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Thursday, May 1, Gables
 In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union redefined the word "planet" and relegated Pluto to the status of a dwarf planet, along with Ceres and Eris. In 11 Planets (National Georgraphic, $16.95, ages 8-12), David Aguilar, an expert who works on the leading edge of this astounding shift, explains and explores our new galactic knowledge. Using spectacular computer artwork, exclusive to National Geographic, and simple engaging text, this colorful book profiles all 11 planets in our newly categorized solar system: terrestrial Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars; gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; and dwarf planets Pluto, Ceres, and Eris. The author of the hugely popular Planets, Stars, and Galaxies now leads young minds through into this exciting new view of space, giving readers a vivid "you are there" sensation through his photorealistic artwork. 6pm
An ancient race of lycanthropes has survived to the present day, and its numbers are growing as the initiated convince L.A.'s down and out to join their pack. Paying no heed to moons, full or otherwise, they change from human to canine at will—and they're bent on domination at any cost. Caught in the middle are Anthony, a kind-hearted, besotted dogcatcher, and the girl he loves, a female werewolf who has abandoned her pack. Blending dark humor and epic themes with card-playing dogs, crystal meth labs, surfing, and carne asada tacos, Sharp Teeth (HarperCollins, $22.95), by Toby Barlow, captures the pace and feel of a graphic novel while remaining "as ambitious as any literary novel, because underneath all that fur, it's about identity, community, love, death, and all the things we want our books to be about" [Nick Hornby, The Believer]. 8pm
Thursday, May 1, Bal Harbour Shops
Address Unknown (Washington Square Press, $8.95) by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor is a classic story, first published in 1939, that resonates today. Address Unknown presents a haunting story that unfolds through the letters of two close friends -- a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco and his former business partner who returned to Germany -- who describe the horror and grief brought on by the Nazi regime on the dawn of the Holocaust. Join us for this Evening Presented by Barbara L. Cohen -- a reading of this slim book that speaks volumes, as we close out artist Gabriel Lalonde’s gallery exhibit and mark Holocaust Remembrance Day on Friday. Complimentary wine will be served. 6pm
Friday, May 2, Gables
Damanhur, Italy, may be one of the most unique places on earth. Founded by Oberto Airaudi in 1975, it is “the largest communal group in the ancient wisdom-magical tradition.” Situated in Valchiusella Valley, in the Alpine foothills of northern Italy,Damanhur is a Federation of Communities and Regions with over 800 citizens, a social and political structure, a Constitution, 40 economic activities, its own currency, schools and a daily paper. Crotalo Sesamo has lived in the Federation of Damanhur as a spiritual researcher for 16 years, specializing in the fields of Spritual Healing and the development of human potential with the Olami Damanhur University of which he is now the Director. He is a specialist in the fields of Spiritual Healing, Ancient Civilizations and Inner Research, and teaches courses in Astral Travel and conscious Out of Body Experiences, Past Lives, Inner Harmonizing, Widening of Perception, and Contact with the Plant World. This afternoon, he’ll be showing a 20-minute video on Damanhur and will answer questions about the place for anyone who is curious about learning more. Recommended reading includes: Damanhur: The Extraordinary Italian Artistic and Spiritual Communityby Jeff Merrifield (Hanford Mead, $23.95), The Book of Synchronicity,by Oberto Airaudi (North Atlantic Books), The Temples of Humankind by Esperide Ananas (Cosm, $). 1:30pm
For more than twenty years, the Hermès Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from Hermès, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello. Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and an Hermès scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermès to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs—and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women. Bringing Home the Birkin (HarperCollins, $25.95) is his distinctive, fun, page-turning new memoir. 8pm
Coral Gables Gallery Night: Faces and Places: A Journey Through India. An exhibition of photographs by Subrata & Sheila Basu. 7-10pm.
Live Music in the Courtyard: Federico Britos and Jorge García, 7-11pm
Saturday, May 3, Gables
Erin Hunter is the author of the enthralling, animal-centric young adult fantasies in the tradition of Brian Jacques's Redwall books. In Outcast – Warriors: Power of Three (HarperCollins, $16.99, ages 10+), a secret prophecy shapes the lives of Firestar's grandchildren, but only one of the three knows about it. Jaypaw is captivated by the power it promises, and he believes the key to that power may lie buried in the distant past -- with the ancient cats who once walked these woods and now prowl through his dreams. His search for answers leads him toward the mountains -- the home of the Tribe of Rushing Water. Lionpaw and Hollypaw feel drawn to the mountains too, for different reasons. But the mountains hide secrets as well as answers, and if the three cats find a way to get there, they may discover more than they ever expected. Bring a picture of your cat, his/her Warrior name (or real name if you prefer), and a secret power that your cat possesses. We're forming a Books & Books' Cat Clan and we want your feline to get in on the action! 5pm
Little did Sam Phillips know the impact his best friend Jeremy's attempted suicide was going to have on the world. He and fellow cohorts Amy and Alex thought it benign to publish a website of bipolar-patient Jeremy's grandiose philosophy. But when greedy capitalists attempt to exploit Jeremy's vision chaos prevails. Set during the mad 1999 Internet boom, Jeremy's Prophecy Dot Com (Veneer, $) is Keith Kimmel’s exploration of what happens when hysteria, idolatry and media meet. The story illuminates the often ignored, but very serious epidemic of depression and mental illness in modern society. 8pm
Saturday, May 3, Bal Harbour Shops
Bring Your Own Birkin – It’s not a purse. It’s not a handbag. It’s a Birkin! The bag that deserves its very own party. And we’re throwing one in honor of Michael Tonello and his new book, Bringing Home the Birkin (HarperCollins, $25.95). Tonello chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, he recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin-seekers. Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing and stammering, Tonello is a master raconteur who weaves together tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memories of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes of obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. So bring your Birkin and party attitude. It’s in the bag!. 4pm
Sunday, May 4, Bal Harbour Shops
"If I were a skywriter, I’d write your name up high/in sparkling golden loop-the-loops across a summer sky." To what heights will a mom or dad go to celebrate their love for a son or daughter? Join us for an afternoon of family fun as we mark the publication of local author Sherry North’s imaginative and heartwarming ode that celebrates a parent’s affection for a child, Because You Are My Baby (Harry N. Abrams, $15.95, ages 3-6). The celebration begins with Radio Disney AM990 at 12:30pm and lots of songs, fun and games the whole family can enjoy. Then, Sherry will read to us from her beautiful new picture book - the perfect Mother’s day present at 1:30pm. Presented in collaboration with The Lehrman Day School on the occasion of their Spring Book Fair. 12:30pm
Sunday, May 4, Gables
Note: This event is in Spanish. Transfiguración, de Esteban Luis Cárdenas (Ciego de Avila, Cuba, 1945) viene a ser un reencuentro con el poeta, después de varios años de ausencia dentro del mundo editorial.
