BookPeople Events!
For questions about events, contact BookPeople Marketing Director Mandy Brooks at 512.472.4288 x 411 or mandy@bookpeople.com.
Events start at 7PM unless otherwise indicated. List updated Wednesday, February 15.
*** - denotes new event
FEBRUARY
Wednesday 2/15 7p - Football Star & New York Times Bestselling Author MICHAEL OHER signing I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond
(Due to the anticipated size of the audience, this event is now a SIGNING ONLY. The hit book/film The Blind Side is based on Oher's life. This memoir hit the NYT bestseller in hardcover.) Michael Lewis' bestselling book The Blind Side, turned into a blockbuster film starring Sandra Bullock, made Michael Oher a household name by sharing his inspirational story of going from homeless teen to football star. In I Beat the Odds, Oher tells his own story, looking back on how he went from being a homeless child in Memphis to playing in the NFL. He talks about the goals he had to break out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness that trapped his family, and describes the absolute necessity of seeking out positive role models and good friends who share the same values to achieve one's dreams. Michael Oher is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.
Wednesday 2/15 7p - Stranger Than Fiction Book Club discussing The Social Animal
Reading fiction to escape reality is a great way to unwind, but exploring reality can sometimes be even more rewarding. Meet Cindy and Merrilee the third Wednesday of every month where we'll read books about fascinating people, places, and things. This month's book is The Social Animal by David Brooks.
Friday 2/17 7p - Bestselling Science Fiction & Fantasy Author ROBIN HOBB speaking & signing City of Dragons
(Hobb also writes as Megan Lindholm. She's won the Asimov's Reader's Award and has been a finalist for a Nebula and Hugo Award.) New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb returns to the world of the Rain Wilds—called "one of the most gripping settings in modern fantasy" (Booklist)—in City of Dragons. Continuing the enthralling journey she began in her acclaimed Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven, Hobb rejoins a small group of weak, half-formed and unwanted dragons and their displaced human companions as they search for a legendary sanctuary. Now, as the misfit band approaches its final destination, dragons and keepers alike face a challenge so insurmountable that it threatens to render their long, difficult odyssey utterly meaningless.
Saturday 2/18 4p - MysteryPeople Presents HILARY DAVIDSON speaking & signing The Next One to Fall
Hilary Davidson's The Damage Done — called a "razor sharp mystery debut" by Publishers Weekly — won the 2011 Anthony Award for Best First Novel and the Crimespree Award for Best First Novel. In her latest novel, travel writer Lily Moore discovers a woman clinging to life at the bottom of an ancient stone staircase at Machu Picchu. Just before the woman dies, she tells Lily the name of the man who pushed her. Unable to accept the official ruling of accidental death, Lily hunts down the wealthy man who was the dead woman's traveling companion and discovers a pattern of dead and missing women in his wake. Obsessed with getting justice for these women, Lily sets in motion a violent chain of events with devastating consequences.
Saturday 2/18 7p - LEONARD PIERCE speaking & signing If You Like the Sopranos
From Robin Hood and his Merry Men to the bloody aftermath of Macbeth, fictional lawbreakers have been both celebrated and vilified in every era. If You Like The Sopranos… provides an illuminating portrait of those elements that came together to create the stellar artistic achievement that is The Sopranos, and it follows the new trails the television show left when it exploded into the cultural consciousness, heralding the arrival of a new era of storytelling.
Sunday 2/19 4p - Bestselling Novelist RACHEL SIMON speaking & signing The Story of Beautiful Girl
(This novel was an Indiebound & NYT bestseller in hardcover, and recommended by Oprah Winfrey. The paperback edition is expected to have a similar positive reception, particularly among book groups.) A IndieBound and New York Times bestseller and one of Oprah Winfrey's "Ten Titles to Pick Up Now" last summer, The Story of Beautiful Girl, now out in paperback, has been celebrated as a deft combination of love story and story of social accountability. It is 1968. Lynnie, a young white woman with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American deaf man, are locked away in an institution, the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded. Deeply in love, they escape, and find refuge at the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher, where Lynnie gives birth. The same night, authorities catch up to them. Horne escape but Lynnie is caught. And so begins the 40-year epic journey of Lynnie, Homan, Martha, and baby Julia-lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet drawn together by a secret pact and extraordinary love.
