Library Journal Day of Dialog Fall 2026: Virtual, Free, and Features ME

Join us October 22 for our Library Journal Day of Dialog virtual event! Spanning a variety of genres, this free, day-long program will offer an in-depth look at the biggest forthcoming books for fall/winter 2026. You’ll hear directly from top authors as they discuss their new titles, inspiration, process, and more.

And don’t forget the virtual exhibit hall! Visit the booths to download free resources and chat with publishing representatives. 

EVENT HOURS: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM ET

 

I am going to share the full program below, but please note, there are often 3 concurrent programs. This is all good because all sessions will be available for on-demand viewing within 24 hours, and the entire event will be accessible for three months from the event date. So pick your first go around faves and then join in after, but you have to register to have access.

Speaking of the schedule, I am doing one of those first sessions:

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Nightmares on the Page
Creepy novels, full of atmosphere, foreboding dread, and shocking scares.

Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Imps! (Tin House: Zando)
Elle Engel, He Always Comes Back (akaSTORY: Abrams)
Eric LaRocca, Brute (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Gus Moreno, If You Think You're Lonely Now (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Tanya Pell, This B Just Won't Die! (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Becky Spratford, LJ Horror Review Columnist

But there is SO much more.  

Go to the main page and you will find everything you need know: full schedule, registration link, another bios, and the sponsors who will be in the virtual exhibit hall. 

I hope to see some of you there.

FULL PROGRAM is below or at this link.

9:00 – 9:30 AM ET | The Exhibit Hall Opens
 

9:30 – 10:00 AM ET | Opening Keynote
Jojo Moyes discusses Three Sisters (Pamela Dorman Books: Penguin Random House), a novel about a family reunion that is by turns comic, tempestuous, heartfelt, and ultimately redemptive.
Moderator: Jill Cox-Cordova, former LJ Associate Editor

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS
 

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Nightmares on the Page
Creepy novels, full of atmosphere, foreboding dread, and shocking scares.

Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Imps! (Tin House: Zando)
Elle Engel, He Always Comes Back (akaSTORY: Abrams)
Eric LaRocca, Brute (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Gus Moreno, If You Think You're Lonely Now (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Tanya Pell, This B Just Won't Die! (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Becky Spratford, LJ Horror Review Columnist

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Spellbound for Love
A conversation on crafting fantastical worlds with romance, adventure, and high stakes.

Ruby Dixon, Villain Origin Story (Ace: Penguin Random House)
Tzeyi Koay, A Curse Carved in Ink (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Alexis L. Menard, Vices & Virtues (Forever: Hachette)
Lexi Ryan, Night Tide (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Avon: HarperCollins)
Tasha Suri, The Lady of Thorns (Orbit: Hachette)
Moderator: Nicole Gaudier Alemañy, Assistant Branch Manager, Brooklyn Public Library (NY)

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Turning the Page Together
A lively discussion on books worth talking about, perfect for sharing with friends and book clubs.

Karen Joy Fowler, Otter Music (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Elizabeth Wellington Rollins, The Three Graces of Pearl Street (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Nina Michiko Tam, Tastes Like Seeing God (Pamela Dorman Books: Penguin Random House)
Rory Squire, Small Talk (Cardinal: Hachette)
Marisel Vera, The Girls from Humboldt Park (Liveright: Norton)
Moderator: Lynnanne Pearson, Head of Adult Services, DeKalb Public Library (IL)

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS
 

11:00 – 11:30 AM ET | Nobody Told Me This About Parenting
Experts provide practical, compassionate approaches to raising kids today.

Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, The Dysregulated Kid (Page Two: Page Two)
Lisa Damour, The Emotional Lives of Parents (Ballantine Books: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Ashley Rayner, Librarian at NORC, University of Chicago (IL)

11:00 – 11:30 AM ET | Nonfiction Illustrated
Discover culinary traditions, experience a life-changing journey, and reflect upon a tragic moment in history.

