Today's Featured Books— Events

Elliott Bay Book Company of Seattle presents Khadija Abdalla Bajaber, an award-winning debut novelist and poet who will be speaking from Seattle’s sister city of Mombasa about her novel, The House of Rust, winner of Graywolf Press’ inaugural African Fiction Prize. This is the coming-of-age tale of a young girl who goes on a magical realist sea voyage with a talking cat in a boat made of fish skeleton in a quest to find the girl's missing father. "A novel of tradition, ritual, and mystical adventure." -Kirkus Reviews. Saturday, December 4, 12:00 p.m. CST.

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

First of all, congratulations to Jo B., of Leander, Texas, winner of $100 in books in the LitNuts Thanksgiving Book Giveaway that ended November 30. Enjoy your new books, Jo! LitNuts is also making a donation to the World Literacy Foundation on behalf of all who entered. Thanks for participating! 

In December, LitNuts is teaming up with Golden Goose Giveaways and others in the $100 Holiday Cash Giveaway. Spend it on books, holiday gifts, or save it for a rainy (or snowy!) day. Enter by December 25 for a chance to win. 

“For so many centuries, the exchange of gifts has held us together. It has made it possible to bridge the abyss where language struggles.” ~Barry Lopez, About This Life

Powell's Books presents Sandor Katz. James Beard Award winner, fermentation expert, and bestselling author Sandor Katz has traveled the world, teaching and learning about the many fascinating and delicious techniques for fermenting foods. In his latest book, Sandor Katz's Fermentation Journeys (Chelsea Green), Katz takes readers along with him to revisit these special places, people, and foods, and reminds us that the magical power of fermentation belongs to everyone, everywhere. Tuesday, November 30, 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. 

“Cooking well does not mean cooking fancy.” ~Julia Child

A friendly reminder...that the LitNuts Thanksgiving Book Giveaway ends November 30. Enter for a chance to win $100 in books or a gift card from Bookshop.org, Amazon, BN.com, Apple, Google, or Kobo...your choice! Plus, for each entry, LitNuts will make a donation to the World Literacy Foundation.

"Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope." ~Kofi Annan

In addition to being National Novel Writing Month, November is also National Memoir Writing Month, a time that encourages us to take a moment to write about ourselves. From personal stories to special memories or traditions—writer or not—celebrate National Memoir Writing Month by jotting down some of your own stories. Want to get serious about writing a memoir? Visit the National Association of Memoir Writers website for tips and resources. 

"You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better." ~Anne Lamott

This weekend, we recommend the Sunday Salon Chicago, a literary event that we at LitNuts are very familiar with as residents of the Chicago area. This reading series brings together writers from across the Chicago area for an evening of poetry and prose. This Sunday will be the last such event of 2021, and will feature authors Laurie Lawlor, Ruben Quesada, Cyn Vargas and Faisal Mohyuddin, plus Q&A. Sunday, November 21, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. CST.

"Give me hunger, pain and want, / Shut me out with shame and failure / From your doors of gold and fame, / Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger! / But leave me a little love." ~Carl Sandburg, Chicago Poems

Discover what's new in historical fiction! Join History Through Fiction for a special discussion of What's New in Historical Fiction featuring authors Dietrich Kalteis, Paula Martinac, and Sarah Loudin Thomas. The event includes a number of special deals and giveaways, so don't miss out! Wednesday, November 17, 7:00 p.m. Central Time. 

"An honest bookstore would post the following sign above its 'self-help' section: 'For true self-help, please visit our philosophy, literature, history and science sections, find yourself a good book, read it, and think about it.'" ~Roger Ebert

Looking for something to do on a Monday night in November? Enjoy a free literary evening of poetry or creative nonfiction...your choice!

The Vermont Studio Center presents Writers on the Rise with poet Paige Buffington. Paige is a Navajo of the Bear Enemies Clan. She received BFA and MFA degrees in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts, and her poetry has been published in The Dine Reader, Narrative, and Yellow Medicine Review. Monday, November 15, 7:00 p.m. EST.

Gibson's Bookstore in Concord, New Hampshire, presents Our National Forests with Greg M. Peters, a narrative about America's public lands that spans the breadth of the country and its diverse ecology. Monday, November 15, 7:00 p.m. EST.

