By Coral Gables Gazette staff

Books & Books continues its summer of literary programming with an engaging evening featuring G. Bradley Davis, author of Makin’ Waves, on Wednesday, July 30, at 7 p.m. The free event will be held at the beloved independent bookstore’s flagship location at 265 Aragon Avenue in downtown Coral Gables. Davis will be in conversation with local attorney and entrepreneur Kai Jacobs, founder of South Florida Business Law Group.

Billed as “an evening of love, survival, and self-discovery at sea,” the one-hour event offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from an author whose journey from naval intelligence to novelist has been extraordinary.

From Navy decks to the page

Makin’ Waves follows the story of Calvin Lloyd, a sailor whose life veers into secretive missions and unexpected entanglements. At its heart, the novel explores themes of identity, resilience, and transformation—charting an internal voyage as stormy as the sea itself. Though fictional, the book draws heavily from Davis’s own life and service in the U.S. Navy.

“Calvin is not a stand-in for me,” Davis said in a recent interview, “but he faces many of the same moments of reckoning I had. How do you move forward after failure? How do you make peace with uncertainty? Those are universal questions.”

Davis, who began his higher education journey while deployed aboard the USS Blue Ridge, eventually earned a degree from Temple University in journalism and advertising. A self-proclaimed “late bloomer,” he has openly discussed how undiagnosed ADHD shaped both his naval experience and his path as a writer. It was his wife—a high school English teacher—who first encouraged him to turn his oral storytelling into prose. That partnership, he says, was the wind in his sails.

Conversation with Kai Jacobs

Moderating the conversation will be Coral Gables native Kai Jacobs, a seasoned attorney known for helping local entrepreneurs navigate legal complexities. While best known for his real estate and commercial litigation work, Jacobs also brings a personal commitment to storytelling and civic engagement. His role as moderator promises a lively exchange with Davis about not only writing and naval adventures but also the entrepreneurial resilience required to reinvent oneself.

Books & Books staff note that while the event is free and open to the public, seating is limited and early arrival is encouraged. Copies of Makin’ Waves and Davis’s earlier novel, Bellamy, will be available for purchase and signing.

Literary homeport

Events like this underscore the continued cultural role that Books & Books plays in Coral Gables, drawing authors from across the country and connecting them with an intellectually engaged local audience. Founded in 1982 by Mitchell Kaplan, the store has long championed literary fiction, independent voices, and community-based dialogue. Its Aragon Avenue location has hosted literary giants including Salman Rushdie, Isabel Allende, and Junot Díaz—but also makes room for emerging voices and debut authors like Davis.

That inclusive spirit, paired with Coral Gables’ intellectual vitality, makes the city an ideal place for literary events that blend personal narrative with public conversation.

Event details

• What: An Evening with G. Bradley Davis, author of Makin’ Waves
• When: Wednesday, July 30, 7–8 p.m.
• Where: Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134
• Admission: Free (no RSVP required)
• Contact: Call 305-442-4408 or visit booksandbooks.com

In-person author events vital

In a time when book tours often go virtual and bookstores face pressure from online giants, in-person author events remain a vital part of cultural life. They allow readers to meet writers not just on the page, but face to face—where ideas become conversations and strangers become community. G. Bradley Davis’s Makin’ Waves is a tale of transformation, and his presence in Coral Gables adds to the city’s own evolving literary story.

Whether you’re a fan of naval fiction, personal memoirs, or just a good summer read, Wednesday’s event promises insight, inspiration, and a chance to support both a rising author and one of South Florida’s most important independent bookstores.