Posts Tagged ‘book signing’
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, October 27th, 2008
Happy beginning of the last week in October! One thing I learned this weekend: Don’t let people who don’t seem particularly well trained in taking blood out of you take blood out of you. The nice bruised vein on my arm is proof positive.
Speaking of blood and it getting drained out of you, local writer Eric Nuzum went on a road trip around the world to experience anything and everything vampire – hangin’ out with Eddie Munster, drinking his own blood (eww!), watching every vamp flick, etc. - for his 2007 book “The Dead Travel Fast,” recently out in vacation-friendly paperback. ’Tis the season for the bloodsucking, so Nuzum is stopping by the Barnes & Noble in Georgetown to sign copies at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Plus, all those who show up get a handy-dandy “vampire protection kit,” with a travel-size cross, wooden stake, vial of holy water, garlic tablets and a paper clip. It’ll be the last reading he’ll do for the book, plus Nuzum will read a story from his newest effort, “Bring Me to Heaven.” (Maybe he’ll also talk about the completion of a 52 books in 52 weeks project, a goal I wouldn’t mind attaining one of these days.) That’ll put you in the right mood for Friday night’s Halloween Costume Contest at 7 p.m. at the Springfield Borders.
Two other book signings of note: Area sports journalists Andy Pollin and Leonard Shapiro will be at the Borders in Sterling at 7:30 p.m. for “The Great Book of Washington D.C. Sports Lists,” and Vince Flynn is appearing at the Baileys Crossroads Borders at 7:30 p.m. tonight to promote the latest thriller starring Mitch Rapp, “Extreme Measures.”
DC Comics’ Vertigo line re-releases Grant Morrison’s 1995 cult hit “Kill Your Boyfriend” with a new printing on Wednesday, a black comedy set about a teenage girl bored of the British suburbs and a rebel with an anarchic cause. Also getting a reprint are Alan Moore’s “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier” and some of Frank Miller’s solo Elektra stories with the “Elektra by Frank Miller Omnibus.”
Best horror novel? Share ‘em with your NoVa peeps in the comments section or email novapoppin@gmail.com!
Seeing Virginia’s ghostly sites
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, October 20th, 2008
Hey there! Tis Monday again, although I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I overcame my post-Seattle sickness, finally put up some bookshelves that had been sitting in my garage for a month and took in some live hockey goodness.
If you’re like me and are itching to get into the ghostly spirit of things this Halloween season, you’ll want to head on down to Manassas for an event with author Michael J. Varhola. He’ll be at the local Borders at 2 p.m. Saturday signing copies of his new book of stately haunts, “Ghosthunting Virginia.” He went searching for the paranormal at Civil War battlefields, tunnels and bridges, old inns and small-town taverns, to seek out real ghosts in this book that also doubles as a neat little travel guide. (Locally, he recommends the Fuller House Inn in Winchester, a place for quite a few ghost sightings over the years.) Adam Rex will be at Politics & Prose downtown at 10:30 a.m. Thursday for his children’s book “Frankenstein Takes the Cake” (Frankie’s trying to marry his bride, but Edgar Allan Poe and some other monsters are trying to foil the wedding – what’s up with that?). And while his book’s a bit more fantasy than scary, Fairfax author Michael J. Sullivan is dropping by the Tysons Corner Borders at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to sign his new book, “The Crown Conspiracy.”
On the bookshelves this week, John Updike’s going the sequel route with his “The Witches of Eastwick” sequel, “The Widows of Eastwick,” and rapper Eminem sounds off on his life in the memoir “Way I Am.” I can’t wait to read the new issue of “Secret Invasion,” as issue seven gives us what we’ve been clamoring for: the uber-smackdown between the Marvel Universe’s finest and the entire Skrull army, and Vertigo’s debuting the new series “Unknown Soldier,” where a doctor in Northern Uganda learns he has a serious talent for killing when death gets a bit too close for comfort. And seriously, if you haven’t read Brian K. Vaughan’s utterly brilliant “Y: The Last Man,” easily one of the best comic series of the past 20 years (or, for my money, ever), now is the time. A new oversized hardcover edition collects the first 10 insanely great issues, for those who like their comics with the fancypants treatment.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, October 6th, 2008
Happy Monday! I hope everyone got on and was able to enjoy the nice weather over the weekend, maybe with a cookout or a dog walk or two. Last week did bring some very sad news for area book lovers as Olsson’s Books & Records closed the doors on all five of its stores after serving the D.C. area for 36 years. It will be missed.
