Today's Featured Books— Events

Free online: A Sweeping History of Food and Culture. Virtually step into the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History with Curator Paula Johnson as she discusses the book Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us, a sweeping history of food and culture that summons everyone to the table for a fresh look at some of the people, ingredients, events, and movements that have shaped how and what we eat. Tuesday, April 2, 2:00 PM EDT.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." ~Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Free online: The Art Institute of Chicago "Essentials" Tour. Spend some time with AIC's most iconic works of art and get insights from the experts with this special video series, including close looks at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884, Vincent van Gogh’s The Bedroom, Marc Chagall’s America Windows, Archibald John Motley Jr.’s Nightlife, and more. Watch the videos anytime, on demand. You can also keep an eye on the calendar of AIC free online events. 

"In art, as in life, everything is possible as long as it is based on love." ~Marc Chagall

Free online: A virtual tour of Rome's private art collections! Experience the opulence of the Borghese Gallery and its Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. Wander through the historic halls of Palazzo Colonna, adorned with breathtaking artworks and architectural marvels. Explore Palazzo Spada, where the fusion of art and illusion creates a captivating experience. Step into the serene grandeur of the Doria Pamphilj and its treasure trove of art. Conclude with the Farnesina, a Renaissance gem that houses some of the most exquisite frescoes by Raphael. Thursday, March 28, 9 PM Rome, 8 PM London, 4 PM NYC, 1 PM LA.

"I went to see this picture [Raphael's Madonna della Sedia] just to have a good laugh – and I found myself in front of the most wonderfully free, solid, simple, alive painting it is possible to imagine." ~Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1882

Last call! Be part of a unique publishing project by participating in The Chimera Snare: Fragments Kickstarter campaign. The Chimera Snare is a new dark fantasy series, and readers who participate in the Kickstarter campaign can choose from a variety of rewards, including specially curated goods from a selection of independent artisans. Backers will also be acknowledged in the book's credits.

"What you pour out into the world is poured right back into you." ~Matshona Dhliwayo

Free online: B&N conversation with Rebecca Serle, author of Expiration Dates, a gripping and emotional novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Sunday, March 24 at 7 PM ET / 6 PM CT / 5 PM MT / 4 PM PT. 

"Worrying is wishing for what you don’t want." ~Rebecca Serle

Free online: Uffizi Gallery Virtual Tour – The Unmissable Masterpieces Discover one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world: the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. A professional guide will tell you everything you need to know about the Museum and its priceless masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio, and many others. Thursday, March 21, 2 - 3 PM CDT.

"Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation...even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind." ~Leonardo da Vinci

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