CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
2026-02-25 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States

Reading Series: Saint Paul Almanac - Illumination
2026-02-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
Saint Paul Almanac Reading Series: Illumination
We Welcome:
Louis DiSanto
Donna Isaac
David Mendez
DeAnne Parks
Gordon Shumaker
Susan Spindler
Jenna Carlson
Saint Paul Almanac Volume 14: Illumination is an anthology of prose and poetry from Minnesotan writers that illuminate the tenacity, grit, pleasure, and grace of the human experience. This singular volume, the twentieth anniversary edition of the Almanac, is filled with thought-provoking and moving works by memoirists Sherry Quan Lee and Hedy Tripp; poets Stephani Booker, Donna Isaac, John Medeiros, and Debra Stone; and community activists Dr. LaVonne Moore and Clarence White. There are nearly 100 contributors, including winners of the 2023 Sidewalk Poetry Contest.
Illumination also highlights the voices we seldom hear. You’ll find incarcerated writers, those who experience health challenges, those who grieve and heal, and those who cope with marginalization. It also includes stories and poems from young writers who are elementary and high school students. There are reflections about longing to connect, the search for truth, the joy of abundance from nature, and a magical parable of possibility. Within these pages are testimonies to mentors and unexpected encounters with strangers.
“Illumination is as beautiful and moving an anthology as I have ever encountered. In poems and prose, in paintings and photos, it contains the stories, testimonies and images of what actually makes America great—our diversity of voices, our love for our families, our neighbors and our communities, the ways we overcome prejudice and hate. In these troubled times, this essential anthology will give you hope and courage.” – David Mura, author of The Last Incantations and The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives

NONFICTION - Everyone Who is Gone is Here
2026-03-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States

STAFF CHOICE - The Once and Future Queen
2026-03-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE - The Best American Short Stories (2025)
2026-03-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
March is both Short Stories Month and Women’s History Month, so for the month’s contemporary lit choice, we went with a short stories collection edited and curated by one of the most talented female authors currently writing. We’re excited to discuss the impact of the variety of pieces and what makes the “best” short stories!

NONFICTION - Caste
2026-04-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson is one of the most impactful books that a reader can pick up in their lifetime. It moves beyond the concept of race to reveal an underlying “invisible” architecture of human ranking that has shaped America’s history and current events, expertly drawing parallels between the caste systems of Nazi Germany, India, and the United States. It forces a look at the “hidden, hard facts” of social structures, which will trigger intense, deeply meaningful, and, at times, difficult conversations. This book club will be an intense one, but critically important in this time of social stagnation and, often, devolution.

THE ESSENTIALS - Appointment in Samarra
2026-04-08 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
Another one none of us had heard of!
Appointment in Samarra is John O’Hara’s acclaimed 1934 novel about the rapid, self-destructive downfall of Julian English, a wealthy young man in the fictional Pennsylvania town of Gibbsville over three days during Christmas 1930. Driven by alcohol, social pressure, and impulsive acts, Julian alienates his wife and society, leading to his tragic end, which mirrors the ancient fable of a man trying to flee his fated appointment with Death in Samarra. The book is celebrated for its sharp social commentary on class, status, and the dark side of the American dream.
Join us as we talk about this roller coaster of a book – it’s really very good and we think you should read it even if you can’t make it to club.

STAFF CHOICE - I, Medusa
2026-04-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
2026 is the year of rewriting our stories and refusing to let the world define us. Next up – Medusa, whose bad rap is legendary.
Medusa is a favored acolyte of Athena before she is violated by Poseidon and transformed into the monster we are all familiar with. The story follows her journey from a hopeful girl to a vengeful figure, focusing on her relationships with her sisters and the cruel games of the gods, and is praised for its fresh perspective, emotional depth, and relevance to modern issues like sexual assault and power dynamics.
Through a mythological lens, the book tackles themes of injustice, trauma, and female rage and has received acclaim for its powerful and heartbreaking retelling, with reviewers highlighting its emotional impact and its success in giving a voice to a misunderstood figure.
This is a fresh take on the story, which has already seen countless iterations. Let’s see what happens when women tell each other’s stories.

