Mark your calendar for a great start to 2026 at Gibson’s Bookstore with these upcoming literary events to get your new year off on the right foot.
Sally Cragin presents “Llewellyn’s 2026 Moon Sign Book“
Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30 p.m.: Llewellyn Worldwide author Sally Cragin returns to Gibson’s Bookstore to present “Llewellyn’s 2026 Moon Sign Book: Plan Your Life by the Cycles of the Moon!” Learn how to plan your year based around the moon!
About the Book: This bestselling almanac has been the go-to guide for planning your year around the moon since 1905. An essential resource for astrologers, gardeners, and laypeople alike, “Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book” features void-of-course charts, weather and economic forecasts, aspectarian tables and a variety of thoughtful articles. Discover lunar planting and harvesting guidelines, recommended activities for every day of the year, and timing strategies for all kinds of life events. Explore articles on harnessing moon energy, preparing and stocking your autumn apothecary, lunar permaculture, Chiron and more.
Filled with dozens of tips on crafting, gardening, health, and home décor, this book helps you connect to the Moon’s energy wherever you are.
About the author: Sally Cragin is the author of “The Astrological Elements,” and “Astrology on the Cusp” (Llewellyn Worldwide). She teaches theatre and writing at Fitchburg State University. She is also a Councilor-at-large for the City of Fitchburg, MA.
Gray Fitzgerald presents “Capitalism Converts Christianity“
Thursday, January 15 at 6:30 p.m.: Concord author Gray Fitzgerald visits Gibson’s Bookstore with his new book, “Capitalism Converts Christianity.”
“Capitalism Converts Christianity” tells the story of the church’s unconscious, unacknowledged enslavement to the values and behaviors of capitalism. But “Capitalism Converts Christianity” also shows the transformation that is possible in the church’s beliefs and behaviors around money and possessions. The book tells two kinds of stories: accounts of countries, industries and corporations that committed unspeakable crimes for profit, and conversion accounts of saints who followed Jesus’ teachings about money with love, courage, and faithfulness. These surprising conversion stories inspire us to become agents of transformation in the culture in which we live; they help us align our lives more closely to the values found in the scriptures we espouse. Finally, these stories help us live into transformation, imagining what God’s kingdom on earth could look like.
About the author: Gray Fitzgerald has been active in lay ministry and social services for much of his life. He volunteered in Ecuador with the Peace Corps, was a lay leader in an Atlanta inner-city church, served with a nonviolent ecumenical group in wartime Nicaragua, headed up volunteer construction for an Atlanta inner-city housing program, visited inmates throughout the Georgia prison system, counseled individual and families coping with mental illness and pastored two small United Church of Christ congregations in New Hampshire. In retirement, he continued to live in NH and was active in the UCC’s peace and justice activities. In recent years, he has focused on writing a book concerned with his belief that rather than the church converting our society to the values of our faith regarding money, property, and wealth, the culture has instead converted the church to the values of the culture in those areas.
Jenna Blum presents “Murder Your Darlings,” with Edwin Hill
Tuesday, January 20 at 6:30 p.m.: New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum comes to Gibson’s Bookstore to present her new, fun suspense novel, “Murder Your Darlings.” For every woman who’s ever fallen for a bad man comes a hilarious and eviscerating tale of love, loss, and deadlines. Blum is joined in conversation by her friend, suspense and thriller author Edwin Hill (“Secrets We Share,” “Who to Believe”).
“Authors and book tours, stalkers and deadlines, horrid men and ice cold revenge . . . Murder Your Darlings will have you cracking up while you’re checking under your bed.”—Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author
Known for such brilliant historical novels as “Those Who Save Us” and “The Lost Family,” A Mighty Blaze co-founder and New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum now offers a contemporary, suspenseful novel about love, loss, and revenge in the world of books.
About the book: Simone “Sam” Vetiver is a mid-career novelist finishing a lukewarm publicity tour while facing a deadline for a new book on which she’s totally blocked. Recently divorced, Sam is worrying where her life is going when she receives glowing fan mail from stratospherically successful author William Corwyn, renowned for his female-centric novels. When William and Sam meet and his literary sympathy is as intense as their chemistry, both writers think they’ve found The One.