Fortunately, the big book superstores have local events that can create the bond between retailer and community that Olsson’s did so well. (And is it me, or does this all seem like the subplot from “You’ve Got Mail”?) On Thursday at 11 a.m., the Borders in Fairfax is hosting Laura Numeroff, co-author of the children’s book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” with Felicia Bond and their newest, “If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.” It’s for kids, and for anybody who gives their kitties sugary treats! And Michael Gates Gill, ad man-turned-barista, talks about “How Starbucks Saved My Life” and the life-affirming power of making coffee at 7:30 p.m. at the Tysons Corners Borders.
The new Anne Rice book hits stores shelves this week, and there’s nary a bloodsucker in it. “Called Out of Darkness” is a memoir chronicling the “Interview with the Vampire” author’s journey back to Christianity. I wonder what she thinks of “Twilight”? Sarah Vowell, she of NPR’s “This American Life,” wittily sounds off on Puritans in “The Wordy Shipmates,” and will be making a local appearance at the downtown Avalon Theatre on Thursday. On the comics front, the undead are back in “Marvel Zombies 3,” continuing from two uber-popular, zombie-starring miniseries, and this one features … wait for it … Man-Thing! Wildstorm premieres two books on Wednesday: “The Ferryman,” about a dude you hire when you have to track down the very dangerous, and “Gears of War,” based on the hit video game and written by writer of the upcoming sequel.
What’s on your reading list these days? Drop your book of the month in the comments section or at novapoppin@gmail.com.
Intrigue from D.C. to Scotland to Gotham City
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, September 29th, 2008
Morning! Hope y’all had a great weekend. I’m very excited that the Redskins beat the Cowboys yesterday, and that I got to see LOTS of cool pooches at Barktoberfest. Makes me want a pet for my new place – rabbit or dog, though? What do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or at novapoppin@gmail.com.
Washington has become a focal point of the country both for the presidential race and the financial mega-crisis, and one of the area’s upcoming authors, Frederick Harrison, is one who’s been a part of the city’s intelligence community for years. He’s coming to the Borders in Tysons Corner at 7 p.m. Wednesday to sign copies of his second novel, “A Course to Stay,” which revolves around the national director of intelligence and how he has to wage the war on terror and deal with an increasing problem in Pakistan amid a highly charged presidential election. Sounds familiar, huh?
The same night at 7:30, Ian Rankin is coming to the Baileys Crossroads Borders, but to talk about a whole other country. The creator of the Inspector Rebus crime series has “Exit Music” out now, the 17th book in the franchise that finds the Edinburgh detective nearing retirement and his 60th birthday and having to solve the murder of an expatriate Russian poet.
And cartoonist Lynda Barry will be in town – 7 p.m. Friday at the downtown Politics & Prose, to be exact – to chat about her critically acclaimed collection “What It Is,” an inspiration for anybody who’s ever had a creative urge or two.
And now to my most favorite of literary art forms: comics!!! From the “Why are you even touching this?” file, Wildstorm is debuting “Top 10 Season Two” this week, but not with Alan Moore writing. Using his characters but not his brilliance. Instead Zander Cannon, a layout artist on Moore’s original “Top 10,” is taking the reins. We’ll see if anything rubbed off.
Another new title is DC’s “Terror Titans,” a miniseries focusing on youngster supervillains put together by the Clock King, one of them stolen from the do-gooding Teen Titans. Oh, the injustice! (Not the Injustice League, however.)
One comic that I’m looking forward to with cautious optimism is “Batman” No. 680. Whereas I’m digging Marvel’s “Secret Invasion,” I’m not really getting Grant Morrison’s “Batman R.I.P.” crossover storyline, where Batman has been driven completely nutso by some dude known as the Black Glove. Hopefully, this issue – where Bats throws down with the Club of Villains and the Joker gets in on the action – and the next-ish finale will have some big reveals and uber-coolness.
You’ll ‘Fall’ for this book fest
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Sunday, September 21st, 2008
It’s a special weekend edition of NoVa Pop. Why, you may ask? Well, because the Fall for the Book Festival starts today! Sponsored by George Mason University and the Fairfax County Public Library, the weeklong event offers a variety of programs and chances to hobnob with big-name writers all over the area. Best of all … it’s free! A full list of authors, programs and venues can be found at the fest’s official website, but here’s a look at some of the more interesting appearances:
Lawyers and kids don’t usually come together very often. A former attorney and now local children’s book author, Moira Rose Donahue is bridging that gap. Today at 3:30 p.m.. At the City of Fairfax Regional Library, she’ll be chatting about the important of punctuation – a theme that runs through her books, “Penny and the Punctuation Bee” and “Alfie the Apostrophe” – and how it even can affect a Supreme Court case!
