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New and Improved. No, Really!

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Lots of excitement building for Season 2 of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™, which begins April 25th. We’re returning to TASTE Food and Wine, named the best place for wine tastings in Chicago by Foursquare, moving the events to Monday nights from 6-8 p.m. as part of TASTE’s popular semi-weekly wine tastings. The more the merrier!

The always entertaining Phoebe Snowe, a certified wine expert, will be pouring great wines paired to the themes of the books we’ll be featuring. TASTE is known for its vast selection of excellent wines that you won’t find in big box stores or through discounters. You’ll be surprised and delighted how competitively priced the wines are.

This year, we’re pleased to partner with a great independent book store, The Book Bin to handle our on-site sales. The Book Bin is “Not a Superstore… Just a Super Store!”

We’ll continue to bring in best-selling and award-winning authors representing various genres but we’ll bring them in just as their books are being published or they are making their first book tour in the Midwest.

Back by popular demand are the BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ Bonus Buy tickets. While our wine tasting events are free, these optional tickets will offer all sorts of rewards that will vary from event to event.

Lots more surprises in store – including celebrity appearances, fundraisers, raffles and more — so keep following our weekly blog posts on the Book●ed (you can sign up to receive them automatically) and on Facebook (please Follow us).

Invitation to authors: If you have a book coming out this year or are planning a Midwest book tour, I’d love to hear from you to explore a possible BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ appearance. Contact us via our website or a personal message via Facebook.

Recommended

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Two events of interest to writers in the Chicago Metro area are coming this spring:

April 29th – May 1st: The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators will hold the 2016 Wild, Wild Midwest Conference at the Chicago Marriott Naperville. SCBWI is one of the largest organizations for writers and illustrators in the world. It is the only professional organization specifically for those individuals writing and illustrating for children and young adults in the fields of children’s literature, magazines, film, television, and multimedia.

May 11th – 13th: Book Expo America, North America’s largest publishing event, is moving from New York to Chicago this year. Organizers promise “access to what’s new, what’s next, and everything exciting in the world of books.” Discounted early bird registration is being accepted through April 26th.

Are Clubs in Your Cards?

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Loyal followers of my blog know I’m a fervent supporter of independent book stores. They provide opportunities and services to authors and booklovers that Amazon, big chains and discounters cannot.

On an even more personal level, book clubs also benefit authors and booklovers. At first glance, the benefits are obvious: readers share the reading experience and authors whose books are selected potentially see group sales (read more in my April 27, 2014 post, Ace of Clubs).

Imagine my surprise, then, to discover an ongoing controversy over the value of book clubs (which camp are you in?). Some people adhere to the belief that reading should always be a solitary experience. If you’re in that camp, you can stop reading here … but I hope you won’t.

There are many types of book clubs to choose from:
Single title – every member reads the same book;
Multi-title – every member is reading a different book at any given time but each book makes the rounds of the members;
Library – usually librarian led with books made available by the library;
Online – a variety of formats for how books are selected and information shared;
Broadcast – example: Oprah’s Book Club;
Book reading – using audio books or members taking turns reading aloud from the book;
Author led – includes the author of the current book as part of the discussion; often concludes the discussion with a live conference call or webinar.

Some clubs center meetings around social activities while others focus on the book discussion. Like any club, a book club’s success depends on its leaders and structure. Camaraderie or discord among members, and each individual’s experience, will flow from that. Like choosing a new pair of shoes, you seek out a certain style but you have to try it on for fit. Choose well and you’ll meet interesting people (possibly creating enduring friendships beyond the club), read good books you might not otherwise have chosen, expand your view of books through other people’s insights, maybe even eat some great food. Most of all, you’ll have fun!

Author bonus: Starting or participating in a book club offers extra benefits to authors. Obviously, reaching out to existing “author led” club gives you a platform to explain your work and build a loyal following for your future work. Another benefit of joining a book club is the likelihood you will sometimes read outside your comfort zone; genres and styles that are different from what you usually read can inform what you write. Whether the group reads your books or others, discussion and analysis give you insights from readers that will improve your craft. Reading With Purpose: Four Reasons Why Every Writer Should Join a Book Club provides more thought on this subject.

Sources to help you find the right book club for you include Reader’s Circle; My-Bookclub.com; Goodreads; and Meetup.

