LibraryThing Local

Crandell's new book is a stunner: Fear Came to Town: The Santa Claus, Georgia, Murders. And it's sadly all true. Santa Claus is a real town in Toombs County, GA, near Vidalia. It's a small town where the streets are named for Christmas treats and the holiday spirit lives year-round. At least it ... (more)did until Jerry Scott Heidler, who was raised in the town, brutally slaughtered his foster family in a grisly crime that shattered the community. It's an unforgettable story told by the author who carefully investigated the murders. Crandell is also the author of the novels The Flawless Skin of Ugly People and Hairdos of the Mildly Depressed, and of two enthralling volumes of memoir Pig Boy's Wicked Bird and The All-American Industrial Motel.

Sue Grafton, the "master of mystery" and one of America's most popular authors, makes her first visit to the Center for the Book with an exciting new Kinsey Millhone mystery: U Is for Undertow. It's the 21st in her amazing alphabet mystery series, all featuring the heroine "with foibles you can ... (more)laugh at and whose faults you can forgive." It's the follow-up novel to her bestseller T Is for Trespess. We know you won't want to miss this special pre-Christmas appearance!

We are collecting books to send to soldiers, Mutiple authors will be signing throughout the day. Special discounts for people buying books for soldiers. www.Booksforheroes2010.com

Grafton’s twenty-first book about Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator, continues explorations into the dark side of the human soul. In this novel, an unemployed college dropout asks Kinsey to help him reconstruct what he may know about the disappearance of a four-year-old girl twenty-one years ... (more)earlier. He wants Kinsey to help him locate the girl’s body and find the men who killed her. The story moves between the eighties and the sixties, changes points of view, builds multiple subplots and creates memorable characters and forces Kinsey to decide if the client is telling the truth or not.

As we've been telling you for a while now, A Cappella turns 20 years old this December 1, and we continue to celebrate with a 20% off sale on EVERY USED BOOK IN THE STORE. Now,we're thrilled to announce that on the first weekend of December, we're going to really celebrate with A WEEKEND OF 20 AUTHORS. ... (more)On December 5 and 6, from 12-5pm, we will present two authors each hour in Opal Gallery talking not just about their own books, but about a favorite book of theirs, by someone else. For instance, Marc Fitten, whose debut novel Valeria's Last Stand has been an international bestseller and has received rave reviews here, will talk about the book that made him want to be a writer, Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. Bestselling and award-winning author Joshilyn Jackson will share the work of the under-appreciated author Frank Turner Hollon. The outrageous Hollis Gillespie will speak on her admiration for the cool and controlled writing of Joan Didion in Book of Common Prayer. Spelman professor and author Jelani Cobb, whose work has focused on the Civil Rights Era and Hip Hop culture, will read from Pete Hamill's Piecework. It's going to be the most interesting weekend we've had in 20 years. In addition to 20 great authors whom we've gotten to know through the years, we'll be entertained by some of Atlanta's most enduring musical artists, who have also played a role in A Cappella's history: Slim Chance, Mudcat, Caroline Herring and Bill Taft of Hubcap City, to name a few. Read the Access Atlanta article about this event and our anniversary at http://blogs.ajc.com/inside-access/20...

As we've been telling you for a while now, A Cappella turns 20 years old this December 1, and we continue to celebrate with a 20% off sale on EVERY USED BOOK IN THE STORE. Now,we're thrilled to announce that on the first weekend of December, we're going to really celebrate with A WEEKEND OF 20 AUTHORS. ... (more)On December 5 and 6, from 12-5pm, we will present two authors each hour in Opal Gallery talking not just about their own books, but about a favorite book of theirs, by someone else. For instance, Marc Fitten, whose debut novel Valeria's Last Stand has been an international bestseller and has received rave reviews here, will talk about the book that made him want to be a writer, Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. Bestselling and award-winning author Joshilyn Jackson will share the work of the under-appreciated author Frank Turner Hollon. The outrageous Hollis Gillespie will speak on her admiration for the cool and controlled writing of Joan Didion in Book of Common Prayer. Spelman professor and author Jelani Cobb, whose work has focused on the Civil Rights Era and Hip Hop culture, will read from Pete Hamill's Piecework. It's going to be the most interesting weekend we've had in 20 years. In addition to 20 great authors whom we've gotten to know through the years, we'll be entertained by some of Atlanta's most enduring musical artists, who have also played a role in A Cappella's history: Slim Chance, Mudcat, Caroline Herring and Bill Taft of Hubcap City, to name a few. Read the Access Atlanta article about this event and our anniversary at http://blogs.ajc.com/inside-access/20...

