SIDEWAYS IN SARASOTA is a sexy, humorous, and sometimes sobering romp through the heart and mind of M.C. Coolidge – better known as “Reality Chick” -- one of Sarasota’s most popular and provocative newspaper columnists. A native Floridian and longtime Bostonian, Coolidge pens stories and perspectives from both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. Her writing offers poignant glimpses of human kindness, memories of Beantown, and a deep affection for the natural beauty and serendipitous joys of Sarasota living. M.C. Coolidge lives and works in Sarasota where the essays collected in SIDEWAYS IN SARASOTA first appeared in the Pelican Press newspaper. Her opinion pieces have also appeared in the Tampa Tribune and Venice Gondolier Sun. She is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists...more »

TICKETS: Free! Author will discuss and sign copies of her book

THE STEEL WAVE is the second volume in New York Times-bestselling author Jeff Shaara's acclaimed World War II trilogy, about the most famous chapter in WWII--D Day. Jeff Shaara plunges his readers into the minds of the commanders who gave the orders, and the soldiers who carried them out with the rifle and bayonet. From GI to general, this centerpiece of Jeff Shaara's saga on the Second World War carries the reader through the events of the most crucial weeks of the Second World War-- events that altered the flow of the war, and ultimately, changed history. ..more »

TICKETS: $75 for one ticket; $130 for two tickets. Luncheon and hardcover book included. For additional information, call Christa Southgate at (941) 329-2604.

Film Professor Stuart Kaminsky will lead a discussion on the film, Young@Heart. For the members of Young @ Heart, This geriatric chorus is no mere novelty act. Young@Heart is at once a serious musical undertaking, a supportive community, and a way to stay active and engaged when society often expects seniors to be passive and quiet. The group's eclectic and entertaining repertoire shines a spotlight on taboos about old age - the Clash's "Should I Stay, or Should I Go?" becomes an amusing meditation on life and death, while Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" serves as a haunting ode to lost youth and fallen friends.
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TICKETS: Tickets for the hour-long talk can be purchased at Sarasota News & Books and will be available the day of the discussion at the door. Tickets are $5.00 per person which includes 20% off of any purchase of cafe items from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the day of the discussion.

SCOPE, Selby Public Library, Senior Friendship Centers and Sarasota News & Books are pleased to announce the visit of critically-acclaimed author Dudley Clendinen to Sarasota. Clendinen will be here to talk about his newest book “A Place Called Canterbury: Tales of the New Old Age in America.”..more »

TICKETS: The event is free and open to the public. Books will be for sale and the author will be available to sign copies.

Darby Vaughn, a Sarasota girl turned dating guru, has finally landed the life she’s always dreamed of: A handsome, charming husband she’s crazy about, a fabulous home in an exclusive neighborhood, a bestselling dating book, and tax-deductible pedicures. Thousands of women have followed her man-snagging advice, in hopes that their lives will turn out just like hers. But when she finds out her husband is cheating, her publicity-perfect world spins out of control...more »

TICKETS: Free! Author will discuss and sign copies of her book

In this ambitious debut novel, fact and fiction blend together brilliantly. While scholars have largely relegated Mamah to a footnote in the life of Frank Lloyd Wright, author Nancy Horan gives full weight to their dramatic love story and illuminates Cheney’s profound influence on America's greatest architect. A booksigning reception follows the program in the delectable new Treviso Restaurant...more »

TICKETS: $40 for one ticket; $70 for two tickets. Hardcover book and author reception included. For more information, call Christa Southgate at (941) 329-2604.

Don't harass her about parasailing or taking Italian language courses. Forget about suggesting she join a gym. Marie Sharp may be a little creaky in the bones as she heads towards the big 6–0, but she's fine with it. She's already led an exciting life: she came of age in the 1960s, after all. Now, with a new grandchild on the horizon, all she wants to do is enjoy what she considers the most interesting stage of her life. No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club is an unexpected delight of a novel about letting go of youth and embracing your inner curmudgeon!..more »

