BOOKISH EVENTS
BOOKISH FUN FOR ALL AGES
ALL SUMMER / CELEBRATION OF OUR NEW BROOKFIELD POP-UP SHOP @ PROGRESS PARK IN BROOKFIELD
Local Readers (ALL AGES!) - Celebrate our next chapter! Swing by our NEW Brookfield Pop-Up Shop this summer to visit our NEW Booktique & five additional small businesses at Eight Corners...
We'll be open Fridays from 11-6 pm, Saturdays from 10-6 pm & Sundays from 11-5 pm...
CLICK TO LEARN MORE
BOOKISH FUN FOR ADULTS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5TH / 10-12 PM / CHICAGO TRANSIT HIKES TRAIL RUN/HIKE: NORTH BRANCH TRAIL W/ LINDSAY WELBERS @ NEW BOOK JOY IN EDGEBROOK
Local Readers (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Calling all nature-loving, public transport enthusiasts! We're hitting the Chicagoland trails to celebrate the second edition of Lindsay Welber's Chicago Transit Hikes, newly released from University of Illinois Press. This guide to getting out in nature without a car is a must-read for any city dweller itching to appreciate our undervalued Midwestern landscape in an easily accessible way. Join us at our New Book Joy Booktique for a three-or-six-mile trail run or two-mile walk with Queer Outdoor Chicago Club on the North Branch Trail, followed by a Q&A, book sales, and signing with the author.
No prior reading required. Copies of Chicago Transit Hikes will be available for purchase at the event.
CLICK TO GET TICKETS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH / 6-8:30 PM / BOOK CLUB MIXER W/ SHELBY VAN PELT, RENÉE ROSEN + NILES-MAINE DISTRICT LIBRARY @ UNE ANNÉE IN NILES
Local Readers (& Book Clubbers) - Bring your book club crew or fly solo to join us for this captivating evening of literature & libations at Une Année in Niles! Meet bestselling authors Shelby Van Pelt & Renée Rosen, mix 'n mingle with fellow readers, learn about Niles-Maine District Library's resources & tips for your next meeting & shop a curated collection of books from the featured authors (& more!) provided by New Book Joy... PLUS, get your books signed too!
FREE EVENT - CLICK TO RSVP
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10TH / 6-7:30 PM / BOOZY BOOK SWAP @ IMPERIAL OAK BREWING IN BROOKFIELD
Local Readers (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join us for a *Boozy* Spooky Book Swap Mix + Mingle at Imperial Oak Brewing! Bring your own new or gently used book to swap with any other books that are brought to this event (or any extra titles that we have available for the swap). Don't worry, you'll get to browse all the books & chat with local book lovers about their titles before swapping... Enjoy some delicious beer or other bevys from this amazing local brewery while you're at it (NA options available too)! (NOTES: This month's theme is SHOCK + SUSPENSE! Think: Heart-Pounding Thrillers, Spine-Chilling Horror, True Crime, Sci-Fi Stories + more inspired by Spooky Season.)FREE EVENT - CLICK TO RSVP
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH / 4-7 PM / WITCH CRAWL @ BROOKFIELD POP-UP SHOP IN PROGRESS PARK + OTHER BUSINESSES IN BROOKFIELD
Local Witches (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Grab your pals, put on your best witchy attire, and join us for the Brookfield Witch Crawl - an unforgettable evening of fun, community, and giving back! Here’s what’s brewing:-
Trick-or-Treat for Adults: Stop into participating Brookfield businesses to pick up goodies, samples, and special offers.
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Costume Competition: Show off your spookiest, sassiest, or most creative witch look for a chance to win prizes!
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Best Decorated Business Contest: Local shops will be decking out their spaces - vote for your favorite frightfully festive stop.
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Magical Raffles & Giveaways: Our businesses have conjured up fantastic raffle items you won’t want to miss - each one as creative and unique as the shops themselves!
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A Night With Friends: Stroll the town, enjoy laughter, music, and community spirit as you hop from shop to shop.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH / 7-8 PM / IN-PERSON (OR VIRTUAL *ZOOM*) BOOK CLUB @ NEW BOOK JOY IN EDGEBROOK
Local Readers (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join us in-person at our Edgebrook Booktique (or opt to meet with us virtually on *ZOOM*) to discuss our best-selling book of the summer. You're invited to listen in on the curated conversation & participate / ask any questions you have for the group. If you’re meeting with us in-person, you’ll get a SWAG BAG + EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS FROM OUR BOOKTIQUE (PLUS, you can opt to BYOB if you’d like)!
Pick up a physical copy of the book from the dropdown menu on the sign-up page, decide to download an audiobook from the link on the sign-up page before the event, OR join us for the discussion before you dive into the book - your choice!
