More than 30 local authors will be selling and signing books at the 13th Annual Takoma Park Book Fair at Busboys and Poets Takoma.

Think personalized holiday gifts!


Takoma Park Book Fair
Saturday, December 16th, 1-4 p.m.

Busboys and Poets Takoma
235 Carroll Street NW
Washington, DC (just across the border from Takoma Park, MD)

This unique, festive—and free—event features an eclectic array of books of every genre, with something for everyone. Come browse, meet the authors, pick up some gifts—and enjoy a meal at the restaurant. (See a full list of the 2023 authors and books below.)

Busboys & Poets Bookstore Specials!

  • 10% discount on selected titles
    15% member discount on all titles
    15% off all middle grade books, children’s graphic novels, and young adult books

  • Vouchers and Gift Bags: Spend $50 minimum at the bookstore and/or Book Fair and earn a gift bag (while supplies last) and voucher, redeemable at the restaurant or BB&P bookstore through Dec. 31, 2023. Proof of purchase is required; authors will provide receipts on request. Pick up vouchers and gift bags at the Busboy’s table at the Book Fair.

Busboys and Poets Restaurant is participating in the annual Takoma Park Cocoa Crawl! Hot chocolate is $3—and the adult special (spiked with peppermint liqueur) is $8.

Come in from the cold, browse books and chat with authors—and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa!

Follow the Takoma Park Book Fair on Facebook to stay updated on the Book Fair, featured authors, and book events throughout the year.

2023 Takoma Park Book Fair: Featured Authors

  • Michael Adams, Spare Change. Washington, DC, isn’t just the seat of American politics. It’s home to more than 700,000 people. Spare Change takes readers onto the streets of this city to paint vivid pictures of what DC’s citizens experience on a daily basis. https://michaelanthonyadamsjr.com/

  • Jeff Billington, Chicken Dinner News. Ryan Shipley wouldn’t have recognized his grandfather if they were the only two people in a room. When an unwanted inheritance lands in his lap, he faces an overwhelming decision. Does he leave his life as a journalist in L.A. to run his grandfather’s weekly newspaper and revive a dying Ozark town—half of which he now owns? www.jeffbillington.com

  • KG Bethlehem, Astronomical. This sci-fi, anti-utopian thriller is set in the distant future of a weary and torn civilization that, driven by desperation, created a mission to stop the possibility of war. https://kgbethlehem.blog

  • Carmelinda Blagg, Geographies. A captivating collection of stories that explore the impact of places on the human experience and delve into the complexities of aging, childhood, and family life.

  • Darria Boyd, It Just Got Real: 9½ Tips on How to Breathe Raising Children with Autism. The author shares wisdom gained by parenting two exceptional autistic children—and how to master the art of mental presence and resilience. This book offers guidance on how to face challenges with a positive attitude, enjoy a happy life with your family, and ultimately protect your mind and body. www.darriaboyd.com

  • Elizabeth Boyd, Southern Beauty: Race, Ritual, and Memory in the Modern South. This book goes behind the scenes of sorority rushes, beauty pageants, and an Old South tourist production to reveal how young White, Southern women reiterate White supremacy—and how their fluff conceals their power. As seen on the 2023 HBO Max documentary ’Bama Rush.

  • Adam Brookes, Fragile Cargo: China’s Wartime Race to Save the Treasures of the Forbidden City. The true story of the brave and devoted art historians and museum curators who saved China’s greatest works of art during Japan’s WWII invasion of China. They moved a quarter of a million art works and books thousands of miles across war-torn China, enduring 16 years of appalling privations and danger. A story of war, upheaval, and the deep human urge to preserve and protect culture. www.adambrookes.com

  • Christopher Conte, Remembering the Future: Reflections on Ugandan Culture in Changing Times. A dozen respected Ugandan writers reflect on their lives and examine how their culture shaped them. In the process, they introduce readers to a wide range of fellow Ugandans, including a psychiatrist, a rap artist, a filmmaker, a traditional patriarch, a respected matriarch, members of an endangered pastoral tribe, and many more. www.ugandamemories.com 

  • Dennis M. Desmond, Eddie and the Vegetarian Vampire. In World War II-era Boston, a resilient orphan befriends a lonely, vegetarian, bean-eating vampire—himself an orphan—in a search for family and belonging. www.dennismdesmond.com

  • Marjory Maxwell Donn, Brother Keeper: An AIDS Story. Howie Jackson rushes from Detroit to Washington, DC, when his brother is hospitalized. He must cope with Hank’s illness while facing his personal prejudices. There’s a male-female love story here, too.