Chinese Puzzle

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Have you been thinking about China lately? After all, February 8th marks the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Monkey (specifically, the Red Fire Monkey). China’s economy (second only to that of the U.S.) has the world rocking and rolling but not in a good way. Territorial disputes in the South China Sea threaten conflict with several nations with whom the U.S. is closely tied, including Brunei, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. Lots of reasons to have China on one’s mind.

What has me thinking about China is a story that hasn’t gotten much play in the U.S. media but should resonate with anyone in the book industry: the mysterious disappearance of five Hong Kong book publishers since last October – publishers who had profitably produced and sold books on topics banned by Beijing: political corruption, religion and the intimate lives of Communist Party officials.

Chinese authorities confirmed that at least two of the missing publishers were being detained in mainland China. All of the disappearances are considered abductions, carried out to silence critics, part of a pattern against human rights lawyers, activists and bloggers. Before leaving Hong Kong to join family in the U.S., publisher Jin Zhong warned, “You don’t want to risk your life just to get a book published.”

Does this chilling series of human rights violations signal the demise of the banned book industry in Hong Kong? What does that mean for a Hong Kong fighting to maintain its personal freedoms? What might that mean for publishing in and outside of China?

Just last May, BookExpo America (BEA), North America’s largest annual book trade fair, welcomed China at its Global Market Forum. The China delegation was the largest international delegation that ever attended BEA, with more than 170 publishing companies represented and a 25,000-square-foot “Guest of Honor” display. According to a Publishers Weekly report, “The country’s publishers, who have imported an increasing number of U.S. titles, are hoping to build a market for some of their top authors overseas.”

Self-published authors requiring advanced (more expensive) production capabilities for their books have been increasingly turning to Chinese printing and publishing companies in order to produce books that would otherwise not be profitable.

Like so many other aspects of modern commerce, there is a symbiotic relationship between authors in the free world and publishing companies in government-controlled China. I suggest that much as we need them, they need us more, especially as their economy tries to calm its choppy seas. I hope authors and publishers who treasure their freedom of expression will join together and make sure China hears our voices speaking for those whose voices are being silenced.

For more about banned books, see my Book●ed Blog posts from 2013: “451 Degrees- Part 1” and “Part-2”. If you think banned books can’t happen here, check my “Recommended” post from March 31, 2013.

Am I a Bloddler, a Teegler or a Sengler?

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Depending on how one defines a blog year, starting the fourth year of the Book●ed blog makes me a Toddler, Teen or Senior. I’ve learned a lot about blogging since my first post on January 27th, 2013. For example, choosing “Getting to the Juicy Parts” (about the impact on books from changing habits in reading and writing) resulted in some internet images attached to my name that were (to put it mildly) smarmy, having nothing to do with me or Book●ed. I also received a flurry of unsolicited emails offering me X-rated toys and meds. Oops!

Over the past three years, I’ve become a keen observer of, and participant in, a dramatically changing book industry. I’ve seen many of my predictions about the connections between writers, readers, books and business come true. There have been some good changes, some not so good. It boils down to this: today more than ever, anyone who wants to get published can get published. Whether that statement is good news or not depends on how it affects you. I’ve spent many posts exploring all the angles.

I’ve aimed for a balance in my posts, as reflected in the categories that include: For Authors, For Booklovers, Facts & Statistics and Industry News. Often, I’ve included links to other websites for further information or examples. Covering every stage of conception, writing, design, production, marketing and selling books to promoting authors, books, booksellers, education and libraries, I’ve aimed to keep my posts enjoyable, enlightening and accessible.

The Book●ed blog began as a segment of a larger marketing effort that included video webcast interviews of authors. The posts continued as I shifted from webcasts to editing, publishing and marketing an updated and expanded English language edition of the bestselling Italian memoir, Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power. The posts continued as I developed and launched BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ — events pairing quality wine tastings with book signings.

In year four (as bloddler, teegler or segler), I will continue to report on changes in publishing, connect authors and their books with booklovers and aim to entertain. I invite authors to visit the Book.ed website to read past blog posts (in “Blog Here” click the categories that interest you), view the webcast interviews (in “Archives”) and learn more about BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.

Bonus for any authors (and agents, publishers or publicists) who read this post to this point: I invite you to contact me if you have a book about to be published or recently published and will be in the Chicago area. Let’s explore the possibility of featuring you and your latest book at a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ event!

Congratulations

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Another BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ author from the 2015 season has been recognized for an outstanding literary achievement. Book●ed is proud to share the news that The Masque of a Murderer by Susanna Calkins has been short-listed for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Congratulations, Susanna!

