Author K.D. Norris with novel “The View from Gleninagh North” at Schuler Books. (Courtesy, Ken Norris)
By WKTV Staff
deborah@wktv.org
After a vacation trip to Ireland in the early 2000s, and while working at WKTV Community Media and Mlive, local writer K.D. Norris wrote and recently published his debut fiction novel, “The View from Gleninagh North,” through Schuler Books Chapbook Press.
The novel is a personal look at Ireland — its landscape, people and recent history — wrapped around a human story of personal exploration and romance.
“I have described it as ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ meets ‘Bicycle Diaries.’ At its heart it is a romance novel, but there is a fair amount of travelogue as well,” Norris said. “Much of it was written in a coffee shop in Cedar Springs, and later at a local Starbucks before work.”
“The View from Gleninagh North” is available at Schuler Books Grand Rapids at 2660 28th Street SE, schulerbooks.com, and Amazon.
An outsider’s view
The View from Gleninagh North by K.D. Norris. (Courtesy, Ken Norris)
The novel’s narrator is Matthew Maybourn — “Ah, Matty, a good Irish name, that!” — a lifelong writer and recent widower who has left his middle-class, mid-life comfort zone. As an unplanned favor to a Hollywood friend and filmmaker, he is immersed in modern Ireland’s cultural landscape to write the impossible book: a sequel to “The Quiet Man.”
An outsider in a small, rural village on Galway Bay, Matty explores his new world and other people’s life stories in search of not only a novel idea, but possibly a new meaning to his own life. All with a view from Gleninagh North.
“There is a fair amount of history and culture in the book as well, mostly true, as I could not write about my Irish characters without giving a glimpse of why I think they are who they are,” Norris said.
“And I have to thank members of my local writers group and the team at Schuler Books Chapbook Press for their support, advice and work in helping me get this book into print and available to readers,” Norris said.
About the author
K.D. Norris lives in Cedar Springs with wife TJ. He has published short stories in several regional anthologies, including “An Affair of the Mind,” published in 2021 by the Grand Rapids Region Writers Group (GRRWG) of which he is a member. He also had an essay selected for publication in “The Mailer Review” national publication, and has written numerous award-winning journalistic stories over his 30-plus year career in journalism and mass media.
For more on his professional and literary background, visit kdnorris.com.
Booklovers, and those with lovers of books on their last-minute shopping list, are in for a treat as several new releases from well-known authors, as well as debut writers, are available just in time for the holidays.
And how better to get that last gift than by buying local, or making a holiday roadtrip out of it?
“There are a ton of really solid, interesting books by well-known authors, as well as those who haven’t written before,” said Tim Smith, Operations Manager for Schuler Books.
Schuler Books on 28th Avenue is a big bookstore with a small bookstore feel. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
Founded in 1982 by Bill and Cecile Fehsenfeld, Schuler Books includes locations in both Grand Rapids and Okemos. The Grand Rapids location on 28th Street “offers a wide array of new and used books for adults and children, an extensive selection of book-themed gifts, and a café where shoppers can enjoy coffee and a bite to eat,” they say. And a “friendly, helpful staff contribute to the welcoming feel shoppers experience.”
And if you’re really into last minute Christmas shopping, Schuler Books invites all ages to come and enjoy the live reindeer that will be outside the store Christmas Eve.
Adding to the inviting atmosphere is the knowledge that the staff at Schuler Books have personally hand-picked each book lining the shelves.
“We have a team of buyers that meet with publishing reps (representatives),” Smith said, “and over time have curated our stock. There are core items, of course, but also items specific to each store and its location.”
Changes in readers’ tastes
Schuler’s Smith also mentioned a shift in what buyers are looking for in reading material.
“Over the past couple of years, but especially this year, it has been different because people are looking for books connected to particular current events that people are trying to understand,” said Smith. “People see the world is changing, that there are large changes happening, and people are looking to books to understand these things.”
Popular titles at Schuler Books this holiday season substantiate Smith’s observation, with several books addressing current topics prevalent in society today:
“Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem” by Amanda Gorman. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
“How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America” by Clint Smith speaks to racial understanding.
“Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Michigan author Angeline Boulley concentrates on the indigenous community.
“Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem” by Amanda Gorman incorporates a call to action for people of all ages to use their abilities to make a difference.
Other popular titles offer inspiration, humor, and a connection with nature:
“Taste: My Life Through Food” by Stanley Tucci; “The Impossible Mile: The Power in Living Life One Step at a Time” by Johnny Agar; “All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings” by Gayle Boss; “Where the Deer and the Antelope Play” by Nick Offerman; “A Carnival of Snackery” by David Sedaris; “Get Untamed” by Glennon Doyle, a companion journal to Doyle’s 2020 release, “Untamed”; “The Sentence” by Louise Erdrich.
Maybe make a day-trip shopping
If you like to do a little strolling around a small-town downtown with plenty of shopping, epilogue books, founded in July 2018 by Pat and Valerie Burkholder, is celebrating their fourth holiday season in Rockford.
Some of the staff picks at epilogue books in Rockford. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
Tucked into a strip of stores just off East Bridge Street, epilogue books features a comprehensive selection of new books for readers of all ages, including several by Michigan authors.
“We try to support local Michigan authors and artists,” said Cindy Coats, bookseller at epilogue books.
Coats also said that the staff at epilogue books hand-picks each book that is placed on the shelves.
“We look at what books are projected to be top-sellers,” said Coats said, “as well as what people are asking for.”
And the staff also looks at trends: “People come in asking for books that are being made into movies, like ‘Dune’ (Frank Herbert) and ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ (Liane Moriarty),” said Coats.
Biographies and autobiographies have also proven to be a rising trend.
“People have been out of work, or not in their normal realm of work, for a year and a half and used that time to write their stories,” Coats said. “(Readers) like hearing where people came from, and especially about overcoming adversity.”
Several new releases on epilogue’s shelves cater to this topic, including “Will” by Will Smith, and “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music” by Dave Grohl.
Pick one; all are worth reading. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
“Atlas of the Heart” by Brené Brown, a self-help book that focuses on how to develop meaningful connections with the people in our lives, is another popular title this holiday season.
Cookbooks are also a top seller this year. “Lots of celebrities are now writing cookbooks,” said Coats. “Pop culture is really interjecting into food.”
The bookseller pointed to “An Unapologetic Cookbook,” written by TikTok sensation Joshua Weissman. “We can’t keep these on the shelf,” Coats said with a laugh.
Other popular titles offered by epilogue books include: “Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone” (Outlander Series, Book 9) by Diana Gabaldon; “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides; “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid; “Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives” by Dav Pilkey.
A new reproduction of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J.K. Rowling is also dazzling shoppers with its full color illustrations and eight interactive paper craft elements.
“They are stunning,” said Coats, touching the cover as she passed by.
And say ‘“Hi” to Tommy
epilogue books’ Tommy the Bookstore Dog. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
Visitors to epilogue books will most likely be welcomed by the store’s most popular member, Tommy the Bookstore Dog, a mild-mannered golden retriever who loves to interact with customers.
