The Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress autographs Open Hearts Family (Running Press, $14.95). more»

La gran escritora argentina explora la verdadera identidad de Juan Domingo Perón, en conversación con el dramaturgo Mario Diament. more»

Sylvie Nissen: 12/12, 6:30pm @ BHS

Gruau: Portraits of Men (Assouline, $75) remembers the life and work of René Gruau and his impact on fashion history. more»

The editor-in-chief of Town & Country magazine gives us the ultimate  insider’s guide – In the Spirit of Palm Beach (Assouline, $45). more»

Manuel Diaz: 12/13, 8pm @ Gables

In Miami Transformed (Univ of Penn, $29.95), the former mayor shares lessons learned from governing a dynamic urban community. more»

Two great American pastimes – sex and sports – come together in an irresistible page-turner, Magnolia (Books & Books Press, $16.95). more»

Live Music in the Courtyard: NEGRONI TRIO, 7:30-10:30pm

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY & EDUCATION: Culture as Comfort (Pearson Custom, $24.61) by Sarah Mahler is a unique learning tool that is written broadly to appeal to a wide, cross-disciplinary audience. It is not a typical textbook, nor is it a classic supplemental text. Instead, it addresses a critical scholarly concept–culture–using the latest multidisciplinary scholarship. It renders the information in nontechnical language, adding in the author’s own insights and stories to make the information enjoyable and easy for readers to comprehend and remember. 2pm
IN SPANISH: El director de cine y escritor Ernesto Fundora nos relata LOS CUENTOS DE UN RESCABUCHEADOR  por aquella  idea presente en uno de los cuentos de su libro, El perpetuo envés que regodea el concepto de que  mirar por el visor de la camara significa ejercer el acto del fisgón o del voyeur. Y como la gente lo conoce por el cine quizas eso incite y arme un puente entre las dos profesiones. Alguien que cuenta cuentos que primero vio por un hueco, ya que el cinesta siempre preselecciona la realidad  o el fragmento que mas le interesa de esta para articular su discurso, como el cuentista aplica una lupa a un asunto de lo cotidiano. Tambien su poemario, Amago (Premio Provincia de Leon, España 2002). Nació en La Habana, Cuba en 1967 y reside hace 18 años en Mexico, D.F. 4pm

SOCOL SPEAKER SERIES: Yaakov Katz is the military correspondent and defense analyst for The Jerusalem Post and the Israel correspondent for Jane’s Defence Weekly, the international military magazine. He is currently a 2013 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. Katz led the Post’s coverage of the recent IDF wars and operations including the Second Lebanon War against Hezbollah in 2006 and Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip in 2009. Tonight, he’ll discuss Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War (Potomac Books, $29.95) to be followed by a book signing and dessert reception. The event is free and open to the community. The first 100 guests to respond will receive a complimentary autographed copy of the book courtesy of Sharon and Howard Socol, books provided by Books & Books. Please RSVP to Michelle Cohen, 305.667.6667 ext 149 or mcohen@tbam.org Event begins at 7pm.

SPORTS LIT: From the football fields of Princeton to a stint with the NFL, from elaborate dances at the mansion to the seductions lying in wait for Lizard, and ultimately to the upscale restaurant he opens in his hometown, it only takes Lizard a lifetime to piece it all together. Life Among Giants (Algonquin, $24.95) by Bill Roorbach is a wildly entertaining novel of murder, seduction, and revenge—rich in incident, in expansiveness of character, and in lavishness of setting—it’s a Gatsby-esque adventure, a larger-than-life quest for answers that reveals how sometimes the greatest mystery lies in knowing one’s own heart. 8pm

VISITING AUTHOR FROM GRAND CAYMAN: Douglas Schofield was raised and educated in Canada, where he earned degrees in History and Law. Over the past three decades, he has worked as a trial lawyer in British Columbia, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. During those years, he has prosecuted and defended hundreds of cases of murder, sexual assault and other serious crimes. He currently holds the position of Assistant Solicitor General in the Cayman Islands Government, focusing primarily on civil litigation. His second novel, Succession (already optioned by Hollywood) is filled with savvy plotting. Along with all the standard tropes of the political thriller—a power struggle that includes people of the highest rank, a hired assassin, a charismatic media mogul, a combat-trained security officer, and a beautiful woman who is right at the heart of things—Schofield weaves in several other genres, thereby providing entertainment not only for die-hard thriller aficionados but also audiences who may not be regular thriller readers. 8pm

