Skip to main content
close
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.

Book Portals and Journeys of Literary Magic with Kate Quinn

Virtual Author Talk

2026-03-12 19:00:00 2026-03-12 20:00:00 America/New_York Book Portals and Journeys of Literary Magic with Kate Quinn You’re invited to join us for a virtual conversation with acclaimed author Kate Quinn about her latest fantastical work, The Astral Library. Virtual Branch -

Thursday, March 12
7:00pm - 8:00pm

Add to Calendar 2026-03-12 19:00:00 2026-03-12 20:00:00 America/New_York Book Portals and Journeys of Literary Magic with Kate Quinn You’re invited to join us for a virtual conversation with acclaimed author Kate Quinn about her latest fantastical work, The Astral Library. Virtual Branch -

You’re invited to join us for a virtual conversation with acclaimed author Kate Quinn about her latest fantastical work, The Astral Library.

Have questions for the author? Submit your question at registration and you may just hear the answer live! 

You’re invited to join us for a virtual conversation with acclaimed author Kate Quinn about her latest fantastical work, The Astral Library, which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

Register now to hear more about The Astral Library, crafted for all bookworms and lovers of literature. 

About the Author: Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of Southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance before turning to the 20th century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, The Diamond Eye, and The Briar Club. The Astral Library is her first foray into magic realism. She and her husband now live in Maryland with their rescue dogs.

Please be aware that registration is done through a third party, and you may be asked to share your email address and/or phone number.

Looking for more fun things to do at MCPL?

Check out other lectures and discussions happening in the library or find out how to Get a Library Card.

By joining this Virtual MCPL program, you agree to abide by our rules of conduct. Library staff has the authority to remove you from this program if we deem your behavior to be inappropriate, to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

Learn about MCPL's Zoom Security Settings

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

cm 1.1 01/03/2023

Virtual Branch

Branch manager
Maddie Hines

Hours
Skip Opening Hours widget
We're closed Sunday February 15
Mon, Feb 09 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Feb 10 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Feb 11 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Feb 12 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Feb 13 10:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, Feb 14 10:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, Feb 15 Closed

Upcoming Events

Skip Upcoming Events widget
Tue, Feb 10, 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Wed, Feb 11, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Registration is now closed

Thu, Feb 12, 6:45pm - 7:45pm
This event is full

Tue, Feb 17, 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Wed, Feb 18, 10:30am - 12:00pm

Wed, Feb 18, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Registration is now closed

Thu, Feb 19, 2:30pm - 4:00pm

Thu, Feb 19, 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Sun, Feb 22, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
This event is full

Rescheduled
Mon, Feb 23, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
New date Monday, March 09, 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Wed, Feb 25, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Registration is now closed

Thu, Feb 26, 6:45pm - 7:45pm

Wed, Mar 04, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Registration opens Sunday, February 22 2026 at 9:00am

Tue, Mar 10, 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Thu, Mar 12, 6:45pm - 7:45pm