Today's Featured Books— Events

Free online: Blaney Lecture. Join the American Academy of Poets for the 2024 Blaney Lecture: "Making the Invisible Visible: Poetry, Science, Perception-Increase, and Change" delivered by Jane Hirshfield, Chancellor Emerita of the Academy of American Poets. Tuesday, March 19, at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET.

“Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.” ~Alice Walker

We all love books, right? And what goes well with books? Coffee? Definitely. And wine? You bet!

With that thought in mind, we're recommending something fun for this weekend: A virtual tour of Greve, an enchanting Italian village known as the Pearl of Chianti. Whether you're a wine enthusiast, a lover of Italian culture, or simply in search of a unique virtual adventure, this immersive experience will transport you to the picturesque streets and rolling hills of Greve in Tuscany, known as the gateway to the Chianti wine region. Sunday, March 17: 5 PM in Rome, 4 PM in London, 12 PM in NYC, 9 AM in LA. 

“Language is wine upon the lips.” ~Virginia Woolf

Free online: Cultivating Resilience and Joy in Art-Making. Hosted by the Eleanor Harwood Gallery in San Francisco, artists Tara Daly, Mary Finlayson, Rachel Kaye, and Sarah Thibault come together to talk about their experience working as artists and share their challenges in cultivating resilience and longevity, including parenting, day-jobbing, moving cities, and creating community. Wednesday, March 13, 6:30 - 8 PM PDT, (8:30 - 10 PM CDT).

“My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me." ~Georgia O'Keeffe

Free online: Galena LitFest Mystery & Mayhem Author Panel. Join award-winning and bestselling mystery authors Marcie Rendon, David Ellis, Tracy Clark, Laura Benedict, and Patricia Skalka for a panel discussion on why they love the genre, their writing processes, character development, and more. Tuesday, March 12, 6-7 PM CDT.

“Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.” ~Agatha Christie

Free online: Diane Seuss & Jane Huffman: Poetry & Conversation. Join the Hudson Valley Writers Center via Zoom for an evening of poetry and conversation with Diane Seuss and Jane Huffman. Diane Seuss is the author of six books of poetry and winner of the 2022 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. Jane Huffman’s debut poetry collection, Public Abstract, was the winner of the 2023 APR/Honickman first book prize. Sunday, March 10, 4 PM ET.

"I wish you a sexy, dangerous, jazz-shaped immortality." ~Diane Seuss

March 7 is World Book Day, and WorldBookDay.com helps parents and educators celebrate the day by providing free online resources for preschoolers and for children in elementary/primary and middle/secondary schools.

“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” ~George R.R. Martin

Free online: International Women's Day Indie Authors Panel. Join a captivating online event celebrating the power and talent of women authors from around the world. Tuesday, March 5, 19:00 GMT (4:00 PM EST).

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Free online: Speculative Sundays Reading Series takes place every Sunday during Women’s History Month. This week: poet Katherine Quevedo. Sunday, March 3, 7-8 PM CST. 

“Poetry is like a bird, it ignores all frontiers.” ~Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Free online: Larksong Writers Place First Friday Reading with Pamela Petro, author of The Long Field: Wales and the Presence of Absence, A Memoir. Friday, March 1, 12 PM CST. 

"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

Today's featured books follow a WWII nurse, a CIA operative, a fantasy world, a man-turned-smartphone, and an exciting upcoming thriller. See these and more at LitNuts.com. 

“The future is there…looking back at us. Trying to make sense of the fiction we will have become.” ~William Gibson

Free online: Poems for a Burning World. The DC Poet Project series presents "Poems for a Burning World," featuring poets Holly Karapetkova, Taylor Johnson, Shaquetta Nelson, and John Johnson. Friday, February 23, 7 - 8:30 PM EST. 

"All poets, all writers are political. They either maintain the status quo, or they say, 'Something’s wrong, let's change it for the better.'" ~Sonia Sanchez

Free online: Spring's Most Anticipated Books. A librarian from the Santa Clarita (CA) City Library will share the adult fiction and nonfiction titles she's most excited to read during the next few months. Attendees will have the chance to win free advance copies of some of the upcoming season's most anticipated books. Wednesday, February 21, 6-7 PM CST.

