Twenty years ago, with The End of Nature, Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways that no human has ever seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different. We may as well call it Eaarth (Henry Holt & Company, $24). That new planet is filled with new binds and traps. A changing world costs large sums to defend—think of the money that went to repair New Orleans, or the trillions it will take to transform our energy systems. But the endless economic growth that could underwrite such largesse depends on the stable planet we've managed to damage and degrade. We can't rely on old habits any longer. Our hope depends, McKibben argues, on scaling back—on building the kind of societies and economies that can hunker down, concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community (in the neighborhood, but also on the Internet) that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale. Change—fundamental change—is our best hope on a planet suddenly and violently out of balance. This event is presented in collaboration with Green Monkey.

About Face (Fair Winds, $24.99) is a compendium of everything make-up artist Scott Barnes has learned during his career working with A-list celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Aniston. About Face is packed with techniques for every area of makeup application. Part One focuses on dramatic makeovers of real women with a twist: each woman comes in looking the best she thinks she can look. The author then deconstructs and debunks their look taking them from attractive to amazing. Step-by-step photos outline makeup techniques and products while Scott provides commentary on how he pinpointed the woman’s strongest asset and built a look around it. Part Two highlights beauty rituals, must-have makeup items, and inner and outer preparations that a woman must embrace in order to look beautiful and radiate charisma. Part Three focuses on the celebrities Scott Barnes has worked with.

Unfortunately, we’ve just heard that Ruth Reichl has broken her foot at the L.A. Times Book Festival and will not be able to come to Miami for her scheduled event on Thursday, April 29, 7:30pm at Temple Israel. Books & Books will honor all tickets as coupons toward the purchase of any book at Books & Books.

Books & Books extends our sincere wishes for Ruth’s speedy recovery and we look forward to the possibility of an event with her in the future, once she has healed.

Thanks for your understanding. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused you.

More information to come...

Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation? Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries (Balzer & Bray, $18.99) opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy - older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted. Rabid fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. They'll learn about her family background -- how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. We'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next Carrie Diaries book will take place. This event is presented in collaboration with The Biltmore Hotel. TICKETS required, available at all Books & Books locations, beginning Monday, April 5th.

Publishers Weekly called Chase Twichell “a major voice in contemporary poetry,” and this long overdue retrospective supports the claim. Selected from six award-winning books, Horses Where the Answers Should Have Been (Copper Canyon Press, $19) collects the best of Twichell’s meditative and startling poems. A longtime student of Zen Buddhism, Twichell probes how the self changes over time and how the perception of self affects the history and meaning of our lives. Her poems exhibit a deep and urgent love of the natural world amidst ecological decimation, while also delving into childhood memories and the surprise and nourishment that come from radical shifts in perception. Twichell is the author of six books of poetry and the best-selling writer’s manual Practice of Poetry. She is the founding editor of Ausable Press and lives in rural New York with her husband, the novelist Russell Banks. Tonight, Twichell is joined by fellow poet and friend, Lynn Emanuel, for a joint reading of their latest work. Emanuel is the author of three previous poetry collections: Hotel Fiesta; The Dig; and Then, Suddenly—. Her work has been included in the Pushcart Prize anthology, Best American Poetry, and The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Emanuel is the recipient of numerous awards including the Eric Matthieu King Award from The Academy of American Poets, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and a National Poetry Series Award. She is professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh. Her newest book is Noose and Hook (University of Pittsburgh Press, $14.95).

Interpreting the present in light of the past, eleven renowned architects, historians, scholars, preservationists, and urban planners in Cuba and the United States provide a rigorous examination of Havana old and new that provokes exploration of the ways we look at all cities. These authoritative policy makers and thinkers raise issues of how the most important city in Spanish colonial America developed and changed over several centuries and the extent to which it is being restored and preserved today. More than 350 illustrations juxtapose historical colored postcard images of Havana with recent digital color photographs of the same views. The imagery, based on years of exhaustive research and investigation, draws from Cathryn Griffith's collection of more than 600 postcards of Havana from 1900 to 1930, over 3,000 photographs made there during multiple trips since April 2003, and extensive interviews with experts in Havana and the United States. (W.W. Norton & Company, $49.95)

A new life is just a phone call away! Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left. Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago! Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self? Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything? Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious new novel with a high-concept premise .