“Mother Earth is not a resource. She is an heirloom." David Ipina, Yurok Tribe

The Miami Book Fair Online kicks off with a variety of events on Sunday, November 14, and continues through November 21. The fair includes a broad range of events including readings/discussions of novels and poetry, writing workshops, and several events in Spanish. Don't miss the session with Joy Harjo, the first Native American to serve as U.S. poet laureate, on Monday November 15 at 12:00 p.m. eastern time. 

"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." ~E.L. Doctorow

November 9 was Young Readers Day in the United States. Young Readers Day was created by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and Pizza Hut, so one way to celebrate might be to order a pizza and read a book with you kids. Here are some great children's book recommendations from BookTrib. 

Another way to celebrate books this week would be to attend a virtual event at the Portland Book Festival, currently in progress through November 12. 

“An hour spent reading is one stolen from paradise.” ~Thomas Wharton

In honor of National Family Literacy Month and the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday in the United States, LitNuts is sponsoring a Thanksgiving Book Giveaway: Enter to be eligible to win $100 in books—plus for each entry, LitNuts will make a donation to the World Literacy Foundation. 

The World Literacy Foundation's mission is to ensure every child, regardless of geographic location, has the opportunity to acquire literacy skills and books. We hope you'll join us in supporting their cause. 

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." ~Victor Hugo

November 8 - 14 is Children's Book Week in the United States, the second of two such weeks in 2021 set aside to celebrate books for young people and the joy of reading. Sponsored by Every Child a Reader, Children's Book Week was launched in 1919 and is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country.

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." ~Albert Einstein

We know you love books. But have you ever thought of writing your own story? If yes, now may be the time! November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It started in 1999, and now each November, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with a brand new novel.

The NaNoWriMo website helps you track your progress, set milestones, connect with other writers in a vast community, and participate in events that are designed to make sure you finish your novel. Oh, and best of all, it’s free!

"I write to discover what I know." ~Flannery O'Connor

Join publisher Milkweed Editions, acclaimed authors, and your fellow readers across the country and around the world for A Virtual Booklovers Ball, celebrating forty years of inspiring writers and the power of books in our lives. Featuring remarks by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders, Diane Wilson, author of The Seed Keeper, Michael Kleber-Diggs, author of Worldly Things, and Victoria Chang, author of Dear Memory. Free and open to the public, with an option to make a donation to Milkweed! Wednesday, November 3, 6:30 p.m. CDT. 

“You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” ~Paul Sweeney

Feliz día de los Muertos! November 1 is celebrated in Mexico and throughout Latin America as the Day of the Dead. It is a day to pay tribute to lost loved ones by visiting the cemeteries where they are buried and leaving them flowers, their favorite food, and tributes.

November 1 is also National Family Literacy Day in the United States, and the kickoff to National Family Literacy Month—a great time to get back into the tradition of reading as a family. Here are some ways to celebrate throughout the month, courtesy of GettingSmart.com: 

• Get older siblings reading to their younger siblings. It’s great practice for big bro or big sis to explain big words or summarize the story, and it’s also an opportunity to demonstrate a love of reading to little bro or sis.
• Take turns choosing the book or the book reading location of the night.
• Pitch a tent in the living room and “camp out” while you read. 
• Involve distant family and friends. Books can be read aloud over FaceTime or Zoom. Or record your child reading their favorite book and send the video to loved ones.
• Read and watch. Choose a book that has been turned into a movie. Read the book first and then have a family movie night to see the book come to life on the screen.
• Dinner talk. Books can be a topic of discussion at family dinner. Ask family members to share about the latest books they’ve enjoyed, or how the plot is twisting in their latest chapter book.

Happy Halloween from LitNuts!

We hope you have a spooky day full of treats - no tricks.

Here are some wonderfully wicked books from indie authors and publishers.

Have a ghoulishly good holiday!

“The truth is that monsters are real, and ghosts are real, too. They live inside us, and sometimes they win.” ~Stephen King, The Shining

Don't forget: October 31 is the last day to enter our Kindle + Kindle Unlimited Giveaway. The winner will receive a new Kindle, plus three months of Kindle Unlimited, or a $100 gift card from Amazon. 

Also on October 31: Watch for a special Halloween Edition of the LitNuts newsletter!

