Featured Events in Plainville in June, 2025 (August Updated)

Award-winning author Kenneth Oppel joins us to discuss his new startling YA thriller, Best of All Worlds. Defying genre to create a survival thriller unlike any you've read before, Best of All Worlds is perfect for fans of Leave the World Behind, A.S. King, M.T. Anderson, and Margaret Atwood. Kenneth will discuss his book, answer audience questions, and sign copies. Ticket options for this event include: General Admission + Book: $21.24, admits one guest. Includes a copy of Best of All Worlds which Kenneth will sign at the event.General Admission + Coupon: $5, admits one guest. The cost of this ticket is redeemable for $5 off any of Kenneth's books on the night of the event.Tickets are required for this event. We hope you can join us! ABOUT THE BOOK: Xavier Oaks doesn't particularly want to go to the cabin with his dad and his dad's pregnant new wife, Nia. But family obligations are family obligations, and it's only for a short time. So he leaves his mom, his brother, and his other friends behind for a week in the woods. Only... one morning he wakes up and the house isn’t where it was before. It's like it's been lifted and placed... somewhere else. When Xavier, his dad, and Nia go explore, they find they are inside a dome, trapped. And there's no one else around... Until, three years later, another family arrives. Is there any escape? Is there a reason they are stuck where they are? Different people have different answers -- and those different answers inexorably lead to tension, strife, and sacrifice. In this masterpiece, award-winning author Kenneth Oppel builds to a heart-stopping pitch in drawing a story that feels very much of our moment, where our very human choices collectively lead to humanity’s eventual fate. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kenneth Oppel is the bestselling author of Skybreaker and Airborn, a Printz Honor Book. He lives in Toronto with his family and can be found online at www.kennethoppel.ca. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite

Kaira Rouda, bestselling author of Best Day Ever and The Next Wife, joins us to discuss her newest thriller, Jill Is Not Happy. In this high-stakes mystery, an ill-fated road trip to Utah resurrects a married couple's darkest secrets. Joining Kaira in conversation is Hank Phillippi Ryan, bestselling of One Wrong Word, The House Guest, and more. They will discuss Kaira's novel and answer audience questions. A book signing will follow. Ticket options for this event include: General Admission + Book Bundle: $29.70, admits one guest. This option comes with a copy of Jill Is Not Happy which Kaira will sign at the event.General Admission + Coupon: $5, admits one guest. The cost of your ticket may be redeemed towards any of Kaira's books on the night of the event.Tickets are required for this event. Register below! ABOUT THE BOOK: Some secrets keep a couple together. If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you she and her husband Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though they’ve grown distant in recent years. Newly empty nesting with their daughter Maggie away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to reconnect. Jack would rather do anything else than drive to Utah with his wife. He’s only stayed in this marriage because of a shared secret, a tragedy in the past he wanted to keep buried. And for his daughter’s sake. But Jack is finished with the charade of his marriage. He’s filing for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what. But he doesn’t realize what else Jill is hiding. So begins a cat-and-mouse road trip as a cunning wife—think Ripley in yoga pants—and a reluctant husband match wits and drive each other to the edge. But everything will be fine. Jill still loves Jack and believes he’s the only one for her. She’ll do anything to keep him. Anything. She always has. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kaira Rouda is an award-winning, USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. She is a founding member of the Killer Author Club, a bi-monthly live show supporting authors. She is also a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Author Association, and the International Thriller Writers Association. She lives in Southern California with her family. USA Today bestselling author HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN has won five Agatha Awards, five Anthony Awards, the Daphne, the Macavity, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. As on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, she's won thirty-seven Emmy Awards and many more journalism honors. A past president of national Sisters in Crime, a founder of Mystery Writers of America University, and a board member of International Thriller Writers, Ryan lives in Boston. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite

