Gulf Coast Reads 2026: An Evening with Sherry Thomas

Harris County Public Library and the Gulf Coast Reads Committee invite you to a special evening with Sherry Thomas, author of the 2026 Gulf Coast Reads selection, The Librarians. Registered attendees will receive a free copy of The Librarians while supplies last.

And the date couldn't be more fitting: we'll gather on Friday, October 30, the very night the library's murder mystery-themed game night takes place in the novel. We'll be leaning into the Halloween Eve setting with some spooky fun of our own. Costumes are welcome, and we'll have plenty of candy on hand to keep the Halloween spirit going.

Join us for an engaging conversation with Sherry Thomas about The Librarians, followed by audience Q&A and a book signing.

Come for the mystery, stay for the conversation, and spend Halloween Eve with Sherry Thomas and Gulf Coast Reads!

Friday, October 30 | 6:30 PM
West University Community Center
6104 Auden Street, Houston, TX 77005
Next door to the West University Branch Library

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas is one of the most acclaimed historical romance authors writing today and a two-time RITA Award winner.

About the Book

Murder disrupts four quirky librarians' lives when they try to hide among books to keep their secrets.

A LibraryReads Pick | An NPR Books We Love Selection | Libby Book Award Winner for Best Mystery.

Sometimes a workplace isn't just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge....

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don't always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library's inaugural murder mystery-themed game night, the librarians' quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library, and themselves, is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together....

All in a day's work.