SEPTEMBER 28: IN STORE EVENT- AUTHOR CHAD RADFORD
Author Chad Radford will be signing copies of his book, Atlanta Record Stores: An Oral History, at the store on September 28 at 7:00 pm. Please RSVP here to attend. The store will also have a Popup Vinyl weekend (September 28 to October 1) to celebrate the signing. Atlanta Record Stores: An Oral History is an oral history of the city's rock music scene, as witnessed through the lens of Criminal Records, Fantasyland, Wax 'N' Facts, and many more. This is a rock-centric take on a town that's so often praised and admired around the world as a hip-hop mecca. Here, the secret history of the underdogs--outsiders living among outsiders--are told. From Jarboe of SWANS to William DuVall of Alice In Chains and Neon Christ, to Kelly Hogan, and those surly guys behind the counter at Wuxtry, all were drawn by the irresistible lure of vinyl records, all found their communities and their own identities, leaving an indelible mark on the culture of Atlanta. Now, in their own voices, their stories are told.
SEPTEMBER 30: ONE BOOK, ONE READ PROGRAM AT CENTRAL LIBRARY
The library & public library foundation is once again hosting a One Book, One Read program with an author event at the Central Library on September 30. This year's book is The Personal Librarian by Victoria Christopher Murray and Marie Benedict, a fictional account of the life of Belle de Costa Greene, the personal librarian of J.P. Morgan, who helped build the MorganLibrary. It's an amazing story! We have the book in our store if you'd like to purchase a copy today! Here's the link from the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation for this year's One Book, One Read: https://afplf.org/one-book-
SEPTEMBER 30: IN STORE EVENT- AUTHOR SHAKIR RASHAAN
Author Shakir Rashaan will be signing copies of his book, Neverwraith, at the store on September 30 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Shakir has been "corrupting minds, one book at a time" and creating unique and lavish worlds, writing engrossing stories that revolve around strong-willed, complicated men and the women who love them. When he isn't conferring with characters, new and old, inside of his "NEBU Universe," he can be found binge-watching series on various streaming platforms. Shakir lives in suburban Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and a hyperactive JackChi, and is a father of two-a college aged daughter and a son proudly serving in the US Armed Forces.
OCTOBER 5: IN STORE EVENT, AUTHOR SALLY BETHEA
Author Sally Bethea will be signing copies of her book, Keeping the Chattahoochee: Reviving and Defending a Great Southern River on October 5. Please RSVP here to attend.
Sally has been involved with Chattahoochee Riverkeepers for over 20 years. Serving as Founding Director, Executive Director and Riverkeeper, she continues to assist as a senior advisor. Sally was one of the first women in America to become a “riverkeeper", a vocal defender of a specific waterway who holds polluters accountable. In Keeping the Chattahoochee, she tells stories that range from joyous and funny to frustrating―even alarming―to illustrate what it takes to save an endangered river. Her tales are triggered by the regular walks she takes through a forest to the Chattahoochee over the course of a year, finding solace and kinship in nature.
For two decades, Bethea worked to restore the neglected Chattahoochee, which provides drinking water and recreation to millions of people, habitat for wildlife, and water for industries and farms as it cuts through the heart of the Deep South. Pairing natural and political history with reflective writing, she draws readers into her watershed and her memories. Bethea’s passion for the natural world―and for defending it with a strong, informed voice animates this instructive memoir. Offering lessons on how to fight for our fundamental right to clean water, Bethea and her colleagues take on powerful corporate and government polluters.
OCTOBER 7: IN-STORE EVENT: BOOK SIGNING WITH AUTHORS ANNE ECHOLS AND TERRY REPAK
Join us from 1:00 to 3:00 pm for a book signing to celebrate the launch of new books by Anne Echols, author of A Tale of Two Maidens, and Terry A. Repak, author of Circling Home: What I Learned by Living Elsewhere.
OCTOBER 15: IN STORE EVENT, AUTHOR STU KRIEGER
Author Stu Krieger will be signing copies of his book, Raft, on October 15 at 5:15 pm. Please RSVP here to attend.
Stu Krieger, award-winning screenwriter and author of The Land Before Time and multiple acclaimed Disney Channel Original Movies, has written a timely and relatable adult fiction book about a family in the midst of a patriarchal midlife crisis in Raft, published by Pipevine Press (an imprint of Warren Publishing). Hilariously written in multiple narratives from the perspectives of a father who spontaneously turns into a penguin; a wife who is barely hanging on given the stresses ofmarriage, motherhood...and being wed to a penguin; and their angsty teenaged son and daughter, Raft offers a glimpse into the highs, lows, and hijinks of one Los Angeles family trying to stay afloat. This page-turner reminds us all that being able to see the world through other points-of-view, learning to laugh together, and celebrating family bonds is what life is all about.
In the throes of midlife crises, some men take up skydiving or mountain biking. Some buy sleek new sports cars. Clark Whitaker, a stressed-out children’s book author, has turned into a penguin. Raft “...nailed the speechof both parents and two teenagers. Something, as a writer, I know first-hand, is extremely difficult,” says Laura Numeroff, author of the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. In dealing with Clark’s inexplicable transformation from suburban dad to arctic avian, the Whitakers embark on a humor-filled tour hoping to restore Clark to his natural state and inadvertently rediscover the power in their family bond.
