Book Discussion Group

Author Discussion & Signing with Leslie Klinger

Come join us at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore to listen to renowned Sherlockian scholar, Leslie Klinger discuss his Fifth Annotated volume, The New Annotated H. P.  Lovecraft

"With an increasing distance from the twentieth century the New England poet, author, essayist, and stunningly profuse epistolary Howard Phillips Lovecraft is beginning to emerge as one of that tumultuous period s most critically fascinating and yet enigmatic figures," writes Alan Moore in his introduction to The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft. Despite this nearly unprecedented posthumous trajectory, at the time of his death at the age of forty-six, Lovecraft's work had appeared only in dime-store magazines, ignored by the public and maligned by critics. Now well over a century after his birth, Lovecraft is increasingly being recognized as the foundation for American horror and science fiction, the source of "incalculable influence on succeeding generations of writers of horror fiction" (Joyce Carol Oates).

In this volume, Leslie S. Klinger reanimates Lovecraft with clarity and historical insight, charting the rise of the erstwhile pulp writer, whose rediscovery and reclamation into the literary canon can be compared only to that of Poe or Melville. Weaving together a broad base of existing scholarship with his own original insights, Klinger appends Lovecraft's uncanny oeuvre and Kafkaesque life story in a way that provides context and unlocks many of the secrets of his often cryptic body of work.

Over the course of his career, Lovecraft "the Copernicus of the horror story" (Fritz Leiber) made a marked departure from the gothic style of his predecessors that focused mostly on ghosts, ghouls, and witches, instead crafting a vast mythos in which humanity is but a blissfully unaware speck in a cosmos shared by vast and ancient alien beings. One of the progenitors of "weird fiction," Lovecraft wrote stories suggesting that we share not just our reality but our planet, and even a common ancestry, with unspeakable, godlike creatures just one accidental revelation away from emerging from their epoch of hibernation and extinguishing both our individual sanity and entire civilization.

Following his best-selling The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Leslie S. Klinger collects here twenty-two of Lovecraft's best, most chilling "Arkham" tales, including "The Call of Cthulhu," At the Mountains of Madness, "The Whisperer in Darkness," "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," "The Colour Out of Space," and others. With nearly 300 illustrations, including full-color reproductions of the original artwork and covers from Weird Tales and Astounding Stories, and more than 1,000 annotations, this volume illuminates every dimension of H. P. Lovecraft and stirs the Great Old Ones in their millennia of sleep."

The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft (The Annotated Books) By H.P. Lovecraft, Leslie S. Klinger (Editor), Alan Moore (Introduction by) Cover Image
By H.P. Lovecraft, Leslie S. Klinger (Editor), Alan Moore (Introduction by)
$39.95
ISBN: 9780871404534
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Liveright - October 13th, 2014

The New Annotated Dracula (The Annotated Books) By Bram Stoker, Leslie S. Klinger (Editor), Leslie S. Klinger (Notes by), Leslie S. Klinger (Foreword by), Janet Byrne (Contributions by), Neil Gaiman (Introduction by) Cover Image
By Bram Stoker, Leslie S. Klinger (Editor), Leslie S. Klinger (Notes by), Leslie S. Klinger (Foreword by), Janet Byrne (Contributions by), Neil Gaiman (Introduction by)
$39.95
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ISBN: 9780393064506
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - October 17th, 2008

The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (The Annotated Books) By Arthur Conan Doyle, Leslie S. Klinger (Editor), John le Carré (Introduction by) Cover Image
By Arthur Conan Doyle, Leslie S. Klinger (Editor), John le Carré (Introduction by)
$39.95
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ISBN: 9780393059144
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - November 5th, 2007

Author Discussion & Signing with Stan "Tex " Banash

Come to Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore to meet Stan "Tex" Banash author of The Roadside History of Illinois. He will discuss & signe his book.

