Calling all ACOTAR fans! We know you are as excited as we are for the release of A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas. We’re gathering our favorite readers to celebrate what comes next in the world of Prythian and with our favorites in the Night Court! 

A Court of Splintered Harmony, Book 6 of the ACOTAR Series by Sarah J. Maas, will be released on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, and we’ll be celebrating with a breakfast launch party on that day, from (gulp) 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.. You can get your hands on the new book (ahead of regular shop hours!) and there will be a light breakfast spread, an array of activities, and fun prize opportunities. We can’t wait to get hyped about what comes next with you and want to give you as much time to enjoy as possible on release day!

To the stars who listen — and the readers who are ready for whatever comes next!!! 

If you have already pre-ordered the book, it will be ready for pickup at the event.

A Court of Forgotten Melody will be released on Tuesday, January 12, 2027, and we're planning another party then!

Tickets are $15.00 for each event (exclusive of the book) or you can bundle both for $25.00.

To purchase a ticket for the breakfast for A Court of Splintered Harmony, click here.

To purchase a ticket for the breakfast for A Court of Forgotten Melody, click here.

To purchase tickets for both events, click here.

You can pre-order A Court of Splintered Harmony here, and A Court of Forgotten Melody here.

P.S. Kara is ready for as much Azriel content as possible.

Come solve a mystery with us at 5 pm on Sunday, October 25th! We will be hosting a mystery-solving event complete with a scavenger hunt stage, a riddle-solving stage, and assorted other activities! Register for free here to reserve your spot. This is not a drop-off event and Skylark Bookshop is not responsible for supervising participants. Registration required, attendance may be limited to 20 participants.

On Thursday October 22, we’re excited to welcome author Devin O’Shea, to discuss his extraordinary new book, The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis. This is an entertaining and provocative look at the secret society that has controlled St. Louis for over a century, revealing how shadowy elites organize themselves against working-class power. This is a Missouri story, and we can’t wait to hear it! As usual, the event starts at 6:30 p.m. We suggest you show up early for this one!

Every December in downtown St. Louis, the city's upper crust attend a garish costume party that doubles as a debutante's ball. The daughters of high society are paraded to the throne of a cloaked monarchical figure, and bow to the Veiled Prophet of Khorassan. At first glance, the event seems outdated and clownish, but in truth the Veiled Prophet Society has functioned as an exclusive club for the "city fathers," where solidarity is built between wealthy men who head major U.S. corporations, banks, and control whole industries. At the Veiled Prophet's Ball, these titans of capital come together to crown one of their daughters the Queen of Love and Beauty, and celebrate the breaking of strikes, the sabotage of protests, and the enforcement of racial hierarchies.

Devin Thomas O'Shea's The Veiled Prophet is the definitive history of the Veiled Prophet Society in all its violence and pageantry, offering a colorful alternate history of the United States through the lens of the Midwestern elite. O'Shea follows the Veiled Prophet Society from its origins in the wake of the 1877 general strike, through the 1904 World's Fair, to the height of the Prophet's--and St. Louis's--influence during the Cold War. The Veiled Prophet examines the unexpected ways this secret society has shaped the course of history, from the CIA to the Vietnam War to the assassination of Martin Luther King.

Yet the power wielded by the Veiled Prophet has not gone uncontested. Since the Gilded Age, the Prophet has faced resistance from orphans armed with pea-shooters, Communist Party organizers during the Depression, Civil Rights icons, and renegade debutantes. The Ferguson uprising of 2014 was only the most recent challenge to the Prophet's influence.

As the fight for the soul and streets of St. Louis intensifies, it's more critical than ever that we expose the sordid history of these powerful, masked figures and their control over our democracy.

Devin Thomas O'Shea is a writer whose work has appeared in The Nation, Slate, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Iowa Review, Jacobin, Boulevard, and elsewhere. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

October’s New Romantics Book Club takes us back to Regency times as we read HOW TO LOSE A LORD IN 10 DAYS, the new novel from Sophie Irwin, who is described by none other than Taylor Jenkins Reid as a “a must-buy author for me.” As always, the discussion starts at 6:30 p.m. in the shop.

He wants a wife. She wants to be jilted. This. Is. War.

Rich, handsome and titled Lord Ashford has every lady in England longing for his hand in marriage.

Everyone, that is, except Miss Lydia Hanworth - the only young woman Ashford wishes to marry.

