Boswell Book Goings On This Week--Amanda Hocking at the Greenfield Library Tonight, a Ticketed Event with Joshua Jay Wednesday, Lil' Rev and John Nicholson Thursday, Plus a Sneak Peak at Next Week's Event with Paul Fischer.

Sometimes when you need to get information out, you just have to use the press release. And when you're going to Winter Institute and your flight is delayed five hours and you wind up landing in Ashville, only to find that another bookseller on your flight has lost her luggage, and you naturally feel like you should stay with her and that means you don't get to bed until 3:30 and Steven Johnson is speaking the next morning at 8:15 am, this is one of those times.

Monday, February 9, 6:30 pm, at the Greenfield Public Library, 5310 W. Layton Avenue:
A Greenfield Public Library Event with Amanda Hocking, author of Frostfire: Kanin Chronicles #1

Please join us at the Greenfield Public Library for a fantastic event with Amanda Hocking, who will discuss and sign copies of her new book great for ages thirteen and up, Frostfire, the first in her new series The Kanin Chronicles, which returns readers to the troll world of her Trylle trilogy for a new adventure with tracker Bryn Aven, outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Frostfire is the first book in a magical new YA series from The New York Times bestselling author and self-publishing success story Amanda Hocking. Capturing the imaginations of readers and aspiring writers everywhere, Amanda garnered national media attention by selling millions of copies of her self-published novels, and landing major publishing and film deals for her bestselling Trylle trilogy. Now, she invites readers back to the beloved world of the Trylle with Frostfire, book one of the new Kanin Chronicles series. With beloved characters making cameo appearances and a new heroine readers can’t help but root for, the series explores the treacherous but beautiful world that was only hinted at in the Trylle trilogy.

Wednesday, February 11, 6 pm dinner, 7 pm talk, doors open 5:30, at Flannery's, 425 E. Wells Street:
a ticketed dinner event with Joshua Jay, author of Big Magic for Little Hands: 25 Astounding Illusions for Young Musicians.$20 admission.

Per the sponsor: The Greater Milwaukee Area Society of American Magicians Assembly #61 Presents Joshua Jay in an exclusive lecture appearance. This event is meant for magicians only, but how do I know that I among you are a number of amateur magicians. I wasn't going to list this but when our sponsor said they'd be telling folks about the event on Morning Blend, I realized that there is more than one definition of "public" and "private."

This is a private event. Limited seating so get there early. For more information, call 414-278-8586.

Thursday, February 12, 7 pm at Boswell:
A Talk with Music from Lil’ Rev and John Nicholson, authors of Fiddle Tunes for Ukulele

Please join us for a unique evening with local musicians Lil’ Rev and John Nicholson, who will discuss and play selections from their latest book of old-time fiddle tunes arranged for ukulele, Fiddle Tunes for Ukulele.

Take a journey back in time with folk masters Lil’ Rev and John Nicholson in this delightful collection of old-time fiddle tunes arranged for ukulele. Southern string band, bluegrass, and hillbilly music are covered as well as song forms such as reels, jigs, blues, rags, hornpipes, polkas, and more. Featuring a variety of ukulele picking styles, each exciting instrumental piece in this songbook is carefully arranged for solo ukulele in standard notation and tablature. Chord grids are also included so you can play along with others or with your own string band. Playing level varies from very easy to very advanced, so there's something inside for everyone, and something for everyone to aspire to! This unique collection also includes historical notes, rare photos, and access to full-band audio backing tracks for play-along fun!

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Lil’ Rev was voted “Best Folk Singer” by WAMI in 2004 and inducted into the Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition to ukulele, he plays guitar, harmonica, mandolin, and banjo, and is a songwriter and music historian who teaches and tours nationwide.John Nicholson is a great Milwaukee-based finger-picker, strumming maniac, and all around stellar musician equally adept on guitar, banjo, tiple, mandolin, jaw harp, and ukulele. He has taught at the prestigious Milwaukee Irish Festival Summer School, University of Wisconsin Adult Education, Wheatland Traditional Music Camp, and Ear Full of Fiddle, among others.

And don't forget about next week.
Monday, February 16, 7 pm:
Paul Fischer, author of A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extra-ordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator’s Rise to Power

Boswell is excited to welcome award-winning film producer, Paul Fischer, for a talk and signing of his debut nonfiction thriller, A Kim Jong-Il Production, the extraordinary true story of Kim Jong-Il’s 1978 kidnapping of the gold couple of South Korean cinema, the movies they made, and their escape, being billed as The Orphan Master’s Son meets Argo.

What is a great book! Here's my recommendation: "In the 1970s, it was not unusual for a South Korean or Japanese person to be plucked off the beach and abducted to Pyongyang, North Korea. And while there were various reasons for these kidnappings, none are quite so strange as the case of Choi Eun-Hee and Shin Sang-Ok, two South Koreans who were acclaimed for their work together as director and actress, but had since divorced and fallen on hard times. Could they, once re-educated, bring the North Korean film industry to a level of acclaim heretofore unknown? Drawing on the couple’s unpublished-in-English memoir, interviews with various defectors and the cooperation of Madame Choi herself, in addition to what was likely to be completely contradictory news reports, Fischer has constructed a fascinating account, at once horrifying and absurd, one of the strangest incidents in a particularly strange country’s history, which is also surprisingly timely, for political junkies, film buffs, or anyone who wants a great read." (Daniel Goldin)

Paul Fischer’s first feature film, the documentary Radioman, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Doc NYC festival and was released to critical and commercial acclaim. A Kim Jong-Il Production is his first book.