  • Meg Edson, Zig Zag Zeph. Zeph is a cat who has cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological condition that makes him walk in zigzags. But this happy cat doesn’t let his challenges slow him down. Zeph does what other cats do—in his own quirky style. His amazing spirit and attitude will inspire readers. www.zigzagzeph.net

  • Susie Erenrich, The Cost of Freedom: Voicing a Movement After Kent State. The voices contained in this book represent a half-century of struggle by homegrown activists. They were on the scene during major intervals of the May 4th Movement for truth and due process. Their riveting stories and eyewitness accounts bring to life the history of the 1970 massacre and its aftermath.

  • Moxie Gardiner, Virgin Snow. The coming-of-age story of a working class girl’s quest for identity amid family secrets, social turmoil, and Catholic activism in Buffalo, NY, during the 1960s. https://moxiegardiner.com/

  • Genevieve Grabman, Purpose-driven Innovation: Lessons for Managing Change in the United Nations. This book goes inside the United Nations to explore a new theory of change management, developed to help managers navigate accelerating global and societal challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic. https://genevievegrabman.com

  • Andrew Hiller, Pitter Patty Finds Another Day. A lonely rain cloud looking for friends flees when she hears the song “Rain, Rain, Go Away.” She searches until she finds a place where she’s loved for who she is. www.andrewhiller.net

  • Dennis Huffman, Decolonizing the Park. A collection of poems and photographs inspired by the author’s work as a volunteer “weed warrior” combating invasive plants along Sligo Creek.

  • Sonia R. Jarvis, States of Confusion: How Our Voter ID Laws Fail Democracy and What to Do About It. States of Confusion offers a comprehensive and up-to-date look at the voter ID crisis in our country, as well as solutions for practitioners, government agencies, and citizens. They explore voter experiences by drawing on hundreds of online surveys, audits of 150 election offices, community focus groups, and more.

  • Kathy Jentz, Groundcover Revolution. This unique guide offers detailed profiles of 40 plants you can use to replace your lawn. Among them are site-specific options for sun, shade, and dry or wet conditions, and different climate zones around the world. More choices include flowering plants, evergreens, and even deer-resistant varieties. There’s also a handy quick-reference chart. https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/

  • Alison Kahn, Patapsco: Life along Maryland’s Historic River Valley, with photographs by Peggy Fox and foreword by Robert Coles. This collection of compelling oral history narratives, evocative essays, and stunning images profiles the lives of longtime residents of five historic Patapsco Valley towns and reveals the connections between culture, place, and memory.

  • Jonathan Katz, Lottery of Intimacies. The third poetry collection by the well-known cultural policy leader, arts administrator, and educator, it has been praised by reviewers for its “dazzling lines,” “lyricism,” and “joy and rhythm.”

  • Karen Lange, Never the Same Again. An anthology of more than 60 short essays by Peace Corps volunteers and other Americans who lived and worked in Liberia from the 1950s through the Covid-19 pandemic, plus reflections by Liberians on the Peace Corps. Honest, funny, and moving, these pieces offer an unflinching look at what the Peace Corps could, and could not, achieve here. Winner of the 2023 National Peace Corps Association Loret Miller Ruppe Award.

