#author dinner

This week, we're proud to present to you:

How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying) by Kerrelyn Sparks: From New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks comes the next adventure in the Love at Stake series, featuring a Master vampire and his love affair with a woman of many secrets. Vampire Zoltan Czakvar is on the hunt for the truth about his father's death. He's been searching for a very long time—since 1241, in fact. And he is not about to give up, even when he's attacked by a woman with striking blue eyes and a hell of a right hook! Neona is also on the hunt. She's looking for a mate and she thinks muscled Zoltan will work just fine. After all, men are good for only one thing. Soon, though, she realizes there's more to this handsome vampire than just sexual prowess. But she's keeping a secret from Zoltan, something so big that it will rock the vampire world. Can their newfound love survive . . . even if their passion means the destruction of her world?

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles: An American writer at the height of his creative powers, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist Greg Iles returns with his most eagerly anticipated book yet, and his first in five years—Natchez Burning, the first installment in an epic trilogy that weaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present into a mesmerizing thriller featuring southern mayor and former prosecutor Penn Cage. Raised in the historic southern splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned all he knows of honor and duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor and pillar of the community has been accused of murdering Viola Turner, the African-American nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the 1960s. Once a crusading prosecutor, Penn is determined to save his father, but Tom, stubbornly invoking doctor-patient privilege, refuses to even speak in his own defense. Penn's quest for the truth sends him deep into his father's past, where a sexually charged secret lies waiting to tear their family apart. More chilling, this long-buried sin is only a single thread in a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the vicious Double Eagles, an offshoot of the KKK controlled by some of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the state. Aided by a dedicated reporter privy to Natchez's oldest secrets and by his fiancée, Caitlin Masters, Penn uncovers a trail of corruption and brutality that places his family squarely in the Double Eagles' crosshairs. With every step costing blood and faith, Penn is forced to confront the most wrenching dilemma of his life: Does a man of honor choose his father or the truth? Drenched in southern atmosphere, Natchez Burning marks the brilliant return of a genuine American master of suspense. Tense, disturbing, and filled with electrifying plot twists, this novel commences the most explosive and ambitious story Greg Iles has ever written.

Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty by Diane Keaton: Diane Keaton has spent a lifetime coloring outside the lines of the conventional notion of beauty. In Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty, she shares the wisdom she’s accumulated through the years as a mother, daughter, actress, artist, and international style icon. This is a book only Diane Keaton could write—a smart and funny chronicle of the ups and downs of living and working in a world obsessed with beauty. In her one-of-a-kind voice, Keaton offers up a message of empowerment for anyone who’s ever dreamed of kicking back against the “should”s and “supposed to”s that undermine our pursuit of beauty in all its forms. From a mortifying encounter with a makeup artist who tells her she needs to get her eyes fixed to an awkward excursion to Victoria’s Secret with her teenage daughter, Keaton shares funny and not-so-funny moments from her life in and out of the public eye. For Diane Keaton, being beautiful starts with being true to who you are, and in this book she also offers self-knowing commentary on the bold personal choices she’s made through the years: the wide-brimmed hats, outrageous shoes, and all-weather turtlenecks that have made her an inspiration to anyone who cherishes truly individual style—and catnip to paparazzi worldwide. She recounts her experiences with the many men in her life—including Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, and Sam Shepard—shows how our ideals of beauty change as we age, and explains why a life well lived may be the most beautiful thing of all. Wryly observant and as fiercely original as Diane Keaton herself, Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty is a head-turner of a book that holds up a mirror to our beauty obsessions—and encourages us to like what we see.

As an employee of an independent, locally-owned business, I am always looking to support independent, locally-owned businesses. My family has been having our get-together dinners at Rocco's for a couple of years now, and I didn't realize until recently that not everyone knows about this delightful, family-run little Italian place on Fry. Check it out.

We have some really exciting stuff coming up in store over the next month or so. If you're local, take a look and see if there's anything for you.

Sun, Sept. 22 - Sat. Sept. 28: Banned Books Week. Celebrate your freedom to read and come by the store to check out a display of frequently or recently challenged books.

Tues, Sept. 24, 7 - 8 pm: I'll Take Romance Book Club discusses Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley.

Mon, Sept. 30, 6 - 8 pm: Dr. Steven Hotze discusses and signs Hypothyroidism, Health and Happiness.

Wed, Oct. 2, 7 - 9:30 pm: EatReadRate.com presents the Fall Back in Time Author Dinner. Meet and eat with Lily Dalton/Kim Lenox, Shana Galen, Deeanne Gist, and Vicky Dreiling at Victor's Casa Garcia. Dinner must be prepaid in store or here, and books are sold separately.

Thurs, Oct. 3, 7 - 8 pm: Mystery Matters Book Club discusses Unspeakable by Kevin O'Brien.

Wed, Oct. 9, 7 - 8 pm: Shadow Pages Book Club discusses A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper.

Fri, Oct. 11, 12 - 2 pm: Jacqueline Carey signs and discusses her newest urban fantasy, Autumn Bones.

Thurs, Oct. 17 - Sun, Nov. 3: Our big semi-annual sale! Thousands of used books for $1 or less. Come join in the treasure hunt for your next favorite book.

Mon, Oct. 21, 7 - 8 pm: Tale Talk Book Club discusses Love Anthony by Lisa Genova.

Fri, Oct. 25, 6 - 8 pm: The Atria Indie Tour. We're hosting Jamie McGuire, Abbi Glines, and Colleen Hoover at Sundown Elementary, just down Saums Rd from the store. We're so excited to have these three amazing new adult authors. The entry fee is $5 and may be paid in store or online.

  Here's what's coming up in store:

Tues, July 2, 10-11am: Reading Stars Middle Reader Book Club discusses Small Steps by Peg Kehret.

Wed, July 3, 7-8pm: Young Adult Book Club discusses Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi and the artistic representations they have made.

Tues, July 9, 10-11am: Reading Stars Middle Reader Book Club discusses Schooled by Gordon Korman.

Wed, July 10, 10-11am: Board book author Mimi Brian Vance joins us for a special storytime featuring her book, Boat and Bath.

Wed, July 10, 7-8pm: Shadow Pages Book Club discusses The Night is Watching by Heather Graham.

Thurs, July 11, 7-8pm: Mystery Matters Book Club discusses Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent.

Sat, July 13, 2-4pm: The HarlequinTeen #YeahYA Author Tour stops by with Julie Kagawa(author of The Eternity Cure) and Aimee Carter(author of The Goddess Inheritance).

Mon, July 15, 7-8pm: Tale Talk Book Club discusses Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.

Tues, July 16, 10-11am: Reading Stars Middle Reader Book Club discusses How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell.

Wed, July 17, 7-8pm: Young Adult Book Club discusses and makes a vision board for The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith.

Tues, July 23, 10-11am: Reading Stars Middle Reader Book Club discusses Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Tues, July 23, 7-8pm: I'll Take Romance Book Club discusses Wrecked by Shiloh Walker.

Thurs, July 25, 8am-8pm: Teachers Just Want to Have Fun Day. We open an hour early with a continental breakfast and have gift drawings and special products all day long. You must have a valid teacher ID to participate.

Wed, July 31, 12-2pm: J. Kenner signs the third book in her erotic trilogy, Complete Me.