LibraryThing Local

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 ... (mais)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.

Bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Templar Legacy, The Venetian Betrayal and The Amber Room has written his fifth novel full of intrigue and adventure. Former U.S. Justice Department operative Cotton Malone’s billionaire Danish friend, Henrik Thorvaldsen, ... (mais)is consumed with finding out who masterminded the killings outside a Mexico City courthouse two years earlier in which seven people were murdered, including his young diplomat son. When Malone learns that a wealthy British aristocrat was behind the slaughter, he becomes entangled in a conspiracy that involves an elite group of ruthless financial experts planning to destabilize the global economy, a terrorist plot to destroy a European landmark, and a legendary cache hidden by Napoleon. Malone soon finds himself in a desperate struggle to save not only his friend’s life but the lives of many other innocent people in this contemporary suspenseful novel.

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 ... (mais)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!

Louisiana state veterinarian Lorna Polk stumbles upon a fishing trawler shipwrecked on a barrier island. The crew is missing or dead, but the boat holds a frightening cargo: a caged group of exotic animals, clearly part of a black market smuggling ring. Yet, something is wrong with these beasts, disturbing ... (mais)deformities that make no sense: a parrot with no feathers, a pair of Capuchin monkeys conjoined at the hip, a jaguar cub with the dentition of a saber-tooth tiger. They also all share one uncanny trait--a disturbingly heightened intelligence. To uncover the truth about the origin of this strange cargo and the terrorist threat it poses, Lorna must team up with a man who shares a dark and bloody past with her, now an agent of the U.S. Border Patrol, Jack Menard. Together, the two must hunt for a beast that escaped the shipwreck while uncovering a mystery tied to fractal science and genetic engineering, all to expose a horrifying secret that traces back to mankinds earliest roots. But can Lorna stop what is about to be born upon the altar of Eden before it threatens not only the world, but also the very foundation of what it means to be human? In addition to the talk & book signing, we are asking our friends & neighbors to donate dog & cat food, for PAWS Atlanta

New York Times bestselling author shares the anticipated sequel to The Best of Everything, spinning a tale of love, ambition and betrayal. Alicia has the perfect life! Her prayers have finally been answered and she could not be happier with her second marriage to Pastor J.T. Valentine that took ... (mais)place a month ago. Her life is now complete – or so she thinks. J.T., a handsome, dynamic man of the cloth, who oversees a 5,000-plus congregation, earns hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, supports her in her writing ambitions, and gives her everything she wants. Her father, Reverend Curtis Black, however sees into the darkness of a sinner’s heart and feels her new husband can’t be trusted. Alicia doesn’t understand just how much like her dad her new husband truly is, but soon discovers that her “perfect life” is only an appearance and she must learn the hard lesson – to be careful what you wish for.

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 ... (mais)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 ... (mais)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 ... (mais)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 ... (mais)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. ... (mais)We'll have more details shortly.

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 ... (mais)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 ... (mais)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 ... (mais)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!

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 ... (mais)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!