“People come in just to see Tommy,” said Coats. “One woman drove all the way from Lansing after seeing him on a TikTok video, just to meet him.”
And after the holidays, an upcoming event that booklovers will want to mark on their calendars is a book signing with ABC’s chief meteorologist, Ginger Zee, featuring her upcoming release, “A Little Closer to Home.” A Rockford native, Zee will be at epilogue books Jan. 15 to meet fans and sign books.
Pierre Camy holds a copy of ‘The City in the Forest,’ a history of Lansing. The book had just been printed on the Espresso Book Machine at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE.
If you only visit Schuler Books & Music on the weekends, you might wonder about the contraption near the back of the store that looks like a copy machine on steroids.
Visit on a weekday, though, and you’re likely to catch the Espresso Book Machine in action, busily printing, binding and trimming one of the 3,000 books it produces each year.
The Espresso Book Machine can print copies of millions of old books that are out of print, and also lets authors self-publish their novels, family histories or recipe collections, according to Pierre Camy, who runs the machine at the bookstore.
When it was installed there in 2009, it was one of only 20 Espresso Book Machines in the world.
Twelve years later, the machines are still pretty rare. According to the Espresso Book Machine website, there are about 80 of them around the world, mostly at bookstores, universities and libraries. A new machine costs about $125,000, Camy said.
Authors self-publishing their works make up the majority of Camy’s customers. But more and more, the machine is being used to print copies of titles available through Google Books, a service of Google that offers millions of scanned books online.
Several universities, including the University of Michigan and Harvard University, have had their entire library collections scanned by Google Books, and so have many libraries around the world. Shoppers can search for out-of-print books to be printed on the machine at ondemandbooks.com.
As long as the book is in the public domain – meaning it is no longer under copyright – it can be printed on the machine. Most books printed before the mid-1930s are now in the public domain unless the copyright was renewed, Camy said.
“’The Great Gatsby’ is now in the public domain,” he said. “We print books from the 17th Century, the 18th Century – anything, really.”
Every now and then, Camy said, he’ll get a run of orders for a really obscure book.
He recently got several requests for ‘Camp Fires and Camp Cooking; or, Culinary Hints for the Soldier,’ an 1862 book by James M. Sanderson with recipes and cooking tips for Civil War soldiers. The book is likely being purchased by Civil War re-enactors, Camy said.
With orders coming in both from local authors and buyers around the United States, the machine is running nearly all the time on weekdays now. But that wasn’t always the case.
“The first couple years were pretty slow, but then it took off,” Camy said.
There are lots of books already in the machine’s queue as the holidays draw near, he said, but authors who want to self-publish a book before Christmas can still get it in time if the files are set up according to the required specifications. Help is available for authors who need guidance about how to create the files.
“If files are print ready, we can make it happen,” he said.
The Schuler Books & Music website has guides for the Espresso Book Machine the include different types of publishing and pricing for various packages.
After 10 hearty seasons, 12,000 brave challengers and nearly 58 million gut-busting calories, the Fifth Third Burger is officially retiring on Saturday, Sept. 1. Get ’em while they’re still hot.
In honor of the anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, WKTV 25 will be airing a special half hour memorial tribute “Princess Diana: A Tribute To England’s Rose.”
The show will air Monday, Aug. 27, at 9:30 a.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 31 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
The husband-and-wife team behind the New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels series will be visiting Schuler books & Music at the end of August. The couple is touring for the release of Magic Triumphs book 10 and the final book in the Kate Daniel series. They will be at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St., at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30.
Fun fact:
In 1518, a “dancing plague” took
over the town of Strasbourg, France.
One woman started it, and others joined her. Within a month, there were 400 people involved. Many died from pure exhaustion.
Ilona and Gordon, the authors of the Kate Daniels series.
The husband-and-wife team behind the New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels series will be visiting Schuler books & Music at the end of August.
Under the pseudonym Ilona Andrews, Ilona and Gordon have co-authored four New York Times and USA Today bestselling series that along with the urban fantasy Kate Daniels series includes the rustic fantasy Edge, paranormal romance Hidden Legacy and Innkeeper Chronicles, which is posted as a free weekly serial.
The couple is touring for the release of Magic Triumphs book 10 and the final book in the Kate Daniel series. They will be at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St., at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30.
Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona reportedly got the better grade. No comment from Gordon on that.
The couple live in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.
The Aug. 30 author talk will be open to the public. Guests can obtain a signing line ticket by purchasing a copy of Magic Triumphs at the event.
For more, visit the Schuler Books & Music’s website.
East Kentwood High School is Shrek in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s upcoming production of “Shrek! the Musical,” which starts its two-week run Friday, June 1. The show runs through June 17.
Social justice educator, author, and activist Melanie S. Morrison comes to Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, on Monday, June 4. Morrison will be discussing her new book “Murder on the Shades Mountain: The Lynching of Willie Peterson and the Struggle for Justice in Jim Crow Birmingham.”
All-American Girls Professional Baseball Uniform League Uniform, circa 1952
Kent County: Public Museum host pop up exhibit
Grand Rapids Public Museum will host a pop-up experience this weekend only, June 1 and 2, featuring its Fashion Collection. This opportunity will allow visitors to see how the Museum photographs, catalogs and documents artifacts for the Museum’s online database, grpmcollections.org.
Astronomer Dr. David Gerdes visits Grand Rapids to talk about the possibility of a ninth planet.
Is there a ninth planet after all? The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA) hosts Dr. David Gerdes, one of the lead astronomers searching for the ninth planet, on Thursday, March 15 at Schuler Books, 2660 28th St. SE.
There was a great deal of controversy when Pluto was officially removed as a planet in 2006, and it has not completely died down in the more than a decade that has elapsed since its demotion. Now there is growing evidence that a much larger planet lies beyond Pluto, and its discovery would mean that the solar system has nine planets again.
On Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m., Dr. Gerdes will explain his latest research in a presentation The Coolest Place in the Solar System: New Worlds Beyond Neptune, located at Schuler Books, 2660 28th St. SE. The event is free and open to the public.
As one of the leading astronomers searching for a ninth planet, Dr. Gerdes is a well-known Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Michigan. Gerdes is currently located in Chile and utilizes a large telescope for his research.
There may be more than one additional planet lurking beyond Neptune. As Dr. Gerdes will explain, whatever is out there is so far away that any reflected sunlight would be very feeble, so its detection involves study of how its gravity effects other objects lying near the fringes of the solar system. These would include Pluto and other Kyper Belt objects.
Dr. Gerdes believes telescopes may now be big enough to detect worlds beyond Neptune if they knew where to look. He and colleagues are making calculations that will tell astronomers where to point telescopes to search. An announcement of a major discovery could be coming in the next few years.
This event is co-sponsored by the GRPM and GRAAA. For more information at graaa.org under Events Calendar.
With its wealth of botanical diversity, the Midwest provides an abundance of healing herbs accessible to all. Michigan food expert Lisa M. Rose will be visiting Schuler Books & Music to discuss how to forge and identify those plants.
