Brazos Bookstore

The book club will discuss David Sedaris's latest collection of essays, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Anyone is welcome to attend and share their thoughts.

Join Diesel Bookstore as investigative journalist & author, Nena Baker presents and signs her compelling new book, The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being. Nena spent a quarter century in the trenches of journalism before writing THE BODY TOXIC. ... (mer) She began her career in New York as a copy editor for GQ magazine, later moving on to positions at TV Guide and a jewelry trade magazine, where she exposed the illegal disposal of toxic chemicals by retail jewelers. She also worked as a reporter and editor on the national financial desk of United Press International in New York before returning to her home state of Oregon, where, as an awrd-winning staff writer for The Oregonian, she was the first U.S. reporter to investigate deplorable conditions at Nike's Indonesian factories. Her writing has appeared in SELF, Town & Country, Seventeen, and Mademoiselle. A graduate of Lewis & Clark College, Baker currently lives in Portland, OR, where she is a licensed private investigator specializing in interviewing, database, and public-records research.

Join us for an evening with the authors of Finding Birds On the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trails, co-written with Bob Behrstock. The Texas coast offers rich avian treasures for expert birders and beginners alike, if only they know where to look. For those familiar with the Texas Parks and Wildlife ... (mer)Department's maps to the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, this book on the Upper Texas Coast offers more--more information, more convenient and detailed maps, more pictures, more finding tips, and more birding advice from one of the trail's creators, Ted Lee Eubanks Jr., and trail experts Robert A. Behrstock and Seth Davidson. For those new to the trail, the book -- recently #1 on Amazon's Texas non-fiction list -- is the perfect companion for learning where to find and how to bird the very best venues on this part of the Texas coast.In an attractive, durable, and user-friendly format, the book includes: maps to each of the fifteen trail loops, with birding sites clearly marked; text directions to each site; site rating recommendations for prioritizing trips; site descriptions that feature birds likely to be found; and advice on finding bird groups. While not intended as a field identification guide, the book contains more than 175 color photographs of birds and their coastal habitat, giving readers an excellent feel for the trail's diversity and abundance. Whether you are making your annual spring pilgrimage to Texas, leisurely traveling with the family along the coast, or wondering what to do during a layover in Houston, using this book as your guide to the trail will greatly enhance your birding experience.

Brazos is proud to host A.J. Jacobs for what should be an interesting reading and signing, as Jacobs discusses his book The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.Jacobs, a New York Jewish agnostic, decides to follow the laws and rules of the Bible, ... (mer)beginning with the Old Testament, for one year. (He actually adds some bonus days and makes it a 381-day year.) He starts by growing a beard and we are with him through every itchy moment. Jacobs is borderline OCD, at least as he describes himself; obsessing over possible dangers to his son, germs, literal interpretation of Bible verses, etc. He enlists the aid of counselors along the way; Jewish rabbis, Christians of every stripe, friends and neighbors.

Diesel Bookstore is proud to welcome back Irvine Welsh, the bestselling author of Trainspotting as he presents his newest book, Crime. As Welsh's very first novel set in the U.S., CRIME is a shocking and gripping story about the corruption and abuse of the human soul, and the possibilities for redemption.

Called "the zaniest bestseller of the year," by the Boston Globe, Cathcart and Klein's Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes has been a breakout bestseller ever since "The Philosophy Guys" did their schtick on NPR's Weekend Edition. Plato and a Platypus hit bestseller ... (mer)lists in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY among other publications.Lively, original, and powerfully informative, the book is a not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical thinkers and traditions, from Metaphysics to Logic. Don't really understand the concept of teleology? Wait until you hear the one about the Jewish grandmother walking down the street with her two grandsons. ("The doctor is five. The lawyer is seven," she explains.) And you don't need to read Sartre to understand Existentialism: Lenny, caught in bed with his best friend's wife and asked, "What are you doing here?" suavely replies, "Everybody's gotta be somewhere.