NOTE: PRE-READING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, since we will be diving deep into the book during our discussion and there may be some spoilers.
CLICK TO GET TICKETS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12TH / 2-3 PM / SILENT BOOK CLUB @ NEW BOOK JOY IN EDGEBROOK
Local Readers (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join us for a FREE Silent Book Club Experience! Once a month we will keep our Reading Lounges open from 2-3 pm for a private hour of reading time so 12 LUCKY READERS can enjoy some quiet self-care, on us! Choose to read in any of our upstairs or downstairs reading nooks (first come, first served)...
There will be an *optional* 30 minute soirée & shopping party after each event from 3-3:30 pm so that readers can have the opportunity mix & mingle with other local Chicagoland book lovers to talk about what they're reading &/or GET 10% OFF STORE-WIDE if they choose to shop our curated selection of books & reading pairings afterwards!
NOTE: THIS MONTH, WE'RE OFFERING *OPTIONAL* FREE 10 MINUTE THERAPEUTIC CHAIR MASSAGES BY NICOLE!
FREE EVENT - CLICK TO RSVP
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16TH / 7-8 PM / BROOKFIELD READS 2025: CHILLS & THRILLS W/ LORI RADER-DAY - BOOK DISCUSSION FOR UNDER A DARK SKY @ THE BROOKFIELD LIBRARY IN BROOKFIELD
Local Readers (YA + GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join in this annual community-wide reading initiative! Meet up in-person at The Brookfield Library for a lively book discussion of Under a Dark Sky by our dear friend (& Chicagoland's own) Lori Rader-Day before meeting the author at the finale event on October 29th!
MORE ABOUT LORI RADER-DAY: Lori earned a Master of Arts in creative nonfiction and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and is now an Edgar Award-nominated and Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of Wreck Your Heart (forthcoming January 2026), The Death of Us, Death at Greenway, The Lucky One, and others. She lives in Chicago, where she co-chairs the crime fiction readers' event Midwest Mystery Conference and teaches creative writing at Northwestern University.
FREE EVENT - CLICK TO RSVP
CLICK TO BORROW THE BOOK FROM BFL
CLICK TO BUY THE BOOK FROM NBJ
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH / 6-7:30 PM / SPOOKY BOOK SWAP @ NEW BOOK JOY IN EDGEBROOK
Local Readers (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join us for another Book Swap Mix + Mingle in our Booktique! Bring your own new or gently used book to swap with any other books that are brought to this event (or any extra titles that we have available for the swap). Don't worry, you'll get to browse all the books & chat with local book lovers about their titles before swapping... BYOB is optional too! (NOTES: This month's theme is SHOCK + SUSPENSE! Think: Heart-Pounding Thrillers, Spine-Chilling Horror, True Crime, Sci-Fi Stories + more inspired by Spooky Season.)FREE EVENT - CLICK TO RSVP
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19TH / 4-6 PM / BOOKS, BITES + BEVYS TASTING @ HAPPIER NOW CAFE & MARKET IN LAGRANGE PARK
Local Chicago wine lovers & foodies can taste an assortment of wines & small plates from Happier Now Cafe & Market inspired by the flavors of characters, plots & settings from each of our Fall reading recommendations (think: Cozy Feel-Good + Light-Hearted Stories, Strong + Powerful Journeys, Suspenseful Twisty Tales & more books that incorporate food!) then stick around to shop our curated collection of books & small business pairings that also compliment the featured stories.
CLICK TO GET TICKETS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22ND / 6-7:30 PM / SILENT BOOK CLUB @ IMPERIAL OAK BREWING IN BROOKFIELD
Local Readers (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join us for our 1st FREE Silent Book Club Experience at Imperial Oak Brewing! We'll enjoy an hour of quiet reading time together from 6-7 PM & enJOY some delicious boozy & NA bevys from the brewery while we're at it (talk about some good self-care)!
There will be an *optional* 30 minute soirée after the event from 7-7:30 PM so that readers can have the opportunity mix and mingle with other local Brookfield / Chicagoland book lovers to talk about what they're reading & GET A 10% OFF COUPON to use in either of our bookstore locations or online if they choose to shop our curated selection of books and reading pairings afterwards!
FREE EVENT - CLICK TO RSVP
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23RD / 7-8 PM / VIRTUAL *ZOOM* BOOK CLUB W/ AUTHOR CARLA FERNANDEZ
Grievers of ALL KINDS - Join us virtually to discuss debut author Carla Fernandez's newly-released book Renegade Grief. You're invited to listen in on the curated conversation from the comfort of your own home & participate / ask any questions you have for the author or group. NOTE: PRE-READING IS NOT REQUIRED, but we will be diving deep into the book during our discussion, so there may be some spoilers.
