Happy Decoration Day! We're Open Today, NPR Reads Now Available, More Events Later in the Week for the Bookish Sort.

We're open regular hours today, but we close at 5 pm.  Yes, I should have given you a bit more notice, but these sort of things sneak up on you.  Just so you have it right in your calendar, we're also open 10 am to 5 pm on the 4th of July and Labor Day.

Just wanted to give you a head's up on the semi-annual Stamberg + Booksellers segment on NPR.  It aired today.  Here is what Rona Brinlee at the Florida's BookMark and Lucia Silver of Studio City's Portrait of a Bookstore (Los Angeles) talked about.  Oh, and me too.

Brinlee recommends such gems as 22 Britania Road and You Know When the Men are Gone, while Silver's taste runs to The Sisters Brothers and the new John Sayles' novel (a cat crusher!  That's my favorite line), A Moment in the Sun.  I want to read them all.  And you will too after you read their descriptions.  The audio should come up later this morning. I'll post it on Facebook. Once again, I give you the link.

I’m hoping you’ve heard about our event at Sugar Maple this coming Thursday, at 7 pm. It features three authors talking/reading about their book (I’m never quite sure of the talking-reading percentage until the event starts), Pete Nelson, Josh Wilker, and David Anthony. The event is free and attendees will get a coupon for select varieties of Lagunitas-brewed beer, while supplies last. And no, you can’t run in, get your coupon, and leave, so don’t try it.

So a little more about this Lagunitas, the sponsor that came with the event. They are a craft brewer based in Petaluma, about 40 miles outside of San Francisco. Here's their web page.

Local writer speaks/reads about her life in a family targeted by the McCarthy witch hunts on Friday, April 3, 7 pm. When Chris Christie told me at our in-store book club that she was working on a book, I told her to bring it on, and we're pleased to announce our talk/reading with Christie for This American Family, her memoir of life as a red diaper baby. Ellen Bravo offers praise: "With searing honesty and moving detail, she describes the collateral damage when those in power decide that standing up for equality is ‘un-American."

And if anyone asks, we are not hosting the governor of New Jersey at the moment. 

Dog days come early!  We're having a very special kids-and-family-friendly event with Lois Ehlert on Saturday, June 4, at 4 pm.  This is our first event with Ms. Ehlert, a Milwaukee treasure, and her new book about Rrralph a very, very intelligent dog, could milk a laugh out of a turnip.*

For this special event, we are opening the doors to well-behaved dogs.  Alas, this also means that we cannot allow food or drink in the store between 1 and 4 pm on Saturday, June 4.  It's a small price to pay!

Here are some book events going on elsewhere...

Wednesday, June 1, offers Wayne Breitbach, author of The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success, at Mequon's Next Chapter, starting at 7 pm. I'm just as confused about what to do with all those requests from folks I barely know.  What am I supposed to use this for?  Finally there is someone to ask, and he's local too. Should be a very interesting event. 

Also at Next Chapter is acclaimed novelist Ursula Hegi, author of the new novel, Children and Fire, coming this Thursday, June 2, 7 pm.  Hegi returns to Burgdorf, Germany, at the start of the Thrid Reich, which was the setting for her legendary novel, Stones from the River. This time the focus is on an idealistic teacher who finds herself compromising her integrity as the Nazis come to power.  More events on the Next Chapter website.

As it is Memorial Day, I thought it would be a good idea to re-mention the Reclaiming Our Heritage Civil War reenactment that is going on at the Zablocki VA Medical Center (or since we’re thinking 1865 when it was founded, the Milwaukee Soldiers’ Home) , starting 9 am on Saturday, June 4 and continuing into Sunday, June 5. Remember? They co-sponsored our Nathaniel Philbrick event last month.

This is the tenth (and alas, final, for now) festival at the VA.  There are not just re-enactments, but drumline and bugle corps, a tea room, tee shirts for sale, and capped off by a rummage sale. Click here for more information.

*This superlative brought to you by Arthur Plotnik, author of Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives.  Hear Mr. P. on Tuesday, June 7, 7 pm. You love words, don't you?  So helpful in that speaking and writing.