This Week in Books: April 10 – April 16

The LA Books Examiner is your place for books articles, poetry videos, and author interviews. Last week we shared with you a special article by Golden State author David Prybil, Barnes and Noble Rising Star Award Winner, who shared his Five Favorite Books Set in California. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out now. This week we have another surprise bestselling author stopping by to share with you the first chapter of his new book. Who is it? Here’s a hint: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?

In the mean time, check out some of the great local events scheduled this week from LA to Hollywood, the Palisades to Pasadena in this week’s Books Calendar from Frank Mundo, the LA Books Examiner.

Sunday April 10

*First Free Sunday Open Reading will feature Lee Anne McIlroy Langton and Clint Margrave plus open reading. Hosted by Carly Archibeque at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice. 4:45 p.m. (310) 822-3006.

Sonya Sones discusses and signs The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus: A Novel About Marriage, Motherhood, and Mayhem at Diesel Books (Brentwood), Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th Street, Santa Monica. 3 p.m. Free. 310-576-9960.

Christopher McDougall discusses and signs Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 5 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

*Nolanda Love, A’Salma Vtait, Julie Sophia Paegle, and Paul Kareem Tayyar read and sign their collections: Joy for the Journey, Let it Flo, torch song tango choir, and Follow the Sun, respectively at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 4 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320. 

Monday April 11

*Moonday: A Monthly Westside Poetry Reading at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades. 7:30 p.m. (310) 450-4063. Come early to sign up for open mic! Lois P. Jones, and Alice Pero, this months Featured poets are Diane K. Martin and Carol V. Davis. For more information, go to moondaypoetry.com.

Diane Leslie’s Book Group with Author discusses Anchee Min‘s Pearl of China at Diesel Books (Brentwood), Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th Street, Santa Monica. 5 p.m. Free. 310-576-9960.

Alexi Zentner discusses and signs Touch: A Novel at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Lisa Lillien presents and signs Hungry Girl 300 Under 300 at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Collier Nogues reads and signs On the Other Side, Blue at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Tuesday April 12

*Open poetry reading plus Valley Contemporary Poets present: Abel Salas at the Cobalt Cafe, 22047 Sherman Way, Canoga Park. Opens 8:30 p.m. Sign-up for open reading before 9 p.m. when reading starts. One drink minimum (no alcohol). Event Hosted by LA poet Rick Lupert.

Nat Segaloff discusses and signs Arthur Penn: American Director at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Thaisa Frank discusses and signs Heidegger’s Glasses at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Deborah Vankin and Jen Wang discuss and sign their respective graphic novels Posseurs and Koko Be Good, (joined by writer Amy Klein) at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Wednesday April 13

Susie Bright discusses and signs Big Sex Little Death: A Memoir at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Wayne Pacelle discusses and signs The Bond at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

William Powers discusses and signs Twelve by Twelve at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Thursday April 14

*Feral Fusion Open Mike: Hosted by Angel Uriel Perales and Cindy Weinstein, Feral Fusion encourages experimentation in the spoken word: lyric poetry, prose poetry, free verse, hip hop, slam and storytelling at The Amsterdam Café, 10905 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Free. Sign-up at 8 pm. Show starts at 8:30 pm. Email: feralfusion [AT] cindynw.com

Sonya Sones discusses and signs The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus: A Novel About Marriage, Motherhood, and Mayhem at Book Soup, 8818 W.Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Philip Connors discusses and signs Fire Season at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Friday April 15

Janet Jackson signs True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 3 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Kim Stagliano discusses and signs All I Can Handle at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Blake Butler and Justin Taylor read and sign their respective novels There is No Year and The Gospel of Anarchy at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Jimmy Williams and Susan Heeger present From Seed to Skillet at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades. 7:30 p.m. Free. (310) 450-4063.

Saturday April 16

Mary McDonough discusses and signs Lessons From the Mountain at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 5 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Philip Kerr discusses and signs Field Gray at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 6 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

*All events and speakers are subject to change without notice. Always confirm with the bookstore before attending any event.

If you’d like to announce your Los Angeles area book events on LA Books Examiner, or the release of an upcoming book, send info at least 10 days prior to the email address under my bio. While you’re there, sign up for my emails and follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.

Frank Mundo is the author of The Brubury Tales (foreword by Carolyn See), which is available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders in paperback and in eBook. The Brubury Tales won Reader View’s 2011 Reviewer’s Choice Award for Poetry Book of the Year and The 2011 Bookhitch Award for Most Innovative Poetry Book of the Year.

