In 1920s Edinburgh, Evelyn Hazard’s life takes an unexpected turn when her husband claims to be able to speak to the dead. Drawn into the spiritualist movement, Evelyn must confront secrets, shifting loyalties, and the unsettling question: Is her husband a fraud—or is he telling the truth? Join SHE as we delve into Anbara Salam’s witty and haunting portrayal of a woman caught between reason and belief in Hazardous Spirits.

Fall Festival 2025 on Maryland Avenue. Celebrating years of good old fashioned fun.

Free entry. Free fun. Free parking at Calvert St Garage.

Vendors, food trucks, music, entertainment & the halloween pup parade in the heart of historic Annapolis.

This month, Old Fox Bibliophiles will be reading Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor. Set on a remote Welsh island in 1938, the novel follows Manod, a young woman torn between duty and desire, whose world is upended when outsiders arrive and awaken longings that could unravel everything she knows.

This month, Citizens & Sovereigns will be reading Inciting Joy by Ross Gay. In a collection of luminous essays, Gay explores the radical power of joy—how it grows in connection, carries us through hardship, and creates solidarity in the face of injustice and division. Both timely and timeless, Inciting Joy asks: what becomes possible when we focus not on what separates us, but on what brings us together?

Join Old Fox Books for an evening with lifelong sailor, retired naval officer, and local author Captain Frederick H. Hallett (Ret.). Drawing on a distinguished career at sea and his deep respect for America’s maritime heritage, Hallett brings history vividly to life.

His latest work, Rewinning the Revolution, explores the paradoxes of the War of 1812—a conflict that changed everything while settling nothing.

Join Versed Fox as we read and reflect on the luminous work of Mary Oliver, whose poetry invites us to pause, look closely at the natural world, and discover meaning in its quiet details. Her words remind us of the wonder woven into everyday life and the solace of beauty, simplicity, and attention.

Join What the Fox? for a chilling discussion of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. This classic gothic horror novel explores the eerie events at Hill House, a secluded mansion with a dark and unsettling history. When four individuals are invited to stay at the house, strange occurrences begin to unfold, revealing the unsettling power of the house—and the psychological toll it takes on its inhabitants.

Set in a postwar Swiss boarding school, Fleur Jaeggy’s Sweet Days of Discipline is a haunting exploration of obsession, control, and the unsettling undercurrents of girlhood. With chilling precision, the young narrator recounts her fixation on the enigmatic Frédérique—an infatuation that teeters between admiration and manipulation. Join SHE for a discussion of this razor-sharp, poetic novel about the dark side of desire and discipline.

Join Old Fox Bibliophiles as we dive into Anita Loos’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes. Meet Lorelei Lee, the original flapper and “professional lady,” whose Jazz Age adventures take us from Hollywood to Paris in sparkling tales of love, money, and modern romance.

Join Versed Fox for an evening of poetry with Kymberly Taylor, local writer and editor-in-chief of Annapolis Home Magazine and The Faces of Annapolis. A seasoned journalist and poet, Kymberly brings a sharp editorial eye and lyrical sensibility to the page. Her chapbook, Extravagant Captivities, published by Aralia Press, explores the boundaries between beauty, memory, and imagination.

The evening will conclude with an open mic—come ready to share your own work or simply enjoy the voices of our local literary community.

Join Citizens & Sovereigns this month as we read The Serviceberry, a compelling essay by Indigenous scientist and Braiding Sweetgrass author Robin Wall Kimmerer. Through reflections on the natural world, Kimmerer invites us to rethink value, wealth, and community—shifting from scarcity and competition to reciprocity and relationship. We’ll explore how this essay can shape our understanding of justice, sustainability, and what it means to live well together.

This month, WTF? tackles Ninth House, a dark and gripping fantasy novel set at Yale where secret societies possess real occult power. The story follows Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a troubled survivor who is offered a second chance—but with a chilling condition: she must monitor the societies' sinister rituals. Magic, privilege, and danger collide in this book by Leigh Bardugo.

In 1617 Norway, a sudden storm takes the lives of all the village’s men, leaving the women of Vardø to fend for themselves. As they reshape their world out of necessity, suspicion and fear arrive in the form of a witch-hunter—and his young wife. The Mercies is a haunting and beautifully written story of resilience, forbidden connection, and the dangerous power of those who fear female strength. Join SHE to discuss this atmospheric novel inspired by real events.

Join Old Fox Bibliophiles to discuss London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency, a witty and heartwarming memoir by Kate MacDougall. After leaving her job at Sotheby’s, Kate unexpectedly finds purpose—and plenty of muddy paw prints—in launching a dog-walking business across London. One walk at a time, she navigates love, adulthood, and the city’s quirks, guided by the pups and people she meets along the way.