Esteban Luis Cárdenas fue expulsado de la Universidad de La Habana en 1966 por “diversionismo ideológico”. En 1978 es condenado a 15 años de prisión por intentar asilarse en la embajada argentina en La Habana; es indultado al año siguiente. Salió de Cuba en 1980 y reside en Miami. Ha publicado los poemarios Cantos del centinela (1993) y Ciudad mágica (1997) y el libro de cuentos Un café exquisito (2001). 4pm
In the aftermath of 9/11, President Bush and his top advisors declared that the struggle against terrorism would be nothing less than a war–a new kind of war that would require new tactics, new tools, and a new mind-set. Bush’s Law (Pantheon, $26.95) is the unprecedented account of how the Bush administration employed its “war on terror” to mask the most radical remaking of American justice in generations. Eric Lichtblau, who has covered the Justice Department and national security issues for the duration of the Bush administration, details not only the development of the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program–initiated by the vice president’s office in the weeks after 9/11–but also the intense pressure that the White House brought to bear on The New York Times to thwart his story on the program. 6pm
Monday, May 5, Gables
Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow. Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life. The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Author of the acclaimed novel Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr delivers its sequel, Ink Exchange (HarperCollins, $16.95, ages 12+), which draws readers into a deep faery world with all its allures and perils. All you Stephenie Meyer fans out there must check out this amazing up-and-coming new voice in YA literature. Don’t miss it! 7pm
Monday, May 5, Lincoln Theatre
“As a little boy, I had a dream that my father had taken me to the woods where there was a dead body. He buried it and told me I must never tell. It was the only thing we’d ever done together as father and son, and I promised not to tell. But unlike most dreams, the memory of this one never left me. And sometimes…I wasn’t altogether sure about one thing: was it just a dream?” With A Wolf at the Table (St. Martin’s Press, $24.95), Augusten Burroughs makes a quantum leap into untapped emotional terrain: the radical pendulum swing between love and hate, the unspeakably terrifying relationship between father and son. Told with scorching honesty and penetrating insight, it is a story for anyone who has ever longed for unconditional love from a parent. Though harrowing and brutal, A Wolf at the Table will ultimately leave you buoyed with the profound joy of simply being alive. It’s a memoir of stunning psychological cruelty and the redemptive power of hope. Presented in collaboration with the Florida Center for the Literary Arts. Free tickets are required for this event and available at all Books & Books locations, while supplies last. 7:30pm
Tuesday, May 6, Gables
Night Fire: Big Oil, Poison Air and Margie Richard’s Fight to Save Her Own (Amistad, $24.95) Miami Herald journalist Ronnie Greene’s passionate look at how humble grassroots activism can eventually unsettle a corporate Goliath. In 1958, Margie Richard was a pregnant 16-year-old, whose home had been displaced by a Shell oil refinery expansion and had recently resettled in Diamond, a tiny neighborhood in Norco, La. The neighborhood was poor, predominantly African-American and a stone's throw from another Shell chemical refinery. Two explosions at the refineries (one killed two residents) and the 1983 death of Richard's beloved sister from sarcoidosis, a lung ailment rooted in industrial pollution, propelled Richard into 15 years of activism, demanding that Shell recompense the neighborhood for decades of steady poisoning. Along with other residents, Richard formed the Norco Relocation Committee, determined to wrest realistic relocation funds from Shell, the international behemoth whose profits would eventually exceed $1.5 million per hour. After two court cases and almost 14 years, Shell capitulated in 2002. Greene's mix of vivid oral history and hard evidence is a rousing reminder that with stubborn determination, ordinary citizens can prevail against the most powerful of opponents. 8pm
Tuesday, May 6, Coral Gables Congregational Church
With her trademark passion, intelligence, and devastating wit, Huffington Post editor in chief Arianna Huffington tackles the issues that are crucial to this year’s presidential election and, even more so, to the fate of the country. Huffington makes the case that America has been hijacked from within by a radical element—the “lunatic fringe” of the Right that has taken over the Republican Party. Despite holding views at odds with the majority of Americans, these zealots have given us an endless war in Iraq, a sputtering economy, a health care system on life support, a war on science and reason, and an immoral embrace of torture. But they haven’t done it on their own: they have been enabled by a compliant media that act as if there is no such thing as truth and are more interested in cozying up to those in power than in holding them accountable, and by feckless Democrats who have allowed themselves to be intimidated into backing down again and again. Both a withering indictment and a hopeful call to arms, Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution and Made Us All Less Safe (Knopf, $24.95) is an explosive, boldly incisive work that will help set the national agenda. Free tickets are required for this event and are available at all Books & Books locations, while supplies last. 7:30pm
Wednesday, May 7, Gables
On October 23, 2006, in response to one of the most severe epidemics of gentrification and low income housing in the United States, a small group of activists, members of Take Back The Land, seized control over public land, created the self-governed shantytown of Umoja Village, and started a movement. Take Back the Land: Land Gentrification and the Umoja Village (Nia Press, $12.95), the new book by Umoja Village organizer Max Rameau, is part political theory and part narrative, documenting the planning, development, struggles and triumphs endured by Take Back The Land activists and Umoja Village residents, and tackles the larger fundamental issues of land and power distribution in black communities. In the wake of public housing vacancies, corrupt government officials and flawed federal programs, a community found the courage to fight back, offering a model for fighting against gentrification and for land. Detailing the thoughts, arrests, conflicts and the devastating fire which would reduce the village to ashes, the book describes how one community built Umoja. This book is a great tool for activist, organizers and historians.Presented in collaboration with ACLU Miami. 6pm