Sunday 2/19 5p - This Book Could Be Your Life discussing Alan Lomax
Get ready for some rock and roll! Dig into the history of rock and roll, its stars and styles, exploring everything from punk to pop. Bosco and Stephana will satisfy your rock and roll obsession the third Sunday of every month at 5PM. This month's book is Alan Lomax by John Szwed.
Monday 2/20 7p - Ludicrous Speed Book Club discussing American Gods
From speculative fiction, deep space adventures, and alternate histories to epic fantasy realms, all who can admit their dorkdom are welcome. Join Joel and Tommy the third Monday of every month at 7PM. This month we will be discussing American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
Tuesday 2/21 8p - OFF SITE: An Evening with DEEPAK CHOPRA at the Long Center
Acknowledged as one of the world's greatest leaders in the field of mind-body medicine, Deepak Chopra continues to transform our understanding of the meaning of health and the crucial connection between body, mind, spirit and healing. BookPeople is pleased to be on hand as the bookseller this evening when Deepak Chopra visits the Long Center.
Tuesday 2/21 7p - Nightmare Factory Book Club discussing Exquisite Corpse
H.P. Lovecraft said, "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear. And the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Come join our crypt-keepers, Joe and Steven, every third Tuesday of the month as we help you navigate the bloody byways and diabolic depths of your fears with our horrific book club, The Nightmare Factory. This month's book is Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite.
Wednesday 2/22 7p - UT Professor JEREMI SURI speaking & signing Liberty's Surest Guardian
Americans are a nation-building people, and in Liberty's Surest Guardian, Jeremi Suri—Nobel Fellow and leading light in the next generation of policy makers—looks to America's history to see both what it has to offer failed states around the world and what it should avoid. Suri, rovocative historian and one of Smithsonian magazine's "Top Young Innovators" has mined more than two hundred years of American policy in order to explain the five "P"s of nation-building. He takes on the idea of American exceptionalism and turns it into a playbook for President Obama over the next, vital few years. Jeremi Suri is the Mack Brown Distinguished Professor for Global Leadership, History, and Public Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of five books on contemporary politics and foreign policy.
Thursday 2/23 5:30p - Happy Hour Book Club at the Highball discussing Life by Keith Richards
What's better than talking about a book with a group of friends? Talking about a book with a group of friends during Happy Hour at The Highball! Come hang out with Mandy and Joel the last Thursday of every month at 5:30PM where we'll discuss books over cocktails. This month's book is Life by Keith Richards.
Thursday 2/23 7p - Novelist SERE PRINCE HALVERSON speaking & signing The Underside of Joy
(A debut novel that's already receiving high praise from booksellers and will likely be popular with many book group.) Set against the backdrop of Redwood forests and shimmering vineyards, Seré Prince Halverson's compelling debut tells the story of two women, bound by an unspeakable loss, who each claims to be the mother of the same two children. When an ocean wave takes Joe Beene in its swell, he leaves behind his wife, Ella, and the two children from his first marriage, who believe their biological mother, Paige, has abandoned them. When their mother turns up at the funeral demanding her children back, Ella soon realizes there is more to Joe and Paige's relationship than she knew. The Underside of Joy is not a fairy-tale version of stepmotherhood pitting good Ella against evil Paige, but an exploration of the complex relationship of two mothers.
Friday 2/24 7p - Award Winning Science Fiction & Fantasy Author ELIZABETH MOON speaking & signing Echoes of Betrayal
The action continues fast and furious in this third installment of Elizabeth Moon's celebrated return to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter. This award-winning author has firsthand military experience and an imagination that knows no bounds. Combine those qualities with an ability to craft flesh-and-blood characters, and the result is the kind of speculative fiction that engages both heart and mind. All is not well in the Eight Kingdoms. In Lyonya, King Kieri is about to celebrate marriage to his beloved, the half-elf Arian. But uncanny whispers from the spirits of his ancestors continue to warn of treachery and murder. Meanwhile, in Tsaia, the young king Mikeli must grapple with unrest among his own nobility over his controversial decision to grant the title and estates of a traitorous magelord to a Verrakaien who not only possesses the forbidden magic but is a woman besides. But even greater danger is looming.
