Events

The Bookcase is pleased to welcome  Cara Black to our store on Friday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Ms. Black will be here to read from, discuss, and sign copies of her new book Murder in the Palais Royal.

Her partner, René, has been shot, and eyewitnesses have identified Aimée as the culprit. A mysterious deposit has been made to their firm's bank account, interesting the taxman in their affairs. Someone seems to be impersonating Aimée; someone wants revenge. Two murders ensue. How do they relate to the youth whom Aimée's testimony sent to jail in the very first Aimée Leduc investigation, Murder in the Marais?

Cara Black is the author of the best-selling Aimée Leduc series. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and son and visits Paris frequently.

Join us every Saturday morning at 10:00 for children's storytime!

The Bookcase is pleased to welcome  Wendy Webb to our store on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m.

Ms. Webb will be here to read from, discuss, and sign copies of her book The Tale of Halcyon Crane.

A young woman travels alone to a remote island to uncover a past she never knew was hers in this thrilling modern ghost story

When a mysterious letter lands in Hallie James's mailbox, her life is upended. Hallie was raised by her loving father, having been told her mother died in a fire decades earlier. But it turns out that her mother, Madlyn, was alive until very recently. Why would Hallie's father have taken her away from Madlyn? What really happened to her family thirty years ago?

In search of answers, Hallie travels to the place where her mother lived, a remote island in the middle of the Great Lakes. The stiff islanders fix her first with icy stares and then unabashed amazement as they recognize why she looks so familiar, and Hallie quickly realizes her family's dark secrets are enmeshed in the history of this strange place. But not everyone greets her with such a chilly reception-a coffee-shop owner and the family's lawyer both warm to Hallie, and the possibility of romance blooms. And then there's the grand Victorian house bequeathed to her-maybe it's the eerie atmosphere or maybe it's the prim, elderly maid who used to work for her mother, but Hallie just can't shake the feeling that strange things are starting to happen . . .

In The Tale of Halcyon Crane, Wendy Webb has created a haunting story full of delicious thrills, vibrant characters, and family secrets.

Wendy Webb is editor in chief of Duluth-Superior magazine. A journalist with two decades of experience, she lives in Minnesota. This is her first novel.

The Bookcase is pleased to welcome  Mary Sharrattto our store on Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m.

Ms. Sharratt will be here to read from, discuss, and sign copies of her book Daughters of the Witching Hill.

Daughters of the Witching Hill brings history to life in a vivid and wrenching account of a family sustained by love as they try to survive the hysteria of a witch-hunt.  Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman. Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future. As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic.  When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights.  Sharratt interweaves well-researched historical details of the 1612 Pendle witch-hunt with a beautifully imagined story of strong women, family, and betrayal. Daughters of the Witching Hill is a powerful novel of intrigue and revelation.

Mary Sharratt is an American writer who has lived in the Pendle region of Lancashire, England, for the past seven years. The author of the critically acclaimed novels Summit Avenue, The Real Minerva, and The Vanishing Point, Sharratt is also the coeditor of the subversive fiction anthology Bitch Lit, a celebration of female antiheroes, strong women who break all the rules.

Click here to purchase Daughters of the Witching Hill.

Join us every Saturday morning at 10:00 for children's storytime!

After a successful event last year with writing partner Dave Barry, bestselling children's (and adult) author Ridley Pearson returns to our store onSaturday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m. 

Mr. Pearson will be here to read from, discuss, and sign copies of the newest book in his popularKingdom Keepersseries for young readers.

When Disney Imagineers installed hologram guides for the Magic Kingdom, using teenage models, they had no idea the technology might backfire.  But backfire it did. Some nights when the kids go to sleep, they wake up in one of the Disney parks as a hologram.

With the adventures set forth in the first books now behind them, Kingdom Keepers 3: Disney In Shadow follows the five teens, Finn, Philby, Willa, Charlene, and Maybeck as they search to find Wayne, their mentor and head Imagineer who has mysteriously gone missing. Concerned Wayne has been abducted, the five kids pick up a major clue from a close friend, Jez, whose dreams (nightmares, really) often accurately predict the future. 

The very few clues from Jez's dream lead the kids into Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot--through imaginary worlds that become real, by imaginary kids who are real.  Each clue seems tied to the last, and with the stakes growing ever higher, what starts out as a puzzle ends up as a fight for their lives. Through a transparent paper box, a quest for a sword, rides on Soarin' and Maelstrom, life-and-death encounters with giant snakes, and a devious Maleficent, the Kingdom Keepers not only begin to decipher deeper meanings to the clues, but discover new truths about themselves and their ever-growing friendships.