Rose will be at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28thSt. SE, on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. Author of the popular book “Midwest Foraging,” Rose will be discussing her newest title, “Midwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harves, and Use 109 Wild Herbs for Heath and Wellness.” The book is designed for all levels to help them find, identify, harvest, and safely use wild medicinal plants.
Lisa M. Rose
The author is a herbalist, forager, urban farmer, and writer. Rose’s interest in ethnobotany and herbal medicine has taken her across the United States and into the Yucatan Peninsula, mainland Mexico, Nicaragua, and Brazil to study plants, people, health, and their connection to place. Rose leads foraging plant walks and teaches classes on edible and medicinal wild plants.
For more information about this program or other events at Schuler Books & Music, visit schulerbooks.com.
Michigan author Jim C. Hines returns to Schuler Books & Music this month to kick off his new sci-fi series, “Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse.”
The first book in the series, “Terminal Alliance,” introduces the audience to some unlikely heroes who may just save the galaxy: a crew of space janitors. Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos is surprisingly bright (for a human). As a Lieutenant on the Earth Mercenary Corps Ship Pufferfish, she’s in charge of the Shipboard Hygiene and Sanitation team. When a bioweapon attack by an alien race wipes out the command crew and reverts the rest of the humans to a feral state, only Mops and her team are left with their minds intact.
Escaping the attacking aliens—not to mention her shambling crewmates—is only the beginning. Sure, Mops and her assortment of space janitors and plumbers can clean the ship, but flying the thing is another matter. As they struggle to keep the Pufferfish functioning and find a cure for their crew, they stumble onto a conspiracy that could threaten the entire alliance of all the sentient species.
Hines, who is known for his humorous fantasy “Jig the Goblin” novels and the “Magic ex Libris” series, will be at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Monday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
Hines is an active blogger and won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. He lives in mid-Michigan with his family.
For more information about this program or any other Schuler Boos & Music events, visit schulerbooks.com.
Legendary comic Denis Leary will visit Grand Rapids this month as part of Schuler Books & Music’s 35th anniversary celebration.
Leary will visit Monday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. at Wealthy Street Theatre, 1130 Wealth St. SE, and will be discussing his newest book “Why We Don’t Suck: And How All of Us Need to Stop Being Such Partisan Little Bitiches.”
In the new book, Leary refutes the current highly partisan Right Wing Nutjob versus Left Wing Snowflake approach to American politics – where you’re either one or the other, with no gray areas in between. Leading a new protest movement called Gray Lives Matter, he takes equal opportunity aim at the screaming heads we see arguing every night on CNN (the Clinton News Network) and Fox’s Fair and Balanced Reublican Report. With a devoted mission to Make American Laugh Again, Leary take the topics we all hold close to our American hearts: Twitter, Instagram, and the seeminelying endless search for fame and diet vodka.
Tickets for the Leary event are available through the Wealthy Theatre box office. Tickets are $46 and include entry to the event and a signed copy of “We We Don’t Suck” to be claimed at the event. Limited VIP, front-row seats with first access to the signing are available for $66.
For more information about the Leary event or for other activities taking place at Schuler Books & Music, visit schulerbooks.com.
The author of the Jedi Academy books and the Star Wars: Darth Vader and Kids Academy series will be visiting Schuler Books & Music Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Jeffrey Brown, a Grand Rapids native and New York Times bestselling author, will be at the store, located at 2660 28th St. SE, at 7 p.m.. He will be discussing his newest book, “Lucy & Andy Neanderthal: The Stone cold Age!,” the second in the series about two Neanderthal siblings.
Brown become well-known for his 2012’s “Darth Vader and Son” and its follow-up, “Vader’s Little Princess,” both of which reimagine the Sith Lord as a put-upon dad.
In 2016, Brown introduced brother and sister cave kids, Lucy and Andy Neanderthal, living 40,000 years ago, which has received praise from critics and authors. Lincoln Peirce, author the “Big Nate” series, said “Lucy and Andy are Stone Age rock stars! I loved this book,” while Kirkus Reviews called it “a fast, funny read.”
For more information about Brown’s visit to Schuler Books & Music or other activities at the store, visit schulerbooks.com.
It would make a good Indiana Jones story: a 500-year-old legend. An ancient curse. A stunning medical mystery. And a pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world’s densest jungle.
It was the real life adventure of bestselling author Doug Preston who chronicles it all in his newest book “The Lost City of the Monkey God.” Preston will be in the Grand Rapids area Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. to talk about his book and adventure at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE.
Since the days of conquistador Hernan Cortes, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God- but then committed suicide without revealing its location.
Three quarters of a century later, bestselling author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety, single-engine plane carrying the machine that would change everything: lidar, a highly ad-vanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that ight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undis- covered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization.
Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to con rm the discovery, Preston and the team bat tled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn’t until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease.
Preston is the author of 35 books, both fiction and nonfiction, sixteen of which have been “New York Times” bestsellers. Before becoming a writer, he worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York’s and was managing editor of “CURATOR” magazine. He also writes about archaeology and paleontology for the “New Yorker,” “National Geographic,” and the Smithsonian and currently serves on the board of the Authors Guild.
For more information about Preston’s visit or other events at Schuler Books & Music, visit schulerbooks.com.
New York Times bestselling young adult author Susan Dennard will present a talk and signing Thursday, July 27, at 7 p.m. at Schuler Books and Music, 2660 28th St. SE.
The Grand Rapids author is know for the popular “Something Strange and Deadly” series. She will present “Windwitch,” the follow up to the New York Times bestselling novel “Trutwithch.”
After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwich, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak — which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the opposed.
Author Susan Dennard
When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her — yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen form him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first.
After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge — especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.
For more information about the author presentation, visit www.schulerbook.com.
Grand Haven native Erin McCahan presents her critically acclaimed young adult novel ‘The Lake Effect’ Tuesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SW.
A funny, bracing, poignant young adult romance and coming-of-age for fans of Huntley Fitzpatrick, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and The Beginning of Everything.
When eighteen-year-old Briggs Henry decides to work for an eighty-four-year-old widow at her house on Lake Michigan the summer before college, he assumes he’ll take her to doctor appointments and help her with house work. Wrong. Briggs tries to leave behind his family and school troubles for a relaxing summer on the lake and instead encounters an eccentric elderly woman, tight-knit locals, and an enigmatic girl all of which gives a new meaning to “lake effect.”
McCahan grew up on the beaches of Grand Haven and Macatawa. Now a resident of landlocked New Albany, Ohio, she and her husband return every summer to North Beach in South Have, not he shores of Lake Michigan.
Michigan mystery author Karen Dionne will be visiting Schuler Books & Music Thursday, June 15 for a 7 p.m. presentation.
The Detroit-based author will be discussing her latest thriller “The Marsh King’s Daughter.” The story centers around Helena Pelletier, who seems to have the life she deserves. A loving husband, two beautiful daughters, a business that fills her days. Then she catches an emergency news announcement and realizes she was a fool to think she could ever leave her worst days behind her.
Helena has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. No electricity, no heat, no running water, not a single human beyond the three of them. Helena, born two years after the abduction, loved her home in the nature – fishing, tracking, hunting. And despite her father’s odd temperament and sometimes brutal behavior, she loved him, too…until she learn precisely how savage a person he could be.