Saturday 2/25 7p - MysteryPeople Presents Austin Author JOAN HESS speaking & signing Deader Homes and Gardens
Back from her somewhat unusual honeymoon, Claire Malloy must face the harsh reality of life with her new husband, police chief Peter Rosen, and her teenage daughter Caron—three people simply can't fit into her cosy two bedroom apartment. After a week of fruitless looking, she finally finds the perfect place. Then the problems start. The last owner died in circumstances labeled 'accidental' but were actually both 'mysterious' and 'dubious'. When the previous owner's lover dies practically at her feet, Claire decides to take matters into her own hands. After all, to get the house of her dreams, first she has to find a killer. And all's fair in love, war, and real estate.
Sunday 2/26 7p - Voyage Out Book Club discussing American Rust
Join Clint and Brian C. the last Sunday of every month as we use wonderful books to travel the world. We are currently discussing books that don't fit in a region, and this month we are reading American Rust by Philipp Meyer.
Monday 2/27 7p - Award Winning Austin Author ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT speaking & signing his new novel, The Troupe
(Bennett graduated from UT and lives in Austin. Last year he won the Shirley Jackson Award for his previous novel, Mr. Shivers.) Already given a starred review by Publisher's Weekly, Bennett's new novel The Troupe tells the story of George Carole, a run-away who joins the Vaudeville circuit. Sixteen years old, uncommonly gifted at the piano, he falls in with a strange troupe -- even for Vaudeville. Under the watchful eye of the enigmatic figure of Silenus, George comes to realize that the members of the troupe are more than they appear to be. And their travels have a purpose that runs deeper than entertainment.Robert Jackson Bennett was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but grew up in Katy, Texas. A UT alum, he currently lives in Austin and is the author of the novels Mr. Shivers, for which he won the 2011 Shirley Jackson Award, and The Company Man.
Monday 2/27 7p - New and Noteworthy Book Club discussing Pulphead
Perhaps more aptly named the "sometimes new/always noteworthy" book club, here is a place to discover recent gems and to revisit old favorites. Come join Kester and Jamie the last Monday of every month at 7PM. This month's book is Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan.
Tuesday 2/28 6p - Former First Lady of Houston ANDREA WHITE speaking & signing her new YA novel, Windows on the World
(In addition to being the former First Lady of Houston, White is an award-winning YA novelist. While in Austin, she'll visit schools in support of VIVA.) A vocal advocate for literacy and education, Andrea White is also an established and acclaimed author of fiction for Young Adults. In 2004, her novel Surviving Antarctica was selected for many state reading lists, including the Texas Bluebonnet. In 2005 she won a Texas State Reading Association Golden Spur Award. Now, she presents her latest novel, Windows on the World, a futuristic tale for young adults that explores issues of poverty and privilege. She is a proud supporter of VIVA, Virtual Interaction with Visiting Authors, a pilot program in the Houston School District aimed to connect students with local authors so that they can ask questions and interact via web chats and virtual discussions.
Wednesday 2/29 7p - Bestselling Author of Snowflower and the Secret Fan LISA SEE speaking & signing Dreams of Joy
(Since Snowflower and the Secret Fan, all of Lisa See's novels have been NYT bestsellers. This novel debuted at #1 on the NYT list in hardcover.) In her beloved New York Times bestsellers Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, and, most recently, Shanghai Girls, Lisa See has brilliantly illuminated the potent bonds of mother love, romantic love, and love of country. Now, in her most powerful novel yet, she returns to these timeless themes, continuing the story of sisters Pearl and May from Shanghai Girls, and Pearl's strong-willed nineteen-year-old daughter, Joy. Dreams of Joy debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list in hardcover. See will be here for the paperback edition.
Wednesday 2/29 7p - Hard Word Book Club discussing Cold Shot to the Heart - Author WALLACE STROBY Calling In
Tough stories with hard hombres and dangerous dames, where survival trumps virtue, no matter what side of the law you are on; this is what you'll find in the Hard Word Book Club. Scott and Joe will guide you along the last Wednesday of every month at 7PM. This month's book is Cold Shot to the Heart by Wallace Stroby. Stroby will be calling in, so don't miss this discussion!
