The Absent Sea (McPherson, $25) 
is the English-language debut of Carlos Franz one of the most important living Chilean novelists, a major novel that hovers between real history and timeless mythology. Just before the coup d’etat that overturned Chile’s government under Allende, a young, idealistic judge is posted to a provincial center in the vast northern desert. After the coup, the town is occupied by the military, which establishes a concentration camp for dissidents. Immediately, the conflicted relationship between the judge, Laura, and the commandant, Major Cáceres, leads to a life-changing decision which results in her lengthy exile to Germany. Twenty years later, she returns to Chile to face up to her past, and to answer the scathing question flung at her by her daughter: “Where were you, Mamá, when all those horrible things were happening in your city?” Laura’s reply to her daughter takes the form of a long letter about the dramatic events of twenty years before. Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, Laura’s return coincides with a religious festival. By the end of three days, the city and all its Chilean inhabitants will be forever changed. 8pm
Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she’s finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel (Balzer + Bray, $18.99) , the sequel to The Carrie Diaries, brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country “sparrow” — as Samantha Jones dubs her — to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City’s most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw. (This Young Adult event is part of Children’s Book Week(s) – but truly for adults who are young. Or young at heart.) 6:30pm
In Institutional Failures Duke Lacrosse, Universities, the News Media, and the Legal System (Ashgate, $79.95) , Howard Wasserman argues that the many disparate facets of the now-infamous Duke University lacrosse controversy are best understood in the context of the three major socio-legal institutions in which this drama played out. By examining the actions of these institutions and the individuals within them, these essays consider the role each played in the case, how each contributed to the crisis and to its resolution, the ways in which they interacted with one another, and the lessons this case teaches about the appropriate conduct and function of each institution. Presented in collaboration with Florida International University’s School of International and Public Affairs. 8pm
A child is a gift to the world, and the world is a gift to a child. Author Laura Duksta uses the innovative flip-book design to share this universal message in You Are a Gift to the World (Sourcebooks, $16.99) – the companion to Duksta’s bestselling I Love You More. Evoking all that makes a child unique, the book then mirrors with the world’s special gifts-from mountains to seas to life itself. Inspirational as well as gorgeously written, both poems reach the same moving conclusion: A child in the world is the greatest gift of all. 6pm
Unpardonable Crimes: The Legacy of Fidel Castro (Trafford Publishing, $12.87) presents a series of stories that, although written as fiction, are based on real events told to author Celestino Heres by his family and friends. Many of the events that actually occurred in Cuba prior to, during, and after the Revolution might never have been made public; this collection attempts to counteract that secrecy. As is often the case with stories of war, many stories of the Cuban people will go to the graves with the men and women who lived them, like footprints in the sand after the rising of the tide. This collection demonstrates the common threads of the struggle of Cubans to survive under the cruel oppression of Fidel Castro and Fidel’s betrayal of his own people. 6:30pm
Adam Chester is the son of a very loving mom, who for almost 30 years has peppered his life with unsolicited advice, news updates, and opinions in the form of thousands of inappropriate, embarrassing, and utterly crazy letters. S’Mother: The Story of a Man, His Mom and the Thousands of Altogether Insane Letters She Mialed Him (Abrams, $15.95) is a hilarious memoir based on this correspondence showing the pathological extremes maternal instincts can take. Why is a grown woman so frantic that her adult son screw on his windows to keep out killer bees? And are adult trick-or-treaters really that much of a threat? Chester works as a professional composer and singer-songwriter who is employed as the official “surrogate Elton John.” (Adam sits in as Elton John, playing piano and singing while rehearsing his band for various appearances.) Based in Los Angeles, he is married and has two boys. His mom lives about 20 minutes away and still writes Adam at least four times a month. 8pm