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." ~L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Tonight: The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series with Sari Rosenblatt, winner of the Iowa Short Fiction Award in 2020; James Wade, who won the Western Writers of America Spur Award for his debut novel; and Alice Kaltman, author of the story collection Staggerwing. Wednesday, October 27, 7:30 p.m. eastern time. 

Tomorrow: The Poetry Foundation presents Celebrating the Poets of Forms & Features. Join poets in the Forms & Features online workshop for a reading and celebration of the diverse voices, rich experiences, and powerful words of poets from around the country, and the world. Thursday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. CDT. 

“And I rose / In rainy autumn / And walked abroad in a shower of all my days…” ~Dylan Thomas, Poem In October

Join Poetry Atlanta and the Georgia Center for the Book for their annual Voices Carry poetry reading. This year will feature Ilya Kaminsky, Katie Farris, Khadijah Queen, Steven Reigns, and Cecilia Woloch. This virtual event is free and open to the public. Monday, October 25, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. CDT. 

"Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn." ~Thomas Gray

Get yourself in the Halloween spirit with an evening of horror as the Argo Bookshop in Montreal celebrates two deliciously spooky new releases: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward and Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cass Khaw. Friday, October 22, at 7 p.m. CDT.

“And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity." ~Stephen King, Pet Sematary

October 20 is National Day on Writing (aka National Journalism Day) in the United States. Created by the National Council of Teachers of English to bring greater attention to writing, it's a great day to unleash your creativity. Take time today to write something in your journal, a poem, the first chapter of your novel -- or to attend a free online writing workshop.

Today, Hen House Press presents Capturing Personal Trauma, a free workshop with author Jan Beatty, author of American Bastard, and Joan Nockels Wilson, author of The Book of Timothy. Both memoirists will discuss their work and what it's like to put deeply personal experiences on paper. Monday, October 20, 6:00 p.m. Central Time. 

"You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better." ~Anne Lamott

This week, October 17 - 24, is National Friends of Libraries Week, sponsored by the American Library Association. It's a time to raise awareness and promote membership at local libraries.

The library (specifically, the Shelby Street Branch of the Louisville Public Library) is where LitNuts cofounder Mike O'Mary found The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner when he was a kid. It got him started on a lifetime of reading -- including re-reading The Boxcar Children with his daughter, LitNuts cofounder Kathleen O'Mary Meyer, when she was a kid. Be sure to check in with you local library to see what's happening this week, and then "check out" with some great new reads. 

"I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card." ~Laura Bush

October 16 is National Dictionary Day, commemorating the birthday of Noah Webster, considered by many to be the father of the American dictionary. This special day celebrates language, emphasizes the importance of learning, and encourages readers to use the dictionary to improve vocabulary.

One way to celebrate the day: Take a virtual trip to the free Kildare Readers' Festival in Ireland. The festival is already in full swing and will continue through October 17. LitNuts recommends the Conversation with Dublin author and musician Rónán Hession, who enjoyed runaway success with his debut novel Leonard and Hungry Paul, which was chosen as the UNESCO One Dublin One Book title for 2021. Saturday, October 16 at 8:00 p.m. in Kildare (2:00 p.m. U.S. Central Time). 

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ~William Butler Yeats

Fall for the Book Festival: We love a good book festival, and there's a great one coming up from Fall for the Book, an independent non-profit literary arts organization at George Mason University that promotes reading by sponsoring a variety of year-round events and activities. Their flagship event is the Fall for the Book Festival, which features a variety of free online events over ~2 weeks. October 14 - 30.  

“We can experience nothing but the present moment, live in no other second of time, and to understand this is as close as we can get to eternal life.” ~P.D. James

Today is Myths and Legends Day (also known as Kraken Day). Celebrate with Beowulf or King Arthur - or try to contact them via a seance!

Presented by the Friends of the North Hollywood Library and Friends of the Woodland Hills Library (both in Los Angeles), SEANCES is suitable for adults and older teens. Join award-winning author Lisa Morton, who will offer an illustrated talk based on her book, Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances. She will also answer questions on how and why this fascinating (and, to some, fearful) practice evolved and spread over many centuries, and how it attracted the attention of Harry Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and many others. Monday, October 11, 8:00 p.m. CDT.

"When we lose our myths we lose our place in the universe." ~Madeleine L'Engle