Three nationally acclaimed authors. One unforgettable series.
The Council Bluffs Public Library Speaker Series sponsored by the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation, will welcome J. Ryan Stradal in October, Abby Jimenez in November, and William Kent Kruger in December! All Speaker Series events will occur at The Arts Center at Iowa Western Community College.
The Speaker Series starts on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 7 pm with J. Ryan Stradal. Mr. Stradal is the author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest—his impressive debut novel that spent three weeks on the New York Times Extended List and was featured on the L.A. Times, IndieBound, Amazon, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Kitchens of the Great Midwest delves into the American heartland, sweeping the vast landscapes of Lutheran church bake-offs, chili-pepper eating contests, and the opening of deer
season to capture the zeitgeist of the Midwest and the rise of foodie culture. It is a book about the family you lose, the friends you make and the chance connections that can define a life. His talk will be followed by a book signing. Visit the Arts Center's Box Office to purchase tickets, or visit the catalog to find his books at the Library!
It continues Friday, November 21 at 7 pm with Abby Jimenez. Ms. Jimenez is popular romance novelist whose books have landed her on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Winner of the Minnesota Book Award for her novel Life’s Too Short, her book The Friend Zone appeared on Oprah Magazine’s list of most addicting romance novels. Yours Truly was chosen as Book of the Month Club’s Book of the Year. Just for the Summer and Say You’ll Remember Me were instant #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her talk will be followed by a meet & greet – tickets for the meet & greet are limited and must be purchased at the same time as tickets for the author talk. Visit the Arts Center's Box Office to purchase tickets, or visit the catalog to find her books at the Library!
The Series ends on Thursday, December 11 at 7 pm with William Kent Kruger. Mr. Kruger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. Ordinary Grace, his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published that year. The companion novel, This Tender Land, was published in September 2019, and spent nearly six months in the top ten of the New York Times bestseller list. His most recent novel, The River We Remember, was published in September 2023 and an instant New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and International Bestseller. His author talk will be followed by a book signing. Visit the Arts Center's Box Office to purchase tickets, or visit the catalog to find his books at the Library!
Each lecture in the Speaker Series will books available for purchase by the Bookworm. Tickets are $10 per speaker with a small convenience fee at the box office and are available for sale at the Arts Center @IWCC Website.
“This year the series is a welcoming of our neighbors to the North with all Minnesota based authors. We love to welcome authors that reflect what our community is reading, and this year is no different,” says Antonia Krupicka-Smith, Director of the Council Bluffs Public Library. “I encourage everyone to buy their tickets early this year and mark their calendars so they don't miss out on this fantastic series.”
The Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation’s mission is to support the Council Bluffs Public Library’s outstanding facilities, services, and programs for the people of Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, and surrounding areas. It supplements but does not substitute for the traditional government funding of the library. Learn more about the Foundation.