Orders over $45 ship FREE
Shopping Cart
Bronze Drum
Phong Nguyen
A “gripping historical adventure” of ancient Vietnam based on the true story of two warrior sisters who raised an army of women to overthrow the Han Chinese and rule as kings over a united people, for readers of Circe and The Night Tiger (Booklist).
Gather around, children of Chu Dien, and be brave.
For even to listen to the story of the Trung Sisters is,
in these troubled times, a dangerous act.
In 40 CE, in the Au Lac region of ancient Vietnam, two daughters of a Vietnamese Lord fill their days training, studying, and trying to stay true to Vietnamese traditions. While Trung Trac is disciplined and wise, always excelling in her duty, Trung Nhi is fierce and free spirited, more concerned with spending time in the gardens and with lovers.
But these sister's lives—and the lives of their people—are shadowed by the oppressive rule of the Han Chinese. They are forced to adopt Confucian teachings, secure marriages, and pay ever‑increasing taxes. As the peoples' frustration boils over, the country comes ever closer to the edge of war.
When Trung Trac and Trung Nhi's father is executed, their world comes crashing down around them. With no men to save them against the Han's encroaching regime, they must rise and unite the women of Vietnam into an army. Solidifying their status as champions of women and Vietnam, they usher in a period of freedom and independence for their people.
Vivid, lyrical, and filled with adventure, The Bronze Drum is a true story of standing up for one's people, culture, and country that has been passed down through generations of Vietnamese families through oral tradition. Phong Nguyen's breathtaking novel takes these real women out of legends and celebrates their loves, losses, and resilience in this inspirational story of women's strength and power even in the face of the greatest obstacles.
Upcoming Events
Pagination Bookshop (Springfield, Missouri)
An Evening with Phong Nguyen
Join us Saturday, August 27th at 6 PM for this fantastic event with Phong Nguyen, author of BRONZE DRUM, which will include a reading, conversation with the author faciliated by local author Michael Czyzniejewski, and book signing!
More InformationSaint Louis University (Saint Louis, Missouri)
Georgia K. Johnston Writer-in-Residency Program
More Information
Less Is Lost
Andrew Sean Greer
In the follow-up to the “bedazzling, bewitching, and be-wonderful” (New York Times) best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning Less: A Novel, the awkward and lovable Arthur Less returns in an unforgettable road trip across America.
“Go get lost somewhere, it always does you good.”
For Arthur Less, life is going surprisingly well: he is a moderately accomplished novelist in a steady relationship with his partner, Freddy Pelu. But nothing lasts: the death of an old lover and a sudden financial crisis has Less running away from his problems yet again as he accepts a series of literary gigs that send him on a zigzagging adventure across the US.
Less roves across the “Mild Mild West,” through the South and to his mid-Atlantic birthplace, with an ever-changing posse of writerly characters and his trusty duo – a human-like black pug, Dolly, and a rusty camper van nicknamed Rosina. He grows a handlebar mustache, ditches his signature gray suit, and disguises himself in the bolero-and-cowboy-hat costume of a true “Unitedstatesian”... with varying levels of success, as he continues to be mistaken for either a Dutchman, the wrong writer, or, worst of all, a “bad gay.”
We cannot, however, escape ourselves—even across deserts, bayous, and coastlines. From his estranged father and strained relationship with Freddy, to the reckoning he experiences in confronting his privilege, Arthur Less must eventually face his personal demons. With all of the irrepressible wit and musicality that made Less a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning, must-read breakout book, Less Is Lost is a profound and joyous novel about the enigma of life in America, the riddle of love, and the stories we tell along the way.
“Go get lost somewhere, it always does you good.”
For Arthur Less, life is going surprisingly well: he is a moderately accomplished novelist in a steady relationship with his partner, Freddy Pelu. But nothing lasts: the death of an old lover and a sudden financial crisis has Less running away from his problems yet again as he accepts a series of literary gigs that send him on a zigzagging adventure across the US.
Less roves across the “Mild Mild West,” through the South and to his mid-Atlantic birthplace, with an ever-changing posse of writerly characters and his trusty duo – a human-like black pug, Dolly, and a rusty camper van nicknamed Rosina. He grows a handlebar mustache, ditches his signature gray suit, and disguises himself in the bolero-and-cowboy-hat costume of a true “Unitedstatesian”... with varying levels of success, as he continues to be mistaken for either a Dutchman, the wrong writer, or, worst of all, a “bad gay.”
We cannot, however, escape ourselves—even across deserts, bayous, and coastlines. From his estranged father and strained relationship with Freddy, to the reckoning he experiences in confronting his privilege, Arthur Less must eventually face his personal demons. With all of the irrepressible wit and musicality that made Less a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning, must-read breakout book, Less Is Lost is a profound and joyous novel about the enigma of life in America, the riddle of love, and the stories we tell along the way.
Upcoming Events
The Alembic (San Francisco, CA)
Booksmith Launch Party
Booksmith is thrilled to welcome back Andrew Sean Greer for the launch of Less Is Lost, the follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less. More information to be announced soon, but please save the date and join us for a very special release party at the Alembic.
More InformationSydney Goldstein Theater
City Arts & Lectures with KQED and Booksmith, in conversation with Adam Savage
More InformationBoulder Public Library's Canyon Theater
Boulder Bookstore & KGNU Radio Bookclub
Andrew Sean Greer will be joined in conversation with Boulder Bookstore's Arsen Kashkashian and KGNU's Maeve Conran, in a live recording of the Boulder Bookstore and KGNU Radio Book Club.
More InformationThe Ethical Society of St. Louis
In-Person Discussion
Left Bank Books welcomes Pulitzer Prize winning author Andrew Sean Greer, who will discuss the eagerly awaited follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Less, Less is Lost, in person at the Ethical Society of St. Louis and virtually at 7pm CT on September 23rd.
More InformationDownton Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Bookmarks Festival
Bookmarks is celebrating the launch of our 17th annual Festival of Books & Authors!
More InformationCoolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline, MA)
Live with Brookline Booksmith!
Live and in person with Brookline Booksmith, at Coolidge Corner Theatre! Celebrate the release of Less Is Lost with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer.
More InformationGreenlight at St. Joseph's University (New York, NY)
In-Person Discussion
More InformationThe Powerhouse (Oxford, MS)
Thacker Mountain Radio Hour
Join us for Thacker Mountain Radio Hour at the Powerhouse in Oxford, MS
More Information
The Hotel Nantucket
Elin Hilderbrand
“The queen of beach reads” (New York Magazine) delivers an immensely satisfying page-turner in this tale about a summer of scandal at a storied Nantucket hotel.
Fresh off a bad breakup with a longtime boyfriend, Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton is desperately seeking a second act. When she’s named the new general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, a once Gilded Age gem turned abandoned eyesore, she hopes that her local expertise and charismatic staff can win the favor of their new London billionaire owner, Xavier Darling, as well as that of Shelly Carpenter, the wildly popular Instagram tastemaker who can help put them back on the map. And while the Hotel Nantucket appears to be a blissful paradise, complete with a celebrity chef-run restaurant and an idyllic wellness center, there’s a lot of drama behind closed doors. The staff (and guests) have complicated pasts, and the hotel can’t seem to overcome the bad reputation it earned in 1922 when a tragic fire killed nineteen-year-old chambermaid Grace Hadley. With Grace gleefully haunting the halls, a staff harboring all kinds of secrets, and Lizbet’s own romantic uncertainty, is the Hotel Nantucket destined for success or doom?