TICKETS: Free! Author will discuss and sign copies of her book

From the author of the Florida noir classic White Shadow, former Tampa Tribune reporter Ace Atkins draws from the worlds of pulp and Faulkner in Wicked City, using characters from the town’s true history to tell a story of the best and worst of morality, and the ambiguity in between. In 1955, Look magazine called Phenix City, Alabama, "The Wickedest City in America," a stew of organized crime and corruption, run by a machine that dealt with complaints forcefully and with dispatch. A small group of men meet and decide that they have had enough, but where it will take them is something they could not have foreseen...more »

TICKETS: Free! Author will discuss and sign copies of his books

Focusing the environmental debate on the principle of common commitment, eminent conservationist Terry L. Maple and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich declare a need for bipartisan environmentalism—a new era of environmental stewardship with principles that they believe most Americans will share. Maple and Gingrich believe that most people—regardless of how they categorize themselves politically—are weary of the legal and political conflicts that prevent individuals and communities from realizing the benefits of environmental conservation. ..more »

TICKETS: Free! Author will discuss and sign copies of his book.

In THE KONKANS, acclaimed Sarasota writer Tony D'Souza follows up the promise of WHITEMAN with this moving portrait of a Indian-American family. Narrator Francisco D'Sai descends partially from a small group of Konkans, former Hindus converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese in the 16th century. His American mother, Denise, met and married his father, Lawrence, while working as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s. The couple moves to Chicago, where Francisco is born and where Lawrence is obsessed with assimilation and achieving the American dream. Filled with romance, comedy, and masterful storytelling, The Konkans leaves us surprised by what secrets history may hold for us if only we wonder enough to look...more »

TICKETS: Free! Join us for Beer & Books with Tony D'Souza

The Herald-Tribune Book Club presents emerging author Lauren Groff in conversation with Stephen King. Steeped in the rich literary history of Groff’s beloved hometown of Cooperstown, New York, her debut novel offers a strikingly original blend of inventive writing and huge vision. It all adds up to a remarkable meditation on what it means to belong to a place, to a family, and ultimately to yourself...more »

TICKETS: This event is SOLD OUT. Signed copies of MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON and DUMA KEY Available at Sarasota News & Books. Call (941) 365-6332.

The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author of Nineteen Minutes presents Change of Heart, a spellbinding tale of a mother's tragic loss and a criminal's last chance at gaining salvation. Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls readers with this story of redemption, justice, and love...more »

TICKETS: The luncheon is SOLD OUT! However, Jodi will sign books after the luncheon from 1:30 to 2:00pm at Michael's On East. For more information or to reserve a signed copy of CHANGE OF HEART, please call (941) 365-6332.

In Girl With a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier brings the paintings of Vermeer to magnificent life. Into a medieval tapestry she weaves new threads of intrigue with The Lady and the Unicorn. Now, in her latest novel, Burning Bright, the award-winning novelist finds inspiration in the works of the radical 18th- century poet-painter William Blake. Join us for an in-depth conversation at the Historic Asolo Theatre as we explore the mysteries of inspiration, the rigors of creation, and the intrigues of interpretation with one of the most brilliant novelists of our time. A booksigning reception follows the program in the delectable new Treviso Restaurant...more »

TICKETS: $40 for one ticket; $70 for two tickets. Hardcover book and author reception included. For more information, call Christa Southgate at (941) 329-2604.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Larry J. Sabato is "probably the most quoted college professor in the land," while Fox News Channel has dubbed him "America's favorite political scientist." Join us as Dr. Sabato reveals his "crystal ball" for the 2008 elections and comments on the American elections process at this lecture, book signing, and workshop...more »

TICKETS: Admission: $50 (includes lunch). This event is part of Civility in Democracy: Election 2008, sponsored by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, The Collins Center, and the USF Institute for Public Policy and Leadership.

Tapped out after Valentine's Day? Take some advice from Jeff Yaeger, the man who was dubbed "The Ultimate Cheapskate" by Matt Lauer on NBC's Today. In his new book, Yaeger teaches us how to find financial freedom, make a positive difference in other people’s lives, help save the planet, and enjoy life more simply by being willing to spend less...more »

TICKETS: As Cheap as it gets, FREE!