After taking part in the Paperback Swap right outside GMU’s Johnson Center from noon to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, stop by the Center for the Arts at 7:30 when celebrated Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe receives the 2008 Mason Award and reads from his influential “Things Fall Apart,” which is in its 50th year of publication.
Tuesday brings what will probably be an emotional reading of poems by U.S. Army veteran Brian Turner at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the Sterling campus of Northern Virginia Community College. His book of poetry, “Here, Bullet,” was inspired by his deployments in both Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., the City of Fairfax Regional Library hosts former Virginia governor, Linwood Holton. He’ll be reading from his memoir “Opportunity Time,” which recounts his becoming governor in 1970, at that time the first Republican to hold that position since Reconstruction, and his work to solve racial injustice and segregate schools. (He also happens to be the father-in-law of today’s Democratic governor, Tim Kaine.)
My fellow music nerds will want to check out the Thursday program at 3 p.m. at the Provident Bank Tent outside the Johnson Center. Punk historian Mark Anderson, the co-author of “Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation’s Capital” discusses how Dischord Records, local musicians such as Henry Rollins and all sorts of bands, from Minor Threat to Bad Brains, forever changed the area’s music scene in the 1970s and ‘80s. The punkerrific Max Levine Ensemble will play a set following the talk.
The closing program will be one of the biggest, as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham accepts the 2008 Fairfax Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts at 7:30 p.m. at GMU’s Harris Theater. Naturally, the man behind “The Hours” and “A Home at the End of the World” will also give a talk about all things prose.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, September 19th, 2008
It’s Friday, it’s time to party. Hopefully you’ve had a productive week and are doing some weekend planning. I am ready to kick back a little, for sure. I’ll be hitting up the Nationals tomorrow as they host (and probably will lose to) the San Diego Padres. But if I was still in town, you can bet I’d be all about Brad Meltzer – novelist, comic book writer, all-around nice guy – coming to the ‘burbs. He’ll be signing copies of his novel “The Book of Lies” (which I previously mentioned in this post) at the Wegmans in Sterling at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Even better though, he’ll also be slapping his John Hancock on any comics you bring. Here’s my suggestion: Head over to the nearby Laughing Ogre Comics in Lansdowne, pick up a copy of Meltzer’s fantabulous “Identity Crisis,” have him sign that puppy and immerse yourself in it that night. Score!
The movie selections are pretty slim this week. For some reason, people keep putting Dane Cook and Kate Hudson in movies – why? I got nothin’ – and both are in the dreckful “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and “Lakeview Terrace” offers up Samuel L. Jackson doing his bad mamma jamma routine as a fiery cop with neighbor issues. The kids will want to check out the animated “Igor” (with John Cusack voicing the lovable Frankenstein sidekick), and Ricky Gervais stars in the comedy “Ghost Town,” which opens at the Cinema Arts Theatre. I love Gervais in “The Office” and “Extras,” and he plays an awkward bloke here too, one who sees dead people (annoying ones, no less), but it just doesn’t look THAT excellent. You might be better off served with a British “Office” DVD marathon.
Speaking of DVDs, there is something for both the sexes on Tuesday. Women will want to have their own copies of “Sex and the City – The Movie,” with a longer cut of the theatrical flick and enough Jimmy Choos for a girls night in. And for the dudes, all three “Godfather” movies make their debut in high-definition Blu-ray in “The Coppola Restoration Gift Set.” It’s an offer you can’t refuse.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, September 15th, 2008
Welcome back! Hope y’all had a great weekend, and stayed out of the heat weirdness. Today, we’re talking “Brisingr.” And no, I didn’t sneeze. Like “Harry Potter” and the “Twilight” series, the other young adult book franchise that has gotten everybody’s chainmail in a bunch is Christopher Paolini’s dragon-filled “Inheritance” saga.