Pick up a physical copy of the book from the dropdown menu on the sign-up page, decide to download an audiobook from the link on the sign-up page before the event, OR join us for the discussion before you dive into the book - your choice!
NOTE: A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO WALLY'S HEARTH COMMUNITY HOSPICE IN OAK PARK.
CLICK TO GET TICKETS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH / 11:30-1 PM / SPOOKY SEASON BOOKS, BITES + BEVYS TASTING LUNCHEON @ PATINA WINE BAR IN PARK RIDGE
Local Chicago wine lovers & foodies can taste an assortment of wines & small plates from Patina Wine Bar inspired by the flavors of characters, plots & settings from each of our Spooky Season reading recommendations (think: Cozy Feel-Good + Light-Hearted Stories, Dark + Twisty Tales, Heart-Pounding Thrillers, Spine-Chilling Horror, True Crime, Sci-Fi Stories + more!) then stick around to shop our curated collection of books & small business pairings that also compliment the featured stories.
CLICK TO GET TICKETS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH / 7 PM / BROOKFIELD READS 2025: CHILLS & THRILLS *FINALE* W/ LORI RADER-DAY - AUTHOR MEET + GREET @ THE BROOKFIELD LIBRARY IN BROOKFIELD
Local Readers (YA + GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join other book lovers in-person at The Brookfield Library to meet our dear friend (& Chicagoland's own) Lori Rader-Day, author of Under a Dark Sky ( the Brookfield Reads selection for 2025)! In addition to hearing about her writing process, you'll get to ask questions and get signed copies of her books too.
MORE ABOUT LORI RADER-DAY: Lori earned a Master of Arts in creative nonfiction and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and is now an Edgar Award-nominated and Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of Wreck Your Heart (forthcoming January 2026), The Death of Us, Death at Greenway, The Lucky One, and others. She lives in Chicago, where she co-chairs the crime fiction readers' event Midwest Mystery Conference and teaches creative writing at Northwestern University.
FREE EVENT - CLICK TO RSVP
CLICK TO BORROW THE BOOK FROM BFL
CLICK TO BUY THE BOOK FROM NBJ
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH / 6-7 PM / IN-PERSON BOOK CLUB @ JUST WALLPAPER IN BROOKFIELD
Local Readers (GROWN-UPS 21+) - Join us in-person at Just Wallpaper (right down the block from our Brookfield Booktique) to discuss our best-selling book of the summer. You're invited to listen in on the curated conversation & participate / ask any questions you have for the group. If you’re meeting with us in-person, you’ll get a SWAG BAG + EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS FROM OUR BOOKTIQUE (PLUS, you can opt to BYOB if you’d like)!
Pick up a physical copy of the book from the dropdown menu on the sign-up page, decide to download an audiobook from the link on the sign-up page before the event, OR join us for the discussion before you dive into the book - your choice!
NOTE: PRE-READING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, since we will be diving deep into the book during our discussion and there may be some spoilers.
CLICK TO GET TICKETS
BOOK CLUBS + FUN FOR KIDS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH / 10-11 AM / KIDS STORY TIME W/ LOCAL BROOKFIELD AUTHOR AMY SKALA TISCHMANN @ BROOKFIELD POP-UP SHOP IN PROGRESS PARK
Young Readers (Kiddos of ALL AGES) - Swing by for a story time reading adventure! This fun event includes an interactive read-aloud with local Brookfield author Amy Skala Tischmann and a curated shopping experience of our other favorite stories and paired small-business goodies at our New Book Joy Booktique. KIDS OF ALL AGES ARE WELCOME, as long as they’re accompanied by a parent, aunt/uncle, grandparent, or guardian!
FREE EVENT - NO TICKETS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5TH / 3-4 PM / BOOK DISCUSSION & DIY CRAFT ACTIVITY @ NEW BOOK JOY IN EDGEBROOK
Young Readers (3RD - 5TH GRADERS) - Join us for a Book Discussion & Paired DIY Fuzzy Harp Seal Craft inspired by Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman! Sign up to reserve your spot & opt to get a physical copy of the book to read before we meet as a full Book Club group...
CLICK TO GET TICKETS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19TH / 3-4 PM / BOOK DISCUSSION & DIY CRAFT ACTIVITY @ BROOKFIELD POP-UP SHOP IN PROGRESS PARK
Young Readers (3RD - 5TH GRADERS) - Join us for a Book Discussion & Paired DIY Fuzzy Harp Seal Craft inspired by Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman! Sign up to reserve your spot & opt to get a physical copy of the book to read before we meet as a full Book Club group...