MARCH
***Thursday 1 7p - Theology on Tap with GREG GARRETT & CHRIS SEAY
Theology on Tap is a series of discussions among members of Austin's wide and varied spiritual community about various theological topics. Our March Theology on Tap event features hosts Beka Falk and Greg Garrett in conversation with Chris Seay about his new book A Place at the Table: 40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor. Join us for beer from Saint Arnold Brewing Company and this talk about fasting and feasting as Lenten disciplines. Beka is Associate Pastor at University Baptist Church, Austin; Greg is the Austin-based author of over a dozen books, including The Other Jesus and Faithful Citizenship.
Saturday 3/3 7p - Bestselling Author GAIL CARRIGER speaking & signing Timeless: An Alexia Trabotti Novel
Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. When she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. This is the fifth novel in Carriger's bestselling Alexia Trabotti series.
Saturday 3/3 7p - OFF SITE: CHRIS HARDWICK at Stateside at the Paramount
We are stoked to be selling books at the State Theater tonight for Chris Hardwick's live podcast! Tickets are available on the Paramount website. There are two shows - one at 7pm and one at 10pm. We'll be selling books at both! Chris recently launched his first book, The Nerdist Way (Penguin), as a penned full-fledged self-help book for nerds, helping them use their awkward social skills to their best advantage to get ahead. He is supporting this release with a multi-leg stand-up comedy tour.
Sunday 3/4 3p - OFF SITE: Middle Grade Author CYNTHIA LEVINSON at the Carver Museum, speaking & signing We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March
Join us this afternoon when we celebrate the release of Austin author and SCBWI member Cynthia Levinson's wonderful new book for middle-grade readers that highlights a fascinating piece of American history. Between May 2 and May 7, 1963, 3,000-4,000 children–yes, children–marched to protest segregation and to get arrested and jailed in Birmingham, Alabama. Many of them were charged by snarling police dogs and washed down the street by powerful fire hoses. Levinson interviewed dozens of participants in the Birmingham Children's March and spent four years researching and writing We've Got a Job in order to share their stories.
Monday 3/5 7p - Writer, Comedian & Author MICHAEL IAN BLACK speaks & signs You're Not Doing It Right
(NEW INFO: This event is no longer ticketed. Free & open to the public.) (With over 1 million Twitter followers and a long bio of popular shows & films, Black is one of the most recognizable comedians in the country. This book is sure to be a bestseller.) Michael Ian Black, the star of Stella, The State, Wet Hot American Summer, and numerous other productions of the big and small screen, brings his new memoir to BookPeople! Darkly humorous and told with raw honesty, Michael takes on his childhood, his marriage, his children, and his career with unexpected candor and deadpan wit. This event is free and open to the public. In order to have a book signed at this event, a copy of You're Not Doing It Right must be purchased from BookPeople.
Monday 3/5 7p - 7% Solution Book Club discussing The Sherlockian
Come join Tommy and Wil the first Monday of every month at 7PM as they explore the worlds of fiction's greatest mysteries. But you must hurry - the game is already afoot. This month's title is The Sherlockian by Graham Moore.
Tuesday 3/6 7p - MysteryPeople Presents Bestselling Author TIM DORSEY speaking & signing Pineapple Grenade
(Fans of Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry love Dorsey's thrillers, all set in Florida.) Gloriously unrepentant Florida serial killer Serge Storms is back—and he's finagled his way into becoming a secret agent in Miami—in another outrageous crime comedy from New York Times bestselling author, Tim Dorsey. In Pineapple Grenade, the incomparable Serge takes up spying for the president of a banana republic, and now Homeland Security wants to bring him down. It's always a wild ride when Dorsey's at the wheel, and with Pineapple Grenade he delivers his most explosively hilarious road trip to date.
Wednesday 3/7 7p - Pulitzer Prize Winner RAYMOND BONNER speaking & signing Anatomy of Injustice
In January 1982, an elderly white widow was found brutally murdered in the small town of Greenwood, South Carolina. Police immediately arrested Edward Lee Elmore, a semiliterate, mentally retarded black man with no previous felony record. Elmore had been on death row for eleven years when a young attorney named Diana Holt, a UT Law graduate, first learned of his case -- plagued by incompetent court-appointed defense attorneys, a virulent prosecution, and both misplaced and contaminated evidence, it reeked of injustice. Bonner follows Holt's battle to save Elmore's life and shows us how his case is a textbook example of what can go wrong in the American justice system.
