Book It: Events for Bibliophiles

Welcome to Book It: Events for Bibliophiles! You may have noticed that this column no longer runs weekly. Starting today, we will be publishing it on the first Sunday of each month. Let's take a look at some popular authors that are on tour as well as a special event happening this month. We also want to say thank you for your patience as this column evolves!

If you would like to see your event listed in a future post, please contact me via e-mail at heather [dot] varanini [at] gmail [dot] com.

Credit: The Commonwealth Clubof California

The 82nd Annual California Book Awards

Date: Thursday, June 6th 

Time: 5:15pm check-in, 6pm ceremony, 7:15pm signing & reception

Cost: $20 general/$15 members/$7 students

Location: Commonwealth Club of California

595 Market Street, 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Authors confirmed to attend:

Gold Medalists 

FICTION: Adam Johnson: The Orphan Master's Son, Random House

FIRST FICTION:  Jennifer duBois: A Partial History of Lost Causes, Random House

NONFICTION: Victoria Sweet: God’s Hotel: A Doctor, A Hospital, and A Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine, Riverhead Books

JUVENILE: Katherine Applegate: The One and Only Ivan, Harper Collins

YOUNG ADULT:  Morgan Matson: Second Chance Summer, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLISHING: Ken and Melanie Light: Valley of Shadows and Dreams, Heyday Press

Silver Medalists

FIRST FICTION: Mariah K. Young: Masha'allah and Other Stories, Heyday Press

YOUNG ADULT: Marissa Moss: A Soldier’s Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero, Amulet Books

Credit: Penguin Group USA

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics is Daniel James Brown's third non-fiction book. The launch celebration will be on June 4th in Seattle. Brown will be touring the United States through mid-July. He has quite a few stops on his tour. To see if Brown will be visiting your town, click here to see a list of his appearances. You can watch the book trailer and keep up-to-date by liking the book's Facebook page.

Credit: macmillan publishers

Famous for his tattoo artistry and the subsequent clothing line bearing his name, Ed Hardy has become a household name. He is currently on a limited book tour after the release of his memoir, Wear Your Dreams: My Life in Tattoos, with stops in New York City, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and Honolulu. Do not miss an opportunity to meet this legend! For details, please click here. And to read an excerpt, click here.

Credit: Penguin Group USA

The book that everyone has been buzzing about: Khaled Hosseini's third novel, And the Mountains Echoed. Famous for The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, the author has written another novel that is sure to be a hit. His tour is concentrated on the east and west coasts, with some stops in the middle. Since Mr. Hosseini is in great demand, most of the events require advance tickets. Please click there for a list of his tour dates and destinations. Hosseini not visiting your city? Like him on Facebook to follow his travels.

Credit: Random House

Author Anthony Marra's book tour is winding down, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to catch him at his last few stops. His debut novel, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, has been receiving a lot of positive attention. It's about war and love in Chechnya. You can read an excerpt here. He will be speaking in Corte Madera on June 9th and Santa Cruz on June 20th. Click here for more details. You can like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter for updates.

Credit: Random House

Irish author Colum McCann kicks off his extensive American book tour on June 4th at Barnes and Noble in New York City. The tour for Transatlantic runs through the middle of November. To see if McCann will be in your city, click here to see his list of appearances. The novel has received a lot of praise and the author was recently profiled in The New York Times. You can read an excerpt of the book by clicking here (the link will start a download of the .pdf).

Credit: Penguin Group USA

The country's most famous sex-advice columnist, Dan Savage, is promoting his new book American Savage: Insights, Slights, and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love, and Politics. With only a handful of tour dates, Savage makes his way across the country from Seattle to DC. Click here for a listing of his appearances. You can follow him on Twitter or read his famous column by clicking here.

Credit: Simon & Schuster

Author Lauren Weisberger, famous for writing The Devil Wears Prada, celebrates the release of her second novel on June 4th at GILT City in New York. The sequel, Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns, promises to be another runaway hit. Weisberger will be on a limited book tour along the east coast with one stop in California. To see if she will be in your city, click here. You can follow Lauren on Twitter as she promotes her book.