Christopher Benson, Framing Emmett Till (Abrams ComicArts - Megascope: Abrams)
Matthew Maxwell, How to Hold a Cockroach (Penguin Random House)
Linda Yi, Let's Make Sichuan! (Ten Speed Graphic: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Alexander Zalben, Host and Editor, Comic Book Club

11:00 – 11:30 AM ET | Supernatural Curiosity
Explore the museum of lost things, travel to enchanted fairy lands, and encounter ghostly hauntings.

Sarah Clegg, Perilous Enchantment: The True History of Faeries (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Sam Kean, The Museum of Lost Things (National Geographic: Disney)
Margo MacDonald, A Curious Presence: An Exploration of Ghosts and the People Who Haunt Them (ECW Press: ECW)
Moderator: Sarah-Ruth Tasko, Readers' Advisory Librarian - Darien Library (CT)

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS
 

11:35 AM – 12:25 PM ET | Culinary Adventures
Discover fresh ways to cook, eat, and feel your best with these four Union Square cookbook authors. From Italian favorites and fiber-fueled meals to the science of flavor and everyday wellness, this panel serves up practical recipes, expert insights, and delicious inspiration for every home cook.

Anna Francese Gass, Instant Italian: 100 Modern Classics—Ready in Under an Hour
Dr. Emily Leeming, Fiber Power: 60 Recipes to Transform Your Energy and Boost Your Health in Four Weeks
Helen Rennie, The Science of Dinner: Lessons in Flavor and Texture with 60 Essential Recipes
Elizabeth Stein, Nourish and Thrive: 100 Balanced Recipes for Everyday Wellness
Moderator: Ron Block, Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library System (OH)

11:35 AM – 12:25 PM ET | Novels of Twists and Turns
These mysteries and thrillers range from cozy to creepy and are full of suspense, misdirection, and plot twists.

Tempest Black, Bitter Fruit (Little, Brown and Company: Hachette)
Meg Blakemore, When Harriet Met Homicide (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Lauren Ling Brown, The Inheritance Thief (Bantam: Penguin Random House)
Alyssa Cole, It Takes a Village (Wildthorn: Macmillan)
Rebecca Connolly, Webs of Ink (Shadow Mountain: Shadow Mountain)
Moderator: Tina Panik, Reference Manager, Avon Free Public Library (CT)

11:35 AM – 12:25 PM ET | Sea Stories
Nonfiction books that capture the drama and danger of life at sea, with accounts of shipwrecks, science, and tragedy.

Caitlin Doughty, Dead in the Water (W. W. Norton & Company: Norton)
Mark Harris, Deep End (W. W. Norton & Company: Norton)
Ben Rawlence, The River in the Sea (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Decker Watson, The Sinking of The Scandies Rose (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Dontaná McPherson-Joseph, Collection Management Librarian, Oak Park Public Library (IL)

12:25 – 12:55 PM ET | Break / Visit the Exhibit Hall

12:55 – 1:25 PM ET | Afternoon Keynote
Join Isabel Ibañez in conversation with St. Martin’s Publishing Group’s Executive Editor Eileen Rothschild as they discuss Witch Dance (St. Martin's Publishing Group / Saturday Books: Macmillan Library Marketing), an atmospheric, historical fantasy where forbidden magic, a deadly mystery, and an enemies-to-lovers romance collide in Renaissance Europe.

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET | Enchantment in the Everyday
These books blend time travel, alternate realities, and magical recipes into daily life.

Sarah Addison Allen, Paper Ghosts (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Tabitha Bouldin, Seven Recipes for Second Chances (Bethany House Publishers: Baker)
Emilia Hart, The Enigmas (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Kelly Murashige, Milkiverse (Soho Press) 
Alex Schulman, June 17th (Harper: HarperCollins)
Moderator: James Gardner, Reference Librarian at Clark County Public Library

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET | Make Your World Better
Self-help authors discuss reconnecting with one’s self, focusing on what's really important, and practicing social bravery.

Autumn Brown, Temper (St. Martin's Essentials / Sounds True: Macmillan)
Chris Cleave, Human Again (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Amy Cuddy, Bullied (Harper Wave: HarperCollins)
Jedidiah Jenkins, Go Quiet on the Mountain (Convergent Books: Penguin Random House)
John S. Kruse, ADHD World (New Harbinger Publications: New Harbinger)
Moderator: Emily Bowles, Lecturer in English, Georgia Gwinnett College

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS
 

2:25 – 3:15 PM ET | First-Time Authors
Learn about debut novels that run the gamut from ping-pong to magical party islands.

