The time has come for Everybody Reads 2026! Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Lovely One: A Memoir is our pick this year. We hope you’ll join us in reading and discussing this remarkable memoir about Justice Jackson’s journey to becoming the first Black woman ever confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Get your free book
The fun starts January 2! You can pick up a free physical copy of Lovely One at any open library starting that day, but don’t delay your visit — supplies are limited. Prefer digital? No problem. You can also read it as an e-book with no wait time or in audiobook format.
Check out extraordinary library events
From January to March, attend free events that are inspired by the book and its themes.
If you can only make it to one event this month, don’t miss the incredible Black History 101 Mobile Museum. It appears on Jan. 9 at Midland Library and Jan. 16 at North Portland Library. You can peruse items from the travelling exhibit’s 15,000+ artifacts from Black history from noon to 5 pm, and there will be a special presentation about the museum from 4 to 5 pm.
“There's no other chance to see anything like it!” shares library employee Seana Lane, who helped with planning events for Everybody Reads this year. “Dr. el-Hassan is a charismatic and dynamic speaker who has traveled the country for 30 years with this exhibit. Much of Justice Jackson’s memoir pays homage to those who came before and fought for her path to be possible, and this museum honors that struggle.”
Some other upcoming Everybody Reads events include:
- Learn about Black environmentalism in Portland on Jan. 24 at North Portland Library
- Groove to the sounds of Afrofuturism on Jan. 25 at Albina Library
- Enjoy African storytelling with Habiba on Jan. 31 at Midland Library
- Find out how to make change happen on Feb. 4 at Holgate Library
"This year's programming is lovely indeed!” says Reader Services Librarian Matt Stefanik. “Celebrating Justice Jackson’s memoir with a wide array of events for everyone is a wonderful way to bring us together.”
Join the conversation
After reading Lovely One, explore our discussion questions and talk about the book with a friend or a neighbor. You can also stop by Hillsdale Library on Jan. 31 or Gresham Library on March 4 for a library-led discussion!
While tickets to the author’s lecture have already sold out, Literary Arts will record the conversation for consideration for a future episode of their podcast, The Archive Project. You can listen to the Everybody Reads 2025 lecture with author Javier Zamora online now.
“It's been an honor to work with the library's Black Cultural Library Advocates staff, led by Jody Redifer,” Lane adds. “They are so connected, engaged and dedicated to serving their communities, and all credit goes to them for the lineup of amazing programs!” Redifer in turn credited the “indispensable” work of Lane and Stefanik.
Our staff have been working hard to get this year’s Everybody Reads ready for the community. We hope you’ll join in our annual shared read here at the library.
Everybody Reads, a community-wide project that promotes shared reading, discussion and creative engagement around a single book, is made possible by gifts to The Library Foundation. The author’s sold-out visit is made possible by Literary Arts. Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian are media sponsors for all Everybody Reads 2026 programming.