The Progressive Forum presents Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, founder and editor of Daily Kos, the most widely read political blog in the world with an astounding 14 to 25 million unique visitors a month. Zúniga is a pioneer in transforming the internet into a major force in America politics, engaging previously ... (mer)disillusioned voters in record numbers and launching a movement towards a more authentic, populist democracy. He is releasing a new book at this event, Taking On the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era, which Brazos Bookstore will sell after the program. To buy tickets or for more information, click here.

Join us for Brazos Bookstore's Emerging Writers Series as Kathleen Kent reads from and signs her first novel based on her own family history, The Heretic's Daughter, which gives a fresh look at the Salem witch trials from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl.Calvin Crosby of Books, Inc., in San Francisco, ... (mer)says of The Heretic's Daughter in the IndieNext List: "This is a novel of family, of mothers and daughters, and of the Salem witch trials told from such an intimate perspective you can smell the hearth and feel the cold of a New England winter. The Heretic's Daughter is enveloping and rich in historic detail and tone -- a beautifully written masterpiece.

Brazos is proud to present John Zogby, author of The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream. Location and more information TBA.

Join Brazos on the release date of best-selling author R.A. Salvatore's The Pirate King for a special reading and signing.

When Cajun artist George Rodrigue began his series of Blue Dog paintings in 1984, he had no idea that they would consume the greater part of his life for over two decades, and that the mysterious Blue Dog -- inspired by his studio dog–turned-model, Tiffany, and the Cajun loup-garou folk legend -- would ... (mer)become a wildly popular international icon as well.Blue Dog Speaks is the first book to prominently emphasize Rodrigue’s painting titles, one of the most important elements in the creation of a Blue Dog painting, alongside the works. Rodrigue uses Blue Dog painting titles to provide insight -- whether humorous or nostalgic or sad -- into the human condition. In an introduction, Rodrigue reveals how an idea that originated in childhood tales has now grown far beyond; his Blue Dogs have moved beyond Louisiana into formerly uncharted territory and now express larger concepts about contemporary life.Brazos is pleased to present George Rodrigue for a talk and demo painting, followed by a signing. (Please note: Rodrigue is unable to sign postcards, posters, or any items other than books.)

Jana Kohl is the author of A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere. Join Brazos, Golden Retriever Rescue of Houston, Scout's Honor Rescue, Inc., and Boxer Rescue to celebrate A Rare Breed of Love. Baby will be joining Jana Kohl on tour, and we're ... (mer)excited to set up the rescue organizations on our sidewalk so customers and dogs can mingle.

William Patrick will read from and sign the book he co-authored with John T. Cacioppo, Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. For more information on the book and authors, visit their website at www.scienceofloneliness.com.

Save the date for the SPA Annual Fall Luncheon on Tuesday, October 14, 2008. You won’t want to miss guest authors Ruthanna Hopper (daughter of legendary actor Dennis Hopper) and Amanda Goldberg (daughter of famed film producer Leonard Goldberg) as they serve up delicious tales about growing up on the ... (mer)red carpet through the eyes of “Lola,” their precocious protagonist in Celebutantes. “Hollywood during the glitter, glamour, and hype of Oscar week forms the backdrop for the adventures of Lola Santisi, the daughter of Hollywood royalty, and her friends, Kate, a Hollywood talent agent, and Cricket, a struggling model and actress,” says MTV.com.For more information, call SPA at 713.632.8103.

The Houston Public Library Foodies present John DeMers, author of Follow the Smoke: 14,783 Miles of Great Texas Barbecue.

