Since its founding in 1984, the Miami Book Fair International has become one of the cultural and social highlights of autumn in Miami. This year’s fair will take place from the 13th to the 20th of November.  More than 250 publishers and booksellers will exhibit and sell books. Authors from around the country and around the world will give readings and answer questions on their works and the process of writing.  The size and scope of the fair make taking it in a challenging process. Please join us to hear Fair co-founder and board member Mitchell Kaplan and Fair executive director Alina Interian discuss strategies for navigating its offerings and comment on the highlights of this year’s event. This event is presented in collaboration with the Center for the Humanities in an Urban Environment at Florida International University and is co-sponsored by WPBT – Channel 2, the FIU Alumni Association, and Books & Books. 8pm

Spend “AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS” to celebrate the publication of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (Little, Brown & Co., $21.99) . Featuring David Sedaris’s unique blend of hilarity and heart, this new collection of keen-eyed animal-themed tales is an utter delight. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday life. With original illustrations by Ian Falconer, author of the bestselling Olivia series of children’s books, these stories are David Sedaris at his most observant, poignant, and surprising. Purchase tickets here, or call 800-745-3000, or visit the Fillmore Box Office. Autographed books will also be available for purchase at the theater that evening and Mr. Sedaris will meet, greet and sign books to follow his performance. Books must be purchased from Books & Books to be eligible for signing. 7:30pm

In the first-ever photographic survey of gay men in America, Gay in America (Welcome Books, $45) , stereotypes are laid to rest and an intimate, honest picture of contemporary gay life is revealed through stunning personal portraits and narratives. Photographer Scott Pasfield traveled across all fifty states gathering stories and documenting the lives of 140 gay men from all walks of life. Each of these men is unique and whole, complex and fallible, just as we all are. They come in every size and shape, every religion, color, profession, and background. There are farmers, writers, doctors, lawyers, artists, teachers, students; there are fathers and husbands, activists, and business men. The message that prevails is one of great hope that true equality is close within our reach, if only we would grasp it. 7pm

In My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner (Schocken, $25.95) we meet Meir Shalev’s amazing Grandma Tonia, who arrived in Palestine by boat from Russia in 1923 and lived in a constant state of battle with what she viewed as the family’s biggest enemy in their new land: dirt. Grandma Tonia was never seen without a cleaning rag over her shoulder. She allowed only the most privileged guests to enter her spotless house. Hilarious and touching, Grandma Tonia and her regulations come richly to life in a narrative that circles around the arrival of the big, shiny American sweeper sent as a gift by Great Uncle Yeshayahu. The fate of Tonia’s “svieeperrr”— hidden away for decades in a spotless closed-off bathroom after its initial use— is a family mystery that Shalev determines to solve. The result is pure delight as Shalev brings to life the obsessive but loving Tonia, the pioneers who gave his childhood its spirit of wonder, and the grit and humor of people building ever-new lives. 7:30pm

The myth that the Bible forbids homosexuality is behind some of the most divisive and painful conflicts of our day. In this provocative, passionately argued, and game-changing book, scholar and activist Jay Michaelson shows that not only does the Bible not prohibit same-sex intimacy, but the vast majority of its teachings support the full equality and dignity of gay and lesbian people. With close readings of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, the latest data on the science of sexual orientation, and a sympathetic, accessible, and ecumenical approach to religious faith, Michaelson makes the case that sexual diversity is part of the beauty of nature and that the recognition of same-sex families will strengthen, not threaten, the values religious people hold dear. God vs. Gay (Beacon Press, $25.95)  is a plea for a more compassionate, informed conversation — and a first step toward creating one. 7:30pm

Adios, Happy Homeland! (Grove Press, $14)  is a wildly innovative collection of interlinked tales that challenge our preconceptions of storytelling. This critical look at the life of Cuban writer Ana Menéndez, pulls apart and reassembles the myths that have come to define her culture, blending illusion with reality and exploring themes of art, family, language, superstition, and the overwhelming need to escape—from the island, from memory, from stereotype, and, ultimately, from the self. With Adios Happy Homeland!, Ana Menéndez puts a contemporary twist on the troubled history of Cuba and offers a wry and poignant perspective on the conundrum of cultural displacement. Smart, accessible, and literary, it is a captivating portrayal of how stories are translated, (mis)interpreted, and shaped across time and traditions. Presented in collaboration with The Center @ Miami Dade College. 8pm

Photographer Scott Pasfield traveled across all fifty states gathering stories and documenting the lives of 140 gay men from all walks of life for Gay in America (Welcome Books, $45) . Each of these men is unique and whole, complex and fallible, just as we all are. They come in every size and shape, every religion, color, profession, and background. There are farmers, writers, doctors, lawyers, artists, teachers, students; there are fathers and husbands, activists, and business men. Some are successful, some are struggling, some are political, some are wealthy, some are wounded, and some are deeply content. 6pm