The central thesis of Philip Roth’s Postmodern American Romance (Peter Lang, $62.95) is that Philip Roth’s work is most accurately viewed as postmodernist American Historical Romance, rather than marginalized as Jewish-American. Four works are analyzed in relation to this idea and, specifically, that Roth’s contribution is entirely within mainstream American literature and culture. Emphasizing the importance and influence of Hebrew Scripture, the author demonstrates that, paradoxically, Roth’s Jewishness locates him squarely within the canon of (a Hebraic) America and its letters. Jane Statlander received her Ph.D. in American literature and culture from the University of New England in New South Wales, Australia. She is currently Professor of English at Miami International University of Art and Design. 7pm
From the author of the sensational bestseller I Was Told There’d Be Cake comes How Did You Get This Number (Riverhead, $15) , a book of personal essays brimming with all the charm and wit that have earned Sloane Crosley widespread acclaim, award nominations, and an ever-growing cadre of loyal fans. In Cake readers were introduced to the foibles of Crosley’s life in New York City and to a literary voice that mixed Dorothy Parker with David Sedaris and became something all its own. Crosley still lives and works in New York City, but she’s no longer the newcomer for whom a trip beyond the Upper West Side is a big adventure. She packs up her sensibility and takes us with her to Paris, to Portugal (having picked it by spinning a globe and putting down her finger, and finally falling in with a group of Portuguese clowns), and even to Alaska, where the “bear bells” on her fellow bridesmaids’ ponytails seemed silly until a grizzly cub dramatically intrudes. 8pm
The Shimmy Club hosts a “Flash Mob Tango” fundraiser event which kicks off with a Tango Toast at Books & Books this evening. The Shimmy Club is a non-profit organization that teaches tango to children and youth with exceptionalities through cultural dance, music classes, performances and events. Their mission is to eradicate stigma and foster unity through interactive participation in the arts. This event will bring together students with and without disabilities with local tango aficionados to dance Argentine tangos on the streets of Coral Gables! Please join us tonight as we kick-off this memorable evening at Books & Books, in support of these dedicated dancer’s efforts and experience first-hand this world-class cultural art! For detailed information regarding this event, the organization’s initiatives and how you can help, please visit www.theshimmyclub.org. Toast is at 7pm, followed by a dance demonstration next door at the Coral Gables Museum at 8pm. 
One author, two brand new books: Katie Crouch follows up the success of Girls in Trucks with two new novels sure to pull you in, make you laugh and stay with you for a long time. Men and Dogs (Back Bay Books, $13.99) is a hilarious, affecting, and wholly original tale of siblings trying to reckon with their flaws, with a heroine as exasperating, magnetic, and breathtakingly real as family itself. You might think that Hannah–now running a racy start-up company with her husband in San Francisco–has moved on in the two decades since her father went fishing and never came back. But Palmer, Hannah’s brother knows she’s still obsessed. When Hannah returns to Charleston after a frenzied break with her husband, Palmer can only imagine what mystery and mayhem she’ll stir up. In the young-adult novel, The Magnolia League (Poppy, $17.99) , sixteen-year-old Alexandria Lee is forced to leave her West Coast home and move in with a wealthy grandmother she’s never known in Savannah, Georgia. By birth, Alex is a rightful if unwilling member of the Magnolia League-Savannah’s long-standing debutante society. But Alex is the first in decades to question the Magnolia League’s intentions, yet even she becomes entangled in their seductive world. And she discovers secrets-some deadly-hidden beneath the glossy Southern veneer. (This Young Adult event is part of Children’s Book Week(s) – but truly for adults who are young.) 8pm
Coral Gables Gallery Night: Traveling Home – Photos by Cristina Villamil with texts by Eduard Reboll. Fleeing inside. My footprints leave traces on the metal and I am unknown to everyone. The city is dressed in windows and disappearing clouds form my path. Light is light, and I: a white shadow traveling on the steel of this face. “Huyo hacia adentro. Mis huellas se palpan en el metal y nadie sabe sobre mí. La ciudad tiene un vestido de ventanas y mi camino, son las nubes que no aparecen. La luz es la luz, y yo soy, esta sombra blanca que transita sobre el acero de este rostro. 7-10pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Federico Britos and Jorge Garcia, 7 to 12am midnight
CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK(S): Actors’ Playhouse will be performing a preview of The Emperor’s New Clothes. Imagine being the Empress of a country where the Emperor is more concerned with his “physical” appearance than with the “physical” well being of his country. What’s a girl to do?! This classic Hans Christian Anderson tale takes yet another musical twist as the Empress decides to take matters into her own hands and uncover the Emperor’s eyes to the real truth…much to everyone’s surprise she ends up uncovering that and more! 11am
CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK(S): At the end of The Light, Book 1 of the Morpheus Road trilogy by No.1 bestselling author D.J. MacHale, Marshall learned the truth about what happened to his best friend Cooper. Now in Book 2, The Black (Aladdin, $17.99) , we get to see Co0per’s side of the mystery. What does his story have to do with Marshall and the journey along the Morpheus Road? It’s time to learn more…D.J. MacHale is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pendragon series. He has written, directed and produced many television series and movies for young people that have been seen on Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, HBO, Showtime, PBS, Discovery Kids, too. 3:30pm
The Color of Night (Vintage, $15) by Madison Smartt Bell is a stunning novel that burns to the touch. Mae, a blackjack dealer in a Las Vegas casino, spends her free time wandering the desert with a rifle, or sitting in her trailer obsessively watching replays of an old lover escaping the wreckage of 9/11. What she sees in those images is different from what the rest of us see. She revels in the pure anarchy, thrills at the destruction. These images recall memories of a childhood marked by unthinkable abuse, of her drift into a cult that committed the most shocking crime of the ’60s, of her life since then as a feral and wary outsider, caught in a swirl of events at once personal, political, mythic. 7pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Rose Max & Ramatis, 8-midnight
CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK(S): Moms, bring your daughters for the perfect pre-Mother’s Day event – Be Audrey Be Mom with author Margaret Cardillo and her delightful picture book, Just Being Audrey (Balzer + Bray, $16.99) , Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to be Audrey Hepburn? The graceful manner, the iconic look. Well, this is your chance to see the girl behind the famous woman. And learn myriad ways to tie a scarf! Plus the joy of a little blue gift box. And pearls. Gifts for girls in attendance. “Audrey Hepburn proves as irresistible a character in the pages of a children’s book as she is in those soigné roles of the silver screen.” -Publishers Weekly 11am
Join Books & Books over Mother’s Day weekend in welcoming Artie Bennett, beloved and fun-loving author of bestselling kids title, The Butt Book (Bloomsbury, $16.99) . He will talk about tall butts, short butts, round butts, flat butts. Butts on mummies and butts on mommies. Butts on giraffes and elephants and dogs and… FISH? Yes, even fish butts are celebrated in this tribute to backsides, rumps, tushies, keisters, heinies, and derrieres! Dozens of funny rhymes and illustrations pay homage to a body part that keeps kids and grown-ups giggling with glee. Bottoms up for a morning of laugh-out-loud fun! 11am
A landmark work, The Bond (William Morrow, $26.99) is the passionate, insightful, and comprehensive examination of our special connection to all creatures, written by one of America’s most important champions of animal welfare. Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, unveils the deep links of the human-animal bond, as well as the conflicting impulses that have led us to betray this bond through widespread and systemic cruelty to animals. Pacelle explores the biological and historical underpinnings of the human-animal bond and reveals our newfound understanding of animals, including their remarkable emotional and cognitive capacities. An eye-opening must-read, The Bond reminds us that animals are at the center of our lives, they are not just a backdrop. How we treat them is one of the great themes of the human story. 6:30pm
Amanda Hodgkinson’s 22 Britannia Road(Pamela Dorman Books, $25.95) , is a tour-de- force that echoes modern classics like Suite Francaise and The Postmistress. “Housekeeper or housewife?” the soldier asks Silvana as she and eight- year-old Aurek board the ship that will take them from Poland to England at the end of World War II. There her husband, Janusz, is already waiting for them at the little house at 22 Britannia Road. But the war has changed them all so utterly that they’ll barely recognize one another when they are reunited. “Survivor,” she answers. Silvana and Aurek spent the war hiding in the forests of Poland. Wild, almost feral Aurek doesn’t know how to tie his own shoes or sleep in a bed. Janusz is an Englishman now-determined to forget Poland, forget his own ghosts from the way, and begin a new life as a proper English family. But for Silvana, who cannot escape the painful memory of a shattering wartime act, forgetting is not a possibility. One of the most searing debuts to come along in years, 22 Britannia Road is a must read. 7:30pm