In one of the most anticipated books of 2007, Lee Woodruff, along with her husband Bob Woodruff, shares the couple's never-before-told story of romance, resilience, and survival following the tragedy that transformed their lives and gripped a nation. IN AN INSTANT is the frank and compelling account of how Bob and Lee’s lives came together, were blown apart, and then were miraculously put together again—and how they persevered, with grit but also with humor through intense trauma and fear. ..more »

TICKETS: $75 for one ticket; $130 for two tickets. Lunch and hardcover book included. For additional information, call Christa Southgate at (941) 329-2604.

During the run-up to war in Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.) and diplomat Ann Wright resigned her State Department post. She was one among dozens of government insiders and active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal. In Dissent: Voices of Conscience, Ann Wright and Susan Dixon tell the stories of these men and women, who risked careers, reputations, and even freedom out of loyalty to the Constitution and the rule of law. ..more »

TICKETS: Free! Author will discuss and sign copies of her book. Co-Sponsored by Southwest Coalition for Peace & Justice and Code PINK!

The Selby Public Library is proud to present Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Origin. Diana is also the author of Crescent, which was awarded the 2004 PEN Center USA Award for Literary Fiction and the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award and was named one of the twenty best novels of 2003 by The Christian Science Monitor, and Arabian Jazz, which won the 1994 Oregon Book Award and was nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award. She teaches at Portland State University and divides her time between Portland and Miami...more »

TICKETS: Free. Author will discuss and sign copies of book

Geraldine Brooks is the author of March, the recipient of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She is also the author of Year of Wonders and Nine Parts of Desire. In People of the Book, a young Australian book conservator has been called to handle the job of a lifetime: analysis of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a priceless six-hundred-year-old Jewish prayer book. Intricate, vivid, and utterly engrossing, People of the Book is at once a novel of sweeping historical grandeur, vividly realized characters, and electrifying intrigue...more »

TICKETS: $75 for one ticket; $130 for two tickets. Hardcover book included. For additional information, call Christa Southgate at (941) 329-2604.

Growing up, Margaret Ahnert listened to her mother’s stories about her own childhood during the Armenian genocide in Turkey. In this riveting book, Margaret Ajemian Ahnert relates her mother Ester’s terrifying experiences as a young woman during this period of hatred and brutality. Ester’s inspiring stories, told lovingly by her daughter, will give you a window into the harrowing struggle of Armenians during a terrible period in human history...more »

TICKETS: Free! Author will discuss and sign copies of her book. Complimentary appetizers served.

The National Editor of The Washington Post, Chandrasekaran is the author of best-selling Imperial Life in the Emerald City, a brilliant, firsthand account of the bungled American effort to reconstruct Iraq. It won the Overseas Press Club book award, the Ron Ridenhour Prize, Britain's Samuel Johnson Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award...more »

TICKETS: Members $15 per ticket; Non-members $20; students free (must call for reservation) Book not included with tickets, but will be sold at the event and at Sarasota News & Books.

Hear the extraordinary story of Dr. Kenneth Edelin, the young black doctor who was at center of the first battle to restrict a woman's right to choose in the months following the historic Roe v Wade decision. Today, with bans on a woman’s right-to-choose looming in 25 states, this cautionary tale provides a harrowing glimpse into the strategy of harassing, prosecuting and intimidating doctors in an effort to restrict a woman’s right to choose...more »

TICKETS: Free. Author will discuss and sign copies of BROKEN JUSTICE

Creatively casual cuisine invites you to simply enjoy Sarasota through this incredible collection of recipes. Delightful favorites from local chefs and Sarasota residents are intertwined among brilliant photography in order to provide great ideas for cooking and entertaining. Visit Florida through stories that evoke culture, humor and a little bit of sunshine. Official Cookbook of Sarasota and Her Islands. ..more »

TICKETS: Junior Leaguers will be on-hand with complimentary bites from their award-winning cookbook

Two award-winning journalists present an eye-opening expos'e of A. Q. Khan, a Pakistani scientist who in 1975 stole blueprints for a new nuclear bomb arming device. Their book also brings to light Pakistan's nuclear program and describes how nuclear secrets have been sold to Iran, North Korea, Libya, and others all under the watchful eye of the United States...more »

TICKETS: $20/one book, $35 for two members/one book; Non-Members: $25/one book, $40 for two non-members/one book Students free-no book included (must call for reservation)