LA Books Examiner’s Author Interview Series

LA Books Examiner’s Five Favorite Books Feature

LA Books Examiner’s Pause for Poetry Profiles

Five Favorite Books Set in California by David Prybil Author of Golden State

Five Favorite Books is a special feature at LA Books Examiner in which our favorite authors share their five favorite books within a category. In this edition, local author David Prybil discusses his five favorite books set in California. A writer-producer based in LA, David is the author of Golden State, his award-winning debut novel which follows a quartet of Californians pursuing their own American Dreams during the crazy recall election season of 2003 that brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to power. You can learn more about David and his fresh and entertaining new book at www.davidprybil.com or read the first chapter of Golden State here at LA Books Examiner. 

Five Favorite Books Set in California by Golden State Author David Prybil

Even before it officially became a state, California symbolized the American Dream better than anyplace else in our union. It’s where dreamers have always gone to make their dreams come true, whether those dreams involved striking it rich, becoming a star, or reinventing oneself entirely and starting anew. Thus, it should not be surprising to discover that it also offers a rich setting for storytellers looking for big, dramatic stories to tell. Some of these stories are true, and some are merely based on truths, but they all derive their power from the vast possibilities that California has to offer, and the perils for those who lose their way.

1) The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (1939)
No list of California fiction would be complete without this seminal work, which follows the struggles of the Joad Family, who head west to California from the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma, hoping for better lives and opportunities. Here, we get an early glimpse of the downsides to a dream that is being shared by too many, as the hard-working, good-hearted Joads endure endless setbacks and privations at the hands of God, nature, and those who have come ahead of them, but never see the fruits of their labors, even when the things they seek are so close that they can literally reach out and touch them. Also: for a more modern take on many of these same themes, played out between the denizens of an upscale gated community and the family of illegal Mexican immigrants living in a dried-out gulch behind their sprawling homes, see The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. [Read Frank Mundo's interview with T.C. Boyle.]

2) A Way of Life, Like Any Other, Darcy O’ Brien (1977)
While there has been no shortage of great Hollywood novels written through the years, the thing that sets this lesser-known novel apart is its sharp-eyed depiction of fame’s afterglow, when the good times are largely past, the good roles are few and far between, and all that remains are the memories, the trappings, and the delusions of grandeur. In this regard, the book is of a piece with the film Sunset Boulevard, but because the main character here is a child, based on the writer’s own experience as the son of two fading Golden Age stars, it avoids the usual jaded tones, and instead offers refreshing humor, an insider’s knowing detail, and a wide-eyed innocence that things might still work out for the best.

3) Ham on Rye, Charles Bukowski (1982)
A perfect counterpoint to O’ Brien’s book of privileged hardships is found in this early novel by Bukowski, the first in which he uses his alter ego character, Henry Chinaski, to detail an acne-ridden adolescence in low-class East LA that is so raw, mean and ugly, it is hard not to look away. But because Bukowski himself never flinches, because he is so unsparing with his own flaws and failings, it achieves a sort of transcendent, hard-bitten beauty that is uniquely his own. A true original.

Read the rest of David Prybil’s picks at Frank Mundo’s LA Books Examiner.

Purchase Golden State by David Prybil in hardcover, paperback and eBook at Amazon, iUniverse, Barnes and Noble and www.DavidPrybil.com.

Read more Five Favorite Books

For the latest updates to Frank Mundo, LA Books Examiner, be sure to subscribe and follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.

Frank Mundo is the author of The Brubury Tales (foreword by Carolyn See), which is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble in paperback and in eBook. The Brubury Tales won Reader View’s 2011 Reviewer’s Choice Award for Poetry Book of the Year and the 2011 Bookhitch Award for Most Innovative Poetry Book of the Year.  

This Week in Books: April 3 – April 9

The LA Books Examiner is your place for books articles, poetry videos, and author interviews. This week we shared with you the first chapter of The Omega Theory by international bestselling author Mark Alpert. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out now because we have more surprise bestselling authors sharing excerpts from their new books all throughout April. Later this week we also have a special Five Favorite Books article from Golden State author David Prybil, Barnes and Noble Rising Star Award Winner so be sure to check back in often this week.

In the mean time, check out some of the great local events scheduled this week from LA to Hollywood, the Palisades to Pasadena in this week’s Books Calendar from Frank Mundo, the LA Books Examiner.

