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Banned Books Week: A Silent Reading Event
Past event
About This Event
Kick off Banned Books Week with a silent reading event on Sunday, October 4th from 10AM until 12PM. Silent reading will last from 10:30AM until 11:30AM. Attendees may also write their own banned books shelf talker for display in the store through the month of October! Free snacks/drinks available.
BYO chair/blanket recommended (Bards Alley's are not the most comfortable!) and attendees may bring their own book or purchase on at the store before silent reading begins.
Tickets required to attend. Ticket cost may be used as a deposit for any purchase made at Bards Alley that same day. All attendees will receive a free Libro.fm audiobook code for Banned Together or How to Defend Books and Why.
About the Venue

Bards Alley
Bards Alley is a woman-owned independent bookstore located in the heart of Vienna, VA. Focused on new books, Bards Alley is a general interest store with adult and kid's titles, from general fiction, to history, to sci-fi/fantasy and horror, we hope to appeal to all readers with our curated shelves and knowledgeable staff. The store hosts authors on-site and off-site year-round, with new, free events posted frequently on our website, Instagram, and Facebook. Bards Alley will be moving in January 2027, just up the street to 103 Church St. NE - updates and dates to be added to our website and social media.
Visit store pageMore at Bards Alley

Fall for the Book Presents: Stephen Graham Jones
In The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, horror icon Stephen Graham Jones unspools an American Indian revenge story told through transcribed interviews of a Blackfeet named Good Stab. His tale unveils a Blackfeet massacre and the haunting, immortal search for justice. Jones is the author of over thirty novels, novellas, comics, and more; his forthcoming novel Off the Reservation returns to the Blackfeet reservation exploring another dark corner of this nation’s history involving the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Jones is the recipient of numerous honors, including four Bram Stoker awards and three Shirley Jackson awards, and has been named a finalist for the World Fantasy Award. Dani Trujillo will moderate this conversation. Sponsored by George Mason Friends. Free tickets are required for this event. Reserve yours starting on September 10 at 7:30 p.m. Max two per person. Copies of Jones' books will be available for purchase at the event and a book signing will follow. Copies of Off the Reservation will be for sale ahead of its pub date (10/13/26) this evening only.

Fall for the Book Presents: Celeste Ng
Enjoy an evening with world-renowned author Celeste Ng as she discusses the suspense, drama, and beautifully complex interpersonal relationships that appear in her writing. Ng is the author of Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere, which was adapted into a Hulu limited series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. In her latest New York Times bestseller, Our Missing Hearts, Ng tells the story of twelve-year-old Bird living in a near-future version of America on a quest to find his political dissident mother. Be sure to reserve your free ticket on Eventbrite. Tickets are required for this event. Sponsored by Friends of the Reston Regional Library and Friends of City of Fairfax Regional Library. Books will be available for purchase at the event and a signing will follow, This event is part of the Fall for the Book Festival, which runs October 6-10. View the full schedule here: https://fallforthebook.org/schedule/

Susan Metallo with Alice Scott and special guest Andrew Joseph White
Author Susan Metallo will be in conversation with bookseller and indie author Alice Scott and bestselling author Andrew Joseph White to discuss her brand new young adult release Hearts on the Table. Books will be available for purchase at the event, and a book signing will follow the discussion.