The Sarasota Reading Festival celebrates ten years with an amazing line-up of authors including: CNN Anchor Lou Dobbs, actor and novelist Gene Wilder, Life of Pi author Yann Martel, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, Paula Deen’s brother Earle Bubba Hiers, Barbara Taylor Bradford, and a special performance by the Florida West Coast Symphony! Don’t forget to stop by Sarasota News & Books, where representatives from the major publishers including Random House, Harper Collins, and Penguin will be on-hand giving presentations on must-read novels. Don’t miss it!..more »

TICKETS: Admission to the Festival is Free; Tickets to Lou Dobbs: $25 for individuals, $35 for couples. One copy of INDEPENDENTS DAY included.

At the age of thirty-six, Kathleen Flinn was rapidly climbing the corporate ladder and growing more unhappy with every rung. Upon learning that her job had been eliminated, Kathleen cleaned out her savings and packed her bags for Paris to pursue a lifelong dream: enrolling in the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. What follows is a touching and humorous story of Flinn’s transformation as she makes her way through the school’s arduous curriculum and finds her soulmate along the way. ..more »

TICKETS: Admission is Free

In chronicling the struggles of military life and the dehumanizing effects of war, Aidan Delgado, a 2006 New College graduate, examines the attitudes that make prisoner abuse possible and explores his own developing Buddhist beliefs against a brutal backdrop. It is a tale of physical bravery, moral courage, and the cost of holding on to your identity while everyone around you is losing theirs...more »

TICKETS: This event is FREE and open to the public. WSLR-LP 96.5 and New College of Florida are co-sponsors of this event.

Join the Herald-Tribune Book Club for a discussion and book signing with acclaimed author Donald Antrim. The Afterlife is an elliptical, sometimes tender, sometimes blackly hilarious portrait of a family--faulty, cracked, enraging--and of a man struggling to learn the nature of his origins. "The book is very funny when it wants to be, but in between it is rueful. . . . It's Antrim's best book so far."--Joan Acocella, The New York Review of Books..more »

TICKETS: Admission is Free, Call (941) 361-4000 for more details

Sarasota resident Tony D'Souza's debut novel, WHITEMAN, chronicles the daily struggles of an African village during a time of war, as well as the increasing psychic and cultural isolation of the lone foreign relief worker who lives in it. The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair heralded Whiteman as one of the most anticipated novels of the year, and it has debuted to widespread critical acclaim..more »

TICKETS: Herald-Tribune Book Club, Call 361-4930 FREE

Soon after the 2004 presidential election, veteran reporter Melinda Henneberger set out across the country to listen to women of all ages and occupations express their strong opinions on the major issues of our time. A patient, sensitive, experienced, intelligent listener, Henneberger reports how women feel about the nation's politics and politicians. Her findings will surprise you. Knowing the answers these women give will tell you a great deal about how the next presidential and other elections will be decided. Henneberger is a former New York Times reporter and former contributing editor for Newsweek Magazine...more »

TICKETS: Tickets may be purchased online, by calling 941-349-8350 or at Sarasota News and Books. One Member: $20/One Book, Two Members: $35/One Book One Non-Member: $25/One Book, Two Non-Members: $40/One Book Students: Free (No book included and must call to reserve seat)

As children, the Sykes sisters—Connie and Estella—were unassuming, precocious, and very close, until one sister was discovered to be a math prodigy. Estella, pushed to focus on her gift, fell into her father’s favor, leaving Connie to grow up in her shadow. Connie, the “normal” little sister, became defined by her beauty rather than her intellect. Now years later, at the request of their mother, the sisters are forced to reunite on the Gulf Coast of Florida as they pack up their childhood summer home and ready it for sale. The reunion comes at a time of crisis, in which both Connie and Estella must come to terms with painful revelations and devastating consequences. And once again, her sister’s genius may alter Connie’s life in ways she can not control…..more »

TICKETS: FREE

The End of Iraq, definitive, tough-minded, clear-eyed, describes America's failed strategy and what must be done now. Peter W. Galbraith served as the first US Ambassador to Croatia and has held senior positions in the US Government and the United Nations. ..more »

TICKETS: Members: $20/one book, $35 for two members/one book, Non-Members: $25/one book, $40 for two non-members/one book, Students: Free with no book