Season 2 of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will begin in April. Program information will be available on the Book●ed website by clicking the BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™. We will also post on the Book●ed blog and Facebook page.

Recommended

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Book Expo America, North America’s largest publishing event, is moving from New York to Chicago this year. Organizers promise “access to what’s new, what’s next, and everything exciting in the world of books.” Discounted early bird registration is being accepted through April 26th.

And the Award Goes to …

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Film awards season is gaining momentum in the run-up to the granddaddy of them all: the Academy Awards on February 28th. This year, as in the past, has seen many award candidates coming from acclaimed books. The list includes:

Bridge of Spies – Giles Whittell
Brooklyn — Colm Tóibín
Carol (book title The Price of Salt) – Patricia Highsmith
Room – Emma Donoghue
Spotlight (book title Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church) –The Boston Globe Staff
The Big Short – Michael Lewis
The Danish Girl – David Ebershoff
The Martian – Andy Weir
The Revenant – Michael Punke

Here’s what I said about movies adapted from books two years ago in my blog post, You Oughta Be in Pictures (in 2014, four of the nine Best Picture nominees were adapted from books; this year, all but one of the eight nominated films originated as books):

“Once upon a time, it seemed that great books rarely transformed into great movies. Times have changed as plot lines and descriptions in books are more valued by filmmakers. Possibly this change has also been as authors have grown up with movies, their appreciation for that art form inspires how they write.

Why spend many hours engaged in the active reading of books when you can get the entire story faster and easier by sitting in a theatre being passively entertained for a couple of hours? But let’s remember that these movie adaptations are made because of books that excited enough readers to come to the attention of filmmakers. Conversely, some movies lead people to the books that inspired them.”

In 2015, at least 40 books were adapted to movies. Not all of them received Oscar nominations but many are worth seeing and all are worth considering in book form.

There will always be room for various art forms to express a good story and we should celebrate all of them.

Footnotes

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One of the hundreds of writers and other artists who were caught up in the infamous Hollywood Blacklist of 1947-1960 was Nelson Algren. One of the best known literary writers in America in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Algren won three O. Henry Awards for his short stories but is most widely known for his 1949 novel The Man With the Golden Arm, winner of the National Book Award.

To honor the writer whose work was largely influenced by his growing up years in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune has run the Nelson Algren short story contest for 30 years. The contest has helped launch such noted authors as Stuart Dybek, Louise Erdrich and Joe Meno.

The deadline for entries to the 2016 Chicago Tribune Nelson Algren Short Story Award contest is January 31 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Cli-Fi Signals a Change in the Air

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Whether it’s the late spring warmth in the northeast, massive tornadoes across mid-America, flooding in the southeast or snowstorms in the northwest, the most commonly shared attribute for this winter’s weather is “record-breaking”. Freakish weather is not limited to the U.S. and people are wondering if extremes are the new “normal”.

You can go back to Jules Verne to find novels that explored the impact of climate change on our planet and its creatures. In the 1960s, British author J.G. Ballard pioneered the environmental apocalypse narrative in books such as The Wind from Nowhere and The Drowned World. Rod Serling wrote the memorable 1961 Twilight Zone episode The Midnight Sun, as a warning of climate catastrophe.

Dramatic weather patterns and their impact on humanity have inspired a growing body of literature in a new genre called climate fiction – or “cli-fi” (the catchier term introduced by writer and climate activist Dan Bloom in 2007). Over the past decade, more and more authors have set their novels and short stories in environments where the Earth’s systems are noticeably off-kilter. Searching for the term “climate fiction” on Amazon today returns over 1,300 titles.

Where sci-fi usually unfolds in a dystopian future, cli-fi is more apt to be presented in a dystopian present, bringing it closer to the reader. Judith Curry, professor and chair of Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, believes that when writers address climate change in their novels, they reach people in a way that scientists can’t.

“You know, scientists and other people are trying to get their message across about various aspects of the climate change issue,” says Curry. “And it seems like fiction is an untapped way of doing this — a way of smuggling some serious topics into the consciousness” of readers who may not be following the science.

All fiction springs from facts, carrying us on wings of imagination to the land of “what if”. While the best cli-fi entertains us, the “what if” of their stories stand as a warning of what could be if we don’t heed the signs around us and collaborate on remedies.