  • Jo Miles, Warped Space. A heart-filled space opera perfect for fans of Malka Older and Martha Wells. Jasper Wilder is an activist, not a spy, but he’ll become one if that’s what it takes to stop the revival of the deadly experiment that devastated his home planet—until his relationship with an idealistic local activist threatens to derail his plans. https://www.jomiles.com

  • Diana Parsell, Eliza Scidmore: The Trailblazing Journalist Behind Washington’s Cherry Trees. This first-ever biography of Eliza Scidmore describes her work as an intrepid journalist and travel writer who paved the way for tourism from Alaska to Asia a century ago. Adventures in Japan inspired her obsessive quest to give Washington its cherry trees. https://dianaparsell.com/

  • Cary Raditz, Carey: Genesis of the Song. The memoir covers three years, from 1968 to 1971, including his romance with Joni Mitchell, with whom he lived in a cave by the sea in Matala on the Greek island of Crete. Joni wrote the song, “Carey,” for him as a 24th-birthday present and later recorded it on her album Blue. https://www.facebook.com/Cary.Raditz

  • Shannon Sanders, Company. These 13 linked short stories feature members of one multigenerational Black family that includes entrepreneurs, academics, and entertainers. In each story, the arrival of a guest at someone’s home introduces surprises and tensions, revealing much about the family’s many wonderful, and not so wonderful, legacies. ShannonSandersWrites.com

  • Risa Saw, Not Child’s Play: An Anthology on Brother-Sister Incest (2nd edition). This riveting anthology shatters the silence around the reality of brother-sister incest and elevates the voices of survivors. Collectively they call for accountability and healing through prose, poetry, and visual art. A powerful, courageous, and beautiful invitation to bear witness and take action. https://www.notchildsplaybook.com

  • Megan Scribner, Building Bridges Word by Word. This is a virtual book in progress—and you are invited to be its authors. Write a reflection on a saying, quote, song, or poem that has meaning for you and help us discover that no matter how different we may be, we have many of the same fears, hopes, and dreams. https://buildingbridgeswbw.com

  • Dian Seidel, Kindergarten at 60: A Memoir of Teaching in Thailand. Part travel memoir and part second-act story, this book uses gentle humor to tell a unique retirement tale and explore universal themes via the adventures of everyday life. www.DianSeidel.com

  • John Sener, The 1,000 Things Projects: Counting Your Way to a Healthy Relationship with Your Stuff.  Whether you’re moving to a new home, aging with intention, or simply feeling overwhelmed by your possessions, doing a 1,000 Things Project will help you move beyond clutter control by counting your way to a healthier relationship with your stuff.

  • Daniel R. Smith Sr., Son of a Slave: A Black Man’s Journey in White America. (represented by his widow, Loretta Neumann) Son of a man born enslaved during the Civil War, Smith was living proof that slavery is not distant history. His father, 70 years old when he was born, taught him to work hard and always carry himself well. He was both witness to and participant in nearly a century of struggle for Black Americans to advance in a nation founded on separatist principles.

  • Rick Stack, We Who Grieve: Understanding Our Most Painful Emotion. Those experiencing grief and loss, of any kind, will find this book a comforting companion and helpful resource, offering support and guidance during the mourning process. https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/we-who-grieve/

  • Lauren Taylor, Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World. This book helps women and LGBTQIA+ people understand how gender-based violence operates, freeing them from the shame and self-blame that society lays on them. With more than 100 exercises, readers can heal some of the damage patriarchy has done to them, helping them set boundaries, ask for what they want, and live bigger, more authentic lives. www.getempoweredbook.com

  • Erica Simone Turnipseed, Bigger Than Me. Luna and Zion are overwhelmed by the big words they keep hearing: Homelessness. Pandemic. Inequality. Recession. Unemployment. To attempt to understand, the siblings spell them out with building blocks and recruit other kids to help. Many hands make light work: the words themselves grow lighter, and change. Children discover the impact they can have when they band together in this picture-book ode to how solidarity lifts everyone up. http://www.ericaonthejourney.com

  • Stuart Ullman, The Téuta’s Child. A prehistoric adventure set 8200 years ago, this is the story of a blind 12-year-old Neolithic girl. Believed to be cursed, she was blamed for many of the troubles that afflicted her village. https://www.sgullman.com

  • Katie Weaver, Micky! Young children and dog lovers of all ages will fall in love with Micky, the puppy who just can’t seem to behave himself. Creative and curious, Micky finds inventive ways of turning everyday items into exciting playthings and turns every room in the house into a playground for endless hours of fun. Artntellunlimited.com

Hope to see you at the Takoma Park Book Fair on Saturday, December 16th, 1-4:00pm at Busboys and Poets Takoma!