Nearly twenty years ago, Roxanne J. Coady left her role as the first female National Tax Director at international accounting firm BDO Seidman, to pursue a passion for books in a small coastal town in Connecticut. Restoring an in-town structure, she established RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, and along with an incredible group of booksellers transformed her charming local store into a nationally recognized authority on books.

Roxanne is an industry speaker and trend expert, well-known for her ongoing contributions as a book authority on NPR. She frequently forecasts reading trends and reports on new releases, including guest appearances on “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show. She has served as a panel discussion moderator for Pen World Voices Festival, and American Booksellers Association conferences.

With a small group of women, Roxanne Coady founded “Read To Grow,” a non-profit organization in Connecticut whose mission is to improve early literacy. In addition, among several boards, she is a member of the Governor’s Early Childhood Research and Policy Council Board and the Kenyon Review. She has also served for many years on the boards of the American Booksellers Association and the New England Booksellers Association. The recipient of numerous business honors, she is also the co-editor of The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate The Books That Matter Most to Them, edited with Joy Johannessen.

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