More than 20 years later, she has buried her past so soundly that even her husband doesn’t know the truth. But now her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marshland he knows better than anyone else in the world. The police commence a manhunt, but Helena knows they don’t stand a chance. She knows that only one person has the skills to find the survivalist the world calls the Marsh King – because only one person has ever been trained by him: his daughter.
Karen Dionne
“Almost our entire staff has been wowed by the newest book by Michigan author Karen Dionne,” said Whitney Spotts, from Schuler Books and Music. The book has received praise from Lee Child and Karin Slaughter, and is a good selection for those who enjoyed “The Girl on the Train” and “The Widow.” “The Marsh King’s Daughter” has been called both a mesmerizing psychological suspense and a love letter to the Upper Peninsula, told through the story of a woman who must risk everything to hunt down the dangerous man who shaped her past and threatens to steal her future.
Dionne is the co-founder of the online writers community Backspace, the organizer of the Salt Cay Writers Retreat, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, where she served on the board of directors. She has been honored by the Michigan Humanities Council as a Humanities Scholar.
Schuler Books & Music is located at 2660 28th St. SE.
Detroit horror writer/author Josh Malerman will be coming to Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Thursday, May 25, to discuss his latest novel, “Black Mad Wheel.”
Malerman had a debut that most authors dream of with his highly praised literary horror novel “Bird Box.” He received incredible reviews and Bird Box was named a Michigan Notable book and short-listed for the James Herbert Award and the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. Now he is back with “Black Mad Wheel,” a post-World War II psychological thriller that is part “Heart of Darkness,” part “Lost.”
Malerman’s presentation will be at 7 p.m. at the book store. For more information, visit schulerbooks.com.
Schuler Books welcomes David Sedaris back for his first bookstore tour in years, on Monday, June 5, for the release of one of the most anticipated books of the season, Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002).
The humorist tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making.
Sedaris has kept a diary for 40 years. In his diaries, he’s recorded everything that has captured his attention — overheard comments, salacious gossip, soap opera plot twists, secrets confided by total strangers. These observations are the source code for his nest work, and with them he has honed his self-deprecation and learned to craft his cunning, surprising sentences.
Now, for the first time, Sedaris shares his private writings with the world in Theft By Finding: Diaries 1977- 2002. This is the first-person account of how a drug-abusing dropout with a weakness for the International House of Pancakes and a chronic inability to hold down a real job became one of the funniest people on the planet.
Written with a sharp eye and ear for the bizarre, the beautiful, and the uncomfortable, and with a generosity of spirit that even a misanthropic sense of humor can’t fully disguise, Theft By Finding proves that Sedaris is one of our great modern observers.
Ticketing Info
This will be a ticketed event, with tickets available via pre-order of Theft by Finding from www.SchulerBooks.com beginning at 10 am on Monday, May 1st. Pre-sales will end on Sunday, May 28. Ticket sales will resume IN-STORE ONLY at the 28th St. location on Tuesday, May 30th at 9am.
Who: #1 NYT Bestselling Author DAVID SEDARIS
What: Talk & Signing
Where: Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids 49512
David Sedaris is the author of the books: Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Holidays on Ice, Naked, and Barrel Fever. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio 4. He lives in England.
Praise for Theft By Finding
“Sedaris fans will thrill to this opportunity to poke around in the writer’s personal diaries, which he has faithfully kept for four decades and used as raw material for his hilarious nonfiction as well as his performances.”―Paul S. Makishima, Boston Globe
“Scintillating… Sedaris is a latter-day Charlie Chaplin: droll, put-upon but not innocent, and besieged by all sorts of obstreperous or menacing folks… Sedaris’s storytelling, even in diary jottings, is so consistently well-crafted and hilarious that few will care whether it’s embroidered.”―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Raw glimpses of the humorist’s personal life as he clambered from starving artist to household name… though the mood is usually light, the book is also a more serious look into his travails as an artist and per- son… A surprisingly poignant portrait of the artist as a young to middle-aged man.”
Calvin College Professor and two-time Newbery Honor recipient Gary D. Schmidt will be coming to Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, to discuss his latest book, the young adult story “Orbiting Jupiter.”
Schmidt will be at the store at 7 p.m. The event will mark the paperback release of the book which earned starred reviews from “School Library Journal,” “Publishers Weekly,” “Booklist” and “Kirkus Reviews” and was named an ALA Notable Book for Children in 2016 as well as cited in the YALSA 2017 Best Fiction for Young Adults list.
In “Orbiting Jupiter,” Schmidt, who is also a National Book Award finalist, delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at 13, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a juvenile facility, he’s placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine. Here Joseph, damaged and withdrawn, mets 12-year-old Jack, who narrates the account of the troubled, passionate teen who wants to find his baby at any cost.
“There is quite a few books out that deal with this sort of relationship with the lost of a child,” Schmidt said in a recent interview. “There is not that many, I think, that deal seriously with a father’s yearning for a young child.
“If there is a message or a theme, I would suppose it would be the power of love and its ability to reach across.”
Schmidt received the Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor for “Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy” and a Newbery Honor for “The Wednesday Wars.” He lives with his family on a 150-year-old farm in Alto.
For more information about this event or other activities, visit Schuler Books & Music’s website, schulerbooks.com.
Celebrated military hero and “Dancing with the Star” alum Noah Galloway stops at Schuler Books & Music Thursday, May 4.
Galloway will be discussing his memoir “Living with No Excuses: The Remarkable Rebirth of an American Soldier.” In the book, Galloway shares his life story, and how losing his arm and leg in combat forced him to relearn how to live – and live to the fullest.
Called inspirational, humorous and thought-provoking, “Living With No Excuses” sheds light on Galloway’s upbringing in rural Alabama, his military experience, and the battle he faced to overcome losing two limbs during Operation Iraqi Freedom. From reliving the early days of life to his acceptance of his “new normal” after losing his arm and leg in combat, Galloway reveals his ambition to succeed against all odds.
Galloway is a personal trainer and motivational speaker. He travels the country sharing his story, encouraging and motivating others to offer no excuses. He also continues to compete, participating in adventure races around the country, such as Tough Mudder, Spartan events, fitness competitions plus numerous 5Ks, 10Ks and marathons.
Most recently, Galloway took third place in ABC’s hit series, “Dancing with the Stars,” following his appearance on the November cover of “Men’s Health” magazine, as he was named the publication’s 2014 Ultimate Guy. He’s also been a guest on numerous national talk shows including “Ellen” and “The Today Show.”
Galloway will speak at 7 p.m. with a book signing afterwards. For more information, visit schulerbooks.com.
The author of “The Space Between Us” Thrity Umrigar will be making a stop at Schuler Books & Music Friday, April 21.
Umrigar, who also wrote “The Weight of Heaven” and “The Story Hour” and the memoir “First Darling of the Morning,” will talk at 7 p.m. with a signing afterwards. Her newest title is the gorgeous picture book, “When I Carried You In My Belly,” illustrated by Ziyue Chen.
