September is here, which means the events calendars at Houston's indie bookstores are full of tempting events and book signings that are bound (zing!) to make us late to the dinner table. From Edgar Award nominees at Murder By The Book, to Pulitzer Prize-winner Junot Diaz at Brazos Bookstore, and biophysicist Gregory Stock at Blue Willow Bookshop, it is going to be a fascinating and thought-provoking month.
Let's take a look at what's hot on the calendar for the Houston literati. Hint: it's going to be hard to choose, people.
Murder By The Book
"We're really excited about September at MBTB," says publicity manager John Kwiatkowski. "We have a great mix of old favorites and new authors coming through. Lee Child is going to be here September 8, and Sue Grafton will be here on September 11. Neither of them has been to the store in years, and we can't wait to see them again!"
Another author on the MBTB calendar to get excited about: Louise Penny on Wednesday, September 4. Her wildly popular Inspector Gamache series is incredibly addicting; a personal favorite.
Also on the calendar at MBTB in September: Jaime Lee Moyer (Saturday, September 24),and Lyndsay Faye (Tuesday, September 24). Moyer lives in San Antonio, and will be signing Delia's Shadow, while Faye (Edgar nominated for The Gods of Gotham) will be signing Seven for a Secret.
"We're also doing something a little different on Wednesday, September 25," said Kwiatkowski. "We have three local romance authors coming in to sign together: Lily Dalton, Shana Galen, and Kerrelyn Sparks."
View the full Murder by the Book event calendar for September 2013.
Blue Willow Bookshop
When asked about what's going on at Blue Willow Bookshop in September, Event Coordinator Cathy Berner cites the September 11 signing with Biophysicist Gregory Stock (Book of Questions): "He asks thought-provoking questions about ethics, love, morality, and more." Ten percent of the evening's proceeds will be donated to Camp for All.
"The week of September 23 we have a kids or teen author every day of the week, Monday through Friday," said Berner. "Mike Lupica is a sports journalist and kids author--he'll be here September 25--and his new novel, QB1, is all about Texas high school football. And we are thrilled to partner with Inprint's "Cool Brains" series when R.J. Palacio comes to town on Sunday, September 29."
View the full Blue Willow Bookshop event calendar for September 2013.
Brazos Bookstore
As usual, Brazos Bookstore has a strong lineup of signings and events. "Junot Diaz on September 24, that's going to be big," says Brazos manager Jeremy Ellis. "You must buy a ticket to attend the presentation at 7 p.m.--your ticket comes with a free paperback!" Also on the schedule is a Banned Books Celebration on Saturday, September 28, and presented with Workhorse Printmakers and Spindletop Design. "Workhorse returns with their printing presses and all new art, celebrating the banned books we love." The day-long celebration will be held from noon to 7 p.m.
A few other standouts on the calendar: Local poets Fady Joudah (Alight) on September 10 and Ange Mlinko (Marvelous Things Overheard) on September 12, as well as Mario Alberty Zambrano on September 19. "Zambrano is extremely talented, and he'll present his gorgeous new novel Loteria<.em> on September 19," said Ellis.
View the full Brazos Bookstore event calendar for September 2013.