tc logo
Tattered Cover Presents...
Women Writers:
Events, News & Book Reviews - August 2018
Hello Friends!  

I would like to start by saying thank you. Thank you for being a subscriber to this list. Thank you for being interested, or curious, or voracious about female voices in literature right now. 

Sometimes I forget that just over a hundred years ago, women were publishing under male pseudonyms to claim space in the literary market, and as recently is 1997, one of the most successful writers of all time, was pressured into keeping her name androgenous by using only her initials, J.K. Yet this week we have been preparing for our 20th anniversary celebration of her creation we reached 1,000 RSVPs to join in that illustrious occasion. It's exciting. It's an exciting time for female voices in literature. 

The last two Newbery Medal winners were women ( The Girl Who Drank the Moon Kelly Barnhill, 2017,  Hello, Universe Erin Entrada Kelly, 2018), and when Jesmyn Ward's  Sing, Unburied, Sing   won the 2017 National Book Award four of the five finalists were penned by women. This is progress. This is recognition. This is, I think, why we're all here, building this community in particular. 

See, female authors have had a remarkable influence on me, and it's something that I hadn't thought specifically about until I sat down to write this note. Their writings have offered me relatable stories, and sweeping adventures, and characters I hoped to embody one day. They have captivated me and taught me a love of reading that eventually shaped my life, more or less. I mean, I have certification in publishing and work full time in a bookstore; it's a little too late to call this thing a fling. 

So today I am grateful. For the writings that influenced me as a girl, and the voices that speak to me as a woman. For the women who share their books with me now, and for the space to share all of that with you now.

This month, share. Share your favorite books from childhood with the young women in your life, share your favorite modern female authors with a coworker or a friend. Share a novel, or essays, or research or triumphs of women with the people in your life, and bask in the glow that common space. Because you can, and we can, and it's a very exciting time female voices in literature and the readers who want to hear them. 

Read, and read on, 
Sam Foster, Gift Buyer
Photo of the Month: July...
On Saturday, July 28, a team of women from HawkQuest, a local environmental education non-profit, brought their owls to the "Celebrating 20 Years of Magic with Harry Potter" party!
In this issue...

  • Poll of the month
  • Photo of the month
  • Books to look for
  • Earlier this month
  • Upcoming events
  • Staff book reviews
How many books by women have you read so far this year?
0-10
11-20
21-30
30+
Last month's poll...

Do you read picture books, middle grade, or young adult novels for fun?

Yes
80%

No
20%

Only with my kid(s)
0%
Books to Look For...
on shelves now
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kown

on shelves now
Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
on shelves 8/21
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
Upcoming Events...
Fiction Book Talk & Signing
Thursday, August 2, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Author Ona Marae will discuss and sign  Gum for Gracie   ($19.95 Flashpoint Publications), about a family in an abusive situation and one sister's quest to help them.
Memoir Book Talk & Signing
Friday, August 3, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Catlyn Ladd performed in gentleman's clubs for five years while pursuing an education and is now a college professor. She will discuss and sign  Strip: The Making of a Feminist  ($22.95 Changemakers Books), about her experiences and what it means to be a sex object in modern America.
Sci-fi Book Talk & Signing
Saturday, August 4, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Author Rebecca Roanhorse will discuss and sign  Trail of Lightning  ($27.99 Saga Press), the first book of the new science fiction  Sixth World  series.
Memoir Book Talk & Signing
Sunday, August 5, 2:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Denver author Jane Derrick will discuss and sign  See Jane Beat Cancer: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed   ($14.95 BridStar Press), a personal breast cancer journey which empowers survivors to take control of their cancer.
Young Adult Book Talks & Signings
Monday, August 6, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Emily France, the critically acclaimed author of  Signs of You , will discuss and sign her new young adult novel  Zen and Gone   ($18.99 Soho Teen), about a teen girl's harrowing search for her missing younger sister--and her own search for self.
Memoir Book Talk & Signing
Tuesday, August 7, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