We're thrilled to welcome Becky Albertalli, award-winning and bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture titled Love, Simon), Leah on the Offbeat, Imogen, Obviously, and more. Becky's newest YA rom-com, Amelia, If Only, follows Amelia and her friends on a road trip to convince her favorite celebrity to go to prom with her. But will sparks fly with someone else along the way? Becky will be in conversation with Jenny L. Howe. Following their discussion, Becky will answer questions and sign books! Ticket options for this event include: General Admission + Book Bundle: $21.24, admits one guest. This option comes with a copy of Amelia, If Only which Becky will sign at the event.General Admission + 2 Book Bundle: $39.29, admits one guest. This option comes with both Amelia, If Only as well as the 10th anniversary edition of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Becky will sign both at the event.Tickets are required for this event. ABOUT THE BOOK: Amelia Applebaum isn’t in love with Walter Holland. He just happens to be her favorite moderately famous, chaotically bisexual YouTuber. Who she just happened to invite to prom. (But it’s fine. No, for real. If you delete the post, it didn’t happen.) Okay, maybe her friends are right: She’s slightly parasocially infatuated. But Amelia just knows sparks would fly—if only she could connect with Walter for real. If only he would host a meet and greet. If only it were just a short road trip away. And if only Amelia could talk her best friends into making it the perfect last hurrah before graduation—even her newly single, always-cynical, guitar-toting best friend Natalie. One thing’s for sure: All roads lead to butterflies. But what if Amelia’s butterflies aren’t for Walter at all? ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Becky Albertalli is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of William C. Morris Award winner and National Book Award longlist title Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture, Love, Simon); The Upside of Unrequited; Leah on the Offbeat; the Simonverse novella Love, Creekwood; What If It’s Us and Here's to Us (cowritten with Adam Silvera); Yes No Maybe So (cowritten with Aisha Saeed); Kate in Waiting; and Imogen, Obviously, a Stonewall Honor Book. Becky lives with her family near Atlanta. You can visit her online at beckyalbertalli.com Jenny L. Howe first started scribbling stories into black-and-white composition notebooks with neon pink pens when she was in junior high and never really stopped. In college, she decided to turn her love of books into a career by pursuing a Ph.D. in literature, where she spent the next few years studying bizarre and entertaining medieval romances. Now, as a professor, she teaches courses in college writing, literature, and children’s media. When she’s not writing and teaching, Jenny spends her time buried under puzzle pieces, cross-stitching her favorite characters, and taking too many pictures of her rescue dogs, Tucker, Dale, and Toast. She is the author of The Make-up Test, On the Plus Side, and How to Get a Life in Ten Dates. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite

Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The House Across the Lake and Middle of the Night, joins us to discuss his newest thriller, With a Vengeance. A woman hell-bent on revenge lures those responsible for her family's downfall onto an overnight train, hoping to score a confession and hand them over to the authorities. When a passenger is murdered, it becomes clear that someone else is enacting their own form of revenge. Tense and engrossing, With a Vengeance is a superb locked-room mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie. Each ticket is bundled with a copy of With a Vengeance, which will be pre-signed by Riley. Please note that there will be no signing following Riley's presentation, but there will be a photo line. ABOUT THE BOOK: One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge. In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution. Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of thirteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served. But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead. With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, most recently Middle of the Night and The Only One Left. A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite

Hazel Gaynor returns to An Unlikely Story to discuss her new novel, Before Dorothy. Long before Dorothy visits Oz, her aunt Emily sets off on her own grand adventure, leaving gritty Chicago behind for Kansas and a life that will utterly change her. Hazel will discuss her book with Kerri Maher. Following their discussion will be a Q&A and book signing. Ticket options for this event include: General Admission + Book Bundle: $20.19, admits one guest. This option comes with a copy of Before Dorothy which Hazel will sign at the event.General Admission + Coupon: $5, admits one guest. The cost of your ticket may be redeemed towards any of Hazel's books on the night of the event.Tickets are required for this event. ABOUT THE BOOK: Chicago, 1924: Emily and her new husband, Henry, yearn to leave the bustle of Chicago for the promise of their own American dream among the harsh beauty of the prairie. But leaving the city means leaving Emily’s beloved sister, Annie, who was once closer to her than anyone in the world. Kansas, 1932: Emily and Henry have established their new home among the warmth of the farming community in Kansas. Aligned to the fickle fortunes of nature, their lives hold a precarious and hopeful purpose, until tragedy strikes and their orphaned niece, Dorothy, lands on their doorstep. The wide-eyed child isn’t the only thing to disrupt Emily’s world. Drought and devastating dust storms threaten to destroy everything, and her much-loved home becomes a place of uncertainty and danger. When the past catches up with the present and old secrets are exposed, Emily fears she will lose the most cherished thing of all: Dorothy. Bursting with courage and heart, Before Dorothy tells the story of the woman who raised a beloved heroine, and ponders the question: what is the true meaning of home? ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times, and internationally bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. Her most recent novel, The Last Lifeboat, was a Times historical novel of the month, an Audie award winner, and was short-listed for the Irish Book Awards. Her work is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family. Kerri Maher is the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller, The Girl in White Gloves, The Kennedy Debutante, and, under the name Kerri Majors, This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite

Join us as we welcome Boston native and bestselling author Dave Wedge to discuss his newest book, Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's Battle for Glory. His book shows the early life and career of boxing legend Marvin Hagler through exclusive interviews and thorough research. Dave will be in conversation with Casey Sherman. Following their discussion will be a Q&A and book signing. Ticket options for this event include: General Admission + Hardcover Book: $36.55, admits one guest. Includes free admission + the hardcover edition of Blood & Hate to be signed at the event.General Admission + Paperback Book: $23.36, admits one guest. Includes free admission + the paperback edition of Blood & Hate to be signed at the event.General Admission + Coupon: $5, admits one guest. The cost of this ticket option may be redeemed for $5 off any of Dave's books on the night of the event.Tickets are required for this event. ABOUT THE BOOK: Most know Marvelous Marvin Hagler from his epic battles against Thomas Hearns and John Mugabi and his controversial split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard. But it is his escape from riot-torn Newark in the late 1960s, the unbreakable bond he built with the Petronelli brothers, and his 1980 title fight against Britain’s Alan Minter—with its deep racial animus—that tells the real story of Hagler. In Blood & Hate, New York Times bestselling author Dave Wedge tells the riveting and inspirational tale of how Hagler overcame incredible odds, joined with Goody and Pat Petronelli to rise through the rigged ranks, and morphed from a fatherless teenager in Brockton, Massachusetts, into Marvelous Marvin Hagler, one of the best boxers ever and arguably the greatest middleweight in history. Through exclusive interviews with Bob Arum, the Petronelli and Hagler families, and a who's who of the boxing world, Blood & Hate reveals fascinating details about Hagler's early life as well as the legendary Minter fight, and once and for all delivers the definitive chronicle of Marvelous Marvin Hagler. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dave Wedge is a New York Times bestselling author based in Boston. He has co-written five books with acclaimed author Casey Sherman, including Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy, a nonfiction drama about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings adapted for the 2017 movie Patriots Day; Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight Against ALS; 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption; Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America's Most Wanted Crime Boss; and The Last Days of John Lennon, written with James Patterson. His latest bestseller, Riding With Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagans Motorcycle Gang, is the true story of ATF agent Ken Croke, the only police officer to ever infiltrate the Pagans, the ultraviolent rivals of the Hells Angels. The book is currently in development as a feature film.Dave is aslo a writer for Boston magazine, has written for VICE, Esquire, and Newsweek and was an award-winning investigative journalist for the Boston Herald for fourteen years. He has appeared on NBC News, CNN, MSNBC, E!, France 24, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America and many other local and national networks. Casey Sherman is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today & Boston Globe Bestselling Author of 17 books including “The Finest Hours” (now a major Walt Disney Studio motion picture starring Chris Pine & Casey Affleck), and “Patriots Day” (now an acclaimed motion picture from CBS Films starring Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Bacon). Sherman’s 2023 true crime bestseller “Helltown,” is now in development as a limited television series for Amazon Studio. Sherman will serve as Executive Producer on the project, which is slated to star Oscar Isaac (“Dune”), with director Edward Berger (Netflix – “All is Quiet on the Western Front”), and produced by Team Downey (Robert Downey, Jr. & Susan Downey - HBO’s “Perry Mason”). Sherman’s other books include James Patterson’s “The Last Days of John Lennon,” which spent more than 23 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, “12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption,” and “Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of The Capture & Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss. Sherman has appeared on more than 100 television and radio programs and is a contributing writer for TIME Magazine, Esquire, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Boston Magazine and the Boston Herald. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite

PLEASE NOTE: Tickets to our main event space have sold out, but our overflow event space is now open! This ticket option includes admission for one guest and one copy of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau. Guests will watch a live stream of the event from our overflow viewing space on the third floor, after which they will be brought down to the main event space to meet Kristin and get their books signed. Bestselling author Kristin Harmel joins us to discuss her new historical fiction novel, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau. It's an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder. Following her discussion, she will answer questions and sign books! ABOUT THE BOOK: Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, Annabel: take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance. But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found. Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels including The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Room on Rue Amélie, and The Sweetness of Forgetting. She is published in more than thirty languages and is the cofounder and cohost of the popular web series, Friends & Fiction. She lives in Orlando, Florida. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite

Bestselling author Kristin Harmel joins us to discuss her new historical fiction novel, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau. It's an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder. Following her discussion, she will answer questions and sign books! Tickets for this event are bundled with a copy of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau which Kristin will sign at the event.Tickets are required for this event. ABOUT THE BOOK: Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, Annabel: take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance. But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found. Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels including The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Room on Rue Amélie, and The Sweetness of Forgetting. She is published in more than thirty languages and is the cofounder and cohost of the popular web series, Friends & Fiction. She lives in Orlando, Florida. Information Source: An Unlikely Story | eventbrite