Thursday, January 17th at 6:00 p.m. at B’Nai Zion Synagogue, 750 United St, Key West, Books and Books @ the Studios and B’Nai Zion Synagogue will host a reading and book signing with two bestselling authors: Spencer Wise and Bethany Ball. Wise and Ball will read from and discuss their books, both of which explore the modern-day Jewish-American experience.
From Bethany Ball, comes WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE SOLOMONS, a hilarious multigenerational family saga set in Israel, New York, and Los Angeles that explores the secrets and gossip-filled lives of a kibbutz community near Jerusalem. The book introduces readers to the Solomon family as they are faced with a life-altering scandal. Marc Solomon, an Israeli exNavy commando now living in L.A., is falsely accused of money laundering through his asset management firm. Marc’s American wife, Carolyn—concealing her own dark past—makes hopeless attempts to hold their family of five together. But news of the scandal makes its way from America to the rest of the Solomon clan on the kibbutz in the Jordan River Valley. As the secrets and rumors of the kibbutz are revealed through various memories and tales, we witness the things that keep the Solomons together, and those that tear them apart.
photo by Molly Hamill
Spencer Wise’s THE EMPEROR OF SHOES is a transfixing debut novel inspired by the author’s experiences living and working in an American-owned shoe factory in Guangdong, China. The novel follows Alex, a Jewish American ex-pat, as he reluctantly assumes the helm of his family’s shoe company. When he meets a seamstress named Ivy, she shifts his gaze. But Ivy, who is also an embedded pro-democracy organizer, has broader aims, and Alex must decide where his loyalty resides, a choice which ultimately pushes the entire factory to a crisis point.
This event marks the second partnering of Books & Books and B’Nai Zion. Last year, the two
organizations worked together to hold a reading and book signing with Francine Klagsbrun,
winning author of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award for her biography Lioness; Golda Meir
and the Nation of Israel.
This event is free and open to the public.
And when you get down to the wire this holiday season, we’ll be here for you. Note our extended hours (10 am – 8 pm) Friday, Dec. 21 to Monday, Dec. 24. We’re going to take Christmas off for a long winter’s nap.
Tuesday, December 18, at 6pm, Rosalind Brackenbury in conversation with Jessica Argyle about The Lost Love Letters of Henri Fournier, Brackenbury’s most recent novel.
Through Pauline’s love letters, her secrets, and a lost Fournier manuscript, Seb will come to learn so much more – about Pauline, Henri, and himself. For Seb, every moment of Pauline’s past proves to be more inspiring than he could have imagined. She’s given him the courage to grab hold of whatever life offers, to cherish each risk, and to pursue love in his life.
Tuesday, December 11, at 6pm, a presentation and book signing with Andrew Simonet, author of Wilder. Simonet, who will be an Artist in Residence at The Studios of Key West in November and December, will offer, “13 Thoughts on Writing and Fighting.”
Jason Wilder is in permanent in-school suspension for fighting. Meili Wen gets there by breaking a girl’s finger. Jason and Meili don’t just connect; they collide. Two people who would never cross paths—outsiders from radically different backgrounds—they form an exhiliarating, unpredictable bond. When circumstances push, they push back. There’s no plan. And there’s no stopping.
December 5 at 6 pm, a book launch party and book signing for The Catalonia Adventures of Angus and Edmond. Meet the book’s author, Gunna Dickson, and its artists/illustrators. Author proceeds from the launch sales will be donated to Anne McKee Artists Fund in memory of Key West artist and gallery owner Jon McIntosh.
Through Pauline’s love letters, her secrets, and a lost Fournier manuscript, Seb will come to learn so much more – about Pauline, Henri, and himself. For Seb, every moment of Pauline’s past proves to be more inspiring than he could have imagined. She’s given him the courage to grab hold of whatever life offers, to cherish each risk, and to pursue love in his life.
As Thanksgiving approaches, we hope you will all have a few peaceful moments to reflect upon all that you are grateful for before jumping into the frenzy of the holiday season. We are thankful for all of you, our customers, social media fans, donors, volunteers and friends. We would not be the thriving indie bookstore we are without all of you.
The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid is a passport to the world’s weirdest, coolest, and most mesmerizing and mysterious wonders, presented in a stunning, full-color illustrated journey to 100 real destinations in 47 countries on every continent.
In collaboration with the Key West Film Festival, Saturday, November 17, at 3pm, a book launch party and book signing with Alicia Malone, author of The Female Gaze.
You may have heard the term “male gaze,” coined in the 1970s to talk about what happens to viewers when the majority of art and entertainment has been made by the one gender perspective. So, what about the opposite? Women have been making movies since the very beginning of cinema. What does the world look like through the “female gaze”?