Join us in the garden on Saturday, August 15, for a special event with author Laura Resau. She will share insights from her latest book, The Alchemy of Flowers.

Poet and educator Lara Payne will lead the discussion. We look forward to a wonderful afternoon and hope to see you there!

Join the Versed Fox for an evening of poetic exploration as we delve into the visionary world of William Blake—poet, painter, and prophet. Whether you're new to Blake or a longtime admirer, we’ll explore his rich language, mysticism, and enduring influence—and maybe walk away seeing the world a little differently.

[Rescheduled from July to August due to weather] Sentenced to house arrest in a grand hotel across from the Kremlin, Count Alexander Rostov must rebuild his life from an attic room as revolution reshapes the world outside. Join Citizens & Sovereigns to discuss A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles—a richly layered novel about purpose, resilience, and finding meaning in confinement.

Join What the Fox? as we dive into Robert Heinlein’s classic science fiction novel, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Set in a lunar colony fighting for independence from Earth, this thrilling tale explores themes of rebellion, freedom, and the complexities of self-governance. Heinlein weaves an intricate narrative that blends political intrigue, technological innovation, and gripping action, making it a must-read for sci-fi enthusiasts.

Join SHE for a powerful conversation about Pachinko, Min Jin Lee’s sweeping, multi-generational saga of a Korean family living in Japan. When young Sunja's life takes an unexpected turn, her choices shape the fate of her descendants in a world marked by war, discrimination, and resilience. Spanning nearly a century, Pachinko is a story of identity, survival, and the quiet strength of those who endure. A beautifully written novel about family, sacrifice, and what it means to belong.

[Rescheduled from Thursday, July 17 to Tuesday, July 22] Join the Old Fox Bibliophiles to discuss The Feather Thief, the true story of a daring theft of rare bird specimens from the British Museum of Natural History. This fascinating book explores the Victorian obsession with exotic feathers, the art of fly-tying, and raises thought-provoking questions about our relationship with nature and conservation.

Book club detour. We’re dodging the crowds. Bibliophiles meets next Tuesday instead.

We’re taking a short break this month! WTF? will resume in August—we can’t wait to see you then.

Join Versed Fox for an evening with the poetry of Andrew Marvell—a sharp political observer and master of wit who lived through one of England’s most turbulent eras. Marvell’s work bridges the austerity of Cromwell’s Puritan regime and the excesses of the Restoration court, blending intellect with passion, satire with lyric beauty. We’ll read from his varied body of work, including his most famous poem, To His Coy Mistress—still hailed as one of the finest seduction poems in English literature. Come ready to dive into history, politics, and poetic provocation.

Weather delay. We’re taking a rain check—but let’s reconvene in August!

Join SHE as we discuss Kindred, Octavia E. Butler’s groundbreaking novel that blends speculative fiction with searing historical truth. When Dana is pulled from 1976 California into antebellum Maryland, she must navigate the brutal realities of slavery—while protecting the future of her own family line. Powerful, unsettling, and deeply original, Kindred is a genre-defying story of survival, ancestry, and the cost of history.

Centuries after robots gained self-awareness and disappeared into the wilderness, one returns to fulfill a long-forgotten promise—and upends the quiet life of a tea monk in the process. In A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers weaves a hopeful, deeply human tale that asks big questions about purpose, connection, and what it means to live well. Join Old Fox Bibliophiles to discuss this gentle and thought-provoking start to the Monk & Robot series.

Join the Versed Fox as we explore the timeless poetry of Khalil Gibran. Drawing from mystical traditions and universal truths, Gibran’s poetry offers a profound meditation on life’s beauty and struggles, blending Eastern and Western influences into a style that is both elegant and accessible.

After refusing a trade in 1969, Curt Flood took on Major League Baseball—and changed it forever. His challenge to the reserve clause paved the way for free agency, at great personal cost. Join Citizens & Sovereigns to discuss A Well-Paid Slave by Brad Snyder, a powerful story of civil rights, sacrifice, and standing up to the system.

Old Fox Books will be closing early at 4 PM on Friday, June 7 so we can celebrate a very joyful occasion—Maddie & Drake’s wedding!

Thanks for your understanding as we raise a glass to two of our own. We’ll be back with regular hours on Saturday.

Join What the Fox? for a humorous journey through David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day. This collection of witty, insightful, and often hilarious essays takes us through Sedaris' experiences growing up in North Carolina, moving to France, and grappling with the quirks of language, culture, and family.