Part memoir, part fashion and cultural history of the last five decades, Autobiography of a Wardrobe (Pantheon, $20) is an exploration of the clothes each generation has embraced, the smallest details in which we are able to seek comfort and meaning, and the places and things--sometimes odd or unexpected--in which we store our memories. Elizabeth Kendall's native intelligence and gift for storytelling entrance the reader, as the wardrobe charts the most important events in B.'s life and the outfits she assembles for each. We watch as B. copes with the untimely death of her mother; makes a go of magazine work--and glamour--in New York; and, after the inevitable false starts and wrong moves (including, of course, in her choice of clothing), finally comes into her own. 8pm
Wednesday, May 7, Bal Harbour Shops
Mildred Nitzberg collected oral histories of Holocaust survivors – including her husband of 50 years, Saul. Niztberg, along with co-author Marilyn Segal, combine the rich narrative of Saul’s life with his words, letters and photographs in I Chose Life ($25) to tell the story of a man who battled through unbelievable tragedy to secure his freedom -- and success in the United States as a doctor and beloved husband, father and grandfather. But the quest for peace eluded. Then, he battled once again to free himself from the emotional strain of such loss and trauma. Saul made the almost unthinkable journey back to Auschwitz, where he had been imprisoned. He also traveled to the then Soviet Union to try to find his long-lost brother, Lova. 7:30pm
Thursday, May 8, Gables
Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities? When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear listener, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. A New York Times bestseller and winner of the E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers, The Mysterious Benedict Society hit bookshelves by storm last month. Now, author Trenton Lee Stewart has Reynie, Kate, Constance and Sticky off on a new adventure in the sequel, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Little, Brown & Co., $16.99, ages 8-12). Radio Disney AM990 will be here to get the party started as we celebrate our new favorite children’s series destined to be a hit with lovers of The Spiderwick Chronicles, A Series of Unfortunate Events and of course, Harry Potter. 7pm
Thursday, May 8, Miami Beach
Mahu Fire (Alyson, $14.95) the third mystery novel from Lambda Award finalist Neil Plakcy, begins as Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka attends a local charity event in support of gay marriage. When a bomb disrupts the gala, Kimo, his family and friends are thrust into a deadly contest between the forces of good and evil. A wave of religious fundamentalism sweeps through Oahu, at the same time as violence against gay and lesbian-owned businesses is on the rise. Coincidence? Kimo doesn’t think so. Working with hunky fire inspector Mike Riccardi – day and night – Kimo digs through the ashes to discover a motive for the attacks, as well as who is behind them. Throw in an exotic tropical locale, plenty of aloha spirit and a dash of surf culture, as well as a slam-bang ending that puts Kimo and the people he cares about in danger, and you’ve got the makings of a page-turning mystery. 8pm
Friday, May 9, Gables
Although the photographs of Clyde Butcher stand by themselves as images worthy of artistic merit, they also draw upon an American landscape tradition that extends to the very beginning of American art and photography. Like Ansel Adams, Butcher is an activist in protecting fragile ecosystems, working tirelessly with environmental groups to preserve unspoiled wilderness and reverse negative impact on nature. In America the Beautiful ($15), his monumental and spectacular photographs of America's grandeur from sea to shining sea—from Washington's Olympic National Park to Acadia National Park in Mt. Desert, Maine—depict the transcendence of what Butcher calls "the sacred on this earth" and which Butcher hopes will "encourage the viewer to feel a deep connection with this earth and with each other." Undoubtedly, here in Clyde Butcher's undisturbed, natural space, the words of Ansel Adams resonate loud and clear, "Our time is short, and the future terrifyingly long." Presented in collaboration with Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart on the occasion of their Spring Book Fair. 4:30pm
Getting antsy for school to end? Is that spring semester slump in full force? Come and rock out at Books & Books’ free concert – Books & Beats: Teen Bands Jam Night this evening from 7-10pm! It’s the perfect thing to give you an extra burst of energy just in time for exams! B&B DJs will be spinning the best that the record labels have to offer and we’ll have live music featuring The Skamatics and more. And we’re sweetening the deal with some of the bestselling YA authors in the biz as our guests of honor – E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski and their new novel, How to Be Bad: A Novel (HarperCollins, $16.99, 14+), the story of three girls and a road trip to remember – three girls who couldn't be more different but have one goal in mind: to get the heck out of Dodge. Well, Niceville, Florida, actually. Parents, don’t even get out of the car. This event’s not for you. 7pm
Saturday, May 10, Gables
We’re celebrating Mother’s Day all weekend long! Join author Sherry North this morning as she reads to us from her imaginative and heartwarming ode to parenthood, Because You Are My Baby (Harry N. Abrams, $15.95, ages 3-6). “If I were a skywriter, I’d write your name up high. In sparkling golden loop-the-loops across a summer sky.” To what heights will a mom or dad go to celebrate their love for a son or daughter? Will they climb Mount Everest? Will they write a hit song? From making pizza as a chef and blasting off as an astronaut visiting Mars, to gathering gemstones as a geologist and granting wishes as a genie, a parent’s fanciful desires for his or her child come true. A great storytime read aloud, a soothing bedtime lullaby, and an ideal gift for Mother’s Day, come experience this heartfelt testament to the boundless love of a parent. 11am 
On Christmas Day, Bruce Kohler wakes up in detox on the Bowery in New York City. He knows it’s time to change his life, but how can he stay sober without dying of boredom? When homeless alcoholics start to die unexpectedly, Bruce is surprised to find he cares enough to want to find out why. Two old friends give Bruce a second chance and agree to help him with his investigation: his best friend, Jimmy, a computer genius and history buff who’s been in AA for years, and Jimmy’s girlfriend Barbara, a counselor who sometimes crosses the line between helping and codependency. In Death Will Get You Sober (St. Martin’s Press, $23.95), Bruce discovers that the church basements of AA are a small world in the big city of New York. As he grapples with staying sober, he finds that not drinking is only the beginning of coming back to life---a life he finds he wants to keep when it’s threatened by a killer. Debut author Elizabeth Zelvin has used her expertise as an addiction councilor to pen a riveting mystery filled with memorable, realistic characters who are as flawed as they are heroic. 5pm
LIP SERVICE has become a huge hit. Eight authors get eight minutes each to share their personal tales. Stories about love, grief, longing, hope...life. You will die laughing. You might even cry. You don't want to miss it. Come early, seats fill fast. 7pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Carl Ferrari Band, 7-11pm