Filled with the emotional depth and multiple points of view that characterize Hilderbrand’s novels (The Blue Bistro, Golden Girl) as well as an added dash of Roaring Twenties history, The Hotel Nantucket offers something for everyone in this compelling summer drama.
Fresh off a bad breakup with a longtime boyfriend, Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton is desperately seeking a second act. When she’s named the new general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, a once Gilded Age gem turned abandoned eyesore, she hopes that her local expertise and charismatic staff can win the favor of their new London billionaire owner, Xavier Darling, as well as that of Shelly Carpenter, the wildly popular Instagram tastemaker who can help put them back on the map. And while the Hotel Nantucket appears to be a blissful paradise, complete with a celebrity chef-run restaurant and an idyllic wellness center, there’s a lot of drama behind closed doors. The staff (and guests) have complicated pasts, and the hotel can’t seem to overcome the bad reputation it earned in 1922 when a tragic fire killed nineteen-year-old chambermaid Grace Hadley. With Grace gleefully haunting the halls, a staff harboring all kinds of secrets, and Lizbet’s own romantic uncertainty, is the Hotel Nantucket destined for success or doom?
Filled with the emotional depth and multiple points of view that characterize Hilderbrand’s novels (The Blue Bistro, Golden Girl) as well as an added dash of Roaring Twenties history, The Hotel Nantucket offers something for everyone in this compelling summer drama.
Upcoming Events
Nantucket, MA
Nantucket, MA
Nantucket, MA
Nantucket, MA
Nantucket, MA
Nantucket, MA
Always Be My Duchess
Amalie Howard
Pretty Woman meets the Bridgertons in this witty, vivacious historical take on 90s romcoms by USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard:
"Refreshing, steamy, and stocked with characters you don’t normally get to see in the genre—a must-read author."
—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Fabulous writing . . . such a delicious escape. Utterly delightful!”
—Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author
“Amalie Howard tells a story with self-assured style, wit, and energy . . . her writing sparkles!” —Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author
Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can't break a man's heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution . . .
Once an up-and-coming ballerina, Miss Geneviève Valery is now hopelessly out of work. After refusing to become a wealthy patron's mistress, Nève was promptly shown the door to the streets. When she accidentally saves the life of a handsome duke, she doubts the encounter will go any better than her last brush with nobility. But instead of propositioning her, Montcroix makes Nève an offer she would be a fool to refuse: act as his fake fiancée in exchange for fortune enough to start over.
Only neither is prepared when very real feelings begin to grow between them. They both stand to win . . . but only if they’re willing to risk their hearts.
"Refreshing, steamy, and stocked with characters you don’t normally get to see in the genre—a must-read author."
—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Fabulous writing . . . such a delicious escape. Utterly delightful!”
—Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author
“Amalie Howard tells a story with self-assured style, wit, and energy . . . her writing sparkles!” —Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author
Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can't break a man's heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution . . .
Once an up-and-coming ballerina, Miss Geneviève Valery is now hopelessly out of work. After refusing to become a wealthy patron's mistress, Nève was promptly shown the door to the streets. When she accidentally saves the life of a handsome duke, she doubts the encounter will go any better than her last brush with nobility. But instead of propositioning her, Montcroix makes Nève an offer she would be a fool to refuse: act as his fake fiancée in exchange for fortune enough to start over.
Only neither is prepared when very real feelings begin to grow between them. They both stand to win . . . but only if they’re willing to risk their hearts.
Upcoming Events
The Westgate Hotel - 1055 Second Avenue, San Diego, CA, 92101
Historical Romance Retreat
In a magical historical hotel setting, at the Westgate Hotel in San Diego, CA, this multi-day retreat is a book lover's dream come true. Join some of the world's most celebrated authors of historical romance coming together for an intimate gathering that gives every guest a chance to mingle and play.
More Information
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
Megan Bannen
"A uniquely charming mixture of whimsy and the macabre that completely won me over. If you ever wished for an adult romance that felt like Howl's Moving Castle, THIS IS THAT BOOK." —Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient
Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.
Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.
After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.
If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?
Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library.
"Truly outstanding romantic fantasy." —India Holton
"An unabashedly offbeat adventure." —Freya Marske
"I cried twice and smiled plenty." —Olivia Atwater
"A little sweet, a little spicy, a little sharp and entirely moreish!" —Davinia Evans
"I showed up for the fantastic, fun fantasy setting but it was Hart and Mercy that kept me reading." —Ruby Dixon
Upcoming Events
Crowdcast
Is This a Kissing Book?": Romance in Fantasy
Orbit Live presents "Is This a Kissing Book?": Romance in Fantasy" with Hannah Whitten & Megan Bannen Register for the event here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/whitten-bannen-aug2022 Virtual event.
More Information
For the Throne
Hannah Whitten
In this breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller For the Wolf, Red's sister Neve struggles to escape a mysterious land of twisted roots, lost gods, and mountains made of bone—and the only clues to her rescue are a magic mirror and a dark prince who wants to bring the whole thing crumbling down.
The First Daughter is for the Throne
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf...
Red and the Wolf have finally contained the threat of the Old Kings but at a steep cost. Red's beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter is lost in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control. But Neve has an ally, though it's one she'd rather never have to speak to again: the rogue king Solmir.
Solmir wants to bring an end to the Shadowlands and he believes helping Neve may be the key to its destruction. But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods' dark, twisted powers for themselves.
Upcoming Events
Crowdcast
Is This a Kissing Book?": Romance in Fantasy
Orbit Live presents "Is This a Kissing Book?": Romance in Fantasy" with Hannah Whitten & Megan Bannen Register for the event here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/whitten-bannen-aug2022 Virtual event.
More Information
The Milky Way
Moiya McTier
Astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier channels The Milky Way in this approachable and utterly fascinating autobiography of the titular galaxy, detailing what humans have discovered about everything from its formation to its eventual death, and what more there is to learn about this galaxy we call home.
After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it.
It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. Our home galaxy has even fallen in love.
After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for. Its fascinating autobiography recounts the history and future of the universe in accessible but scientific detail, presenting a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world.
After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it.
It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. Our home galaxy has even fallen in love.
After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for. Its fascinating autobiography recounts the history and future of the universe in accessible but scientific detail, presenting a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world.
Upcoming Events
Harvard Book Store
Dr. Moiya McTier at Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes astrophysicist, folklorist, science communicator, and Harvard University alumni DR. MOIYA MCTIER for a discussion of her new book The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy.
