
Book Launch (The Keeper of Magical Things) with Noe Valley Books
THE KEEPER OF MAGICAL THINGS WITH JULIE LEONG, ANDREA STEWART & MAGGIE TOKUDA-HALL
Thursday, October 16 at 7:00 PM
Bethany United Methodist Church, 1270 Sanchez St
Presented by Noe Valley Books
FREE EVENT: Register Here
We’re absolutely delighted to host an evening of cozy, enchanting, and wildly imaginative fantasy with three powerhouse local authors: Julie Leong, Andrea Stewart, and Maggie Tokuda-Hall.
Julie will be celebrating the release of her newest novel, The Keeper of Magical Things, joined in conversation by Andrea Stewart (The Drowning Empire trilogy, The Gods Below) and Maggie Tokuda-Hall (The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea, Squad). Whether you’re a longtime fantasy reader or looking to dip your toes into magical worlds for the first time, this FREE event will be brimming with wonder, wit, and warmth.
In addition to the author conversation, The Chai Lab, a Bay Area craft chai vendor, will be on site serving their aromatic creations...perfectly pairing with Julie’s tea-steeped storytelling and the cozy fantasy vibes of the evening.
Event Start 7:00pm
We strongly recommend preordering your copy of 'The Keeper of Magical Things' on our website. At checkout, please add “attending event” in the comments and arrive 15 minutes before the event to pick up your copy. You can also purchase copies at the event.
About The Keeper of Magical Things
Welcome to Shpelling, the least magical village you can imagine—until a novice mage and her unlikely partner arrive with a warehouse full of enchanted odds and ends. The Keeper of Magical Things is a warm, whimsical tale of friendship, community, and finding your place in the world, even when your magic doesn’t work quite the way you hoped.
When Certainty Bulrush teams up with the brilliant but prickly Mage Aurelia, the assignment seems simple: store some harmless magical artifacts in a sleepy town. But between mischievous teapots, a stowaway catdragon, and neighbors who need more help than they’ll admit, their work soon becomes about more than just keeping magic safe—it’s about sharing it. And in the process, they might just discover something magical in each other, too.
About the Authors
Julie Leong is a Chinese-Malaysian-American fantasy author who grew up across suburban New Jersey and Beijing, China. She studied economics and political science at Yale University and was briefly an investment banker before becoming an author. She lives in San Francisco with her needy dog, less-needy husband, and a self-sufficient Meyer lemon tree.
Andrea Stewart is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Drowning Empire trilogy and The Gods Below, and a writing coach at The Novelry. She lives in California and enjoys herding cats, birdwatching, and falling down research rabbit holes.
Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the author of numerous award-winning, best-selling books for children and young adults, including Love in the Library, The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea duology, Squad, and The Worst Ronin. She is a founding member of Authors Against Book Bans, co-host of the Failure to Adapt podcast, and lives in Oakland with her family and dog.
Seattle Worldcon: Branches from a Fantasy Tree (Panel)
Branches from a Fantastical Tree
Fantasy encompasses a wealth of different subgenres, each with unique styles and elements that make them appeal in similar but distinctly different ways. Join our panelists as they discuss the nuances of these sub-genres, what makes them unique from one another, and the strengths of how the use of specific sub-genres enriches reader experiences.
Also featuring: Seanan McGuire, Rhiannon/R.Z. Held, Josh Wilson, and Thien Van T Hoang
Speculative Saturday @ Kepler's
https://www.keplers.org/upcoming-events-internal/speculativesaturday
From glittering space operas to gritty cyberpunk five phenomenal authors join us to discuss their latest titles and how they are redefining and expanding the definition of speculative fiction. Plus, take 20% off the list price of any of the featured titles.
About the Authors
Sara Hashem is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Jasad Heir and The Jasad Crown. An Egyptian-American writer from California, she spent many sunny days holed up indoors with a book. Sara’s love for fantasy and magical realms emerged during the two years her family lived in Egypt. When she isn’t busy naming stray cats in her neighborhood after her favorite authors, Sara can be found buried under coffee-ringed notebooks.
Julie Leong is the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes and The Keeper of Magical Things. A daughter of Malaysian Chinese immigrants, Julie grew up across suburban New Jersey and Beijing, China and managed to feel equally out of place in both. She graduated from Yale University and was very briefly an investment banker before coming to her senses. She lives in San Francisco with her needy dog, less-needy husband, and one thoroughly self-sufficient Meyer lemon tree.
Annalee Newitz is a science journalist who also writes science fiction. They are the author of several bestselling books, including The Terraformers, which was nominated for the Nebula Award, and Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age. They have a monthly column in New Scientist magazine, and are the co-host of the Hugo-winning podcast Our Opinions Are Correct. Their forthcoming novella is Automatic Noodle, which drops in August 2025.
C.B. Lee is an author of young adult and middle grade fiction including the New York Times Bestseller Minecraft: The Shipwreck. Their works also include the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selected A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix, the Lambda Literary Award nominated Sidekick Squad series, Ben 10 graphic novels, Out Now: Queer We Go Again, and From A Certain Point Of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Lee’s work has been featured in NPR, Teen Vogue, Wired Magazine, Hypable, Tor’s Best of Fantasy and Sci Fi and the American Library Association’s Rainbow List.
Julia Vee was that GenX kid raised by libraries and still remains largely unsupervised. She writes with her friend from middle school, Ken Bebelle, and they have penned over 10 novels together. Their novel Ebony Gate, an Asian-inspired contemporary fantasy, was published by TOR and named a 2023 Golden Poppy Finalist for the Octavia E. Butler award. The series concludes with Pearl City in July of 2025."
Aloud / Out Loud: Summer Stories at Telegraph Hill Books
Featured authors: Julie Leong, KX Song, Taleen Voskuni, Hayley Dennings

In Conversation with Eliza Chan - Liverpool, UK
Join Julie and Eliza Chan (#1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Fathomfolk) for conversation, Q&A, and a signing at Waterstones Liverpool!



Book Launch in Conversation With Samantha Mills - San Diego
Come join Julie and Nebula, Locus, and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award winning author Samantha Mills (The Wings Upon Her Back, Tachyon Publications) in conversation at the world-famous Mysterious Galaxy bookstore in San Diego!

Book Launch in Conversation With Andrea Stewart - San Francisco
Register here to attend (free)
Join Julie Leong and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author Andrea Stewart (The Bone Shard Daughter; The Gods Below) for conversation, Q&A, and a signing at Books Inc. Marina!
[Virtual Event] Book Banter with Rayna Nielsen of Blue Cypress Books
Join Julie and Rayna for a virtual happy hour conversation, streaming live on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/live/QSVjUuafJtw