Monday Event Post--Kathy and Brenan Reichs at the Shorewood Public Library, Plus Nickolas Butler, Cara Black, and Sanford Stein on the Pill & Puff Legacy, All at Boswell.

Tuesday, March 11, 6:30 pm, at Shorewood Public Library, 3920 N. Murray Ave.:
Kathy and Brendan Reichs, author of Exposure: A Virals Novel.

Kathy Reichs teamed with her son Brendan Reichs to bring her popular brand of science and suspense to a new generation of readers with the 2010 debut of the novel, Virals. Here's more from the publisher on this exciting series.

Teen readers were captivated by the action-packed new series, and adult fans flocked to the compelling new storylines from their beloved author. Kirkus Reviews offered this praise in their starred review: “From the opening sentence to the last word, readers will be absorbed in Tory’s world…Reichs has found a pitch-perfect voice for Tory that will ring true with today’s teens, capturing an entirely new audience” 

Now, in the fourth installment, Exposure, when twin classmates are abducted from Bolton Prep, Tory and the Virals decide there’s no better team to take on the case. But the gang has their own problems--their powers are growing wilder and becoming harder to control. Chance Claybourne is investigating the disastrous medical experiment that twisted their DNA. The bonds that unite them are weakening, threatening the future of the pack itself. The stakes are high: the Virals must decipher the clues and track down a ruthless criminal before he strikes again, all while protecting their secret from prying eyes. And everyone seems to be watching their every move.

Tuesday, March 11, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Nickolas Butler, author of Shotgun Lovesongs.

Wow, in today's daily New York Times, Janet Maslin reviews Nickolas Butler's Shotgun Lovesongs. She writes: "The most lyrical parts of this big-hearted book are about how all the characters, including the star, are almost physically drawn to the town and one another. (Mr. Butler’s epigraph, from Moby-Dick: 'But, heave ahead, boy, I’d rather be killed by you than kept alive by any other man.') They are middle aged now, with their fortunes and family lives long since determined, but feckless youth still looms large in their memories."

And from Peter Geye, reviewing the book in the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune: "In the background — like the steady beat of a kick drum — the town of Little Wing and the farmland that surrounds it come to scintillating life. It’s a place that drove these people apart, and brought them back together. Likely you’ve driven through a town like Little Wing, and maybe you were listening to your favorite album when you did. That feeling you had? You’ll find it in these pages. Like you’ve known these folks all your life, and are damned glad for it."

As a debut hardcover novel with a lot of enthusiasm among the Boswell staff, we are taking the extra special step and making the book a Boswell's Best in store as well. We only do that once or twice a year, and only when we've gotten multiple great reads. And on another note, I really want to serve pickled eggs at the event. If you have a source, let me know asap!

Wednesday, March 12, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Cara Black, author of Murder in Pigalle.

Like Shotgun Lovesongs, here's another event that I wrote up earlier with its own blog post. I haven't yet linked, however, to this very nice review from Adam Woog in the Seattle Times, who talks about the plot, and then writes: "The Leduc series might not as be deeply atmospheric as some crime fiction set in Paris (Alan Furst’s historical espionage comes to mind). But Leduc is a refreshing and entertaining guide to Parisian neighborhoods and cultures, especially those that well-established tourist routes typically pass by. Let’s hope she never runs out of districts to scoot around in."

I find it amusing that many newspapers run event programming from the same source. So yes, you can now find a variation of our press release on the Sacramento Bee's website. Looking for something to do in Sacramento? Why not fly to Milwaukee and visit Boswell? We both host state fairs, after all.

Reading Cara Black's website, I learned that this plotline is inspired by real events, a serial killer that stalked Paris in 1998.

Saturday, March 15, 2 pm, at Boswell:
Sanford Stein, author of Retail Schmetail:One Hundred Years, Two Immigrants, Three Generations, Four Hundred Projects.

Retail Schmetail examines the icons, agents of change, and creators of brands in every category, describing the careers of the men and women who, over the last century, influenced what we bought and why we bought it. The book provides an insightful overview of the fundamentals of branding and design and how they have influenced our decision making; this is then combined with a detailed analysis of what makes a great customer experience.

From Stacey Vogel-Davis's article in the Milwaukee Business Journal: "Author Sanford Stein wrote Retail Schmetail as a way to write about retail trends over the last century through the lens of his family history. Both sets of Sanford Stein’s grandparents were immigrants and retailers. His father, Al Stein, and Al’s identical twin, Lou, first owned Jewelry & Toy Center in downtown Milwaukee and founded Pill & Puff in 1965."

Well, I remember Pill and Puff, though I think it had already been sold to the New York investment company when I moved here. They were health and beauty aid stores without the pharmacy, though some of them also had "The Pill Box." I would shop at the East Wisconsin Avenue location when I worked at the Iron Block Schwartz store and on Silver Spring when I transferred to Whitefish Bay.

And coming next week on Tuesday, March 18, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Joanne Fluke, author of Blackberry Pie Murder.

In her nineteenth adventure, bakery owner Hannah Swensen has even worse bad luck than normal. Not that she's the only person in their Minnesota town to stumble on dead bodies (her mom and sisters are also in the running), but she certainly is #1 in the standings. But this takes the cake; this time Hannah herself looks like the perp, having apparently killed someone while driving during a bad storm.

Don't be too worried. This is no A&E series where the heroine goes rogue. I've always thought of this series as a cozy, but I having read some, I think Janet Evanovich is a better comparison, though I'm told Diane Mott Davidson's work has a similar vibe. Davidson, however, ventures into savory territory while Fluke sticks with the sweets, at least for titles.

Are their recipes? Yes, there are. And are we serving blackberry pie cupcakes from Milwaukee Cupcake Company? Right again.