Award-winning author of 11 previous books, including the first in this series, The House on Tradd Street, returns with the sequel to this national bestseller. Melanie, who renovates old houses, never imagined she’d have to renovate her own life to include her estranged mother. Ginnette Middleton, ... (more)who left Charleston 35 years ago after receiving an ominous warning through her psychic abilities, returns, after all these years, to protect the daughter she’s never really known. Melanie, who never wanted to see her mother again, agrees to see her and to try to rebuild their relationship. Together they buy back their old home. With their combined psychic powers, they expect to unearth some ghosts, but what they find is a vengeful dark spirit whose strength has been growing through the years and who is ready for revenge. Melanie and Ginnette must unearth long buried secrets to beat this demon and save what’s left of their family.

Prize-winning documentary filmmaker, O'Connell visits us with a remarkable new book: The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist. Blind Tom, born in 1848 in Columbus, GA, was a piano prodigy and national curiosity in the 19th century who performed for thousands of people including Mark Twain. He also ... (more)suffered at the hands of greedy promoters and managers, and this biography is a brilliant accounting of his life. Critics say its well researched narrative "reflects the tenor of the times, the culture of the Old South, the chaos of emancipation and Blind Tom's devotion to his performances."

7:00-8:30pm. This facilitated book group meets on the second Wednesday of each month to discuss books that explore gender identity and representation. Join us in December to talk about The John Varley Reader, a collection of John Varley’s best stories from the last 30 years and a must-have for any ... (more)science fiction reader. From the moment John Varley burst onto the scene in 1974, his writing changed what fans would come to expect from science fiction. His stories have won every award the science fiction field had to offer, many times over.

Rick Bragg and Sonny Brewer talk about and sign their new books!

In 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt dispatched Secretary of War William Taft, his gun-toting daughter Alice and a gaggle of congressmen on a mission to Japan, the Philippines, China, and Korea. There they would quietly forge a series of agreements that divided up Asia. At the time, Roosevelt was bully-confident ... (more)about America’s future on the continent. But these secret pacts lit the fuse that would decades later result in a number of devastating wars: WWII, the Korean War, and the communist revolution in China. One hundred years later, James Bradley retraces that epic voyage and discovers the remarkable truth about America’s vast imperial past and its world-shaking consequences. Full of fascinating characters and brilliantly told The Imperial Cruise will reshape the way we understand U.S. history. James Bradley is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Flyboys and Flags of Our Fathers, and the son of one of the men who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.

Save the date: Our own local Amanda Gable will be signing her new book, The Confederate General Rides North, on December 9th at 8:00pm at Tall Tales.This is a coming-of-age novel starting in a hot, lazy Marietta summer as Kat McConnell's mother announces a surprise trip to collect antiques and ... (more)to visit Confederate sites. Kat, though just a young girl, is an ardent Civil War buff, often imagining herself a Confederate General. Her mother though, has a different, darker agenda. This is an exciting and thoughtful book.We're pleased to invite you to come meet and chat with Amanda.-Marlene

6:00 PM Reception, 7:00 PM Program Join the Atlanta History Center for a special evening with Nigella Lawson as she shares recipes and tips from her latest book Nigella Christmas. Christmas is a time of family and friends, tradition and treats. But let’s face it: the pressure to feed and entertain ... (more)can dim the sparkle of the season. That’s where Nigella steps in. Embracing the practical realities of the season, her new cookbook offers delicious, easy-to-follow recipes and reassuring advice for planning and entertaining. Nigella Christmas is guaranteed to bring you comfort and joy. Nigella Lawson is the bestselling author of Nigella Express, Feast, Forever Summer, Nigella Bites, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, and How to Eat, which have sold more than six million copies worldwide. She has hosted television shows including Food Network’s Nigella Feasts and Nigella Express, Style Network’s Forever Summer with Nigella, and E! Entertainment Television’s Nigella Bites. Nigella lives in London with her husband and children. Sample appetizers and signature cocktails featured in Nigella Christmas will be part of this fun evening. Admission is $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers. Reservations are required; seating is limited. Ticket includes an autographed copy of Nigella Christmas. To purchase tickets, please call (404) 814-4150.

You know her as Pat Conroy's daughter, but your children remember her from the Decatur Book Festival as the book lady with the cute pictures. Melissa Conroy, author and illustrator of Poppy's Pants, will join us for an extra Terrific Thursday storytime. And like always, we'll have milk and cookies.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Bragg (All Over But the Shoutin', Ava's Man) has a wonderful new book, The Most They Ever Had, a powerfully affecting story of a mill community in Alabama and the hardscrabble lives of the people who worked there. Sonny Brewer (The Poet of Tolstoy Park) ... (more)has a terrific new novel, The Widow and the Tree, an Alabama tale of dark deeds based on a true story.