Author finishes third book, 'Roadside History of Illinois’. Stan Banash, a.k.a. “Tex,” a resident of Chicago’s Norwood Park community, recently completed his third book, “Roadside History of Illinois” 

The book covers the history of the state from the Ice Age to the present, offering vacationers a series of short trips mostly along old U.S. highways, statehighways and county roads that provide a glimpse into numerous historic sites as well as the history of nearly 250 significant cities, towns and villages in seven geographical regions. Among the book’s features are more than 125 images, regional maps, an Illinois Chronology, a list of Illinois Facts, the lyrics to the seldom heard State Song, “Illinois,” and a list of Illinois Originals, in addition to a Bibliography and

Index. The book also includes a Special Introduction by the late Dee Brown, author of the internationally acclaimed book, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, and was praised in back cover blurbs by former U.S. Sen. Adlai E. Stevenson III and Illinois State Archives Deputy Director Wayne C. Temple. As the Preface notes, Roadside History of Illinois is “designed to help both visitors and residents discover and savor the historical, cultural, and natural opulence of this great state.”

Banash, who was raised in suburban Niles and graduated from Niles Township High School in Skokie, served in the Air Force and then obtained his Bachelor of Philosophy degree in political science from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts degree in Urban Studies from Roosevelt University. His two earlier books were: Best of Dee Brown’s West (Clear Light, 1998) and Dee Brown’s Civil War Anthology (Clear Light, 1998). He also has reviewed numerous books for Wild West magazine, The Tombstone Epitaph, Western Historical Quarterly, Journal of the West, and Roundup magazine.

 

Roadside History of Illinois By Stan Banash Cover Image
$20.00
ISBN: 9780878425990
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Mountain Press Publishing Company - June 15th, 2013

Author Discussion & Signing with Dave Revsine. Nationally Know Sports Broadcaster

Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore is hosting a book discussion & signing for nationally know ESPN Sports Announcer, Dave Revsine for his book, The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation.

  It's America's most popular sport, played by thousands, watched by millions, and generating billions in revenues every year. It's also America's most controversial sport, haunted by the specter of life-threatening injuries and plagued by scandal, even among its most venerable personalities and institutions. At the college level, we often tie football's tales of corruption and greed to its current popularity and revenue potential, and we have vague notions of a halcyon time--before the new College Football Playoff, power conferences, and huge TV contracts. Perhaps we conjure images of young Ivy Leaguers playing a gentleman's game, exemplifying the collegial in collegiate. What we don't imagine is a game described in 1905, not today, as "a social obsession--this boy-killing, man-mutillating, education-prostituting, gladiatorial sport."

In "The Opening Kickoff," Dave Revsine tells the riveting story of the formative period of American football (1890-1915). It was a time that saw the game's meteoric rise, fueled by overflow crowds, breathless newspaper coverage and newfound superstars--including one of the most thrilling and mysterious the sport has ever seen. But it was also a period racked by controversy in academics, recruiting, and physical brutality that, in combination, threatened football's very existence. A vivid storyteller, Revsine brings it all to life in a captivating narrative.

Over lunch I read "Author's Note", "Preface" and started  "Football Day..." I'm enjoying The Opening Kickoff... I like the writing style and looking forward the finding out more.  I know people who are interested in both sports and history who would love reading about the "Exposing this sports history to the open air!" It's like sports' gossip, but it's true. This is, especially, valid when the reader considers the comments on Harvard and Yale so far, not to mention, the University of Chicago, Northwestern and Notre Dame teams' football heritage".

Augie Aleksy (Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore Owner) 

 

Author: Dave Revsine 

The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation By Dave Revsine Cover Image
$25.95
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ISBN: 9780762791774
Published: Lyons Press - July 29th, 2014

Author Discussion & Signing with Karen Abbott

 Come join us at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore when Karen Abbott discusses her third book on the American Woman in History, Liar, Temptress, Soldier Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War. Her discussion will be accompied by a Slide Presentation.

Abbott is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers of Sin in the Second City and American Rose.

Karen Abbott illuminates one of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War: the stories of four courageous women--a socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a widow--who were spies.

After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow, Rose O'Neale Greenhow, engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians to gather intelligence for the Confederacy, and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring, right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives.