Paolini’s story is as compelling as either J.K. Rowling’s or Stephenie Meyer’s: He graduated from high school at 15 – yup, 15 – and wrote “Eragon,” about a farm boy who learns that he is one of the mythical Dragon Riders and goes on a quest to unseat the evil King Galbatorix from power and free his people. There’s some “Lord of the Rings” in there, some “Star Wars.” It’s all good. “Eragon” was a hit (and spawned a really iffy movie,” then came “Eldest,” and now, getting a release Saturday, “Brisingr” continues the saga after a three-year wait for fans. And they’re releasing it in style, like the “Potter” and “Twilight” books – with midnight release parties all over the area: Borders book stores are having theirs in Sterling, Manassas, Fairfax, Tysons Corner, Baileys Crossroads, Warrenton, Springfield, and Woodbridge at 10 p.m. Friday; and the Barnes & Noble in Fairfax is hosting one at 9 p.m. Friday. And for those just nutty for all things Paolini, you’ll want to get tickets for the event Politics & Prose is hosting with the author at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School auditorium. Call or stop by the store for tickets, which includes a copy of the book.
Don’t have a dragon fix? The must-read of the week is the first issue of “Bite Club” writer David Tischman’s latest effor for Vertigo, “Greatest Hits,” which follows a fab foursome of English superheroes through the years.
Want to talk books or comics? Start the discussion – toss some thoughts in the comments or by email to novapoppin@gmail.com.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, September 12th, 2008
Saturday is a big day for local comics fans. Matt Fraction is in town!! The Eisner Award-nominated writer of “Casanova,” “Punisher War Journal,” “Invincible Iron Man” and “Uncanny X-Men” will be signing comics from noon to 4 p.m. at Laughing Ogre Comics in Lansdowne. Geek out but also buy stuff – the store also has a 20% off discount on trade paperbacks and graphic novels going on that day, so be sure to pick up one of his trades, such as the first volume of “Casanova,” “Punisher War Journal Vol. 1: Civil War,” “The Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1″ or “30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales.”
French mystery, American misery?
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, September 8th, 2008
It’s Monday again! I really, really miss that Labor Day weekend from last week, don’t you? But we start this week with two interesting book signings.
Those in and around Falls Church tonight, or just anybody interested in 19th-century France, may want to stop by the Baileys Crossroads Borders for an event with Louis Bayard at 7:30 p.m. He’ll be signing copies of his new historical fiction “The Black Tower,” which features a French detective searching for the lost son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette circa 1818. And at 7 p.m. downtown at Politics & Prose, Washington author Ron Suskind stops by for his latest book, about something a lot of people WISH was historical fiction: the Bush Administration. He’s dealt with it before, in “The One Percent Doctrine,” and “The Way of the World” chronicles how people have been adversely affected by the Oval Office during the past eight years.
Speaking of the Bushes, another local author, Curtis Sittenfield, based her new “American Wife” more or less loosely on the life of First Lady Laura Bush. The protagonist of her recently released third book, named Alice Blackwell, looks back at the journey from her small-town Wisconsin upbringing, to falling in love with a man her polar opposite, to the White House during one of her husband’s most important days.
Then again, some of us like our fiction being just that: fiction. So we read comic books! This week, Wildstorm is releasing the trade of its “Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash” miniseries, featuring the stars of the “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th” and “Evil Dead” franchises – as if you didn’t know. Also, DC Comics is rolling out the first trade of its fantastic crime series “Gotham Central,” and Marvel Comics debuts two new series: “X-Men: Magneto Testament,” a flashback to the X-dudes’ arch-enemy and his Jewish upbringing in Nazi Germany, and “Deadpool,” a solo book for the popular mouthy mercenary who’s really, really hard to kill.
Whatcha reading these days? Drop me a line in the comments or email novapoppin@gmail.com.
Meet “Wire” main man George Pelecanos!
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, August 11th, 2008
This just in: Since there are a lot of fans of “The Wire” in the NoVa Pop crew, and I mentioned the last season getting a DVD release tomorrow on Friday, y’all might want to know that local “Wire” producer and writer George Pelecanos will be doing a book signing tomorrow night at Politics & Prose downtown. Whereas “The Wire” takes place on the mean streets of Baltimore, his new crime novel “The Turnaround” – like his previous books – takes place in Washington. The noir thriller revisits a situation that happened in the summer of 1972, when three inebriated and high white kids went into a inner-city neighborhood, ran into three black youngsters and not all of them came back alive, and then picks up in the present, as the surviving men’s lives are still interwoven in tragedy. So not only do you get a good read out of the situation … you also get to meet a local literary superstar. Score! (Thanks to my main man Warren Rojas for the tip!)