Pressured into accepting Ashford's proposal, the announcement must be kept secret for ten days. Can Lydia free herself from her obligations before the engagement is publicly announced, without ruining her reputation? You can achieve an awful lot in ten days, after all...

Join us for a conversation on the paperback release after 17 years of Leonard Zeskind’s Blood and Politics: The History of the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the Mainstream, a sweeping history of white nationalism’s four-decade rise in America, and how it can help us understand our present moment.

Banned by The U.S. Naval Academy in April 2025, this re-release could not be more timely. Few American writers have been so thoroughly vindicated by events they spent their lives trying to prevent. Blood and Politics is now “essential to the understanding of our present moment” (Boston Globe).

Blood and Politics continues to be a relevant compass to understanding the strategies that drive white nationalism forward. To lead the discussion of Zeskind’s work, we will be joined by Carol Smith, his wife and partner of 46 years, and Devin Burghart, executive director of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR), who has tracked the white nationalist movement alongside Zeskind since 1991. Burghart will bring his insights into the current organizing by today’s white nationalist movement.

Join us for a discussion on how to stop the spread of the white nationalist movement’s racism and bigotry, to protect human rights and to foster real democracy – and to honor Zeskind’s long-time motto: Fighting Nazis’ can be fun!

Leonard Zeskind (1949–2025) spent four decades researching – often in-person – the organizing by the whitenationalist movement, from think tanks and publications to armed militia groups and Holocaust deniers. A MacArthur Fellow, he founded the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights (IREHR) in 1983 to carry the work forward. Blood and Politics, published in 2009, remains the definitive account of the post–Civil Rights era whitenationalist movement.

It’s official! We’re bringing back our regular reading series featuring some of our wonderful and talented local authors. This was something we used to do in the pre-pandemic days, and we’re thrilled to be restarting this tradition once more, under the brilliant curatorial eye of Lynne Lampe. Come for company, companionship, community, and - of course - come for the words.

The five authors who will be reading at the first evening on Thursday, October 15 are:

Terry Allen is an Emeritus Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he taught acting, directing and playwriting. He is the author of five poetry collections: Monsters in the Rain, Art Work, Waiting on the Last Train, Rubber Time, and Preserving the Past for the Present. 

Megan Beilsmith is a native Missourian and Columbia resident. She graduated from Stephens College in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts, but she has always had a passion for writing. Of Eon is her debut novel, where she strives to highlight the late bloomers who long for love.

Kim Carr is a Missouri author, photographer, farmer, and lifelong animal lover who shares true stories from around her farm. Through her Around the Farm series, she combines storytelling and photo illustration to introduce readers of all ages to unforgettable animals, unexpected friendships, and the everyday adventures of farm life.

De Hage Minner is a retired research nurse and quality educator for MU Sinclair School of Nursing. She has taught and consulted in Missouri nursing homes, and her articles have been published in nursing journals. De’s memoir simmered for many years after the birth of her first child, a daughter with Down syndrome. Angie’s birth set the family on a pathof discovery that included serious health scares, hilarious and gut-wrenching moments, thought-provoking dilemmas, and enlightenment about Angie’s need for enabled independence as a contributing adult.

Sharon SingingMoon is a poet, an award-winning visual artist, and founding host of SPOKEN at Cafe Berlin. She co-edited several anthologies and is the editor of Soul of Our Soul–Palestine in Poetry and Prose, 2025. Her work has been nominated for Best of the Net and a Pushcart Prize. She has published two collections, The Weight of One Hummingbird Feather and Random Seed.

We’re VERY EXCITED to welcome Columbia resident and debut author Carrie Shryock to Skylark to celebrate the launch of her delightful children’s book, DO YOU LIKE MY PANTS?, a funny picture book about a fashionable cheetah and a cranky tiger which celebrates personal style.

Have you heard the latest?
It’s a well-known fact…spots are the greatest!

Cheetah has the world’s finest pair of pants—spotted, sleek, and just his style! At least, that’s what the enthusiastic pants salesman said. Cheetah can’t wait to dance around and show off his perfect spotted pants…until he meets a tiger who insists stripes are superior. Both felines are confused: whose pants are really the cat’s meow? Could it be that the world’s finest pair of pants is…whatever suits you best? 

With an energetic text and bright, dynamic art, this is the perfect picture book to celebrate differences and embracing what makes you feel like your fiercest self.

The book is for ages 3 - 7, but this will be a fun event for kids of all ages!!