"Reading is an active, imaginative act; it takes work." ~Khaled Hosseini

Free online: The Egyptian Book of the Dead - a virtual tour and behind-the-scenes look at this special exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Hosted by Sara E. Cole, PhD, assistant curator in the Antiquities Department at the Getty Museum, and Foy Scalf, PhD, head of the research archives and Research Associate at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. Monday, February 19, 4-5 PM CST. 

"If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past." ~Baruch Spinoza

Free online: The Back Room. Join authors Jeff Ayers, Allison Brennan, Amanda Jayatissa, and Abbott Kahler for an evening of great conversation! Sunday, February 18, 7-9 PM EST.

"A book is not only a friend, it makes friends for you. When you have possessed a book with mind and spirit, you are enriched. But when you pass it on, you are enriched threefold." ~Henry Miller, The Books in My Life

Free online: Visit the Louvre. Paris is considered by many to be The City of Love, but you don't have to go on a honeymoon to enjoy one of its most famous attractions. The Louvre offers free virtual tours that allow you to visit the museum rooms and galleries, admire the palace architecture, and enjoy the views! (Be sure to also take the tour of the Louvre's Masterpieces.)

"To love another person is to see the face of God." ~Victor Hugo

Free online: Galena LitFest - Indie Author Panel. Hear from five winners of the Soon to be Famous Illinois Indie Author Award about writing, how to market your book, and indie publishing! Tuesday, February 13, 5:30 PM CST.

"Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere." ~Jean Rhys

Free online: Reading Love Letters. Hear famous (and some not-so-famous) love poetry and prose, discuss writing about love, and write love letters! No writing experience is required; participants do not need to share their work (unless you want to!) Sunday, February 11, 10-11 AM CST. 

“You are so busy being you that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are.” ~John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Free online: WeHo Reads. Presented by the City of West Hollywood's Arts Division (WeHoArts), the series opener for WeHo Reads 2024 will feature authors celebrating their inspirations and examining how their work intersects with literary luminaries during Black History Month. Participating writers will include Rachel Howzell Hall, Lisa Teasley, Jervey Tervalon, and Tamika Thompson. Wednesday, February 7, 8-9:30 PM CST. 

"Think before you speak. Read before you think." ~Fran Lebowitz

Free online: Barnes & Noble Book Club discussion with Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury, which was the January B&N Book Club pick. Tuesday, February 6, 2 PM CST. 

"Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous." ~Bill Moyers

Free online: LitCon Virtual Author Expo, a unique opportunity to connect with writers from the comfort of your own home. Immerse yourself in a virtual world filled with captivating stories, engaging discussions, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Saturday, February 3, 10 AM - 4 PM CST.

“Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” ~Dorothy Parker

Free online: What's New in Historical Fiction, a regular panel series featuring historical novelists with new and upcoming titles. Moderated by Colin Mustful, founder of History Through Fiction, this special panel includes Angie Elita Newell, author of All I See is Violence; Salina B. Baker, The Line of Splendor; Imogen Martin, To the Wild Horizon; and Amanda Barratt, The Warsaw Sisters. Wednesday, January 31, 7-8 PM CST. 

"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten." ~Rudyard Kipling

Free online: Readings from the Room features literary talent associated with The Writers' Room of Boston. The series is presented monthly and is always free. Tuesday, January 30, 7-8 PM EST.

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” ~Bruce Lee

Free online: Leaning Toward Light. Join the Hudson Valley Writers Center and contributors to the anthology Leaning toward Light: Poems for Gardens & the Hands That Tend Them for an evening of poetry cultivating our collective urge to grow, tend, and heal. Friday, January 26, 7:00 - 8:30 PM EST. 

"The garden reconciles human art and wild nature, hard work and deep pleasure, spiritual practice and the material world. It is a magical place because it is not divided." ~Thomas Moore

Free online: NYPL Virtual Book Tasting. Join the New York Public Library's "Book Tasting" for a taste of a variety of books from the NYPL collection. Friday, January 26, 2-3 PM CST. 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~Leonardo Da Vinci

Free online: Rogue Reads. Enjoy a fabulous night of new releases from thriller authors James Grippando, Lisa Malice, Duane Swierczynski, and Stephen Hunter. Monday, January 22, 6 PM CT. 

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." ~Maya Angelou