We’ve all experienced it but “coming of age” – transitioning from childhood to adulthood — doesn’t happen at the same time or in the same way for everyone. In fact, I’m still waiting for some middle-aged friends to grow up! For most of us, and for most literary characters, “coming of age” occurs sometime during the teen years. In real time, it is usually angst-ridden, yet in later memory, we often find humor in it; not always so for our literary counterparts.

One of the best recent coming-of-age novels is Alex George’s Setting Free the Kites and I’m delighted to announce that the August 27th BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will host the award-winning, bestselling author and his latest work. The book is already a staff favorite at the Book Bin in Northbrook, IL — voted Make It Better magazine’s Best Book Store on Chicago’s North Shore – where we’re hosting this summer’s events.

Setting Free the Kites strikes the right balance between poignancy and humor, a heart-rending story full of charm and quirkiness that explores the pain, joy, and glories of young friendship. It is a worthy successor to the author’s acclaimed previous novel, A Good American. If you are in the Chicagoland area on August 27th, I hope you will join us for great books, great wines, great people and great times at the Book Bin.

Meanwhile, how many of these other notable coming-of-age novels have you read:

Little Women – Louisa May Alcott (1868)
The Yearling – Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1938)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith (1943)
A Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger (1951)
Go Tell It on the Mountain – James Baldwin (1953)
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (1960)
Bless Me, Ultima – Rudolfo Anaya (1972)
The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros (1984)
Harry Potter (series) – J.K. Rowling (1997-2016)
The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri (2003)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Sherman Alexie (2007)
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr (2014)

The psychological thriller is one of the hottest genres in publishing. Twists, turns, playing with your mind. Building tension. Challenging your assumptions. Surprising you. The best ones are described as page turners, the books you can’t put down, the ones that stay with you after the final sentence.

Certain themes and elements tend to populate thrillers: a vulnerable, unsuspecting victim (usually female or young or both) facing an unstable, unreliable menace (human or otherwise). The action is intense and unrelenting. Success of the book depends on an author’s ability to create memorable characters in situations that feel fresh, keeping the reader’s heart racing from scene to scene, page to page before a resolution that satisfies the reader.

The psychological thriller may also fall into other categories (romance, horror, science fiction, etc.) but it has an edge over the standard suspense thriller because of its familiarity. Instead of depending primarily on plot, we get inside the minds of the characters, recognizing elements of ourselves in their thoughts and feelings. This is what pulls us in and holds us captive.

Classic psychological thrillers include Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938), Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train (1950), Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967), Stephen King’s The Shining (1977) and Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs (1988). Popular psychological thrillers on their way to becoming classics include Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island (2003), Gillian’s Flynn’s Gone Girl (2012) and Tim Johnston’s Descent (2015) – Tim Johnston was the featured guest at the June 2016 BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.

Destined to grab readers’ attention is a psychological thriller set to debut on September 20th. Boy, 9, Missing is the debut novel from Chicago author Nic Joseph, published by Sourcebooks Landmark. BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is “thrilled” to host Nic at a book launch celebration this month. In the tradition of Defending Jacob or Drowning Ruth, this is a suspenseful debut that explores the ramifications of revenge, justice, and the aftermath of a terrible night in the lives of two families.

As we enjoy our free wine tasting, we’ll be discussing where inspiration comes from and how this book elevates its theme. As always, audience participation will be encouraged! Books will be available on site from the Book Bin, wine and the ever popular Bonus Buy packages (mementos, merchant discounts, professional photos with the author and more) will also be available for purchase.

When was the last time you wondered what your life would be like if just one decision in the past had been different? When you had that thought, did you decide to make changes going forward? This compellingly human experience has launched many of our best literary stories over generations and in all settings.

Books that explore this universally human dream of alternate lives, only imagined or made real, include:

Fiction
The Awakening – Kate Chopin
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
The Razor’s Edge – W. Somerset Maugham
Disgrace – J.M. Coetzee

Non-Fiction
Seven Years in Tibet – Heinrich Harrer
Into the Wild – John Krakauer
This Boy’s Life – Tobias Wolff
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.

And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.

U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.

Speculative Fiction is a fast-growing literary genre you may not have heard of but have probably read and enjoyed. The genre encompasses literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, magical realism and modern myths.

As broad in plot as Speculative Fiction is, the best of the genre will:
• Introduce a memorable and relatable protagonist with human traits (whether human or alien).
• Present the protagonist with a dilemma — an antagonist (another being or a situation) — and build tension by before showing resolution.
• Make the resolution worth the journey – for the reader as well as for the main character.
• Research the “factual reality” behind the speculation to develop a firm, believable foundation before letting the imagination soar into speculative fantasy.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest news for inspiration and to keep the story fresh.

Speculation asks us to imagine “what if…?” At the heart of the “what if…” is the human connection: “What if this were to happen to me?”

A sampling of the best in this genre includes:
• The Time Machine – H.G. Wells
• 1984 – George Orwell
• Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein
• The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. Le Guin

BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.

And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.

U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.

With 24/7 news reports screaming violence and tragedies and Facebook friends spewing hurt, angry invective from every viewpoint, it feels like our world is suffering from PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined by the National Institute for Mental Health as, “… a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.” The explanation goes on to explain, “It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it. This ‘fight-or-flight’ response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm. Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after trauma, yet most people recover from initial symptoms naturally. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with PTSD. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they are not in danger.”

PTSD is like a black hole, a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. This can happen when a star is dying. Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. They are invisible.

In dark, desperate times like these, we seek answers. We seek solace. We seek hope. Can anything be done to heal our wounded world? Is there a way to overcome the barriers we’ve built as emotional protection from past wounds, real or imagined, at the expense of peace, contentment and happiness?

This year, I found inspiration in the moving true story about a remarkable horse named Samson. Part history lesson, part training manual, and part animal narrative, Last Chance Mustang by Mitchell Bornstein tells the entwined story of America’s once great, now forgotten wild herds and one mustang’s efforts to forgive and forget his abusive, dark past.

Mitch had twenty years of experience fixing unfixable horses. His task was to tame Samson, the violent beast whose best defense had become offense. Samson would be Mitch’s greatest challenge. Through the pair’s many struggles and countless battles, Samson would teach Mitch about the true power of hope, friendship, redemption and the inspiring mettle of the forever wild and free American mustang.

What struck me about this book, beyond Mitch’s compelling storytelling and my love of animals, was how Samson represented all deeply wounded sentient creatures – including humans – and how Mitch’s approach to helping Samson could be — should be — applied to other fractured souls.

I’m pleased and proud that Last Chance Mustang will be the featured book with an author appearance at this month’s BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™. The free wine tastings and book signings will be Monday, July 25th from 6-8 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine in Chicago and on Tuesday, July 26th from 6-8 p.m. at Sunset Foods in Northbrook, IL. Details can be found on the Book●ed website.