The Chicago Literary Salon is an upscale, ticketed author event series where book lovers gather for cocktails & conversation with writers at the heart of today’s literary scene. Created by Ashley Hasty, the innovative concept has grown a loyal following and featured authors both local and nationally best selling.

We sat down for our own conversation with Ashley about her background and where the idea for a regular author series came from. She shares some of the fascinating stories authors have shared and what you can expect if you attend an event.

Ashley shares who is on her 2026 lineup and explains why the popularity of her author talks extends beyond the books to the conversations and connections made during the evening.

To check out all of the upcoming dates and authors, visit the link below!

TICKETS: https://www.hastybooklist.com/the-chicago-literary-salon

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/chicagoliterarysalon/

Find your 2026 Aura with us at Aura Candle Bar!

Founded in 2020 by Tom and Linda Pendrey, this transformative candle bar has differentiated itself and garnered a loyal following of repeat customers from around the world. Featuring over 100 fragrance options and scent consultants who will teach you the science behind fragrance and fire, you will leave this experience, literally feeling enlightened!

Tom shares their founding story, including how they landed on Chicago and what some of the entrepreneurial milestones have been.

Kristen, who is Tom and Linda‘s daughter, guides us through what a candle making experience is like and how the team of consultants helps you to discover the meaning behind the scents you choose, and how to blend them into the perfect original fragrance!

We end with what’s trending in the world of candles, including sweet scents and their changeover to a new type of wax! Tom also highlights exciting additions to the business, including an e-commerce platform and the ability to customize your own sugar scrub and some new vessels!

BOOK: https://auracandlebar.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/auracandlebar/

2:40 Intro & Founding Story

7:30 The Magic of Fragrance

12:00 The Candle Process- What’s Unique at Aura and a discussion of fragrance options

23:50 The Science of Fragrance

26:30 What’s trending in candles & what’s ahead in 2026 for Aura Candle Bar

Join us for one last cheers as we recap 2025 and make predictions for 2026! We chat about a year of podcast highlights and are honest about the lows that come with creating media & content.

Plus, we both make some bold predictions for 2026- from fashion trends, to politics, to AI, hear our super unfiltered hot takes on what’s ahead for Chicago, America, and the world.

Cheers to a New Year and thanks so much for another amazing year of storytelling!

Episode Outline

1:00- 2025 Biggest news story, outfit of the year, and Ioanna’s rare diagnosis

2026 Predictions

8:00- Chicago Bears

10:30- AI

14:30- Remote Work

17:45- Clothing

20:00- Midterm Elections

26:00- Food & Dining