Today's Featured Books— Events

Congratulations to Kim M. of Chesterfield, England, winner of the LitNuts/Vine Leaves Press giveaway. Kim and more than 700 other booklovers participated in our August giveaway. As the winner, Kim gets her choice of five books from the Vine Leaves Press website. Thank you to Kim and everybody else who participated, and thank you to Jessica and Amie at VLP for sponsoring the giveaway!

Didn't win this time? Don't worry! Watch for the opening of our next giveaway contest later this month, to be sponsored by Sourcebooks, the largest woman-owned independent publisher in the United States.

“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” ~Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Here's a unique opportunity for U.S. booklovers...and for booklovers everywhere: the Middleway Words Book Festival is a celebration of writers from the Midlands, the central part of England and a cultural area that broadly corresponds to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages. This is a festival with a decidedly local flavor that can be attended online from anywhere in the world. Begins September 5 10 AM, ends September 11 6:30 PM.  

"English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions." ~Winston Churchill

Tonight, two-time Grammy Award-winner Rickie Lee Jones discusses Last Chance Texaco (Grove Press), the no-holds-barred account of her life...an adventure story of a girl who beat the odds and grew up to become one of the most legendary artists of her time, turning adversity and hopelessness into timeless music. Presented by Powell's Books. September 1, 5:00 PM Pacific Time 

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” ~Plato

August 31 is the deadline for entering this month's giveaway contest, sponsored by Vine Leaves Press. The winner will be able to select five books from Vine Leaves Press in any format available. There are multiple ways to enter, and there is no purchase necessary.

In the year since we launched LitNuts, we've had the opportunity to feature many titles from Vine Leaves Press, and in our humble opinion, VLP is the epitome of indie publishing today, with titles both commercial and experimental, including character-driven novels with a literary bent, memoir/autobiography, short story collections, book-length vignette collections, and writing reference books.​

VLP is a tight-knit team that works remotely from the United States, Germany, Greece, England and beyond, with a diverse line-up of authors that reflects the breadth of VLP's reach. Visit the VLP website to learn more -- but first, go to the LitNuts/VLP Giveaway Contest page for a chance to win five books from VLP. 

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” ~Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

There are couple of free online literary events today and tomorrow that focus on the ability of women to create change. Check it out!

American Writers Museum presents Major General Mari Eder on The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line (Sourcebooks), the untold story of the women who changed the course of World War II. August 27, 6:30 PM CDT.

Writers & Books presents Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati on Hollywood to the Himalayas (Mandala), the enlightening memoir of a reluctant spiritual seeker who finds much more than she bargained for when she travels to India. August 28, 1:00 PM EST.

“Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me.” ~Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider

Connect with authors and booklovers with these free online events:

Reimagine presents Passed & Present, a conversation on grief and remembrance with author Allison Gilbert and Zibby Owens, founder of Moms Don’t Have Time to Grieve. August 26, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CDT.

Vermont Studio Center presents Writers on the Rise, with Anna B. Sutton whose book Savage Flower won the St. Lawrence Book Prize and was published in July 2021. August 26, 7:00 - 8:00 EDT. 

“The past is never where you think you left it.” ~Katherine Anne Porter

Here are two great free online literary events to start your week:

Vermont Studio presents Thalia Field who will discuss Personhood, a book that continues her exploration of animal-human relations in history, language, and narrative. August 23, 7:00 - 8:00 PM EDT.

Writers & Books presents J. Robert Lennon who will discuss Subdivision, a heady, inventive, fantastical novel about the nature of memory and the difficulty of confronting trauma. August 24, 7:30 - 8:15 PM EDT.

“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” ~Joyce Carol Oates

This weekend, don't miss Poetry for Hope & Resilience, CalPoets' 2021 Virtual Poetry Symposium. Offerings will include poetry readings, writing workshops and presentations geared towards teaching poetry in community settings. Registration is free, and registrants can pick and choose which workshops they participate in. August 21 9:00 AM PDT to August 22 4:00 PM PDT. 

“Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air." ~Carl Sandburg

Fellow booklovers, Here are our recommendations for free online lit events today and tomorrow:

Greenlight Bookstore presents a discussion of The Very Nice Box, an offbeat, wryly funny debut novel, with co-authors Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett. August 18, 7:30 PM ET.

Writers & Books hosts a discussion of Mama Phife Presents, a hybrid memoir by award-winning poet Cheryl Boyce-Taylor. August 19, 7:30 - 8:10 PM EDT.

"Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere." ~Mary Schmich

There is a great lit festival going on right now that booklovers everywhere should check out. The Kweli International Literary Festival features readings and author conversations for booklovers (free), as well as craft talks and writing workshops for writers. Kweli is a New York-based nonprofit created to nurture emerging writers of color and create opportunities for their voices to be recognized and valued. Ongoing through September 16, 2021.

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” ~Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

This weekend, don't miss the 10th annual When Worlds Collide festival for readers, writers, artists, & publishers of commercial & literary fiction, including genre, YA, children's books, & poetry. Free online events from Friday, August 13, 1:00 PM through Sunday, August 15, 8:00 PM CDT. 

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” ~P.J. O’Rourke

If you haven't already done so, be sure to enter our August giveaway contest for a chance to win five books of your choice in any format from Vine Leaves Press.

Free online literary events recommended by LitNuts:

An Evening with Jennifer Jean, Barbara Ras, and Heidi Seaborn. Three award-winning feminist poets, presented by the Hudson Valley Writers Center. August 11, 7:00 - 8:30 PM EDT. 

Thea Pietro on From the Caves, presented by Powell's Books. Environmental catastrophe has driven four people inside the dark throat of a cave in a novel that reshapes ideas of death and motherhood, grief and hope, endings and beginnings. August 12, 5:00 PM PDT.

“The future is already here. It’s just unevenly distributed.” ~William Gibson, Neuromancer

Happy National Book Lovers Day! Today is a great day to unplug from the rest of the world for a bit and open a book. If you don't want to unplug completely, you can celebrate the day via these free online literary events:

J.R. Jamison on Hillbilly Queer, an enduring love story between a dad and son who find that sometimes the differences between us aren't really that different at all. Monday, August 9, 7:00 PM CDT.

Zachary Steele on The Weight of Ashes, a novel about a boy's efforts to resurrect his brother after a tragic car accident. Tuesday, August 10, 6:00 PM CDT.

“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” ~Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard

This month, LitNuts is partnering with Vine Leaves Press to bring booklovers the opportunity to win your choice of five books in any available format from Vine Leaves Press. There are multiple ways to enter, and there is no purchase necessary.

Vine Leaves Press is an independent publisher that blurs the line between commercial and experimental works. Visit the VLP website for a look at their full line-up of books -- but first, be sure to go to the LitNuts/VLP Giveaway Contest page to submit your entry. Deadline is August 31, 2021. 

“We read to know that we are not alone.” ~C.S. Lewis

Congratulations to Anita C. of Queens, New York, winner of our Summer Book and Coffee Shop Giveaway, which ended July 31. Anita's prize included $50 in books from Amazon plus a $50 gift card to Panera. Watch for the opening of our August giveaway, when the prize will be your choice of five books from Vine Leaves Press.  Upcoming online literary events: Powell's Books Presents Margot Wood. Wood’s Fresh (Amulet Books) is a hilarious and vulnerable coming-of-age story about the thrilling new experience — and missteps — of a girl's freshman year of college. August 5, 5:00 pm Pacific Time. Writers & Books Presents Meg Kearney. Kearney’s most recent poetry collection, All Morning the Crows, is the winner of the 2020 Washington...

LitNuts is kicking off the month of August with links to an assortment of interesting online literary events and a selection of great indie books for your reading pleasure. Read on for more information, and enjoy!

The Music of Hidden Lives. Authors Jennifer Steil and Marjorie Sandor discuss two award-winning novels about musicians. Presented by A Novel Idea, a South Philly bookstore. August 2, 6:00 pm CDT.

Virtual Book Launch: Ladyparts. The Greenlight Bookstore of Brooklyn welcomes bestselling author Deborah Copaken for the launch of her honest and unflinching memoir. August 2, 7:30 pm ET.

Rain Taxi presents Rita Dove. The author will read from and discuss Playlist for the Apocalypse, her first book of new poems in twelve years. Presented by the Rain Taxi Review of Book, an award-winning quarterly print journal. August 3, 5:30 pm CDT.

Virtual Book Launch: When the Reckoning Comes. LaTanya McQueen, author of the essay collection And it Begins Like This, launches her haunting debut novel. Presented by Greenlight Bookstore. August 3, 7:30 pm ET. 

“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” ~Anna Quindlen

Queens Virtual Book Fair, July 31 & August 1, 2:00 - 6:00 pm. Take a virtual trip to Queens, NY, this weekend to meet with diverse authors, poets and artists; enjoy live music, author meet-and-greets, book giveaways and more. Admission is free, but a $5 donation is suggested by the sponsor, Beyond the Abuse, which will use the funds for school supplies for children returning to school this fall. 