Join Diesel Bookstore for a green event with Van Jones, author of Green Collar Economy! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Van Jones is the founder and president of Green For All, based in Oakland. The mission is to help build an inclusive, green economy - strong enough to lift millions of people out of poverty. Van ... (mer)is a tireless advocate, championing "green-collar jobs and opportunities" for disadvantaged people. He is committed to creating "green pathways out of poverty," while greatly expanding the coalition fighting global warming. He's worked to combine solutions to America's two biggest problems: social inequality and environmental destruction. Under the slogan "green-collar jobs, not jails," he is calling for green economic development in urban America. As an advocate for the toughest urban constituencies and causes, he has won many honors, which include the 1998 Reebok International Human Rights Award, the international Ashoka Fellowship, selection as a World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader," and the Rockefeller Foundation "Next Generation Leadership" Fellowship. He's also served on the boards of numerous national environmental organizations. Presently, he is a board member of the National Apollo Alliance, which advocates for clean energy jobs. He is also a founding board member of 1Sky, a national coalition working to avert catastrophic climate change. In 2007, Van helped the City of Oakland pass a "Green Jobs Corps" proposal; the City allocated funds to train Oakland residents in eco-friendly "green-collar jobs." At the national level, Van worked successfully in 2007 with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA), U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D-MASS) to pass the Green Jobs Act of 2007. That path-breaking, historic legislation authorized $125 million in funding to train 35,000 people a year in "green-collar jobs." Van is also a co-founder of a new national coalition that promotes the idea of a national "Clean Energy Jobs Corps." This multi-billion-dollar federal initiative would put hundreds of thousands of people to work rewiring and retrofitting the energy infrastructure of the United States. In 2005, Van produced the "Social Equity Track" for the United Nations' World Environment Day celebration. UNWED 2005 drew dozens of mayors from around the world to San Francisco, where they developed policies promoting the concept of "Green Cities." In 1996, Van co-founded (with Diana Frappier) the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, now located in Oakland, California. Named for an unsung civil rights heroine, the award-winning Center promotes alternatives to violence and incarceration. The Center, for which Van serves as board president, incubated Green For All in 2007 and spun it off in 2008. His many media appearances includes the popular Peabody award-winning show, The Colbert Report.

The Rice Cherry Reading Series presents Hannah Tinti to read from and sign her book, The Good Thief.From Lyn Roberts at Square Books in Oxford, MS: "Ren, one of many orphans at Saint Anthony's Orphanage for boys, is approaching the age when he will be conscripted into the army. A swaggering Benjamin ... (mer)Nab appears and claims Ren as his long-lost brother. But, as soon as they are on the way, it is clear that Benjamin Nab is not anything he seems to be. Tinti has written a wonderful, compelling novel.

Join Clare Langley-Hawthorne at Diesel Bookstore as she presents the second book in her fantastic new historical mystery series! Featuring the strong, outspoken, intelligent and sassy Ursula Marlow, THE SERPENT AND THE SCORPION is a thrilling story of scandal and betrayal that's richly detailed and ... (mer)action-packed. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Clare Langley-Hawthorne was raised in England and Australia. She practiced law in Melbourne until 1995 when she emigrated moved to the United States and began work as a health economist. Clare has since put her pursuit of a PhD on hold to focus on her career as a writer. She lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband and twin sons. This is her second novel. For more information, visit her web site at www.clarelangleyhawthorne.com

Andrew Porter grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the youngest of three children. He received his B.A. in English from Vassar College and an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He is the author of the short story collection, The Theory of Light and Matter, which ... (mer)won the 2007 Flannery O’Connor Award in Short Fiction and will be published in Fall 2008. He is also the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the 2004 W.K. Rose Fellowship in the Creative Arts from Vassar College, a James Michener-Paul Engle Fellowship from the James Michener/Copernicus Foundation, an Iowa Teaching/Writing Fellowship from the University of Iowa, a Tennesee Williams Scholarship from the Sewanee’ Writers’ Conference, a Residency Fellowship from the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, the Glenna Luschei Award and a Pushcart Prize. His fiction has appeared in One Story, Epoch, The Ontario Review, Prairie Schooner, The Antioch Review, StoryQuarterly, The Threepenny Review, Others Voices, Story and The Pushcart Prize Anthology, among others. He has also had his work read on NPR’s “Selected Shorts” and selected as one of the 100 Distinguished Stories of 2007 by Best American Short Stories. Currently, Andrew lives in San Antonio, where he is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Trinity University. Brazos is honored to present Andrew Porter for a reading and signing of The Theory of Light and Matter.

