Category: Uncategorized

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with SILAS HOUSE

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

Silas House – CLAY’S QUILT [pre-order here]
THURSDAY JULY 9th at 7PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is Silas House.  You may have read House’s earlier work: THE SOUTHERNMOST, CLAY’S QUILT and others.

House will be talking with us THURSDAY JULY 9th at 7PM EDT about the re-release of his first three books, CLAY’S QUILT, A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and THE COAL TATTOO as well as answering your questions.  Silas is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Silas House is the nationally bestselling author of six novels. His work frequently appears in The New York Times and Salon.  He is  former commentator for NPR’s “All Things Considered”.  His writing has appeared recently in Time, The Atlantic, Ecotone, The AdvocateGarden and Gun, and Oxford American, as well as in anthologies such as Best Food Writing, 2015 and New Stories From the South, The Year’s Best: 2004.  House serves on the fiction faculty at the Spalding School of Creative Writing and as the NEH Chair at Berea College.

He is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, the recipient of three honorary doctorates, and is the winner of the Nautilus Award, an EB White Award, the Appalachian Book of the Year, the Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Lee Smith Award, and many other honors.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for SILAS HOUSE”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on Thursday morning (7/9) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

In this brilliant new novel—her first for adults since Summer Sisters—Judy Blume takes us back to the 1950s and introduces us to the town of Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she herself grew up. Here she imagines and weaves together a vivid portrait of three generations of families, friends, and strangers, whose lives are profoundly changed during one winter. At the center of an extraordinary cast of characters are fifteen-year-old Miri Ammerman and her spirited single mother, Rusty. Their warm and resonant stories are set against the backdrop of a real-life tragedy that struck the town when a series of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving the community reeling. Gripping, authentic, and unforgettable, In the Unlikely Event has all the hallmarks of this renowned author’s deft narrative magic.

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual event with KRISTEN ARNETT

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

Kristen Arnett – MOSTLY DEAD THINGS [order here]
FRIDAY MAY 15th at 3PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is Kristen Arnett. You may have read Arnett’s other works in The New York TimesNorth American ReviewThe Normal School, Gulf Coast, TriQuarterly, Guernica, Buzzfeed, Electric Literature, McSweeneys, PBS Newshour, Bennington Review, The Guardian, Salon, The Rumpus, and elsewhere

Kristen Arnett will be talking with us FRIDAY MAY 15th at 3PM EDT about her bestselling book MOSTLY DEAD THINGS and answering your questions.  Kristen is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Kristen Arnett is a queer fiction and essay writer. She won the 2017 Coil Book Award for her debut short fiction collection, Felt in the Jaw, and was awarded Ninth Letter’s 2015 Literary Award in Fiction. Her debut novel, MOSTLY DEAD THINGS , is now available in paperback from Tin House. She lives in Florida. Follow her on Twitter @Kristen_Arnett.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for KRISTEN ARNETT”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on the morning of the event (5/15) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with MARY KAY ANDREWS

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

Mary Kay Andrews – HELLO, SUMMER [order here]
TUESDAY MAY 12th at 5PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is Mary Kay Andrews.  You may have read Andrew’s earlier works: THE WEEKENDERS, BEACH TOWN, LADIES’ NIGHT, SUMMER RENTAL, DEEP DISH and others.

Mary Kay Andrew will be talking with us TUESDAY MAY 12th at 5PM EDT about her newest book HELLO, SUMMER and answering your questions.  Mary Kay is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of 24 novels. A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she received a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia and was a newspaper reporter for 14 years. The last ten years of her career were spent as a features reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

She is married to her high school sweetheart, Tom Trocheck, with whom she has a 40-year (and counting) collaboration yielding two grown children, two adorable grandchildren and countless memorable kitchen experiences.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for MARY KAY ANDREWS”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on Tuesday morning (5/12) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Make Mother’s Day (EVEN MORE) Special

Whether you can be with your mom on Mother’s Day or not it’s still the perfect time to let her know you love and appreciate her. Now through May 10th purchase a $25 dollar gift certificate for Mom and get 15% off all in-stock books in the same order. 

Purchase online or by calling the store any day, 10am to 3pm. (Qualifying online orders will be discounted during processing.)

Orders placed with free media mail shipping must be placed by 3pm on Friday 5/1 for guaranteed delivery before Mother’s Day, Sunday 5/10. 

 

Need some help picking out books for Mom? Fill out the form below and our booksellers will be happy to send you 2-3 suggestions as soon as possible.

What are some of her interests? (Check all that apply)(required)

What kind of books does she like? (Check all that apply)(required)

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with LEE SMITH

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

LEE SMITH – BLUE MARLIN [order here]
TOMORROW – TUESDAY APRIL 21st at 4PM EDT

The next author in the Okra Picks series is Lee Smith.  You may have read Smith’s earlier works: Dimestore: A Writer’s Life, The Last Girls, Fair and Tender Ladiesamong others.