Part of a five-week tour all across the country, Jeff VanderMeer’s in-store appearance coincides with the release of his new noir fantasy novel Finch. The novel has gotten rave reviews from the likes of NYT Bestsellers Stephen R. Donaldson, Tad Williams, and Richard K. Morgan, and even inspired a soundtrack ... (more)by rock band Murder by Death. Mystery icon Ken Bruen says of the novel, “Rarely has a novel got it all. Think Cormac McCarthy, via David Goodis, with an amazing nod to Lovecraft.” Publishers Weekly writes, “his deft mix of genre-blurring style with a layered plot make this a joy to read.” Others have compared Finch to the work of Martin Smith Cruz, William Burroughs, and John LeCarre. From the award-winning, bestselling author of the cult classic City of Saints & Madmen. Also available: Jeff’s Booklife: Strategies & Survival Tips for the 21st-Century Writer, the first book to blend traditional career and creativity advice with the best ways to thrive in our new internet-based world. note: First 25 people to buy a copy of Finch will receive a free Murder By Death CD.

For all of you Georgia Bulldog fans, save this date! On one of the days of our book fair, Saturday, December 12, starting at noon, Larry Munson will be in the Barnes & Noble store at the Peach shopping center signing his memoir, From Herschel to a Hob-Nailed Boot: The Life and Times of Larry Munson. ... (more)If you use a Sutton voucher, the school will earn a portion of any purchases that you make in the store that day. For 43 years (1966-2008) Larry Munson was the legendary football radio voice for the University of Georgia Bulldogs. But on September 22, 2008, at the age of 86, Larry announced that it was time to step aside from the one job he loved more than any other in his remarkable career. For decades publishers have been trying to get Larry to write a book about his life. He always declined, saying he had neither the time nor the patience and even asking, "Who would care?" Well, college football fans everywhere care, and today they are celebrating because Larry is finally ready to tell his incredible story.

Award-winning author of 11 previous books, including the first in this series, The House on Tradd Street, returns with the sequel to this national bestseller. Melanie, who renovates old houses, never imagined she’d have to renovate her own life to include her estranged mother. Ginnette Middleton, ... (more)who left Charleston 35 years ago after receiving an ominous warning through her psychic abilities, returns, after all these years, to protect the daughter she’s never really known. Melanie, who never wanted to see her mother again, agrees to see her and to try to rebuild their relationship. Together they buy back their old home. With their combined psychic powers, they expect to unearth some ghosts, but what they find is a vengeful dark spirit whose strength has been growing through the years and who is ready for revenge. Melanie and Ginnette must unearth long buried secrets to beat this demon and save what’s left of their family.

Joseph Gatins grew up in Atlanta in the 50s & 60s, but brings a decidedly international and worldly view to his writing as we move toward 2010. Crafted on a perch in the wildlands of Rabun County, his non-fiction biography, We Were Dancing on a Volcano, takes the reader on a roller coaster of ... (more)a ride through old Atlanta, his father’s harrowing adventures as a German POW during World War II, their post-trauma aftermath and the family’s eventual return to Gate City, including that of a remarkable grandmother who first came to town in 1914. The author is a retired newspaperman (The Richmond Times-Dispatch). Gatins served in Vietnam as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst and was awarded a Bronze Star.

Mary Kay Andrews, signing 2pm -4pm Carmen Deedy, TBA Vicky Schecter, TBA John McCutcheon, TBA

Author, graphic novelist, screenwriter and children’s book writer Neil Gaiman will speak at 6 p.m., Monday, Dec. 14, at Presser Hall, Gaines Chapel, with book signing to follow. Free, but ticket required. Tickets for the general public are available only through Agnes Scott College's co-sponsor, The ... (more)Little Shop of Stories [133A East Court Square, Decatur, GA 30030]. For more information, please phone (404) 373-6300 or see their blog: http://bit.ly/8jTZda Gaiman’s work includes the recent film adaptation of his 2003 book, Coraline, which won that year’s Hugo award for best novella. The comic book series, The Sandman is his work as well. His visit to Decatur is part of a contest connected to his recent book, The Graveyard Book, winner of the 2009 Newbury Award for Children’s Literature.

