Book Clubs + Special Events
Join one (or more) of our monthly book clubs at Cellar Bird Books!
Our monthly book clubs are free to join, open to the public, and come with no obligation. Plus, when you purchase the book for any of our clubs, either online or in-store, you’ll receive 10% off!
MEET AT CELLAR BIRD BOOKS:
New Release Navigators: Meets on the 2nd Thursday of every month to discuss a brand new release.
Shadows & Spells Book Club: Meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month to explore the blend of dark themes and magical elements in literature.
Poets' Parlor: Meets on the 2nd Monday of every month for a deep dive into poetry, hosted by Alby Blazo.
Nonfiction Affliction: Starting in September, meets on the 1st Thursday of every month to discuss a nonfiction pick, hosted by Paul Rodarte.
Tome Raiders: Meets quarterly to tackle books with a long page count.
MEET AT KÜSTERER BRAUHAUS:
Küsterer Reading Club: Meets on the 1st Monday of every month at Küsterer Brauhaus.
Sunday, October 4
BANNED BOOKS WEEK READ-IN
Join us for a Banned Books Read-In for an afternoon of reading in solidarity against the growing number of book bans.
Bring a banned or frequently challenged book, or stop by Cellar Bird Books to pick up one beforehand, and read alongside fellow book lovers.
Come for as long as you like: spend the first half reading (2:30-3:30pm), and if you’d like, chat with those at your table about the books you’re reading between 3:30-4:30pm - or simply continue reading silently.
Each attendee will be able to choose one of these two audiobooks for free, courtesy of Libro.fm: Banned Together and How to Defend Books and Why
Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026
Time: 2:30-4:30pm
Location: New Holland Brewing -- 417 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Monday, October 5
KÜSTERER READING CLUB
Join us to discuss The Wedding People by Alison Espach, a witty and deeply moving novel about unexpected connections and second chances. Set over the course of a lavish wedding weekend at a coastal hotel, the story follows two women whose lives intersect in surprising ways, exploring grief, joy, and the possibility of beginning again.
Date: Monday, October 5, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Küsterer Brauhaus -- 642 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Thursday, October 8
NONFICTION AFFLICTION BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss The New Guys by Meredith Bagby, a fascinating account of NASA’s 1978 astronaut class, the groundbreaking group that transformed space exploration and opened the door for a new generation of astronauts. Hosted by Paul Rodarte, this conversation will explore the people, ambition, and innovation that reshaped the future of human spaceflight.
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Saturday, October 10
THRILLERS & CHILLERS BOOK FAIR
We'll be popping up on the patio at our neighbor, Underground Lounge + Patio from 5pm-8pm!
Grab some food & drinks and browse horror/thriller books + spooky bookmarks/stickers!
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 5-8pm
Location: Underground Lounge + Patio --443 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Sunday, October 11
PUZZLE PARLOR
Spend an afternoon puzzling with us! We’ll have a few puzzles out to work on together - so bring a friend, or come on your own and make a new one! No experience (or speed-puzzling skills!) required - just pull up a chair and enjoy a cozy afternoon of puzzling and conversation.
Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
Time: 4-6pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
Monday, October 12
POETS' PARLOR BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss White Teeth, Red Blood: Selected Vampiric Verses, a darkly atmospheric collection of poetry exploring the enduring allure of the vampire through centuries of verse. Hosted by Alby Blazo, this collection brings together the best poems inspired by the undead, from Goethe and Byron to Emily Dickinson and Ishmael Reed.
Date: Monday, October 12, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Thursday, October 15
NEW RELEASE NAVIGATORS
Join us to discuss Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang, a witty and poignant coming-of-age novel about grief, family, language, and the search for home. When Lily Chen spends the summer in Taipei hoping to connect with the culture she inherited, her grandfather’s death sends her on an unexpected journey into her family history and her own sense of identity.
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
Monday, October 19
SHADOWS & SPELLS BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson, a haunting fantasy of forbidden magic, religious oppression, and dark secrets, following a young woman who discovers a sinister history behind the rigid society she was raised to obey.