Saturday, May 10, Lincoln Theatre, 541 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
Established in 1998, the Miami International Piano Festival has achieved international recognition with participants and journalists from all over the world coming to the Lincoln Theatre in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center for the Performing Arts to experience one of the most compelling keyboard events in the world. Books & Books is collaborating with the festival to present visiting lecturer, Stuart Isacoff, a pianist, composer, founding editor of the magazine Piano Today, and author of Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization (Knopf, $13.95). In this engaging and accessible account, Isacoff leads us through the battles over that scale, placing them in the context of quarrels in the worlds of art, philosophy, religion, politics and science. Tonight, Isacoff lectures on From the Silly to the Sublime: The Alchemy of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variation. This composition will be performed by Aleksandar Madzar (Serbia) during the concert later that evening. The lecture is free and open to the public and begins at 7pm. Tickets to the concert start at only $15. For more information, call 305-395-5115 or visit www.miamipianofest.com
Sunday, May 11, Lincoln Theatre
Visiting pianist, composer and author Stuart Isacoff (see entry above) will lecture on Piano vs. Orchestra: The Concerto as Battlefield. The lecture will be followed by an evening of piano concertos performed by the Miami International Piano Festival Orchestra conducted by William Noll. Guest soloist Gulsin Onay (Turkey) performs the Chopin Concerto No. 2 and Pietro de Maria (Italy) concludes the evening with Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1. Isacoff’s book, Temperament (Knopf, $13.95) traces the contentious adoption of the modern tuning system known as equal temperament called into question beliefs that had lasted nearly two millenia–and also made possible the music of Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy, and all who followed. Filled with original insights, fascinating anecdotes, and portraits of some of the greatest geniuses of all time, Temperament is that rare book that will delight the novice and expert alike. The lecture is free and open to the public and begins at 7pm. Tickets to the concert start at only $15. For more information, call 305-395-5115 or visit www.miamipianofest.com
Monday, May 12, Gables
USA 2030 – Predictions (Ashtemari, $20) is a remarkable effort in futurology aimed at the United States. It follows the publication in Brazil last year of Attila Andrade’s Brasil 2030 – As Previsões (Brazil 2030 – The Predictions) that had the same objective regarding his home country. But unlike that book, USA 2030 – Predictions is not a translation from the Portuguese; the author wrote it in English. His basic methodology is influenced heavily by Dr. Charles Reich’s seminal work, The Greening of America. Overall, Andrade is very bullish about America’s future because of its competitive edge in knowledge and technology. Yet as a proponent of world peace and playing by the rules set by the United Nations, he decries what he calls Washington’s “bombs and bullets approach” to foreign policy. Expanding his focus, Andrade makes a case for growing synergy among the following geographic blocs: the United States, European Union and Brazil; Russia, India and what he calls the “Orthodox states,” that is, Eastern Europe where Orthodox Christianity dominated, and China and the Islamic world. 6pm
A new superstar appeared on the American sports landscape in the spring of 2006: Barbaro, a three-year-old racehorse, won the Kentucky Derby by six and a half lengths, the largest margin of victory in sixty years. Barbaro's impressive performance immediately stirred talk of a possible Triple Crown. But in the opening yards of the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, the horse suffered a catastrophic leg injury that ended his undefeated career and left him fighting for his life. Edgar Prado, a native of Peru and one of the world's top jockeys, rode Barbaro to glory and then stood beside him for months as the horse valiantly struggled to survive and millions of fans held their breath. In My Guy Barbaro (HarperCollins, $25.95), Prado recounts his own story, a tale of grit and dreams that moves from his impoverished childhood in Lima, Peru, to the winner's circles of the greatest racetracks in the world, and memorably chronicles his emotional time with Barbaro before, during, and after the horse's breakdown. 8pm
Tuesday, May 13, Gables
In two collections of stories, The Question of Bruno and the NBCC-finalist Nowhere Man, Aleksandar Hemon has earned unmatched literary acclaim and a reputation as one of the English language's most original and moving wordsmiths. In The Lazarus Project (Penguin, $24.95), Hemon has turned these talents to an embracing novel that intertwines haunting historical atmosphere and detail with sharp and shimmering—sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking—contemporary storytelling. A young writer from Chicago becomes obsessed with the story of Lazarus Averbuch, a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe who was shot to death in 1908. In order to understand Averbuch, Brik and his friend Rora—who overflows with stories of his life as a Sarajevo war photographer—retrace Averbuch's path across Eastern Europe. Their stories become inextricably entwined, augmented by the photographs that Rora takes on their journey, creating a truly original, provocative, and entertaining novel that will confirm Hemon once and for all as one of the most dynamic and essential literary voices of our time. 8pm
Tuesday, May 13, Temple Beth Am, 5950 N. Kendall Drive, Miami
Henry Winkler is instantly recognizable and admired by audiences of all ages for his role as the Fonz on the long-running series, Happy Days. In addition, he is an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming, and he is a founding member of the Children's Action Network. One of his favorite roles, however, has been as the author of the critically-acclaimed Hank Zipzer series, which is loosely based on his own childhood struggle with dyslexia, and follows the everyday adventures of a bright boy with learning challenges. The newest book in the series that has sold over a million copies is The Life of Me (Enter At Your Own Risk) (Grosset & Dunlap, $5.99, ages 8-10). Presented in collaboration with Temple Beth Am. Free tickets available at all Books & Books locations. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Only those books purchased at Books & Books will be eligible for signing. Due to time constraints, he will not be able to personalize books. Candid photos are allowed. Please leave memorabilia at home. 7:30pm
Wednesday, May 14, Gables