2026 Spring Art Crawl
2026-04-17 17:00 - 2026-04-19 18:00 | Union Depot, 214 4th Street East, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
The St. Paul art community brings us into the new year with the annual Spring art crawl throughout Lowertown, downtown, and exurban Saint Paul.
This is one of our favorite events of the year, and we can’t wait to see the Depot all decked out with art from local artists.

https://www.visitsaintpaul.com/blog/guide-to-the-saint-paul-art-crawl/

2026 Independent Bookstore Spirit Week
2026-04-20 08:00 - 2026-04-24 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
It’s Indie Bookstore Week!
Headed into Independent Bookstore Day on April 25, come and join us for a week of fun!

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE - Good People
2026-04-22 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
In honor of Arab-American Heritage Month, we have chosen to read the extraordinary debut novel from Patmeena Sabit who was born in Kabul and grew up in Virginia. The book is extraordinary – it tells the story of a family of Afghan refugees living in Virginia as they experience a time of great fortune and devastating loss. It explores the reality of the immigrant experience in America and the power of cultural identity in American life. The book is sensational, but don’t take our word for it. Just look at these reviews:
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“Good People is a thrilling tour de force of a novel. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone.”—Ann Patchett
“This devastating début novel takes the form of an oral history about a tragedy that shatters a family. At its heart is a couple who arrived in the U.S. in the late nineteen-nineties as refugees from Afghanistan. They prospered, and brought up four children in an affluent suburb in Virginia. Rotating testimonies from people they know—family friends, a cousin, lawyers—offer theories about what led to the novel’s central catastrophe. Once the nature of the tragedy has been revealed, the book transforms into an intimate study of an Afghan immigrant community forced to reevaluate what it means to raise children in America.”—The New Yorker
“One of those novels where you know right away that a mysterious, unspeakable something has happened, and you are simultaneously terrified and desperate to get the details. . . . This skillful debut is both a bated-breath thriller and a richly atmospheric portrait of an immigrant community.”—Oprah Daily
“Good People is a gripping, thought-provoking novel that peels back the layers of family, reputation and truth. It’s a story that will leave readers questioning just how well we ever know the people closest to us.”—Women’s World
“A month into the year, the first great novel of 2026 is here. Patmeena Sabit’s debut, Good People, may remind readers of Celeste Ng’s bestselling Little Fires Everywhere in that it’s a domestic tale that reads like a propulsive thriller and springs from a clash of cultures.”—The Minnesota Star Tribune
“Sabit debuts with an electrifying whodunit . . . This propulsive tale heralds Sabit as a writer worth keeping tabs on.”—Publishers Weekly
“Good People is equal parts an immigrant novel, a tightly wound mystery, and an oral history. Patmeena Sabit moves between these with insight, ease, and grace to give us a remarkable, unsettling snapshot of our complicated times.”—Sameer Pandya, author of Our Beautiful Boys
“With startling empathy for all sides, Patmeena Sabit plumbs the fault lines of honor, truth, prejudice, and how identity shapes guilt in the aftermath of tragedy. What a spectacular triumph this book is.”—Khaled Hosseini
“A triumphant debut! With the sophistication and assurance of a seasoned writer, Patmeena Sabit has crafted a prescient East-West story as only a third culture talent could have. The plot: masterful. The writing: beguiling. The pacing: breakneck. The possibility I will read this again and again: absolute.”—Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist and the Jaipur Trilogy
“Sabit’s first novel masterfully dissects the glittering facade of the American Dream . . . This all unfolds like a binge-worthy true-crime podcast . . . At once heartbreaking and hypnotic, Sabit’s is a novel that demands to be devoured.”—Booklist, starred review

2026 INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY
2026-04-25 08:00 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
It’s back!
JOIN US FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY! Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country. This is our second one and we could not be more excited!
Keep an eye on this space (and follow us on Facebook and Instagram) for more about special events, contests, and other goodies about the whole week!

NONFICTION - The Serviceberry
2026-04-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE – This is “May’s” Nonfiction pick
The unfortunate reality of nonfiction is that it is frequently sad. The Serviceberry is not, and we thought we all could use some brightness after a long winter. Published in 2024, the book critiques consumerism and scarcity, advocating for a shift towards interconnectedness, gratitude, and sharing resources, inspired by how the serviceberry provides for its entire community.
The book is short, so if you want more we highly recommend checking out Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Kimmerer’s breathtaking perma-bestseller.