Join the Progressive Forum and get the insider’s view before the election from Eleanor Clift, popular Newsweek contributing editor. She's also a panelist on the nationally syndicated show on PBS, The McLaughlin Group, and a political analyst for the Fox News Network. One of America’s favorite people, ... (mer)she has played herself in several films, Independence Day, Murder at 1600, and Dave, as well as the CBS series, Murphy Brown.Clift will also discuss being a women in a male dominated Washington, what the last few years have meant to American history, and finding strength and perspective while losing her husband to cancer and using in-home hospice care. Her books include Madam President: Shattering the Last Glass Ceiling (2000), War Without Blood: The Art of Politics (1996), and Two Weeks of Life: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Politics (March 2008). Booksale after the lecture by Brazos Bookstore. For tickets and more information visit The Progressive Forum online.

Never before has Buffett spent countless hours responding to a writer’s questions, talking, giving complete access to his wife, children, friends, and business associates—opening his files, recalling his childhood. It was an act of courage, as The Snowball makes immensely clear. Being human, his ... (mer)own life, like most lives, has been a mix of strengths and frailties. Yet notable though his wealth may be, Buffett’s legacy will not be his ranking on the scorecard of wealth; it will be his principles and ideas that have enriched people’s lives. This book tells you why Warren Buffett is the most fascinating American success story of our time.Author Alice Schroeder was a noted insurance industry analyst and writer who was a managing director at Morgan Stanley. She first met Warren Buffett when she published research on Berkshire Hathaway; her grasp of the subject and insight so impressed him that he offered her access to his files and to himself. Their friendship and mutual respect make her ideally positioned to write the The Snowball. Ms. Schroeder was born in Texas, and she earned an undergraduate degree and her MBA at the University of Texas at Austin before moving east to work in finance. She is a former CPA and lives in Connecticut with her husband.

Join Brazos at the Baker Institute for a reading and signing with Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. “A witty, timely perspective on the nation posing the greatest challenge to our next President. Travel writing often makes for easy reading at the expense ... (mer)of relevant information, which gets lost in the details. Not so with The Ayatollah Begs to Differ.” —Bill White, mayor of Houston and U.S. secretary of energy under President Clinton

Join Brazos Bookstore's First Wednesday Book Club for a discussion of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

The Rice Cherry Reading Series presents poet Martha Collins for a reading and signing. The Cherry Reading Series is sponsored by the Rice English Department. Brazos is proud to provide a venue for this up-and-coming series.

DIESEL, A Bookstore in Malibu is excited to welcome legendary surfer and Malibu resident, Laird Hamilton to the store! As one of the most famous big-wave surfers today, Laird is known for his physical and mental toughness when out on the waves, and has achieved worldwide fame for his accomplishments. He'll ... (mer)be joining us to discuss and share from his highly anticipated book, Force of Nature, and open a window into the unique physical regimens, mental strategies, and spiritual beliefs that has allowed him to do what he loves, while being surrounded by family and radiating peak health and fitness. We'll see you there!

Brazos presents Katherine Neville to read from and sign her new book, The Fire.

Brush up on your knowledge about the Dead Sea Scrolls before the exhibit comes to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation and Brazos Bookstore present Dr. Weston Fields for a reading and signing the week before the exhibit opens.

Rabih Alameddine, author of The Hakawati, will be the featured speaker at the Poets and Writers Ball. More info TBA.

Join us to discuss Geraldine Brooks's The People of the Book. The book club is free and open to all.

You're invited to share an evening with the authors who have contributed to the anthology Shout Out: Women of Color Respond to Violence. Please note the change of date.

In partnership with the Energy Tribune, the World Affairs Council of Houston will host Robert Bryce, who will give the lecture, "Energy Independence: the way forward or a dangerous delusion?" His latest book, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Dependence", will be available ... (mer)for sale courtesy of Brazos Bookstore. Robert Bryce, a fellow at the Institute for Energy Research, has been writing about energy for nearly two decades. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications ranging from The Atlantic Monthly to The Guardian, and The Nation to The American Conservative. He is the author of Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron, and Cronies: Oil, the Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America’s Superstate. He is also the managing editor of Energy Tribune and a contributing writer for The Texas Observer.

Jan Egeland, former UN UnderSecretary for Humanitarian Affairs and one of Time Magazine's 100 that Shape Our World, has spent nearly 30 years working to protect humanity and raise awareness of its needs through his example and leadership in a host of diplomatic and non-governmental positions. Brazos ... (mer)Bookstore and the United Nations Association-Houston's Dialog with Diplomats Series present Egeland for a presentation (6:00 pm) and reception (7:30 pm), both of which are free to the public.