Carrie Shryock is an illustrator and author working in publishing, stationery, and surface design. Do You Like My Pants? is her author-illustrator debut. Carrie grew up on a farm in central Missouri, where she spent her childhood picking bouquets of wildflowers, watching thunderstorms roll across the prairie, and making so many drawings. When she’s not making art, she’s reading a book, going on long walks, and dreaming about building a cabin in the woods.

October’s selection for the Order of Books and Banter is The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan. We’ll meet in the shop at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13. As always. attendance is free - we hope to see you there!

A young girl is left to die in a wizard's dungeon but finds a new home with the monsters around her in this humorous and heartfelt standalone epic fantasy from acclaimed author Gareth Hanrahan.

Enter a world of dungeons and dragons, magic and manticores, and goblins and gargoyles ...

Bait doesn't remember a time before the dungeon. Before the dragon stole her from her cot. She doesn't know what her name was before she was handed over to the monstrous denizens of the dungeon beneath the sorcerer's tower. Luckily for Bait, they decided not to eat her. And so she grew up in the dark—the goblins her adopted family, a vengeful minotaur her protector, a sentient skull her tutor, and a blob of corridor slime her main source of nutrition.

But the labyrinthine dungeon, with its haunted halls, buried temples and forgotten magics, draws treasure hunters like moths to flame. And as the outside world starts to intrude, Bait will learn what it means to be monstrous and she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

We are very excited to welcome author Jocelyn Cullity back to Columbia to celebrate the publication of her riveting new novel, The Nurse at Baker Hospital. Jocelyn will be in conversation with Diana Moxon. This will be an evening that you will not want to miss!

After her father’ s death, nurse Della King is on the brink of homelessness— until she lands a job at the prestigious Baker Hospital in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. What promises safety and purpose— for both Della and the terminally ill patients who come from across the country— hides a far darker reality. When her beloved patients begin to die, Della must confront her deepest fears and navigate a web of secrets that tests her loyalty, courage, and sense of self. Torn between survival and doing what is right, she risks everything to uncover the truth. The Nurse at Baker Hospital is a gripping tale of mystery, hidden histories, and self-discovery, exploring what it takes to find one’ s place in a dangerous, unpredictable world.

Jocelyn Cullity’ s historical novel, Amah & the Silk-Winged Pigeons (Winner, Best Book Awards, 2018), was published in English by Inanna Publications (Canada) and Rupa (India), and translated into French and Tamil. The Envy of Paradise (Finalist for Multicultural Fiction, International Book Awards, 2020), was also published by Inanna Publications. Cullity is the Director of the Stokes Center for Creative Writing at the University of South Alabama.

We are thrilled to welcome Kevin Dettmar to Skylark on Monday, October 5, as part of our ongoing Get The Scoop series. These are ticketed talks which are designed to offer smaller, more intimate conversations with authors. For the regular price of the book you receive (a) a signed copy of the book, (b) a scoop of Sparky's Ice Cream, and (c) an evening of stimulating and entertaining conversation and community! Kevin will be discussing his brand new book, Punk in 50 Pieces. Come and join us for what is going to be an entertaining and fascinating discussion - and, for those of us (ahem) old enough to remember, a glorious trip down memory lane.

Availability is strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis, so be sure to reserve yours early by clicking here!

Fifty years ago punk crashed on the scene, redefining music and popular culture. In celebration of that historic event comes this cultural history exploring fifty iconic alternative songs and unforgettable moments that destroyed and redefined rock ‘n’ roll.

Once upon a time—November 26, 1976, to be precise—a band named the Sex Pistols kicked their way into cultural consciousness with “Anarchy in the U.K.” It was the public launch of punk rock, raucous music with a snarling in-your-face attitude, aggressive style, and a riotous political sensibility that came, saw, and conquered.

Fifty years later, the question remains: What the hell was that?

Punk in 50 Pieces retells the story of punk’s cultural earthquake. Kevin Dettmar traces the evolution of this rock ‘n’ roll revolution, revealing how classic early punk (The Ramones, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop) gave birth to both post-punk (Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gang of Four) and New Wave (Talking Heads, Blondie, Devo).

Standing beside classic works such as Please Kill Me, Lipstick Traces, Rip It Up and Start Again, and England’s Dreaming, Punk in 50 Pieces paints a vivid portrait of an era, a sound, and the artists and attitude that made it unforgettable. It’s the perfect introduction for a new generation of rebels without a cause and a master playlist for die-hards who may no longer be slam-dancing in the mosh pit but have never forgotten the music.