Imagine quickly preparing delicious meals for yourself, your friends, and your family with just 5 fabulous ingredients. Does it get any better? Absolutely, with Robin Takes 5! (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $29.99) by Food Network star Robin Miller. The book features 500 recipes and each dish is a mouthwatering 500 calories or less. In Robin Takes 5! 500 recipes highlight at least 10 different ethnic cuisines, and dishes range from soups, pizzas, and pastas, to chicken, beef, pork, seafood, side dishes, and desserts. Consider 70 recipes just for chicken, such as Cashew Crusted Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno-Mango Chutney, and 50 dessert recipes, such as Orange Marmalade Tart with Chocolate Covered Almonds. Consider yourself armed for mealtime. The next time the clock strikes 5:00 PM and you want both noshing and nourishment, check out Robin Takes 5! 8pm

Join Books & Books for Bal Harbour Art Night when we celebrate artist Sheila Elias and her dynamic collection with the book Somewhere-Anywhere ($39.95). Printed in full color, Somewhere-Anywhere brims with the visual vitality that has pervaded Elias’ work from the start and ensured her popularity with art-world professionals and the general public alike. The book highlights her collection of paintings, collages, sculptures, photographs and installations over the past three decades. “Sheila Elias is an artist’s artist – a painter, printmaker, sculptor, photographer, and champion of mixed media, whose pint-sized physical presence belies the Promethean energy she pours into and lavishes upon every single composition,” said Denise Most Gerson of the Lowe Art Museum. Gerson will be in conversation with Shelia Elias tonight for a discussion of her new book and vast array of artwork. With the purchase of Somewhere-Anywhere on Bal Harbour Art Night, you will receive a complimentary DVD featuring an overview of her work. 7pm

In her position as America’s chief diplomat, Condoleezza Rice traveled almost continuously around the globe, seeking common ground among sometimes bitter enemies, forging agreement on divisive issues, and compiling a remarkable record of achievement. No Higher Honor (Crown, $35) takes the reader into secret negotiating rooms where the fates of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Lebanon often hung in the balance, and it draws back the curtain on how frighteningly close all-out war loomed in clashes involving Pakistan-India and Russia-Georgia, and in East Africa. In No Higher Honor, she delivers a master class in statecraft  — but always in a way that reveals her essential warmth and humility, and her deep reverence for the ideals on which America was founded. A Charles E. Cobb Leadership Lecture in collaboration with Books & Books. SOLD OUT: If you already have your tickets, then your autographed copy of the book will be available for redemption at the event. You MUST show your copy of the receipt in order to claim your book, so please do not lose it. 1pm

Join us for a book signing and conversation with John Peden, noted guitar photographer, to celebrate the release of The Guitar Collection: An Elite Gathering of 150 Exceptional Guitars (Epic Ink, 2011). Peden was one of three photographers who shot the stunning guitar images featured within this limited collector’s edition, which has been described as a “photographic odyssey.” Peden, a guitar collector himself, traveled to a vast array of locations all over the United States and throughout London, to shoot the specially chosen guitars in museums, guitar shops, cafes, studios, and people’s homes. Peden will discuss the making of this epic book, the art of guitar photography, and share stories from his years of experience as one of the most respected guitar photographers in the world. 6:30pm
It is 1903. Dr. Ravell is a young Harvard-educated obstetrician with a growing reputation for helping couples conceive. He has treated women from all walks of Boston society, but when Ravell meets Erika, an opera singer, he knows their doctor-patient relationship will be like none he has ever had. After struggling for years to become pregnant, Erika believes there is no hope. Her mind is made up: she will leave her prominent Bostonian husband to pursue her career in Italy, a plan both unconventional and risky. Lush and stunningly realized, The Doctor and the Diva (Penguin, $15) moves from snowy Boston to the jungles of Trinidad to the gilded balconies of Florence. This magnificent debut by Adrienne McDonnell is a tale of passionate love affairs, dangerous decisions, and a woman’s irreconcilable desires as she is forced to choose between the child she has always longed for and the opera career she cannot live without. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Federico Britos and Jorge Garcia, 7-11pm
Coral Gables Gallery Night: 7-10pm

When I turned 40, I left my humid, cushy life as a professor and part-time bon vivant in Miami and relocated to Tirana, Albania, to teach journalism. Once there, the Balkans entranced me — the staunch dignity, the coarse poverty, the ripe and lurching turbulences and the audible sound of history physically unfolding around me. Laura Kelly‘s coyly roguish collection of stories, Dispatches from the Republic of Otherness (What in the World, $15) takes readers from Bulgaria to Mongolia to Armenia and countries further afield. With a generous sense of wonder and mischief and the keen eye of a storytelling journalist, Kelly chronicles the surprising resonance of ordinary encounters with her students, her neighbors and herself viewed through the prism of a stranger in strange lands. 7pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: 8pm-Midnight