MIND/BODY/SPIRIT: Why are prominent doctors and medical researchers all over the world interested in the extraordinary healings reported by the patients of Dr. Eric Pearl? What does it mean when these patients report the sudden disappearance of afflictions such as cancer, AIDS, and cerebral palsy? And what does it mean when people who interact with Dr. Pearl report a sudden ability to access this healing energy not just for themselves, but for others, too? What is this phenomenon? The “new” frequencies of healing described by Dr. Pearl transcend “technique” entirely and bring you to levels beyond those previously accessible to anyone, anywhere. This book takes you on Eric Pearl’s journey from the discovery of his ability to heal, to his well-deserved reputation as the instrument through which this process is being introduced to the world. But most important, The Reconnection (Hay House, $14.95) reveals methods you can use to personally master these new healing energies. 8pm

FOR KIDS/STAR WARS FANS: Renowned paper engineer and bona fide STAR WARS aficionado, Matthew Reinhart delivers another remarkable pop-up book based on George Lucas’s epic Star Wars movies in Star Wars: A Galactic Pop-up Adventure (Orchard Books/Scholastic, $36.99) . Star Wars flies off the page with working light sabers, pull tabs, and other interactive features.  Filled with huge animals that lunge out at the reader, General Grievous ready for battle, Anakin in mid-race, and working lightsabers!  This new look at STARS WARS explores the characters, stories, vehicles, droids, and more in the three prequel movies and The Clone Wars. A must have for all Star Wars fans, young and old! 7pm

ART EVENT/INVASION: Space Invader’s new book available at Books & Books!

Who are you? I’m Invader (that’s my alias). I always appear masked in public, so no one knows my face. Some people call me a polluter, others say I’m an artist. I prefer to think of myself as an invader!

What’s the Space Invaders project about? The idea is to “invade” cities all over the world with characters inspired by first-generation arcade games, and especially the now classic Space Invaders. I make them out of tiles, meaning I can cement them to walls and keep the ultra-pixelated appearance.

What made you choose Space Invaders as the main character for the project? Lots of reasons. I see them as a symbol of our era and the birth of modern technology, with video games, computers, the Internet, mobile phones, hackers and viruses. And “space invader” is a pretty good definition of what I’m doing… invading spaces!

Is there a political message? The act in itself is political, as 99% of the time I don’t have authorization. Otherwise, it’s more an experiment than a protest. Obviously there’s the gaming aspect too, as I’ve spent the past eight years traveling from city to city with the sole objective of getting a maximum score.

Are you still invading? Absolutely. Not a week goes by without new Invaders appearing.

FOR TEENS: Chicago sixth graders Ruthie and Jack think their adventures in the Art Institute’s sixty-eight Thorne Rooms are over… until miniatures from the rooms start to disappear. Is it the work of the art thief who’s on the loose? Or has someone else discovered the secret of the Thorne Rooms’ magic? Ruthie and Jack’s quest to stop the thief and protect the rooms takes them from modern-day Chicago to 1937 Paris to the time of slavery in Charleston, South Carolina. But as more items disappear, including the key that allows them to shrink and access the past worlds, what was once just an adventure becomes a life and death race against the clock. Can Ruthie and Jack catch the thief – and help the friends they meet along the way – before the magic and the rooms are destroyed forever? Marianne Malone is an artist, a former art teacher, and the co-founder of Campus Middle School for Girls in Urbana, Illinois. She is also the mother of three grown children. Marianne’s first book for children, The Sixty-Eight Rooms , was named a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book and a Parent’s Choice Recommended Winner. 7pm

CORAL GABLES GALLERY NIGHT: Edna Glaubman was an important American artist whose work remains today as a lasting testament to an extraordinary woman. Her work is on the one hand unique, inventive and incomparable and on the other evokes Monet, Chagall, Matisse and Klimt. A serious student of her predecessors, Glaubman experimented in materials ranging from metal and clay sculpture, to resins and polymers. She worked with a variety of papers, inks, acrylics, pencil, charcoal and pastel. Her subjects varied widely and included landscapes, portraits, horses, nudes, social gatherings, and intimate family moments. She pioneered the use of acrylics and used an original technique where she affixed crushed paper to the boards and then employed specialized inks to achieve a final effect that resembles Javanese batik fabrics. Glaubman occupies a section of Miami’s history when the city was first emerging as an important creative metropolitan center and the influences of her creativity are both subtle and apparent. Glaubman periodically produced drawings and lithos for charities that touched her heart. A portrait of dignity for the Jewish Home for The Aged, fundraising pieces for the Hope School and Haven Schools, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, the Miami/Florida Philharmonic, P.A.C.E. Concerts, the Grove House and for South Miami Oncology (for a nurse training program). Her charities were most often for special needs kids with the obvious connection to her son, Michael. 7-10pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: NANAMI MORIKAWA TRIO, 7:30-11:30pm

