Shorewood Reads

FEATURING: Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Shorewood Reads is our local version of what many other communities nationally, and even globally, have done: a community-wide event centered on reading one book.

The goal of Shorewood Reads 2026 is to unite our community through a shared reading experience. We hope you will join us!

More about Happiness Falls, our 2026 community read

"We didn't call the police right away." Those are the electric first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing. In the aftermath, the family's desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling page-turner, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis.

Kirkus Reviews book review (June 8, 2023): "But what is most remarkable about this book is the way Mia's father's "happiness quotient" theory ripples not just through the plot of the novel, but through the life of the reader. The claim that a book will change your life often seems like exaggeration. Here the potential is real."

Los Angeles Times book review (August 29, 2023): "In Happiness Falls, [Kim] makes it clear that joy needn't always be verbalized. It can be a language unto itself."

Southern Review of Books book review (August 29, 2023): "Now more than ever, it's imperative to give voice to diverse topics and underrepresented communities, and Angie Kim does just that. Happiness Falls is a provocative and heartfelt page-turner that should not be missed!"

You can request a copy of Happiness Falls via CountyCat by calling the library to place a copy on hold at 414-847-2670, or by speaking to a librarian in-person at the library. Happiness Falls is also available digitally as an e-book or e-audiobook on the Libby app.

Meet the Author

Angie Kim is the New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls, a Good Morning America and Barnes & Noble book club pick, winner of the Virginia Literary Award, and Oprah Daily's #1 novel of 2023. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award and was named one of the 100 best mysteries and thrillers of all time by Time. A Korean immigrant who moved to Baltimore in middle school, Kim studied philosophy at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Angie Kim will be at Shorewood Library for the culminating event of Shorewood Reads 2026 on Thursday, April 23. Events on that day featuring Angie Kim include:

Becoming a Writer Later in Life / Thursday, April 23, 10:00 a.m. In this talk, Angie will tell us how, starting in her forties and after four other wildly divergent career paths (lawyer, management consultant, dot-com entrepreneur, and stay-at-home mother to three boys), she's built a highly successful writing career. Angie's talk will blend practical advice and inspiring stories, and will include a frank AMA (ask me anything) Q&A session.

Overcoming the Bias of Equating Verbal Fluency with Intelligence / Thursday, April 23, 2:00 p.m. In this presentation, Angie will share her research and experiences with many types of nonspeakers and nonfluent speakers, and she will challenge you to overcome the deep-seated bias so many of us have in equating verbal fluency with intelligence. This talk will include a free-flowing Q&A session.

An Evening with Angie Kim / Thursday, April 23, 6:30 p.m. Join us for the signature event of Shorewood Reads. In conjunction with Boswell Book Company and the Friends of the Shorewood Public Library, the Shorewood Public Library welcomes New York Times bestselling author Angie Kim, in celebration of our 2026 community read, Happiness Falls. In conversation with Noah Weckwerth of the Shorewood Public Library. Books will be available for sale.

Join the Conversation at one of our Book Discussions

Attend an Event

The Lost Manuscript: A Library Escape Room / Thursday, March 12, 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 26, 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. An immersive escape room experience at the library, filled with mystery and suspense! Ages 16 and up. Reserve your spot here.

Stroll for Smiles / Friday, March 13 Join fellow community members on a walk in being intentional about the things we see and feel. Borrow a disposable camera to capture images that spark joy and you may see the photos in our Happiness Walls Interactive Art display! Sunrise Walk: Meet outside in the Library Circle Lawn by 7:00 a.m. Afternoon Walk: Meet inside the Library Lobby by 12:00 p.m.

Writers Talk Writing: A Panel Conversation / Saturday, March 21, 1:00 p.m. Award-winning, bestselling local authors Valerie Biel, Liam Callanan, Rochelle Melander, and Jeannee Sacken talk about their journeys to publication.

Law Enforcement Myths and Procedures / Wednesday, March 25, 6:30 p.m. Officer Greg Geniesse from the Shorewood Police Department offers a unique, inside look at the day-to-day operations of the department. He will discuss some of his experiences over his years working in Shorewood and Milwaukee, what happens in investigations such as missing persons cases, and tackle common myths about policing.

Happiness: What It Is and How We Grow It / Tuesday, March 31, 6:30 p.m. Psychotherapist and award-winning columnist Philip Chard provides an inspiring and thought-provoking look at the behaviors and attitudes that create and sustain life satisfaction.

Behind the Smiles: Understanding Angelman Syndrome / Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 p.m. After a 20-minute film screening of "Behind the Mystery of Angelman Syndrome", Amanda Moore, CEO of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, will moderate a conversation with local families experiencing the challenges and triumphs of AS. Join us for an illuminating evening, bringing awareness and a human face to this rare and little-known condition.

Be a part of Shorewood Reads Interactive Art

Happiness Walls: An Interactive Art Exhibition / March 12 - April 23

What's your Happiness Quotient? Here's your chance to share in the narrative. Happiness Walls is an interactive art installation at the library, melding our individual snapshots of joy into a visual kaleidoscope. Drop off or email to shorewood@mcfls.org a drawing, photo, poem, story, or any two-dimensional medium postcard size or smaller that answers the question, "What is happiness to you?" Submissions will be on our "Happiness Walls" thoughout Shorewood Reads.

Keep on reading, Shorewood!

Book Club Night, with Boswell Book Company and Shorewood Public Library / Wednesday, May 6, 6:30 p.m.

Bring your notebook for an evening of recommendations from Boswell Book Company proprietor Daniel Goldin and Shorewood librarian Noah Weckwerth. Advance registration is greatly appreciated and can be done here. Books will be available for sale after the event.