But as in their own novels, things between Sam and William are not what they seem. William has multiple stalkers, including a scarily persistent one named The Rabbit. He lives on a remote Maine island, where his writer life resembles The Shining. And when writers turn up dead, including from The Darlings support group William runs, Sam has to ask: Is it The Rabbit—William’s #1 Stalker? Another woman scorned? Can William be everything he seems?
Narrated by Sam, William, and The Rabbit, “Murder Your Darlings” is a wickedly witty look at today’s literary landscape and down-the-rabbit-hole tale of how far people will go for love.https://gibsonsbookstore.com/event/murder-your-darlings
Kelly Scarborough presents “Butterfly Games,” with Laura Knoy
Wednesday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m.: Gibson’s Bookstore is pleased to welcome Kelly Scarborough as she presents her debut historical fiction novel, “Butterfly Games.” Kelly Scarborough will be in conversation with former NHPR Host and local author of “The Shopkeeper of Alsace,” Laura Knoy.
About “Butterfly Games”: For fans of Philippa Gregory and Allison Pataki, “Butterfly Games” is Kelly Scarborough’s debut biographical historical fiction novel about a young Swedish countess whose youthful love affair with the heir to her country’s throne has profound personal and political repercussions.
In some games, winning means losing everything that matters. In the opulent world of the Swedish royal court, Jacquette Gyldenstolpe walks a dangerous tightrope between romance and political intrigue. Neglected by her parents and ostracized by the people around her, the young countess falls in love with Prince Oscar, heir to the Swedish throne—but their passionate affair has far-reaching consequences for the new Bernadotte dynasty, which is already challenged by threats from inside Sweden and beyond.
By the time Jacquette learns that the butterfly game’s political and sexual maneuvering is not for the faint-hearted, it is too late. For she has a secret—one as precious to her as it is potentially devastating to the crown—and she will stop at nothing to protect it.
Based on a true story and set in stormy early-1800s Europe, “Butterfly Games” is a sweeping historical tale of forbidden love, fierce duty, and the cost of ambition. From the lavish ballrooms of Stockholm to the elegant manor houses of the Swedish countryside, Jacquette’s story will transport readers to a world where every whisper could lead to triumph or ruin.
About the author: Kelly Scarborough worked for more than two decades as a law firm partner and white-collar prosecutor, but her real passion is reading and writing biographical historical fiction about fascinating women navigating love, politics, and power in European history. Her debut novel, “Butterfly Games,” is inspired by her visits to Swedish castles and archival research. Kelly lives in Madison, Connecticut and Bluffton, South Carolina.
“Dark Sisters” with horror author Kristi DeMeester
Tuesday, January 27 at 6:30 p.m.: Horror author Kristi DeMeester (“Such a Pretty Smile”) visits Gibson’s Bookstore with her new frightening fare, “Dark Sisters.”
In this fiercely captivating novel, horror meets historical fiction when a curse bridges generations, binding the fates of three women. Anne Bolton, a healer facing persecution for witchcraft, bargains with a dark entity for protection—but the fire she unleashes will reverberate for centuries. Mary Shephard, a picture-perfect wife in a suffocating community, falls for Sharon and begins a forbidden affair that could destroy them both. And Camilla Burson, the rebellious daughter of a preacher, defies conformist expectations to uncover an ancient power as her father’s flock spirals into crisis.
Three women. Three centuries. One legacy of fury, love, and a power that refuses to die.
“A hauntingly beautiful exploration of revenge, feminine rage, and the secrets that bind women across time… Frightening, subversive, and provocative.” – Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author “The Lost Apothecary”
About the author: Kristi DeMeester (she/her) is the author of “Dark Sisters,” “Such a Pretty Smile,” which was selected as a Georgia Author of the Year finalist, and “Beneath.” Her short fiction has appeared in publications such as “The Dark, Black Static,” multiple volumes of “The Year’s Best Horror,” “Year’s Best Weird Fiction,” and in her short fiction collection “Everything That’s Underneath.” She lives, writes, and makes horror-themed candles in Atlanta, Georgia.
For more information on any of these events, visit https://gibsonsbookstore.com/events/2026/01.