More InformationFireside Chat Podcast Platform
Fireside Virtual Adventure
A Fireside Virtual Adventure featuring astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier in conversation with Melier CEO Greg McBeth
More Information
The Chaos Machine
Max Fisher
From a New York Times investigative reporter, “an essential book for our times” (Ezra Klein), tracking the high-stakes inside story of how Big Tech’s breakneck race to drive engagement—and profits—at all costs fractured the world
We all have a vague sense that social media is bad for our minds, for our children, and for our democracies. But the truth is that its reach and impact run far deeper than we have understood. Building on years of international reporting, Max Fisher tells the gripping and galling inside story of how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social networks, in their pursuit of unfettered profits, preyed on psychological frailties to create the algorithms that drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions. As Fisher demonstrates, the companies’ founding tenets, combined with a blinkered focus maximizing engagement, have led to a destabilized world for everyone.
Traversing the planet, Fisher tracks the ubiquity of hate speech and its spillover into violence, ills that first festered in far-off locales to their dark culmination in America during the pandemic, the 2020 election, and the Capitol Insurrection. Through it all, the social-media giants refused to intervene in any meaningful way, claiming to champion free speech when in fact what they most prized were limitless profits. The result, as Fisher shows, is a cultural shift toward a world in which people are polarized not by beliefs based on facts, but by misinformation, outrage, and fear.
His narrative is about more than the villains, however. Fisher also weaves together the stories of the heroic outsiders and Silicon Valley defectors who raised the alarm and revealed what was happening behind the closed doors of Big Tech. Both panoramic and intimate, The Chaos Machine is the definitive account of the meteoric rise and troubled legacy of the tech titans, as well as a rousing and hopeful call to arrest the havoc wreaked on our minds and our world before it’s too late.
Upcoming Events
Livestream
Max Fisher: Social Media and Havoc on our Minds
The Commonwealth Club of California hosts New York Times investigative reporter Max Fisher as he looks at how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social networks drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions.
More Information
What We Owe the Future
William MacAskill
“This book will change your sense of how grand the sweep of human history could be, where you fit into it, and how much you could do to change it for the better. It's as simple, and as ambitious, as that.”
—Ezra Klein
An Oxford philosopher makes the case for “longtermism” — that positively influencing the long-term future is a key moral priority of our time.
The fate of the world is in our hands. Humanity’s written history spans only five thousand years. Our yet-unwritten future could last for millions more — or it could end tomorrow. Astonishing numbers of people could lead lives of great happiness or unimaginable suffering, or never live at all, depending on what we choose to do today.
In What We Owe The Future, philosopher William MacAskill argues for longtermism, that idea that positively influencing the distant future is a key moral priority of our time. From this perspective, it’s not enough to reverse climate change or avert the next pandemic. We must ensure that civilization would rebound if it collapsed; counter the end of moral progress; and prepare for a planet where the smartest beings are digital, not human.
If we make wise choices today, our grandchildren’s grandchildren will thrive, knowing we did everything we could to give them a world full of justice, hope and beauty.
Upcoming Events
Skyline Drive In NYC - 1 Oak St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
The New Yorker Festival
Our signature event returns to New York City with a dynamic mix of live conversations, performances, screenings, and experiences. Much of the Festival will also be streamed live and available afterward on demand. We hope you’ll join some of the world’s most influential and creative minds at the twenty-third annual New Yorker Festival. In person and virtual event.
More Information
A Hard Kick in the Nuts
Stephen Steve-O Glover
Stephen "Steve-O" Glover—social media icon, comedy-touring stalwart, and star of Jackass—delivers a hilarious and practical guide to recovery, relationships, career, and how to keep thriving long after you should be dead.
Steve-O is best known for his wildly dangerous, foolish, painful, embarrassing, and sometimes death-defying stunts. At age 48, however, he faces his greatest challenge yet: getting older. A Hard Kick in the Nuts: What I’ve Learned from a Lifetime of Terrible Decisions is a captivating exploration of life and how to live it by an individual who has already lived way more than a lifetime’s worth of extreme experiences. Steve-O grapples with the right balance between maturity and staying true to yourself, not repeating your “greatest hits,” maintaining sobriety and a healthy regimen, avoiding selfishness, and finding the right partner for life.Having built a gargantuan and loyal social media following while establishing a successful stand-up career—all after a couple of decades of dubious behavior—Steve-O is proof that anyone can find meaning and fulfillment in life, no matter what path they choose. Packed with self-deprecating wit and gruelingly earned wisdom, A Hard Kick in the Nuts will reverberate with readers everywhere who have lived a lot (sometimes too much) and are now wondering how to approach the years to come. Or maybe just need some good motivation to get out of bed tomorrow. One of many tips: Be your own harshest critic, then cut yourself a break, and enjoy this book.
Upcoming Events
The Paramount - 370 New York Ave, Huntington, NY 11743
STEVE-O’S BUCKET LIST TOUR
This Event is 18+ Every idea on Steve-O’s Bucket List was so ill-advised, he never expected to go through with any of them. Until it was time to prepare for this tour. Not only are the stunts more ridiculous than what you already know Steve-O for, he did them all, and made a highly XXX-rated, multimedia comedy show out of them. Not for kids, or for the faint of heart.
More InformationBarnes and Noble Union Square
Detroit Opera House - 1526 Broadway St., Detroit, MI 48226 United States
Forbes Under 30 Summit
Join the world’s top young leaders, founders and creators for a life-changing four days of connecting, learning, teaching and building. The 2022 Forbes Under 30 Summit* is more an immersive experience than a static conference: a private concert, A-list speakers, exclusive networking opportunities, industry-focused excursions, local culinary experiences, a legendary bar crawl, a powerful day of community service and more. *You must be 21+ years old to attend the in-person portion of this event.
More Information
The Third Reconstruction
Peniel E. Joseph
One of our preeminent historians of race and democracy argues that the period since 2008 has marked nothing less than America’s Third Reconstruction
In The Third Reconstruction, distinguished historian Peniel E. Joseph offers a powerful and personal new interpretation of recent history. The racial reckoning that unfolded in 2020, he argues, marked the climax of a Third Reconstruction: a new struggle for citizenship and dignity for Black Americans, just as momentous as the movements that arose after the Civil War and during the civil rights era. Joseph draws revealing connections and insights across centuries as he traces this Third Reconstruction from the election of Barack Obama to the rise of Black Lives Matter to the failed assault on the Capitol.
America’s first and second Reconstructions fell tragically short of their grand aims. Our Third Reconstruction offers a new chance to achieve Black dignity and citizenship at last—an opportunity to choose hope over fear.
In The Third Reconstruction, distinguished historian Peniel E. Joseph offers a powerful and personal new interpretation of recent history. The racial reckoning that unfolded in 2020, he argues, marked the climax of a Third Reconstruction: a new struggle for citizenship and dignity for Black Americans, just as momentous as the movements that arose after the Civil War and during the civil rights era. Joseph draws revealing connections and insights across centuries as he traces this Third Reconstruction from the election of Barack Obama to the rise of Black Lives Matter to the failed assault on the Capitol.
America’s first and second Reconstructions fell tragically short of their grand aims. Our Third Reconstruction offers a new chance to achieve Black dignity and citizenship at last—an opportunity to choose hope over fear.
Upcoming Events
BookPeople, 2nd Floor
BookPeople Presents: Peniel E. Joseph and The Third Reconstruction
Join us in celebrating Peniel E. Joseph’s new book The Third Reconstruction! He will be in conversation with Richard Reddick. The event will include a moderated discussion, an audience Q&A, and a signing line.