Join us for an evening of “Secrets and Spies” as career Marine Dick Hrebick discusses his latest book, Corps Vet: More Than a Secret Mission – A Lifelong Tour of Duty (Windy City, $12.99) . Hrebick will treat us to details of his early life, shuttling between the outskirts of Chicago and the coal mining towns of southern Illinois and share how the triumphs and tragedies of his youth helped shape the man he is today. From the Midwest to the Marine Corps, Hrebick takes the reader through his 23-year career as a Marine, and then on through the journey of a second career, intense physical feats, and exciting world travels. David Lawrence Jr. will introduce the author, and Books & Books will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book to the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, of which Lawrence is President. 8pm
CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK(S): Bestselling If I Stay Author Gayle Forman comes back to Books & Books to help to guide us through The Ballad of Mia & Adam Experience for the companion book, Where She Went (Dutton, $16.99) . It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last n ight. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future and each other – and, of course, the music. There’s always the music. Check out and download the Where She Went playlist. And then play us a tune from or inspired by the playlist or book at the event. Click here to sign up. Told from Adam’s point of view in Gayle Forman’s spare, lyrical prose, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance. Mia and Adam’s story isn’t finished. Neither is ours. The song plays on – at The Ballad of Mia & Adam Experience. Plus live blogging from the event at harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com 6:30pm
Marc Freedman, hailed by the New York Times as “the voice of aging baby boomers [seeking] meaningful and sustaining work later in life,” offers a recipe for how we can transform America’s coming midlife crisis into an opportunity for individuals and society. Shifting to a much longer lifespan isn’t as easy as it may seem. Once, people moved from work to retirement to the afterlife. Today millions of boomers are navigating their way to an entirely new stage of life and work, one that could last as long as midlife. They need to work, but they want work that matters and don’t know how to find it. What’s more, they are thinking as much about “who they’ll be” in the coming stage, as “what they’ll do.” Unlike the transition from adolescence to adulthood, managing this process for many is a do-it-yourself project. It doesn’t have to be this way. Drawing on powerful personal stories, The Big Shift (Public Affairs, $24.99) provides not only direction but a vision of the perspectives, pathways, and policies required to help millions find their way in a new map of life. 8pm
CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK (S): Bestselling author Neal Shusterman returns with the long-awaited, concluding volume of The Skinjacker Trilogy — Everfound (Simon & Schuster, $16.99) . While Mary lies in a glass coffin aboard a ghost train heading west, her minions are awaiting her re-awakening by bringing lots of new souls into Everlost to serve her. Meanwhile Jackin’ Jill has met Jix, a fur-jacker—a skin jacker who can take over the bodies of animals, most notably jaguars. Jix serves a Mayan god who collects Everlost coins, and has his own agenda. New sides of the characters of Everlost are revealed — and pitted against each other in a battle that may destroy all life on Earth. 6pm
College 2012 Admissions: The Time Is Now. As summer approaches, now is the time for parents and high school students to have a frank and informed discussion about the college admission process. The Penn Club of Miami invites you to to learn more about the strategies to maximize your chances for college admission from Mandee Heller Adler — President of International College Counselors, a graduate of Miami Beach Senior High, the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Business School. Free and open to the public. 7pm
From the steamy jungles of the Yucatán to the verdant valleys along the Andes, Latin Grilling (Ten Speed Press, $22) goes beyond typical barbecue fare and familiar Mexican and Tex-Mex standards to present more than 90 recipes that showcase the diversity of Latin American cooking. Acclaimed cooking teacher Lourdes Castro takes you on a culinary tour of the Americas with ten fiestas featuring authentic Latin flavors tailored for home cooking and backyard grilling. With country-by-country entertaining plans and menus including beverages, starters, entrées, sides, and desserts, this celebration of traditional Latin American grilling is a refreshing change of pace. Castro captures the essence of Latin America in each meticulously formulated recipe, and to ensure you feel comfortable at the grill, she shares tips and notes on ingredients, flavor variations, techniques, and entertaining ideas throughout. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Emmet Cohen Trio, 7pm to 12am midnight