Wednesday 3/7 7p - Rewritten History Book Club discussing Genghis: Birth of an Empire
You are cordially invited to join Merrilee and Ann the first Wednesday of every month to explore and discuss works of historical fiction. This month's book is Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden.
Thursday 3/8 7p - Bestselling Author JOSHUA FOER speaks & signs Moonwalking with Einstein
(Moonwalking appeared on many Best of 2011 lists. The paperback edition is expected to also be a bestseller.) A BookPeople favorite when it was first published in hardcover, Moonwalking with Einstein became an instant bestseller and national sensation when Foer appeared on The Colbert Report. Now available in paperback, this original book explores, with humor and irresistible curiosity, the fascinating ways in which our brains are wired to remember, or forget, the vast array of information and experiences that make up life. Foer draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of memory, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human remembering.
***Friday 3/9 7p - Local Author Night featuring SUE DONAHOE, RANDY RUPLEY, & FLO BOWEN
Sue Donahoe will present Never Heard of 'Em: Austin's Music Explosion, which documents Austin's exciting music scene in the '90s and takes a peak at the faces and places in Austin music today. Randy Rupley will present his translation of Friedrich Stubberg's novel Fredericksburg: The Colony of German Nobelman's Society in Texas. Flo Bowen will present her collection of poetry, Feed Your Soul: Let if Flow.
Saturday 3/10 5p - Media & Pop Culture Journalist PAUL CARR speaking & signing The Upgrade
(Carr is a former media columnist for the Guardian. He also blogged for TechCrunch and Huffington Post until infamously resigning in 2011.) Bored, broke and struggling to survive in one of the most expensive cities on earth, Paul Carr comes to the surprising realization that it would actually be cheaper to live in a luxury hotel in Manhattan than in his tiny one-bedroom London apartment. Thanks to Paul's ability to talk his way into increasingly ridiculous situations, what begins as a one-year experiment soon becomes a permanent lifestyle—a life lived in luxury hotels and mountain-top villas. As word of Paul's exploits starts to spread—first online, then through a national newspaper column and eventually a book deal—he finds himself forced constantly to up the stakes in order to keep things interesting.
Sunday 3/11 2p - Required Reading Revisited discussing Franny and Zooey
Remember those books you were required to read in school? Required Reading Revisited is a chance to take a second (or first) look at some of the books you were made to read in school. Meeting the second Sunday of every month at 2PM, this month's title is Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger.
Monday 3/12 7p - IACT Book Club discussing The Essential Tao
The Interfaith Action of Austin Book Club meets the second Monday of every month at 7PM on BookPeople's third floor. This month they are discussing The Essential Tao by Thomas Cleary. Members of any and every faith are welcome to attend.
Thursday 3/15 7p - Writers' League of Texas Third Thursday Meeting: The Art of Researching & Writing Nonfiction
The Writers' League presents a yearlong series called "The Write of Way," in which authors and publishing professionals explore various elements of the writer's life ranging from inspiration to perspiration, time management to research, and drafting to publishing. "The Write of Way" is for anyone who considers him or herself a writer – or even just an avid reader who is curious about the process! This month's topic of conversation is Get Real: The Art of Researching and Writing Nonfiction. Panelists include M. William Phelps, author of Never See Them Again, and Harrison Cheug, author of Christian Bale: The Inside Story of the Darkest Batman.
Sunday 3/18 4p - MysteryPeople Presents: Wine, Women & Mystery! with KIRA PEIKOFF & DEBORAH COONTS
Join us for a glass of wine on our third floor when we meet authors Kira Peikoff and Deborah Coonts. Peikoff's brand new thriller, Living Proof, sets crime in a futuristic world of fertility clinics and cutting edge science. Coonts continues her lucky streak with another Las Vegas thriller starring Lucky O'Toole, So Damn Lucky. This will be a fun afternoon when we get to know these two women and their writing in a fun and casual setting.