Men argue. Nature acts. – Voltaire (1694-1778)

In addition to books by Verne and Ballard other standout cli-fi novels include:
MaddAddam Trilogy – Margaret Atwood 2003-13
Solar – Ian McEwan 2010
Flight Behavior: A Novel – Barbara Kingsolver 2012
From Here – David Krumb 2012
Odds Against Tomorrow: A Novel – Nathaniel Rich 2013
The Water Knife – Paolo Bacigalupi 2015

Footnotes

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Independence is the word that best represents a concept launched in Dallas recently: an independent publisher is establishing an independent bookstore. Deep Vellum Publishing is about to open Deep Vellum Books. The store will sell books from independent publishers around the country “to celebrate the independently published written word,” says Deep Vellum’s owner Will Evans. The concept could catch on … and should!

Congratulations

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Kudos to all the authors who participated in the inaugural season of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ – we sure know how to pick ‘em:
• Susanna Calkins (July) – Guest of Honor at this year’s Sisters in Crime Chicagoland Holiday Party.
• Jen Gardner (August) – Special Event Guest of The Travel Boutique at their 2016 Caribbean Island Getaway.
• Eric Charles May (September) – 21st Century Award Winner, honored alongside Stephen Sondheim at this year’s Chicago Library’s Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner.
• Jasinda Wilder (October) – Riding the wave to another bestseller with Book #1 of her news-making Madame X trilogy.
• Joe Meno (December) – Selected by the Chicago Tribune roundup of leading authors talking about the book that inspired them to write.
You could spend a lot of money to be in a huge crowds to see your favorite authors … or you could come to the cozy, close up-and-personal BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ events where the quality wine tastings are free!

In deference to Chicago winters, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will be on hiatus until Spring 2016 but we’re already lining up incredible authors with the books you’ll want to read. Other plans are underway to make the 2016 season even bigger and better. Stay tuned!

Recommended

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BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is excited to round out its 2015 season by welcoming award-winning bestselling author Joe Meno who will autograph his recently released novel Marvel and a Wonder at its December 5th wine tasting. The free event will run from 3-5 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 West Jarvis Avenue in Chicago. As always, the selected quality wines will reflect aspects of the book. “Bonus Buy” tickets will once again be available at the event for neat mementos and a 10% discount on wine purchases. The Book Cellar will handle on-site book sales.

About this wonderfully insightful book featuring the evolving relationship between a grandfather and his grandson, the New York Times Book Review said, “Meno, whose previous novel was Office Girl, has a knack for giving small happenings emotional weight… Meno knows how to make you love his characters, want what they want. ” The Wall Street Journal calls Marvel and a Wonder “(A) rugged page turner….” In a starred review, the Library Journal said, “Talented Meno has penned a wise and touching novel of love, loyalty, courage; an extraordinary book not to be missed.”

Recommended

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BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is excited to round out its 2015 season by welcoming award-winning bestselling author Joe Meno who will autograph his recently released novel Marvel and a Wonder at its December 5th wine tasting. The free event will run from 3-5 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 West Jarvis Avenue in Chicago. As always, the selected quality wines will reflect aspects of the book. “Bonus Buy” tickets will once again be available at the event for neat mementos and a 10% discount on wine purchases. The Book Cellar will handle on-site book sales.

About this wonderfully insightful book featuring the evolving relationship between a grandfather and his grandson, the New York Times Book Review said, “Meno, whose previous novel was Office Girl, has a knack for giving small happenings emotional weight… Meno knows how to make you love his characters, want what they want. ” The Wall Street Journal calls Marvel and a Wonder “(A) rugged page turner….” In a starred review, the Library Journal said, “Talented Meno has penned a wise and touching novel of love, loyalty, courage; an extraordinary book not to be missed.”

And don’t forget the November 21st BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ with acclaimed author Christine Sneed signing her beautifully drawn novel, Paris, He Said, while you enjoy classic Burgundy wines and an opulent French white sparklet. From 3-5 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine. Find out why the Chicago Tribune book review said, “If you love the City of Light or have always wanted to travel there, Paris, He Said is worth a visit.”

Recommended

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For those who want to let their imagination take them to a far-away city, you can’t go wrong with Christine Sneed’s latest bestselling novel, Paris, He Said. The Chicago Tribune review of the book noted, “Sneed allows readers to revel in Paris’ celebrated light while walking its wide boulevards and cobblestone streets. If you love the City of Light or have always wanted to travel there, Paris, He Said is worth a visit. You’ll come for the story but stay for Sneed’s painterly homage to the city’s art and culture.”

BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is delighted to welcome award-winning author Christine Sneed at its November 21st book signing and wine tasting from 3-5 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 West Jarvis Avenue, Chicago. The featured quality wines, reflecting themes in Paris, He Said, will be classic burgundy in a white and a red, along with an opulent French sparkling white. The wine tasting is free. Optional “Bonus Buy” tickets, which proved very popular at the October BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™, will be available again at this month’s event. Ticket holders will get a memento of the event and a discount on any wine purchases. For details, click the pull down tab at the Book●ed website or visit the Events page at Taste Food & Wine.

Recommended

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Fans of Tyrone Power who live anywhere near Arlington Heights, IL, should mark their calendars: on Friday, November 6th from 2-4 p.m., the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will screen the 1937 screwball comedy, Love is News, teaming movie idol Tyrone Power with lovely leady lady Loretta Young. Tyrone Power memorabilia will be on display. Taryn Power Greendeer will be interviewed by movie historian Annette Bochenek and will autograph copies of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power, written by Taryn’s sister Romina Power (contains several of Taryn’s photos). The book is a collectors quality limited first edition, available only at select events and by mail order. The library program is free but registration is recommended.

Recommended

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There’s still time to pre-order your book and get a Bonus Buy ticket for the October 22nd BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™. This will be a very special event as Amazon #1 and national bestselling author Jasinda Wilder makes her Chicago debut with her hot-off-the-press book Madame X. Meet the author who has been interviewed by major media and learn how she parlayed a seven-figure publishing deal with Penguin Random House after selling millions of self-published eBooks. In honor of the author and book, TASTE Food & Wine feature wines (free tasting!) will be a sparkling white and two scintillating red. Bonus Buy tickets get preferred position on lines, a 10% discount on all wine purchases, and a special author memento. For details about the event, check the Book●ed website. Visit The Book Cellar to pre-order your book and get a Bonus Buy ticket!

Recommended

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There’s still time to pre-order your book and get a Bonus Buy ticket for the October 22nd BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ . This will be a very special event as Amazon #1 and national bestselling author Jasinda Wilder makes her Chicago debut with her hot-off-the-press book Madame X. Meet the author who has been interviewed by major media and learn how she parlayed a seven-figure publishing deal with Penguin Random House after selling millions of self-published eBooks. In honor of the author and book, TASTE Food & Wine will featured wines in the free tasting will be a sparkling white and two scintillating red. Bonus Buy tickets get preferred position on lines, a 10% discount on all wine purchases (the tasting is free), and a special author memento. For details about the event, check the Book●ed website. Visit The Book Cellar to pre-order your book and get a Bonus Buy ticket!

Footnotes

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Many female authors, facing gender bias in the publishing industry, turn to self-publishing. Producing a book is only step one. Knowing how to promote it into success is a very different art. Author Jasinda Wilder is a master of both. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and international bestselling author with millions of sales of self-published eBooks. One of her titles, Falling Into You, reached #1 on Amazon.

On October 6th, Jasinda Wilder’s first book in print as well as digital format will be published by Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Madame X is the first in a planned trilogy that netted a 7-figure deal for this Michigan-based mother of six.

On October 22nd, from 6-8 p.m., BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will welcome Jasinda Wilder in one of her very first public appearances to sign copies of Madame X as she meets fans during another fabulous wine tasting event at TASTE Food & Wine in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.

For this event, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is offering pre-orders of the book with “Bonus Buy” tickets. Ticketholders will get preferential place in line for books and autographs, 10% discount on all wine purchases and a special author memento. “Bonus Buy” tickets will also be available at the event but I encourage pre-ordering. Book pre-orders and Bonus Buy ticket sales will be handled by The Book Cellar. Event details can be found at the Book●ed website.

Recommended

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BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is excited that its September 24th event will feature Bedrock Faith, a book exemplifying great literature that comes alive in a neighborhood. Eric May’s debut novel landed on several “Top 10” lists and led to Eric winning the prestigious 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library in partnership with the Chicago Public Library Foundation. In fact our September 24th event will be a prelude celebration before the Library’s award dinner in October. Come meet Eric, get a copy of his book and have him personally autograph it for you while you enjoy some wines with great character between 6-8 p.m. at TASTE Wine & Food in Chicago. No reservations or entry fees! Find details at the Book●ed website or on our Facebook page.