Learn MoreLivestream and in-person at The Forum
Town Hall Seattle and the Northwest African American Museum present Peniel E. Joseph with Naomi Ishisaka
In his latest work, distinguished professor and historian Dr. Peniel E. Joseph asserts that the modern-day struggle to attain equality for Black Americans is as momentous as those of the post-Civil War and Civil Rights eras. His book, The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century, explores the crucible of civil and political unrest that emerged amid the tumult of 2008-2020, framing them within socio-historical contexts. As the current crusade for justice continues to unfold, Dr. Joseph invites readers to learn the lessons – and limitations – of the undertakings that preceded it. Naomi Ishisaka is the Assistant Managing Editor for Diversity and Inclusion and the Social Justice Columnist for The Seattle Times. She is an award-winning journalist and photographer who focuses on racial equity and social justice. Her writing and photography have appeared in The Seattle Times, Seattle Magazine, City Arts, ColorsNW Magazine, Seattle Globalist, South Seattle Emerald and other publications. Ishisaka is a frequent speaker at media workshops and community events, and is on the board of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Seattle chapter. The Forum 1119 8th Ave (Entrance off Seneca St.) Seattle, Washington 98101
Learn MoreBook Passage Ferry Building 1 Ferry Building San Francisco, CA 94111
Book Passage presents: Peniel Joseph in conversation with Waldo Martin
Peniel Joseph in conversation with Waldo Martin
Learn MoreNational Museum of African American History - 1400 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560
Historically Speaking: The Third Reconstruction: American’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty First Century by Peniel Joseph
The conversation will be moderated by Robert Samuels, co-author of His Name is George Floyd and a national political enterprise reporter for the Washington Post. Books will be available for sale and signing courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises.
More InformationSt. David's Church - 301 E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701
The 2022 Texas Tribune Festival
Join us Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin for TribFest, a multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the day’s news.
More Information
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal
Justin Gregg
“A dazzling, delightful read on what animal cognition can teach us about our own mental shortcomings.”
- Adam Grant
"Undeniably entertaining"
- The New York Times
This funny, "extraordinary and thought-provoking" (The Wall Street Journal) book asks whether we are in fact the superior species. As it turns out, the truth is stranger—and far more interesting—than we have been led to believe.
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal overturns everything we thought we knew about human intelligence, and asks the question: would humans be better off as narwhals? Or some other, less brainy species? There’s a good argument to be made that humans might be a less successful animal species precisely because of our amazing, complex intelligence.
All our unique gifts like language, math, and science do not make us happier or more “successful” (evolutionarily speaking) than other species. Our intelligence allowed us to split the atom, but we’ve harnessed that knowledge to make machines of war. We are uniquely susceptible to bullshit (though, cuttlefish may be the best liars in the animal kingdom); our bizarre obsession with lawns has contributed to the growing threat of climate change; we are sexually diverse like many species yet stand apart as homophobic; and discriminate among our own as if its natural, which it certainly is not. Is our intelligence more of a curse than a gift?
As scientist Justin Gregg persuasively argues, there’s an evolutionary reason why human intelligence isn’t more prevalent in the animal kingdom. Simply put, non-human animals don’t need it to be successful. And, miraculously, their success arrives without the added baggage of destroying themselves and the planet in the process.
In seven mind-bending and hilarious chapters, Gregg highlights one feature seemingly unique to humans—our use of language, our rationality, our moral systems, our so-called sophisticated consciousness—and compares it to our animal brethren. Along the way, remarkable tales of animal smarts emerge, as you’ll discover:
- The house cat who’s better at picking winning stocks than actual fund managers
- Elephants who love to drink
- Pigeons who are better than radiologists at spotting cancerous tissue
- Bumblebees who are geniuses at teaching each other soccer
What emerges is both demystifying and remarkable, and will change how you look at animals, humans, and the meaning of life itself.
Upcoming Events
201 W. Mifflin Street Madison, WI 53703
Wisconsin Book Festival
The Wisconsin Book Festival, presented by Madison Public Library in partnership with Madison Public Library Foundation, presents free, public author events that celebrate books and spark conversations. Each year, the festival creates a robust schedule of accomplished and new writers whose fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books appeal to all ages of readers. The Festival presents stand-alone events throughout the year with a culminating celebration each fall. The 2022 fall celebration is scheduled for October 13-16. The festival is committed to presenting a mix of in-person and virtual events that are free and open to the public.
More Information
Hostages No More
Betsy DeVos
Now a National Bestseller!
From coronavirus lockdowns to critical race theory in the classroom, it has become crystal clear that America’s schools aren’t working for America’s students and parents. No one knows this better than Betsy DeVos.
Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country’s most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She’s unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education – which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one.
Now, DeVos is ready to tell her side of the story after years of being vilified by the radical left for championing common-sense, conservative reforms in America’s schools.
In Hostages No More, DeVos unleashes her candid thoughts about working in the Trump administration, recounts her battles over the decades to put students first, hits back at “woke” curricula in our schools, and details the reforms America must pursue to fix its long and badly broken education system. And she has stories to tell: DeVos offers blunt insights on the people and politics that stand in the way of fixing our schools.
For students, families and concerned citizens, DeVos shares a roadmap for reclaiming education and securing the futures of our kids – and America.
From coronavirus lockdowns to critical race theory in the classroom, it has become crystal clear that America’s schools aren’t working for America’s students and parents. No one knows this better than Betsy DeVos.
Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country’s most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She’s unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education – which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one.
Now, DeVos is ready to tell her side of the story after years of being vilified by the radical left for championing common-sense, conservative reforms in America’s schools.
In Hostages No More, DeVos unleashes her candid thoughts about working in the Trump administration, recounts her battles over the decades to put students first, hits back at “woke” curricula in our schools, and details the reforms America must pursue to fix its long and badly broken education system. And she has stories to tell: DeVos offers blunt insights on the people and politics that stand in the way of fixing our schools.
For students, families and concerned citizens, DeVos shares a roadmap for reclaiming education and securing the futures of our kids – and America.
Upcoming Events
Marriott Marquis 901 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20001
Defense of Freedom Institute/Federalist Society's Education Law & Policy Conference
The Education Law & Policy Conference will examine the federal legal and policy issues surrounding American education. The conference will take place on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C., and will feature a welcome session, panel discussions, a luncheon speech, a keynote closing speech, and a reception.
More InformationMarriott Marquis (Washington, DC)
The Education Law & Policy Conference
The Education Law & Policy Conference will examine the federal legal and policy issues surrounding American education. The conference will take place on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C., and will feature a welcome session, panel discussions, a luncheon speech, a keynote closing speech, and a reception.
More InformationRichard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum - 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
The Honorable Betsy DeVos at the Nixon Library
Former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will discuss the American education system, the state of civic education and the 50-year impact of Title IX in a special forum at the Nixon Library in conjunction with her new book, Hostages No More: The Fight for Education and Freedom and the Future of the American Child. Secretary DeVos is among the nation’s leading advocates for education freedom for students of all ages, having served as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education from 2017-2021.
