Greetings!

After Iris, by Natasha Farrant (Dial)

Blue records her family's crazy and chaotic life with a video camera and a written diary full of witty observations that will make you laugh out loud.  Her parents travel often for work so they hire Zoran, a graduate student who only knows how to cook sausage, to watch over Blue, her two sisters, Jasmine and Flora, and her brother, Twig, who are all curious, rambunctious, and hilarious.  In the midst of this, Blue dearly misses her twin sister who died and tries to survive middle school. After Iris is a refreshing addition to middle grade fiction and perfect for fans of Three Times Lucky.

--Hannah Johnson-Breimeier

Twerp, Mark Goldblatt (Random House)

Julian Twerski opts for writing a journal of his sixth grade year instead of a report on Shakespeare. His stories are filled with humor and heart, and reminded me of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. But what's missing is the incident that got him and his friends suspended for a week from school, one that got the "slow" kid on their block injured. What's the real story behind what happened? That's what both Julian's teacher and I wanted to know. Based on the author's own experiences growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp sparkles with crisp true-to-life dialogue that perfectly captures the awkward antics of adolescent boys.

--Pam Stilp

The Rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson, (Tor)

Brandon Sanderson does an amazing job of creating vividly defined worlds of magic and characters. In this world, which is similar to ours, yet has some distinct differences (there is no U.S. as the continent in this world is more of a chain of islands as water has seeped throughout the continent), Joel goes to a school that trains Rithmatists to defend the realm in Nebrask. Unfortunately for him, he was not chosen to be one of them, despite being more knowledgeable than the other students. When somebody starts kidnapping fellow students from Armedius Academy, Joel teams together with some fellow students to find the culprit. A brilliant start to a new series for Sanderson!

--Jason Kennedy

Brandon Sanderson is going to be at Boswell for his next young adult novel, Steelheart, on Friday, October 4, 7 pm. Readers of young adult fiction will also want to mark their calendars for Ellen Hopkins visit to the Loos Room of the Milwaukee Public Library. She's appearing for Smoke on Saturday, September 21, 2 pm. 

Viva! Villainy! with Chuck Klosterman, Thursday, July 18, 7 pm, at Boswell. 

I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined), from noted pop culture essayist, Grantland contributor, and current New York Times Magazine columnist Chuck Klosterman, is an exploration of our modern understanding of villainy. When we classify someone as a bad person, what are we really saying (and why are we so obsessed with saying it)? What was so Machiavellian about Machiavelli? Why don't we see Bernhard Goetz the same way we see Batman? Who is more worthy of our vitriol--Bill Clinton or Don Henley? And why is Klosterman still haunted by some kid he knew for one week in 1985? I Wear the Black Hat delivers perceptive observations on the complexity of the antihero, at the same time managing to be a rare example of serious criticism that's instantly accessible and really, really funny.

Chuck Klosterman is the bestselling author of six books of nonfiction (including Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs) and two novels (Downtown Owl and The Visible Man). His debut book, Fargo Rock City, was a winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award. He has written for GQ, Esquire, Spin, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Believer, and The A.V. Club. He currently covers sports and popular culture for ESPN and serves as "The Ethicist" for the New York Times Magazine.

Jamie Swenson at Cudahy Family Library, Thursday, July 18, 6:30 pm   

A storm rages outdoors as a boy goes to bed with his teddy bear. With each flash of lightning and boom of thunder, another household pet arrives at his bedside, hoping to join him. He welcomes the dog, the cat, and the guinea pig, but after the frog, the parrot, and the snake squeeze in, it's a bit too snug. When his sister arrives, the boy turns her down. She leaps onto the bed, causing all kinds of chaos before bringing this satisfying picture book to a fitting conclusion.

Boom! Boom! Boom! is the first picture book from Wisconsin librarian Jamie Swenson. Join her for a special storytime at the Cudahy Family Library on Thursday, July 18, 6:30 pm. The Cudahy Family Library is located at 3500 E. Library Drive 53110, just south of Layton Avenue. For more information, call (414) 769-2244. 

Thrills and Laughs with Lisa Lutz, Friday, July 19, 7 pm, at Boswell.  

If you've seen Lisa Lutz in person for previous visits to Milwaukee, you'll know she's just as funny as the Spellman family. Gillian Flynn has said her work is "Raymond Chandler meets Arrested Development." We're glad to welcome her back to town for The Last Word: A Spellman Novel, on Friday, July 19, 7 pm, at Boswell, in addition to a 5 pm signing at Mystery One.

