Shveta Thakrar Celebrates DIVINING THE LEAVES - 3/19 at B&N Philly

We are so excited to welcome in author into the store on Wednesday, March 19th at 6pm for a discussion and signing of her latest Young Adult novel, ! She will be joined in conversation by and .

From critically acclaimed author Shveta Thakrar comes a beautifully imagined contemporary fantasy about two teens, one a believer of magic who yearns to belong, the other a skeptic searching for an escape, who find themselves embroiled in a twisty world of court intrigue when they venture into a forest ruled by yakshas, mysterious woodland spirits drawn from Hindu and Buddhist folklore.

We ask that all interested attendees register for a ticket through Eventbrite and purchase their copy of the book at our Center City Philadelphia location.

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For Seated Tickets: Limited quantity is available and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchase of a ticket guarantees entrance to the event for the discussion and signing. However, this ticket may not necessarily guarantee a seat at the event, as later arrivals may be placed in a line behind the seated audience.

For Standing Room-Only Tickets: Limited quantity is available and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchase of a ticket guarantees entrance to the event for the discussion and signing. Ticket holders will be granted a standing view from behind the seated audience -- some views may be more limited/obstructed than others.

• Please arrive on time according to your ticket in order to secure your seat in the event space. Late arrivals may only have access to standing room and may not have the opportunity to enter the event space.
• The exact time at which the event ends will be determined on the day. To avoid disappointment, we strongly advise you to arrive on time for the event.

• All event guidelines are subject to change.

• If you have any additional questions, please can call the store directly at: (267) 234-9790.

• Barnes & Noble may cancel this event at any time with or without notice to the ticket holders.

Please note that Eventbrite is the only authorized dealer for this event.

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Shveta Thakrar is a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Her work has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, including Enchanted Living, Uncanny magazine, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, was a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award, and her second and third novels, The Dream Runners and Divining the Leaves, take place in the same universe. Her adult fantasy novella, Into the Moon Garden, is available as an original audiobook from Audible. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.

Plant-loving Ridhi Kapadia and popular Nilesh Batra were friends once.

Now, seventeen and alone, Ridhi blends natural perfumes, wears flower crowns, and wanders her local woods, listening for the leafy whispers of her beloved trees. Pleading for the yakshas to admit her into their enchanted forest kingdom, where she knows she truly belongs.

After learning his parents’ perfect marriage is a sham and getting suspended from school, a heartsick Nilesh lands at Ridhi’s doorstep—the last thing either of them wants. So when a pretty yakshini offers him the distraction of magic, the same magic he mocked Ridhi for believing in, he jumps at it.

Furious, Ridhi strikes a bargain with a noblewoman of the yaksha court. In exchange for helping restore her reputation, Lady Sulochana will turn Ridhi into the yakshini she yearns to be—and teach her to divine the trees’ murmurs.

But when Nilesh ends up trapped in the yakshas’ realm, Ridhi realizes the leaves might be telling a disturbing story about the forest her heart is rooted in—one that, even if the two of them band together, threatens to shred the future like so many thorns.

Eric Smith is an award-winning Young Adult author and literary agent living in Philadelphia.His latest book, With or Without You, was a Junior Library Guild selection. His other books include You Can Go Your Own Way, Don’t Read the Comments (YALSA 2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults selection), the contemporary fantasy novel The Girl and the Grove (Flux), and the IndieBound bestseller The Geek’s Guide to Dating (Quirk). A fan of collaborating, he’s also worked on two acclaimed Candlewick anthologies with award-winning author Lauren Gibaldi, Battle of the Bands (a Read Across America selection) and First-Year Orientation. His collaboration with Alanis Morissette, Academy award-winner Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard, Jagged Little Pill: The Novel is an adaptation of the Grammy and Tony award winning musical. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and son, and enjoys video games, pop punk, and crying over every movie.

Claire Legrand is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels, including the Empirium Trilogy, A Crown of Ivy and Glass, the Bram Stoker- and Lambda Literary Award-nominated Sawkill Girls, and the Edgar Award-nominated Some Kind of Happiness. She is also one of the four authors behind The Cabinet of Curiosities, a critically acclaimed anthology of dark middle grade fiction. When not writing, Claire enjoys tending to her many plants, learning about fashion and interior design, rooting for the Phillies, and quoting Star Trek to anyone who will listen.

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