit of Alice: Illustrating Wonderland! Join us as we celebrate 160 years of Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale with a stunning collection of 160 uniquely illustrated editions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Meet talented artists from our Wonderland Art Contest, enjoy light refreshments, and let whimsical music guide you down the rabbit hole. A magical afternoon for dreamers of all ages!

"Murder of the Jujube Candy Heiress: A Coronado Cold Case" - Virtual Book Talk
2025-05-19 17:00 - 18:00 | CA
One candy heiress, two bullets, and three suspects.
Coronado rarely makes news for violent crime. But in the spring of 1975, World War II widow and retired librarian Ruth Quinn was murdered, execution-style, in her cottage. Her death sent a shock wave through the community. The granddaughter of Jujubes and Jujyfruits creator Henry Heide, Ruth was found fully clothed with her shoes on, in her bed, dead from two gunshot wounds. To this day, her murder has never been solved, but whispers about her brother, her son, and even a local petty thief still swirl.
The Coronado Historical Association is proud to host Coronado author Taylor Baldwin Kiland as she sifts through the dirt for the facts about Ruth’s life and her untimely end fifty years ago. This event will take place virtually over Zoom on May 19 at 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern.
RSVP HERE
RELATED
Candy, Coronado, and a 50-Year-Old Cold Case

Meet Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
2025-05-20 15:30 - 17:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Library is thrilled to announce that children’s author Mac Barnett (Triangle, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, Mac Undercover), will appear in person on Tuesday, May 20.
Starting at 3:30 pm, Mac will be at the library to meet fans and sign books. At 4 pm, he will share picture book favorites and showcase the deeply impactful ways picture books blend words and illustrations, and even the turning of a page, to create a uniquely powerful reading experience. Mac will share his passion for picture books and invite children and adults alike to join him in celebrating what’s vibrant, joyful and inspiring about this quintessential – and highly participatory – American art form at this all-ages and family-friendly event.
Each year, Barnett will visit only five locations as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Coronado was selected out of 350 applicants for this honor and is his only site visit this school year and the very first one of his tour! The Coronado Library was selected with the Coronado Unified School District as one of five libraries in the country that Mac would appear at in this role. As the only library West of the Rio Grande that was chosen, we are thrilled to host Mac’s public appearance in Coronado for this tour. This visit is made possible thanks to the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader.
Registration is encouraged for this event. Please register each person attending. Reserved seats will be held until 3:30 pm after which any open spots will be given to standby seating.

Award-winning author Mac Barnett is excited to share his passion for picture books with children and adults. The tradition of the picture book is a tradition of experimentation, just like childhood itself. Every page turn contains infinite possibilities – a journey of discovery and connections. After all, picture books blend words and illustrations to create a uniquely powerful reading experience, one that is often the foundation for a lifetime of reading. On his nationwide tour as national ambassador, Mac invites readers of all ages to join him in celebrating what’s vibrant, joyful and inspiring about this quintessential American art form.
“Children deserve entertaining stories and meaningful art! I am, of course, excited to talk to young readers. But I’m also eager to speak to adults – who often underestimate or overlook children’s literature – to champion the power of picture books and the brilliance of the kids who read them.” – Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
In partnership with the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader, the National Ambassador is an advocate for reading across the country. Learn more about the National Ambassador and Behold! The Picture Book on the Library of Congress’ website: https://guides.loc.gov/mac-barnett.

About Mac Barnett
Mac Barnett, a New York Times–bestselling author of stories for children, is the ninth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Barnett’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of “Shape Island,” a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Barnett lives in Oakland, California.
About the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is an initiative of the Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, with generous support from The Library of Congress James Madison Council. The program was established in 2008 by the Library, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader to emphasize the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

An Evening with Author Carl Hiaasen
2025-05-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join us for an unforgettable evening with bestselling author Carl Hiaasen as he discusses his latest wild ride with Dean Nelson, Fever Beach. In true Carl Hiaasen fashion, the book kicks off with a rainy-day hitchhiker pickup and spirals into a hilarious, razor-sharp romp through Florida’s most absurd corners. It’s a wild ride through greed, extremism, and botched schemes in the Sunshine State.
Hear Hiaasen speak about the inspiration behind the novel, his take on Florida’s strange and sensational underbelly, and more, at one his first events for his latest book. A Q&A and book signing will follow the talk.
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served, subject to availability. Limited preferred seating is available with purchase of Fever Beach through Warwick’s bookstore. Please visit warwicks.com/event/hiaasen-2025 or call the store at 858-454-0347 for more information.