Lee Smith will be talking with us TUESDAY APRIL 21st at 4PM EDT  about her newest book Blue Marlin and answering your questions.  Lee is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Store Founder Judy Blume calls Blue Marlin “absolutely enchanting.” The book follows Jenny, an adventurous thirteen-year-old, down to Key West for a patched-up family vacation following the discovery of her father’s illicit affair.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for Lee Smith”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on Tuesday (the day of the event) morning with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you have already purchased the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Stan Lee by Liel Leibovitz

From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a meditation on the deeply Jewish and surprisingly spiritual roots of Stan Lee and Marvel Comics

Few artists have had as much of an impact on American popular culture as Stan Lee. The characters he created—Spider-Man and Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four—occupy Hollywood’s imagination and production schedules, generate billions at the box office, and come as close as anything we have to a shared American mythology.

This illuminating biography focuses as much on Lee’s ideas as it does on his unlikely rise to stardom. It surveys his cultural and religious upbringing and draws surprising connections between celebrated comic book heroes and the ancient tales of the Bible, the Talmud, and Jewish mysticism. Was Spider-Man just a reincarnation of Cain? Is the Incredible Hulk simply Adam by another name? From close readings of Lee’s work to little-known anecdotes from Marvel’s history, the book paints a portrait of Lee that goes much deeper than one of his signature onscreen cameos.

An Update from Judy – 4/3/2020

Hello BookFriends,

It’s been a hard two weeks for me.  I miss being at the store SO much!  Store Manager Emily keeps us up to date, she drops off books for me to sign.  And Robin keeps us all informed via social media.  Here’s a confession — I’ve never been on Facebook! — I have a Facebook page for Judy the Writer but the real me has never used it personally.  I became a tweeter instead, though not so much these days.  But now I don’t want to miss any news of the store so George has set me up with a Facebook account so I can log on and see what the rest of you do.  How about those window displays!  Talk about turning the store inside-out.  It’s a new way to browse and find the books you may want to read.  I had a weird dream about those windows last night..

I’m thinking of fun reads for kids. I just read an interview with Gene Luen Yang, very popular with middle graders and young teens, whose latest book is Dragon Hoops.  For any young person interested in basketball, or any sport, this could be the right book for this time. Something Yang said in that interview stuck with me:   “Reading fiction is a great way of building empathy.  Graphic novels should be part of every reader’s book diet.”  Not the whole diet, to be sure, but part of it.  The book also examines the history of basketball, including the role of Senda Berenson, who introduced the sport to women.  As a summer camper (and small) I enjoyed the game though in those days we played with Girls’ Rules. You were either a forward or a guard. Because of my height I was always a guard, never a forward.  The only time I got to shoot baskets was during practice. Yang admits he was terrible at sports and especially at basketball.  

I have a couple of ideas for the grownups too. Three novels I recently read and enjoyed – Dear Edward took me out of myself and away from my problems, Separation Anxiety was exactly what I needed for a change of pace, funny and charming, and I’m still thinking of Lily King’s Writers and Lovers.  I’d like to read that one again for the first time. I can’t stop thinking about it. There’s also a new book by Lee Smith coming soon. More on that next time.

These are my ideas for today.  Stay tuned for more. We’re always looking for ideas that might help you help us.  Any thoughts, please let us know.  Our loyal staff is at the store 10-3pm, 7 days a week, to help you shop by phone or online.    

Stay well
Love,

Terrence McNally — R.I.P.

Books&Books @ The Studios is sad to acknowledge the death of Terrence McNally on March 24, 2020, a victim of the Covid-19 virus. McNally was a long-time seasonal resident and homeowner in Key West, who contributed mightily to the artistic life of the city. We will be including him as the newest member of our Key West Literary Pantheon honoring distinguished writers who have lived and worked in the city.

Many will recall the Waterfront Playhouse’s sold-out “An Evening With Terrrence McNally” in 2014. Most recently, a production of his play “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune” was scheduled to open at the Red Barn Theatre on the day of his death, like him a victim of the virus.

Described as “the bard of American theater” and “one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced,” McNally’s plays and books for musicals won four Tony Awards, and he was the recipient of the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement, as well as numerous other awards.

Terrrence McNally. You will be missed.

 

Charles Darwin’s Barnacle and David Bowie’s Spider by Stephen B. Heard

An engaging history of the surprising, poignant, and occasionally scandalous stories behind scientific names and their cultural significance

Ever since Carl Linnaeus’s binomial system of scientific names was adopted in the eighteenth century, scientists have been eponymously naming organisms in ways that both honor and vilify their namesakes. This charming, informative, and accessible history examines the fascinating stories behind taxonomic nomenclature, from Linnaeus himself naming a small and unpleasant weed after a rival botanist to the recent influx of scientific names based on pop-culture icons—including David Bowie’s spider, Frank Zappa’s jellyfish, and Beyoncé’s fly. 

Exploring the naming process as an opportunity for scientists to express themselves in creative ways, Stephen B. Heard’s fresh approach shows how scientific names function as a window into both the passions and foibles of the scientific community and as a more general indicator of the ways in which humans relate to, and impose order on, the natural world.