THE ESSENTIALS - At Swim-Two-Birds
2026-05-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
THIS BOOK CLUB HAS BEEN MOVED UP ONE WEEK FROM MAY 13.
Stop us if you’ve heard this before:
At Swim-Two-Birds is a 1939 postmodern, metafictional novel by Irish author Flann O’Brien (Brian O’Nolan) that explores the nature of storytelling through multiple, nested narratives, blending Irish folklore, satire, and modernist techniques. The plot centers on a Dublin student who writes a story where his fictional characters rebel against him, leading to a complex, multi-layered work that comments on the relationship between author and creation, featuring characters from Irish myth like the Púca and Mad Sweeney alongside original creations.
This book is unique in every imaginable way, and we’re excited to hear what you think!

STORIES THAT MATTER: Renee Gilmore and Bronson Lemer (Signing)
2026-05-16 11:30 - 13:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
Join us in welcoming Renee Gilmore and Bronson Lemer, both local Minnesota authors with stories to tell.
In her debut memoir, Wayfinding, Renee Gilmore confronts the impetus behind her lifelong wanderlust: a lifetime shaped by loss, betrayal, and sexual violence. Told through a series of car trips and postcards from the road, this powerful memoir maps a route toward healing, acceptance, and hope, with stops at Waffle House and the Monaco Grand Prix along the way. Narrated with unflinching honesty and flashes of humor, Wayfinding is the story of a fiercely resilient woman determined not only to survive but to remap a new life filled with freedom, connection, and joy.
In this 2026 Minnesota Book Award Finalist (Memoir & Creative Nonfiction) collection of interrelated essays, Bronson Lemer explores companionship through the lens of a queer veteran, focusing on the difficulty of forming true connections with others. Lemer uses lessons from popular culture and literature to think more broadly about the role of the outsider and how we navigate aimlessness while searching for stability and meaning. Bronson Lemer is the author of The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq. His work has appeared in several journals and the anthology, Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers.

STAFF PICK - Lady Tremaine
2026-05-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States

STORIES THAT MATTER: Bronson Lemer and Renee Gilmore (Reading)
2026-05-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
Welcome back to the store Renee Gilmore and Bronson Lemer! They’re going to share with us readings from their individual work, and then discuss between themselves and with the rest of us the author’s journey both as an author and as a person as they achieve self-actualization through memoir.
In her debut memoir, Wayfinding, Renee Gilmore confronts the impetus behind her lifelong wanderlust: a lifetime shaped by loss, betrayal, and sexual violence. Told through a series of car trips and postcards from the road, this powerful memoir maps a route toward healing, acceptance, and hope, with stops at Waffle House and the Monaco Grand Prix along the way. Narrated with unflinching honesty and flashes of humor, Wayfinding is the story of a fiercely resilient woman determined not only to survive but to remap a new life filled with freedom, connection, and joy.
In The Loney Veteran’s Guide to Companionship, his 2026 Minnesota Book Award Finalist (Memoir & Creative Nonfiction) collection of interrelated essays, Bronson Lemer explores companionship through the lens of a queer veteran, focusing on the difficulty of forming true connections with others. Lemer uses lessons from popular culture and literature to think more broadly about the role of the outsider and how we navigate aimlessness while searching for stability and meaning. Bronson Lemer is the author of The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq. His work has appeared in several journals and the anthology, Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers.

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE - Remarkably Bright Creatures
2026-05-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States

NONFICTION - One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
2026-06-03 18:30 - 20:00 | MN

THE ESSENTIALS - To Kill a Mockingbird
2026-06-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States

STAFF CHOICE - Song of Achilles
2026-06-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE - Woodworking
2026-06-24 18:30 - 20:00 | MN

NONFICTION - Black AF History
2026-07-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
We love birthdays. They are amazing opportunities to take stock of your life, what brought you here, and where you’re going.
America’s birthday is no different. Join us as we read “Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America” and enter the 251st year of American history with clear eyes and a better understanding of the country’s future so we can build her into something we can all be proud of.

100 ESSENTIALS - Beloved
2026-07-08 18:30 - 20:00 | Story Line Books, 214 Fourth Street E Suite 160, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