Umrigar’s books have been translated into several languages and published in more than fifteen countries. She is the Armington Professor of English at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
“The Space Between Us” was a finalist for the PEN/Beyond Margins award, while her memoir was a finalist for the Society of Midland Authors award. “If Today Be Sweet” was a Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle selection, while her other books have been Community Reads selections. Umrigar is the winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize, a Lambda Literary award and the Seth Rosenberg prize.
Umrigar was born in Bombay, India and came to the U.S. when she was 21. As a Parsi child attending a Catholic school in a predominantly Hindu country, she had the kind of schizophrenic and cosmopolitan childhood that has served her well in her life as a writer. Accused by teachers and parents alike of being a daydreaming, head-in-the-clouds child, she grew up lost in the fictional worlds created by Steinbeck, Hemingway, Woolf and Faulkner. She would emerge long enough from these books to create her own fictional and poetic worlds. Encouraged by her practical-minded parents to get an undergraduate degree in business, Umrigar survived business school by creating a drama club and writing, directing and acting in plays. Her first short stories, essays and poems were published in national magazines and newspapers in India at age fifteen.
After earning a M.A. in journalism in the U.S., Umrigar worked for several years as an award-winning reporter, columnist and magazine writer. She also earned a Ph.D. in English. In 1999, Umrigar won a one-year Nieman Fellowship to Harvard University, which is given to mid-career journalists.
While at Harvard, Umrigar wrote her first novel, “Bombay Time.” In 2002 she accepted a teaching position at Case Western Reserve University, where she is now the Armington Professor of English. She also does occasional freelance pieces for national publications and has written for the Washington Post and the Boston Globe’s book pages.
The Garland family stumbles through life dealing with the death of the family’s only son. Fifteen years after the accident, the sisters Josie and Meredith continue to plod through life. One has given up her dream to be an actress and has married and settled down while the other is a single elementary school teacher who can hear her biological clock ticking.
This is the premise for author Emily Giffin’s latest novel “First Comes Love!,” which Schuler Books & Music celebrates the paperback release with a visit by Giffin Wednesday, April 5. The 7 p.m. Girls Night Out event will be ticketed.
The author of “Something Borrowed,” “Where we Belong,” and “The One & Only,” took two years before releasing “First Comes Love!” which received widespread praise in its hardcover release last year. “Publishers Weekly” said “Giffin at her finest–a fantastic, memorable story.”
Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.
Tickets will be available beginning Tuesday, April 4, at the Schuler Books & Music 2660 28th St. location only, when the store opens at 9am. Seated tickets (tickets #1-100) are available with purchase of a paperback copy of “First Comes Love!” Standing room tickets (tickets 101 and up) are available with no purchase necessary. The signing will proceed after the talk in approximate ticket number order (we will call in groups of 10).
In colorful markers, Oummu S. Kabba neatly wrote “O.S.K,” adding a smiley face inside the “O,” during her book-signing event at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Grandville’s Rivertown Crossings Mall.
Catering to a steady stream of shoppers, the Kentwood Public Schools’ Discovery Elementary fifth-grader was selling stacks of the three books she has already published for $10 a piece.
“I feel excited about all the people who care enough to come,” Oummu said. She was joined at the signing table by her father, Brima Kabba; brother Alpha, a third-grader; and sister Rugui, a sixth-grader.
Oummu S. Kabba, 10, has published three books and has a fourth soon to be released ‘You Can Express How You Feel’
Oummu published her first book, “Charlie the Talking Dog,” at age 8. Now 10, she has since published “The New Girl” and “The Chicken Man.” Her next book, a 150-plus page novel called “Battle for My Brother,” will be released in the near future.
The young author is the daughter of refugees who had no formal education. Brima Kabba was born in Sierra Leone. He was a refugee in Guinea when he met and married his wife, Fanta. They eventually settled in Malta and were part of a group chosen by the U.S. government to come to America in 2009, when Oummu was a toddler.
“I always tried hard to help my kids read and write their names,” Kabba said. He said he didn’t know his daughter would turn those skills into books. “I’m so proud of her.”
Kabba said he first realized his daughter’s passion for writing when she was 6 and he came across her journal, where she had begun “Charlie the Talking Dog.” He promised to publish the book when Oummu finished. True to his word, he did, through Chapbook Press at Schuler Books, where her other books have also been published.
Oummu said she loves the creativity of writing fiction. “You can express how you feel through different characters and no one can tell you what to write. No matter what, the story is yours.”
Oummu is in the gifted-and-talented program, PEAKS, at Discovery Elementary. Her parents are putting any profits she makes from books sales into an education fund. She hopes to go to Harvard University and become a doctor, but she said she will always make time for writing.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Will Schwalbe understands the importance of books in a person’s life.
It was the connecting force between Schwalbe and his mother as she dealt with pancreatic cancer. As the two sat waiting for her chemo treatments, Schwalbe turned to his mother and asked what she was reading. The following discussions on books lead to the runaway bestseller “The End of Your Life Book Club.”
As Schwalbe, toured with the book, he had a number of people reach out and ask for lists. “It got me thinking about life and books,” he told publishersweekly.com. So this time around, he put together a book, “Books for the Living” that is a celebration of reading and recommendation of specific books that may guide people through their daily lives.
Will Schwalbe
“I wanted this book to be a kind of virtual experience of sharing,” he said to publishersweekly.com. “Also a theme that was very important to me was the role of reading in our lives and being more thoughtful in limiting our electronic time.”
Schwalbe will be visiting Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Friday, March 10. The program is at 7 p.m. with a book signing afterwards.
Schwalbe is the the founder and CEO of Cookstr.com, a leading recipe and cookbook website. As a journalist, he has written for various publications, including “The New York Times” and “The South China Morning Post.
For more about the the author visit or other programs at Schuler Books & Music, visit schulerbooks.com.
Four local authors will gather at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Thursday, Sept. 8, for a panel discussion about writing and being an author.
The local author night will featured Maureen Dunphy, author of author of Great Lakes Island Escapes; L.J. Nowak, author of the historical fiction novel A Mercenary’s Pigrimage; Sandra Warren, author of We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of A Michigan High School a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway; and Samantha Wilcoxson, author of the historical fiction novels Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen and Faithful Traitor.
The free program is set to start at 7 p.m.
About the Books and Authors
GREAT LAKES ISLAND ESCAPES: Ferries and Bridges to Adventure
Released in May, Great Lakes Island Escapes: Ferries and Bridges to Adventure explores in depth more than 30 of the Great Lakes Basin islands accessible by bridge or ferry and introduces more than 50 additional islands. Thirty-eight chapters include helpful information about getting to each featured island, what to expect when you get there, the island’s history, and what natural and historical sites and cultural attractions are available to visitors. Each chapter lists special island events, where to get more island information, and how readers can help support the island. Author Maureen Dunphy made numerous trips to a total of 135 islands that are accessible by ferry or bridge in the Great Lakes Basin. On each trip, Dunphy was accompanied by a different friend or relative who provided her another adventurer’s perspective through which to view the island experience.