More InformationThe Richard Nixon Library and Museum
Book Discussion
Former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will discuss the American education system, the state of civic education and the 50-year impact of Title IX in a special forum at the Nixon Library in conjunction with her new book, Hostages No More: The Fight for Education and Freedom and the Future of the American Child.
More Information
The West Wing and Beyond
Pete Souza
Go behind the scenes of the West Wing—into the Oval Office and Situation Room, aboard Air Force One, and beyond—with #1 bestselling author and former presidential photographer Pete Souza.
Pete Souza has spent more time in the Oval Office than almost any person in history. During the Obama administration alone, Souza was inside the presidential bubble for more than 25,000 hours and made nearly 2 million photographs. The result is an unprecedented view of how our democracy really works.
Now Souza invites you into the inner sanctum of the American presidency, sharing rarely seen photographs and untold stories of life and work in the White House and traveling with the President around the world.
The West Wing and Beyond takes you behind the scenes of consequential moments and traditions with the people who define our nation’s highest office—from the senior White House staff to the Oval Office valets. It delivers new insights into the role of the Secret Service, the seriousness of decisive meetings in the West Wing, and even some fun moments aboard Air Force One.
Brimming with gorgeous photographs paired with fascinating storytelling, The West Wing and Beyond offers a one-of-a-kind look into the personalities, intrigues, and fascinating details that comprise the modern presidency. It is an essential book for every citizen who believes in American democracy.
Upcoming Events
Orpheum Theater
Cooper Union
Decatur Book Festival Keynote
Atlanta, GA
at First Baptist Church of Decatur with A Cappella Books
MORE INFO (Registration starts 8/29)Sixth & I
Robert Frost Auditorium
Revolution Hall
David Rubenstein Forum
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Humanities Festival with Seminary Co-op Bookstores (In conversation with David Axelrod)
REGISTERTown Hall
None of This Rocks
Joe Trohman
Lead guitarist and cofounder of Fall Out Boy shares personal stories from his youth and his experiences of modern rock and roll stardom in this memoir filled with wit and wisdom.
Trohman cofounded Fall Out Boy with Pete Wentz in the early aughts, and he’s been the sticky element of the metaphorical glue-like substance holding the band together ever since, over the course of a couple decades that have included massive success, occasional backlashes, and one infamous four-year hiatus. Trohman was, and remains, the emotive communicator of the group: the one who made sure they practiced, who copied and distributed the flyers, and who took the wheel throughout many of the early tours. As soon as he was old enough to drive, that is—because he was all of 15 years old when they started out. That’s part of the story Trohman tells in this memoir, which provides an indispensable inside perspective on the history of Fall Out Boy for their legions of fans. But Trohman has a great deal more to convey, thanks to his storytelling chops, his unmistakable voice, and his unmitigated sense of humor in the face of the tragic and the absurd.None of This Rocks chronicles a turbulent life that has informed Trohman’s music and his worldview. His mother suffered from mental illness and multiple brain tumors that eventually killed her. His father struggled with that tragedy, but was ultimately a supportive force in Trohman’s life who fostered his thirst for knowledge. Trohman faced antisemitism in small-town Ohio, and he witnessed all levels of misogyny, racism, and violence amid the straight edge hardcore punk scene in Chicago. Then came Fall Out Boy. From the guitarist’s very first glimpses of their popular ascension, to working with his heroes like Anthrax’s Scott Ian, to writing for television with comedian Brian Posehn, Trohman takes readers backstage, into the studio, and onto his couch. He shares his struggles with depression and substance abuse in a brutally honest and personal tone that readers will appreciate. Not much of this rocks, perhaps, but it all adds up to a fascinating music memoir unlike any you’ve ever read.
Upcoming Events
POWERHOUSE @ the Archway 28 Adams Street (Corner of Adams & Water Street @ the Archway) Brooklyn , NY 11201
Book Launch: None Of This Rocks by Joe Trohman
This event will be IN-PERSON! Please note that all attendees must wear a mask.
More InformationSomerville Armory 191 Highland Ave Somerville, MA 02143
Live with Brookline Booksmith! Joe Trohman: None of This Rocks
Celebrate the release of None of This Rocks with the cofounder and lead guitarist of Fall Out Boy Joe Trohman! Tickets will go on sale Friday, 7/15.
More InformationStories Books and Cafe - 1716 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Book Launch: None of This Rocks by Joe Trohman
The lead guitarist and co-founder of Fall Out Boy shares personal stories from his youth and his experiences of modern rock and roll stardom in this memoir filled with wit and wisdom. In-person event.
More Information
Like a Rolling Stone
Jann S. Wenner
Rolling Stone founder, co-editor, and publisher Jann Wenner offers a "touchingly honest" and "wonderfully deep" memoir from the beating heart of classic rock and roll (Bruce Springsteen).
Jann Wenner has been called by his peers “the greatest editor of his generation.”His deeply personal memoir vividly describes and brings you inside the music, the politics, and the lifestyle of a generation, an epoch of cultural change that swept America and beyond. The age of rock and roll in an era of consequence, what will be considered one of the great watersheds in modern history. Wenner writes with the clarity of a journalist and an essayist. He takes us into the life and work of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. He was instrumental in the careers of Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe, and Annie Leibovitz. His journey took him to the Oval Office with his legendary interviews with Bill Clinton and Barak Obama, leaders to whom Rolling Stone gave its historic, full-throated backing. From Jerry Garcia to the Dalai Lama, Aretha Franklin to Greta Thunberg, the people Wenner chose to be seen and heard in the pages of Rolling Stone tried to change American culture, values, and morality.
Like a Rolling Stone is a beautifully written portrait of one man’s life, and the life of his generation.
Upcoming Events
Austin, TX
Texas Tribune Festival
Join us Sept. 22-24 in person in downtown Austin for The Texas Tribune Festival, a multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the day’s news. In-person event.
More Information
Come to This Court and Cry
Linda Kinstler
In 1965, five years after the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires, one of his Mossad abductors was sent back to South America to kill another fugitive Nazi, the so-called “butcher of Riga,” Latvian Herberts Cukurs. Cukurs was shot. On his corpse, the assassins left pages from the closing speech of the chief British prosecutor at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg:
“After this ordeal to which mankind has been submitted, mankind itself . . . comes to this Court and cries: ‘These are our laws—let them prevail!’”
Years later, the Latvian prosecutor general began investigating the possibility of redeeming Cukurs for his past actions. Researching the case, Linda Kinstler discovered that her grandfather, Boris, had served in Cukurs’s killing unit and was rumored to be a double agent for the KGB. The proceedings, which might have resulted in Cukurs’s pardon, threw into question supposed “facts” about the Holocaust at the precise moment its last living survivors—the last legal witnesses—were dying.
Rich with scholarly detective work and personal reflection, Come to This Court and Cry is a fearlessly brave examination of how history can become distorted over time, how easily the innocent are forgotten, and how carelessly the guilty are sometimes reprieved.
“After this ordeal to which mankind has been submitted, mankind itself . . . comes to this Court and cries: ‘These are our laws—let them prevail!’”