At the start of his brilliantly unconventional family memoir, The Film Club (Twelve, $21.99), David Gilmour is an unemployed movie critic trying to convince his fifteen-year-old son Jesse to do his homework. When he realizes Jesse is beginning to view learning as a loathsome chore, he offers his son an unconventional deal: Jesse could drop out of school, not work, not pay rent - but he must watch three movies a week of his father's choosing. Week by week, side by side, father and son watched everything from True Romance to Rosemary's Baby to Showgirls, and films by Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese, Brian DePalma, Billy Wilder, among others. The movies got them talking about Jesse's life and his own romantic dramas, with mercurial girlfriends, heart-wrenching breakups, andthe kind of obsessive yearning usually seen only in movies. Through their film club, father and son discussed girls, music, work, drugs, money, love, and friendship - and their own lives changed in surprising ways. Presented in collaboration with Miami Film Society and Miami International Film Festival. 8pm
Wednesday, May 14, Bal Harbour Shops
Plain-spoken and tender, the poems of Peter Schmitt’s Renewing the Vows (David Robert Books, $17) carefully trace the seam between the mundane and the resonant, reminding us, in their lyrical narratives, that the smallest moments may have the greatest import. Schmitt is the author of two collections of poems, Country Airport and Hazard Duty. He is a graduate of Amherst and The Iowa Writers Workshop. “These carefully crafted poems are full of refreshing humility and empathy – an openness to life, with both its sadness and grief, and its magical moments of transcendence. It’s simply a jewel of a book,” states poet Jim Daniels. Schmitt reads from his new collection this evening. 7:30pm
Wednesday, May 14, Arts Center/South Florida,
800 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
Mayra Lazara Dole is a Cuban-born/Miami Cuban novelist and columnist for Ambiente Magazine, an LGBTQ magazine. Mayra suffers from MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities) -- which is best known from the movie “The Boy in the Bubble.” Mayra must live in a glassed-in room isolated from anything with chemicals such as perfume, gasoline, paint, ink, traffic fumes, smoke, new technology, detergents, pesticides, paper, etc. She has dealt with illness through writing and is the author of the bilingual children's books, Drum, Chavi, Drum! and Birthday in the Barrio; the latter of which is currently in the process of being made into a short film. Now, her first novel, Down to the Bone (HarperTeen, $16.99), with an all Miami Cuban and Latina/o LGBTQ and straight cast of characters, has been nominated by the ALA as a Best Book for Discussion and has received a starred review from ALA's Booklist, It has been called “as crazy, joyful, hilarious, and painful as your first love.” This evening, a collaboration of youth from Pridelines and Ron Berensky of Unity Coalition will read excepts from the book and lead a discussion on the struggles – cultural, social, political – for LGBTQ youth and their straight allies in Miami. 7pm
Thursday, May 15, Gables
For nearly twenty years Caffé Abbracci, in Coral Gables, has boasted a chic clientele and excellent cuisine. Nino Pernetti’s Caffe Abracci Cookbook (University of Florida Press, $40), co-authored with Ferdie Pacheco and Luisita Sevilla Pacheco, features recipes for over 100 of its best and most popular dishes, from appetizers to desserts, along with tales of the gracious host and owner's life. There are simple recipes like Crostini with Pear and Prosciutto, the sea and land flavors of Oysters with Gorgonzola Sauce, soups, salads, and of course excellent pasta dishes, desserts--including a superb tiramisu--and much more to round out any home cook's repertoire. A native of Lake Garda in Northern Italy, Nino Pernetti is a brilliant restaurateur and a talented businessman. Two things stood central even to his earliest memories: good food and good people. His love of both kept him traveling to and working in France, Afghanistan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Mexico, to fall in love at long last with Miami--a city he could call home. 8pm
Friday, May 16, Gables
In 1814, British troops invaded Washington, consuming President Madison’s hastily abandoned dinner before setting his home and the rest of the city ablaze. The White House still bears scorch and soot marks on its foundation stones. It was only after this British lesson in “hard war,” designed to terrorize, that Americans overcame their resistance to the idea of Washington as the nation’s capital and embraced it as a symbol of American might and unity. The dramatic story of how the capital rose from a wilderness is a vital chapter in American history, filled with intrigue and outsized characters–from George Washington to Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the eccentric, passionate, difficult architect who fell in love with his adopted country. Designing buildings, parades, medals, and coins, L’Enfant became the creator of a new American aesthetic. In Washington Burning: How A Frenchman’s Vision of Our Nation’s Capital Survived Congress, the Founding Fathers, and the Invading British Army (Tantor, $34.99), master storyteller Les Standiford tells a compelling, uniquely American story of hubris and achievement, with a man of epic ambition at its center. Utterly absorbing and scrupulously researched, Washington Burning offers a fresh perspective on the birth of not just a city, but a nation. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Liset Alea, 7-11pm
Friday, May 16, Grand Cayman
Our International Visiting Author Series meets our Book Club Mixer to create the Passport to Reading Book Club Mixer. And you’re invited to this party for book clubbers and book club hopefuls, a chance to mix and mingle, and to meet an author and some authorities on book clubs. Lisa See, author of the beloved and bestselling Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, starts the fun with a reading and discussion of her new book club favorite, Peony in Love (Random House, $14). Immersed in the richness and magic of the Chinese vision of the afterlife, Peony in Love explores the many manifestations of love and, ultimately, those universal themes of her work: the bonds of friendship, the power of words, and the age-old desire of women to be heard. Joining Lisa See for this book club night will be Carol Fitzgerald, co-founder of Book Report Network and www.readinggroupguides.com , and Books & Books Book Club Coordinator Debra Linn. They’ll discuss what makes the best book-club book and which new books you simply can’t miss this summer. And there’ll be scores of free advance copies of upcoming books from their publishers. The Mixer also means a little matchmaking, as we play a simple but effective game to get folks talking to each other about books. It’s a book lovers’ party and great fun all around. See you there. 7:30pm
Saturday, May 17, Gables