A MERCENARY’S PILRIMAGE
L.J. Nowak’s novel centers on Davides who isn’t supposed to be a mercenary; he’s supposed to be the future Lord of Coimbra. But, in the violent and chaotic world of eleventh-century Hispania, one’s lot in life can change very quickly. As a step towards regaining his family’s lands and title, Davides accepts the job of escorting an unwilling political asset (okay, hostage) from Salamanca to Seville. Davides expects his task will be unpleasant but relatively simple. However, when the simple task detours into the complicated and perilous, Davides is forced to choose between his allegiances and his conscience, between his family and his friendships, between winning back his noble status and losing everything forever. And, he has to somehow stay alive long enough for his decisions to matter.
WE BOUGHT A WWII BOMBER
The Untold Story of A Michigan High School a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway
During WWII, to help fund the war effort, junior high and senior high students at South High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan took part in the “Buy a Bomber” program raising over $375,000 selling War Bonds and Defense Loan Stamps and bought a B-17 Bomber. They christened the bomber, “The Spirit of South High,” after which it flew off never to be heard from again, until now. Read the extraordinary tale of how students were able to raise so much money and the incredible “spirit” that led alumni, seventy-two years later, to solve the mystery of what happened to the bomber? This little book exemplifies home front support given to service men and women fighting in WWII.
Sandra Warren grew up in Grand Rapids and attended South High School.
PLANTAGENET PRINCESS, TUDOR QUEEN: The Story of Elizabeth of York
The first novel in Samantha Wilcoxson’s planned Tudor trilogy, ‘Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen’, has been selected as an Editors’ Choice by the Historical Novel Society and long-listed for the 2016 HNS Indie Award.
She was the mother of Henry VIII and wife of Henry VII, but who was Elizabeth of York? Raised as the precious eldest child of Edward IV, Elizabeth had every reason to expect a bright future until Edward died, and her life fell apart. When Elizabeth’s uncle became Richard III, she was forced to choose sides. Should she trust her father’s brother and most loyal supporter or honor the betrothal that her mother has made for her to her family’s enemy, Henry Tudor? The choice was made for her on the field at Bosworth, and Elizabeth the Plantagenet princess became the first Tudor queen. Did Elizabeth find happiness with Henry? And did she ever discover the truth about her missing brothers, who became better known as the Princes in the Tower?
This novel has been selected by the Historical Novel Society as an Editors’ Choice and long-listed for the 2016 HNS Indie Award.
Hard to image that that monkey named George who always seemed to be getting into trouble is marking 75, but he is.
Created by Margaret and Hans Augusto Rey, the two released their first book, Curious George, in 1941, shortly after having fled Nazi-occupied France via bicycles. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt was the publisher that signed the couple up for a four-book series. They would end up producing seven books between 1941 -1966.
This month, Schuler Books, 2660 28th St. SE, celebrates the 75th anniversary of Curious George with a costume character story time Sat., Aug. 27, at 11 a.m. which will include several of the popular stories along with a visit from George himself. The event is free.
The story of the Reys
Originally from Hamburg, Germany, the Reys married while living in Brazil. They went to Paris for a vacation and ended up staying almost four years. Hans’s animal drawings came to the attention of a French publisher, who commissioned him to write a children’s book. The result, Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys, which included a little monkey named Curious George. George was so popular that the couple wrote a book just about him and then World War II happened. Since the Reys were Jewish, the couple decided to leave Paris before the Nazis seized the city. Hans assembled two bicycles, and they fled just a few hours before the city fell. Among their possessions was the illustrated manuscript of Curious George.
“Curious George Takes a Job” was released in 1947.
The Reys’ odyssey brought them to Bayonne, France where they were issued life-saving visas and were able to cross the Spanish border. They sold their bikes and bought train tickets to Lisbon and then headed back to Brazil. From Brazil, they headed to New York. They brought their manuscript with them and once published, it was an instant success. In fact, in 1960, Curious George Takes a Job was named to the Lewis Carroll Award. The books have never been out of print since first released in 1941.
The couple moved to Cambridge, Mass. and lived there until Hans’s death in 1977. A store, the World’s Only Curious George Store, is located on Harvard Square.
The American publishing company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has continued to produce books written by various authors and illustrators. There have been several TV series (currently PBS airs Curious George as part of its PBS Preschool Kids block), films — the first one featuring the voice of Will Farrell as the Man with the Yellow Hat — video games, board games, as well as stuff animals and other items. In fact, in 2003, former First Lady Barbara Bush chose the White House’s Christmas theme to be “Curious George.”
“Curious George Goes to the Hospital” was the last book created by the Reys. It was released in 1966.
Filmmaker wants to tell the story of the Reys
Filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki is currently working to bring the story of the Reys to life through the mixed-media documentary called Monkey Business. Yamazaki was granted access to the Reys’ achieves by the estate and is currently raising funds through a Kickstarter campaign to help cover the cost for the animation and music for the film.
Through her Kickstarter campaign, Yamazaki has stated that through her immense research, she knows how the team wants to tell the story and now just need to funding to bring the film to life.
According to Animation Magazine, “Monkey Business blends uniquely crafted animation inspired by the Reys’ style as well as archival photographs to tell the story of the couple’s lives, the birth of George and how the little monkey almost didn’t come to fruition.”
Linda Castillo, the acclaimed author of the internationally bestselling Kate Burkholder mystery series, will hold a talk and signing at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids at 7 pm on Wednesday, July 20. Castillo has published 30 books throughout her career and has received numerous industry awards. Her book Sworn to Silence was adapted as the motion picture An Amish Murder, starring Neve Campbell. Castillo is currently touring to promote the release of her newest Kate Burkholder novel, Among the Wicked.
About the Book
In this electrifying thriller, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff’s department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and “English” communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman, and infiltrate the community.
Kate’s long-time love interest, State Agent John Tomasetti, is dead-set against her taking on such an unorthodox assignment, knowing she’ll have limited communication — and even less in the way of backup. But Kate can’t turn her back, especially when she hears there are children in this cult and they may be in danger. She travels to New York where she’s briefed and assumes her new identity as a lone widow seeking a new life.
Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes and herself, alone… trapped in a fight for her life.
Reviewed by Whitney Spotts, Schuler Books, Lansing
This stunning debut is a spot-on 1960s coming of age story of a 14-year-old Evie Boyd who becomes mixed up with a “family” — obviously based on the Manson family — after she becomes enchanted with one of the family’s girls. The girls and their world, centered around the charismatic Russell (a thinly veiled Manson), seductively sparkle in comparison with Evie’s dismal home life, and Cline does a brilliant job of illustrating how an impressionable mind could easily become entangled in the cult-like atmosphere of Russell’s crew. The emotional confusion of the main character rings so true on so many points, as she tries to navigate attractions and desires that are so new, alongside her growing concern that all is not right with her new friends. The writing is thoughtful and beautiful beyond what a debut usually achieves. Highly recommended.
The Fifty Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: Volume One: The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman
Reviewed by: Jim Tremlett, Schuler Books, Lansing
In the fifty years since the USS Enterprise began its historic first five-year mission, there have been a lot of books written about its genesis, production, death, and rebirth. Some have been better – or at least more revealing – than others, but most of them have only told the story from one viewpoint. Sadly, this only serves to relate one side of a very long and epic tale; given the egos and legends involved, some of those previous retellings have been rather self-serving.
