Something New From The Bookseller Bistro

Events In March

Amazing diversity are the key words for events in March at The Booksellers. Something for everyone? Perhaps. We’ve got everything from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author to a legendary studio performer. There’s probably one or two authors in here to catch your interest. Just take a look.
Chris Carpenter
Peforming live & in person selections from his CD Next Right Thing

Thursday, March 1st, 6 p.m.

Chris Carpenter is a Winchester, Kentucky native who now lives and makes music in Nashville, TN. Chris’s songs have been featured in Ray Romano’s TV show “Men of a Certain Age”, as the theme song for Billy & Mac on “The Young and the Restless” and in 8 episodes of the online reality show
“Hallo Hollywood”. Chris tours both acoustically and with his stellar four – piece band and writes and records all of his own songs.

 

Isabel Wilkerson
OFF-SITE EVENT
Fogelman Executive Center
Discussing & Signing The Warmth of Other Suns:
The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration

(Vintage, $16.95)
Thursday, March 1st, 7 p.m.

Please join Facing History and Ourselves in welcoming Isabel Wilkerson, author of  The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration for a discussion and book signing event at The University of Memphis’ Fogelman Executive Center. In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million
people changed the face of America.

 

J. Scott Hopkins
Discussing & Signing Eker and the Secret of Peltaron
(Self, $15.00)

Saturday, March 3rd, 1 p.m.

Eker and the Secret of Peltaron is about a kid who finds he’s all alone.
There is nobody quite like him–literally. He is born into a race of aliens who
have never seen humans, yet he looks completely human from head to toe.
Puberty is complicated enough: crushes, school dances, changing friendships
and overprotective parents are bad enough, but throw in a few million angry
aliens, some beastly battles and the job of saving humanity and you’ve pretty
much spent a day as our human looking alien; Eker. Despite all these obstacles,
Eker faces his destiny and becomes a hero and an inspiration for humanity.

 

Paul & Angel Knipple
Discussing & Signing The World in a Skillet
(UNC Press, $35.00)

Tuesday, March 6th, 6 p.m.
Paul and Angela Knipple’s culinary tour of the contemporary American South
celebrates the flourishing of global food traditions “down home.” Drawing
on their firsthand interviews and reportage from Richmond to Mobile and enriched by a cornucopia of photographs and original recipes, the Knipples present engaging, poignant profiles of a host of first-generation immigrants from all over the world who are cooking their way through life as professional chefs, food entrepreneurs and restaurateurs, and home cooks in the South.

 
Eugenia Bone
Discussing & Signing Mycophilia
(Rodall Press, $25.99)

Wednesday, March 7th, 6 p.m.

Throughout history, fungus has been prized for its diverse properties–medicinal, ecological, and even recreational–and has spawned its own quirky subculture dedicated to exploring the weird biology and celebrating its unique role. Accomplished food writer and cookbook author Bone examines the role of fungi as exotic delicacy, curative, poison, and hallucinogen.

 
Shana Corey
Discussing & Signing Here Come the Girl Scouts!
(Scholastic Press, $17.99)

Thursday, March 8th, 6 p.m.

The amazing all-true story of the first Girl Scouts and their visionary founder.
Juliette Gordon Low–Daisy to her friends and family–wasn’t like most girls of the Victorian era. She loved the outdoor and longed for adventure. Born into a family of pathfinders and pioneers, she too wanted to make a difference in the world–and nothing would stop her. Combining her family’s passion for service with her own adventurous spirit and her belief that girls could do anything, she went on to estblish the Girl Scouts. One hundred years later, they continue to have adventures, do good deeds, and make a difference.

 

Jae Henderson
Discussing & Signing Someday, Too
(Self-published, $15.00)

Saturday, March 10th, 1 p.m.

Jae Henderson returns with the sequel to her debut inspirational romance, Someday. The second book of this three-part series provides further encouragement to women to live a life of good moral character and pursue their dreams. Delving into the complexities of love, friendship and faith, it reminds us that God can provide all your needs, but first, you have to be willing to trust Him.

 

Barrett Hathcock
Discussing & Signing The Portable Son
(Aqueous Books, $14.00)

Sunday, March 11th, 2:30 p.m.

Something is off in Peter Traxler. Born and raised in Mississippi in the last quarter of the 20th century, he finds himself sick with nostalgia for his upper-middle class childhood. The stories begin with his sexual initiation in a cotton field and follow him and his closest friends as they blindly make their way through their 20s. As Peter’s father is dying, his friends are establishing stable adult versions of themselves. Peter carries himself from one location to another,trying to find life as a man.