The Cancer Dancer (San Pedro Publishing, $14.99) documents Emmy Award winner, author, and photographer Patricia San Pedro’s battle with breast cancer. Pat intimately shares her healing journey and a collection of tips, advice, and innovative ideas learned from her experiences as well as other women who have walked the same path. The Cancer Dancer is for patients and those who love them. It is also for anyone who wants to live a more peaceful, happy life. The book is empowering, life changing, informative, uplifting, and easy to read. 4pm
A distinctive urban American vernacular voice combines with colorful life experiences to produce this deep, insightful collection of poetry. In From a Whisper to a SCREAM (Xlibris, $29.99), Richard Cooper Williams, taps into the rich primal root of the diaspora. Williams displays a disarming ability for words as he uses insight and emotional intensity to capture deftly the nearly inexpressible things in life. He fastens his poetic hooks deep into readers with stirring and thought-provoking compositions like “Resignation”, “Snow and Silence”, and “Low Tide Suicide”. Deeply insightful while being distinctly urban, From a Whisper to a SCREAM offers a unique appeal that keeps abreast with modern culture while transcending the trappings of time. 6pm

In his most ambitious collection yet, Steve Almond offers a comic and forlorn portrait of these United States: our lust for fame, our racial tensions, the toll of perpetual war, and the pursuit of romantic happiness. Each of these thirteen stories is an urgent investigation of America’s soul, its particular suffering, its injustices, its possibilities for redemption. With deft sleight of hand, Almond leavens his disappointment and outrage with a persistent hope for the men and women who inhabit his worlds. God Bless America (Lookout Books, $17.95) offers us a vision of our collective fate. 8pm

Kim Barnouin has already told her fans how to “stop eating crap and start looking fabulous.” But there’s more to being a Skinny Bitch than eating well. Turns out, there’s crap everywhere—not just in food, but in cosmetics, clothing, and home furnishings. In Skinny Bitch: Home, Beauty, & Style (Running Press, $22) , Kim blows the lid on all of the nasties in our everyday stuff (everything from lipstick to sofa upholstery), and shows how we can make both small and big changes in our home, wardrobe, and beauty regimen—for living the Ultimate Skinny Bitch lifestyle! 7pm

From Pulitzer Prize winner Edna Buchanan, the novel she has always wanted to write: the gripping saga of star-crossed lovers across generations. A century ago, the legendary John Ashley was accused of murder and sentenced to hang. He insisted he was innocent and went on the run with his sweetheart, Laura. This is their true story of prison breaks, bootlegging, bank robberies, and piracy on the high seas. Their sensual and dreamy saga of love, passion, and violence is juxtaposed with the taut and suspenseful story of their fictional descendants who share the same love and dangers a hundred years later. In today’s Miami, Homicide Sergeant John Ashley investigates a millionaire’s spectacular murder and instantly recognizes a stunning model linked to the case as the girl who has haunted his dreams since childhood. Her name is Laura, and the lightning-fast attraction is supernaturally mutual. The homicide case goes bad, Ashley is falsely accused of murder, and the new lovers go on the run as history repeats itself. The question is, how powerful is the past? Do the present-day renegades stand a chance? Does anyone? Can any of us with the outlaw patterns of violence and tragedy imprinted in our DNA ever break the cycle? Can we change our own destiny? Or must the end always be the same for dangerous people in dangerous times? In a sweeping epic that explores the inevitability of fate and the belief in predestination, A Dark and Lonely Place(Simon & Schuster, $26) draws the reader into an unforgettable world of intrigue, drama, romance, and tragedy. 8pm

Join us for the Ultimate Skinny Bitch Lifestyle Event with author Kim Barnouin at the Bal Harbour Shops. There will be complimentary cocktails and beauty tips – and a chance to chat with Skinny Bitch co-author Kim Barnouin, because there’s more to being a Skinny Bitch than eating well. Turns out, there’s crap everywhere—not just in food, but in cosmetics, clothing, and home furnishings. In Skinny Bitch: Home, Beauty, & Style (Running Press, $22) , Kim Barnouin blows the lid on all of the nasties in our everyday stuff (everything from lipstick to sofa upholstery), and shows how we can make both small and big changes in our home, wardrobe, and beauty regimen—for living the Ultimate Skinny Bitch lifestyle! 6pm

