Bookmarks: November 1st

1. IFOA is still going strong. What events have you gone to so far?

Stephen King at the PEN Gala! “You can call my mind morbid, but hey, I make a lot of money from it!”

Last night while some of you were trick-or-treating, IFOA hosted The Journey Prize for the 25th year running! Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi, emceed the event. Don’t worry if you missed it, there are still plenty of amazing events upcoming. Readings are wonderful, but how about getting to know some of your favourite authors a little better?

On the agenda tomorrow: In Conversation with Dame Margaret Drabble, who will also be reading from her latest novel The Pure Gold Baby. The Pure Gold Baby is her 18h book, and it is a testament to her skill as a writer. It is about a teenage mother during the 1960s who struggles with the unexpected strangeness of her newborn child. How could this story NOT move you? More info here.

2. Or how about a conversation with Colum McCann, Philipp Meyer, and George Pelecanos? These three heavyhitters will be discussing the process they go through when creating their leading men. Considering the complexity of the leads in Let the Great World Spin (McCann), The Son (Meyer), and The Double (Pelecanos), this discussion will be interesting, and perhaps a little disturbing.

3. IFOA’s article Five Questions with … Janie Chang gives a great sneak peek of Historic Reveries on November 3rd. Janie Chang will be joining Paul Harding, Dennis Bock, Jim Lynch, and Farzana Doctor in a discussion of how to overcome the challenges in keeping history relevant in contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, Three Souls, is inspired by her grandmother and decades of Chinese history.

4. Get ready for the next couple of weeks because Amy Tan, Ann Patchett, AND Mitch Albom are all releasing new books!

The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. Abandoned by her mother and given a harsh slap of reality, Violet must become a courtesan like no other if she wants to survive. Spanning 50 years, The Valley of Amazement, will take you on an epic journey!

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett is a collection of personal essays that explore the trials and tribulations of Ann’s life as a writer, and as a breadwinner.

What would you do if you started receiving phone calls from the dead? Well, The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom shows us that it might not be the horror movie we think it is! From the first page to the final, this novel will leave you emotional and warm.

5. And finally, Movember has officially begun! Find some inspiration in this Bookriot article and grow (or encourage others to) a literary mustache! Progress pictures are encouraged, send them our way @SavvyReader (and don’t forget to follow)!