From the "The Sherlock Holmes of Accounting" (Business Week), the knowledge and tools you need to fight back against corporate accounting sleight-of-hand Corporate financial reports. They're oftentimes the only place investors can turn for information about a business's overall health. But with major financial scandals popping up in greater numbers (and with more inevitably on the way), the time has never been better for a newly-revised edition of the classic guide to the games accountants play.

The first two editions of Financial Shenanigans (McGraw-Hill, $34.95) contained a wealth of information on how businesses play it fast and loose with earnings reports. And now the "3rd Edition" builds on this strong foundation, broadening its focus to include global markets and arming us with all-new information on how to detect shenanigans in cash flow statements; EBITBDA, same-store sales, capitalization reports and corporate communications; and other sources. Other indispensable resources include: The latest information on other problem areas, including pension accounting, financial instruments, and off-the-balance-sheet entities Key sections on financial institutions Tips, tricks, and checklists to help you research businesses before you invest in them. Presented in collaboration with SCORE.

Women today are crazy busy. And they want to be beautiful.

Enter Carmindy, makeup artist for TLC’s #1-rated show What Not to Wear. Armed with more than 597 tried-and-true beauty secrets, she is going to make-over women all over the world. And she’s going to do it for less than $20.

CRAZY BUSY BEAUTIFUL, Carmindy’s new book, unveils more than 597 quick and easy beauty tips for everyday women in an accessible trade paperback original format, so it’s easy to tuck in your handbag or makeup bag.

Wondering how to un-clump your mascara?
Can’t seem to keep your blush from streaking?
Mystified by what lipstick shade is really “your color”?

From creating perfect smoky eyes to a DIY sugar scrub, CRAZY BUSY BEAUTIFUL is chock-full of tips for daytime routines, nighttime glamour, travel, and every other time you want to look and feel beautiful in your crazy, busy life.

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly (Grand Central Publishing, $23.99) is the transcendent story of a young woman who, in a twenty-four hour period, journeys through startling moments of self-discovery that lead her to a courageous and life-altering decision.

Latin Grill (Chronicle Books, $19.95) -- Bold flavors, minimal ingredients, and a passion for flame! Discover a new spin on grilling, Latin-style, with more than 70 recipes by renowned chef Rafael Palomino, a pioneer of the fresh culinary territory known as Nuevo Latino. A little bit French, a little bit South American, this cuisine is huge on flavor! Bring a fiesta to the table with uncomplicated recipes for everything from grilled Caesar salad to Palomino's famous burger and deliciously simple desserts. Cooling ceviches and juicy cocktails such as Blueberry-Pisco Sours and Grilled Pineapple Mojitos make every meal a spicy sensation.

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago. Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen. Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories. (Margaret K. McElderry, &17.99).

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass (Margaret K. McElderry, $17.99), the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and her best friend, Simon, has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost? Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling The Mortal Instruments.

Latin Grill (Chronicle Books, $19.95) -- Bold flavors, minimal ingredients, and a passion for flame! Discover a new spin on grilling, Latin-style, with more than 70 recipes by renowned chef Rafael Palomino, a pioneer of the fresh culinary territory known as Nuevo Latino. A little bit French, a little bit South American, this cuisine is huge on flavor! Bring a fiesta to the table with uncomplicated recipes for everything from grilled Caesar salad to Palomino's famous burger and deliciously simple desserts. Cooling ceviches and juicy cocktails such as Blueberry-Pisco Sours and Grilled Pineapple Mojitos make every meal a spicy sensation.

In the early 1990s, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and his brother, Terry “Southwest T,” rose up from the slums of Detroit to build one of the largest cocaine empires in American history: the Black Mafia Family. After a decade in the drug game, the Flenorys had it all—a fleet of Maybachs, Bentleys and Ferraris, a 500-man workforce operating in six states, and an estimated quarter of a billion in drug sales. They socialized with music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, did business with New York's king of bling Jacob "The Jeweler" Arabo, and built allegiances with rap superstars Young Jeezy and Fabolous. Yet even as BMF (St. Martin's Press, $24.99) was attracting celebrity attention, its crew members created a cult of violence that struck fear in a city and threatened to spill beyond the boundaries of the drug underworld. Ruthlessness fueled BMF’s rise to incredible power; greed and that same ruthlessness led to their downfall.