Kevin Dettmar is W. M. Keck Professor of English at Pomona College. He is the author of Is Rock Dead?, the editor of the Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan, and with Jonathan Lethem, Shake It Up: Great American Writing on Rock and Pop from Elvis to Jay Z. He published the volume in the Continuum/Bloomsbury series 33⅓ on Gang of Four’s 1979 debut album, Entertainment!, and for two years served as co-editor of the series. His literary and cultural journalism has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and other magazines and newspapers. His latest book, Punk in 50 Pieces: Punk Rock, Post-Punk, New Wave, and the Five Years That Changed Pop Music Forever, was published by Harper/HarperCollins in Fall 2026.

We are overjoyed to host a pop up for one of our Bookish BFFs!

Black Tea Bookshop will be sharing space with Skylark on Saturday, September 26th from 10 am to 2 pm.

Candace Hulsizer brilliantly curates her bookshop to "celebrate the joy and resilience of Black life & literature through stories told by Black authors & artists.” We believe that Columbia is enriched by the representation and curation of all of our independent bookshops. Black Tea Bookshop does incredibly important work in our community, and we’re proud to host Candace at Skylark! Please swing by between 10 and 2 on Saturday, September 26 to meet her, find out more about her work, and to help us celebrate the unique bond between local booksellers! 

September’s Skylarking Bookclub will be discussing Sunrise, the brand-new novel from New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger’s Wife, Téa Obreht. As usual, we’ll meet at 6:30 p.m. in the shop. Attendance is completely free! Come and join us!

Three lives, one hundred years, one ghost town: an explosive novel about a mysterious place called Sunrise, where the secrets of the past refuse to stay buried.

In 2024, Nina’s small-engine plane crashes into a lake in the Wyoming mountains. Her boyfriend Ben, who was flying it, is nowhere to be found. Lost and freezing on the shore, Nina is armed with only a few old protein bars, a phone with no service, and a vague hope of rescue. It is up to her to survive in the vast wilderness. But then she stumbles upon Sunrise—a town of the Old West that is strangely well maintained, but seemingly abandoned. A place that holds the missing link to a ghost story one hundred years in the making.

In 2003, Sand Daw’s golden boy Coll is putting the finishing touches on the town’s annual historical reenactment. But when an upstart would-be author comes to him with questions about one of Sunrise’s most beloved figures, it threatens to upend everything he thought he knew about the city—and himself.

In 1902, town founder, gunslinger, and legendary pulp hero Anton Vargas returns to Sunrise and quickly takes charge of a group searching for a missing boy. But who really is Vargas? What does he know about the boy’s disappearance? And why has he returned after such a long absence?

These three strangers are separated by time and circumstance. But Sunrise’s many secrets are like gunpowder: quiet, contained, until they encounter a spark. Magisterial and suspenseful, Téa Obreht’s novel challenges the myths we think we know: of heroes and villains, of the people and places to which we lay claim, and, most of all, of our own lives.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.

We’re so looking forward to all the events surrounding this year’s One Read selection, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt. Every year our friends at Daniel Boone Regional Library put on stupendous programming in support of the chosen book, and we are always proud to be part of the celebrations!

Were you unable to get your hands on a copy of the beautiful, sprayed edge copy of Remarkably Bright Creatures? Or do you have a boring book that needs some pizzazz? Anyone who has come into the shop recently will know that painted pages are ALL THE RAGE. Join us on Friday, September 18th at 6:30pm for a DIY Painted Edges Night!  All crafting materials will be provided. Books will be available for purchase or BYOB (bring your own book). Limited space available, so reserve your spot (it's free!) early by clicking here! 

September’s New Romantics Book Club is THE MASH UP, the glowing debut novel from Laura Marie Meyers. We’ll be meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the shop on Wednesday, September 16. As always, attendance is completely free. See you there?

Ruby Wynne is a staunch rule-follower who lives by the numbers. So when a surprising breakup – on her thirty-fifth birthday – ruins all her well-laid plans, Ruby makes an unexpected wish . . . Only to wake up inside a M.A.S.H. game from seventh grade.

