All events are free to attend unless otherwise stated! Please give us a call if you have any questions or concerns.
If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms or have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, we ask that you please do not attend in-person events. Instead, feel free to order the book over the phone so we can have it signed for you to pick up when you're out of the woods!

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Story time with jen fier jasinski
saturday, september 30, 11:00am

Join us for another story time with debut picture book author Jen Fier Jasinski as she reads My Piano, an adorable book that follows a young musician as she prepares for her very first piano recital.

A musical, lyrical treat of a book that describes the steps on how to prepare a piano for playing, and the emotions you can feel while playing your instrument of choice. Please feel free to bring your little ones to meet the author and enjoy a storybook reading that's sure to be music to the ears! Jasinski has prepared a small activity at the end of the reading as well.

Fall for the book festival at george mason university and fairfax libraries
10/4; 10/10 - 10/14; multiple locations; multiple authors

We'll be at Fall for the Book once again - one our our favorite NoVA book festivals! Bards Alley will be on-site for their Beck Environmental Lecture on October 4th, and multiple events from October 10th through the 14th, featuring both local and national authors. Some notable authors will include:
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Marlon James ("Black Leopard, Red Wolf"); Nick Hornby ("Dickens and Prince"); W. Bruce Cameron ("A Dog's Purpose"); Alma Katsu ("Red London"; "The Fervor"); Angie Kim ("Miracle Creek"; "Happiness Falls"); Jean Meltzer ("Kissing Kosher"); CJ Hauser ("The Crane Wife"); Rachel Heng ("The Great Reclamation") and more!

And some local Vienna/NoVA authors including: John Gallagher ("Max Meow"); Ivelisse Housman ("Unseelie"); Hanh Bui ("The Yellow Ao Dai"); David Goodrich ("On Freedom Road"); I. S. Berry ("The Peacock and the Sparrow") and more!

Find their full schedule and list of authors on their website at FALLFORTHEBOOK.ORG and we hope to see you at some of the author events!

Matt Kirkland: "Dracula Daily" book launch
Wednesday, October 11, 6:30pm
@ Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Join us with our co-hosts at Mary Riley Styles Public Library as we welcome Matt Kirkland on his tour for the release of Dracula Daily! Originally beginning as an email newsletter, allowing users to comment on Bram Stoker's classic in real-time, Dracula Daily became an "Internet sensation" (The New York Times) in no time. This book chronicles a year of Dracula Daily, including artwork and commentary from Dracula Daily readers.

Matt Kirkland has prepared a presentation for the audience, with audience Q&A at the end before he signs copies of the book.

Thanks to Dracula Daily, the email newsletter that delivers the classic vampire novel in bite-sized chunks, "an old story about the undead is getting a new life" (NPR). Combining Stoker's original text alongside reader-generated content, this version of Dracula is a fun and immersive experience, perfect for vampire scholars, Dracula Daily readers, and newcomers to the story.
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RSVPs are open and free. We are requiring reservations as seating is limited! Please join the waitlist if the event fills up. We will try our best to accommodate additional attendees.​

Lisa M. P. Munoz book launch
Friday, October 20, 6:00pm

Join us at Bards Alley as we welcome local author Lisa M.P. Munoz for the launch of her book, Women in Science Now. Bring your questions - after a brief moderated discussion, we're opening it up to audience questions!

About the book: Women in Science Now examines solutions to this persistent gender gap, offering new perspectives on how to make science more equitable and inclusive for all. This book shares stories and insights of women from a range of backgrounds working in various disciplines, illustrating the journeys that brought them to the sciences, the challenges they faced along the way, and the important contributions they have made to their fields.

Lisa M. P. Munoz combines these narratives with a wealth of data to illuminate the size and scope of the challenges women scientists face, while highlighting research-based solutions to help overcome these obstacles. She presents groundbreaking studies in social psychology and organizational behavior that are informing novel approaches for combating historic and ongoing inequities.

Ray Collins
@ Patrick Henry Library
monday, october 23, 7:00pm

Ray Collins will be presenting at Patrick Henry Library for his recent novel, The General's Briefcase. Bards Alley will be there to sell copies of his book, and the author will sign them at the end of his talk and Q&A. Help support a local author with a book set right in Tysons, Virginia!