When the brothers began clashing in 2003, the flashy and beloved Big Meech risked it all on a shot at legitimacy in the music industry. At the same time, a team of investigators who had pursued BMF for years began to prey on the organization’s weaknesses. Utilizing a high-stakes wiretap operation, the feds inched toward their goal of destroying the Flenory’s empire and ending the reign of a crew suspected in the sale of thousands of kilos of cocaine — and a half-dozen unsolved murders.

In Your Matrix Your Electric Body, psychic investigator Frances Fox focuses her clairvoyant lens on the human energy bodies, while suggesting a new medical model. The book highlights the electric energy body, called your matrix. She offers information on how to take care of your electric energy body so you can have true health and vitality. She also reveals the effects of increased radiation from electromagnetic frequencies and offers steps to take to protect your home and family from this silent intruder. At the forefront of the field of energetics, Frances has introduced the new concepts of electrosmog, electrofog, electroaddiction and electrohaunted to describe what she is finding due to electrification and microwave exposure. Fox has made it her mission to find the cause of what is affecting people’s health. In this groundbreaking book, she reveals that you are more than your physical body, you are actually an assemblage of “energy bodies” that fit into one another like a set of Russian dolls…and their survival is being threatened.

More information to come...

More information to come...

Some people may wonder what this subject has to do with Dave Barry, since Dave's struggled hard against growing up his entire life-but the result is one of the funniest, warmest, most pitch-perfect books ever on that mystifying territory we call "adulthood". In hilarious, brand-new pieces, Dave tackles everything from fatherhood, new fatherhood ("Over the next five years, you will spend roughly 45 minutes, total, listening to songs you like, and roughly 127,000 hours to songs exploring topics such as how the horn on the bus goes* [*It goes: 'Beep! Beep! Beep!']"), self-image, the battle of the sexes, celebrityhood, technology, parenting styles, certain unmentionable medical procedures ("There is absolutely no reason to be afraid of a vasectomy, except that: THEY CUT A HOLE IN YOUR SCROTUM."), and much more. It is a book of pure delight from the man one newspaper claimed "could become the most important American humorist since Mark Twain" (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)...though, frankly, we think they were indulging in some adult beverages at the time. (Putnam Adult, $24,05) Tickets Required. 

The Red Umbrella (Knopf Books for Young Readers, $16.99) is the moving tale of a 14-year-old girl's journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan—an organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro's revolution. In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own. Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl? The Red Umbrella is a moving story of country, culture, family, and the true meaning of home.

Dog-Heart (Peepal Tree Press, $15) is a novel about the well-meaning attempt of a middle-class single mother to transform the life of a boy from the ghetto who she meets on the street. Set in present-day, urban Jamaica, Dog-Heart tells the story from two alternating points of view – those of the woman and the boy. They speak in the two languages of Jamaica that sometimes overlap, sometimes display their different origins and world views. Whilst engaging the reader in a tense and absorbing narrative, the novel deals seriously with issues of race and class, the complexity of relationships between people of very different backgrounds, and the difficulties faced by individuals seeking to bring about social change by their own actions.

Inspired by family stories, two-time Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Holm beautifully blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, rich in historical detail, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West. Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. (Random House Books for Young Readers, $16.99).

What’s a Wingnut? It’s someone on the far-right wing or far-left wing of the political spectrum - the professional partisans and the unhinged activists, the hardcore haters and the paranoid conspiracy theorists. They’re the people who always try to divide us instead of unite us. Wingnuts (Beast Books, $15.95) looks at the outbreak of extremism in the opening years of the Obama administration – from the unprecedented government spending that spurred the Tea-Party protests to the onset of Obama Derangement Syndrome.

