Sci-fi-Fantasy Pop-up Club - November '26
Featured Book
The Second Death of Locke (The Hand and the Heart, 1)
A devastatingly romantic epic fantasy about the undying bond between a knight and their mage, perfect for fans of Rachel Gillig and Alix E. Harrow.
"Intricately imagined and deftly told, The Second Death of Locke is the perfect pairing of romance, pining, and sprawling epic fantasy." ―Hannah Whitten, author of The Foxglove King
Love. Loyalty. Sacrifice.
Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier. She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to wield. They are bound together by blood and magic, but there is one truth Grey dare not reveal … not even to Kier.
When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into a dangerous mission, Grey will need to decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to protect her secret. For Grey is no ordinary magical well, and if she dies, all magic dies with her.
The Second Death of Locke is the first in a collection of interconnected standalones set in the same world.
"Gritty, romantic, and breathlessly fierce, The Second Death of Locke will grip your heart and never let go." ―Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
This book will be available for purchase at the event.
About This Event
Join us for our final Sci-fi/Fantasy Pop-up Club meeting on Tuesday, November 17th at 6:45pm. We'll be reading The Second Death of Locke by V L Bovalino.
Copies of the book are available at Queen Takes Book and can be purchased at 10% off in-store through November 17th. Use the code BOOKCLUB to get 10% off through our website. You can also order through Bookshop.org (paperback or ebook) or Libro.fm (audiobook) to support local independent bookstores.
About the Venue
Queen Takes Book
We are Columbia, MD's only independent bookstore. We believe that everyone should be able to see themselves in the pages of a book and are committed to providing a welcoming environment for everyone who walks through our doors. Columbia is halfway in-between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., making us accessible to people from both of these cities. We have a robust slate of book clubs and also do on-site and off-site author events and book fairs.
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Works in Translation Club - November '26
Join us for our Works in Translation Club meeting on Monday, November 16th at 6pm. (This is a week later than usual.) We'll be reading Barbara Isn't Dying by Alina Bronsky (translated from German by Tim Mohr). Copies of the book are available at Queen Takes Book and can be purchased at 10% off in-store through November 16th. Use the code BOOKCLUB to get 10% off through our website. You can also order through Bookshop.org (paperback or ebook) to support local independent bookstores.
Cushwa Winter Book Fair 2026
Come browse gift recommendations, wintry staff picks, new releases, and our 2026 winter reading guide! Queen Takes Book is so excited to be back at Cushwa & Rad Pies Taproom for our 2026 Winter Book Fair! We'll have copies of our new 2026 winter reading guide, Winter Wonderland, and plenty of copies of all of the books inside of it! We'll also have other wintry books, books that almost made the guide, and the biggest books of the season. This is the perfect place to pick up holiday gifts: for others or for yourself! This event is free to attend, but we kindly ask that you RSVP. We can't wait to see you there! Our winter reading guide is designed by the lovely and incredibly talented Sierra Lee! Be sure to check out her array of cards and other printed goods.
Author Talk - Linda Marshall feat. Donna Stramella
Authors Linda Marshall and Donna Stramella will be joining us in-store for an author talk on Thursday, November 19th at 7pm! This event will feature an author talk, audience Q&A, and book signing. It is free to attend, but we kindly ask that you RSVP. For more information about the authors and their books, see below: Linda Murphy Marshall is a multi-linguist and writer with a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literature. She also has a Master’s and a BA in Spanish, and an MFA in Creative Writing. She is a docent at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Her first memoir was published in 2022 (Ivy Lodge: A Memoir of Translation and Discovery) and her second memoir was published in 2024 (Immersion: A Linguist’s Memoir). More than 24 of her essays and stories have been published in literary journals. Donna Koros Stramella is a Maryland-based writer who holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Tampa. She is a previous award-winning journalist and video screenwriter/producer and her short pieces have been published in newspapers, literary magazines, and two anthologies. She is the author of two award-winning novels. Coffee Killed My Mother tells the story of a revealing mother-daughter road trip. The whodunit mystery Among the Bones is set in a wildly different Pacific Northwest community where residents cautiously connect with their new neighbors while guarding individual secrets.