Date: Monday, October 19, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25
ACOTAR #6 THEORY DISCUSSION
Come ready to share your theories and predictions from the A Court of Thorns & Roses series ahead of the release of the newest book, A Court of Splintered Harmony, on October 27! Themed cocktails will be available for purchase.
Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
Time: 4-6pm
Location: New Holland Brewing -- 417 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27
ACOTAR #6 EARLY BIRD RELEASE
We'll be opening early at 7am on Tuesday, October 27, so early birds can get their hands on the newest book in the A Court of Thorns & Roses series, A Court of Splintered Harmony!
Tuesday, October 27
ACOTAR #6 SILENT READING
Join fellow ACOTAR fans for a silent reading of A Court of Splintered Harmony at New Holland Brewing's Zeppelin Lounge, cohosted by Silent Book Club of Grand Rapids! Bring your copy, settle in, and enjoy some reading time (but feel free to chat - just no spoilers!). Themed cocktails will be available for purchase.
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Time: 6-9pm
Location: New Holland Brewing (Zeppelin Lounge) -- 417 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Monday, November 2
KÜSTERER READING CLUB
Join us to discuss The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch, a haunting and suspenseful novel about a young refugee who enters a six-night séance competition in a notorious haunted house, seeking revenge against the woman whose husband destroyed her life. As a decades-old massacre resurfaces, the story explores revenge, identity, and the ghosts of the past.
Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Küsterer Brauhaus -- 642 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
*Paperback edition releases on September 22
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Thursday, November 5
NONFICTION AFFLICTION BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe, a gripping investigation into the mysterious death of a nineteen-year-old man and the secret life that drew him into London’s criminal underworld. Hosted by Paul Rodarte, this conversation will explore family, identity, corruption, and the hidden world beneath London’s glamorous surface.
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Monday, November 9
POETS' PARLOR BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss Horses by Jake Skeets, hosted by Alby Blazo, a collection of poetry exploring the impacts of climate change on the land and inhabitants of the Navajo Nation, and the complicated hope that emerges from a changing world.
Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Thursday, November 12
NEW RELEASE NAVIGATORS
Join us to discuss Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, a breathtaking novel of doubles, shadow worlds, and fractured timelines as a man disappears from a glittering Los Angeles party, and a woman—a gunrunner, an art collector, an operative of the State—searches for answers.
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
Monday, November 16
SHADOWS & SPELLS BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, a gripping fantasy mystery and sequel to The Tainted Cup, following detectives Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol as they investigate an impossible murder and an adversary who seems to predict their every move.
Date: Monday, November 16, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Tuesday, December 1
TOME RAIDERS BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, a sweeping and intimate family saga tracing generations of one Black American family from the colonial era to the present. Following Ailey as she explores her family’s history in the Deep South, the novel examines identity, belonging, oppression, resilience, and the complicated legacy of America.
Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Thursday, December 3
NONFICTION AFFLICTION BOOK CLUB
Join us to discuss The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown, hosted by Paul Rodarte, a gripping true story of twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves and her journey west with the Donner Party, culminating in thirty-two days of unimaginable hardship in the Sierra Nevada. Following Sarah’s journey step by step, the book brings new perspective to one of the most infamous events in American history.
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Monday, December 7
KÜSTERER READING CLUB
Join us to discuss A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power, a novel following three generations of Indigenous women whose lives are connected through the dolls they carried. Spanning the late 1800s to the 1960s, the story explores family, identity, trauma, and the lasting impact of Indigenous boarding schools.
Date: Monday, December 7, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Küsterer Brauhaus -- 642 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
The book is available in-store and online for 10% off.
Thursday, December 10
NEW RELEASE NAVIGATORS
Join us to discuss Under Story by Chloe Benjamin, an intimate and sweeping novel about love, scientific discovery, and the desire for more time with the people we love. Set at an isolated research station in Antarctica, the story follows a biologist drawn into a mysterious phenomenon that could change everything, exploring human ambition, the natural world, and the possibility of a second chance.
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: Cellar Bird Books