John Avlon explains how hate-fueled rumors take hold (one section is called “How Obama Became Hitler, a Communist and the Antichrist”), looks at the ‘hunt for heretics’ that is taking place inside both parties and details the rise of hyper-partisan media. Avlon profiles preachers who are praying for the president’s death, goes inside the growing “Hatriot” movement and parallels the “Birthers” and the “9/11 Truthers.” The book compares current merchants of political paranoia with past fear-mongers and finds that divisive demagogues have sold this snake oil before. But the two parties’ increased polarization and the echo-chamber of the internet are helping the fringe blur with the base, making the Wingnuts more powerful than ever before. We are allowing paranoids, hysterics and hyper-partisans to hijack our politics – but it doesn’t have to be this way. Avlon asserts that centrists need to stand up to the extremes on both sides and declare their independence. The book ends on a hopeful note – the conclusion is “How to Take America Back from the Lunatic Fringe.”

Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison. Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx’s designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison. (Shadow Mountain Publishing, $21.99)

Eric Volz was in his late twenties in 2005 when he moved from California to Nicaragua. He and a friend cofounded a bilingual magazine, El Puente, and it proved more successful than they ever expected. Then Volz met Doris Jiménez, an incomparable beauty from a small Nicaraguan beach town, and they began a passionate and meaningful relationship. Though the relationship ended amicably less than a year later and Volz moved his business to the capital city of Managua, a close bond between the two endured. Nothing prepared him for the phone call he received on November 21, 2006, when he learned that Doris had been found dead---murdered---in her seaside clothing boutique.

He rushed from Managua to be with her friends and family, and before he knew it, he found himself accused of her murder, arrested, and imprisoned. Decried in the press and vilified by his onetime friends, Volz suffered horrific conditions, illness, deadly inmates, an angry lynch mob, sadistic guards, and the merciless treatment of government officials. It was only through his dogged persistence, the tireless support of his friends and family, and the assistance of a former intelligence operative that Eric was released, in December 2007, after more than a year in prison. A story that made national and international headlines, this is the first and only book to tell Eric’s absorbing, moving account in his own words. (St. Martin's Press, $25.99) 

With the Earth on the brink of recolonisation by dragons, David Rain is sent on an important mission: to seek out and destroy a trace of dark fire, the deadliest force in the universe. But with success could come a terrible price, the sacrifice of a beloved clay dragon. How much does the life of one small dragon count, when the alternative is the birth of a darkling...? (Orchard Books, $17.99)

The essential guide for managers and professionals dealing with difficult workplace conversations Surviving Dreaded Conversations (McGraw-Hill, $16.95) gives managers all they need to get through those difficult, face-to-face conversations we all encounter in our office. Whether it's firing an employee, asking for a raise or delivering bad financial news to a client or staff, expert author Donna Flagg shows readers how to stop putting off these uncomfortable conversations and start successfully facing them head-on. Filled with tips, strategies, exercises, and easy-to-memorize scripts for effective preparation, Surviving Dreaded Conversations is packed with practical advice to help professionals get through the rough spots in the workplace.

This memoir by an American journalist explores how entrenched notions of self, family, and tribalism dictate human behavior in our modern world. Louis J. Salome's work as a foreign correspondent, reporting from such places as Belfast, Kabul, Bosnia and Somalia, provided him with a unique perspective on the role nationalism and tribalism play in conflicts around the globe. While sweeping in its scope, the work bears witness to one man's examination of his familial roots and ethnicity, and the ways in which tribalism is found lurking under his own roof. Includes 26 personal photos, as well as maps to familiarize readers with some of the world's most misunderstood and volatile regions. (McFarland & Company, $54)

Packaged in a charming gift format, Heroes for My Son (Harperstudio, $19.99) profiles 54 extraordinary men and women, some celebrated across the globe and some lesser-known, but each in their own right a role model for coming generations to learn from and admire.

The most ambitious book yet by America’s bestselling, award-winning grill expert whose Barbecue! Bible books have over 4 million copies in print. Setting out—again—on the barbecue trail four years ago, Steven Raichlen visited 53 countries—yes, 53 countries—and collected 275 of the tastiest, most tantalizing, easy-to-make, and guaranteed-to-wow recipes from every corner of the globe. Welcome to Planet Barbecue (Workman Publishing, $22.95), the book that will take America’s passionate, obsessive, smoke-crazed live-fire cooks to the next level. Planet Barbecue, with full-color photographs throughout, is an unprecedented marriage of food and culture. Here, for example, is how the world does pork: in the Puerto Rican countryside cooks make Lechon Asado—stud a pork shoulder with garlic and oregano, baste it with annatto oil, and spit-roast it. From the Rhine-Palatine region of Germany comes Spiessbraten, thick pork steaks seasoned with nutmeg and grilled over a low, smoky fire. From Seoul, South Korea, Sam Gyeop Sal—grilled sliced pork belly. From Montevideo, Uruguay, Bandiola—butterflied pork loin stuffed with ham, cheese, bacon, and peppers. From Cape Town, South Africa, Sosaties—pork kebabs with dried apricots and curry. And so it goes for beef, fish, vegetables, shellfish—says Steven, "Everything tastes better grilled."