Sunday 3/18 5p - This Book Could Be Your Life Book Club discussing Satan Is Real
Get ready for some rock and roll! Dig into the history of rock and roll, its stars and styles, exploring everything from punk to pop. Bosco and Stephana will satisfy your rock and roll obsession the third Sunday of every month at 5PM. This month's book is Satan is Real by Charlie Louvin.
Monday 3/19 7p - BookPeople and American Short Fiction Present Bestselling Author T. C. BOYLE speaking & signing When the Killing's Done
(Boyle is one of the most prolific & recognized name in American fiction. His books regularly hit the NYT bestseller list.) T. C. Boyle is a powerhouse author, pumping out one short story collection after novel after collection after another. Prolific doesn't even begin to describe it. Energetic, always engaging, interesting and original, his work examines everything from Frank Lloyd Wright to hippies living in Alaska to Ken Kesey to living as an illegal immigrant. We're thrilled to welcome him here to Austin, along with American Short Fiction, to present his latest novel, out in paperback, When the Killing's Done.
Monday 3/19 7p - Ludicrous Speed Book Club discussing The Stars My Destination
From speculative fiction, deep space adventures, and alternate histories to epic fantasy realms, all who can admit their dorkdom are welcome. Join Joel and Tommy the third Monday of every month at 7PM. This month we will be discussing The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.
Monday 3/19 7p - Ludicrous Speed Book Club discussing The Stars My Destination
From speculative fiction, deep space adventures, and alternate histories to epic fantasy realms, all who can admit their dorkdom are welcome. Join Joel and Tommy the third Monday of every month at 7PM. This month we will be discussing The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.
Tuesday 3/20 7p - Austin Fantasy Author STINA LEICHT speaking & signing And Blue Skies From Pain
Join us as we welcome Austinite and former BookPeople bookseller Stina Leicht to present this latest novel, a follow up to her debut novel Of Blood and Honey. Northern Ireland, 1977. Liam Kelly is many things: a former wheelman for the IRA, a one-time political prisoner, the half-breed son of a mystic Fey warrior and a mortal woman, and a troubled young man literally haunted by the ghosts of his past. Liam has turned his back on his land's bloody sectarian Troubles, but the war isn't done with him yet, and neither is an older, more mythic battle--between the Church and its demonic enemies, the Fallen. A shape-shifter by nature, Liam has a foot in two worlds--and it's driving him mad.
Tuesday 3/20 7p - Nightmare Factory Book Club discussing Poe's Children
H.P. Lovecraft said, "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear. And the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Come join our crypt-keepers, Joe and Steven, every third Tuesday of the month as we help you navigate the bloody byways and diabolic depths of your fears with our horrific book club, The Nightmare Factory. This month's book is Poe's Children by Peter Straub.
Wednesday 3/21 7p - Stranger Than Fiction Book Club discussing The Great Typo Hunt
Reading fiction to escape reality is a great way to unwind, but exploring reality can sometimes be even more rewarding. Meet Cindy and Merrilee the third Wednesday of every month where we'll read books about fascinating people, places, and things. This month's book is The Great Typo Hunt by Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Herson.
Saturday 3/24 2p - Release Party for Chronal Engine by Austin YA Author GREG LEITICH SMITH
Join us this afternoon when we celebrate the release of the latest novel for teens by Austin author Greg Leitich Smith! When Max, Emma, and Kyle are sent to live with their reclusive grandfather for the summer, they're dismayed to learn he thinks there's a time machine in the basement. But when Grandpa Pierson predicts the exact time of his own heart attack, and when Emma is kidnapped by what can only be a time traveler, they realize he was telling the truth about the Chronal Engine. And if they want their sister back, they'll have to do it themselves.
Sunday 3/25 4p - James Beard Award Winning Author ROBB WALSH speaking & signing Texas Eats
Robb Walsh drove the length and breadth of the state, seeking out the best in barbecue, burgers, kolaches, and tacos; scoured museums, libraries, and public archives; and unearthed vintage photos, culinary stories, and nearly-forgotten dishes. Then he headed home to Houston to test the recipes he'd collected back in his own kitchen. The result is Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook. A former restaurant reviewer for the Houston Press and the Austin Chronicle, Walsh currently co-owns a Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston with chef Bryan Caswell. Walsh is a cofounder and board member of Foodways Texas.