An Evening with Viet Thanh Nguyen
2025-06-04 19:00 - 20:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join the Coronado Public Library as we welcome Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen. He’ll discuss his newest title To Save and To Destroy, a moving, personal meditation on otherness and a call for political solidarity, with Lily Hoang. Originally given as a series of Norton lectures, these captivating essays earned a starred review from Library Journal as ‘[a]n essential addition for collections about the process and theory of writing, authors of diverse backgrounds, and particularly the experiences of Asian Americans, immigrants, and refugees in the United States.”
A book-signing will follow. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served, subject to availability. Limited preferred seating is available with purchase of To Save and To Destroy through Warwick’s bookstore. Please visit https://www.warwicks.com/nguyen-2025-reserved-seat or call the store at 858-454-0347 for more information.

About Viet Thanh Nguyen
Viet Thanh Nguyen is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer, Nothing Ever Dies, and, most recently, To Save and to Destroy. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation and Guggenheim fellowships and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Nguyen is Aerol Arnold Chair of English and Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.
About To Save and To Destroy
Born in war-ravaged Vietnam, Viet Nguyen arrived in the United States as a child refugee in 1975. The Nguyen family would soon move to San Jose, California, where the author grew up, attending UC Berkeley in the aftermath of the shocking murder of Vincent Chin, which shaped the political sensibilities of a new generation of Asian Americans.
The essays here, delivered originally as the prestigious Norton Lectures, proffer a new answer to a classic literary question: What does the outsider mean to literary writing? Over the course of six captivating and moving chapters, Nguyen explores the idea of being an outsider through lenses that are, by turns, literary, historical, political, and familial.
Each piece moves between writers who influenced Nguyen’s craft and weaves in the haunting story of his late mother’s mental illness. Nguyen unfolds the novels and nonfiction of Herman Melville, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ralph Ellison, William Carlos Williams, and Maxine Hong Kingston, until aesthetic theories give way to pressing concerns raised by war and politics. What is a writer’s responsibility in a time of violence? Should we celebrate fiction that gives voice to the voiceless–or do we confront the forces that render millions voiceless in the first place? What are the burdens and pleasures of the “minor” writer in any society? Unsatisfied with the modest inclusion accorded to “model minorities” such as Asian Americans, Nguyen sets the agenda for a more radical and disquieting solidarity with those whose lives have been devastated by imperialism and forever wars.
About Lily Hoang
Lily Hoang is the author of eight books, including most recently A Knock at the Door (Texas Review Press’s Innovative Prose Series), Underneath (winner of the Red Hen Press Fiction Award), A Bestiary (PEN/USA Non-Fiction Award finalist), and Changing (recipient of a PEN/Open Books Award). She is a Professor of Literature at UC San Diego, where she teaches in their MFA in Writing.

Jet Trails & Tall Tales: Vincent “Jell-O” Aiello Discusses "Through the Yellow Visor"
2025-06-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join the Coronado Public Library for a high-octane evening with Vincent “Jell-O” Aiello, former TOPGUN instructor, combat pilot, and host of the popular Fighter Pilot Podcast, as he shares stories from his gripping memoir, Through the Yellow Visor.
More than just dogfights and flybys, Aiello’s book offers an unfiltered look into the real world of naval aviation — where grit, resilience, and teamwork matter more than ego. From flight school challenges to combat missions over Iraq, his journey reveals the human side of life at Mach speed.
Don’t miss this chance to meet the man behind the mic, hear what it’s really like to land on a moving aircraft carrier, and get a signed copy of the book that podcast fans have been waiting for.

