July 17, 2014 Thanks to an unexpected bump from comedian Stephen Colbert, Edan Lepucki’s debut novel has been lifted up from the crowded field of post-apocalyptic novels to wide notice and acclaim. A unique take on the form, California focuses less on the sensational aspects of Armageddon than on the complications of domesticity in a crumbling world. Lepucki will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on July 29, 2014, at 6:30 p.m.
July 16, 2014 C.J. Box’s first collection of short fiction, Shots Fired, offers a fair introduction to the author’s preoccupation with irredeemable evil. While only four of the stories feature Joe Pickett, the intrepid Wyoming game warden who appears in fourteen of Box’s novels, the rest retain Box’s fascination with sudden violence, exotic animals, and rough justice. C.J. Box will appear at The Booksellers at Laurelwood in Memphis on July 28, 2014, at 6 p.m.
July 15, 2014 There is abundant love and tender memory in poet Jesse Graves’s new collection, Basin Ghosts, but Graves also goes gracefully into some of the most difficult territory of life. Graves will discuss Basin Ghosts at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on July 26, 2014, at 2 p.m., and at the Southern Festival of Books, which will be held at Legislative Plaza in Nashville October 10-12, 2014.
July 14, 2014 Among bestselling authors of thrillers, one of the biggest names is Brad Thor. With Act of War, Thor has proven once again why he is a favorite of the genre—and of American political conservatives. The fictional exploits of super-agent Scot Harvath provide a thought-provoking look at how far the U.S. should go to protect itself. Thor will sign copies of Act of War at the Brentwood Costco on July 19, 2014, from 12:30 to 2:30 pm.
July 11, 2014 In his debut collection, Ghost Gear, poet Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum excavates and explores memories of his Nashville boyhood, revisiting the past with a rough mix of tender feeling and strong, sometimes violent imagery. He will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on July 19, 2014, at 6:30 p.m.
July 10, 2014 In One Plus One, the new novel by British author Jojo Moyes, a surprising romance is set into motion by a series of mistakes. On the surface, Jess and Ed share nothing but the fact that Jess regularly visits Ed’s vacation home in order to clean it, but over the course of a hilarious, foul-smelling car trip, romantic mayhem ensues. Moyes will discuss One Plus One at Parnassus Books in Nashville on July 18, 2014, at 6:30 p.m.