FOR KIDS: Bring the entire family to Aragon Avenue for a day’s worth of activities beginning at the Coral Gables Art Cinema with second Saturday family and youth film screenings to introduce a new generation to a fun world of movies and help expand their horizons! Special ticket prices are $5 for everyone, and includes free popcorn and a soda. Then head over to Books & Books for a preview of Actors’ Playhouse new production, “A Christmas Carol” starting at 12:30pm. Stay for lunch at the Café at Books & Books and then venture next door to the Coral Gables Museum for a holiday ornament making activity and decorate the Museum’s holiday tree! Then, enjoy a 3pm holiday musical performance by the Greater Youth Symphony Orchestra! Admission: FREE.

CELEBRITY AUTOGRAPHING: Jane Seymour is a multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner and recipient of the Officer of the British Empire, which was bestowed on her by Queen Elizabeth II. Jane has proven her talents in virtually all arenas, from the Broadway stage to motion pictures to television. Her love of art and color has led to her great success as a painter and fashion and jewelry designer. OPEN HEARTS FAMILY: Connecting with One Another (Running Press Books, $14.95) isan inspirational collection of poems, essays, and quotes that celebrate both the families we were born to and the families that we make for ourselves among friends and all who touch our lives. Signing guidelines: This event is an autographing ONLY. Ms. Seymour will PERSONALIZE books and take PHOTOS with her fans (not posed) and WILL sign memorabilia for those people who buy a copy of the book. Only those books purchased at Books & Books will be eligible for signing. 2pm
Priscilla Dames, author of How to Survive When Your Ship is Sinking, gives listeners and readers direction and antidotes to help equip them through life storms. She reminds us that we can still reach our dream mission and win big even through turbulence. For the first time, she will publically discuss her dream mission, training ex-militants in Transformational Kingian Non-Violence in the Nigerian Amnesty Program. Guests will celebrate their WINS with champagne at the Saturday, December 8th book signing, 5:00-7:00 pm. This book is a must read for women internationally who seek support and encouragement as they face life’s challenges. 5pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: DEBBIE ORTA DUO: Returns to perform favorite jazz classics and bossa novas. Debbie’s sensual vocal styling is different than any other’s in town, a combination of sweet and sassy; influenced by a wide variety of styles from Ella Fitzgerald to Nancy Wilson to Gal Costa. Visit www.debbieorta.com. Her accompanist is the renowned composer/pianist, Mike Levine who recently released two CDs, “From the Heart” and “Thinking of You”. See www.mikelevinemusic.com. Together they provide a very entertaining evening of beautiful music. 7:30-11:30pm

IN SPANISH – Alrededor del profundo secreto de Perón y otras ficciones: Una conversación entre Luisa Valenzuela y Mario Diament acerca del nuevo libro de Valenzuela, La máscara sarda donde la escritora argentina explora los interrogantes sobre los orígenes y la verdadera identidad de Juan Domingo Perón y añade una vuelta de tuerca más a su mito con el estilo inconfundible, ágil, lúdico e irónico que destingue su magistral e imprescindible escritura. 8pm

ART EVENT/BOOK: René Gruau worked at the forefront of couture fashion for more than 60 years, creating daring and exciting advertising images for top fashion houses and publications including Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Harpers Bazzar and Vogue. With a broad flowing brushstroke and blocks of seductive colour, Gruau masterfully captured the energy, elegance and spirit of couture from the 1940s right up until his death in 2004 at the age of 95. Primarily known for his colorful and vivacious portrayals of women, Gruau revolutionized the concept of masculinity in fashion imagery and advertising from the 1950s to the ’80s, depicting the modern casual, confident man with humor and sex appeal—including images of partial male nudity that were considered shocking at the time. Sylvie Nissen, the exclusive agent of Gruau’s work and co-author of Gruau: Portraits of Men (Assouline, $75) joins us this evening to remember the man and his impact on fashion history. 6:30pm

SOCIAL STUDIES: Renowned social justice advocate John A. Powell argues that we have not achieved a post-racial society and that there is much work to do to redeem the American promise of inclusive democracy. Culled from a decade of writing about social justice and spirituality, these meditations on race, identity, and social policy provide an outline for laying claim to our shared humanity and a way toward healing ourselves and securing our future. Racing to Justice (Indiana University Press, $32) challenges us to replace attitudes and institutions that promote and perpetuate social suffering with those that foster relationships and a way of being that transcends disconnection and separation. 8pm