Renny Gong, Ping Pong Kids (Ecco: HarperCollins)
CJ Green, Record Lows (Cardinal: Hachette)
Jordan Harrison, Miss Archer (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Ronald Lee Robertson, Goliath (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Raelle Tucker, Obscura (Crown: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Jen Jumba, MLIS, Popular Department Manager, Cleveland Public Library (OH)

2:25 – 3:15 PM ET | The Heart of the Matter
Romance books that celebrate connection, character, and unforgettable love stories.

Liana Cincotti, Don't Be in Love (Forever: Hachette)
Kristina Forest, The Unrequited Love Department (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Roxanne LoMarc, Love and Other Two-Player Games (Haven: Baker)
Martha Waters, Spellstruck (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Julia Whelan, Casanova LLC: Deluxe Limited Edition (Kensington: Kensington)
Moderator: Migdalia Jimenez, Librarian, Chicago Public Library (IL)

3:15 – 3:40 PM ET | Break / Visit the Exhibit Hall

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS
 

3:40 – 4:30 PM ET | The Stories We Carry
Authors share the vulnerability and craft of telling their unique histories in their own words.

Miranda Brown, Dumpling Therapy: My Mother, Chinese Food, and Five Thousand Years of Not-So-Ancient Recipes (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Tamra Davis, Girl with a Camera (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Ana Hebra Flaster, Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town (She Writes Press: Indie Author Project)
Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Both and Neither: A Memoir and History of Gender (or a Haunting) (Doubleday: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Natalie Marshall, Executive Director, Flint River Regional Library System (GA)

3:40 – 4:30 PM ET | Worlds Beyond
Books filled with cozy magic shops, dystopian cli-fi futures, and desert kingdoms readers won't want to leave.

Delemhach, The Dues & Don'ts of Magic (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Sara Hashem, Merciful Carnage (Orbit: Hachette)
Ashley Poston, Elodie and the Dark Lord (Ace: Penguin Random House)
Lev AC Rosen, All Her Potential (Erewhon Books: Kensington)
A.D. Sui, Our Infinite and Inevitable Ends (ECW Press: ECW)
Moderator: Jessica Trotter, Collection Development Specialist, Capital Area District Libraries (MI)

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS

4:35 – 5:25 PM ET | Fantastic Fiction
From the mountains of Jamaica to the hills of Ireland, these books have stories that defy the ordinary.

Mateo Askaripour, Pure Ox (Dutton: Penguin Random House)
Wiley Cash, Same River Twice (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Nicole Dennis-Benn, Black Gold (Random House: Penguin Random House)
Mary Beth Keane, Whale Harbor (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Susan Meissner, Somewhere, Something Incredible (Berkley: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Andrea Gough, Adult Services Librarian, Seattle (WA)

4:35 – 5:25 PM ET | Reading the Past
Writers weave historical elements, including the Space Race and 19th-century immigration, into compelling narratives.

Marianne Fons, The Dressmaker of Winterset (Union Square & Co.: Union Square)
Jennifer Galvão, Maria, Maria (Random House: Penguin Random House)
Pam Jenoff, The Society of Forgotten Wives (Park Row: HarperCollins)
Shirin Yim Leos, Of Wind and Dust (The Dial Press: Penguin Random House)
Erin Litteken, Find Me in the Stars (Harper Muse: HarperCollins Christian/Focus)
Moderator: Felicia Humphries, Asst. Director Library Services, Boston Public Schools (MA)

5:30 – 6:00 PM ET | Closing Keynote
Bestselling crime writer S.A. Cosby brings his signature grit and suspense to the Marvel Universe with Truth to Power: A Luke Cage Marvel Crime Novel (Hyperion Avenue: Disney), a thrilling tale of justice and power that pushes heroes to their limits.
Moderator: Ron Block, Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library System (OH)