Sunday 3/25 5p - Voyage Out Book Club discussing You Shall Know Our Velocity
Join Clint and Brian C. the last Sunday of every month as we use wonderful books to travel the world. We are currently discussing books that don't fit in a region, and this month we are reading You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers.
Monday 3/26 7p - Novelist NOAH HAWLEY speaking & signing The Good Father
The father of a man who assassinates a presidential candidate tries to make sense of his son's crime in this gripping new novel from producer, screenwriter and author Noah Hawley. In the harrowing opening scene of this provocative and affecting novel, Dr. Allen, Chief of Rheumatology at Columbia Presbyterian, is home with his family when a televised news report announces that the Democratic candidate for president has been shot at a rally, and his son Daniel is caught on video as the assassin. The Good Father is an absorbing and honest novel about the responsibilities—and limitations—of being a parent and our capacity to provide our children with unconditional love in the face of an unthinkable situation. Hawley wrote and produced the television series Bones and also created The Unusuals and My Generation. This is his fourth novel.
Monday 3/26 7p - New & Noteworthy Book Club discussing J. D. Salinger: A Life
Perhaps more aptly named the "sometimes new/always noteworthy" book club, here is a place to discover recent gems and to revisit old favorites. Come join Kester and Jamie the last Monday of every month at 7PM. This month's book is J.D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski.
Tuesday 3/27 7p - Award Winning Novelist HARI KUNZEN speaking & signing Gods Without Men
(Kunzu's name is familiar to readers of the NYT, The New Yorker, Wired, and many other lit publications. A new Kunzu novel is a highly anticipated literary event.) Named one of its twenty best young British novelists by Granta magazine and recipient of the Pushcart Prize, British Book Award and other honors, Hari Kunzen is one of the preeminent literary authors writing today. BookPeople is thrilled to present this latest work, a viscerally gripping, intellectually engaging, and heartfelt exploration of the search for pattern and meaning in a chaotic universe. Jaz and Lisa Matharu are plunged into a surreal public hell after their son, Raj, vanishes during a family vacation in the California desert. However, the Mojave is a place of strange power, and before Raj reappears inexplicably unharmed—but not unchanged—the fate of this young family will intersect with that of many others, echoing the stories of all those who have traveled before them.
Wednesday 3/28 7p - Hard Word Book Club discussing Nineteen Seventy-Seven
Tough stories with hard hombres and dangerous dames, where survival trumps virtue, no matter what side of the law you are on; this is what you'll find in the Hard Word Book Club. Scott and Joe will guide you along the last Wednesday of every month at 7PM. This month's book is Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace.
Thursday 3/29 5:30p - Happy Hour Book Club at the Highball discussing Zeitoun
What's better than talking about a book with a group of friends? Talking about a book with a group of friends during Happy Hour at The Highball! Come hang out with Mandy and Joel the last Thursday of every month at 5:30PM where we'll discuss books over cocktails. This month's book is Zeitoun by Dave Eggers.
Thursday 3/29 7p - Bookpeople & The Michener Center proudly present Novelist ANTHONY GIARDINO speaking & signing Norumbega Park
From the acclaimed author of White Guys comes this novel about class and parental dreams, sex and spirituality, the way visions conflict with stubborn reality, and a family's ability to open up, for others, a world they could never fully grasp for themselves. Richie Palumbo, the most prosaic of men, gets lost one night in 1969 while driving home with his family. He finds himself in the town of Norumbega and embarks on a wild dream to own a house there, a dream which leads to a forty year odyssey for his family. Giardina is a regular visiting professor at the Michener Center of the University of Texas.
***Friday 30 7pm - Short Story Author RENE S. PEREZ speaking & signing his new collection, Along These Highways
Rene Perez has the ability to stop time. In fact, time stops as soon as you start reading one of his short stories. You find yourself transported into the minds and lives of people you thought you didn't know. Suddenly they are your best friends. They live in Texas. Most of them are Hispanic. But their problems are universal. Like Eric, who spent all his money on two flashy wheels for his car and put them both on the passenger side so that they'll impress everyone on the sidewalk. Or Andy, who breaks into a home he's always wanted to see from the inside. You'll want to know them all. And you will count yourself fortunate to have met them.
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Julie Wernersbach
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