The Splendor of Cuba (Rizzoli, $85) by Michael Connors gives an unprecedented tour of stunning and architecturally significant Cuban palacios, mansions, and private homes that have been meticulously preserved, previously un-photographed, and inaccessible to visitors. It presents not the picturesque Cuba of Castro’s era, with its derelict buildings and peeling paint, but the opulent world of the Spanish Creole aristocracy of the colonial period, with its Mudejar craftsmanship and baroque palacios, the sugarcane plantations (ingenios) and coffee plantations (cafetales), and classically inspired grand mansions. Exceptional preservation work has kept these villas in the magnificent state in which they were first envisioned. The photographs, shot exclusively for this book, show examples in each area of the island-from the interiors and exteriors in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Pinar del R’o to close-up details of courtyards, balconies, galleries, balustrades, grilles, and louvered doors in Trinidad, Matanzas, and Holguin. 6:30pm

Art Basel Miami Beach has become the phenomenon of the art world each December. Miami rises to the occasion, with numerous venues and satellite fairs surrounding the main event on Miami Beach. It can be difficult to know where to start. Every gallery, storefront, and vacant space, indoors and outdoors, is filled with art. All of which takes place in only one week. How can one possibly maneuver the scene? Director and Chief Curator at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum, Carol Damian is long familiar with the fair and its events. Join us for Navigating Basel, tonight at 7pm, in Room 107 of the Frost Art Museum — a free lecture co-presented by the Center for the Humanities in an Urban Environment and Books & Books.

You’re invited to our Books & Books Small Business Breakfast to get you ready for the busy holiday season. From our small, independent and locally owned business to yours, this is our chance to support each other. Join us for this Holiday Gift Preview with Laura Deutsch, our director of corporate sales, and Doug Greenhut, president of The Book Company. As the holiday season rolls around, you’re looking for the perfect gift to give your clients and customers, something personal, meaningful — and reasonably priced. And we’ve got just that — Logo My Books! Books & Books will help you chose that special book your clients will keep turning to — and customize it with your company logo and even a personal note from you inside. And all for just pennies over the cover price. It’s the holiday gift that comes from the heart but won’t break the bank. So, just us for bagels, brew and books — a can’t-miss combo. Click here to RSVP. Presented in collaboration with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. 8am
At the age of seventeen, in the glory days of movie-making, Piper Laurie was living every little girl’s dream. Her name was emblazoned on marquees across America for hit movies of the fifties such as the The Prince Who Was a Thief, The Mississippi Gambler, and Ain’t Misbehavin’. After years in the studio system, shy Piper found her voice and the courage to burn her contract. It was only after she left the oppressive studio culture that she began to star in the TV shows, plays, and films that truly became the hallmarks of her career. She grew into a three-time Oscar-nominated actress, an accomplished sculptor, and a director. This memoir, Learning to Live Out Loud (Crown Archetype, $24.99) is the inspiring tale of Piper’s perseverance to break from tradition and to practice her craft at the highest level.  7pm
Left of Hollywood (University of Texas Press, $63.25) offers the first book-length study of Depression-era Left film theory and criticism in the United States. Chris Robe studies the development of this theory and criticism over the course of the 1930s, as artists and intellectuals formed alliances in order to establish an engaged political film movement that aspired toward a popular cinema of social change.  Robe focuses on how film theorists and critics sought to foster audiences who might push both film culture and larger social practices in more progressive directions. Turning at one point to anti-lynching films, Robe discusses how these movies united black and white film critics, forging an alliance of writers who championed not only critical spectatorship but also the public support of racial equality. 8pm

Carmen Marc Valvo has been dressing leading ladies and It Girls for more than thirty years, including such notable stars as Kate Winslet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Beyoncé, Katie Couric, and Mary J. Blige. Carmen’s eveningwear and cocktail dresses have become a trusted favorite among women, who look and feel beautiful in his clothing. With tips for dressing according to age and occasion, thoughts on silhouettes and hemlines, advice on styling and accessorizing and on how to perfect an unforgettable look, Dressed to Perfection (Rizzoli, $29.95) will inspire women to live their ultimate red-carpet moment, whether that means looking fabulous for a summer afternoon party, a glamorous cocktail soiree, or a black-tie event. This book will empower women to find their own sense of style to achieve the perfect, unforgettable look, whatever the occasion. Presented in collaboration with the Fur Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour Shops. 7:30pm

Popular YA author Kimberly Derting takes us into the violent country of Ludania, where the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place. Looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom in The Pledge (Margaret K. McElderry, $16.99) . 7pm