Settled in a Technicolor mansion, driving a tie-dye Jeep, and running a roller-disco restaurant, Ruby is living out her childhood dreams come true—with one exception. According to the game, Ruby’s “other half” is supposed to be Penn Hayes, her brother’s annoying, and annoyingly handsome, best friend. But there’s zero romance between them. Just like in real life, all they share is sarcasm. With no rules to follow and desperate to return to reality, Ruby makes her best guess at an escape plan: win Penn’s heart so the game comes completely true and she can go home.

It’s unthinkable. On Ruby’s list of dos and don’ts, Penn Hayes is a lifelong don’t. But as Ruby navigates the magical world she dreamed up at thirteen, she wonders if, by finally throwing out her rules, she might just find her way home to the life and love she deserves.

Skylark is delighted and honored to welcome Dr. Susie Adams to the shop on Thursday, September 10, to discuss Wild Work: Adventures of Women Field Biologists, an inspiring and entertaining anthology that she has co-edited with Sophie Osborn.

Wild Work brings to light the often untold stories of women in wildlife science. Featuring first-person accounts by dozens of adventurous field biologists, this collection immerses readers in the thrilling and compelling reality of studying and conserving fish and wildlife across the globe.

From playing tag with wolves or cuddling wild foxes to wading through rivers filled with venomous snakes or evading poachers, these women share stories of courage, curiosity, and resilience. Alongside the adrenaline and adventure, they reveal the delicate balancing act of juggling demanding fieldwork with family life, the lifelong friendships they forge in the wild, and the transformative power of connecting deeply with the natural world. They also bear witness to the fact that while women have been integral to fish and wildlife research for decades, their stories have rarely been represented in literature.

Perfect for aspiring biologists, nature and animal lovers, or anyone captivated by outdoor adventures, this anthology offers a rare and powerful glimpse into the extraordinary work, risks, and rewards experienced by people who dedicate their lives to understanding and protecting our planet’s wild inhabitants.

SUSAN (SUSIE) B. ADAMS is an internationally recognized freshwater ecologist with a PhD in biology and ecology from the University of Montana. As a senior scientist at a federal agency, she researches crayfish and fish ecology in freshwater ecosystems. She has presented her research on four continents and served as president of the International Association of Astacology (study of crayfish). An avid outdoor recreationist, she is committed to helping women find their places in science and the outdoors. Learn more at adamsecology.net.

September’s title for the Order of Books and Banter Bookclub is Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders. We are excited about this title and can’t wait to discuss it with you! As always, the fun starts at 6:30 p.m.

In the vein of Alice Hoffman and Charlie Jane Anders's own All the Birds in the Sky comes a novel full of love, disaster, and magic.

A young witch teaches her mother how to do magic--with very unexpected results--in this relatable, resonant novel about family, identity, and the power of love.

Jamie is the average New England academic in-training--she has a strong queer relationship, generational trauma, and an esoteric dissertation proposal. But she has one extraordinary secret: she's also a powerful witch.

Serena, Jamie's mother, has been hiding from the world in an old one-room schoolhouse for several years, grieving the death of her wife and the simultaneous explosion in her professional life. All she has left are memories.

Jamie’s busy digging into a three-hundred-year-old magical book, but she still finds time to teach Serena to cast spells and help her come out of her shell. But Jamie doesn't know the whole story of what happened to her mom years ago, and those secrets are leading Serena down a destructive path.

Now it's up to this grad student and literature nerd to understand the secrets behind this mysterious novel from 1749, unearth a long-buried scandal hinted therein, and learn the true nature of magic, before her mother ruins both of their lives.

We are thrilled to welcome local author Molly Housh Gordon to celebrate the launch of her debut book for children, Dance Together, Spin Apart, on Monday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. This event actually takes place the day before the official publication date, so guests will have an exclusive sneak peak and chance to get signed copies ahead of literally everyone else! There will be celebrations, story time, and general festivities for all to enjoy! Come and help us welcome this beautiful book into the world!

A stunning fusion of poetry and particle science that thoughtfully addresses children's big questions about life and death in a way that will inspire wonder and awe in young readers and adults alike.

Inside a single blade of grass, a drop of shining dew, in gleaming wings of butterflies, in stars, in me, in you, are tiny things called particles that bounce and twist and spin. They dance together for a while then spin apart again. And later when the dance is done, we come to our last day. And all the parts that made us up will float and spin away.