Recommended

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BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is excited that its September 24th event will feature Bedrock Faith, a book exemplifying great literature that comes alive in a neighborhood. Eric May’s debut novel landed on several “Top 10” lists and led to Eric winning the prestigious 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library in partnership with the Chicago Public Library Foundation. In fact our September 24th event will be a prelude celebration before the Library’s award dinner in October. Come meet Eric, get a copy of his book and have him personally autograph it for you while you enjoy some wines with great character between 6-8 p.m. at TASTE Wine & Food in Chicago. No reservations or entry fees! Find details at the Book●ed website http://www.bookedwebcast.com/index.html# or on our Facebook page.

Recommended

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Fans of Tyrone Power who live anywhere near Arlington Heights, IL, should mark their calendars: on Friday, November 6th from 2-4 p.m., the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will screen the 1937 screwball comedy, Love is News, teaming movie idol Tyrone Power with lovely leady lady Loretta Young. Taryn Power Greendeer will be interviewed by movie historian Annette Bochenek and will autograph copies of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power , written by Taryn’s sister Romina Power (contains several of Taryn’s photos). The book is a collectors quality limited first edition, available only at select events and by mail order. The library program is free but registration is recommended.

There Goes the Neighborhood

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Ancient archeology shows that the concept of neighborhoods has been with us for a very long time, for very good reason. Neighborhoods bring people together in common purpose: safety, economy, socialization and care-giving. In other words: survive through hard times and thrive in good ones.

While the basic goal of neighborhoods is universal, the character of neighborhoods is as varied, distinguishable and fascinating as the characters in the neighborhoods. Books set in neighborhoods provide some of our most vibrant and memorable literature. They let us learn from the people and cultures that preceded us. We can travel the world today, meeting people and visiting different neighborhoods just by opening a book. We can be entertained, enlightened and inspired by stories set in or around neighborhoods.

BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is excited that its September 24th event will feature Bedrock Faith, a book exemplifying great literature that comes alive in a neighborhood. Eric May’s debut novel landed on several “Top 10” lists and led to Eric winning the prestigious 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library in partnership with the Chicago Public Library Foundation. In fact our September 24th event will be a prelude celebration before the Library’s award dinner in October. Come meet Eric, get a copy of his book and have him personally autograph it for you while you enjoy some wines with great character between 6-8 p.m. at TASTE Wine & Food in Chicago. No reservations or entry fees! Find details at the Book●ed or on our Facebook page.

Meanwhile, here’s a sampling of other notable neighborhood novels set around cities known for the diversity and energy of their neighborhoods:

Washington Square – Henry James
The Jungle – Upton Sinclair
Manhattan Transfer – John Dos Passos
The Maltese Falcon – Dashiell Hammett
Call It Sleep – Henry Roth
Native Son – Richard Wright
The Tin Flute (orig. Bonheur d’occasion) – Gabrielle Roy
The Chosen – Chaim Potok
Time and Again – Jack Finney
The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros
The Alienist – Caleb Carr
Playing for Thrills – Wang Shuo (trans. Howard Goldblatt)
The Sweet Forever – George P. Pelecanos
The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson (2004)
The Great Perhaps – Joe Meno (2009)

You can learn more by clicking the tab BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ at my Book●ed website.

Recommended

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Ragdale’s ninth annual Novel Affair brings together renowned authors and artists, for two evenings of creativity and conversation in support of Ragdale, the artist retreat in Lake Forest, IL. The event offers guests the opportunity to be engaged, inspired, and challenged by the artists and their work.

The weekend begins with an optional VIP champagne reception with all featured artists and authors in the private Walled Garden at Crab Tree Farm on Friday, October 2 at 5:30pm and concludes with an intimate dinner and lively discussion with one of the artists or authors at a private home of distinction on Saturday, October 3 at 6:30pm.

Recommended

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Fans of Tyrone Power who live anywhere near Arlington Heights, IL, should mark their calendars: on Friday, November 6th from 2-4 p.m., the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will screen the 1937 screwball comedy, Love is News, teaming movie idol Tyrone Power with lovely leady lady Loretta Young. Taryn Power Greendeer will be interviewed by movie historian Annette Bochenek and will autograph copies of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power, written by Taryn’s sister Romina Power (contains several of Taryn’s photos). The book is a collectors quality limited first edition, available only at select events and by mail order.The library program is free but registration is recommended.