Award-winning author of 11 previous books, including the first in this series, The House on Tradd Street, returns with the sequel to this national bestseller. Melanie, who renovates old houses, never imagined she’d have to renovate her own life to include her estranged mother. Ginnette Middleton, ... (more)who left Charleston 35 years ago after receiving an ominous warning through her psychic abilities, returns, after all these years, to protect the daughter she’s never really known. Melanie, who never wanted to see her mother again, agrees to see her and to try to rebuild their relationship. Together they buy back their old home. With their combined psychic powers, they expect to unearth some ghosts, but what they find is a vengeful dark spirit whose strength has been growing through the years and who is ready for revenge. Melanie and Ginnette must unearth long buried secrets to beat this demon and save what’s left of their family.

Russell S. Bonds author of Stealing the General re-tells the epic story of what one observer call 'The greatest event of the Civil War' - the struggle for the city of Atlanta. It was the conflict that secured the re-election of Abraham Lincoln, sealed the fate of the Confederacy, and set a precedent ... (more)for military campaigns across the world. War Like the Thunderbolt is based on new research into diaries, previously unpublished letters, newspapers, and other archival sources, this superb volume takes readers across the smoky battlefield and into the lives of fascinating characters, both the famous and the forgotten. Bonds is an in-house lawyer at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta and a lifelong resident of north Georgia.

7:00-8:30pm. This facilitated book group meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Charis to discuss books which feature queer characters/ storylines as well as a strong attention to literary craft and style. Join us in December to talk about Giovanni's Room, by James Baldwin, a highly controversial ... (more)story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the human heart. Set in 1950s Paris, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality.

10:30am-Noon. The Akoma Book Club (of Women Healing Women) meets at Charis Books & More on the third Saturday of each month. This book club is open to any woman seeking camaraderie with like-minded women for fun, self-empowerment and growth. Even if you haven't read the book, but are willing to talk ... (more)about the principles in the book, you can join us for a lively discussion. The book selection for December is Kindred by Octavia Butler.

This tale of two love affairs in mid-century Hong Kong explores colonial pretensions during World War II. An Englishman, Will Truesdale, arrives in Hong Kong in 1941 and falls into a passionate relationship with a beautiful Eurasian socialite, Trudy Liang. When the Japanese invade, Will is interned and ... (more)Trudy has to expend her energy on her own survival. After the war, Claire Pendleton, comes to Hong Kong with her British civil servant husband. She begins giving piano lessons to the daughter of a rich Chinese couple and falls in love with their driver, Will. As both stories unfold, we learn about the complex web of lies, love, politics and war in Hong Kong in the 1950’s.

New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray Love, who swore she would never marry again, fell in love with a Brazilian-born man with Australian citizenship and because of an American ruling on immigrants had to decided whether to get married or never live in the U.S. together. Gilbert ... (more)tackled her fears of marriage by delving into the topic through historical research, interviews and personal reflection. Committed to learning all she could about matrimony, compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations and divorce risks, she has written a memoir, which is a celebration of love with all of its complexities and consequences. Talk and signing at Agnes Scott College, Gaines Auditorium.

Poetry Night. We host some of Atlanta's finest poets for a reading from their work as we continue with another program in our popular series co-sponsored with Poetry Atlanta.

Michael Gates Gill, son of legendary New Yorker writer Brendan Gill, and author of How Starbucks Saved My Life presents his follow-up, How to Save Your Own Life: 15 Lessons on Finding Hope in Unexpected Places. If you cannot attend the reading and would like to purchase signed copies ... (more)of How to Save Your Own Life, you may reserve them through our website at http://www.acappellabooks.com/ev_gate...

Amy Greene. We invite you to join us for the debut of a brilliant young writer's novel. Amy Greene comes from the East Tennessee Smoky Mountains, and her first novel Bloodroot is already being hailed by critics as "the work of a born storyteller ... with a deftly conjured atmosphere ... and a ... (more)literary page-turner." The story follows one remarkable East Tennessee family from the Depression to the present with characters that will cling to your mind and prose so graceful it seems to soar. Don't miss meeting this wonderful new writer!

Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel full of humor, heart, and feminine wisdom. Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, who was once their town’s Vidalia Onion Queen but is now a laughingstock in the community. When her mom ... (more)is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. Her unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell, takes her under her wing by whisking her away to Savannah – a new world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity; that seems to be run entirely by women. CeeCee meets an eclectic group of women who entertain and enthrall her for an entire summer helping her to move beyond her past. Hoffman’s novel explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship, giving us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.

Michael Shelden, author of acclaimed biographies of Graham Greene and George Orwell, turns his attention to Mark Twain with an eagerly anticipated new book, Mark Twain: Man in white: The Grand Adventure of His Final Years. It's a deeply researched book utilizing some unpublished sources that brings ... (more)to vivid life Twain's last years, a period that found the humorist full of charm, vigor and charisma. Critics call it "a breakthrough in Twain biography" and praise the scholarship and writing ("eloquent and moving").