Besides being the author of the popular Kingdom Keepers series, Ridley Pearson is also the co-author (along with Dave Barry) of the extraordinaryPeter and the Starcatchers series. Mr. Pearson is also a bestselling author of many books in the adult thriller genre.

One of our most popular books over the last year was Exercising Your Brain by local author Patty Overson. 

Patty returns to our store on Monday, April 12 at7:00 p.m. to promote her new book Minnesota Minutia, a collection of little-known trivia facts about our great state.

Patty's inquisitive nature has led her on adventures around the world. Her mission is to search for fun, new things to learn and share with others. The mother of two grown children, Patty lives with her husband in a suburb of Minneapolis.

The Bookcase is once again teaming up with Kinderberry Hill in Plymouth for another event celebrating Dr. Seuss!

Join us on Tuesday, April 13 at 10:00 a.m. for storytime, games, songs and fun -- featuring Lara Newberger from the Plymouth Forestry Department, who will be teaching us all about trees and recycling.

Admission is free, but advance reservations are appreciated. Please call (952) 473-8341 to sign up.

The Bookcase Book Club, led by Addie Ingebrand, will meet at 1:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13 to discuss Mary Doria Russell’s book Dreamers of the Day.

With prose as graceful and effortless as a seductive float down the Nile, Mary Doria Russell illuminates the long, rich history of the Middle East with a story that brilliantly elucidates today’s headlines.

Agnes Shanklin, a forty-year-old schoolteacher from Ohio, has come into a modest inheritance that allows her to take the trip of a lifetime to Egypt and the Holy Land. Arriving at the Semiramis Hotel just as the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference convenes, she is freed for the first time from her mother’s withering influence and finds herself being wooed by a handsome, mysterious German. At the same time, Agnes–with her plainspoken American opinions–is drawn into the company of Winston Churchill, T. E. Lawrence, and Lady Gertrude Bell, who will, in the space of a few days, redraw the world map to create the modern Middle East. As they change history, Agnes too will find her own life transformed forever.

The Bookcase Book Club, led by Addie Ingebrand, will meet at 1:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13 to discuss Mary Doria Russell’s book Dreamers of the Day.

With prose as graceful and effortless as a seductive float down the Nile, Mary Doria Russell illuminates the long, rich history of the Middle East with a story that brilliantly elucidates today’s headlines.

Agnes Shanklin, a forty-year-old schoolteacher from Ohio, has come into a modest inheritance that allows her to take the trip of a lifetime to Egypt and the Holy Land. Arriving at the Semiramis Hotel just as the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference convenes, she is freed for the first time from her mother’s withering influence and finds herself being wooed by a handsome, mysterious German. At the same time, Agnes–with her plainspoken American opinions–is drawn into the company of Winston Churchill, T. E. Lawrence, and Lady Gertrude Bell, who will, in the space of a few days, redraw the world map to create the modern Middle East. As they change history, Agnes too will find her own life transformed forever.

The Chapter & Verse Book Club will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 15 to discuss In a Heartbeat, by Loretta Ellsworth, and Lucy Long Ago, by Catherine Thimmesh.

Chapter & Verse, which is led by Vicki and Steve Palmquist of the Children’s Literature Network, is a book club for adults who love to read children’s books. The group consists of a number of teachers (current and retired), librarians, parents, and other adults who have a strong interest in children’s literature.

All are welcome to attend!

The Bookcase is thrilled to welcome Patrick Carman to our store on Friday, April 16 at 4:00 p.m. 

Mr. Carman will be here to read from, discuss, and sign copies of his newest young adult novel,Thirteen Days to Midnight.

Patrick Carman is the New York Times bestselling author of such acclaimed series as The Landy of Elyon and Atherton. Most recently, he authored The Black Circle, the fifth title in the 39 Clues series, and the groundbreaking Skeleton Creek series. An enthusiastic reading advocate, he has visited more than 750 schools, developed village library projects in Central America, and created author outreach programs for communities.

The Bookcase is pleased to announce that Anna Quindlen, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author, will be the next speaker in theLiterary Minds author series.

Ms. Quindlen will be appearing at Wayzata Community Church on Friday, April 16 at 7:00 p.m. She will be here specifically to promote her new book, Every Last One, which is set to be released on April 13.

