Best bookstore café in Jacksonville, FL | Happy Medium Books Café

Mahjong Meet Ups
2026-05-18 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-11 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-04 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-27 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Happy Medium Books Cafe, 2724 Park St, Jacksonville, FL, 32205, United States
If you KNOW how to play Mahjong and are wanting to meet up and play, this is for you!
Join our group and get our Group Me notifications about upcoming Meet Ups.
Contact the store to get on our list!
All skills welcome.
Game and 2025 cards are provided.

Italian Cooking Class
2026-05-17 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York), 2026-04-26 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Spend an afternoon with Diana, a passionate cook and expert in Italian cuisine, as she guides you through the delightful process of making Homemade Ravioli from scratch. This immersive experience promises not only to teach you the art of crafting these delicious pasta pockets but also to share cherished family traditions passed down through generations. As you roll out the dough and fill it with a variety of mouth-watering ingredients, you’ll learn the significance of each step in the process as Diana recounts how her grandmother taught her these time-honored techniques in their cozy kitchen.
During this hands-on workshop, you will not only master the technique of creating the perfect ravioli dough but also explore the various fillings that can be used. Diana will provide tips for balancing flavors and achieving the ideal texture, ensuring your ravioli is both delicious and authentic.
In addition to the ravioli, you will also learn how to prepare two traditional sauces that complement the pasta beautifully, each with its unique flavor profile. Diana will share her grandmother’s secrets for achieving the perfect consistency and depth of flavor in each sauce, elevating your homemade ravioli to a whole new level.

This culinary adventure will not only enhance your cooking skills but also deepen your appreciation for Italian cuisine and the love that goes into every dish. By the end of the afternoon, you will have created a meal that is not just food but a heartfelt tribute to family traditions, ready to be shared with friends and loved ones. Join Diana for this unforgettable experience, where you will leave not only with newfound skills but also with a sense of connection to Italy’s rich culinary heritage. The class includes dinner.

Menu:

Homemade spinach and Ricotta Ravioli
Nonna’s Tomato Sauce
(Nonna’s Recipe!)
Brown Butter and Sage
.
The ticket covers a 2.5-hour cooking class, ingredients, materials, and a meal for either dinner or lunch.

Pop up Author Event with RC Perry
2026-05-16 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Swing by Happy Medium to meet RC Perry, author of From the Ashes.

Mahjong After Dark
2026-05-14 18:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Come join us at the cafe for a night of Mahjong!
Must bring your own card and already know how to play.

Happy Little Melodies
2026-05-14 10:00 - 10:30, 2026-05-07 10:00 - 10:30, 2026-04-30 10:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
Join us for music, movement, and memory-making with your little one in this cozy, welcoming space!
Reserve your spot before they’re gone: www.musictherapynow.net/happylittlemelodies

Dungeon Crawler Carl Trivia Night
2026-05-13 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Get your seat now for Dungeon Crawler Carl Trivia Night!
$35 includes your night of fun AND new released Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8 – A PARADE OF HORRIBLES
or $20 for your night of fun!
Play to win The Dungeon Crawler Carl SUPER SWAG BAG!

Learn to Play Mahjong Day 2
2026-05-13 10:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Must have attended Day 1 class.

Thrilling Boolk Club
2026-05-12 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join us at the cafe as we discuss My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix.
As always, Happy Medium Book Club Books are 20% off at Happy Medium.
No sign up needed, just show up.
Bring a friend, or make a new one!

BookTalk with Tia Levings
2026-05-11 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join us at Happy Medium Books Café for an evening with Tia Levings as she discusses her new release – I Belong to Me.

TIA LEVINGS writes about the realities of Christian fundamentalism, evangelical patriarchy, and religious trauma. She is also a podcaster, speaker, and content strategist. She’s been quoted in Salon, Newsweek, and the Huff Post, and appeared in the hit Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, she is mom to four incredible adults and loves to travel, hike, paint, and daydream. Find her on social media @TiaLevingsWriter. I Belong to Me is her follow-up to her best selling memoir, A Well-Trained Wife.
Reservations Required, Tickets are Free.

Learn to Play Mahjong
2026-05-11 10:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
This is a 2 day, 2 hour class. Participants will get the 2026 American Mahjong Card.

Mother’s Day Book Page Flowers: A Cozy Creative Workshop with Lyndsay Talbott
2026-05-10 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Celebrate Mother’s Day with a cozy, creative experience where you’ll learn how to turn vintage book pages into beautiful, handcrafted flowers
In this 2-hour workshop, Lyndsay will guide you step-by-step through shaping and assembling delicate paper blooms using simple techniques and pre-cut materials. You’ll begin with a guided demonstration, then create your own set of flowers to take home.
Perfect for beginners, this workshop is designed to be relaxing, meaningful, and fun—whether you come with your mom, bring a friend, or treat yourself to a creative afternoon.
Participants will leave with:
• A set of handmade book page flowers
• Techniques to recreate them at home
• A beautiful, meaningful piece to display or gift
Workshop price: $35 per person
Vases are not included, but you are encouraged to bring your own if you’d like to arrange your flowers during the workshop.
All materials are included.
Limited spots available.