 

 

Richard Ledbetter
Discussing & Signing Witness Tree 1910
(Twisted Pines, $15.00)

Thursday, March 15th, 6 p.m.

Witness Tree 1910 is a historical novel, and the sequel to Ledbetter’s first novel, The Branch and the Vine. Both novels follow the lives of several Civil War survivors through the Reconstruction Era. The novel reveals numerous historical details and little known facts about the early settlements of the South Arkansas region, from Hot Springs to Pine Bluff.

 
Amy Franklin-Willis
Discussing & Signing The Lost Saints of Tennessee
(Atlantic Monthly Press, $25.00)

Saturday, March 17th, 1 p.m.

Here’s what some of the reviewers are saying about The Lost Saints of Tennessee

“Pitch-perfect . . . In her powerful debut, Franklin-Willis expertly crafts
a Southern novel that stands with genre classics like The Prince of Tides
and Bastard out of Carolina. . . . A measured, slow-burning book, with complex,
compelling characters and secrets that reveal themselves slowly. A beautiful
novel from a talented new author, The Lost Saints of Tennessee proves that
in great literature, as in life, we must always expect the unexpected.” —Bookpage
“Compelling . . . It is the natural voices of Franklin-Willis’s characters
and the Southern setting that carry this novel. . . . The author’s honest
prose rises from the heart. . . . Leaves the reader rooting for the characters
until the novel’s last page.”—The Boston Globe
“Poignant . . . Franklin-Willis plumbs the depths of family dynamics,
compassionately depicting her characters as they struggle with situations
over which they have no control.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Franklin-Willis’s well-rendered debut charms.”—Publishers Weekly

 

Bobby Keys
Discussing & Signing Every Night is a Saturday Night
(Counterpoint, LLC, $25.00)

Wednesday, March 21st, 6 p.m.

The Booksellers at Laurelwood is thrilled to host the legendary Bobby Keys for a book signing event,Born in Slaton, Texas, Bobby Keys has lived the kind of life that qualifies as a rock ‘n’ roll folktale. In his early teens, Keys bribed his way into Buddy Holly’s garage band rehearsals. He took up the saxophone because it was the only instrument left unclaimed in the school band, and
he convinced his grandfather to sign his guardianship over to Crickets drummer J.I. Allison so that he could go on the road as a teenager. Keys spent years on the road during the early days of rock ‘n’ roll with hit makers like Bobby Vee and the various acts on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars Tour, followed by decades as top touring and session sax man for the likes of Mad Dogs and Englishmen, George Harrison, John Lennon, and onto his gig with The Rolling Stones from 1970 onward. “Every Night’s a Saturday Night” finds Keys setting down the many tales of an over-the-top rock ‘n’ roll life in his own inimitable voice. Augmented by exclusive contributions from famous friends like Keith Richards, Joe Cocker, and Jim Keltner, Every Night’s a Saturday Night” paints a unique picture of the coming-of-age of rock ‘n’ roll.

 

Ann Lewin-Benham
Discussing & Signing Twelve Best Practices for Early Childhood Education:
Integrating Reggio & Other Inspired Approaches.
(Teachers College Press, $31.95)

Thursday, March 22nd, 6 p.m.

Popular author Ann Lewin-Benham draws on her experience with the Reggio
Approach to present 12 “best practices” inspired not only by Reggio, but also
by play-based and Montessori approaches to early childhood education. These practices are demonstrated, one per chapter, with scenarios from classrooms, dialogues of children and teachers, and work samples showing the outcome of using each practice. This resource includes a self-assessment tool to assist you in examining your practices and those of your school.
Peggy DeKay
Discussing & Signing Self Publishing for Virgins
(Darby Press, $21.95)

Sunday, March 25th, 3 p.m.

Please join us as we welcome Peggy DeKay, the author of Self Publishing for Virgins for a book signing and presentation on “How to Self Publish and Market Your Book”. This presentation not only introduces people to the idea of self publishing but how to do so profitably.

 

 

Camillla Gray-NelsonDiscussing & Signing Lipstick and the Leash

(Double Dove Press, $17.95)

Saturday, March 31st, 1 p.m.

An instruction guide for women who need help controlling their dogs, these lessons use personal wisdom to show how people can use the same methods relied upon in the animal world–quiet focus, feedback, and follow-through with a cool, calm, and collected demeanor. The book is filled with anecdotal stories from a farm-girl childhood surrounded by animal mentors, with the country upbringing providing a fluency in nonverbal language, quiet strength, and effectiveness. The book stresses the importance of powerful body language, eye contact, a calm voice, and consistent enforcement of rules, while also outlining specific types of behaviors that can undermine a woman’s natural power. Numerous photos throughout show dogs communicating non verbally with each other and illustrate how women can use these same techniques to instruct their dogs more naturally and effectively.