Eleven-year-old David Greenberg dreams of becoming a TV superstar like his idol, Jon Stewart. But in real life, David is just another kid terrified of starting his first year at Harman Middle School. With a wacky sense of humor and hilarious Top 6½ Lists, David spends his free time making Talk Time videos, which he posts on YouTube. When David and his best friend have a fight, David is lucky enough to make a pretty cool new friend, Sophie–who just (gulp) happens to be a girl. Sophie thinks David’s videos are hilarious, and she starts sending out the links to everyone she knows. Sophie’s friends tell their friends, and before David knows it, thousands of people are viewing his videos–including some of the last people he would have expected. David may still feel like a real-life schmo, but is he ready to become an Internet superstar? (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, $15.99)

More information to come...

Nicolas Dubet is a naive simple man born and raised in peaceful Central France in a community gently recovering from World War II. After a very happy and innocent childhood, Nicolas becomes restless after the events of May nineteen sixty-eight that saw the death of his young love. He finds some solace in his journeys throughout Europe discovering new images that satisfy his thirst only momentarily. His naive visions take an even more rapid turn when he lives with an African tribe. There, he meets people of many definitions, from a strong, but peaceful young bushman full of surprising wisdom, to cruel mercenaries filled with regrets and violence, to gentle innocent pygmies who offer him nothing but tranquility after he barely escapes from an assassination rampage.

Upon his return however, Nicolas never finds tranquility, as he slowly becomes the adult he had never really wished to be. He starts a second childhood in New England, discovering a new life and new doubts. Nicolas feverishly continues to Central America, the Caribbean Islands, China, and the Middle East. The strong invisible presence of his father, the ghostly touch of his father's hands offer him support whenever he comes across difficult, even dangerous situations. Later, he has the opportunity to return home to hear his aging mother reveal an unsettling truth. Along his experiences, his relationships, and the conversations he enjoys with many people from other lands, Nicolas Dubet slowly becomes the intriguing mix of Camus' The Stranger, Saint Exupery's The Little Prince, with a touch of Forrest Gump. (Trafford Publishing, $27.95)

What’s Next…For You? (Oceanview Publishing, &12) is the incredible story of Robert and Patricia Gussin, two “retirees” who watched with glee as long, successful careers in science and medicine gave way to writing, publishing, and winemaking. Much more than a memoir and anything but a how-to-start-a-business manual, What’s Next…For You? is a clear, easy-to-understand guide to reinventing yourself from real experts—two people who did it themselves and lived to tell the glorious tale.

Through the engaging, first-person, he said/she said narrative, Robert and Patricia Gussin deliver an inspirational guide filled with advice on why it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, and why doing what you love (and loving what you do) is always within reach. A must-read tale of joyfully switching gears, changing careers, and overcoming “paralysis by analysis,” What’s Next…For You? takes the mystery out of that all-too-common question of how to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Delta Blues (Tyrus Books, HC: $27.95; PB: $17.95) edited by Carolyn Haines, is where crime fiction intertwines with the soul of the blues. With stories centered around the legendary crossroads where bluesman Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul, these tales celebrate the rich Southern culture of the Delta. The Mississippi Delta is one of America’s most culturally rich and economically poor regions. Publisher Tyrus Books wanted to raise awareness of the intense need of books – and the written word in general – to enrich the lives of others. Through a partnership with Morgan Freeman’s Rock River Foundation, they are giving back $1 per sale of each book to increase literacy in the region. Morgan Freeman writes, “This collection of short fiction captures both the art of the tale and the power of the blues, and is a nod at the human condition that often inspires musicians to write and sing the blues.” Contributors include: Ace Atkins, James Lee Burke, Suzann Ellingsworth, Beth Ann Fennelly, Bill Fitzhugh, Tom Franklin, and John Grisham, among others. Tonight, our own Southern-based, blues loving contributors Lynne Barrett and Les Standiford will give a joint reading to celebrate this inspiring publication.