Join us for the Grand Opening Party for the Gift Shop by Books & Books @ the Coral Gables Museum. We’re celebrating Books & Books style — with champagne & cupcakes, a DJ and fascinating presentation by famed historian and Museum director Arva Moore Parks — for a store shop full of that Books & Books style you count on! The Gift Shop has all those carefully curated pieces you count on us to find. We’ve imported work from around the globe from fair trade artisans, including limited-edition sculptures from Mexico. Come here for interestingly and effortlessly cool items with nothing getting in the way. From jewelry to gifts, from bags to baskets, we have those pieces you just can’t find elsewhere. You’ll want to do all your holiday shopping here! And you can even get a jump on it now tonight. 6-9pm
More about Arva’s talk: Historian, author and curator of the inaugural exhibition Creating the Dream: George Merrick and His Vision For Coral Gables, Parks explores George Merrick’s fertile imagination and how nature, people and his experiences shaped a vision that became Coral Gables. She will also talk about those who helped turn an intellectual study into a living exhibit designed by Tom Graboski and fabricated by SFY Architectural Signs and Displays. The exhibit is housed in The Coral Gables Galleries — five rooms that were once the Coral Gables Police and Fire Station jail. Now beautifully restored, the rooms provide an intimate space to tell the story from the beginning. Museum entrance is $7. Members: FREE. The exhibition is on view. Talk begins at 7pm. Followed by more gift shop shopping, music and bubbly!

Raised under racial segregation, Norma Watkins grows up listening at doors, trying to penetrate the secrets and silences of the black help and of her parents’ marriage. Groomed to be an ornament to white patriarchy, she sees herself failing at the ideal of becoming a southern lady. Once integration is court-mandated, her beloved father becomes a stalwart captain in defense of Jim Crow as a counselor to fiery, segregationist Governor Ross Barnett. His daughter flounders, looking for escape. A sexually bleak marriage only emphasizes a growing emotional emptiness. When a civil rights lawyer offers love and escape, does a good southern lady dare leave her home state and closed society behind? With humor and heartbreak, The Last Resort (University Press of Mississippi, $28) , her compelling memoir conveys at once the idyllic charm and the impossible compromises of a lost way of life. 6:30pm

Join us for a showing of The Beckoning of Lovely 11/11/11 at 11:11am. The Beckoning of Lovely 11/11/11 is a new kind of feature film and the grand finale of a project that began on 8/08/08 from the creative mind of author/illustrator Amy Krouse Rosenthal. A sort of interactive love letter to the universe, this film is rooted in human connection and perhaps best enjoyed in the company of others. So, we’re gathering to watch this together, as people will be doing from Millennium Park in Chicago (where Amy Krouse Rosenthal will be with her yellow umbrella, as per usual) to Buea, Cameroon — and everywhere in between and beyond. Click here to watch a trailer for The Beckoning of Lovely. It beckons! 11:11am
Live Music in the Courtyard: The Ike and Val Woods Revue plays a dynamic blend of get-up-and-dance blues, R&B and soul music. Their stellar performances in night clubs, private parties, civic functions, festivals and concerts throughout the USA, Caribbean, Mexico and Europe are uplifting treats for the eyes, ears and spirit. Opening Performance: Jerry Brown, Gary Loucas and legendary guitarist Ike Woods perform original songs from Jerry’s “You Are Thunder” CD. Note: This special music event runs 9pm-midnight.

Tom Brokaw, known and beloved for his landmark work in American journalism now turns his attention to the challenges that face America in the new millennium, to offer reflections on how we can restore America’s greatness. Rooted in the values, lessons, and verities of generations past and of his South Dakota upbringing, Brokaw weaves together inspiring stories of Americans who are making a difference and personal stories from his own family history, to engage us in a conversation about our country and to offer ideas for how we can revitalize the promise of the American Dream. The Time of Our Lives (Random House, $26) gives us, a wise, honest, and wide-ranging book, a nourishing vision of hopefulness in an age of diminished expectations. FREE TICKETS are available for this event at Books & Books Coral Gables, Miami Beach and Bal Harbour Shops. Limit 2 tickets per person, while supplies last. This event is presented by The Center @ Miami Dade College in collaboration with Books & Books. 7:30pm

Glenn Ford — star of such now-classic films as Gilda, Blackboard Jungle, The Big Heat, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Rounders — had rugged good looks, a long and successful career, and a glamorous Hollywood life. Yet the man who could be accessible and charming on screen retreated to a deeply private world he created behind closed doors. Glenn Ford: A Life (University of Wisconsin Press, $24.95) tells a cautionary tale of Glenn Ford’s relentless infidelities and long, slow fade-out, but it also embraces his talent-driven career. This biography by his son, Peter Ford, offers an intimate view of a star’s private and public life. Included are exclusive interviews with family, friends, and professional associates, and sand rare candid photos. This biography. The result is an authentic Hollywood story that isn’t afraid to reveal the truth. Stop by our Bal Harbour Shops location today at noon to meet-and-greet Peter Ford and have your copy of the book signed. 12pm

