CNN commentator Jeffrey Toobin explores why the Founding Fathers gave the power of pardon to the President and recreates the behind-the-scenes political melodrama during the tumultuous period around Nixon's resignation.

For about half a century, the Gold Coast lifestyle thrived across Nassau and part of Suffolk County’s north shore, until one by one the great estates began to vanish. Take a visual journey through time and revel in some of the most lavish homes ever built as their rise and fall is documented by one of Long Island’s preeminent local history authors.

The politically charged landscape of the Caribbean shapes the relationships of the lovers in Dr. Ivelaw Griffith’s new novel, Sylvie’s Love and Loss. Dr. Ivelaw Griffith, a scholar who has published extensively on Caribbean national security, drugs, and crime issues, talks about how this complex social and political world creates an emotionally charged setting for his gripping narratives.

Opposites attract and the impossible intervenes in hot and heartfelt new romance novels by Renee Daniel Flagler and Tessa Bailey. Will these couples cross fire escapes and family lines to be together? Can they bridge their small town/big city gap and complicated family dynamics? We love a long shot! Join Flagler and Bailey as they share their new stories, and give us insight into how they keep us hooked on every page.

What is a good life? And how can we create that life in a world filled with uncertainty? Join philosopher and bestselling author of How to Be A Stoic, Massimo Pigliucci, as he delves into answers to these big questions with Congressman Steve Israel, with help from the ideas of thirteen of the most prominent Greco-Roman philosophers—many of whom inspired, or were inspired by, the Stoics.

Vibrant eras of Black American history come to life in new historical novels that take us from the sparkling 1920s Jazz Age to the Negro Baseball Leagues of the 1930s and 1940s, all the way to present day. Rochelle Alers and Monica Chenault-Kilgore talk about their respective methods for bringing the past to the page, and how they weave fact with fiction to craft stories of family secrets, vaudeville danger, and dazzling drama.

Do you want to enjoy life, feel happiness, and be more centered? Join us as bestselling author Gretchen Rubin shares her key insights into living with greater satisfaction and clarity.

Do you have a book you hope to publish? This panel delves into the traditional – and not-so-traditional – ways to see your work in print, from working with agents, editors and beyond.  The panel features Jeannie Moon, USA Today best-selling author; Rachel Lithgow, whose book “My Year of Really Bad Dates” comes out in November; and Adina Genn, published non-fiction author and ghostwriter who is now aiming to publish a novel.

In richly imagined new science fiction novels, Erika Swyler and Stacy Nathaniel Jackson bring us detailed future cities devastated by cataclysm and natural disaster, where human endurance is marked by attention to art, archives, and encroaching AI.

Middle-aged love lives get messy in exciting new novels by Amy Shearn and Eliza Kennedy, both perfect for your next book club discussion. What are the boundaries between fun, intimacy, and love?

The political actions and fight for civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s are legendary for galvanizing thousands of Americans, many of them young, to speak up and speak out for equal rights and government accountability. Writers and journalists Zebulon Miletsky and Ken Fireman discuss their research into and personal experience with this period, considering the tactics of the past and the context of present-day struggles for equality.

Experience the vibrant spirit of Long Island’s poetry scene with a special screening of Poetry In Motion. The film captures local poets reciting their original poetry in nature at Hempstead Lake State Park and the Lido Beach Passive Nature Preserve, and gives an accessible look into the thoughts and insights of the poet. Following the screening, join featured poets for a live discussion.

Two young men on the brink of World War II are the fulcrum of a page-turning new thriller by former Congressman Robert J. Mrazek. Join Mrazek and Congressman Steve Israel as they discuss this unique period of American history and Mrazek’s skillful work imagining these real life characters on the page.

The repercussions of World War II ripple through every generation that’s come since. Hundreds of books have been dedicated to its nuances and battles, yet there are still more stories to tell. Historian Michelle Young and novelist Jeffrey Richards discuss how they uncovered under-reported stories of WWII. Young gives us a true account of Rose Valland, the spy who secretly worked to stop Hitler from amassing stolen art for his future Führermuseum. Richards imagines a novel from the perspective of a young gay man imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps. They’ll discuss how they approached their respective research, and compare notes about writing from the different lenses of fact and fiction.

Writers, join us for a free memoir writing workshop with Herstory, the Long Island organization that believes writing at its best can conquer oppression. Founder and director Erika Duncan will be joined by author Barbara Allan for a workshop where each participant will have an opportunity to experiment with writing different memoir openings, while imagining what might happen if their words and stories were able to change a heart, mind or policy, one page and one chapter at a time.

One of the hottest books of the year! 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, the groundbreaking late night show that launched the careers of America’s biggest comedians. Susan Morrison talks with former SNL writer Alan Zweibel about the mysterious man at the center of this long-running zeitgeist, enigmatic and visionary producer and creator, Lorne Michaels.

Join dear friends of Nelson DeMille’s as they gather at Gold Coast Book Fair to celebrate his life, including his son, Alex DeMille; bestselling author Daniel Silva; actress Susan Lucci; former Congressmen Bob Mzarek and Steve Israel, and Representative Peter King.