Dance Together, Spin Apart melds poetry and particle science to carry young readers from the origins of our life through its end and the return of our energy to the universe. With author Molly Housh Gordon's thoughtful approach to children's big questions about life and death and illustrator Isabella Grott's lush and imaginative illustrations, Dance Together, Spin Apart brings subatomic particles and the energy passed between us all beautifully to life.

Molly Housh Gordon is a mom, minister, and writer. She spends her days with the spiritual seekers of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, Missouri. She holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry in Creative Writing and Public Theology from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She wrote her debut book Dance Together, Spin Apart for all the kids, like her, with big questions.

Our new “Get the Scoop” event series are ticketed talks which are designed to offer smaller, more intimate conversations with authors. For the regular price of the book you receive (a) a signed copy of the book, (b) a scoop of Sparky's Ice Cream, and (c) an evening of stimulating and entertaining conversation and community!

The first of these events was a huge success and sold out quickly, and we’re very excited to announce the next in the series: on Thursday, September 3 at 6:30 p.m., we’ll be welcoming author Sabrina Blackburry back to Skylark to talk about her newest novel, Half Wylde, a delightful read for lovers of romantasy about hidden heritage and fae mythology like Margaret Rogerson, Sarah J. Maas, and Holly Black.

Availability is strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis, so be sure to reserve yours early by clicking here!

Wren has spent her life hiding–hiding the truth about herself: She’s half-fae. The local villagers are afraid of her and only her adoptive father, Bryn, and her teacher, a witch named Mila, care whether she lives or dies. When their village is attacked, and Bryn is killed, Mila urges Wren to flee into the woods. 

There she encounters the mysterious but frightening Thain who offers to take her to the Wyldes, the land of the fae creatures. In the Wyldes, she can finally find a home and learn to embrace the side of herself that she’s always kept hidden. 

Raised among humans, Wren was shunned for her non-human half and taught to fear the fae. Now that she's living among them, she has to face her fears and accept her own heritage to find peace in her new home. But when the burning seal that Mila placed on her back to control her powers begins to burst, and the mystery of her parentage begins to unravel, Wren might find herself in more danger than she could have ever imagined.

Sabrina Blackburry is a fantasy author from central Missouri, and the creator of The Enchanted Fates and The Wyldes series. She has a love for morally gray characters, fated love with a touch of magic, and passionate women finding their place in the world. When she’s not writing, Sabrina enjoys adding plants to the collection on her front porch, sewing for the local renaissance festival, and hiking.

Just think! In another ten years we’ll be allowed to vote!

Yes, we made it through another trip around the sun, and on Saturday, August 29, Skylark will be celebrating eight years of slinging books in our beloved community. None of this extraordinary journey would have been possible without you, our cherished friends and customers, and so we hope you’ll swing by on Saturday to help celebrate another milestone with us.

As usual, we’ll be giving away another monster tote bag of Skylark goodies, in addition to free gifts with every purchase, together with other fun stuff - and, of course, we’ll be revealing this year’s Skylark T-shirt! And there will be balloons, possibly cake, and much more!

We hope we’ll see you there!

August’s Skylarking Book Club selection is Astronaut! by debut novelist Oana Aristide, which has garnered a HUGE amount of attention and critical acclaim since its publication. It’s a darkly funny and politically resonant novel set in Romania in 1989.

As usual, we’ll meet in the shop at 6:30 p.m. to discuss!

Daily news flashes of seemingly random murders grip the nation. The suspect? A man-eating bear. Amid the fear of informants, official lies, and daily rationing, two bright lives collide. Constantin, an idealistic police detective prone to scribbling fairy tales in his notebook, is tasked with solving the string of mysterious deaths. Lia, a rebellious, inquisitive schoolgirl pining for more color in her life, is unwittingly drawn into an eccentric elderly neighbor’s secret plot against the regime. While everyone around them is flattened into submission, the two find the spirit to carry out small acts of defiance. Their decisions will have sweeping consequences—for themselves, for their families, and for their country.

Masterfully plotted and psychologically astute, Astronaut! is both a chilling detective novel and a moving coming-of-age tale. It carries a powerful message: the lies we accept today become the truths of tomorrow.

Oana Aristide was born in Transylvania and spent her childhood in communist Romania. She has variously worked as a macroeconomist in London, cabinet advisor in Bucharest, travel journalist, and hotelier in Greece. She now lives in Sweden.

August’s New Romantics Book Club selection is PUCK, by Samantha Allen. It’s a romcom inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream… Puck is a reality show producer and agent of chaos with a talent for bringing people together . . . and tearing them apart. As usual, we’ll meet in the shop at 6:30 p.m.! See you there?!