"Ignorance is the parent of fear." Herman Melville, Moby Dick

An Evening with Silvina López Medin, Jennifer Militello, and Jennifer Stewart Miller, poetry and nonfiction readings brought to you by the Hudson Valley Writers Center. Wednesday, July 28, 7:00 - 8:30 pm EDT.

Donika Kelly: The Renunciations, reading brought to you by Writers & Books. The Renunciations is a book of resilience, survival, and the journey to radically shift one’s sense of self in the face of trauma. Thursday, July 29, 7:30 - 8:10 pm EST.

"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience." ~Frank Herbert, Dune

Interested in hearing directly from the authors of a couple of new indie books? Check out these free online events:

Book Launch: The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O'Brien. Monday, July 26, 8 pm CDT. It seems every summer marks the publication of a taut new thriller by much-loved Seattle writer Kevin O’Brien. Celebrate the launch of The Night She Disappeared (Pinnacle), O'Brien's 22nd novel, tonight. 

A virtual celebration of In Concrete, with author Anne Garréta and translator Emma Ramadan. Tuesday, July 27, 4 pm CDT. The newest novel by Prix Medicis-winner Anne Garréta, In Concrete (Deep Vellum), is a feminist inversion of a domestic drama crossed with Oulipian nursery rhyme.

“If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” ~T.S. Eliot

Our recommendation for a great free online literary event this weekend: Our friends at The Book Stall, one of the Chicago-area's best indie bookstores, are sponsoring an online conversation with novelist Joshua Henkin, whose latest work, Morningside Heights, is a #1 Indie Next Pick and was described as "a stunning achievement" by Publishers Weekly. Sunday, July 25, 2:00 pm Central Time.

“What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve.” ~Norman Vincent Peale

Upcoming online literary events - free to the public!

Chapbook Reading with Katie Farris, Emily Lee Luan, and Isabella DeSendi, July 21, 7:00pm to 8:30pm EDT. Brought to you by the Hudson Valley Writers Center. 

Joanna Scott: Excuse Me While I Disappear, July 22, 7:30pm to 8:15pm EDT. Brought to you by Writers & Books of Rochester, NY. 

"Do not just seek happiness for yourself. Seek happiness for all. Through kindness. Through mercy." ~David Levithan, Wide Awake

Your choice...tonight at 6 pm CDT: have a laugh or scare the kids...

A Strand Virtual Event with Sophia Benoit. July 19, 6:00 pm CDT. Join writer and comedian Sophia Benoit for the launch of her new book Well, This is Exhausting. Joining Sophia in conversation will be comedian and writer for "Late Night with Seth Meyers" Karen Chee. Presented by The Strand Book Store.

YA Horror with Alexa Donne and Emily Arsenault. July 19, 6:00 pm CDT. Sink into YA horror with Alexa Donne, author of The Ivies, and Emily Arsenault, author of When All the Girls Are Sleeping. Presented by Brookline Booksmith. 

“We don’t laugh because we are happy, we’re happy because we laugh.” ~William James

Synthesis of the Arts 2021, July 17, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm EDT. 'T' Space presents a virtual event featuring a poetry reading by Cathy Park Hong, a musical performance of Anthony Braxton’s music by Erica Dicker and Dan Peck, and a guided walkthrough of Anthony Titus’ art show “Ruptures and Reconciliations.” 'T' Space, located in the woodlands of Rhinebeck, NY, is an arts organization focused on education, design and ecology. Founded in 2010, ‘T’ Space has grown to become a vital center for the arts, nature and humanism in its region of the Hudson Valley. 

"The sole substitute for an experience which we have not ourselves lived through is art and literature." ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

There's nothing quite like reading a book over a hot cup of coffee in a comfy shop or café, which is why LitNuts is sponsoring the Book & Coffee Shop Giveaway this month. Enter to win $50 in books from your favorite book store, plus a $50 gift card at your favorite coffee shop. 

“Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all.” ~David Lynch

Scroll down down to see today's featured books from LitNuts -- plus check out these upcoming online literary events:

Braiding Sweetgrass: A Virtual Book Discussion, Monday, July 12, 5 PM CDT. Named a "Best Essay Collection of the Decade" by Literary Hub, Braiding Sweetgrass by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer explores the natural world, wedding the scientific method with the traditional knowledge of indigenous people. 

Virtual Book Talk with Thóra Hjörleifsdóttir and translator Meg Matich, Tuesday, July 13, 6 PM EDT. The author and translator will be discussing the new novel Magma, which sheds light on the commonplace undercurrents of violence that so often go undetected in romantic relationships. 

"A great age of literature is perhaps always a great age of translations." ~Ezra Pound