Thanks to the oral history format of The Fifty Year Mission, we now have a very extensive grouping of perspectives, which makes for a much more complete picture than anything we have previously enjoyed. The authors have been diligent in including as many of the people involved with the show, its fandom, and subsequent films as possible – mostly relying on previously-written work, but with interviews with other individuals of note as well.
The tale they weave from this effort is quite revealing, at times even shocking. Thankfully, the more salacious bits are not there for the sake of titillation or sleaze factor, but rather to reveal that the legend was forged by real people, with real features and failings. Not everyone involved in the first 25 years of Star Trek comes off looking stellar, but no one – with the notable exception of NBC – is revealed as a villain, either. They are, as Kirk once said of Spock, human.
Volume One covers the period from the creation of the show to the sixth movie to feature the original cast. Volume Two promises to deal with the Next Generation, and subsequent Trek shows and movies, up to the point where JJ Abrams appears. If it’s anywhere as good as the first volume, you’ll want it to arrive in your hands at Warp 10.
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
Reviewed by: Charity McMaster, Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids
This one will stick with you, a benchmark book for readers budding into adult fiction: the grit and real world tension but without being explicit. A girl caught between a murder in her past that has never let her go and a future that somehow seems even more bleak, if that’s possible, suddenly finds herself back at the scene of the crime, and the unlikely lead for the investigation to what might have really happened. Not a sleuth by nature she somehow creeps into the truth, tests old waters, and finds a new beginning. My number one recommendation for teens ready for some substance.
This powerful book, covering an incredibly sobering subject, is a triumph of thoughtful reportage and analysis. Author Laura Tillman digs deep into the story surrounding a brutal 2003 crime in which a young couple murdered their three children in a small town in Texas, looking beyond the initial revulsion such a tragedy elicits to the deeper issues that set the stage for horrific events. The incredibly thoughtful narrative has an intense sense of place, detailing the decay of a bordertown named, more than once, the poorest city in the U.S. What in lesser skilled hands might just be another true crime book, becomes a cultural contemplation of poverty and class, of abuse and mental illness swept under the rug. Moving and gripping, recommended for anyone interested in the greater social implications of crimes that ripple through a community.
John Hart’s intention was only to take a short break from writing to help his family get acclimated to their new home in Virginia. However, six months turned into five years for the New York Times bestselling author who comes to visit Schuler Books Friday, May 20.
“What happened was we moved and I was in the midst of a book tour for my fourth book (‘Iron Horse’). I was in Austria and touring,” Hart said during a phone interview. “I came back with the intention of being more available to them so I decided to take six months off.”
He also began writing what he thought would be his fifth book, calling his publisher a year into the project and telling them that he was going to scrap it.
“I wrote the first 50 pages and it wasn’t working and then I got to 150 pages and it still wasn’t working,” Hart said. “By then I had months and months of work into this so I pressed on and well a year into it, I knew it wasn’t going to work.”
Describing himself as a “hope and grope” author since he prefers to come up with the story as he goes versus outlining the entire book, Hart said the reason the novel didn’t work is because “the fundamental flaw I found was that I wasn’t writing about the right person.” He expanded by saying that in his past novels, he always knew who he was writing about. With his fifth novel, he wanted to write a modern version of “The Count of Monte Cristo” but the main character was too familiar in that he was strong and capable, but not very interesting – “you know, sort of a stock character.”
But there was a minor character, Elizabeth Black, who did have a story tell, one that Hart tells in the well-written prose of Redemption Road.
“This is one of the most complicated plots I have ever done, but it works very well at the end,” Hart said of his fifth New York Times bestseller thriller. “There is that click of satisfaction.”
Redemption Road centers around North Carolina police detective Elizabeth Black who holds a firm belief that her mentor in law enforcement, Adam, was wrongfully convicted of a brutal murder. Hart carefully weaves a tale of vengeance, betrayal and a town that is literally on the brink.
The book has received high praise from critics and readers, some calling it his best work. New York Times author David Baldacci noted that Hart could “flat-out write….Read this novel. And then go back and read all of his others. He’s that good.”
Not bad for a guy who calls himself a recovering attorney who had a passion for writing. About ten years ago, he rolled the dice on his chances of becoming an established writer. “If I had known then what I know now of the odds stacked against me on getting published and how hard it is to become a bestselling author and raise your children on writing, I would have been discouraged.
“I truly didn’t understand the odds against me.”
Hart came out on top with four New York Times bestsellers in a row, selling more than two million copies, and the first author to win back-to-back Edgar Awards along with numerous other awards. He also is considering movie options on two of his books Down River and The Last Child.
Currently on a coast-to-coast tour for Redemption Road, Hart said he has no plans to have another five-year hiatus and is already thinking about book number six.
“I definitely want to get it done in a more timely matter,” Hart said, adding he wants to be more dependable not only for his publisher but for his fans. He admitted its a risk to take a long time between books and he was fortunate it all worked out for “Redemption Road.”
Hart will be at Schuler Books, 2660 28th St. SE, for a book talk and signing at 7 p.m. Friday, May 20. For more information, visit www.schulerbooks.com
Spoken word poetry slam competition to be held at Richard L. Root Kentwood Branch Library
By: Barri Tiggle
Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch library is hosting its first live and uncensored spoken word poetry slam competition on Tuesday, May 17 from 7-8 pm.
There were up to 300 entries from Kent county residents between the grades of 6 through 12. The event is free and open to all general public. The event was created based on the original 13th Annual Teen Poetry Contest held at the KDL branch.
“We decided to add a spoken word component in an effort to breathe a little life into the event, and hopefully attract a segment of kids who otherwise have no outlet for their creativity,” said Greg Lewis KDL Teen Paraprofessional.
Poets are supposed to submit their work online in hopes of being selected. “We amped it up to get more teens involved,” said Carlita Gonzalez, KDL Program and Outreach Specialist.
There are two different categories for the competition, which are written and spoken word. Any submissions are automatically added into the competition.
“GF Korreck will be judging the written portion only,” said Kelsey May, a member of The Diatribe Staff. The Diatribe is an organization used to empower individuals through written and spoken word. Their values consist of helping others cope with challenges and struggles, while finding their own voice and story through the use of poetry. The Diatribe will be participating in the KDL poetry slam event as the master of ceremonies, also known as emcees.
Each winner will be given a prize. The prizes given away are centered on a book and music theme and will be provided by Schuler Books. 20 winners will be chosen, ten from the written portion and ten from the spoken word, and given a $50 gift card. All winning entries will be showcased on the KDL website’s Teen page. As of right now the event is not set as an annual event.
“As long as there is interest, we hope to offer this event, we are definitely planning on next year,” said Lewis.
The entire event is in correlation to as well as funded by KDL READS. For more information on the KDL poetry slam event or upcoming events with The Diatribe please visit kdl.org or thediatribe.org.
The staff of Schuler Books & Music offer a few book selections that are certain to add some color and fun to your spring.