Please note this event is in Spanish: ¿Cuál fue la vía empleada por Hitler para escapar del Búnker cuando Berlín estaba rodeada por los soviéticos? ¿Cómo y dónde se prepararon los dobles que utilizó? ¿Adónde fue a vivir los últimos años de su vida? ¿Cuáles gobiernos lo ayudaron a escapar? ¿Por qué murió asesinado y quién lo mató? ¿Dónde está enterrado actualmente? ¿Por qué la organización nazi “El hombre que vendrá” no ha escatimado recursos para encontrar el “cilindro” donde se hallan los microfilmes que guardan los tres secretos más importantes del nazismo y que Hitler ocultó en su cuerpo: “Las cuentas durmientes”, “El oro del Tíber” y “El enigma blanco”? ¿Qué papel ha desempeñado el Vaticano en toda esta trama de intriga, misterio, suspenso e historia? Respuestas a estas y otras preguntas encontrará el lector en la novela de Arnaldo Tauler, La noche de los Escorpiones (Xlibris, $19.99) , donde se mezclan hechos y personajes reales en una trama histórica fascinante que hasta nuestros días no había tenido una solución válida. 7pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Sam Savage Quartet, 8pm-Midnight

Jennifer Nicole Lee’s inspirational weight loss success story has motivated millions worldwide. She is the world’s top fitness model, and now she will show you the way! It’s your turn to become the new “fitness model” you—sexy, strong, and sleek! In JNL’s Fitness Model Diet (Advantage Media, $26.99) , she reveals her top trade secrets of the Super Fitness Model life. Explore JNL’s all-time favorite and fail-proof workouts. Get two weeks worth of JNL’s fitness model recipes and food plans to help you blast fat off fast, revealing feminine muscle tone. JNL also shows you how to build a successful fitness modeling career and prepare for a great photo shoot with fitness model Must-Do’s.  She is an international fitness celebrity, bestselling author, highly sought after motivational keynote speaker, certified life coach, Team BSN athlete, a Specialist in Sports Nutrition and Supplementation with a focus on anti-aging. 7pm

iLearn iPad Class with Luis Saladrigas of Media57: Do you have lots of fabulous gadgets, full of amazing technology that you’re dying to tap into? You just know there’s so much more you could be doing with your iPad, if only someone could unleash its full potential. Well, today’s the day you open the door to the wonderful world of tablet technology. Learn all the fun and function of your iPad and all the amazing apps – including the brand new Bal Harbour Shops app specifically for the iPad (you’ll never shop the same way again!). Click here to RSVP to this complimentary class presented by Bal Harbour Shops. 11am

Miami Short Film Festival and Books & Books present: Screenwriting for Short Films with Crissa-Jean Chappell and Rolando Viñas. Crissa-Jean Chappell holds an MFA in screenwriting and a Ph.D. in interdepartmental studies (film theory, literature and philosophy). Her debut novel, Total Constant Order is a Florida Book Award Medalist, Editor’s Choice Book, and New York Public Library Book For The Teen Age. Chappell has taught film and creative writing at Miami International University of Art and Design for ten years. Rolando Viñas is a South Florida Screenwriter who has been optioned five times. Rolando teaches “One on One” as well as at Miami Dade College’s School of Continuing Education. 5:30pm

In I Was a Dancer (Knopf, $35) , Jacques d’Amboise tells the extraordinary story of his life in dance, and of America’s most renowned and admired dance companies. As George Balanchine’s protégé, d’Amboise had more works choreographed on him by “the supreme Ballet Master” than any other dancer. We see him, a neighborhood tough, in Catholic schools being taught by the nuns; on the streets, fighting with neighborhood gangs, and taking ten classes a week at the School of American Ballet. Being taught professional class by Balanchine  and by other teachers of great legend. D’Amboise writes about dancing with and courting one of the company’s members, who became his wife for fifty-three years, and the four children they had. He writes of the moment when he realizes his dancing career is over and he begins a new life and new dream — teaching children all over the world about the arts through the magic of dance. A riveting, magical book, as transformative as dancing itself. 6pm

Miami Short Film Festival and Books & Books present: Independent Producing with Director/Producer Billy Corben. Billy Corben was born in Florida and a University of Miami graduate. His feature documentary directorial debut, Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, making him one of the youngest directors in Sundance history. With producing partner Alfred Spellman, Corben founded rakontur, a Miami Beach-based production company and achieved worldwide acclaim with a string of documentaries: Cocaine Cowboys, Cocaine Cow- boys 2, The U, Square Grouper, The Limelight and Dawgfight. In 10 years, rakontur has be- come one of the most influential non-fiction production companies in the world. Billy continues to live and work in South Florida, where he actively supports the local filmmaking community. 5:30pm

Miami Short Film Festival and Books & Books present: Video Camera Workshop with Canon’s Larry Thorpe and Midtown Video’s Jesse Miller.  Larry Thorpe serves as national marketing executive for the broadcast and communications division at Canon. He helped pioneer HD and digital production in the broadcast and motion picture industry. He holds ten patents in the field of broadcast development. In the past, Thorpe worked in the Designs Dept. of the BBC in London, England and Sony Electronics. Jesse Miller is a 9-year veteran at Midtown Video, Miami’s Broadcast and Professional Video Powerhouse, opened by his father Kenn Miller in 1984. He is best known as producer and host of The Video Show, with Jesse Miller,” a live Internet TV show, where he reviews equipment, interviews filmmakers, and tells jokes. 5:30pm