This event has been postponed until the fall. We'll let you know as soon as new date has been schedule. We apologize for any inconnvenince.

Enjoy empanadas filled with creamed corn, a crispy-edged, juicy skirt steak doused in tangy chimichurri, or the divine layers of moist angel food cake, strawberries, and whipped cream of the Strawberry Delicia, all of which Daisy Martinez brings to life in this vibrant collection of recipes. Growing up in her mother's and grandmother's kitchens, Daisy became an expert in traditional Latin-American cuisine. Here she "Daisifies" those classics and includes a hearty sampling of dishes from her travels across Spain, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Argentina. To Daisy, food is about bringing family together, and so she peppers her collection with anecdotes and family vacation photos.

Each recipe is as much about the memory the flavors recall as the love that goes into preparing the dish; for her, the succulent grilled meats of a parrillada bring back memories of a Christmas spent floating in a pool in Argentina, while the flaky, gooey vegetable potpie recalls an extravagant dinner party in the Dominican Republic. As a busy mother of four, Daisy lives the time crunch every day and has crafted her recipes to be quick, adaptable, and easy to understand. She deftly demystifies the ingredients of the Latin-American kitchen, explaining everything from the spectrum of color in plantains to the degrees of heat in chiles. With this range of mouthwatering recipes, you can plan your day with Daisy: rise and shine with the rich aromas of chile-spiked hot chocolate; power up with a midday empanada with your pick of five savory fillings; and start a tradition with a night of tantalizing tapas. Why eat dull when you can eat delicioso? (Atris, $30)

Dan Gutman brings us another humerous and action-packed advenutre for the middle-grade set.(Simon & Schuster Children's, $15.99)

More information to come...

Last Call (Scribner, $35) is a narrative history of Prohibition. It explains how Prohibition happened, what life under it was like, and what it did to the country.

The winner of the 2009 Barnard Women Poets Prize—“fresh, crisp, and muscular.” (W.W. Norton & Company, $24.95)

If we are what we eat, Americans are hot dogs. We ate them on the way to the moon and served them to the king of England. We name a Hot Dog– Eating Champ! Garnished with hilarious illustrations and amazing “foodie” facts, this kid-friendly, globespanning history of our favorite fast-food meal offers unique insight into America’s multicultural heritage. From a hobo’s franks-and-beans to astronaut food, there’s more to the wiener—and what’s for dinner—than you think. (Dutton Juvenile, $16.99)

A rock and roller. A ballerina. A comedian. A rapper. A singer. Which one will win the Cape Bluff Elementary School talent show? Or maybe it will be the kid you least expect. … And Books & Books will be having its own Talent Show for Kids, too. Check your inbox and www.booksandbooks.com on the For Kids page for more details about how your can show off your skills.

When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled further into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey—named Beatrice and Virgil (Spiegel & Grau, $24) —and the epic journey they undertake together. With all the spirit and originality that made Life of Pi so beloved, this brilliant new novel takes the reader on a haunting odyssey. On the way Yann Martel asks profound questions about life and art, truth and deception, responsibility and complicity.

A family emergency will prevent Ms. Andrews from visiting on Sunday, May 23,as had been planned. Instead, the event has been rescheduled to Sunday, July 11, 2pm. Your tickets are all still valid for the autographing.  We are still planning to distribute the books at the July 11 event. Please let us know if you have any questions.We are currently sold out of tickets for this event.

This event is an autographing only. TICKETS are required for this event and are available at all Books & Books locations, while supplies last. Your purchase of The Very Fairy Princess ($16.99 + tax) entitles you to receive one (1) ticket for the autographing line. Your book may be redeemed at the event and you must show your ticket and attached receipt in order to enter the signing line. This is an autographing only and only copies of The Very Fairy Princess will be signed. Ms. Andrews will not be able to personalize or sign memorabilia. Photos and video will not be permitted, so please leave your cameras at home.

