Join us in our newly renovated reading room!
Homicide sleuth Inspector Macmurphy tries to solve six murder cases in this collection of short stories, one of which takes place in Philadelphia.
In Milkweed and Honey Cake: A Memoir in Ritual Moments, Wendy A. Horwitz shares stories about celebration, loss, change, and the best way to open a pomegranate.
Avitus B. Carle and Alison Lubar read from their award-winning flash fiction and poetry collections.
Local author Dylan Mitchell joins us to present his first book, The Dove Who Became Human, a poetry collection illustrating a narrative of transformation and growth.
Pushcart prize-nominated poet, liturgist, and bookseller Elliott batTzedek presents her translation of a poem cycle by Israeli lesbian feminist poet Shez.
Closed for Inventory January 2, 3, 4
Have a Happy and Safe New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day!
Closing at 3 PM for New Year’s Eve
Menika Dirkson joins us to discuss the history of race, policing, and community activism in Philadelphia from the 1930s through the 1970s, and the non-carceral solutions put into action by everyday people.
What’s Next for Haiti? A Big Blue Marble Look at a Nation in Crisis.
Overshadowed by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, where does Haiti’s lethal gang violence rank as a global concern? Two-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist Michael Matza, veteran foreign correspondent of The Philadelphia Inquirer, joins us in conversation with New York Times veteran Pulitzer Prize Winner Garry Pierre-Pierre, media analyst and trail-blazing founder of The Haitian Times, for a dynamic discussion featuring Q&A and a reading from Matza’s critically acclaimed novel: Haiti, Love and Murder in the Season of Soup Joumou. Set amid Haiti’s worst security crisis in a century — foreshadowing the assassination of President Jovenel Moise — Haiti, Love and Murder in the Season of Soup Joumou blends history, culture, religion, and superstition in a suspenseful story about a loyal friend on a quest for justice and the tender promise of second-chance love.
Michael Matza covered international, national, and local news as a Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer for three decades, producing a steady stream of high-impact stories. His articles have appeared in the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Los Angeles Times, Elle magazine, and other national publications; and he has been a commentator on NPR, a guest on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, and a moderator at the annual convention of Investigative Reporters and Editors.
Garry Pierre-Pierre is a Pulitzer-prize winning multimedia and entrepreneurial journalist. In 1999, he left the New York Times to launch the Haitian Times, a New York-based English-language publication serving the Haitian Diaspora. He is also the co-founder of the City University Graduate School of Journalism‘s Center for Community and Ethnic Media and a senior producer at CUNY TV.
To reserve your copy of Haiti, Love and Murder in the Season of Soup Joumou for this event, please use the Add to Cart button below, or call or email the store.
Big Blue Marble is turning 19 this year!
Join us for cake in our second-floor reading room (while supplies last)
Take 5% off any special order/pre-order placed over the weekend.
Thank you for all your support over the years!
Poet, educator, and witch Robin Gow joins us to read from and sign faer middle-grade novel in verse, Dear Mothman. Selected by Booklist as one of the best books of 2023, Dear Mothman is the story of a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid, Mothman.
Bring yourself and your feelings, your thoughts, your worries or fears, let downs or disappointments, hopes and dreams. Facilitated by Susie Bash, this will be a safe and supportive space where we will gather to listen, witness and support you.
Local author and lawyer Howard Langer presents his debut novel, historical fiction about the sole surviving Rebbe of a Hasidic dynasty and his post-World War II experiences living in a Black community in Mississippi. Kirkus Reviews called this “A unique, musical novel that highlights the cultural riches people can offer one another in difficult circumstances.”
Alexis Rose Miller, who grew up in Mt. Airy, presents her compelling memoir of victory over adversity. A large part of this inspiring, transformational story takes place in Chestnut Hill!
PA polls are open 7 AM to 8 PM. We hope to see you there!
Local teacher, author, and intuitive healer Jana Marie Rose shares her book of letters written for young women, about women's equality in the 21st century. Each letter is from a different cafe in various arrondissements in Paris.
Social worker and health educator Aviva Perlo presents a guidebook designed to minimize suffering, offer concrete tools, and help you help yourself after tragedy strikes.
Based on a true story: the tale of a college girl, a celebrity encounter, a sexy restaurant, wealthy men, savvy women, and many moments of self-discovery, all set in Philly.
Shannon Downey joins us in our second-floor reading room to talk about her new book, Let's Move the Needle, an inspiring guide to social activism, from the artist and craftivist behind Badass Cross Stitch. She'll be in conversation with local activist and embroiderer Amanda Nordstrom. Bring a project to work on -- or pick up supplies from local yarn shop Wild Hand! -- for this stitch & bitch-style evening.
Bernardine Watson joins us in conversation with Fasaha M. Traylor, discussing Transplant, Watson's award-winning memoir about her journey with kidney disease.
Local author and educator Dr. Nandini Deo presents her new book, aimed at people interested in activism and nonprofits.
Join us for the 15th Annual Mt. Airy Village Fair, spanning the intersection of Carpenter Lane and Greene Street in West Mount Airy — also known as “the Village." We'll be hosting author appearances at 12pm and 2pm.
An award-winning science writer discovers she's faceblind and investigates the neuroscience of sight, memory, and imagination — while solving some long-running mysteries about her own life. Author Sadie Dingfelder joins us in conversation with WHYY host Maiken Scott.
The second Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl takes place on Saturday, August 24th! Big Blue Marble will be giving away picture books, books for middle grade and YA readers, and other surprise goodies while supplies last.
The Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl is a yearly celebration of Philadelphia’s wildly vibrant and wonderful bookstore scene, at the end of every August.
There’s no specific trail to follow. No route. Just a bundle of bookshops around town, all doing something special on one given day.
You can check out what shops are participating and what they are doing via the Interactive Bookstore Crawl Map on PhillyBookstoreCrawl.com.
When legends bite back! Nicole M. Wolverton presents her young adult horror/suspense novel, A Misfortune of Lake Monsters. Joining her in conversation is Stephanie Willing, author of West of the Sea and voice of the protagonist in the audiobook of AMoLM.
Civil War Medicine in Philadelphia: Carole Adrienne, author of Healing a Divided Nation, offers a special program inspired by the book, showcasing the city's incredible contributions and featuring important regional institutions like Mower Hospital in Chestnut Hill.
CANCELLED DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. Subhaga Crystal Bacon reads from Transitory, a collection of elegies memorializing 46 transgender and gender-nonconforming people murdered in the US and Puerto Rico in 2020. Subhaga will be joined by local poet C.L. Liedekev.