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
Reviewed by Jim Tremlett, Schuler Books, Lansing
It’s the 1950s in America, and horror is everywhere — especially if you’re Black. But there are mystical threats afoot, too: the kind that pit family against family in a race for the hidden truths of existence. Winners take all, losers serve forever.
When Atticus Turner’s unpleasant father goes missing, he and his family must trek to a mysterious, New England town to find him. What they encounter there sets the entire Turner family down a weird path, indeed. For the magical clan that awaits there once owned their ancestor, and still has macabre plans for “their” family.
But these are the Turners, and this is Jim Crow America. They’ve handled worse threats in their everyday lives than sorcerers’ schemes and otherworldly beings. These modern-day magicians are in big trouble — they just don’t know it yet…
Spooky, heartfelt, and subtly sinister, Lovecraft Country deftly accomplishes Ruff’s primary mission of turning sci-fi tropes on their head. Some of the book’s vignettes are better than others, but they all succeed in maintaining a pulp noir feel — echoing H. P. Lovecraft’s brand of cosmic horror without stealing from him outright.
More importantly, it brings the real horrors of relatively-recent American history home to a generation that might otherwise believe recent attempts to whitewash that era. Given Lovecraft’s own considerable racism, and recent controversies concerning his place in the horror canon, this is a victory all in itself.
The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman
Reviewed by Aubrey Dolinski, Schuler Books, Lansing
The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman – the pen name of popular Michigan memoirist Wade Rouse, in honor of his grandmother — was inspired by the author’s grandmother and her charm bracelet. The novel’s grandmother is sassy, one-of-a-kind Lolly, whose daughter and granddaughter come for an unexpected stay at her cabin in a small northern Michigan resort town. They are all at turning points in their lives and find inspiration in the stories behind the charms on Lolly’s bracelet. They gain a new appreciation for each other and the simple things in life. With its vivid depictions of Lake Michigan, this is the perfect book for a weekend getaway and also great for Mother’s Day.
Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss
Reviewed by Pierre Camy, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids
It will be very difficult to find a book this year as vividly descriptive and deeply moving as Tuesday Nights in 1980. A successful art critic whose talent is due to a singular disability, a painter who selflessly left his sister in Argentina, and a young woman from Idaho eager to prove herself, meet, fall in love and clash in 1980 New York. Their worlds collide in an explosion of colors, smells, lies and betrayals. Molly Prentiss offers a breathtaking portrait of a city and of the freedom its artists enjoyed compared to the events that were unfolding in Argentina and all the people who were disappearing at that time. This is a superb novel that I will not soon forget.
Thirst by Benjamin Warner
Reviewed by Pierre Camy, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids
At the risk of sounding silly, reading Thirst is going to make you very thirsty. This is a compliment to author Benjamin Warner’s descriptive talents. Imagine a time in the near future when all means of communication, electricity and especially water are no longer available. How long will you survive and how long before the world erupts into total chaos? Although this is speculative fiction, the lack of water is a highly relevant topic — as exemplified in last year’s excellent novels The Water Knives by Paolo Bacigalupi and Gold, Fame, Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins — and this novel is as scary as scary can be.
Run by Kody Keplinger
Reviewed by Holly Frakes, Schuler Books, Okemos
Agnes and Bo are the most unlikely friends. Agnes is partially blind and lives with loving, yet overprotective parents. Bo is a wild child whose parents are either absentee or outside the law.
But these two girls form a strong friendship, filling in the gaps for each other in their respective lives. Bo brings adventure and freedom to Agnes, and Agnes gives Bo a sense of belonging and trust. Set in a small town where both girls dream of nothing but escaping, they will test their loyalty to the limits.
This beautiful teen novel explores the depths of female relationships, and celebrates that special bond you have with that one person who gives you unquestionable acceptance. I highly recommend it.
Like many students, William Anderson first was exposed to the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder through school.
“For me, like many American kids, it started in elementary school,” said Anderson who will be discussing his latest book “The Select Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder” at Schuler Books & Music March 15. “In those schools, especially the upper elementaries, it wasn’t uncommon for a teacher to read a book to the class. Wilder’s books were popular because she offered a very good window into frontier life.”
Born Feb. 7, 1867, as Laura Ingalls – she later married Almanzo Wilder – Wilder is known as the author of the classic “Little House on the Prairie” series which are based on her childhood memories as a settler family from 1932 to 1943. In the 1970s, a televisions series “Little House on the Prairie,” was loosely based on the books starring Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls and Michael Landon as her father, Charles Ingalls.
With a shift of school goals over the years, the practice of teachers reading to their classes has somewhat disappeared, but the books have remained popular having never gone out of print since first being released in 1932. There have been numerous authors, including Anderson, who have written on Wilder’s life and times. Anderson has done a travel book on Wilder’s homes as well as picture books on her life. Earlier this year, it was announced that a “Little House on the Prairie” movie was being discussed.
Author William Anderson
“She certainly has staying power,” Anderson said. “It is a topic that people like and enjoy.”
Wilder was, and still remains an American icon, with communities naming facilities after her and in fact the first to do so was Detroit. The Detroit Public Library Wilder Branch, which was dedicated in 1949, still exists today.
In fact, in his new book “The Selected Letters,” Anderson said he selected many letters that had strong Michigan ties. Some came from the cities of Kalamazoo, East Jordan, and Mt. Pleasant. Michigan schools were one of the school systems that had adopted Wilder’s books and used them heavily in its curriculum, Anderson said.
“Wilder often credited the librarians for the popularity of her books,” Anderson said. “When the books were released in the thirties and forties, they were immediately adopted by teachers and librarians.”
Wilder also was dedicated to responding to every letter she received which means there is a lot of correspondence from Wilder – much of it is housed at the Hoover Public Library – available to pull from. “There are still letters being found,” Anderson said, adding that this is happening as people clean out old family homes.
While it might seem like a Herculean task to decide which of the 500 to 600 letters to include in a book, Anderson said he spent his time focused on what would tell the story of Wilder.
The book, “The Selected Letters,” is Anderson’s swan song, said the author, who has written about Mark Twain, Mt. Rushmore and the VonTrapp family and is currently working on other projects. He said while the author helped launch his career into writing about unique American icons, he feels he has pretty much covered the gamut of Wilder’s life and travels.
“It’s time to let other people find different spins on her story and life, if there are any left,” Anderson said.
Anderson is set to present his book “The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder” March 15 at 7 p.m. at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE. For more information, visit www.SchulerBooks.com or call 616-942-2561.
GREAT LAKES ISLAND ESCAPES: Ferries and Bridges to Adventure
A MERCENARY’S PILRIMAGE 
WE BOUGHT A WWII BOMBER
PLANTAGENET PRINCESS, TUDOR QUEEN: The Story of Elizabeth of York
The Girls by Emma Cline
The Fifty Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: Volume One: The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts by Laura Tillman
But there was a minor character, Elizabeth Black, who did have a story tell, one that Hart tells in the well-written prose of Redemption Road.
The staff of Schuler Books & Music offer a few book selections that are certain to add some color and fun to your spring.
