ABQ Reads event will bring students, family members, readers, and community members together at three local independent bookstores Sept. 12–13

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — St. John’s College is inviting Albuquerque high school students to step away from their screens, pick up a real book, and join a conversation about reading during ABQ Reads, a two-day community event taking place from Saturday, Sept. 12–Sunday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

During the event, St. John’s College will purchase a classic paperback for every high school-aged student who visits one of three participating Albuquerque independent bookstores: Books on the Bosque, BookWorks, and Page 1 Books.

Students can choose from classic paperbacks available at each bookstore, with St. John’s covering the cost. For students unsure of what a classic book is, or whether their selected book is a classic, St. John’s community members will be on hand for lively conversations exploring the qualities and nature of classics—which are not easy to define but fun to discuss.

“St. John’s is a college built around reading great books, talking with others about the ideas inside them, and deepening their inner lives and their human relationships,” says J. Walter Sterling, President of St. John’s College. “We want to share some of that experience with Albuquerque’s young people—and give them the simple pleasure of walking into a bookstore, choosing a classic, and meeting other readers to talk about it.”

Throughout the weekend, members of the St. John’s community will be joined by the popular book content creator and New Mexican @alyshafortunereads, and Albuquerque-focused content creators Becky Woods, known online as @ABQAdventures, and Amanda Getchell Stevenson, aka @Middle_Manda. Community leaders are invited to attend and talk with creators and attendees about the importance and joy of reading.

Book content creators have become an important part of a growing revival of reading among young people, as they utilize their online communities to introduce new generations to books—including classics—while making reading social, lively, and shared. Locally focused creators are increasingly playing a similar role in revitalizing their communities by encouraging people to leave their homes, discover new neighborhood spots, attend events, and interact with others. ABQ Reads brings these impulses together, using the reach of online communities to lead young people toward real books, independent bookstores, face-to-face conversations, and a richer local reading culture.

St. John’s College, whose Santa Fe campus is located around an hour north of Albuquerque, is known nationally as America’s Great Books College. Its students study original works spanning literature, philosophy, mathematics, science, history, music, and other disciplines through small, discussion-based classes. Students study the same all-required curriculum, which is equivalent to a triple major in philosophy, literature, and the natural sciences.

ABQ Reads
Saturday and Sunday, September 12–13, 2026
10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Participating bookstores:

• Books on the Bosque, 6261 Riverside Plaza Ln, Ste A-2, Albuquerque, NM 87120

• BookWorks, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107

• Page 1 Books, 5850 Eubank Blvd NE, Ste B-41, Albuquerque, NM 87111

High school-aged students may visit any participating bookstore and select an eligible classic paperback in stock, courtesy of St. John’s College.

For more information, visit sjc.edu/abqreads.

About St. John’s College

St. John’s College is a private liberal arts college with campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Annapolis, Maryland. Known as America’s Great Books College, St. John’s offers a distinctive interdisciplinary education centered on reading foundational works of Western and global traditions and discussing their most enduring questions in small, conversation-based classes.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Carol Carpenter
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
St. John’s College 
carol.carpenter(at)sjc.edu
Texts only please to 323-459-4661