It's summertime and the Wish Pond Road gang is getting ready to go to Camp Blue Lake. Mallory's not so sure she wants to go. What if she gets homesick or none of the other kids like her? Her best friends, Mary Ann and Joey, convince her how fun it will be to go swimming and boating, and to roast marshmallows over a campfire. But when Mallory arrives at camp, nothing goes as planned. Will Mallory ever find a way to be a happy camper? Find out in the latest installment of Laurie Friedman’s popular series, Campfire Mallory (Lerner, $15.95, ages 8-10). Come in your favorite camp outfit; we’ll be making friendship bracelets and learning some camp songs. It’s almost time for camp… let’s get ready. 11am
Four best friends. One graduation cruise. It's supposed to be the best eight days of their lives. But when a fortune-teller predicts trouble the night before their trip – one of you will not come home – Fiona, Killian, Alma, and Yoli are left on edge, wondering what it could all mean. In The Temptress Four (HarperCollins, $16.99, 14+), bestselling author of Cubanita, Gaby Triana gets right to the heart of that thrilling, nerve-wracking, exhilarating, terrifying, amazing time that comes right after graduation, when the big question is: Where do we go from here? Join us for a Luau of epic proportions, just in time for graduation and adventures beyond! We’ll have a tarot card reader, virgin daiquiris and piña coladas and of course, leis galore. 7pm
Saturday, May 17, Bal Harbour Shops
Level-headed professor Travis Harrison leads a private, unassuming life. After publishing his first novel, he attends a book signing where he has an unsettling encounter with freshman Layla Sommers. Layla reminds Travis of his deceased daughter Randi; but even more troubling is the undeniable attraction between the two. Layla adeptly maneuvers her way into his life, steering his few relationships off course and derailing his upcoming marriage. Despite everything, Travis's reaction to Layla and the turn of events is surprising. David Shepherd’s Resurrecting Randi (Balios, $24) opens – and closes – with Travis parked on the side of a desolate highway. He hasn't seen Layla for a year and is waiting for her to emerge from a remote psychiatric center. He holds a gun in his hand...6:30pm
Sunday, May 18, Gables
Go for the gold at our highly anticipated Book Club Mixer Olympiad. Everyone’s a winner as we mix and mingle and meet new people and new books. Publishing industry insiders and book club experts share their knowledge – think of them as elite coaches – and whip you into shape for the upcoming summer reading season. Kristy Kiernan, author of Catching Genuis (Berkley Press, $14) and the forthcoming Matters of Faith (Berkley Press, $14) , shares her wit and wisdom after visiting book clubs across the state that have gobbled up Catching Genius. Carol Fitzgerald, co-founder of the Book Report Network and www.readinggroupguides.com, will give us the scoop on the winning books for summer and which books every book club simply must read. And there will be scores of free advance copies from the publishers. Read it before you can buy it, and then tell your book club all about itYou can form new “teams” – that’s the Olympic version of a book club– at the Books & Books “Games.” There’s no competition, just camaraderie and books. 2pm
Sunday, May 18, Gables
In this first English translation of Victor Hugo’s Conversations with the Spirit World (Destiny Books, $18.95) writings on his experiments in spiritualism, author John Chambers places Hugo’s experiments firmly in the tradition of visionary literature and psychic exploration. He reveals Hugo’s conversations with renowned discarnate entities such as Shakespeare, Plato, Galileo, and Jesus, and discusses Hugo’s possible role as a grand master of the Priory of Sion. 6pm
Monday, May 19, Gables
If you've ever found it a challenge to maintain a consistent, effective advertising program, if you've ever thoroughly trained your people to do their jobs, but had them fall short of your expectations, and if you've ever wondered if what you're promising in your ads is actually happening when someone calls or visits you, Reality Sells: The Art of Authenticity as a Business Tool (Wbusiness Books, $19.95) is the book for you.
The Reality Sells system will help you navigate your way toward the point on the map called Authenticity. The road is long and filled with potholes, but for those who follow the map and stay the course, it's a worthwhile journey. Bill Guertin's more than twenty years of real-world, on-the-street experiences in broadcast sales, service sales, and marketing have given him a broad understanding of how and why people do the things they do. Presented in collaboration with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. 6pm
In 1994 New York Times writer Dudley Clendinen's mother—a Southern matron of iron will but creaking bones—sold her house and moved to Canterbury Tower, a geriatric apartment building with full services and a nursing wing in Tampa Bay. There she landed in a microcosm of the New Old Age. Canterbury was filled not just with old Tampa neighbors but also with strangers from across the country. Wealthy, middle class, or barely afloat; Christian, Jewish, or faithless; proud, widowed, or still married; grumpy or dear—they had all come together, at the average age of eighty-six, in search of a last place to live and die. A Place Called Canterbury (Penguin, $24.95) is a beautifully written, often hilarious, deeply moving look at how the oldest Americans are living with the reality of living longer. Likewise, it is a poignant chronicle of the last years of the Greatest Generation and their children, the Boomers, as they are drawn into old age with their parents. 7pm
Tuesday, May 20, Temple Judea, 5500 Granada Boulevard, Coral Gables
After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life. Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the Today show, the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated Specials, the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of The View. She has not just interviewed the world’s most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning: for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. Audition (Knopf, $29.95), in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating. Tonight, Laurie Jennings, two-time Emmy Award winning reporter and anchor of South Florida’s Local 10 News will converse with Ms. Walters on-stage, followed by a question-and-answer period with the audience and a book signing. The event is presented in collaboration with the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College. Tickets & Signing Guidelines: Tickets are required for this event. You will receive two (2) free tickets with your purchase of Audition at any Books & Books location. Until the date of publication on May 6th, Books & Books will be selling vouchers which may be exchanged for a copy of the book (upon publication) in the days preceding the event, or at the event itself. Ms. Walters will sign unlimited copies of Audition. She will not be able to sign memorabilia. Photographs are allowed, but will be taken by a designated Books & Books photographer while Ms. Walters is signing books. No video cameras will be allowed. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and is guaranteed until 7:15pm. The event will begin promptly at 7:30pm.