Using a wealth of primary source material and interviews with the spies' descendants, Abbott seamlessly weaves the adventures of these four heroines throughout the tumultuous years of the war. With a cast of real-life characters including Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoleon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy draws you into the war as these daring women lived it.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy contains 39 black & photos and 3 maps.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War By Karen Abbott Cover Image
$27.99
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ISBN: 9780062092892
Published: Harper - September 2nd, 2014

Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul By Karen Abbott Cover Image
$19.00
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ISBN: 9780812975994
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - June 10th, 2008

American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee By Karen Abbott Cover Image
$22.00
ISBN: 9780812978513
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - March 13th, 2012

Author Discussion & Signing with Joe R. Lansdale

Come to Centuries & Sleuths to meet "Champion Mojo Storyteller" Joe R. Lansdale at his discussion & signing for his latest books, The Thicket and Cold in July.

This is his first signing at Centuries and Sleuths and his latest visit to Chicago in 16 years! 

The Thicket By Joe R. Lansdale Cover Image
$21.99
ISBN: 9780316188449
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Mulholland Books - October 14th, 2014

Cold in July By Joe R. Lansdale, Jim Mickle (Foreword by) Cover Image
By Joe R. Lansdale, Jim Mickle (Foreword by)
$14.95
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ISBN: 9781616961619
Published: Tachyon Publications - May 27th, 2014

Author Discussion & Signing with Local Author J. Bard-Collins

Come join us at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore for J. Bard-Collins signing and discussion for her debut mystery novel, Honor Above All.

 

 Pinkerton agent Garrett Lyons arrives in Chicago in 1882, close on the trail of the person who murdered his partner. He encounters a vibrant city that is striving ever upwards, full of plans to construct new buildings that will “scrape the sky.” In his quest for the truth Garrett stumbles across a complex plot involving counterfeit government bonds, fierce architectural competition, and painful reminders of his military past. Along the way he seeks the support and companionship of his friends—elegant Charlotte, who runs an upscale poker game for the city’s elite, and up-and-coming architect Louis Sullivan.

Rich with historical details that bring early 1880s Chicago to life, this novel will appeal equally to mystery fans, history buffs, and architecture enthusiasts.

Summer Nights on Madison Street with "Authors under the Awning"

It'll be another delightful Summer Evening on Madison Street with "Authors under the Awning" with:

Sue Myers for Deception

M.E. May for Perfidy, Inconspiuous, &  Ensconced (Circle City Mysteries)

JoBe Cerny for The Taylor Street File of: Red Cin 

Libby Fischer Hellmann for Nobody's Child with Georgia Davis

Deception By Sue Myers Cover Image
$14.95
ISBN: 9781494362652
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform - December 21st, 2013

Ensconced By M. E. May Cover Image
$14.95
ISBN: 9781494461911
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform - February 16th, 2014

Taylor Street File of Red Cin By Jobe Cerny Cover Image
$17.50
ISBN: 9781481988162
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform - February 21st, 2013

Nobody's Child By Libby Fischer Hellmann Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781938733468
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Elizabeth F Hellmann - August 15th, 2014

Author Discussion & Signing with Adam Selzer

Adam Selzer returns to Centuries & Sleuths with his newest book, The Chronicles of Old Chicago

 Discover the fascinating history of Chicago, home to President Obama, Al Capone, the Chicago Cubs, politicians, mobsters, and more, told through twenty-four dramatic true stories. Known as an expert on Chicago's folklore and crime stories, Adam Selzer takes readers through Chicago's history from the 1800s to the present with tales of the politicians, eccentrics, and the famous and infamous who shaped the city. Essays explore historic events from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to the beginnings of the film era (Chicago was home to film long before Hollywood); speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama; the historical contributions to the birth of rock 'n roll of Chess Records, who signed Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Etta James, Little Walter, and Willie Dixon; and baseball legends and curses. Learn about the city's legendary ghosts and haunted hotels. Also included are guided walking tours around many of the sites mentioned, illustrated with color photographs and maps.

Chronicles of Old Chicago: Exploring the History and Lore of the Windy City (Chronicles Series) By Adam Selzer Cover Image
$19.95
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ISBN: 9780984633487
Published: Museyon - July 1st, 2014

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