Bigger-Better Bargain Basement

So I went downstairs the other day. Yes, Virginia, there is a downstairs! And, whoa, I was kind of blown away (not an easy trick for a creature who spends his time in wind). I have long known and often taken advantage of River City Books’ bargain basement, finding great books for cheap-cheap-cheap. It [...]

Go Green, Save Greenbacks

This year I am thankful for all the good books I have read, all of the good food I have eaten, and all of the money I will save from this day forward. What in a turkey’s name am I talking about? Let me explain: Yesterday I stopped by River City Books and picked up [...]

Harmon Leon at The Cow Tonight (Video)

I can’t believe it, but another day, another big book event. Here’s the skinny: Harmon Leon, author of The American Dream: Walking in the Shoes of Carnies, Arms Dealers, Immigrant Dreamers, Pot Farmers, and Christian Believers, will read from and sign copies of his book at 7 p.m., tonight (Nov. 24) at the Contented Cow. [...]

Tail-Wagging Tales

I happened to catch most of Karin Winegar’s appearance at River City Books yesterday afternoon — and I am glad I did. Winegar, author of Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform, read from and signed copies of her heartening book while one of the rescue dogs (see above photo) looked on with approval. [...]

National Book Award Winners Named

In case you missed it, I’m here (as always, right?) to let you know that the National Book Award winners have been announced:
Fiction: Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen (Modern Library)
Nonfiction: The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed, (Norton)
Young people’s literature: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell (Scholastic)
Poetry: Fire [...]

The Joint Was Booked

I stopped by River City Books last night and found there wasn’t a spare seat to be found, as popular novelist Lorna Landvik discussed her new holiday book and her latest paperback release. Readers packed into RCB’s cozy downstairs meeting area to listen to Landvik, who read from both books, and pick up signed, discounted [...]

Welcome to My Bargain Table Experience

I was checking out the River City Books‘ bargain tables — there are so many these days (more on that soon) — and I had a flashback. To last Friday. Let me explain: Shannon Olson was one of the talented female writers who contributed to Riding Shotgun and appeared during Northfield Reads! last week. Well, Olson’s first [...]

Three Big Events, Five Short Days

I don’t think the schedule has ever been this impressive. In fact, I know the schedule hasn’t ever been this impressive. On the heels of two great author events last week, our friends at River City Books will bring in — over a span of five days starting this Thursday — a witty national bestselling [...]

Greetings, Cards

I was down at the old neighborhood bookstore last night and I saw something that really got me goosed, er, um, jazzed (I’m nothing if not sensitive about bird biased language). River City Books now has a bigger-better selection of greeting cards.
There are Christmas, Chanukah, birthday, anniversary, blanks (I like the blanks!), and on down [...]

Northfield Reads! Celebrates Mom

Mom. She’s underappreciated, wouldn’t you say? I know mine is. Oh, the stuff she had to put up with from … my siblings. OK, maybe from me, too. Once or twice.
Well, there’s a great book out that celebrates Mom — Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers — and Northfielders have the chance to hear from [...]