Reading and signing.

Readings by UH Creative Writing students. Sponsored by Gulf Coast Magazine.

Join us for a reading and signing of Colonel (Ret.) Ann Wright's book, Dissent: Voices of Conscience: Government Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq.

Alice McDermott, “a genius of quiet observation . . . one of our finest novelists at work today” (Los Angeles Times Book Review), is the author of six novels, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist That Night, the bestselling Child of My Heart, and the National Book Award winner Charming ... (mer)Billy. She reads from her latest novel, After This, which, like her other works, explores Irish Catholic American life. Columbian writer Laura Restrepo, a life-long peace activist, is a leading figure in the Latin American literary scene. The Washington Post says of her latest novel, Delirium, the sixth to be translated into English, “Laura Restrepo’s Delirium is a book-and-a-half: stunning, dense, complex, mind-blowing. The novel goes far above politics, right up into high art.”

Reading and Signing.

Reading and signing.

Readings by UH Creative Writing students. Sponsored by Gulf Coast Magazine.

Sponsored by the Cherry Reading Series and the Rice English Department.

Inprint provides annual fellowships and prizes for graduate students at the UH Creative Writing Program—close to $2 million dollars have been awarded since 1983—and has also established at UH an endowed chair in creative writing. Join us for a night of reading by the winners of Inprint prizes.

Reading and signing.

Reading and signing.

Marjane Satrapi, internationally celebrated Iranian graphic novelist/memoirist, is the author of the critically acclaimed Persepolis and Persepolis 2. The books, often compared to Art Spiegelman’s Maus, tell the story of growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and the ... (mer)war with Iraq, then fleeing Iran to end up in Paris. Sandra Cisneros describes Persepolis as “part history book, part Scheherazade, astonishing . . . it gave me hope for humanity in these unkind times.” Gloria Steinem says, “You’ve never seen anything like Persepolis-—Marjane Satrapi may have given us a new genre.” The New York Times Book Review calls it “delectable ... dances with drama and insouciant wit.” An animated film adaptation of Persepolis premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, at which applause for the film lasted for more than 15 minutes; the film is slated to open in the U.S. in January 2008. Satrapi’s other works include Embroideries, Chicken and Plums, and several children’s books, including Monsters are Afraid of the Moon. (Please note—her presentation will be a talk about her work, not a reading, followed by a booksale and signing.) Tickets: $10 all seats, on sale at www.inprinthouston.org starting January 3rd.

Reading and signing.

Reading and signing.

Reading and signing.

Reading and signing.

Robert Hass, former U.S. Poet Laureate, is a champion of the literacy and environmental movements. A recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” fellowship and two National Book Critics Circle Awards, Hass is the author of five collections of poetry, including Field Guide, Praise, Human Values, ... (mer)Sun Under Wood, and his much-anticipated new collection, Time and Materials: Poems 1997-2005. The Atlantic Monthly writes, “No practicing poet has more talent than Robert Hass.” Time and Materials recently won the National Book Award for Poetry.

Reading and signing.

This event is sponsored by the Progressive Forum. Bill McKibben is one of the most important writers on business and the environment. He’s author of the environmental classic, End of Nature. He created a national movement called Step it Up 2007, resulting in a day of hundreds of rallies in all fifty ... (mer)states for climate stability on Nov. 3. His most recent book is Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future (2007). For tickets and more information, visit progressiveforumhouston.org.

The HoustonPBS Red, White, and Blue Book Club will meet to discuss Kevin Phillips's Bad Money.

Reading and signing.

Brazos Bookstore is pleased to host Tom Piazza in celebration of the release of City of Refuge.

Join the Houston Public Library for a reading and signing by Emily Giffin, author of the novels Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Baby Proof. Brazos will attend and sell her latest novel, Love the One You're With.

The Poison Pen Reading Series presents Doug Dorst, author of Alive in Necropolis, recently reviewed in the New York Times. Brazos will attend and sell his book.