Live Music in the Courtyard: Negroni Trio, 8-midnight
PJ Library Storytime celebrates Lag Ba’Omer and our beautiful world this month. The national PJ Library program supports families in their Jewish journey by sending Jewish-content books and music on a monthly basis to children. Presented in collaboration with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Temple Beth Am. 10:30am
Eric Lamet was only seven years old when the Nazis invaded Vienna — and changed his life and the lives of all European Jews forever. Five days after Hitler marches, Eric Lamet and his parents flee for their lives. His father goes back to his native Poland — and never comes back. His mother hides out in Italy, on the run from place to place, taking her son deeper and deeper into the mountains to avoid capture. In A Child al Confino (Adams Media, $21.95) , a remarkable feat of memory and imagination, Lamet recreates the Italy he knew from the perspective of the scared and lonely child he once was. We not only see the hardships and terrors faced by foreign Jews in Fascist Italy, but also the friends Eric makes and his mother’s valiant efforts to make a home for him. 6pm
PJ Library Storytime celebrates Lag Ba’Omer and our beautiful world this month. The national PJ Library program supports families in their Jewish journey by sending Jewish-content books and music on a monthly basis to children. Presented in collaboration with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the Miami Beach JCC and the Lehrman Community Day School. 12:30pm
Savoring the Hamptons (Running Press, $30) by Silvia Lehrer is a culinary celebration of this unique region. The book is divided by season to highlight the variety of elements and characteristically rugged charm of the Hamptons. The ensemble of more than 250 recipes is accompanied by stories and photographs of local wineries, farmers, fisherman, artisans, and restaurateurs to create a Hamptons mosaic. From Starr Boggs in Westhampton Beach and Mecox Bay Dairy in Bridgehampton to Wolfer Estates in Sagaonack and Quail Hill Organic Farm in Amagansett, this is the definitive cookbook of the Hamptons. There are more than 60 stunning full-color food photographs and scenery shots throughout. 5pm
Mark Kurlansky, beloved author of the award-winning bestseller Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World, offers a riveting new book for kids about what ‘s happening to fish, the oceans, and our environment, and what, armed with knowledge, kids – and people of all ages — can do about it. Written by a master storyteller, World Without Fish (Workman, $16.95) connects all the dots biology, economics, evolution, politics, climate, history, culture, food, and nutrition in a way that everyone can really understand. It describes how the fish we most commonly eat, including tuna, salmon, cod, and swordfish, could disappear within 50 years, and the domino effect it would have oceans teeming with jellyfish and turning pinkish orange from algal blooms; seabirds disappearing, then reptiles, then mammals. Each beautifully illustrated chapter opener links to form a larger fictional story that complements the text. Hand in hand, they create a Silent Spring for a new generation. 7pm
Migrant farmworkers in the United States are routinely forced to live and work in unsafe, impoverished conditions. In response, farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida, the “tomato capital of the world,” formed the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Against powerful adversaries, the CIW went on to launch nationwide campaigns that have forced the corporate giants of the fast food and grocery industries to concede to their demands for increased wages and just working conditions. As their struggle, and that of immigrants and low-wage workers everywhere, continues, Silvia Giagnoni presents their remarkable story. Giagnoni is an Italian writer currently based in Montgomery, Alabama, where she works as an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Dramatic Arts at Auburn University Montgomery. Fields of Resistance: The Struggle of Florida’s Farmworkers for Justice(Haymarket, $17) is her first book. 8pm