When Maria Olsen turned 50, she was on the downward slope of her life. So she set out to do 50 new things that were significant to her. She will discuss and sign  50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life   ($34.00 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers).
Thriller Book Talk & Signing
Tuesday, August 7, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Gina Wohlsdorf is the critically acclaimed author of the thriller novel  Security . She will discuss and sign  Blood Highway  ($16.95 Algonquin Books), a gripping and coming-of-age thriller about a 17-year-old girl on a road trip that threatens to kill her before she reaches the end.
Science Memoir Book Talk & Signing
Wednesday, August 8, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Eugenia Bone, the critically acclaimed author of  Mycophilia , will discuss and sign  Microbia: A Journey Into the Unseen World Around You   ($25.99 Rodale Books). To learn more, Bone enrolled at Columbia University and her stories about being a middle-aged mom in undergrad college life are hilarious, but more profoundly, she discovered the role of microbes in nature and illustrates their importance to the existence of everything.
Self-Help Book Talk & Signing
Thursday, August 9, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Dr. Marissa Pei will discuss and sign  8 Ways to Happiness: From Wherever You Are   ($16.95 Morgan James Publishing), which focuses on common places that human beings get stuck, such as loneliness, loss, hatred, and heartbreak, with exercises to build new roads into hope, love, and happiness.
Fiction Book Talk & Signing
Saturday, August 11, 2:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Award-winning author R. O. Kwon will discuss and sign  The Incendiaries   ($26.00 Riverhead Books), a powerful, darkly glittering novel about a young Korean-American woman at an elite American university drawn into acts of domestic terrorism by a cult tied to North Korea.
Poetry Book Talk & Signing
Monday, August 13, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Lois Levinson is a graduate of the Poetry Book Project at Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver. She will read from and sign  Before It All Vanishes   ($19.99 Finishing Line Press), including poems about migrations, family, birds, and impermanence.
Picture Book Talk & Signing
Tuesday, August 14, 10:30 am, Colfax Avenue

Dow Phumiruk, general pediatrician and illustrator, will discuss and sign  Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13   ($17.99 Henry Holt & Company).
Spirituality Book Talk & Signing
Wednesday, August 15, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Dr. Linda Backman, licensed psychologist and regression therapist, will discuss and sign  Souls on Earth: Exploring Interplanetary Past Lives   ($18.99 Llewellyn Publications). Dr. Backman shares her fascinating work with interplanetary soul and explores the characteristics of interplanetary souls.
Romance Book Talk & Signing
Tuesday, August 21, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Jamie McGuire, the  New York Times  bestselling author of multiple novels, will discuss and sign  From Here to You   ($15.99 Forever), a romance novel about secrets and one woman's journey to protect herself and her baby. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Historical Fiction Book Talks & Signings
Thursday, August 23, 7:00 pm
Colfax Avenue

Author Amanda Skenandore will discuss and sign  Between Earth and Sky   ($15.95 Kensington Publishing Corporation). Author Eldonna Edwards will discuss and sign  This I Know   ($26.00 John Scognamiglio Books). Author Diane Byington will discuss and sign  Who She Is  ($15.99 Red Adept Publishing).
Young Adult Book Talk & Signing
Thursday, August 23, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Author Kelly Devos will discuss and sign her debut young adult novel  Fat Girl on a Plane   ($18.99 Harlequin Teen), an unforgettable story about fierce fashion, pursuing your dreams, and loving yourself at any size.
Thriller Book Talk & Signing
Friday, August 24, 7:00 pm, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Sloans Lake

Amber Tamblyn, actress and poet, will discuss and sign her debut novel  Any Man   ($15.99 Harper Perennial). Tamblyn blends poetry, prose, and elements of suspense to give shape to the shocking narratives of victims of sexual violence. This event will feature a showing of  Paint it Black , a movie directed by Tamblyn.  TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Spirituality Book Talk & Signing
Monday, August 27, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Writer and counseling astrologer Priscilla Costello will discuss and sign  Shakespeare and the Stars: The Hidden Astrological Keys to Understanding the World's Greatest Playwright   ($29.95 Ibis Press). 
Fashion History Book Talk & Signing
Monday, August 27, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Jo Weldon, author of  The Burlesque Handbook , will discuss and sign  Fierce: The History of Leopard Print   ($24.99 Harper Design), a lush compendium chronicling the history of one of the world's most beloved fashion patterns--leopard print--and the women who have dared to wear it.
Psychology Book Talk & Signing
Tuesday, August 28, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Wednesday, September 5, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Wednesday, September 5, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Thursday, September 6, 7:00 pm, Englewood Public Library

