Authors as Booksellers: November Holiday Guide 2026

Having trouble shopping for loved ones and well wishers this year? We’ve got you covered!

Join us in store on Friday, November 20th at 7pm central where some of the best writers and readers in the multiverse will help you find the perfect holiday gift. Our esteemed panel of guest booksellers consists of Gillian Flynn, Greta Johnson, Rebecca Makkai, and Gus Moreno!

About our authors:

Gillian Flynn is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Gone Girl, for which she wrote the Golden Globe–nominated screenplay; the New York Times bestsellers Dark Places and Sharp Objects; and a novella, The Grownup. A former critic for Entertainment Weekly, she lives in Chicago with her husband and children.

Greta Johnsen is an interviewer, podcast host, event moderator, and book person. She co-hosts HBO's Official Game of Thrones Podcast, writes the GRETAGRAM newsletter on Substack, and is host and creator of the podcast Happy To Be Here.. She also works as a program producer for Chicago Humanities. She can also be heard on podcasts like Pop Culture Happy Hour and City Cast Chicago. In her free time, she likes to read as many books as possible, cook food that is only occasionally photogenic, knit squishy apparel, and hang out with her Bull Terrier, Buffy.

Rebecca Makkai is the author of the New York Times bestselling I Have Some Questions For You as well as four other works of fiction. Her last novel, The Great Believers, One of the New York Times’ Best Books of the 21st Century, was a finalist for both the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and the 2018 National Book Award, and was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize among other honors. A 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, Rebecca teaches graduate fiction writing at Middlebury College, Northwestern University, and the Bennington Writing Seminars, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.

Gus Moreno is the author of If You Think You're Lonely Now, and the cult classic, This Thing Between Us. He's also the co-creator of the comic series, When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee. He lives in the suburbs with his wife and dog, but never think he's not from Chicago."

About this event:

Both holiday events are limited to 25 guests each evening, so reserve your spot today! Please note, we expect this event to fill up fast. If you can no longer attend at any time before the event, please cancel your registration through Eventbrite so that other customers get the opportuity to attend.

We will have copies of each author's books as well as the books each author recommends. The authors will be happy to sign or personalize copies of their books after the event as well!