Wednesday, May 21, Gables
Five million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, with a new diagnosis being made every seventy-two seconds. Millions more are worried or at risk due to mild memory loss or family history. Although experts agree that early diagnosis and treatment are essential, many people with memory loss and their families---and even their doctors---don’t know where to turn for authoritative, state-of-the-art advice and answers to all of their questions. Clear, compassionate, and empowering, The Alzheimer’s Action Plan (St. Martin’s Press, $16.95) is the first book that anyone dealing with mild memory loss or early Alzheimer’s must-read in order to preserve the highest possible quality of life for as long as possible. P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D., a renowned expert on brain longevity and mental health, is head of Duke University’s Biological Psychiatry division and a Senior Fellow at Duke’s Center for the Study of Aging. Tonight, he’ll discuss all of the things you need to take action about Alzheimer’s. 6:30pm
Miami-based poet, Mia Leonin celebrates the release of her second book of poems, Unraveling the Bed (Anhinga Press, $17), which includes a CD by Peruvian-musician, Carlos Ochoa. Ochoa integrates site-specific recordings, electronic beats and instrumental music with readings of the poems. Music by Ochoa and live jam session with guest musicians will follow the reading. About Unraveling the Bed: Leonin's display and description of all things passionate literally feels like it’s coming from "thunder's mouth." The effect is provocative, exciting, and intoxicating. -- Michael Parker, MiPOesias. 8pm
Wednesday, May 21, Bal Harbour Shops
Pregnancy and birth are as ordinary and extraordinary as breathing, thinking, or loving. But as soon as you announce you're expecting, you may be bombarded with advice from every angle -- well-meaning friends, relatives, medical professionals, even strangers want to weigh in on what you should or shouldn't do, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed by their conflicting recommendations. Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth (Touchstone, $15) will help you sort fact from fiction, giving you the most accurate research, up-to-date information, and the firsthand experiences of numerous women who have been exactly where you are today. OBOS Executive Director Judy Norsigian will give you the tools you need to take care of yourself and your baby during and after your pregnancy, from tips on eating well during pregnancy to strategies for coping with stress and depression. 7:30pm
Thursday, May 22, Temple Judea, 5500 Granada Boulevard, Coral Gables
Ever wonder how to retrieve a sunken golf cart from a snake-infested lake? Or which club in your bag is best suited for combat against a horde of rats? If these and other sporting questions are gnawing at you, The Downhill Lie: A Hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport (Knopf, $22), Carl Hiaasen’s hilarious confessional about returning to the fairways after a thirty-two-year absence, is definitely the book for you. “What possesses a man to return in midlife to a game at which he’d never excelled in his prime, and which in fact had dealt him mostly failure, angst and exasperation? Here’s why I did it: I’m one sick bastard.” Hiaasen’s chronicle of his shaky return to this bedeviling pastime and the ensuing demolition of his self-esteem—culminating with the savage 45-hole tournament—will have you rolling with laughter. Yet the bittersweet memories of playing with his own father and the glow he feels when watching his own young son belt the ball down the fairway will also touch your heart. Forget Tiger, Phil and Ernie. If you want to understand the true lure of golf, turn to Carl Hiaasen, who has written an extraordinary book for the ordinary hacker. Free tickets are required for this event and are available at all Books & Books locations, while supplies last. 7:30pm
Thursday, May 22, Gables
Evangeline Logan WANTS a kiss. A spectacular, heart-stopping, life changing kiss. Somehow The Crimson Kiss (a romance novel she’s become obsessed with) and Four Steps to Living Your Fantasy (a self-help book she’s reading) have fused in Evangeline’s mind and sent her on a quest for a kiss. But the path to perfection is paved with many bad kisses—the smash mouth, the ear licker, the “misser.” The phrase “I don’t kiss and tell” means nothing to the boys in her school. And worse: someone starts writing her name and number on bathroom walls. And worst of all: the boy she's just kissed turns out to be her best friend’s new crush. Kissing turns out to be way more complicated than the romance novels would have you believe. Join Books & Books in welcoming, Wendelin Van Draanen, author of Flipped, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, and Attack of the Tagger, as we celebrate the publication of her new novel, Confessions of a Serial Kisser (Random House, $18.99, 12+). 7pm
Friday, May 23, Gables
On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz makes an unsettling discovery. A history buff since early childhood, expensively educated at university—a history major, no less!—he’s reached middle age with a third-grader’s grasp of early America. In fact, he’s mislaid more than a century of American history, the period separating Columbus’s landing in 1492 from the arrival of English colonists at Jamestown in 160-something. Did nothing happen in between? Horwitz decides to find out, and in A Voyage Long and Strange (Henry Holt & Co., $27.50) he uncovers the neglected story of America’s founding by Europeans. He begins a thousand years ago, with the Vikings, and then tells the dramatic tale of conquistadors, castaways, French voyageurs, Moorish slaves, and many others who roamed and rampaged across half the states of the present-day U.S. continent, long before the Mayflower landed. An irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure, A Voyage Long and Strange allows us to rediscover the New World for ourselves. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Betan & Brenner, 7-11pm
Saturday, May 24, Gables
Continental Shifts: The Art of Edouard Duval-Carrié (Haitian Cultural Alliance/Arte al Dia, $) edited by Edward J. Sullivan, features the magical realism captured in both painting and sculpture by Duval-Carrié, whose art exhibits a dynamic blend of Afro-Caribbean culture, fantasy, and spectacular ornamentation. “Edouard Duval-Carrié is one of Haiti’s most distinguished modern artists,” says Sullivan. “Completely trained in the classical manner in ateliers in Paris, Montreal, and the U.S., he departs from the visual traditions usually associated with the mid-20th century ‘Haitian School’ artists and updates them through a careful and deliberate manipulation, imbuing his images with the iconography of voodoo spirituality, Haitian politics, and the trauma of life as it is lived in a nation in flux.” Join us as we celebrate the work of this remarkable artist. 6pm