Years later, the Latvian prosecutor general began investigating the possibility of redeeming Cukurs for his past actions. Researching the case, Linda Kinstler discovered that her grandfather, Boris, had served in Cukurs’s killing unit and was rumored to be a double agent for the KGB. The proceedings, which might have resulted in Cukurs’s pardon, threw into question supposed “facts” about the Holocaust at the precise moment its last living survivors—the last legal witnesses—were dying.
Rich with scholarly detective work and personal reflection, Come to This Court and Cry is a fearlessly brave examination of how history can become distorted over time, how easily the innocent are forgotten, and how carelessly the guilty are sometimes reprieved.
Upcoming Events
Virtual
Holocaust Denial in Today's Courtrooms and What It Means for Justice and Memory
Join author Linda Kinstler for a conversation on Kinstler's personal story and new book-- an investigation both of her family story and the archives of ten nations-- that examines what it takes to prove history in our uncertain century.
More Information
The Divorce Colony
April White
**AN AMAZON "BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH (Nonfiction)" (June 2022)**
**AN APPLE "BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH " (June 2022)**
From a historian and senior editor at Atlas Obscura, a fascinating account of the daring nineteenth-century women who moved to South Dakota to divorce their husbands and start living on their own terms
**AN APPLE "BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH " (June 2022)**
From a historian and senior editor at Atlas Obscura, a fascinating account of the daring nineteenth-century women who moved to South Dakota to divorce their husbands and start living on their own terms
For a woman traveling without her husband in the late nineteenth century, there was only one reason to take the train all the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, one sure to garner disapproval from fellow passengers. On the American frontier, the new state offered a tempting freedom often difficult to obtain elsewhere: divorce.
With the laxest divorce laws in the country, five railroad lines, and the finest hotel for hundreds of miles, the small city became the unexpected headquarters for unhappy spouses—infamous around the world as The Divorce Colony. These society divorcees put Sioux Falls at the center of a heated national debate over the future of American marriage. As clashes mounted in the country's gossip columns, church halls, courtrooms and even the White House, the women caught in the crosshairs in Sioux Falls geared up for a fight they didn't go looking for, a fight that was the only path to their freedom.
In The Divorce Colony, writer and historian April White unveils the incredible social, political, and personal dramas that unfolded in Sioux Falls and reverberated around the country through the stories of four very different women: Maggie De Stuers, a descendent of the influential New York Astors whose divorce captivated the world; Mary Nevins Blaine, a daughter-in-law to a presidential hopeful with a vendetta against her meddling mother-in-law; Blanche Molineux, an aspiring actress escaping a husband she believed to be a murderer; and Flora Bigelow Dodge, a vivacious woman determined, against all odds, to obtain a "dignified" divorce.
Entertaining, enlightening, and utterly feminist, The Divorce Colony is a rich, deeply researched tapestry of social history and human drama that reads like a novel. Amidst salacious newspaper headlines, juicy court documents, and high-profile cameos from the era's most well-known players, this story lays bare the journey of the turn-of-the-century socialites who took their lives into their own hands and reshaped the country's attitudes about marriage and divorce.
Upcoming Events
Lewes, DE
2022 History Book Festival
With the help of our presenting sponsors — Delaware Humanities and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices I Gallo Realty — as well as our community partners and volunteers, the 2022 History Book Festival will feature authors of newly published narrative nonfiction and historical fiction — in Lewes on September 23, 24, and 25.
More Information
Raising Lazarus
Beth Macy
A “deeply reported, deeply moving” (Patrick Radden Keefe) account of everyday heroes fighting on the front lines of the overdose crisis, from the New York Times bestselling author of Dopesick (inspiration for the Peabody Award-winning Hulu limited series) and Factory Man.
Nearly a decade into the second wave of America's overdose crisis, pharmaceutical companies have yet to answer for the harms they created. As pending court battles against opioid makers, distributors, and retailers drag on, addiction rates have soared to record-breaking levels during the COVID pandemic, illustrating the critical need for leadership, urgency, and change. Meanwhile, there is scant consensus between law enforcement and medical leaders, nor an understanding of how to truly scale the programs that are out there, working at the ragged edge of capacity and actually saving lives.
Distilling this massive, unprecedented national health crisis down to its character-driven emotional core as only she can, Beth Macy takes us into the country’s hardest hit places to witness the devastating personal costs that one-third of America's families are now being forced to shoulder. Here we meet the ordinary people fighting for the least of us with the fewest resources, from harm reductionists risking arrest to bring lifesaving care to the homeless and addicted to the activists and bereaved families pushing to hold Purdue and the Sackler family accountable. These heroes come from all walks of life; what they have in common is an up-close and personal understanding of addiction that refuses to stigmatize—and therefore abandon—people who use drugs, as big pharma execs and many politicians are all too ready to do.
Like the treatment innovators she profiles, Beth Macy meets the opioid crisis where it is—not where we think it should be or wish it was. Bearing witness with clear eyes, intrepid curiosity, and unfailing empathy, she brings us the crucial next installment in the story of the defining disaster of our era, one that touches every single one of us, whether directly or indirectly. A complex story of public health, big pharma, dark money, politics, race, and class that is by turns harrowing and heartening, infuriating and inspiring, Raising Lazarus is a must-read for all Americans.
Upcoming Events
302 Cambell Ave SE Roanoke, VA 24013
Local Launch: Beth Macy "Raising Lazarus"
Join Book No Further for the local launch of Beth Macy's new book "Raising Lazarus," Monday, August 22, at 7 pm at Community High School.
More Information800 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219 - Lecture Hall
Weinstein Author Series – Beth Macy | Raising Lazarus
Please join us for a talk by award-winning journalist and best-selling author Beth Macy on her latest work, Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis. A complex story of public health, big pharma, dark money, politics, race, and class that is by turns harrowing and heartening, infuriating and inspiring, the book is a must-read for all Americans.
More InformationBCPL Conference Room - 185 Poe Town Street Grundy VA 24614 US
Beth Macy Visit
More Informationhttps://allsoulschurch.org/calendar/
Booksmart Tulsa: Raising Lazarus
Sit down with Jeff Martin of Magic City Books and Beth Macy author of "Raising Lazarus: Hope Justice, and the Future of America's Overdose Crisis." "Macy's gripping follow up to the mega-bestselling "Dopesick" turns the lens to the fight for justice, from the prosecution of the Sackler family to the reformers pioneering innovative treatments for the afflicted.Enlightening and exhaustive, it's at once a damning expose about greed and a moving paean to the power of community activism." - Esquire
More InformationThe Mercantile Library - 414 Walnut St #1100, Cincinnati, OH 45202
OFFSITE EVENT – Beth Macy discussing Raising Lazarus
Beth Macy discussing Raising Lazarus is an OFFSITE EVENT at The Mercantile Library. Visit MercantileLibrary.com to register for the event.
More InformationUnion Square Building - 124 E Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27406
Carceral Country: An Evening with Beth Macy
Scuppernong Books presents a new Fall series investigating issues of social justice and the Carceral State, called Carceral Country. We’ll bring authors, journalists, and activists from a variety of disciplines together to discuss policing and incarceration in North Carolina and across the country and we invite the community to be a part of these conversations.
