October brings with it a particularly special time of year here in Madison: the return of the Wisconsin Book Festival, this October 17-20. This year’s events include authors of national standing to student writers embarking on new careers; topics of politics, poetry, science and culture to things that go bump in the night and just plain good stories that will keep you reading late into the night. And best of all, it’s all free. Check out the events page and plan your schedule—some events require advance registrations.
--Nonfiction readers gear up: this fall is for you. Memoir readers are spoiled for choice, with culinary queen Ina Garten offering Be Ready When the Luck Happens; the late Lisa Marie Presley gives a glimpse behind the scenes at Graceland with From Here to the Great Unknown. And that most enigmatic of First Ladies, Melania Trump, bows with her memoir appropriately titled Melania: A Memoir. Few recent authors have had as much impact on the cultural zeitgeist and pop psychology as Malcolm Gladwell; he revisits his 2000 bestseller with Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering—out October 1. Ta-Nehisi Coates is hardly less impactful, and his The Message promises to garner attention. A collection of three essays inspired by his travels between West Africa, the American South and Israel/Palestine, he tackles questions of moral complicity and dehumanization. Booklist calls it ‘Brilliant and timely.’ And for those feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, Oliver Burkeman (Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, a 2021 bestseller) offers help with Meditation for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.
--Literary titan Louise Erdrich, winner of just about every literary award, returns to her North Dakota roots with The Mighty Red, set during the 2008 financial crisis. Publisher’s Weekly calls it a ‘deliciously seductive masterwork’ and Library Journal applauds it’s ‘scenes of sheer comedic delight.’ Spy fiction fans may miss the late great John Le Carré, but his son Nick Harkaway carries on the saga of George Smiley with Karla’s Choice; Publisher’s Weekly notes Harkaway ‘brilliantly channels his late father's voice.’ Jean Hanff Korelitz returns to the world of her 2021 hit The Plot with the aptly named The Sequel, which Kirkus terms ‘wicked entertainment.’ And Jeff Vandermeer delivers Absolution, and expansion of his epochal hit Southern Reach trilogy, landing on shelves October 22.
--What’s better than getting a new book by a favorite author? Getting a new book by a favorite author and meeting the author in person. Science fiction/fantasy giant Neal Stephenson appears at the Wisconsin Book Festival with the first book in his historical thriller series, Polostan. The book appears on October 15; catch Stephenson in person on October 20. Dava Sobel has made a name recounting the history of science, particularly astronomy, with such hits as Galileo’s Daughter. She continues to shed light on the contributions of women in science with The Elements of Marie Curie, appearing in person at the UW’s Discovery Building October 18. Former Slate columnist Daniel Lavery’s new novel Women’s Hotel is generating some promising buzz prior to its October 15 publication; meet with the author at Central Library October 19. And for the kid in all of us, there’s nothing like the phenomenally popular Wimpy Kid series. The newest installment, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess, hits shelves October 22. Plan a day out with the kids at Overture Center as Jeff Kinney arrives to promote and entertain on November 2.
Happy reading!