Miami Short Film Festival and Books & Books present: Editing with Avid and Final Cut Pro Editors Oscar Graterol and Ariel Rubalcava. Oscar Graterol, Senior Editor and Owner of “Handle Like Eggs Productions” in Miami, FL has been editing for over 15 years successfully delivered commercial work, featured documentaries, films, reality series and promos for Dreamworks, HBO, MTV, The National Geographic Channel The Discovery Channel. Ariel Rubalcava is an Emmy Award winning editor with over 20 years of production experience. He has worked for NBC, Telemundo, Univision and the Disney Network. He has been the technical director for the Miami Short Film Festival since its inception. 5:30pm

Are you too hard on yourself? Are you fed up with the people in your life who just don’t get it? Do you feel like you never have enough time? Are you stuck in a pattern you cannot break no matter how hard you try? If so, you are caught in the Frustration Cycle, and you are getting nowhere fast. If you long for a satisfying relationship, if you feel that something is interfering with your professional success, or if you don’t understand why you let a certain situation bother you so much, this book is for you. Enlightening Moments: Living Beyond the Frustration Cycle (Pacific Horizon Consulting, $19.95) has the power to transform every area of your life. This paradigm is revolutionary because it works. Gary and Radha Bello don’t just talk about what’s possible… they walk you through the step-by-step process required to unwind the habits that bind. With simple practices, playful curiosity, and an openness to grace, you will see what used to bother you the most transform into the revelation you’ve been waiting for. 8pm
Live Music in the Courtyard: Emmet Cohen Trio, 7pm-11pm

Miami Short Film Festival and Books & Books present: Entertainment Law: How to protect your work with Faudlin Pierre.  Faudlin Pierre is a South Florida native. He received a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and his law degree from the University of Kentucky. He is admitted to practice law in the state of Florida and the United States Southern District of Florida. Mr. Pierre litigates and transacts on behalf of his clients. He has written legal articles for Sports Business Journal, negotiated sponsorship agreements with companies such as Nike & Adidas, and has advise various athletes on the legal repercussions of their potential actions. 5:30pm

Live Music in the Courtyard: Steve Kornicks and Deuces Wild, 8pm-Midnight

Sure, he’s an excitable guy. Sure, he loves to complain. But Regis Philbin loves life… and with the wildly unpredictable one he’s led so far, who wouldn’t? After five decades in show business—and nearly 17,000 unforgettable hours on television—he has a lifetime’s worth of stories to share and joins us this evening to tell us… How I Got This Way (It Books, $25.99) ! How did Regis get this way? Tonight, you’ll hear some of the stories of lessons learned—and elbows rubbed—with extraordinary, and often unsuspecting, teachers: David Letterman; Donald Trump; George Clooney; Howard Stern; and Lou Holtz; and, of course, longtime cohosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly “Pippa” Ripa; as well as his own lovely wife, Joy—to name just a few. Tickets are required for this event and will be available at our Coral Gables, Miami Beach and Bal Harbour Shops stores — and online. Click the BUY button here to purchase them online now and pick them up at Will Call at the event. (You must chose the Pay Online Now option.) Purchase a copy of How I Got This Way and you will receive one ticket good for TWO people to the event, which consists of a short talk followed by a book signing meet-and-greet with Regis. 7:30pm

Happy Thanksgiving! Our Coral Gables and Bal Harbour Shops stores and their Cafes will be closed today. Our Miami Beach store and Café will be open 10am-5pm.

Live Music in the Courtyard: Emmet Cohen Trio, 7pm-11pm

Coral Gables will celebrate Small Business Saturday on November 26, 2011. Chosen as one of only 15 communities to be featured during this program created by American Express, our day will begin at Books & Books — the iconic retailer and quintessential small business. American Express created the Small Business Saturday program in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: more demand for their products and services. This initiative is especially relevant in Coral Gables given the importance of small business. As we know, they are the lifeblood of local communities and the engine of OUR local economy by helping create jobs, community and long-term engagement. Other activities will occur throughout the day in the heart of the City Beautiful, as well as in the Village of Merrick Park, our two distinct retail districts. Stay tuned for more details!
Live Music in the Courtyard: Chris Gaskell Trio, 8pm-Midnight

Piano Story Time — Miami Piano Academy offers a special musical twist for story time — bringing musical accompaniment to classic stories. Awaken your creativity and imagination with musical version of Hansel and Gretel, as we kick off this monthly series. 2pm