Author of Arlo & Janis at Booksellers

Booksellers At Laurelwood is honored to announce a signing with the creator of Arlo and Janis. On Saturday, February 25th, at 1:00 p.m. Mr. Johnson will be discussing and signing his new book, Beaucoup Arlo & Janis. Please join us in welcoming Jimmy and his new work, a collection which covers the heart of the changing relationship between this popular cartoon pair over the last 25 years.

A Little Something for your Downton Abbey Fever…

Can’t get enough of Julian Fellowes runaway hit? We have just what you need. There are a couple of non-fiction titles, some offerings of the fiction of Julian Fellowes, and even a couple of classic titles and DVDs you may not have thought about. Here is a small offering.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclerc Castle- The Countess of Canarvon

Almina was,officially, the child of Marie and Fred Wombwell. In truth, she was the much-loved child of Marie and her lover, the fabulously wealthy banker, Alfred de Rothschild. Rothschild wanted to secure a social position: a difficult effort for a Jewish man in 19th century society, so he endows Almina with his fortune. Enter Canarvon, a man who defines the term “landed gentry”.  He owns 4 estates, including the sprawling monster known as Highclerc (recognizable to all you DA fans as Grantham), but the Lord of the Manor has little cash, and Highclerc is crumbling under the weight of it’s upkeep.  Almina pays off Canarvon’s debts and restores Highclerc to full splendor, an expense that would make the wealthiest hedge-fund recipient gasp: Rothschild thought nothing of giving Almina the equivalent of half a million dollars to open the sprawling mansion for a weekend with his newfound friend, the Prince of Wales. In the meantime, Marie had been cut off from Almina in London, and was only allowed to visit Highclerc in secret.

Snobs-Julian Fellowes

Julian Fellowes brings us an insider’s look at a contemporary England that is still not as classless as is popularly supposed. Edith Lavery, an English blonde with large eyes and nice manners, is the daughter of a moderately successful accountant and his social-climbing wife. While visiting his parents’ stately home as a paying guest, Edith meets Charles, Earl of Broughton, and heir to the Marquess of Uckfield, who runs the family estates in East Sussex and Norfolk. To the gossip columns he is one of the most eligible young aristocrats around. When he proposes. Edith accepts. But is she really in love with Charles? Or with his title, his position, and all that goes with it? One inescapable part of life at Broughton Hall is Charles’s mother, the shrewd Lady Uckfield, known to her friends as “Googie” and described by the narrator—an actor who moves comfortably among the upper classes while chronicling their foibles—”as the most socially expert individual I have ever known at all well. She combined a watchmaker’s eye for detail with a madam’s knowledge of the world.” Lady Uckfield is convinced that Edith is more interested in becoming a countess than in being a good wife to her son. And when a television company, complete with a gorgeous leading man, descends on Broughton Hall to film a period drama, “Googie’s” worst fears seem fully justified. In this wickedly astute portrait of the intersecting worlds of aristocrats and actors, Julian Fellowes establishes himself as an irresistible storyteller and a deliciously witty chronicler of modern manners.

The House of Mirth- Edith Wharton

Ecclesiastes 7:4: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

A story of social class from this side of the pond. Lily Bart is torn by her desires for wealth and her needs for a relationship built on trust and love. Her social standing within New York’s upper crust begin to decline when Lily combines poor personal decisions with a lack of survival skills. Wharton’s first novel was published to great acclaim in 1905, and depicts a the Gilded Age as something less than golden. Though Wharton could never bring herself to either approve of or condemn high society in New York, the character of Lily Bart is one of heroic proportions; even to the point of admitting her own guilt in her downfall.

Events In February

Thursday 02/02/12 – 6:00 p.m.

 Carolyn McSparren discusses and signs  One Hoof In The Grave :A Merry Abbott Carriage Driving Mystery Book 2

“”This was a detailed, enjoyable mystery with convincing characters and an engaging plot…made me excited about author Carolyn McSparren. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future, which is probably one of the highest compliments I can give an author.” — Mrs. Hall’s Book Sandwich Blog on The Cart Before The Corpse

Saturday February 4th, 1:00 p.m Berenice Denton discussing & signing “Pass it on: Wild Tales & Estate Sales of Berenice Denton”.