Sunday April 3

Ellen Ruderman discusses and signs Chasing the Red Car at Diesel Books (Brentwood), Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th Street, Santa Monica. 3 p.m. Free. 310-576-9960.

University of California, Riverside Master of Fine Arts students read from their work. The student readers are: Eric Shonkwiler(fiction), Leonid Leonov(ficiton), Kamala Puligandla(fiction), Samantha Lamph(fiction), Rachelle Cruz(poetry), Angel Garcia(poetry). Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 5 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

John Vorhaus discusses and signs The Albuquerque Turkey at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 5 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Darrell Rooney and Mark Vieira read and sign Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital, 1928-1937 at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 5 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Monday April 4

Jacqueline Winspear discusses and signs A Lesson in Secrets at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Matthew Alexander discusses and signs Kill or Capture: How a Special Operations Task Force Took Down a Notorious al Qaeda Terrorist at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Michelle Latiolais reads and signs her story collection Widow at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Tuesday April 5

Open poetry reading plus Hollywood Institute of Poetics presents: Kevin Lee at the Cobalt Cafe, 22047 Sherman Way, Canoga Park. Opens 8:30 p.m. Sign-up for open reading before 9 p.m. when reading starts. One drink minimum (no alcohol). Event Hosted by LA poet Rick Lupert.

Village Books High School Playwrighting Contest: A staged reading of 3 One Acts whose actions take place in a bookstore. In alphabetical order, the playwrights  are: Capucine Berneyfor “The Day Your Father is Not Your Father,” Laura Morafffor “In My Head,” and Kurtz Meldridgefor “Pages & Sages.” Honorable mention went to middle-schooler Kacey Baefor “The Devil’s Hour.” Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades. 6 pm. $10. Refreshments will be provided.

My Bloody Valentine: Young Adult Group Eventwith authors Melissa de la Cruz (Bloody Valentine), Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Darkness (Beautiful Creatures)), Melissa Marr (Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely)), Kelley Armstrong (The Gathering, The Reckoning), Carrie Ryan (The Dark and Hollow Places), and Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon’s Covenant (Demon’s Lexicon)) at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Daniel A. Olivas discusses and signs The Book of Want at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Jim Krusoe reads and signs Toward You at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Wednesday April 6

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses and signs The Dressmaker of Khair Khana at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Sarah Maizes discusses and signs Got Milf?: The Modern Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous, Looking Great, and Rocking A Minivan with author Dani Klein Modisett, presenting and signing Afterbirth: Stories You Won’t Read in a Parenting Magazine at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Thursday April 7

Feral Fusion Open Mike: Hosted by Angel Uriel Perales and Cindy Weinstein, Feral Fusion encourages experimentation in the spoken word: lyric poetry, prose poetry, free verse, hip hop, slam and storytelling at The Amsterdam Café, 10905 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Free. Sign-up at 8 pm. Show starts at 8:30 pm. Email: feralfusion [AT] cindynw.com

Book Soup and The Bootleg Theatre present T.C. Boyle reading and signing from his latest book, When the Killing’s Done at the Bootleg Theatre (2220 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles). 7 p.m. More info at Book Soup.

Read Frank Mundo‘s, the LA Books Examiner’s, interview with T.C. Boyle.

M.L. Malcolm and guests discuss and sign Heart of Deception: A Novel at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Lauren Willig discusses and signs The Orchid Affair at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Nancy Rommelmann reads and signs The Bad Mother at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Linda and David Freud discuss and sign The Healing Gift: Exploring the Remarkable World of a Medical Intuitive at Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. Free. (310) 659-1733.  http://www.thehealinggift.com/

Friday April 8

Andrea Buchanan and guests discuss and sign Live and Let Love: Notes from Extraordinary Women on the Layers, the Laughter, and the Letter of Love at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Diane Ackerman discusses and signs One Hundred Names for Love at Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Ave, Pasadena. 7 pm. See Vroman’s for more info.

Meg Wolitzer discusses and signs The Uncoupling at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Bill Cloke, PhD, discusses Happy Together at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades. 7:30 p.m. Free.

Amber Benson and Patrick Rothfuss read and sign their respective novels Serpent’s Storm and The Wise Man’s Fear at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Three Points North: Three major poets – lifelong Alaskans Anne Coray, Steve Kahn, and Alaska’s State Writer Laureate Peggy Shumaker read their work and discuss their writing at Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice. 7:30 p.m. (310) 822-3006. See Beyond Baroque website for event pricing and more info.