Over the last 30 years, Anna Quindlen's work has appeared in some of America's most influential newspapers, many of its best-known magazines, and on both fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. She is a novelist and also writes the prestigious "Last Word" column in Newsweek magazine.

A columnist at The New York Times from 1981 to 1994, in 1990 Quindlen became only the third woman in the paper's history to write a regular column for its influential Op-Ed page when she began the nationally syndicated "Public and Private." A collection of those columns, Thinking Out Loud, was published by Random House in 1993 and was on The New York Times Best Seller List for more than three months. In 1992 Quindlen won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.

With the release of A Short Guide To A Happy Life in 2000, Quindlen became the first writer ever to have books appear on the fiction, nonfiction, and self-help New York Times Best Seller lists. The book sold close to a million copies. 

The Literary Minds series is a collaboration between The Bookcase and Wayzata Community Church.

Michael Perry, author of Population: 485, will be speaking at Plymouth Creek Center on Monday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m.

This is the third of three events marking the first ever Plymouth Citywide Read. The citywide read, an initiative of the Plymouth Fine Arts Council and Plymouth Parks and Recreation, invites community members to read Michael Perry's memoir Population: 485.

This final event will also serve as literary night for the Primavera Springtime Celebration of the Arts. Author Michael Perry will speak about his experiences from the book, as well as discuss the underlying message of human relationships and building community. Perry will also be available to answer any questions from the audience.

The Bookcase is delighted to be welcoming beloved local author/poet Joyce Sidman to our store on Thursday, April 22 at 4:30 p.m.

Joyce will be here, as part of a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, to read from and sign copies of her newest book of poetry Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors.

This compilation of glorious poetry, fascinating science, and stunning art celebrates the successful and sturdy organisms that have overcome both predators and time.

Join us for this very special children's event! 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a renowned spiritual leader and a multi-faceted humanitarian who has introduced millions across the world to the practices of "Sudarshan Kriya." A Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, he has inspired a global phenomenon of compassion and service, has uplifted millions across the world and inspired them to lead a more fulfilled life. His teachings of love, practical wisdom, and service promote harmony among people, and encourage individuals to follow their chosen spiritual path, while honoring other paths.

This evening is a unique opportunity to sit with Sri Sri, gain insights into nature of mind, health and relationships, experience deep meditation, and to learn how to stay calm in the midst of any storm that life may bring.

For tickets to this unique event, please visit http://events.artofliving.org, or call 612-276-2011

The Mystery Book Club will meet on Thursday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss Cara Black's novel Murder in the Marais.

Aimee Leduc, the half-French, half-American detective in Paris, is approached by a rabbi to decipher a fifty-year-old encrypted photograph and deliver it to an old woman in the Marais, the old Jewish quarter. When she does so, she finds a corpse on whose forehead a swastika has been carved. With the help of her partner, a dwarf with extraordinary computer skills, she sets out to solve this horrendous crime and finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game of current politics and old war crimes.

The Mystery Book Club is led each month by either Nancy Hughes or Kelly Westhoff, both former teachers and long-time employees of The Bookcase. All interested readers are invited to attend.

The Bookcase is pleased to welcome Ian Tregillis on Sunday, April 25 at 2:00 in the afternoon.

Mr. Tregillis will be here to read from, discuss, and sign copies of his debut novel, Bitter Seeds.

It’s 1939. The Nazis have supermen, the British have demons, and one perfectly normal man gets caught in between

Raybould Marsh is a British secret agent in the early days of the Second World War, haunted by something strange he saw on a mission during the Spanish Civil War: a German woman with wires going into her head who looked at him as if she knew him.

When the Nazis start running missions with people who have unnatural abilities—a woman who can turn invisible, a man who can walk through walls, and the woman Marsh saw in Spain who can use her knowledge of the future to twist the present—Marsh is the man who has to face them. He rallies the secret warlocks of Britain to hold the impending invasion at bay. But magic always exacts a price. Eventually, the sacrifice necessary to defeat the enemy will be as terrible as outright loss would be.

This book is Alan Furst meets Alan Moore in the opening of an epic of supernatural alternate history, the tale of a twentieth century like ours and also profoundly different.

Ian Tregillis lives near Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he works as a physicist at Los Alamos Laboratory. He is a member of the Wild Cards writing collective, directed by George R. R. Martin. Bitter Seeds is his first novel.