Tim Federle at Art Bar on Tuesday, Melissa Atkins Wardy at the Lynden Sculpture Garden on Wednesday, and Barbara Ali on Milwaukee Parks at Boswell on Friday.

My apologies for the delay in getting out today's event post. We were talking with everyone from the author to the publicist to the operator at Southwest Airlines to try to get a handle on whether flight delays might affect our event with Tim Federle. It still stands (but I should note that all the New York publishers were leaving early for their rather serious snowfall!)

Tuesday, February 4, 5:30 pm, at Art Bar, 722 E. Burleigh Street in Riverwest: Cocktails with the Cream City Foundation, featuring Tim Federle, author of Better Nate than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate! Tim Federle's laurels just keep on coming for Better Nate than Ever. Last week the book was given a Stonewall Prize Honor. Here's the list of all the ALA prize winners and honor books.

After a day talking to kids at three area schools, we're changing things up. Due to hearing from so many adults who loved reading Better Nate than Ever, we thought this was a nice mix of Nate and Tequila Mockingbird, Federle's other release, which features book-themed cocktails. The Cream City Foundation is an umbrella nonprofit that helps fund LGBT organizations in the area and Art Bar seemed like the perfect venue for it to take place. Thanks to Paul and Chuck for setting this up. Hope to see you there (if you are over 21).

Laura Riley talks about "Are You God, It's Me, Margarita" and other drinks in the Tampa Bay Tribune.

And in Playbill, Tim Federle discusses how Five, Six, Seven, Nate! came together. "Think Smash meets Dance Moms!"

Wednesday, February 5, 7 pm, at the Lynden Sculpture Garden, 2145 W. Brown Deer Road in River Hills: The Women's Speaker Series, featuring a ticketed event with Melissa Atkins Wardy, author of Redefining Girly. This event is produced by Milwaukee Reads, sponsored by Bronze Optical, with treats sponsor MKELocalicious

In Redefining Girly: How Parents Can Fight the Stereotyping and Sexualizing of Girlhood, from Birth to Tween, Melissa Atkins Wardy offers practical, specific parenting advice; strategies for effecting change with educators, store managers, corporations, and more; and tips for challenging and changing the media, providing parents the tools they need to fight back against the modern stereotyping and sexualization of young girls.

The event with Wardy starts with a reception at 7 pm, with the talk beginning at 7:30. A $25 ticket ($20 for Lynden members) includes a copy of Redefining Girly, wine or non-alcoholic beverages, and light refreshments from MKE Localicious. More information here.

 Friday, February 7, 7 pm, at Boswell: Barabara Ali, author of 101 Things to Do in Milwaukee Parks: A Guide to the Green Spaces in Milwaukee.

Per Jim Higgins in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "101 Things is a homemade project in almost every sense: self-published, and researched without official help from the Milwaukee County Parks department or the various friends groups that support the parks. That independent viewpoint is the source of the book's strength. Ali writes not only about the fabulous variety of Milwaukee County's parks, but also includes local parks, such as Cahill Park in her own community of Whitefish Bay, and other green spaces including Forest Home and Wood National cemeteries." Read more here.

How about it if I just list ten? Well, maybe 15...
2. Archery
7. Beer Garden
11. Bike polo
17. Cemetery tours
21. Curling
25. Disc golf
38. Folk dance
48. Horsehsoes
53. Kite flying
61. Pedal boates
67. Rock Climb
78. Sled
84. Statue tour
93. Theater
100. Yoga

Along with Barbara, Boo Boo The Door County Sled Dog will be making an appearance, most likely along with his human companion, Bonnie Ulrich.

And here's an reminder for next week, Sue Monk Kidd will be at Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall, 733 N. 8th Street, for The Invention of Wings, with 89.7 WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio as our media sponsor.