About the Book:
Ride Along with a Real Top Gun and Get His View from the Cockpit
You’ve heard him as host of the Fighter Pilot Podcast. More than 100k listeners have been waiting for this book.
Now ride along. From the cockpit of a Navy jet circling overhead, an aircraft carrier — 1,000 feet long and displacing 98,000 tons — looks no bigger than a child’s toy. No wonder the fighter pilots call it a boat. Try landing on one of these bucking broncos without boltering.
TOPGUN instructor and seasoned naval aviator, E. Vincent “Jell-O” Aiello takes readers on an exhilarating flight from being a wide-eyed eight-year-old peering into a jet’s cockpit at the Point Mugu Airshow to flying one. Not the Hollywood version by any means, Vincent explains his tough, terrifying, and trusted path to flying America’s war planes.
From flying F/A-18 Hornets on missions worldwide, to serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, to teaching the art of air combat at TOPGUN, Jell-O brings you into the adrenaline-fueled world of naval aviation while proving that persistence is a pilot’s most valuable skill.
After retiring from the Navy with more than 3,800 flight hours and 700 carrier landings, Vincent, now an airline pilot, hosts the popular Fighter Pilot Podcast, where he explores the fascinating world of air combat with stimulating revelations about:

The complex, multi-million-dollar aircraft,
The lethal weapons systems they employ, and
The fearless people who protect our country every single day.

This is the personal story of a boy with big dreams who became the man behind the yellow visor.
About the Author:
Commander Aiello is native of California. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles and was commissioned through the Navy ROTC Program in August 1992. Commander Aiello attended Navy pilot training and was awarded the coveted wings of gold in August 1995. Following initial training in the F/A-18 Hornet with VMFAT-101 at MCAS El Toro, Santa Ana, California, Commander Aiello’s first operational assignment was with VFA86 at NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida. During this tour he deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH aboard the aircraft carriers USS GEORGE WASHINGTON and USS JOHN F. KENNEDY.
In 2000, Commander Aiello reported to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, Nevada where he attended the Navy Fighter Weapons School, or TOPGUN, and remained on the staff as an instructor. In 2003 he was assigned to VFA97 in NAS Lemoore, California where he deployed to the Arabian Gulf aboard the carrier USS NIMITZ in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. In 2004 Commander Aiello attended the School of Naval Aviation Safety at the Naval Postgraduate School before reporting to VFA-94 in Lemoore for his department head tour. In 2005 he again deployed aboard NIMITZ to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf in support of OIF.
Commander Aiello reported to the Strike Fighter Weapons School, Pacific at Lemoore in 2006 and remained until 2009 when he was assigned to the staff of Carrier Air Wing FIVE in NAF Atsugi, Japan where he deployed to the Western Pacific aboard GEORGE WASHINGTON. Commander Aiello’s next assignment came in 2010 to the staff of Commander, U.S. THIRD Fleet, San Diego, California where he deployed to Afghanistan as an ‘individual augmentee’ with a Joint Special Operations Command task force in support of Operation ALLIED FORCE. During this assignment Commander Aiello completed a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
In 2013 Commander Aiello returned to NSAWC in Fallon where he served as Program Manager for the Navy’s F-16 adversary fleet. In 2015 Commander Aiello reported to the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest at NAS North Island, California where he served as the F/A-18 Integrated Project Team Military Program Manager and F/A18A-F Hornet and Super Hornet functional check pilot.
Commander Aiello retired from the US Navy in March 2017 following nearly 25 years of faithful and honorable service. He accrued 3,800 total flight hours including 3,200 in all models of the F/A-18 and nearly 200 in the F-16A/B. He has flown more than 70 combat missions over Iraq and performed over 700 carrier-arrested landings. His decorations include two Meritorious Service Medals, three Air Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals, and numerous personal and unit decorations.
Commander Aiello is married to the former Beth Grimm of Rogers, Arkansas; they reside in Coronado with their three sons: Slater, Anthony, and Dawson.

Lights, Camera… Conspiracy: A.C. Adams discusses "Chasing Shadows"
2025-06-19 11:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join the Coronado Public Library and Ollie Media as they welcome author duo A.C. Adams to discuss their debut novel, a gripping tale of mystery, betrayal, and the search for truth. In Chasing Shadows, a young woman’s father disappears without warning and a cryptic message is all he leaves behind. Her quest to find him leads across continents and into a tangle of buried secrets that will shatter everything she believed about her family. The authors, veterans of the entertainment industry with backgrounds in both television and theatre, will discuss their inspirations for the book and more.
Watch the trailer for their book here.
A book signing will follow the talk. This event is free and open to the public to attend. Books will be available for sale.
About Chasing Shadows
When renowned professor Dr. Aidan Ryan vanishes without explanation, he leaves behind a haunting message revealing he has a new life and can never return. His devastated daughter Sofia embarks on a global search to uncover the truth behind her father’s disappearance. What she finds is more shocking than she could have imagined—a web of family secrets and lies that challenges everything she thought she knew.
After clues send her to Italy, Sofia reconnects with her estranged mother Ella who reveals a hidden past of trauma and deceit. When they discover Aidan’s ties to The Brotherhood, an elusive, powerful society that operates in the shadows of world affairs, Sofia and Ella become ensnared in a deadly conspiracy. Trapped in ancient catacombs beneath the Roman countryside, they must confront their mysterious captors and fight for their lives. But as they edge closer to escape, one question remains: Will Aidan choose his family or The Brotherhood?
A.C. Adams is the nom de plume of co-authors Anthony Leigh Adams and Christina Adams. They have written and produced film and television projects for studios including Disney, ABC, CBS, NBC, and OWN. Their production company, Adams Entertainment, is based in La Jolla, California. For more information about Chasing Shadows and A.C. Adams’s other projects, visit adamsentertainment.com.