When it comes to global poverty, people are passionate and polarized. At one extreme: We just need to invest more resources. At the other: We’ve thrown billions down a sinkhole over the last fifty years and accomplished almost nothing. Dean Karlan and Jacob Appel present an entirely new approach that blazes an optimistic and realistic trail between these two extremes. In this pioneering book, More Than Good Intentions (Dutton $26.95) , Karlan and Appel combine behavioral economics with worldwide field research. They take readers with them into villages across Africa, India, South America, and the Philippines, where economic theory collides with real life. This book provides a new way to understand what really works to reduce poverty; in so doing, it reveals how to better invest those billions and begin transforming the well-being of the world. 8pm
In War (Twelve, $15.99) , Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm) turns his brilliant and empathetic eye to the reality of combat–the fear, the honor, and the trust among men in an extreme situation whose survival depends on their absolute commitment to one another. His on-the-ground account follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a daily basis. Junger, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, collaborated with British photojournalist Tim Hetherington on the making of the Academy award-nominated film, Restrepo. The film follows the troops of 2nd Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment Airborne as they make their way in the Korangal Valley, arguably the deadliest place for US troops in Afghanistan. These men saw 500 firefights over a period of 15 months, sometimes 7 a day. Restrepo takes it name from the dangerous, isolated outpost the soldiers built in a hard fought moment of triumph. It also won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. On April 20, Hetherington was killed while covering the conflict in Libya, recounted by Junger here. Junger visited Books & Books when War was first published, last year. Tonight he returns for a reading and discussion that recent events have conspired to turn into a particularly poignant and meaningful evening. Books & Books is proud to join him in honoring his collaborator, confrere and friend. 8pm
City Theatre presents a preview of Camp Kappawanna, a rocking family musical, appropriate for all ages. This play celebrates timeless camp experiences with hip, cool music penned by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb (#1 single “Stay, I Missed You”) along with a book by rising talent Marco Ramirez. Join young Jenny Jenkins, awkward and adorable and 12, a kid who hasn’t really found herself just yet. She’s going away for the summer – her very first time leaving home. From the start, Camp Kappawanna makes audiences of all generations feel as if they, too, are joining in the fun of summer camp. Plus there will be a fun coloring activity for kids. 11am
Note: This event is in Spanish. Por favor únanse con nosotros esta tarde para compartir en un evento que les puede cambiar la vida. Books & Books en conjunto con FonoLibro, publicadores de audio libros en Español, se enorgullecen en presentar a Vicente Passariello. Passariello es un orador exitoso sobre los principios de la motivación y certificado en programación neurolingüística, la misma técnica en la que se basa el libro fenómeno El Secreto. Usando técnicas explicadas en su audio libro, Afirmaciones para su poder interior (Fonolibro,$12.95). Vicente les enseñara como pueden sacar todo lo quieran de la vida cuando dominan sus pensamientos y vencen sus miedos! 1pm
AUTOGRAPHING ONLY: As the breakout star of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa Giudice has quickly become a household name–and a New York Times bestselling author. Her first book, Skinny Italian, showcased the health benefits of Old World Italian cuisine. Now she returns with 60 more flavorful family recipes straight from Salerno in Fabulicious! Teresa’s Italian Family Cookbook (Running Press, $19.95) –with an emphasis on preparing, serving, and eating meals with the ones you love. Whether you’re packing lunches or fixing a weekend feast, Teresa has just the recipe that will keep your family coming back for more–and living La Bella Vita! 5pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Juanita, 8-midnight
Note: This event is in Spanish. En El regreso de la ballena, Santiago Rodríguez (Guantánamo 1940), analiza, comenta y desmitifica las diez mejores películas americanas exhibidas en cada año de este periodo. No se limita a cien, sino que hace consideraciones al respecto de otra generosa decena de algunos filmes que no cupieron en la lista. La selección se basó en un criterio bastante amplio y no estrictamente atado a valores estéticos. En su prólogo, Rodríguez señala: “Nada mejor para ilustrar, desnudar esta década, que la presentación y valoración de lo más significativo (no necesariamente lo mejor desde el punto de vista artístico) que se exhibió cada año. La selección para los Oscares, el criterio de la prensa extranjera…la participación en festivales internacionales…son termómetros de referencia en la confección de esta lista, sin olvidar las numerosas revistas especializadas que inundaban los estanquillos. Y una de ella Who’s Who in Hollywood…la que en sus páginas iniciales abría con las “10 mejores películas del año”, ya sea por calidad artística, actuación sobresaliente, o popularidad y ganancias recibidas, la que mejor se adaptó a la selección que aquí presentamos.” El producto de su minucioso trabajo investigativo y su subsecuente labor de creación, ya que a veces al leerlo se reinventan los filmes, es un libro que reune dos elementos que generalmente no aparecen juntos: erudición y amenidad. – Roberto Madrigal. 6pm