More InformationGreater Richmond Convention Center - 403 N 3rd St, Richmond, VA 23219
20th Annual James River Writers Conference 2022
JRW is thrilled to welcome BETH MACY, award-winning author of DOPESICK, as the keynote speaker for our 20th Annual James River Writers Conference.
More Information1023 Springdale Rd, Austin, TX 78721
Texas Book Festival
The Texas Book Festival will take place November 5 & 6, 2022. The Festival will include a robust, diverse lineup of established, emerging, and debut literary talent for readers of all ages. Check the Texas Book Festival website for updates and more information.
More Information
Hero of Two Worlds
Mike Duncan
From the bestselling author of The Storm Before the Storm and host of the Revolutions podcast comes the thrilling story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s lifelong quest to defend the principles of liberty and equality
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A #1 ABA INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE BESTSELLER
Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over fifty incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist.
As a teenager, Lafayette ran away from France to join the American Revolution. Returning home a national hero, he helped launch the French Revolution, eventually spending five years locked in dungeon prisons. After his release, Lafayette sparred with Napoleon, joined an underground conspiracy to overthrow King Louis XVIII, and became an international symbol of liberty. Finally, as a revered elder statesman, he was instrumental in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in the Revolution of 1830.
From enthusiastic youth to world-weary old age, from the pinnacle of glory to the depths of despair, Lafayette never stopped fighting for the rights of all mankind. His remarkable life is the story of where we come from, and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A #1 ABA INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE BESTSELLER
Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over fifty incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist.
As a teenager, Lafayette ran away from France to join the American Revolution. Returning home a national hero, he helped launch the French Revolution, eventually spending five years locked in dungeon prisons. After his release, Lafayette sparred with Napoleon, joined an underground conspiracy to overthrow King Louis XVIII, and became an international symbol of liberty. Finally, as a revered elder statesman, he was instrumental in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in the Revolution of 1830.
From enthusiastic youth to world-weary old age, from the pinnacle of glory to the depths of despair, Lafayette never stopped fighting for the rights of all mankind. His remarkable life is the story of where we come from, and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear.
Upcoming Events
Madison, WI
Mystery to Me
More InformationChicago, IL
Seminary Co-op
More InformationPortland, OR
Powell's City of Books
More InformationSeattle, WA
Elliott Bay Book Company
More InformationBoulder, CO
Boulder Bookstore
More InformationDenver, CO
Tattered Cover
More InformationDallas, TX
Interabang Books
More InformationAustin, TX
BookPeople
More InformationHouston, TX
Brazos
More InformationNew Orleans, LA
Garden District Books
More InformationAtlanta, GA
Chapel Hill, NC
Flyleaf Books
More InformationRaleigh, NC
Quail Ridge
More Information
The Stolen Year
Anya Kamenetz
An NPR education reporter shows how the pandemic disrupted children’s lives—and how our country has nearly always failed to put our children first
The onset of COVID broke a 150-year social contract between America and its children. Tens of millions of students lost what little support they had from the government—not just school but food, heat, and physical and emotional safety. The cost was enormous.
But this crisis began much earlier than 2020. In The Stolen Year, Anya Kamenetz exposes a long-running indifference to the plight of children and families in American life and calls for a reckoning.
She follows families across the country as they live through the pandemic, facing loss and resilience: a boy with autism in San Francisco who gains a foster brother and a Hispanic family in Texas that loses a member to COVID, and finds solace when they need it most. Kamenetz also recounts the history that brought us to this point: how we thrust children and caregivers into poverty, how we over-police families of color, how we rely on mothers instead of infrastructure. And how our government, in failing to support our children through this tumultuous time, has stolen years of their lives.
The onset of COVID broke a 150-year social contract between America and its children. Tens of millions of students lost what little support they had from the government—not just school but food, heat, and physical and emotional safety. The cost was enormous.
But this crisis began much earlier than 2020. In The Stolen Year, Anya Kamenetz exposes a long-running indifference to the plight of children and families in American life and calls for a reckoning.
She follows families across the country as they live through the pandemic, facing loss and resilience: a boy with autism in San Francisco who gains a foster brother and a Hispanic family in Texas that loses a member to COVID, and finds solace when they need it most. Kamenetz also recounts the history that brought us to this point: how we thrust children and caregivers into poverty, how we over-police families of color, how we rely on mothers instead of infrastructure. And how our government, in failing to support our children through this tumultuous time, has stolen years of their lives.
Upcoming Events
Washington, DC
Politics & Prose
More InformationNewport, RI
Charter Books
More InformationWinston-Salem, NC
Festival of Books and Authors
More InformationSan Francisco, CA
Book Passage
More InformationSeattle, WA
Town Hall
More InformationNew Orleans, LA
Octavia Books
More Information
Suspect
Scott Turow
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent and The Last Trial returns with a riveting legal thriller in which a reckless private detective is embroiled in a fraught police scandal.
For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation—until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies—both outside the police force and within..
Clarice “Pinky” Granum spent most of her youth experimenting with an impressive array of drugs and failing out of various professions, including the police academy. Pinky knows that in the eyes of most people, she's nothing but a screwup—but she doesn't trust most people's opinions anyway. Moreover, she finally has a respectable-enough job as a licensed P.I. working for Rik on his roster of mostly minor cases, like workman's comp, DUIs and bar fights. Rik's shabby office and even shabbier cases are a far cry from the kinds of high-profile criminal matters Pinky became familiar with in the law office of her grandfather, Sandy Stern. But Rik and Pinky feel that Chief Gomez’s case, which has attracted national attention, is their chance to break into the legal big leagues.
Guided by her gut instinct and razor-sharp investigative skills, Pinky dives headfirst into a twisted scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses of the city’s criminal networks, as well as the human mind. But she will need every scrap of tenacity and courage to unravel the dark secrets those closest to her are determined to keep hidden.
For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation—until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies—both outside the police force and within..
Clarice “Pinky” Granum spent most of her youth experimenting with an impressive array of drugs and failing out of various professions, including the police academy. Pinky knows that in the eyes of most people, she's nothing but a screwup—but she doesn't trust most people's opinions anyway. Moreover, she finally has a respectable-enough job as a licensed P.I. working for Rik on his roster of mostly minor cases, like workman's comp, DUIs and bar fights. Rik's shabby office and even shabbier cases are a far cry from the kinds of high-profile criminal matters Pinky became familiar with in the law office of her grandfather, Sandy Stern. But Rik and Pinky feel that Chief Gomez’s case, which has attracted national attention, is their chance to break into the legal big leagues.
Guided by her gut instinct and razor-sharp investigative skills, Pinky dives headfirst into a twisted scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses of the city’s criminal networks, as well as the human mind. But she will need every scrap of tenacity and courage to unravel the dark secrets those closest to her are determined to keep hidden.
Upcoming Events
Chicago, IL
Anderson’s Bookshop @ Community Christian Church
Join Anderson’s Bookshop for an in-person signing with #1 New York Times bestselling author Scott Turow to celebrate the release of his latest thriller, Suspect,
More InformationScottsdale, AZ
Los Angeles, CA
Live Talks LA, at Wilshire Boulevard Temple – Audrey Irmas Pavilion
An Evening with Scott Turow discussing his new novel, Suspect
More InformationSan Diego, CA
Warwick’s, at the University of San Diego
Scott Turow in conversation with stephen ferruolo, usd professor of law & former dean of the school of law.