Meet Puck: the nonbinary, thirty-year-old mastermind behind Homewreckers, a dating show that puts troubled couples through hell—with a little help from their exes. Used to being the one pulling the strings, it shocks Puck when their life undergoes a plot twist of its own and their college roommate Mia announces her engagement to her ex’s best friend, Damon. Having only recently broken up with longtime-boyfriend Zander, and never having had much in common with Damon (who lovesick Lena has always pined after), Mia’s news leaves her friend group reeling—and Puck’s mind whirling.

When they arrive for a week of wedding festivities at an upscale resort in the Appalachian forest, Puck immediately sees that Mia’s marriage will lead to misery, and takes it upon themself to save their friends by rearranging the couples—without anyone finding out. But as Puck comes up against a type-A maid of honor hell-bent on making this wedding happen, it becomes clear that they will have to deliver the greatest stunt of their career. If only they can take their eyes off the bridesmaid. After all, the course of true love never did run smooth…

Written with Samantha Allen’s signature charm, wit, and an irresistible dose of Shakespearian mischief, Puck is the ultimate romcom for our chaotic era, and a celebration of the friendships that carry us through it all.

Yes, it’s that time of year again! Come and join us on Saturday, August 15, for a day of (fictional) love affairs of all kinds, as we celebrate Bookstore Romance Day!

Join us for a day dedicated to all things romance—whether you're a longtime romance reader or just discovering the genre, there's something to fall in love with at Skylark! Browse our curated selection of swoony stories, meet fellow readers, and enjoy fun activities throughout the day in a festive, love-filled atmosphere. There’ll be a lot going on…

Purchase any romance book during the celebration to be entered into our Bookstore Romance Day drawing for a chance to win a special prize!

While you're here, cast your vote for your favorite recent movie or TV romance adaptation and see which beloved love story comes out on top.

Feeling inspired? Stop by our Love Letter Writing Station, where you can pen a heartfelt note to a partner, friend, family member—or even your favorite fictional character. Be sure to explore our display of staff-favorite romance and romance-adjacent books, featuring everything from classic love stories to contemporary romances, romantasy, and character-driven fiction with unforgettable relationships.

We'll also have colorful decorations to set the mood and information about our New Romantics Book Club. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about reading romance with a welcoming community of fellow book lovers. We can't wait to celebrate Bookstore Romance Day with you!

No ticket or reservation necessary! Just show up to enjoy the fun!

For August’s meeting of the Order of Books and Banter we will be reading the newest from Skylark favorite, T. Kingfisher: NINE GOBLINS: A TALE OF LOW FANTASY AND HIGH MISCHIEF. As usual, we’ll meet at 6:30 - we look forward to seeing you there!

No one knows exactly how the Goblin War began, but folks will tell you that goblins are stinking, slinking, filthy, sheep-stealing, henhouse-raiding, obnoxious, rude, and violent. Goblins would actually agree with all this, and might throw in “cowardly” and “lazy” too for good measure.

But goblins don't go around killing people for fun, no matter what the propaganda posters say. And when a confrontation with an evil wizard lands a troop of nine goblins deep behind enemy lines, goblin sergeant Nessilka must figure out how to keep her hapless band together and get them home in one piece.

Unfortunately, between them and safety lies a forest full of elves, trolls, monsters, and that most terrifying of creatures…a human being.

On August 9th, we will be hosting a Summer Wrap-up Party for the Skylark Kids Summer Series! Please join us for some super fun activities, at least one mini-scavenger hunt, prizes, and general fun! We will also have opportunities to redeem prizes for completing our Summer Reading and Shop Local with Richard Scarry activities.

It’s that time for one of our favorite events of the year! Come and join us (and a ton of other excellent vendors) on Saturday, August 8 for Columbia’s 5th Annual Grown-Up Book Fair!

Join us at Rose Park in Columbia and step back into the cherished memories of your childhood. The venue will be transformed into the iconic setting reminiscent of beloved elementary school book fairs of the 90s, but this time tailored for the grown-up you.

Sip on a specialty cocktail and peruse the shelves of local and independent booksellers, plus other curated local vendors that will scratch your nostalgic itch.

Please note that although the event welcomes all ages to attend, it is catered towards grown-ups and may not always be kid friendly!

