The following events will feature book discussions and authors who will speak on their work in the Twin Cities.
Wednesday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. – Heather McElhatton reads from her new book Jennifer Johnson Is Sick of Being Single at Magers & Quinn Booksellers, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis.Jennifer Johnson Is Sick of Being Single is a wicked comedy about the perils of making your dreams come true. Quirky, clever, cubicle-bound Jennifer Johnson is desperate. Everyone around her is getting married, while she’s still single and stuck writing ad copy about men’s dress socks. Her life hits crisis level, launching her into a humiliating and painfully hilarious quest to find Prince Charming at any cost. This includes agonizing online dates, diet-clinic cults, drag-queen fights and a debilitating addiction to Cinnabon icing. When she meets handsome, wealthy Brad Keller, she wonders if he’s the answer to all her dreams, or is he just too good to be true? Darkly funny and outrageously honest, McElhatton’s wit shines in this no-holds-barred cautionary tale about getting what you want – and how it can be the worst thing for you. Heather McElhatton studied creative writing at the University of London and SACI in Florence, Italy, and received her MFA from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. She is an independent producer for Minnesota Public Radio and Public Radio International. Her first novel, Pretty Little Mistakes, a do-over novel with more than 150 endings, was published by HarperCollins in May 2007 and is now in its 15th printing. It has been nominated for a Minnesota Book Award.
Friday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. – Rakesh Satyal reads from his novel Blue Boy at Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Meet Kiran Sharma: lover of music, dance, and all things sensual; son of immigrants, social outcast, spiritual seeker. A boy who doesn’t quite understand his lot – until he realizes he’s a god…. Surrounded by examples of upstanding Indian Americans – in his own home, in his temple, at the weekly parties given by his parents’ friends – Kiran nevertheless finds it impossible to get the knack of “normalcy.” And then one fateful day, a revelation: perhaps his desires aren’t too earthly, but too divine. Perhaps the solution to the mystery of his existence has been before him since birth. For Kiran Sharma, a long, strange trip is about to begin – a journey so sublime, so ridiculous, so painfully beautiful, that it can only lead to the truth. Rakesh Satyal is currently an editor at HarperCollins, and in his spare time, Rakesh sings jazz music. He is a foreign language nerd and budding chef. Visit him online at www.rakeshsatyal.com.
