Scott Turow, the author of best-selling thrillers that began with 1987’s “Presumed Innocent,” will speak May 30 at 7 p.m. at RJ Julia’s store in Madison, presented by the bookseller and New Haven Legal Assistance Association.
Turow has published 10 fiction and two non-fiction books. His latest is “Testimony” (Grand Central, $28), about a former prosecutor investigating the 10-year-old unsolved mystery of the disappearance of a Roma refugee camp following the Bosnian War, involving such suspects as Serbian paramilitary soldiers, organized crime and the U.S. government. He frequently writes for major newspapers and magazines. Tickets are $35 and include a copy of “Testimony.” Tickets and information: 203-245-3959 or rjjulia.com.
Two Appearances Of ‘Ask Amy’
“Ask Amy” advice columnist and best-selling author Amy Dickinson and author and humorist Gina Barreca will give a Mark My Word talk titled “When Gina Asks Amy” at The Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford, on May 31 at 7:30 p.m., following a VIP reception at 7 p.m.
Dickinson, whose syndicated advice column is read by millions daily, will read from her new memoir, “Strangers Tend To Tell Me Things: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Coming Home” (Hachette Books, $27), a sequel to “The Mighty Queens of Freeville.” Then she will engage in a conversation with Barreca, a syndicated columnist, best-selling author and UConn professor of English and Feminist Theory, whose latest book is “If You Lean In, Will Men Just Look Down Your Blouse?: Questions and Thoughts for Loud, Smart Women in Turbulent Times” (St. Martin’s Press, $25.95).
General admission is $40. VIP admission, which includes the reception and copies of both authors’ latest books, is $80. Information and tickets: 860-247-0998 or marktwainhouse.com.
Dickinson and Barreca also will appear in conversation at a free event on June 1 at 7 p.m. at R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison. Reservations are required: 203-245-3959 or rjjulia.com.
More From R.J. Julia
Lisa Jewell, author of “I Found You” (Atria, $26), a romantic thriller involving an amnesiac man, a missing husband, a bewildered bride and mysterious secrets, will give a free talk at noon on June 2 at at R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison.
At 7 p.m., U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) will give a free talk there about her book, “The Least Among Us: Waging the Battle for the Vulnerable” (New Press, $26.95), a defense of social programs threatened by the current administration. DeLauro has been the congresswoman from Connecticut’s Third District since 1991 and is a member of the House Democratic leadership. Registration is required for both events: 203-245-3959 or rjjulia.com.
Dittrich In Farmington
Luke Dittrich, grandson of a Hartford doctor who made history by performing experimental surgery to end epileptic seizures, has written a book about this controversial and still-debated case and will speak June 1 at 7:30 p.m. at First Church of Christ Congregational, 75 Main St., Farmington.
Dittrich, a National Magazine Award–winning journalist, and a contributing editor at Esquire, is the author of “Patient H.M., A Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets” (Random House, $28). It tells how his grandfather, famed neurosurgeon William Scoville, performed a lobotomy at Hartford Hospital in 1953 on Henry Molaison to try to cure his severe epilepsy, resulting in the loss of the patient’s short-term memory.
The lecture is the first in a series sponsored by the Farmington Historical Society. Admission is $25 and includes a wine and cheese reception. Information and tickets: 860-678–1645 or info@fhs-ct.org.
New Wesleyan Bookstore
The new Wesleyan University bookstore operated by R.J. Julia Booksellers hosts a grand opening celebration on June 3 at 413 Main St., Middletown.
The bookstore will offer children’s events, giveaways and a free talk at 7 p.m. by author Andrew Blauner about the anthology he edited, “In Their Lives: Great Writers on Great Beatles Songs” (Blue Rider Press, $23), to which 29 authors and musicians contributed.
Tyson At Mohegan Sun
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will sign copies of his new memoir, “Iron Ambition : My Life with Cus D’Amato” (Blue Rider Press, $28) on May 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Casino Shops Concourse, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville.
Tyson, the controversial boxing champion, simultaneously held the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles. Retired from the ring, he acts in films, does a one-man show and has launched a clothing company. He credits D’Amato with training and raising him as a son, teaching him life lessons and courageously confronting mobsters who controlled boxing.
Tyson will only sign copies of the new book, which can be pre-ordered from Bank Square Books of Mystic for $29.80. Books and bracelets for admission to the signing line will be available starting at 10 a.m., May 31. Photos and signing personalization is not permitted. Information and book orders: banksquarebooks.com.
‘Join The Journey’
Bank Square Books, 53 W. Main St., Mystic, will continue its free Self-Improvement Series, with Robert E.P. Elmer III, author of “Join the Journey: Care for the Alzheimer’s Caregiver” (Outskirts Press, $18.24) on June 1 at 6 p.m.
Elmer is a Certified Master Trainer of Alzheimer’s Care and a State Certified Senior Care Administrator. The book is a collection of articles that can help caregivers of those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. banksquarebooks.com or 860-536-3795.
Hickory Stick Authors
Novelists Nan Rossiter and Susan Kietzman, both of whom live in Connecticut, will be at The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot, on June 1 at 4 p.m. to sign copies of their latest books.
Rossiter’s “Summer Dance,” about a long-ago romance on Nantucket and its current-day effect, and Kietzman’s “Every Other Wednesday,” about three women who help each other redefine themselves as they face empty nests, are both published by Kensington and cost $15. 860-868-0525 or hickorystickbookshop.com
Morning Book Club
Avon Free Public Library hosts an informal Morning Book Club that meets once a month at the library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon, and is open to all. Registration is not required.
Upcoming books to be discussed are: “A Long Way Home” by Saroo Brierley on June 21; “Dream Land” by Sam Quinones on July 19; “Dewey” by Vicky Myron on Aug. 16 and “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance on Sept. 17. 860-673-9712, ext. 4, or avonctlibrary.info.
Write Here Group
Book Club Bookstore & More, 869 Sullivan Ave., South Windsor, is forming a free writers’ group called Write Here. Its first meeting will take place May 31, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Goals and procedures will be discussed. 860-432-7411 or bookclubct.com.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect a change in location to the Scott Turow talk at RJ Julia.