Thursday, September 6, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Friday, September 7, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Friday, September 7, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Saturday, September 8, 2:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Monday, September 10, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Tuesday, September 11, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Friday, September 14, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Sunday, September 16, 2:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Monday, September 17, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Monday, September 17, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Tuesday, September 25, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Wednesday, September 26, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Wednesday, September 26, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Thursday, September 27, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Thursday, September 27, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Friday, September 28, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Sunday, September 30, 2:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Sunday, September 30, 2:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Monday, October 1, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Monday, October 1, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Tuesday, October 2, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Wednesday, October 3, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Thursday, October 4, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue, TICKETS

Friday, October 5, 6:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Monday, October 8, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Tuesday, October 9, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Friday, October 12, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue, TICKETS

Wednesday, October 17, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Wednesday, October 17, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Sunday, October 21, 2:00 pm, Colfax Avenue, TICKETS

Tuesday, October 23, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Thursday, November 1, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Monday, November 5, 7:00 pm, Historic LoDo

Thursday, November 8, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Tuesday, November 13, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove

Tuesday, November 27, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Sunday, December 2, 2:00 pm, Colfax Avenue

Thursday, January 17, 2019, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove
Writing a Memoir to Honor My Younger Self

Casey Legler is an artist, restaurateur, former Olympic swimmer, and is the first woman hired by Ford Models to exclusively model men's clothing. is her memoir, available now from Atria. She recently corresponded via email with Hanya Yanagihara,...

Read more
lithub.com
The Legendary Iranian Poet Who Gives Me Hope

I grew up in a house with very few books, but there was one that came with my family from Iran and never let me go: a slender, battered book of poetry my mother displayed on the mantle, next to pho...

Read more
lithub.com
Staff Book Reviews...
On shelves now...
by Ottessa Moshfegh

"I've had moments where all I wanted to do was sleep the day away, but I've never quite thought about sleeping away an entire year. I'm not sure how Ottessa Moshfegh comes up with these ideas, but I was hooked from the first few pages. The nameless narrator in  My Year of Rest and Relaxation  has a life that many people dream of having, but there is always more than meets the eye. You never know what someone is dealing with underneath all of the perceived glamour and privilege. Her disenchantment with life was at times relatable and at times so extreme that I wanted to put the book down and go outside. But I didn't do that because I didn't want to stop reading it." -- Ashley Lyons, Content and Communications Coordinator
On shelves now...
by Emily Fridlund

"Shortlisted for the Man Booker prize last year, this debut novel has certainly stuck around for quite some time for me: maybe it’s the focus, the penetrating sparseness of Fridlund’s writing. Teenage narrator Mattie’s first-person account of her relationship with her neighbors’ four-year-old son Paul quietly circles the tragedy of his death, exploring emotions that are often too intense for her to express directly. As the allegorical hue begins to dawn on you, different readings explode: Paul is no more than a story, he never really got a chance to exist, and now lives on only in tender and painful memories. He’s the child she hasn’t had yet, and maybe won’t be able to bring herself to. Now her only children are the stories she tells, and this is one built for a life much longer than Paul’s. Immaculately edited, it tells no more than it needs to, it knows you’re busy. But it knows you will end up telling your friends." -- Kevin Brown, bookseller
On shelves 8/7...
by Anne Youngson

"Anne Youngson brilliantly crafts  Meet me at the Museum  in a series of emails and letters. It took me about 2 pages to fall in love with Youngson's main characters, Kristian and Tina, who begin a unique relationship centered around their mutual interest in The Tollund Man, an Iron Age archeological find housed in the Silkeborg Museum. Kristian and Tina's letters take on a life of their own, and, I think other readers will also find themselves caught up in the unfolding relationship which begins to slowly take shape. Kristen and Tina trust and respect each other even though each brings a different reality to their friendship . And so, when they eventually find mutuality, each fosters in the other a new way of looking at their own life, which then makes it possible to them to make changes neither thought possible. It's a triumphant story made more powerful, I think, because it comes from a woman's perspective." -- Kathy Coble, Personnel Manager
Ottessa Moshfegh: I Worry I Say Too Much In Interviews

Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation is out now. Who do you most wish would read your book? Whoopi Goldberg. If you read My Year of Rest and Relaxation, you will learn that the protagonist venerates Goldberg as the apotheosis of...

Read more
lithub.com
tc logo
~ Bringing People & Books Together Since 1971 ~ 
Colfax Avenue, 303-322-7727
Historic LoDo, 303-436-1070
Aspen Grove, 303-470-7050
Visit our Union Station and airport stores.