More InformationSykesville, MD
A Likely Story, at the Carroll County Public Library Eldersburg Branch
New York Times bestselling author, Scott Turow, will be joining us for an author discussion. He will be highlighting latest novel SUSPECTChicago, IL
Overkill
Sandra Brown
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller in which a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.
Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca's parents have the final say.
Four years later, Rebecca's attacker, Eban—the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder.
It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom.
Upcoming Events
Barnes & Noble Lincoln Park (Dallas)
7700 W Northwest Highway #300, Dallas, TX 75225
Author Event - Sandra Brown celebrates OVERKILL
More InformationCuyahoga County Public Library (Cleveland)
2121 Snow Road, Parma, OH 44134
Join us when author Sandra Brown visits to discuss her latest thriller, Overkill.
More InformationRehoboth Beach Country Club
221 West Side Drive, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Join us for a meet & greet luncheon with best-selling author Sandra Brown on August 25th at 11:30 am at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club.
More Information
The Devil Takes You Home
Gabino Iglesias
From an award-winning author comes a genre-defying thriller about a father desperate to salvage what's left of his family—even if it means a descent into violence.
Buried in debt due to his young daughter’s illness, his marriage at the brink, Mario reluctantly takes a job as a hitman, surprising himself with his proclivity for violence. After tragedy destroys the life he knew, Mario agrees to one final job: hijack a cartel’s cash shipment before it reaches Mexico. Along with an old friend and a cartel-insider named Juanca, Mario sets off on the near-suicidal mission, which will leave him with either a cool $200,000 or a bullet in the skull. But the path to reward or ruin is never as straight as it seems. As the three complicated men travel through the endless landscape of Texas, across the border and back, their hidden motivations are laid bare alongside nightmarish encounters that defy explanation. One thing is certain: even if Mario makes it out alive, he won’t return the same.The Devil Takes You Home is a panoramic odyssey for fans of S.A. Cosby’s southern noir, Blacktop Wasteland, by way of the boundary-defying storytelling of Stephen Graham Jones and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Upcoming Events
Downtown Austin in and around the State Capitol
2022 Texas Book Festival
The Festival Weekend is free and open to the public, with 250+ authors of the year’s best books. The full author lineup will be announced in September, and the schedule will be released in October.
More Information
The Drowned Woods
Emily Lloyd-Jones
A magical, ethereal fantasy from IndieBound bestselling author Emily Lloyd-Jones.
Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict, and eighteen-year-old Mererid “Mer” is well-acquainted with both. She is the last living water diviner and has spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service. Under the prince’s orders, she located the wells of his enemies, and he poisoned them without her knowledge, causing hundreds of deaths. After discovering what he had done, Mer went to great lengths to disappear from his reach. Then Mer’s old handler returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both.
The best way to do that is to destroy the magical well that keeps the prince’s lands safe. With a motley crew of allies, including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves, and a corgi that may or may not be a spy, Mer may finally be able to steal precious freedom and peace for herself. After all, a person with a knife is one thing…but a person with a cause can topple kingdoms.
The Drowned Woods—set in the same world as The Bone Houses but with a whole new, unforgettable cast of characters—is part heist novel, part dark fairy tale.
Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict, and eighteen-year-old Mererid “Mer” is well-acquainted with both. She is the last living water diviner and has spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service. Under the prince’s orders, she located the wells of his enemies, and he poisoned them without her knowledge, causing hundreds of deaths. After discovering what he had done, Mer went to great lengths to disappear from his reach. Then Mer’s old handler returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both.
The best way to do that is to destroy the magical well that keeps the prince’s lands safe. With a motley crew of allies, including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves, and a corgi that may or may not be a spy, Mer may finally be able to steal precious freedom and peace for herself. After all, a person with a knife is one thing…but a person with a cause can topple kingdoms.
The Drowned Woods—set in the same world as The Bone Houses but with a whole new, unforgettable cast of characters—is part heist novel, part dark fairy tale.
Upcoming Events
Crowdcast
Virtual YA Dark Fantasy Panel
Books of Wonder hosts a YA Dark Fantasy Panel with authors Emily Lloyd-Jones, Intisar Khanani, Cyla Panin and Debbie Rigaud
More Information
The Final Gambit
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD OF THE #1 BESTSELLING SERIES!
Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.
To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her.
But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.
Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake—and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.
Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.
To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her.
But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.
Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake—and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.
Upcoming Events
1313 E. Danforth Edmond, OK 73034
Jennifer Lynn Barnes and The Final Gambit IN PERSON!
This event is free and open to the public. Jennifer will be in conversation will long time writing friend and bestselling author, Rachel Vincent! Books purchased from Best of Books is required for signing. Jennifer will only be signing books sold through Best of Books, including her previously published books. IN-STORE PICKUP. Pre-order now, get your book that night!
More InformationBookPeople - 603 N Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78703
Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Final Gambit
Join us in celebrating Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s new book The Final Gambit! She will be in conversation with Laekan Zea Kemp. The event will include a moderated discussion, an audience Q&A, and a signing line.
More InformationSt. Louis County Library - Daniel Boone Branch - 300 Clarkson Rd, Ellisville, MO 63011
Jennifer Lynn Barnes In-Person Event | The Final Gambit
We are so excited for you to join us at the St. Louis County Library - Daniel Boone Branch for an evening with NYT-bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes for a discussion and signing of her newest book, The Final Gambit. This event is free to the public. There will be a signing line after the discussion for individuals to get books personalized. You are welcome to bring titles from home for the signing.
More Information
Belladonna
Adalyn Grace
New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace brings to life a highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.
Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.
Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.
Upcoming Events
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore & Crowdcast
In Discussion with Kiersten White
Adalyn Grace discussing BELLADONNA, in discussion with Kiersten White A Ticketed In-Store and Virtual Event
More InformationPowell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
In Conversation with Sara Gundell
More InformationBooks Inc. (Alameda, California)
In Conversation with Akshaya Raman
A @ Books Inc. proudly welcomes New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace in celebration of her newest novel, Belladonna. Adalyn will be in conversation with local writer Akshaya Raman at Books Inc. Alameda!. (Ages 13+).
More InformationLittle Shop of Stories (Decatur, Georgia)
In Conversation with Roshani Chokshi
Adalyn Grace in conversation with Roshani Chokshi!
More InformationOne More Page Books (Arlington, Virginia)
In Conversation with Sasha Peyton Smith
Join us on the first Saturday in September for Adalyn Grace's conversation with author Sasha Peyton Smith!
More InformationBarnes and Noble (Orem, Utah)
In Conversation with Tricia Levenseller
We are excited to present YA Fantasy author Adalyn Grace, celebrated author of the duology All the Stars and Teeth and its sequel All the Tides of Fate, to our store! dalyn will be discussing her highly anticipated new book, Belladonna! Joining her is local YA author Tricia Levenseller writer of Daughter of the Pirate King and Master of Iron.
More Information