Isabel "Izzy" Spellman, PI, is used to being followed, extorted, and questioned by her own family--all occupational hazards of working at Spellman Investigations, her family's detective agency. It seemed that her fellow Spellmans' vigilance would dissipate after Izzy was fired for breaching client confidentiality, but then Izzy avenged her dismissal by staging a hostile takeover of the company.

But, Izzy's troubles are just beginning. After her takeover of Spellman Investigations, her employees are the furthest thing from collegial . . . and Izzy finds herself struggling to pay the bills. When she is accused of embezzling from a ridiculously wealthy former client, the stakes become immense. If Izzy gets indicted, she could lose her PI license and the Spellman family's livelihood, not to mention her own freedom. Is this the end of Izzy Spellman, PI?

Return to Swinging Sixties New York with Cathleen Schine, Monday, July 22, 7 pm, at Boswell.   

As you open the pages of Fin & Lady, you're transported to Manhattan circa 1964. Eleven-year-old Fin and his glamorous, worldly, older half-sister, Lady, have just been orphaned, and Lady, whom Fin hasn't seen in six years, is now his legal guardian and his only hope. That means Fin is uprooted from a small dairy farm in rural Connecticut to Greenwich Village, smack in the middle of the swinging 60s. They lead their lives against the background of the '60s, the Civil Rights movement, and the Vietnam War--Lady pursued by ardent, dogged suitors, Fin determined to protect his impulsive sister from them and from herself. He soon learns that Lady--giddy, careless, urgent, and obsessed with being free-is as much his responsibility as he is hers.

Cathleen Schine is the author of The Three Weissmanns of Westport, The New Yorkers, and The Love Letter, among other novels. She has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and The New York Times. You can read an interview with Schine that took place last March with Deborah Kalb on Book Q&As, back when Fin & Lady had it's "groovy" cover. You can also read more about the book on our Boswell and Books blog.  Best of all, you can join us for our event with Cathleen Schine on Monday, July 22, 7 pm, at Boswell.  

Not Just Dog Days, But a Special Dog Evening with Theron Humphry and Maddie the Coonhound, Tuesday, July 23, 7 pm.  

When Theron Humphrey had his heart broken, he did what anyone would do: he quit his job, adopted a dog and set out on a year-long cross country road trip. As a lifelong photographer, his eye always to documenting moments in time, Humphrey set his new dog, a coonhound named Maddie, atop the roof of his trusty old truck, and snapped a photo. Her graceful countenance and patient acceptance of her perch inspired Humphrey to see what  else he could get Maddie to stand on, along the way, posting the photos on Instagram for his friends to enjoy, the inspiration for their joint blog and book, both called Maddie on Things.

Maddie has over a quarter of a million devoted followers on social media, who like sharing the hundreds of photos of Maddie standing on bicycles, giant watermelons, horses, mailboxes, and even people. We dare you not to fall in love with this sweet-faced pooch and her keen-eyed personal photojournalist, Theron. Join Theron and Maddie for an evening celebrating the book Maddie on Things, Tuesday, July 23, 7 pm, at Boswell. 

A Special Evening with B.A. Shapiro at the Charles Allis Art Museum, Wednesday, July 24, 6:30 pm. Five Dollar Admission for This Special Event. 

On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art worth today over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that there's more to this crime than meets the eye. The literary thriller inspired by this event,The Art Forger, has become a major New York Times bestseller, and we're thrilled to be bringing Shapiro to Milwaukee, with the help of the Charles Allis Art Museum. 

Barbara Shapiro is the author of six novels, four screenplays, and a work of nonfiction, and has been called a "master of mystery" by the Boston Globe. A sociologist who specializes in criminology and deviant behavior, she lives outside of Boston with her husband and two young children. The Charles Allis Art Museum is located at 1801 North Prospect Avenue. For more information, contact them at (414) 278-8295. 

Barbara Mathias-Riegel Returns to Milwaukee with Her Collection of Stories that was Published by Politics and Prose, Friday, July 26, 7 pm 

With all the changes in publishing, many authors are utilizing new technologies in order to produce their creative works. One of these changes is the Espresso Machine, a digital device that prints and binds books, on demand, and only a handful of independent bookstores around the nation have one. At Politics & Prose in Washington D.C., they offer publishing services to area authors, and Barbara Mathias-Riegel is the first author we are hosting to have printed her work in this fashion.

Originally from Wisconsin, Mathias-Riegel's first collection of short stories, Curtain Calls, explores the nuances of love, loss, aloneness and self-discovery. Men and women, young and old: they struggle with the tragic occurrences and unveiling of secrets that are part and parcel of life with our loved ones. While the characters in these twelve stories are often affected indirectly by what is happening to those they care about most, their own frailties and memories rise like ghosts, haunting them in ways that bring the darkness others are bearing, more directly into their own lives.

