Happy Black Friday! The gift-giving season begins! Chanukah starts this year on Dec. 12 and Christmas is barely a month away. You knew that, right? And if you celebrate the Icelandic holiday of jólabókaflóð, or the giving of books as gifts on Christmas Eve, well, that’s coming too. (Kwanzaa kicks off on Dec. 26, but that can sneak up on you too!)
To help you in your holiday shopping, I’m taking part in a few fun, collaborative events. To start with, on Dec. 4 (a week from Monday), I’ll be joining music scribe Brett Milano for a conversation on “Writing About Music” at Brookline Booksmith. How do we do it? Do we dare to share the real backstage secrets? Brett is the author of several grand music books, including the iconic Sound of Our Town and Don’t All Thank Me At Once, the ultimate biography of Game Theory genius Scott Miller. Thanks to Brett’s extensive library, the night will start off with some local tunes, all at 7 p.m.
On Thursday, Dec. 7, I’ll be one of more than 50 crime fiction authors gathered to honor New York Times bestseller Tess Gerritsen – and to celebrate New England Mobile Book Fair’s sixth annual Mystery Gala. If you’ve been before, you know what a cheery, chaotic party it is – think food (and lots of it), authors, and friends you’ve not seen in ages. That’s 6-8 p.m., please come by!
Oh yeah, and over at Harvard Book Store, they’ve just posted the “Holiday 100”! Recommended – and discounted 20% – especially for the holidays, this special display ranges from Art and Architecture to Young Adult, with plenty of fiction (including signed copies of World Enough) in between. (Pssst…. online shoppers can use the CYBER2017 code on Monday, Nov. 27, for 20% off, too!)
Happy gift hunting!