A Grown-Up Book Fair tote bag is included with each Early Entry ticket purchase! An add-on ticket option for an “Adult Lunchable” from Thompson Tables is also available.

Tickets are available for purchase from the Blue Note here.

July’s Skylarking Bookclub will be discussing the newest novel from Skylark favorite, Lisa See: DAUGHTERS OF THE SUN AND MOON. As usual, we’ll gather in the shop at 6:30 on the last Thursday of the month, July 30. See you there!

From beloved New York Times bestselling author Lisa See, the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and, despite the odds, thrive, in the turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles.

In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in the small, dusty, and violent pueblo of Los Angeles. Dove, the bound-footed daughter of an imperial scholar, is entrancing and innocent. These characteristics should bring her great rewards, beginning with her arranged marriage to a much older merchant. Petal, the big-footed daughter of peasants, has grown up hungry and with dirt between her toes. In a moment of desperation, Petal’s father sells her to buy money for rice seed, and she is loaded onto a ship to the Gold Mountain—America—where she is once again sold. Moon is married to a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. She is educated, speaks fluent English, and has been endowed with a face of great beauty, yet her failed footbinding as a child has left her with a limp that lessens her value in the eyes of many.

Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to “eat bitterness” to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.

Join us on July 26th for an afternoon of Wimpy Kid themed fun! We will have activities and trivia, and you certainly shouldn’t forget to take a temporary tattoo home with you!

This event is free but we do ask that you register so we know how many people to expect. Scan the QR code below (or click!) to register.

July’s selection for the New Romantics Book Club is BROMANTASY by Máire Roche, a cozy, queer fantasy about the mortifying ordeal of being known by your totally platonic best friend and the epic quest that might force you to confront the truth. Join us in the shop at 6:30 on Wednesday July 15!

Fellas, is it gay to kiss your bff while on a quest through the forest you’re unqualified for?

Juniper O'Reilly is good at only two things: demolishing a pint of mead and finding the perfect skincare routine. Everything else—taking care of the farm, bartering for goods, any sort of manual labor—falls to Juniper’s best friend, the absurdly capable, endlessly patient Mo Elmthorn.

But when Juniper accidentally volunteers them both for a quest to kill a fearsome monster, he knows he’s finally gotten in over his head. Juniper hates camping, he hates the dark, and there’s no way all these foraged mushrooms are going to sit well in his stomach. One thing he doesn’t hate? How good Mo’s thighs look in his questing pants—he doesn’t have time to think about that, though, with a monster to hunt and their futures on the line.

But monsters come in all shapes and sizes. When Juniper and Mo realize that the terrifying beast they’ve sworn to kill is just a scared little girl torn from her family, they’re off to find not only the true villain of the story, but maybe even a happy ending.

Something different this month!

For July’s Order of Books and Banter, we’ll be meeting a day later than usual and teaming up with arch-rivals/nemeses NEW ROMANTICS BOOK CLUB (Enemies to Lovers, anyone?) to discuss BROMANTASY, the fabulous new book by Máire Roche!

Help us celebrate Skylark favorite and Columbia local Nancy West as she launches her new book, AGATHA CHRISTIE: THE MOTHER OF COZY MYSTERIES, a captivating literary biography and stunning celebration of the famed author of Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, and countless other classics. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and we’d love to see you there!

100 short entries take you through moments from Agatha Christie’s life—some well-known and some which may be unexpected. These are the moments that shaped her sixty-six detective novels, as well as her plays, short story collections, and romance novels. Including excerpts from her most iconic works like And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and Death on the Nile, as well as sidebars that explore how her works have left a lasting impression on pop culture, this book paints a vivid portrait of the complicated and clever woman behind the mysteries.

This beautifully curated volume is both an inspiring biography and a celebration of literary brilliance. Whether you’re a longtime admirer of Christie or just beginning your literary adventure, Agatha Christie will leave you fascinated, inspired, and longing for more.

Nancy West is a Professor of English at the University of Missouri. In addition to Agatha Christie: Mother of the Cozy Mystery (SimonandSchuster, 2026), she is the author of Kodak and the Lens of Nostalgia; Tabloid, Inc.; and Masterpiece: America’s 50-Year-Old Love Affair with British Drama. West has appeared on PBS’s The American Experience and BBC’s The Genius of Photography. She contributes to The Los Angeles Review of Books and The Atlantic and is currently completing a memoir, Sometimes Cinderella, about growing up in movie-rich 1970s New York.