Mullen, the author of the acclaimed novel The Last Town on Earth, and a resident of Decatur, joins us to help launch his eagerly anticipated new novel, The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers. It's a rollicking, imaginative Depression-era tale complete with kidnappings, gangsters, heiresses ... (more)and speakeasies, focused on bank-robbing duo Jason and Whit, known as the Firefly Brothers. The novel is all about what happens when you get gunned down in a police shoot-out and go on to find out the truth about your mythical lives. We think it's headed for the top of best-seller lists! Join us for a reception to honor the author.

The new book by the Salwens is a triumph of generosity and justice that will have a special meaning for Atlantans especially. Kevin is a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal now on the board of Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta. Inspipred by his daughter Hannah, his family decided to downsize ... (more)their large home in the city and donate half of the profits to a worthy charity, their effort to do something positive about the widening gap between haves and have-nots. Their decision galvanized thousands of people, and you'll read about the amazing results in their new book, The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back.

Thomas Ricks, the prize-winning journalist for The Washington Post and author of the bestselling account of the Iraq war through 2005, Fiasco, discusses his timely new book, The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-1008. General Petraeus ... (more)led what became known as "the surge," a dramatic change of strategy, in spite of opposition within and without the military establishment and the Bush administration. Ricks' conclusion is that the military still has an important role to play in Iraq for some years to come. Join us for this provocative new book discussion.

We welcome the GAH holding their 2010 annual meeting in Decatur. As part of their sessions, we are happy to host a free public program on the new book, Georgia Women: Their Lives and Their Times, published by UGA Press and featuring the editor, Dr. Ann Short Chirhart, and several other historians. ... (more)We'll have more details shortly.

The Year of the Flood, released in Sept. 2009, is a dystopic testament to the visionary power of Margaret Atwood, Canada's most eminent novelist and poet. The book depicts a world altered by a natural disaster. Most human life has been obliterated, and the few survivors make their way among mutant species ... (more)and a deteriorating environmental and social compact. Born in Ontario in1939, Atwood began writing poetry, short fiction, essays and novels in 1973. She is best known for her novels The Edible Woman and The Handmaid's Tale, which dissect contemporary or futuristic urban life and sexual politics. Atwood's books have been adapted for stage and screen and have received numerous awards. The lecture is free and open to the public. A book signing follows the lecture. Book sales are available by personal check and cash sales only. For more information, e-mail Georgia Lee or call 404.253.3206.

Carol Goodman, the best-selling author of The Ninth Villa, The Ghost Orchid and The Sonnet Lover, visits us with a thrilling new novel, Arcadia Falls. Her mystery/suspense novels have made her among the most popular writers in America, and we welcome her for her first visit ... (more)to the Georgia Center for the Book. We'll have more details soon.

Kevin Young, one of America's most acclaimed young poets and in residence at Emory University, will discuss his eagerly anticipated new volume of poetry, The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing. Young, a popular reader, is the author of several notable books of poetry including For the ... (more)Confederate Dead, Jelly Roll, To Repel Ghosts, Dear Darkness and Black Maria. He'll be signing copies of his new book as well as his earlier releases.

Sarah Addison Allen, the prize-winning author of Garden Spells and The The Sugar Queen, returns with a wonderful, enchanting new novel, The Girl Who Chased the Moon. The bestselling author, who makes her home in Asheville, NC, has created an embracing story "set in a quirky small ... (more)Southern town with more magic than a full Carolina moon." It's a charming tale all about the unexpected in a town peopled by some of most appealing misfits you'll ever meet. We think it just may be this delightful author's best book yet!

We welcome one of the world's most popular and prolific writers of mystery and suspense, Anne Perry, for a delightful evening discussing her forthcoming mystery, The Sheen on the Silk. She is the author of dozens of books, bestsellers everywhere, including Death by Horoscope, Sherman's ... (more)Creek, A Breach of Promise, Paragon Walk and Brunswick Square.

Joel Cohen, Emmy-winning writer for "The Simpsons," addresses the dichotomy of his role as both a "creative" and a "suit" in his speech: "The Business Tao of Homer: Lessons in Creativity and Innovation From The Simpsons." Armed with an M.B.A., Cohen gained success in the corporate world before his illogical ... (more)career move into comedy writing with "Saturday Night Live" and "Suddenly Susan." He eventually began writing for "The Simpsons," noted by Time magazine as "the greatest TV show of the 20th century." Cohen brings a unique and hilarious perspective to the roles that innovation and creativity play in both writing and business, as he draws links between maintaining a hit show and running a successful company. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail Georgia Lee or call 404.253.3206.