Tuesday, 02/07/12 6:00 p.m.- Gin Phillips signs and discusses Come In And Cover Me- When Ren was only twelve years old, she lost her older brother, Scott, to a car crash. Since then, Scott has been a presence in her life, appearing as a snatch of song or a reflection in the moonlight. Now, twenty-five years later, her talent for connecting with the ghosts around her has made her especially sensitive as an archaeologist. More than just understanding the bare outline of how our ancestors lived, Ren is dedicated to re-creating lives and stories, to breathing life into those who occupied this world long before us. Now she is on the cusp of the most important discovery of her career, and it is ghosts who are guiding her way. But what do two long-dead Mimbres women have to tell Ren about herself? And what message do they have about her developing relationship with a fellow archaeologist, the first man to really know her since her brother’s death? Come In and Cover Me is the moving story of a woman learning to let go of the past in order to move forward with her own future. Written with the same warmth and depth of feeling that drew readers to The Well and the Mine, Phillips’s debut, Come In and Cover Me is a haunting and engrossing new novel.

Thursday February 9th, 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.- Stephanie McAfee signs and discusses Diary Of A Mad Fat Girl- Graciela “Ace” Jones is mad:mad at her best friend Lilly who cancels their annual trip to Panama City for mysterious reasons; at her boss Catherine for “riding her ass like a fat lady on a Rascal scooter;” at her friend Chloe’s abusive husband; and especially at Mason McKenzie, the love of her life, who has shown up with a marriage proposal three years too late. Ace is never mad, though, at her near-constant companion, an adorable chiweenie dog named Buster Loo. Ace’s anger begins to dissipate as she takes matters into her own hands to take down Chloe’s philandering husband-and to get to the bottom of a multitude of other scandals plaguing Bugtussle, Mississippi. Then, she starts to realize that maybe Mason deserves a second chance after all. With a sharp and distinctive voice, Stephanie McAfee delivers a hilarious and fast-paced tale about Ace Jones and her two best friends-thick as thieves and tough as nails-navigating Southern small-town politics and prejudices, finding love, and standing up for each other all the way.

Satuday 11th, 1:00 p.m- In mid-1950s Memphis, Tennessee, twelve-year-old Molly Flanagan struggles with double vision, family drama, piano lessons, and her own self-confidence, all while feeling pulled between the religious instruction of her Catholic godmother, Byrd, and her puritanical, Baptist grandmother, Willie. Molly ultimately decides to put her faith in the Holy Ghost to protect her from the impending dangers of snakes, eye operations, piano recitals, hell, and all other looming disasters. In Margaret Skinner’s capable hands, Molly’s search for grace in the midst of trying times for her family and neighborhood is both poignant and insightful.

Thursday, February 16th 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. L. A. Weatherly discusses and signs her books Angel Fire and Angel Burn-Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip – and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

They’re out for your soul . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.

Saturday, February 18th, 1:00 p.m.- Laurie Triplette discusses and signs Gimme Some Sugar, Darlin- Triplette pokes affectionate fun at being Southern while recording two centuries of culinary and cultural experiences in every Southern state. With over 700 recipes for both classic and modern Southern dishes plus essays and glossaries about Southern food and folk ways, the cookbook leads novices as well as insiders into the heart of Southern cooking.

Thursday, February 21st, 1:00 p.m.- William Gandy signs and discusses Grandma’s Big Vote- Mary Alice Gandy was featured on many of the major networks in 2008.  At the age of 106, she was the oldest first- time voter in America, perhaps in the world. Her grandson, local businessman William Gandy, has written a book about his grandmother’s decision to vote; offering inspiration to each of us that it’s never too late to become involved in our political process.

Tuesday, February 28th 6:00 p.m. Taylor Polites signs and discusses his new book, The Rebel Wife-Augusta Branson was born into antebellum Southern nobility during a time of wealth and prosperity, but now all that is gone, and she is left standing in the ashes of a broken civilization. When her errant  husband dies suddenly of a mysterious blood plague, she must fend for herself and her young son. Slowly she begins to wake to the reality of her new life: her social standing is stained by her marriage; she is alone and unprotected in a community that is being destroyed by racial prejudice and violence; the fortune she thought she would inherit does not exist; and the deadly blood fever is spreading fast. Nothing is as she believed, everyone she knows is hiding something, and Augusta needs someone to trust. Somehow she must find the truth amid her own illusions about the past and the courage to cross the boundaries of hate, so strong, dangerous, and very close to home. Using the Southern Gothic tradition to explode literary archetypes like the chivalrous Southern gentleman, the good mammy, and the defenseless Southern belle, The Rebel Wife shatters the myths that still cling to the antebellum South and creates an unforgettable heroine for our time.