Dear Gentle Reader,

Tickets for our annual readings with Donald Davis are available now. Our beloved storyteller will be here for two sessions: Saturday, December 20th at 11am andSunday, December 21st at 2pm. All proceeds from tickets sales go to CORA, the Chatham County food pantry. We encourage you to also bring canned goods and monetary donations with you as we strive to make this fundraiser the best it can be.

This Saturday, October 25th, at 11am we welcome Justin Laborde, who will talk about his work, Scattered Far and Wide: The Naval Academy Class of ’38 at War. Scattered Far and Wide follows the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1938 as they rise from junior officers to combat leaders in World War II’s most pivotal battles. Through firsthand accounts and deep research, Justin Laborde brings their stories of courage, sacrifice, and survival vividly to life.

Our last poetry reading of 2025 with the North Carolina Poetry Society is Sunday, October 26th at 2pm. We welcome poets Joyce Compton Brown, John Hoppenthaler, and Adrian Rice. We will pick back up on January 25, 2026.

Thursday, November 6 at 6:30pm, join McIntyre’s for a thoughtful evening with progressives Hal Crowther, Bible Belt Blues: Collected Essays, and Gene Nichol, Now What?: How North Carolina Can Blaze a Progressive Path Forward,

A reminder that our biggest and best event for kids is coming up soon! Major award-winning authors Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris visit McIntyre’s on Sunday, November 9th at 2:00pm. Join us for an immersive theatrical spectacular: there will be live music, dramatic performances, and thrilling adventure, all in celebration of the fourth book in the bestselling First Cat in Space graphic novel series, The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate’s Revenge. Shawn Harris is a fantastic illustrator of picture books as well as illustrator of the Newbery Award Winner The Eyes and the Impossible. Mac Barnett is our current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the beloved author of dozens of picture books too! Ticketed event: Preorder 1 copy of The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate’s Revenge, two can attend. For additional attendees, add another copy of Baby Pirate’s Revenge or other title from the First Cat in Space series to your order. And if you show up dressed as your favorite character from the books, you’ll get a special prize from Shawn & Mac!

Stay tuned for next week as we announce the 2026 Beltie Prize longlist and the line-up for CrimeScene, our Mystery book fest on February 6 and 7.

All the best from the usual suspects,

Pete, Johanna, Sarah G., Tyler, Amy, Juliana, Sarah C. and Keebe