Coronado Times

Spoilers Book Club: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
2025-02-22 14:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Spoilers Book Club reads books that are turned into movies. We read the book and get together to watch the film. We compare the two and discuss what we did and didn’t like.

Mystery Book Club: "Silence of the Grave"
2025-02-24 14:00 - 15:00 | 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. Receive reminder emails about our meeting by registering below. Registration is not required.
*Due to the holiday this month, we will be meeting on the fourth Monday of the month.*
We will be discussing Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason. Check out the book in print or ebook format from the Coronado Library Catalog by clicking here.

Best of the Best: "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson
2025-02-26 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 February meeting, we will discuss the 2014 Newberry Honor winner Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, a powerful memoir that tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.
Place this title on hold via our online catalog, or check out the e-book through the CloudLibrary app.

About Brown Girl Dreaming
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

Behind the Pen with author Madeline Falcone Discussing "The Adoption Wound"
2025-02-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join the San Diego Writers Festival for a special behind the pen event with author and therapist Madeline Falcone, LMFT.

Falcolne will be discussing her upcoming work, “The Adoption Wound.” Over the course of her therapeutic career she has supported numerous adopted children and their families. By integrating evidence-based therapeutic approaches with her extensive experience and empathetic understanding, Madeline has become a respected expert in adoptive dynamics. Her unique blend of scientific insight, energetic awareness and straightforward communication allows her to address complex emotional dynamics with both professional rigor and deep compassion. Learn about the work and process behind it at this events.
Madeline Falcone, LMFT, is the Founder and Therapeutic Director of Falcone Institute, a psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational practice based on The Falcone Method, Madeline’s innovative and holistic approach to therapeutic care.

Book Launch & Signing: "Body Parts" with Caitlin Rother
2025-03-01 12:00 - 14:00 | Bay Books, 1007 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Caitlin Rother, the New York Times bestselling author of Death on Ocean Boulevard, will be at Bay Books on Saturday, March 1 from 12 to 2 pm for her book “Body Parts.”

Originally released in 2009, this edition of “Body Parts” is a re-issue in trade paperback with 32 pages of new developments and comes out on February 25.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 15 books. Her next title, Down to the Bone, about the McStay family murders, comes out in June 2025. The author of narrative non-fiction crime, thrillers, and memoir, Rother also has the first two books in a new series of crime novels coming out in 2026, starting with Dopamine Fix (Thomas & Mercer). Her most recent title is Death on Ocean Boulevard, which was optioned by Untitled Entertainment. An award-winning investigative newspaper reporter for 19 years, Rother’s journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The San Diego Union Tribune, The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and The Daily Beast. Her more than 250 TV, radio and podcast appearances include 20/20, People Magazine Investigates, Crime Watch Daily, Australia’s World News, and numerous shows on Netflix, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, HLN and REELZ. A popular public speaker, she also works as a writing-research coach- consultant. For fun, she binges on limited series, swims, and plays keyboards and sings in a trio with her partner. Rother earned a bachelor’s in psychology from UC Berkeley and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. For more information, visit her website: caitlinrother.com

"Let’s Call Her Barbie" - A Book and Birthday Celebration
2025-03-04 18:30 - 19:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Did you know March 9 is Barbie’s birthday? Come celebrate the iconic doll’s 66th birthday with author Renee Rosen. Rosen’s latest novel “Let’s Call Her Barbie“ is a fresh and fun story about the invention of the doll we all know. She will talk about her inspiration for the book and more.
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 Let’s Call Her Barbie” through Adventures by the Book. Please visit https://adventuresbythebook.com/calendar-event/renee-rosen-3-4-25/ for more information.
About Let’s Call Her Barbie
When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.
In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything. As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.
In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions— each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—she’s a legacy.
About Renée Rosen
Renée Rosen is the USA Today bestselling author of “Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl,” “The Social Graces,” “Park Avenue Summer,” “Windy City Blues,” “White Collar Girl,” “What the Lady Wants,” and “Dollface.” Renée lives in Chicago.

Coronado Community READ: Teen Book Discussion
2025-03-05 14:00 - 15:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join the Coronado Middle School Book Club as they help lead teens through the discussion of this year’s Coronado Community READ Teen pick, Inside Out and Back Again.

Coronado Community READ: Teen Silk Painting
2025-03-05 15:30 - 16:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Experiment with a new medium and try your hand at a traditional Asian art style, Vietnamese-Style Silk Painting, as part of this year’s Coronado Community READ.

Coronado Community READ Book Discussion: "The Women"
2025-03-06 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-10 11:00 - 12:00 | 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.

Connecting Cultures with Little Saigon San Diego
2025-03-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Vietnam War saw hundreds of thousands of people leave their home and come to the United States as refugees. A great number of them came to California to build new lives, including nearly 40,000 who settled in San Diego. Today, the Vietnamese community in San Diego is strong and thriving.
In partnership with Little Saigon San Diego, this discussion-based program will highlight the local Vietnamese experience, offer an opportunity to learn from one another, celebrate diverse perspectives, and build new community relationships. Come listen, share, and connect in an open and welcoming space as we explore this rich cultural heritage and the stories that shape our community. All are welcome!
Find the full Coronado Community Read 2025 program here.
About Little Saigon San Diego
At Little Saigon San Diego, we believe social equity and racial equality can be achieved through the sense of belonging. To do this, we revitalize community infrastructure such as buildings, streets, and sidewalk, so that everyone could see their story, take ownership, and become a part of the community. We also host art and cultural events and festivals to share and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. When each of us realize that we are an equal part of a whole, we, naturally, will advocate for ourselves to achieve greater self-sufficiency and economic independence. When justice and fairness is achieved it will eliminate the motivations behind hatred, discrimination, and racism. Our community will be filled with lovingkindness, compassion, and empathy. Our works are also mission oriented toward the goal of spreading cultural awareness, building strong empathetic leadership in children, and encouraging lovingkindness in all.

Author Talk: Taylor Kiland, "Murder of the Jujube Candy Heiress"
2025-03-13 17:30 - 19:30 | Winn Room, Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
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, in partnership with the Coronado Public Library, 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 in the Winn Room at the Coronado Public Library on March 13, 2025 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm.
Light refreshments will be served and a book-signing will follow. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to availability. Preferred Seating is full. Ticket purchase/book pre-order is not required to attend the event. Pre-ordered books will be available for pickup at the event. Limited books will be available for purchase before and after the event.

Taylor Baldwin Kiland, a former naval officer, is the third generation in her family to serve in the Navy and live in Coronado, California. She is the author, coauthor or ghostwriter of more than twenty books, mostly in the military nonfiction genre and, specifically, about Vietnam prisoners-of-war and their families. She has occasionally written some children’s books, including one picture book about Coronado: Oz, Dog of the Del. Taylor lives in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and daughter, but she visits the island about once a month to check on her dad. Murder of the Jujube Candy Heiress: A Coronado Cold Case is her first cold case murder mystery. Learn more about her at TaylorKiland.com

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

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 | 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

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.