Saturday April 9

Charlie Churchward discusses and signs Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour: A Photographer’s Life and His World at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 5 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Lisa Lutz and David Heyward discuss and sign Heads You Lose at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 5 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Smart Gals’ 6th Annual Dead Poets Slam: Monarchs vs. Minions: Hosted by Christine Louise Berry (Smart Gals), and featuring Noël Alumit, Daniel Bess, Jerrod Cardwell, T.K. Carr, Kathleen Coyne, Juli Crockett, Imani Tolliver, Steve Tom, and Lori Yeghiayan. Judges will include writer and poetry professor Chris Davidson, playwright Katy Hickman, and Clifford Johnson. The behind-the-scenes team includes poetry seekers Tori Patterson and Laura Louden. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

*All events and speakers are subject to change without notice. Always confirm with the bookstore before attending any event.

If you’d like to announce your Los Angeles area book events on LA Books Examiner, or the release of an upcoming book, send info at least 10 days prior to the email address under my bio. While you’re there, sign up for my emails and follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.

Frank Mundo is the author of The Brubury Tales (foreword by Carolyn See), which is available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble in paperback and in eBook. The Brubury Tales won Reader View’s 2011 Reviewer’s Choice Award for Poetry Book of the Year and the 2011 Bookhitch Award for Innovative Poetry Book of the Year.

LA Books Examiner’s Author Interview Series

LA Books Examiner’s Five Favorite Books Feature

LA Books Examiner’s Pause for Poetry Profiles

Golden State: Meet Author David Prybil and Read an Excerpt from his Book

About the Author:
The LA Books Examiner is pleased to introduce local author David Prybil, Barnes and Noble Rising Star Award Winner, who has generously shared an excerpt from his fresh and entertaining debut novel Golden State. David is a writer-producer with 15 years of experience in the film business and credits as a producer on such well-received films as Saved! (for MGM) and Dancer, Texas (for Sony Pictures). A former creative executive and production company president, he is a graduate of The University of Michigan, with a JD/MBA from Indiana University.

David lives with his wife and two young sons in Los Angeles, CA. This is his first novel.

Golden State by David Prybil is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook at Amazon, iUniverse, Barnes and Noble and www.DavidPrybil.com.

About the Book:
Two months after announcing his candidacy for Governor of California – Arnold Schwarzenegger won! This is the stage that Barnes and Noble Rising Star Award Winner David Prybil sets for his cast of characters, most of whom had great expectations based not only on Schwarzenegger’s campaign promises, but also the action hero’s ability to save the day in most of his movies.

They include: 

Missy Carver, a realtor who is determined to find Arnold his “Sacramento dream estate” and secure the partnership she’s sure will make her feel complete. 

Spencer Brine, a depressed obituarist whose star-crossed love for a local stripper provides him the inspiration for an unlikely rise through the paper’s ranks. 

Widower Todd Tisdale, lost in former glories, who pins his hopes for saving his struggling tuxedo shop on befriending Arnold, no matter what it takes.

Rowena Pickett, a directionless tanning salon employee who only wants to be loved—even if it’s by an Alzheimer-afflicted mother who can barely remember her name, or a prison inmate pen pal she can’t touch.

As these characters’ lives intersect, often in unexpectedly fateful ways, David Prybil’s darkly humorous work examines both the rough underbelly of dashed hopes and the enduring power of the American Dream.

On the coattails of Schwarzenegger’s departure from office, this is the perfect time to read Prybil’s fiction-based-on-fact story.  California is beginning a new chapter as Jerry Brown steps in as Governor, and it is important now more than ever to recognize that California is a community.  Its members are bound by incredible connections and David Prybil’s work serves as vivid reminder of this.

Read an excerpt from Golden State by David Prybil at Frank Mundo’s LA Books Examiner.

 

Golden State by David Prybil is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook at Amazon, iUniverse, Barnes and Noble and www.DavidPrybil.com.

For the latest updates to Frank Mundo, LA Books Examiner, be sure to subscribeand follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.

Frank Mundo is the author of The Brubury Tales (foreword by Carolyn See), which is available on Amazon.com in paperback and in eBook. The Brubury Tales is a finalist for Reader View’s 2011 Reviewer’s Choice Award for poetry.

LA Books Examiner’s Author Interview Series

LA Books Examiner’s Five Favorite Books Feature

LA Books Examiner’s Pause for Poetry Profiles