A Voice Called: Stories of Jewish Heroism (Gefen Books, $15) by Yossi Katz is a collection of articles about some of the great Jewish heroes of modern times. The book is a collage of role models and inspiring makers of Jewish history. The stories are written to shed light on Jewish history and to inspire the reader to live in the present with pride and dignity and to help build a better future. Some of the heroes are famous like Chaim Nachman Bialik, Sarah Aaronsohn, Rachel the Poetess, David Marcus and Menachem Begin. Other chapters deal with little known heroes like Michael Halpern, Manya Shochat and Zivia Lubetkin and then there are the unsung heroes like Michael Levin, Adam Bier, Alex Singer and Brian Bebchick. Presented in collaboration with the Alexander S. Muss High School in Israel program. 6pm

April Moss writes obituaries for the Miami Herald. Her son, Sawyer, also a writer, has been scripting a cable TV series called “Miami Ops” and has been using his mother’s work as a central element of the show’s storyline. In “Miami Ops,” a serial killer is using obituaries published in the local paper as a blueprint for selecting his next victims. But midway through the season, a copycat appears off-screen, a real-life killer who is using the same strategy to select victims. When this serial killer crosses paths with the reclusive Thorn, he has no choice but to leave his sanctuary in Key Largo and join forces with a young policewoman from Oklahoma who is investigating the murders. With the pacing of a thriller, and the lyrical prose for which James W. Hall is renowned, Dead Last (Minotaur, $25.99) pits Thorn against a killer—or killers—whose motives are as elusive as their identities. 8pm

Paula Wolfert’s name is synonymous with revealing the riches of authentic Mediterranean cooking, especially the cuisine of Morocco. In The Food of Morocco (Ecco, $45) , she brings to bear more than forty years of experience of, love of, and original research on the traditional foodways of that country. Lavishly photographed in full color, The Food of Morocco not only showcases Wolfert’s tantalizing recipes but also evokes Morocco in all its timeless splendor and mystery: its markets with their lush produce, its dazzling textiles and intricate mosaic tiles, its communal ovens and ancient souks, and of course its people, from Marrakech to Tangier. A labor of love four decades in the making, The Food of Morocco is a once-in-a-lifetime book of uncommon scope and authenticity, an essential work for every serious cook, anyone interested in Moroccan cuisine, and discerning armchair travelers alike. 6:30pm
Waldo Díaz-Balart is a Cuban painter living in Madrid, Spain. He studied accounting and political science and economics in Havana before moving to New York to pursue art studies in 1962. His work — explorations of color and light in geometric paintings and light sculpture — has been widely exhibited. Most recently, he had one-man shows in the Netherlands, in Spain and in the United States at the Art Gallery of Florida International University. He is the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation fellowship and his work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Mondriaanhuis in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, and the Museum of Modern Art in Huenfeld, Germany, among others. In 1992, he published the book Waldo Díaz-Balart, Ensayos de Arte (Cintas for art, 1968-69, 1969-70). He acted in two movies by Andy Warhol, The Life of Juanita Castro in 1965 and The Loves of Ondine in 1968. Tonight, he joins us for a conversation about his life and work, on the eve of the opening of Art Basel/Miami Beach. 8pm

Let’s all go to the zoo!  Zoo Miami’s legendary Ron Magill brings the zoo to us tonight with a look inside Zoo Miami’s first ever Wildlife Calendar 2012 ($10). Ron, an award-winning wildlife photographer, will talk about capturing the stunning images featured in the calendar and will give a presentation featuring many of the breathtaking images he has taken of wildlife around the world. From Africa to the Galapagos and from India to Alaska, Ron will take you for a walk on the wild side that you will never forget! With a special Surprise Guest from the animal kingdom, live at Books & Books! 7:30pm

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 cancers, AIDS-related diseases, 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. The Reconnection (Hay House, $14.95) takes you on Dr. Pearl’s journey from the discovery of his ability to facilitate healings, to his well-deserved reputation as the instrument through which this process is being introduced to the world. But most important, The Reconnection reveals methods you can use to personally master these new healing energies. 7pm
In a global society where languages float across borders, race and class, we have become a nation of polyglot people. At the University of Miami, the student body represents 146 nations and it is common to walk across the campus and hear conversations in more than two or three languages. Not unusual when you consider that the U.S. Census Bureau has determined that the number of people speaking a language other than English at home has doubled in the last three decades. The UM Creative Writing Department‘s reading series, Polyglot Writers: Writing Across Languages explores the fluidity of words as they define and redesign the narratives of writers who come from multiple languages, cultures and traditions. This year, the department has partnered with Books & Books to host Writers’ Salons at Books & Books. Tonight’s edition features Natalie Handal and Ishion Hutchinson for a conversation that focuses on the play of language in all its forms. Join us at 8:30pm