The Fall of the House of Zeus by Curtis Wilkie (Crown, October 19, 2010)

“Another significant change took place in Scruggs’s life, but few knew of it. In May 2000 he underwent back surgery for a herniated disk. A second operation followed in June. To deal with the pain, he was a given a prescription for Fioricet. Scruggs found that the drug not only relieved his discomfort but, infused him with an extraordinary sense of well-being.”

“To satisfy his craving, he asked his employees to obtain prescriptions in their names. The drug would be ordered impersonally, online through bulk distributors, and turned over to Scruggs.”

“When the drug took hold, Scruggs’s cares receded. After the turmoil of asbestos and tobacco, Fioricet delivered a feeling that all was well.” (page 99)

Reserve a signed copy online or call the store at 800/601.366.7619.

Curtis Wilkie will be signing at Lemuria on Thursday, Oct. 21^st.

Click here to see other excerpts from The Fall of the House of Zeus.

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Everyone was sad to miss Mona Simpson last night.  Her plane was delayed in Memphis–we were lucky to have live music from Ya’ll’s Blues and plenty of drinks in the fridge– but she was at the bookstore this morning signing books. We had such a lovely time visiting with her. Frankly, it was a treat for us booksellers because we had her all to ourselves!

I finished reading My Hollywood a few weeks ago and just loved it. It’s my favorite book for 2010.

Recently, I landed upon Mona’s website and she has a neat section about how she works. One example she shares with us is the research she did with the Department of Labor. Many letters were sent to to the government appealing for better laws and protection for workers during FDR’s presidency. Mona’s website showcases some of the original handwritten letters. These appeals touch on issues that Lola and her nanny friends faced in My Hollywood.

Click here to read more about My Hollywood.

“. . . On the most sensational inspirational celebrational Muppetational . . . This is what we call the Muppet show!”

Now I bet this has brought a smile to your face and Muppets are racing through your head…Kermit, Fozzie, Animal, Miss Piggy and last but not least Gonzo!!!  I don’t know many people that as children didn’t sit in front of the TV to watch Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.  Jim Henson is who we can thank for these memories but did you know that Jim Henson is from Mississippi?  In fact, Deer Creek in Leland, MS is the birthplace of Kermit, the Frog.

I have actually seen with my own eyes Kermit the Frog two times in my life!  The first time was 1981, The Art of the Muppets show at the New Orleans Museum of Art. My Aunt Patsy took my cousins, David and Dottie and myself to the show. We had a wonderful day!

My most recent foray with Kermit and the rest of the Muppets was this past year at the Mississippi Museum of Art for Jim Henson’s Fantastic World.  It was a great show that brought back so many memories from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.  Jackson, Mississippi was so Muppet crazy that Malcolm White named a Muppet theme for the St. Patrick’s day parade — “It ain’t easy being green” — and Kermit the Frog was the Grand Marshall.  We all had so much fun building the floats and getting all of our costumes together and telling stories about our own Muppet experiences! Our childhoods were greatly touched by Jim Henson and his imagination.

Click here to see all of “Lemuria Reads Mississippians.”

Editor Neil White will be signing at Lemuria on  Thursday, October 28th.

Reserve your copy online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.

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Ground Zero in Clarksdale is a blues person’s institution. A must for anyone forging a blues trail. Here music, beverage and joyful good times create special memories. Bill Luckett and Morgan Freeman shared this gift with Mississippians.

Not only is Zero a must for any blues fans, but it is  already an elite Mississippi institution. If you haven’t danced, drank, and relaxed here, you are past due.

Festival weekends on the couches, out front is a happening scene, creating moments of joyful bliss for blues lovers. Zero is a blues frat house, and all who want to pledge are welcome. Feel the mystical spirit of the blues deep inside as you watch the sun set behind its roof, dimming the Delta or watching the sun birth with some good tunes. There’s nothing like a good bloody mary from Zero’s front porch couch.

It’s what the Blues is all about–Big Fun.

Click here to see all of our blogs on Mississippi State of Blues.

Ken Murphy and Scott Barretta will be signing at Lemuria on Thursday, November 11th.

Reserve your copy online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.

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A few days ago my wonderful sister-in-law in Tennessee wrote a very nice blog about Lemuria. (check it out)  Some of you may know that she is a very popular parenting blogger. She mentioned that I have my brother’s dream job. Maybe so. One of the great things about working at Lemuria is the author events. We get to meet some of the world’s most interesting people. Historians, celebrities, prize winning fiction writers and on and on. This summer I hung out with John Grisham, Lee Child, and Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy – and that’s during our slow time. Funny thing is, you could hang out with these folks too – and without even having to work here. (honestly, actually working here isn’t all that glamorous – I move books from one stack to another for a living) and here’s another secret – come hear the reading and see if you are interested in reading the book. If you do end up buying the book then you get days and days of enjoyment, enjoyment enhanced by actually having met the author, and if you don’t (gasp) buy the book then at least you had free entertainment and (another added bonus) cheap beverage.

One author event coming up that looks to be pretty interesting is first time novelist Bruce Machart. Here is a quote from an interview that I can’t find online to link – it reminds me very much of something that Matterhorn author Karl Marlantes said here – this is in response to the question “what inspired you to start writing?” – Machart’s answer:

“I read Eudora Welty’s story Powerhouse, which is fittingly titled. It blew my away. It triggered in me an intellectual curiosity that I hadn’t felt before. I only knew that it worked, that it was a masterpiece, but I couldn’t begin to say why. I also knew that if I could do that–if I could learn how and why stories worked, if I could make something so affecting–I would be doing the most rewarding work I could imagine.”

Come see Bruce Machart on Wed., September 29 when he signs and reads from The Wake of Forgiveness.