Take an escape with a romance and get to know Bethany Turner, author of ["Cole and Laila Are Just Friends"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/cc18c5fc-23d4-1603-d079-bfb288bdb2b6-eng/Home?searchId=58422550&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex), who will join us for a Zoom discussion of her book. New members are always welcome. You don't have to read the book to join, but it is encouraged.

**Book Description:**
Cole Kimball and Laila Olivet have been best friends their entire lives. Cole is the only person (apart from blood relatives) who's seen Laila in her oversized, pink, plastic, Sophia Loren glasses. Laila is always the first person to taste test any new dish Cole creates in his family's restaurant . . . even though she has the refined palate of a kindergartener. Most importantly, Cole and Laila are always talking. About everything. When Cole discovers a betrayal from his recently deceased grandfather that shatters his world, staying in Adelaide Springs, Colorado, is suddenly unfathomable... When Cole toys with moving across the country to New York City, Laila decides to support her best friend--even as she secretly hopes she can convince him to stay home. And not just for his killer chocolate chip pancakes. Because she loves him.

Lit Up: Events with Literary Style

Megan Shirlington

Escapism Book Club with Author Bethany Turner

Online event

### Join us for a fun discussion of LGBTQIA+ themed books!

Our bookclub features a monthly selection of fiction and non-fiction titles centered on queer characters.

Beginning April 2025, meetings are held in person at Courthouse Library
at 2 p.m. in the Azalea Room or online via Zoom. We look forward to seeing you at our new location! See below for dates and titles.

**REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED. Registration is required for a meeting reminder, and to receive the Zoom link.**

For adults age 18+. Please call 703-228-3352 or email Lib-Courthouse@arlingtonva.us for more information.

Location:
Courthouse Library
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
1st Floor Lobby
Arlington, Virginia 22201

Transportation: Parking in the garage located beneath the Bozman Government Center is free on weekends and after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. We are also accessible via public transit: by Metro (Orange and Silver Lines - Courthouse) and by bus.

**2025 Love is Love Booklist:**

* Jan. 27: ["Scorched Grace"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/8d4cea21-b9e2-d1fa-dc26-d7d0fde2cc03-eng/Home?searchId=54129873&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Margot Douaihy
* Feb 24: ["Congratulations, the best is over"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/c174b6dc-ed27-166d-63be-38cc31210228-eng/Home?searchId=54131932&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by R. Eric Thomas
* Mar 24: ["The Skin and its Girl"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/Record/279802?searchId=54132452&recordIndex=1&page=1&referred=resultIndex) by Sarah Cypher
* Apr 26: ["The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/3972939f-dcee-d407-7fbf-25fcddb00563-eng/Home?searchId=54133094&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Becky Chambers
* May 17: ["The Very Nice Box"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/Record/237270?searchId=54133309&recordIndex=2&page=1&referred=resultIndex) by Eve Gleichman, Laura Blacket
* June 28: ["The Guncle Abroad"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/55a734ef-241a-1c36-1fee-c408731fe68e-eng/Home?searchId=54133610&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Steven Rowley
* July 19: ["One Last Stop"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/1bf37277-0353-5349-e7a1-d7d747bb2535-eng/Home?searchId=54147296&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Casey McQuiston
* Aug 30: ["Kissing Girls on Shabbat"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/8da8cebc-8e7f-6652-04f8-4eb4e2b27336-eng/Home?searchId=54147570&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Sara Glass
* Sept 20: ["High Risk Homosexual"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/6e2e22d4-36ca-cb23-8611-b5504d4723f9-eng/Home?searchId=54148006&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Edgar Gomez
* Oct 11: ["Interesting Facts About Space"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/897bb0eb-eda4-f0d3-e6d1-8b57fd6ffb2d-eng/Home?searchId=54148451&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Emily Austin
* Nov 22: ["Lies With Man"](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/c553ee61-b423-0aff-997e-b7574bfa0572-eng/Home?searchId=54148638&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex) by Michael Nava
* Dec.13: Happy Hour Book Swap - Location TBD

Victoria

Penny E.

Elle

Love is Love Book Club - "The Very Nice Box"

Arlington Library

\*\*[Register on the Library's website to receive the Zoom link and passcode. ](https://arlingtonva.libcal.com/event/14006454)*[A Zoom account is not required to join.](https://arlingtonva.libcal.com/event/14006454)\*\**

This is a volunteer-led book club. We meet the third Wednesday evening of the month online via Zoom. New members are always welcome!

This month's selection is "[A Stranger in Olondria](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/GroupedWork/66f9464f-5620-2fa5-cfed-256bf17b6ea0-eng/Home?searchId=59123523&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex)" by [Sofia Samatar](https://libcat.arlingtonva.us/Author/Home?author=%22Samatar%2C%20Sofia%22):

Jevick, the pepper merchant's son, has been raised on stories of Olondria, a distant land where books are as common as they are rare in his home. When his father dies and Jevick takes his place on the yearly selling trip to Olondria, Jevick's life is as close to perfect as he can imagine. But just as he revels in Olondria's Rabelaisian Feast of Birds, he is pulled drastically off course and becomes haunted by the ghost of an illiterate young girl.

In desperation, Jevick seeks the aid of Olondrian priests and quickly becomes a pawn in the struggle between the empire's two most powerful cults. Yet even as the country shimmers on the cusp of war, he must face his ghost and learn her story before he has any chance of becoming free by setting *her* free: an ordeal that challenges his understanding of art and life, home and exile, and the limits of that seductive necromancy, reading. *A Stranger in Olondria* is a skillful and immersive debut fantasy novel that pulls the reader in deeper and deeper with twists and turns reminiscent of George R. R. Martin and Joe Hill.

A limited number of print copies of the selected book will be available at Central Library's 2nd floor Info Desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Patrons are also encouraged to place holds on available print or digital copies.

We will be voting on future books to read. Please add nominations in the comments, send via email, or via the messaging tool in Meetup.

\*\*[Register on the Library's website to receive the Zoom link and passcode. ](https://arlingtonva.libcal.com/event/14006454)*[A Zoom account is not required to join.](https://arlingtonva.libcal.com/event/14006454)\*\**

Gabriela

Laurence Hart

Laura

Daniel Osborn

Mark Engleson

Chris Cain

Strange Lands Book Club: "A Stranger in Olondria"

Arlington VA Public Library

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