Sunday, May 25, Gables
Free screening of Immortality: Horse & Carriage is a short film based on the book, In Search of the Miraculous by P.D. Ouspensky. This video shows the inner relationship between the physical, the emotional, and the intellectual sides of a man and his possibilities of developing something beyond that; as presented through the ancient allegory of the Horse and Carriage. 4pm
In today’s world, you don’t have to look far to find violence, hatred, and deep spiritual rifts. From discouraging headlines of religious upheaval splashed across the front pages to quiet tensions among people you encounter everyday, divergences in the way humans lead their spiritual lives crop up in many different ways. Holding the firm belief that our likenesses vastly outnumber our differences, Dr. Patrick Swift compiled One Mountain, Many Paths (Double Eagle Press, $16.95) in the wake of the September 11th attacks. A spiritual companion or gift for family and friends, One Mountain, Many Paths is filled with uplifting quotes from the sacred texts of all of the great religious traditions - organized into chapters such as 'Love Your Neighbor as Yourself' and 'Love Your Enemy.' Serving as a collection of guideposts for the reader’s spiritual journey, the book illuminates the common threads of faith, hope, and love that weave together all the great religious traditions – including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and many others. 6pm
Tuesday, May 27, Gables
Finding It Again: The Truth about Love After 40 (February Press, $23)by Kenn Shapiro is a journal about one man’s treck to find love through a decade of dating. Divided into three sections: Initiation, Education, and Culmination, Shapiro discusses what he learned from each dating experience, and what to do or not to do again. Whether it was being set up on a blind date by a friend or internet dating, Shapiro’s stories are real and can relate to the average dater. Readers will fall in love with Shapiro’s stories and how he’s learned to appreciate the simple things in life and learned to not give up on love. 8pm
Wednesday, May 28, Gables
Lena is a fingerprint expert at a crime lab in the small city of Syracuse, New York, where winters are cold and deep. Suddenly, a series of crib deaths—indistinguishable from SIDS except for the fevered testimony of one distraught mother with connections in high places—draws the attention of the police and the national media and raises the possibility of the inconceivable: could there be a serial infant murderer on the loose?
Orphaned as a child, out of place as an adult, gifted with delicate and terrifying powers of intuition, Lena finds herself playing a critical role in the case. But then there is the mystery of her own childhood to solve....Could the improbable deaths of a half-dozen babies be somehow connected to her own improbable survival? The beauty and originality of Diana Abu-Jaber's writing are in Origin (Norton, $) accompanied by deft, page-turning narrative tension and atmosphere, tugging the reader to an unforgettable conclusion. An elementary school teacher at St. Patrick Miami Beach, Marjetta is celebrating her book launch with us this evening with some live music and a truly “white trash” reception. Come dressed in your tackiest and trashiest outfit befitting this event. We’ll be giving an award for our favorite! 8pm
Thursday, May 29, Gables
Marjetta Geerling’s debut novel, Fancy White Trash (Penguin, $16.99) is as lighthearted and irreverent as its title. "If only life were as easy as your sisters." Abby's heard that one before. And it's true -Shelby and Kait aren't exactly prim and proper. Abby is determined not to follow in their footsteps, so she has created the One True Love Plan. The most important part of the plan is Rule #1: Find Someone New. This means finding a guy who hasn't already dated Shelby or Kait. But when Abby starts falling for the possible father of Kait's baby, she has to figure out if some rules are meant to be broken. An elementary school teacher at St. Patrick Miami Beach, Marjetta is celebrating her book launch with us this evening with some live music and a truly “white trash” reception. Come dressed in your tackiest and trashiest outfit befitting this event. We’ll be giving an award for our favorite! 7pm
Prioleau Alexander –The American Dream used to include a white picket fence, 2.2 kids, and a dog. In today's frantic world, it's . . . well, let's be honest, it's quite different. But what would happen if you did have the nerve to quit your white-collar job? Prioleau Alexander can tell you: He walked away from a lucrative career as an advertising executive, seeking a life like that dude on Kung Fu. Over the next year he worked minimum-wage jobs as a pizza deliveryman, ice cream scooper, construction worker, ER tech, fast food jockey, and even cowboy on a Montana dude ranch. In You Want Fries with That?: A White-Collar Burnout Experiences Life at Minimum Wage (Arcade, $24.95) Prioleau explores life at minimum wage and proves unequivocally that the grass is not always greener on the other side. 8pm
Friday, May 30, Gables
While pregnant with twins, one sentence uttered by her doctor sent Stephanie Klein reeling: “You need to gain fifty pounds.” Instantly, her adolescence filled with insecurity, awkwardness, disappointment, and embarrassment came flooding back. Though she was determined to gain the weight for the health of her babies, she could only express what deep fear this caused in her by telling her doctor simply, “I used to be fat.” In Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp (HarperCollins, $24.95) Klein's passion and wrenching honesty fill the pages with attitude and heart, when as a mother-to-be, she’s forced to confront her adolescent struggles and angst, recounting an angry childhood with a weak mother, and how a summer at fat camp shaped more than just her body. It shaped her life. More than a story about weight loss, Moose reminds everyone what it was like to feel like an outsider, to desperately seek the right outfit, the right slang, the best comeback, or whatever that unattainable something is that would finally make you fit in. Calling upon her childhood diary entries to jog her memory, Klein opens up and shares her deepest thoughts and feelings from that turbulent, hopeful time, baring her soul and making her heartache palpable. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Oriente Trio, 7-11pm
Saturday, May 31, Gables
Live Music in the Courtyard: Leo Quintero & Friends, 8:30pm
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