ART EVENT/BOOK: Established as a luxury vacation destination for the rich and famous in the early 1900s, Palm Beach is synonymous with old-world glamour and new world sophistication. In this exquisite volume, longtime visitor Pamela Fiori shares with readers the heritage of this tropical paradise. From its world-renowned resorts, dreamy estates, and flashy cars to its endless shopping opportunities and impeccable golf courses, In the Spirit of Palm Beach (Assouline, $45) presents a full spectrum of everything the island can offer. An insider’s guide featuring Fiori’s selection of hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops completes the book. 6:30pm

LOCAL INTEREST: Six-year-old Manuel Diaz and his mother first arrived at Miami’s airport in 1961 with little more than a dime for a phone call to their relatives living in the Little Havana neighborhood. Forty years after his flight from Castro’s Cuba, attorney Manny Diaz became mayor of the City of Miami. When Diaz took office in 2001, the city was paralyzed by a notoriously corrupt police department, unresponsive government, a dying business district, and heated ethnic and racial divisions. Miami Transformed: Rebuilding America One Neighborhood, One City at a Time (University of Pennsylvania Press, $29.95) chronicles Diaz’s life and his two terms as mayor, years which led to Miami’s transformation into a vibrant, progressive, and economically resurgent world-class metropolis. 8pm

LAUNCH EVENT/BOOKS & BOOKS PRESS: Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, the author of ten novels, is a unique figure in the literary world. A licensed private investigator for the past twenty-five years, she has won prestigious awards for her books in the popular Lupe Solano mystery series. Magnolia (Books & Books Press, $16.95) Garcia-Aguilera’s new novel is a clever, witty and engaging story where two great American pastimes – sex and sports – come together. The reader will follow the story of Magnolia Larson, a beautiful, twenty-two year old woman from a conservative, Catholic Minneapolis family, as she transforms herself into a kind of “sports geisha,” a high-priced hooker for elite athletes. An irresistible page-turner, Magnolia is a sensual smorgasbord of racy encounters, playful fantasy and everything in between. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: LANI NASH & FRIENDS, 7:30-11:30pm

IN SPANISH: Rolando Martinez Sosa – Poemas del abandono es un poemario con más de 70 poemas, un libro muy completo en terminos literarios, abarca todos los temas que viven los jóvenes emigrantes alrededor del mundo, los amores que dejamos, el que viaja con uno en el pensamiento, la familia, lugares, las separaciones de vivencias y las nuevas experiencias, es un libro donde cada poema tiene una frase para llevar, donde se reflecciona y se aprende. 7pm
FOCUS ON HAITI: So Spoke the Earth is a multilingual anthology of literature about Haiti that explores its past, present and future as experienced by its diverse inhabitants—both native and non-native—over the past four decades. Featuring the accounts of both Haitian and non-Haitian writers and their attempts to grapple with the impact left on them by their personal experiences with the island-nation, the anthology presents each work in its original language: English, French and Haitian-Creole. Through various narratives and poems, the literary legacy and unique history of the island are highlighted in content and style. 7pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: DION KERR TRIO, 7:30-11:30pm

What is lawful self-defense and when is lethal force justified? While you alone are personally responsible for yours and your family’s safety, these and other pertinent questions are often clouded with conflicting information. You and Guns: A Conversation (iUniverse, $13.60) by Isabella Hunter promotes the usefulness and necessity of having a personal plan of action for life threatening emergencies. Your initiatives and actions following could help save yours and the lives of others. 8pm

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Peace Corps Annual Family and Friends Panel Discussion — Every year during the holiday season, Peace Corps coordinates a panel discussion with family members of currently serving and returned Peace Corps volunteers. Family members reminisce about visits at Peace Corps sites, share concerns they may have had about volunteer service, give advice for staying in contact, and provide insight to how volunteers have evolved as a result of their service. South Florida regional recruiter, Steve Hunsicker, will be on hand to provide additional resources, help answer questions, and to moderate the panel discussion.  We invite all family and friends of currently serving and returned Peace Corps Volunteers to attend this event to share personal testimonies and to mingle Peace Corps supporters during this annual event. 6pm

Live Music in the Courtyard: NELSON POLANCO, 7:30-11:30pm

Live Music in the Courtyard: EDDY BALZOLA & ORIENTE, 7:30-11:30pm

SPOKEN WORD: Come enjoy readings and performances by Tigertail Productions’ award-winning 2012 WordSpeak teen team, which represents the leading edge of spoken word. Poems spit by WordSpeak team members will rivet you to your seat. 8pm

Live Music in the Courtyard: JEFFREY KIPPERMAN TRIO, 7:30-11:30pm

Live Music in the Courtyard: MARIA ALEJANDRA RODRIGUEZ, 7:30-11:30pm