"Down to the Bone" Caitlin Rother and the McStay Family Murders
2025-07-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join us for an evening of true crime and investigative insight as New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother discusses her latest book, Down to the Bone, a riveting deep dive into the San Diego-based McStay family murders. This high-profile case captured national attention—featured on the cover of People magazine and in several TV documentaries—and led to the conviction and death sentence of Joseph McStay’s business associate, Charles “Chase” Merritt.
At this special event thanks to the San Diego Writers Festival, Rother will take the audience behind the scenes of her reporting, unpacking how assumptions, missteps, and courtroom controversy—including claims of confirmation bias and prosecutorial misconduct—shaped the outcome of one this disturbing case.
Books will be available to purchase thanks to Bay Books Coronado. A book signing will follow the event.

ABOUT DOWN TO THE BONE
In her latest work of investigative nonfiction, DOWN TO THE BONE, New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother explores the messy high-profile case of the McStay family murders, which were featured on the cover of People magazine and in several TV documentaries. Rother takes readers step-by-step through the decisions, assumptions, and theories by detectives and prosecutors that ultimately led Joseph McStay’s waterfall builder, Charles “Chase” Merritt, to be sent to death row after a trial marked by accusations of confirmation bias and prosecutorial misconduct.
Joseph McStay was last seen on Feb. 4, 2010, when he had lunch with Charles “Chase” Merritt. Subsequently unable to reach Joseph for days, Merritt urged Joseph’s mother and brother to contact authorities, while Joseph’s other associate, Dan Kavanaugh, called the police himself. Joseph’s brother Michael finally reported the family missing on Feb. 15, but detectives found no blood or sign of a struggle in the house, and no clues to the family’s whereabouts. Soon, Merritt and Kavanaugh were pointing fingers at each other as they fought for control of Joseph’s business. The only thing that key parties in this case could agree on was that this case was about money.
Within months of the family’s remains being discovered, San Bernardino County sheriff’s detectives had focused their investigation on Merritt, despite the lack of forensic evidence tying him to murder at the house or in his truck and belongings. During a six-month trial, the defense illustrated that Kavanaugh, who was never considered a suspect and ducked a subpoena to testify, had the same alleged motive as Merritt.
This book takes a behind-the-scenes look at the flaws in the two sheriff’s investigations and the prosecution’s firm belief that they got the right man, despite contradictions in their timeline and the unanswered questions about when and where this family was killed.
After reviewing voluminous court files, including 1,200 exhibits, hundreds of photos, and thousands of pages of records, Rother was able to paint a comprehensive and compelling portrait of this family’s life at the time they disappeared. In addition to these public records, Rother’s book is based on her own interviews and crucial discovery materials—including witness interviews and investigative reports—that took a dozen years to obtain. This deep research enabled her to disclose new and exclusive case details that have never been released publicly, to describe the eventful journey to trial, and to sensitively portray the lasting impact on Joseph’s and Summer’s families.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 16 books, ranging from true crime to thrillers and memoir. A New York Times-bestselling author and investigative journalist, Rother worked nearly 20 years for daily newspapers. Writing books full-time since 2006, she draws from decades of watchdog reporting on topics from addiction to suicide, mental illness, murder, government, political corruption and the criminal justice system. A popular speaker, she has appeared more than 250 times on TV, radio, and podcasts as a crime expert. A former writing instructor of 10 years, she coaches a limited number of aspiring author clients. In her spare time, she goes ocean swimming, sings and plays keyboards in a jazzy, bluesy trio called In the Lounge.