About the book: When General Winston invites a beautiful woman to his hotel room in Tysons, Virginia, he expects a romantic sexcapade. But Dana Hussein al-Sadi turns the tables, assassinates the general, and steals his briefcase, which contains a blueprint for terrorism. Dana's elite terrorist cell is soon off to Europe to acquire nuclear weapons from the Russian Mafia.


Though Alex Werth initially suspects Jolene Martin, author of the blueprint report, of the murder, he realizes her expertise will be crucial in the hunt for Winston's killer and stopping the impending disaster. Everything comes to a head in rural Virginia, where the fate of the world will be decided.

Story time with patricia tanumihardja
saturday, november 11, 11:00am

Join us for another story time with friend of the store, Patricia Tanumihardja ("Ramen For Everyone"; "Jimmy's Shoes"). She will be reading her newest release, The Sugar Plum Bakers: A Tale of 12 Holiday Treats.

Follow the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Gingerbread Man, and their team of bakerinas as they create delicious goodies from around the world—and discover that the real magic is teamwork. With a pinch of hope and a dash of zing, we can do anything! But when a blizzard whips up trouble, it begs the question: Will the bakerinas deliver their treats in time?
The Sugar Plum Bakers introduces young readers to tasty treats from around the world—and even includes a recipe in the back so kids can make some magic of their own. No registration necessary!

Roger Di Silvestro book talk
Monday, November 13, 7:00pm
​@ Patrick Henry Library

We're looking forward to bringing author, naturalist, and former writer for the National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation (among other organizations) to Patrick Henry Library for a discussion on his book, Return of the Bison. Books will be available for sale at the library, and Roger will be signing copies after his talk.

Return of the Bison is the story of how this symbol of the American West was once almost lost to history and of the continuing journey to bring bison back from the brink. Di Silvestro explores the complex history of the bison’s decimation and how a rising awareness of their possible extinction formed the roots of many modern wildlife conservation approaches. Di Silvestro traces the decades it took to begin to save the bison, often with little hope and plagued by discouraging setbacks, exploring the key role in the story of America’s Indigenous people.

​Are the bison doomed to be treated like cattle, fenced and contained? Or will they be listed as an endangered species, requiring us to treat them like the wild animals they are?

I. S. Berry book Signing
Saturday, November 18, 2:00 - 3:30pm

We're welcoming local author and former CIA officer I. S. Berry to the store for a book signing of her debut, The Peacock and the Sparrow. She will be at a signing table from 2pm until ~3:30pm, so stop in any time between then to chat, ask any questions, and get your copy signed by the author!

About the book: Shane Collins, a world-weary CIA spy, is ready to come in from the cold. Stationed in Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia for his final tour, he’s anxious to dispense with his mission—uncovering Iranian support for the insurgency against the monarchy. But then he meets Almaisa, a beautiful and enigmatic artist, and his eyes are opened to a side of Bahrain most expats never experience, to questions he never thought to ask.
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When his trusted informant becomes embroiled in a murder, Collins finds himself drawn deep into the conflict and his growing romance with Almaisa upended. In an instant, he’s caught in the crosshairs of a revolution. Drawing on all his skills as a spymaster, he must navigate a bloody uprising, win Almaisa’s love, and uncover the murky border where Bahrain’s secrets end and America’s begin.

Emma Grey Book Launch
@ Mary riley styles public library
​wednesday, november 29, 6:00pm

We will be co-hosting author Emma Grey at Mary Riley Styles Public Library for her adult debut, The Last Love Note! We will have a moderated discussion with the author where she will discuss her newest release, and we will be opening it up to audience questions at the end! Emma will also be signing copies of her book purchased at Bards Alley.

In The Last Love Note, Kate is a bit of a mess. Two years after losing her young husband Cameron, she’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad at her university fundraising job, always dropping the ball—and yet clinging to her sense of humor. Lurching from one comedic crisis to the next, she also navigates an overbearing mom and a Tinder-obsessed best friend who's determined to matchmake Kate with her hot new neighbor.

​When an in-flight problem leaves Kate and her boss, Hugh, stranded for a weekend on the east coast of Australia, she finally has a chance, away from her son, to really
process her grief and see what’s right in front of her. Can she let go of the love of her life and risk her heart a second time? When it becomes clear that Hugh is hiding a secret, Kate turns to the trail of scribbled notes she once used to hold her life together. 

Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Abby Jimenez, Linda Holmes, Ashley Poston, Hazel Hayes, and Meg Mason!