Julie Andrews Edwards is one of the most recognized and beloved figures in the entertainment industry. Her legendary career encompasses the Broadway and London stages, blockbuster Hollywood films, award-winning television shows, multiple album releases and concert tours and the world of children's publishing.

Andrews' dedication to children has been steadfast throughout her career. She began writing books for young readers over thirty-five years ago and her first two novels - Mandy and The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles - remain in print and in high demand. Her other books include the Little Bo series, and an additional 15 picture books, novels and Early Readers co-authored with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, including the best-selling Dumpy the Dump Truck series, Simeon’s Gift, Dragon: Hound of Honor, The Great American Musical and Thanks to You: Wisdom from Mother and Child.

Together the best-selling mother-daughter team head-up "The Julie Andrews Collection" publishing program, formerly with HarperCollins Publishers and now with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, dedicated to publishing "quality children's books which nurture the imagination and cultivate a sense of wonder."

The main character in their newest collaboration, The Very Fairy Princess, is Geraldine. While her friends and family may not believe in fairies, Geraldine knows, deep down, that she is a VERY fairy princess. From morning to night, Gerry does everything that fairy princesses do: she dresses in her royal attire, practices her flying skills, and she is always on the lookout for problems to solve. But it isn't all twirls and tiaras - as every fairy princess knows, dirty fingernails and scabby knees are just the price you pay for a perfect day!

This new picture book features the joyful illustrations of Christine Davenier, and is sure to inspire that sparkly feeling within the hearts of readers young and old.

Businesses are awash in information, some valuable, some suspect, some misinterpreted. Analytical methods can turn information into insight or, as in the subprime mortgage crisis, put Wall St. in the tank. Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results is a businessperson’s guide to making better use of information while recognizing its limitations, to relying more on analysis and less on guesswork, and to encouraging colleagues to become more informed decision makers. Coauthor Robert Morison will discuss how analytics already affects us as managers, employees, and consumers, and how to be smarter about the information we use.

More information to come...

More information to come...

How can people tap the potential available at the quantum level of the universe to make personal change? Motivational speaker, corporate consultant, and leadership entrepreneur Marcille explains to readers how to turn any possibility into reality. (New World Library, $14.95)

TICKETS are required for this event and are available at all Books & Books locations, while supplies last. Your purchase of Spoken from the Heart ($30 + tax) entitles you to receive one (1) ticket to the autographing. Limit two tickets per customer. You must show your ticket and attached receipt to enter the signing line. You are welcome to take photos while passing in line, but Mrs. Bush will not pose for any photos. Mrs. Bush will not be able to personalize books or sign memorabilia. Autographing will begin promptly at 1pm.

When Laura Welch first left West Texas in 1964, she never imagined that her journey would lead her to the world stage and the White House. At age thirty, she met George W. Bush, whom she had last passed in the hallway in seventh grade. Three months later, "the old maid of Midland married Midland's most eligible bachelor." With rare intimacy and candor, Laura Bush writes about her early married life as she was thrust into one of America's most prominent political families, as well as her deep longing for children and her husband's decision to give up drinking. In 2001, after one of the closest elections in American history, Laura Bush moved into the White House. Here she captures presidential life in the harrowing days and weeks after 9/11, when fighter-jet cover echoed through the walls and security scares sent the family to an underground shelter. She writes openly about the White House during wartime, the withering and relentless media spotlight, and the transformation of her role as she began to understand the power of the first lady. One of the first U.S. officials to visit war-torn Afghanistan, she also reached out to disease-stricken African nations and tirelessly advocated for women in the Middle East and dissidents in Burma. She championed programs to get kids out of gangs and to stop urban violence. And she was a major force in rebuilding Gulf Coast schools and libraries post-Katrina. With deft humor and a sharp eye, Laura Bush lifts the curtain on what really happens inside the White House, from presidential finances to the 175-year-old tradition of separate bedrooms for presidents and their wives to the antics of some White House guests and even a few members of Congress. She writes with honesty and eloquence about her family, her public triumphs, and her personal tribulations. Laura Bush's compassion, her sense of humor, her grace, and her uncommon willingness to bare her heart make Spoken from the Heart (Scribner, $30) revelatory, beautifully rendered, and unlike any other first lady's memoir ever written.