Krieger, who wrote the beloved Zenon series, shifts his brand from a typical child-focused audience and seamlessly writes a tale that’s strictly for adults, all while maintaining his knack for wit and expertly crafted narrative. “With Raft,” says Krieger, “I wanted to write about the joys and challenges ofbeing a family in our current world....” Krieger’s venture toward reaching the gen-Xers and millennials whose childhoods he helped write hits the mark, resulting in a hilarious, family-focused masterpiece. As Parker Stevenson says, “Stu ...has gifted us all with a magical and surprising laugh-out-loud novel. It should not be missed.”
Krieger’s tale will captivate, entertain, and inspire readers, providing a fresh perspective into what it means to be a family. “I hope to remind readers that, to be in successful relationships, you always need the ability to understand how things might be seen and felt through someone else’s lens,” says Krieger. The late David Crosby called Raft “Fun and imaginative...just the kind of trip we all need right now.”
Since 2006, Krieger has been a professor in University of California Riverside’s Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production. From 2001–2020, he also taught one class per year at USC’s prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program. Prior to his move to full-time academia, he was a film and television writer with more than thirty produced credits, including co-writing the Emmy-winning miniseries, A Year in the Life, writing the screenplay for the animated classic, The Land Before Time, and writing or co-writing eleven Disney Channel Original Movies. He has also written the novel That One Cigarette published in 2017.
OCTOBER 18 AND OCTOBER 22: VAHI READS BOOK CLUB MEETING
In October our VaHi Reads Book Club will read and discuss the book Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett. RSVP is required to attend a meeting, with attendance limited to thirty people per meeting; our Book Club meetings fill up fast! RSVP here. Meeting options are:
- Wednesday, October 18- 1:00 pm
- Sunday, October 22- 5:00 pm
NOVEMBER 4: IN STORE EVENT WITH AUTHOR VANESSA RILEY
Author Vanessa Riley will be signing copies of her book, Murder in Drury Lane, on November 4 at 7:15 pm. Please RSVP here to attend.
An authority on the history of Black and other diverse populations in the Regency era, Vanessa Riley’s historical romances and fiction have established her as the go-to author for readers looking for stories highlighting multicultural communities, strong sisterhoods, and powerful persons of color. Her Rogues & Remarkable Women historical romance series has landed her on Best of lists at Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, NPR, Oprah Daily, and many more, while earning high praise from fellow authors including Julia Quinn, Sarah Maclean, and Kristan Higgins. Her first historical fiction novel, Island Queen (2021), was a GMA Buzz Pick, Indie Next Pick, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and television rights have been snapped up by Bridgerton producer Julie Anne Robinson, with Adjoa Andoh named as executive producer.
Now, Riley returns to bookshelves with Murder in Drury Lane, the second installment of her critically acclaimed Lady Worthing series. Bringing Riley’s vivid depictions of the race and class diversity of the Regency-era to the ever-popular genre of historical mystery, the novel follows the strong, clever, and captivating Lady Abigail Worthing, an aristocrat whose skin color and notorious family history have left her with few friends she can rely on. With her husband away indefinitely, Lady Worthing finds respite enjoying plays at the Drury Lane Theatre until she is pulled behind-the-curtain and tasked with solving a murder that suspects a leading advocate of the cause dearest to her heart—the abolition of slavery within the British empire.
Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of historical romance, mystery, and fiction featuring realistic multicultural communities and powerful persons of color. Her works have been reviewed by the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publisher Weekly, and the New York Times. Riley, of Southern, Irish, and Trini background, was named the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Literary Fiction Winner for Sister Mother Warrior. Riley holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and an MS in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. She also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Riley's research skills have helped NASA, GM, Hewlett Packard, and several startups. Yet, her love of history (Caribbean, Georgian, and Regency) and lattes overwhelmed her passion for math and has led to the publication of over twenty titles. A frequent speaker at literary, women's, and STEM events, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her military husband and teenage daughter.
NOVEMBER 4: VAHI SCI-FAN BOOK CLUB MEETING
Join us at 5:15 pm for our November Sci-Fan Book Club meeting! The book for this session is The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu. RSVP is required to attend a meeting. RSVP link will be available in our October 15th Newsletter.
NOVEMBER 12 AND NOVEMBER 15: NOVEMBER BOOK CLUB
In Noveber our VaHi Reads Book Club will read and discuss the book Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. RSVP is required to attend a meeting, with attendance limited to thirty people per meeting; our Book Club meetings fill up fast! RSVP here. Meeting options are:
- Sunday, November 12- 5:00 pm
- Wednesday, November 15- 1:00 pm
NOVEMBER 15: MIDDLE GRADE BOOK CLUB MEETING
Join us at 5:00 pm for our November Middle Grade Book Club meeting! The book for this session is New Kid by Jerry Craft. RSVP is required to attend a meeting. RSVP link will be available in our October 15th Newsletter.
NOVEMBER 18: IN-STORE EVENT WITH AUTHOR MATTIE LUBCHANSKY
Join us from 1:00 to 3:00 pm on November 18 for an in-store event with Author Mattie Lubchansky.