Pop up Author Event with Rhonda Goodall
2026-05-09 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Come by and meet Children’s author Rhonda Goodall, creator of Frizzle!

Yarning
2026-05-07 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Join other Yarners at the cafe with your knitting or crochet project.
Bring a friend or make new ones.
All are welcome!

Tales of the Scarred Land with FSCJ's The Experience
2026-05-06 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)

Reading Sprints
2026-05-05 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join us at Happy Medium for a night of Reading Sprints!
What are Reading Sprints?
It is a style of reading that focuses on reading productivity. Similar toThe Pomodoro Technique for learning.
Everyone gathers with their individually selected titles and we spend time chatting, getting drinks and snacks, etc…
Once everyone is settled,
we set a timer for 20 minutes. everybody reads silently until that timer is finished.
5-10 minute stretch break, or time to chat…
Repeat!
We plan on 4 cycles of reading and when we are done, you have read 180 minutes of reading!
RSVP, so we will save you a seat!

Book Launch with Peggy Harrell
2026-05-03 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Join us at the café to celebrate Peggy Harrell’s new book!

Author Pop up with Lady Cherokee
2026-05-02 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Come by say hi and check out Lady Cherokee’s new book!

Coffee Chat with Kristine Delano
2026-05-01 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Join us at the café for Coffee and Conversation with Kristine Delano, author of The Lies We Trade.
Event is free, but registration is preferred.
Kristine Delano is a former Wall Street executive turned award-winning author of domestic thrillers set in the high-stakes finance world. She hosts the We Talk Careers podcast and mentors women on work-life balance. When she’s not writing or reading, she enjoys scuba diving, playing games with friends, and chasing her family down the ski slopes of Maine.

Learn to Play Mahjong Day 2 Night Class
2026-04-30 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
This is part 2 of Mahjong Day 1 on Monday, April 27th.

A Seat at Our Table Book Club
2026-04-29 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join us at ‘A Seat at our Table” at Happy Medium Books Café and discuss A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum.
As always, Happy Medium Book Club Books are 20% off at Happy Medium.

Not Your Mother's Book Club
2026-04-28 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join us at the café to discuss Where We Come From by Oscar Cásares.
As always, book club books are 20% off at Happy Medium Books Café.

Learn to Play Mahjong Night Class Day 1
2026-04-27 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
This is a 2 day class for Mahjong Beginners.
$85 covers the 2 – 2 hour classes on Monday, April 27th and Thursday, April 30th from 6-8pm.
Includes the 2026 National Mahjong Card.

Independent Bookstore Day!
2026-04-25 08:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for Indie Bookstore Day for fun and surprises!

Coffee Chat with Leah Orr
2026-04-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Join us at the café and chat with author Leah Orr!
Leah Orr resides with her husband and three daughters in Jensen Beach, Florida. Leah is an Amazon Charts Number 1 best-selling author. She is also a number 1 Barnes & Noble best-selling author. She has written 15 books. Her national bestseller is The She Shed.
Leah donates the profits from her books to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Upon learning that her daughter, Ashley, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (while still in the womb), Orr knew she wanted to do something special. With some input from her mother and three daughters, it was decided that she’d write books to benefit the (CF) Foundation. The Orr Family has raised over 1,400,000 dollars over the past 23 years to help find a cure.
Leah’s mission to help cure Cystic Fibrosis has been featured on ABC’s Health Watch, NBC Today South Florida, ABC Today South Florida, CBS South Florida, CBS This Morning Virginia, NBC The 10! Show Philadelphia, Fox 4 News Morning Blend, The Daily Buzz, and Lifetime TV’s The Balancing Act.
She has also been featured in publications such as Forbes Magazine, New York Weekly, The Chicago Journal, Medical News Today, The Boston Globe, The Miami Herald, and The Sun-Sentinel. Her daughter, Ashley, was also a recipient of Oprah’s generosity in The Big Give.
Popular books by Leah Orr include children’s books: Messy Tessy, It Wasn’t Me,and Good Night, Molly. Her thrillers include: national bestseller, The She Shed, The Fruitcake, The Executive Suite, The Bartender, The Champagne Toast, and popular cozy mystery, The Retirees.
Orr and her husband were recently nominated by the CF Foundation as one of Florida’s Finest Couples. Leah was also nominated as one of Broward County’s top 100 Outstanding Women. Orr grew up in Boston, MA, and graduated from the University of Miami.