Karl Marlantes’ Matterhorn (Grove, $15.95) is an epic war novel in the tradition of Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead and James Jones’s The Thin Red Line. It is the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition. Almost as daunting, it turns out, are the obstacles they discover between each other: racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers. But when the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the Marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. The experience will change them forever. 3pm
Do you dream of traveling? Does the economy prevent you? The Miami Herald’s traveler extraordinaire and business editor Jane Wooldridge offers 100 great ways to satisfy your wanderlust without breaking the bank. The 100 Best Affordable Vacations to Enrich Your Life (National Geographic, $19.95) features out of the ordinary travel opportunities. They will just be less expensive, with some even free! Vacation categories include Classic Americana; Learning Vacations; Wilderness Trips; and Mind, Body, and Soul themed getaways. With this mix, there are lots of creative ideas and appealing destinations for everybody, whatever their interests, schedule, or budget. 7:30pm
Hugo Bianchi, the teen-age hero of “My Worst Date” meets the porn star and advertising lady whose story is recounted in “Never Eat In” in the Loire Valley in France. In Love in the Loire ($14.95) , the newest book by acclaimed author and photographer David Leddick, Hugo is now in his early twenties, an actor, and working in a summer theater festival in a French village. New York celebrities muster there and Hugo confronts lots of romance and the decision as to what will be next in his life. 7pm
Ryan Mack, Wall Streeter-come-financial advisor, has written Living in the Village (St. Martin’s, $14.99) for those who need a clear, accessible and tangible plan for getting personal finances in order once and for all. In a frank, accessible voice, Mack provides simple, easy-to-understand financial advice that you can implement right away. He developed a seven-step plan, featuring critical advice for: – Eliminating debt – Improving credit – Creating an emergency fund – Maximizing the company retirement plan and IRA – Avoiding financial predators – Diversifying your investments – Establishing a financial legacy for future generations. Each step of the way, Living in the Village not only educates you about financial planning tricks and pitfalls, but also, through numerous personal testimonies from ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their communities, shows you how to give back and contribute to the economic advancement to your community. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyad: Debbie Orta, 7pm – 12am midnight
Live Music in the Courtyard: Escaleno, 8-midnight
Max Zajack’s life is cheap rooms, dead-end jobs, and suicidal fantasies until he meets the alluring and mysterious Olivia Aphrodite, and everything goes to hell. Max is a struggling musician and wannabe writer. His life is in a rut until one night, while playing a gig at a local club, he gazes out into the crowd and sees Olivia. Before long, they are sharing a bed and host of dark vices that begin to consume them. Their love turns toxic, sending them spiraling downward toward the inevitable. Violently romantic, viscerally honest, Hating Olivia (Harper $13.99) by Mark SaFranko is the story of two loners whose obsessive love brings them to the edge of destruction. 7pm
Why are Mexicans so successful in individual sports, but deficient in team play? Why do Mexicans dislike living in skyscrapers? And why, though the Mexican people traditionally avoid conflict, is there so much violence in a country where many leaders have died by assassination? In this shrewd and fascinating book, the renowned scholar and former foreign minister Jorge Castañeda sheds much light on the puzzling paradoxes of his native country. Here’s a nation of 110 million that has an ambivalent and complicated relationship with the United States yet is host to more American expatriates than any country in the world. Mañana Forever? (Knopf, $26.95) is a compelling portrait of a nation at a crossroads. Presented in collaboration with Florida International University’s Latin American and Caribbean Center. 8pm