Barbara Mathias-Riegel is an award-winning writer of features on family, social trends, and psychology for over 30 years. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, L.A. Times Syndicate, Journal Newspapers, Family Circle, and Modern Maturity.  

Wisconsin as Seen from a Kite, with Craig Wilson, Monday, July 29, 7 pm. 

Craig M. Wilson is an award-winning photographer and kite enthusiast. Many of his kites are hand-sewn and he has taken part in kite festivals worldwide. A Little More Line: A Kite's Eye View of Wisconsin and Beyond is a new collection of aerial photography from the kite-flying photojournalist behind Hanging by a Thread,  capturing unique perspectives in full-color.

Don't forget to drift by Boswell for  Craig Wilson on Monday, July 29, 7 pm.  

Wednesday July 31 Promises an Afternoon of Kids' Fun with the Where's Waldo Prizes at 4 pm, and the Brain Quest Challenge at 4:30 pm. 

In Alien Territory with Michael Zummo, Saturday, August 3, 7 pm. 

Millenia ago, the Nukari eradicated the ancient space-exploring D'mar race. In spite of his immense efforts and superhuman abilities, not even D'mok, the greatest of the D'mar warriors, could stop the annihilation of his people. Now, the Nukari's attack on the fledgling human coalition leaves a space station destroyed and one lone survivor. Haunted by grief for his murdered family even as unexpected D'mok-like powers awaken within him, Rhysus Mencari  finds himself thrust into alien territory.

Michael Zummo was born in Milwaukee, Wis. From his earliest days he was captivated by the Sierra On-line adventure games, which inspired his sense of exploration in strange lands, and fostered his love of interactive storytelling. In high school he created his first game, The Great Beyond, which combined a science fiction narrative with adventure gaming concepts. He has developed web-based games for children, and has designed computer interfaces for computers, mobile devices, and websites. D'Mok Revival: Awakening is his first novel. Join us for its launch on Saturday, August 3, 7 pm.

ReShonda Tate Billingsley at the Milwaukee Public Library Loos Room, Monday, August 5, 7 pm.   

We're thrilled to be co-sponsoring an event with ReShonda Tate Billingsley at the Milwaukee Public Library's Loos Room, 733 N. Eighth Street. Billingsley's beloved novels include the NAACP-Image-Award winner Say Amen, Again, and Let the Church Say Amen, soon to be a BET original movie. She is also the author of the young-adult series The Good Girlz. 

In her latest novel, A Family Affair, Olivia Dawson has watched her mother struggle her whole life. Since she could remember, it's always been just the two of them, struggling to make ends meet. One day, Olivia gets her big break, acceptance into Julliard, only she chooses not to go. She'd rather use her meager means to take care of her sickly mother and help make ends meet than chase after her dream. Only after her mother falls fatally ill does she let out a secret--Olivia's father is alive and doing very well for himself. When Olivia's mother succumbs to her ailments, she sees no other choice but to track down the man that might be her father, and confront him about the lifelong deception.

Parking is easy at the Milwaukee Public Library. We recommend the MacArthur Square parking garage.

More August Events 

Tuesday, August 6, 7 pm, at Boswell:

Eugene Schulz, author of The Ghost in General Patton's Third Army  This event is co-sponsored by Wisconsin Public Radio.   

Wednesday, August 7, 7pm,  at Boswell

Nick Turse, author of Kill Anything That Moves

This event is co-sponsored by Veterans for Peace.   

Thursday, August 8, 7 pm, at Boswell:

Susan Nussbaum, author of Good Kings Bad Kings.

This event is co-sponsored by Disability Rights Wisconsin and Pathfinders Milwaukee.

Tuesday, August 13, 7 pm, at Boswell:

Billy X. Curmano, author of Futurism's Bastard Son.

This event is cosponsored by DryHootch.   

Adam J. Schrager, author of The Sixteenth Rail: The Evidence, the Scientist, and the Lindbergh Kidnapping  

Monday, August 19, 7 pm, at Boswell:

Reuben Eisenstein, author of Date Certain.

Tuesday, August 20, 7 pm at Boswell:

Susanna Daniel, author of Sea Creatures and Stiltsville, 

and Andrea Thalasinos, author of Traveling Light and An Echo Through the Snow.

Wednesday, August 21, 7 pm, at Boswell:

Toby Barlow, author of Babayaga and Sharp Teeth.  

Wednesday, August 28, 7 pm, at Boswell:

Janice Clark, author of The Rathbones

and Amy Gail Hansen, author of The Butterfly Sister.  

See information on our ticketed event with Louise Penny below. 

East Side Garden Walk on Sunday, July 28, 10 am to 4 pm.