Boswell Display Tour, February 2016 Edition.

1. The elections have seemingly been in full force for the last year, but it seemed time to put our Primary Reading table up, which replaced the Iowa Book Caucus table, which featured books set in Iowa. We were only about 10 blocks from the recent Democratic debate at UWM but it appears that nobody of note came into the store.

In addition to an assortment of books highlighting various candidates or alternately championing of condemning the political process, FOB (friend of Boswell) Adam Borut came in with his newest project, cans of Political Nonscents. They are available in Democratic and Republican versions, and look a bit like tuna, but inside is something that is distinctly not tuna. Each has rather an amusing label, including a warning that the scent may linger for 4+ years. For more information, visit the Political Nonscents website.

2. Some traditional displays we put up just about every year while others come and go. Winter and spring traditions curry more favor than summer and fall, mostly because we have two large tables to fill that in other parts of the year are filled with calendars. We've got an African American history table up right now, for example, which would promote the Bryan Stevenson event at MATC, only it's sold out.

There's a St. Patrick's Day table too, but this year we're promoting an event with it. Sara Baume, a Cork novelist, is coming to Boswell on Thursday, March 10 for her first novel, Spill Simmer Falter Wither. Boswellian Anne is absolutely in love with the book and it comes with quite the pedigree, including being nominated for the Guardian First Novel Prize and winning the Rooney Prize for Irish literature.

3. Speaking of nominations, we've got the National Book Critics Circle Award nominee table up and as it happens, we snagged events with two of the nominees for best memoir. George Hodgman's Bettyville was the subject of an event on February 10, and Helen Macdonald appears at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center on April 12. It's a ticketed event but you have your choice of getting H is for Hawk in paperback or Shaler's Fish in hardcover.

4. By tomorrow, we should have up our nominee table for the Edgars. They announce so far in advance that I like to wait a little before putting it up. As it was for the NBCC, we have two nominees in one category, which in this case is best first novel. Already appearing was Rebecca Scherm for Unbecoming. On April 19, 7 pm, we'll be featuring Jessica Knoll, author of The Luckiest Girl Alive, in conversation with Carole E. Barrowman.

And of course we have signed copies of Bettyville and Unbecoming available for sale.