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Nghi Vo & Cassandra Khaw at Harvard Book Store
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About This Event
Harvard Book Store welcomes Nghi Vo—USA Today bestselling author of Siren Queen, The Chosen and the Beautiful, Don't Sleep with the Dead, and The City in Glass—and Cassandra Khaw—bestselling and Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Library at Hellebore—for a discussion of their new novels, The Scarlet Ball (Vo) and Find Me Where It Ends (Khaw).
About The Scarlet Ball
From USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo, this all-consuming tale of ballrooms and bloodshed weds The Gilded Age with the Gothic vision of Guillermo del Toro.
Pick a face, pick a fate. Judith Ban, former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief, is on the lookout for her next identity. The daughter of a Vietnamese adventuress and a French naval officer, she’s no stranger to risk, but she’s unprepared for the secrets of New York’s legendary Four Hundred, or for the women who build their power at the city’s heart through blood-soaked, gold-etched rituals of demonic marriage. In exchange for enough wealth to outrun her past, Judith strikes a deal with the matriarch of the powerful Howard family: she will stand in for the missing Howard granddaughter, who was poised to make her debut when she disappeared. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall’s face stitched over her own, Judith is white, rich, and about to risk body and soul in the deadly games that determine which girls will find a match—and which will be devoured. If she can keep her wits and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power who will be hers to command... so long as she can keep his infinite hungers fed. But to survive the season, Judith will have to seduce a storm in the shape of a man, before the night to which everything has been leading—the Scarlet Ball where the demons choose their brides.
A razor-sharp subversion of romance tropes and nightmare of manners, Vo's fusion of history and fantasy does for Edith Wharton what her acclaimed debut The Chosen and the Beautiful did for F. Scott Fitzgerald.
About Find Me Where It Ends
A woman wakes up to find the black hound of Death at her front door in this hauntingly beautiful tale from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw.
Antigone is no stranger to death. For the women of her family, death always comes in the form of a black dog. When Antigone’s own black dog arrives, she isn’t afraid. She invites it inside, where it soon becomes a daily source of companionship and comfort. It also forces her to reflect on the life she’s led—the parts of herself she’s hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that’s hounded her every step. Her Death’s arrival must be a sign, permission to finally let go. To rest. Because while mortality is inevitable, living is a choice. But a good death comes at a price.
Bios
Nghi Vo is the USA Today bestselling author of Siren Queen, The Chosen and the Beautiful, Don't Sleep with the Dead, and The City in Glass, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. Her work has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and Lambda Literary Awards and the LA Times and Ursula K. Le Guin Prizes, and has won the Crawford, Ignyte, and Hugo Awards. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind.
Cassandra Khaw is the USA Today bestselling and Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Library at Hellebore, Nothing But Blackened Teeth, The Salt Grows Heavy, Breakable Things, and coauthor of The Dead Take the A Train with Richard Kadrey. They are an award-winning game writer.
Unable to attend a Harvard Book Store author event? You can still pre-order a signed book by one of our visiting authors. While we can't guarantee fulfillment of a signed book pre-order, our authors are almost always able to sign extra books to fulfill such orders.
About the Venue
More at Harvard Book Store
Neal Stephenson at First Parish Church
Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, and the Harvard Library welcome Neal Stephenson—#1 New York Times bestselling author of Polostan and Cryptonomicon—for a discussion of his highly anticipated new book, D: Heavy Water, the second installment in his monumental Bomb Light series-a gripping tale set on the eve of World War II, as nations race to find and control an elusive substance critical to building atomic weapons. TICKETING Tickets include admission for one and one hardcover copy of D: Heavy Water pre-signed by the author. Following the presentation Neal Stephenson will personalize books. Note: Books bundled with tickets may only be picked up at the venue the night of the event, and cannot be picked up in-store beforehand. Ticket holders who purchased a book-included ticket and are unable to attend the event will be able to pick up their book at Harvard Book Store up to 30 days following the event. This offer expires after 30 days. Please note we cannot guarantee signed copies will be available to ticket holders who do not attend the event. ABOUT D: Heavy Water From Neal Stephenson, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Polostan and Cryptonomicon, comes the second installment in his monumental Bomb Light series—a gripping tale set on the eve of World War II, as nations race to find and control an elusive substance critical to building atomic weapons. Europe, 1934. British journalist Owen Crisp-Upjohn is dispatched to Moscow, where his assignments quickly escalate from cultural reporting to international espionage. Before long, Owen finds himself pulled into the orbit of the enigmatic Earl of Suffolk, a maverick aristocrat, and Aurora, a curiously compelling woman with a shadowy past rooted in Soviet intelligence. Their mission soon becomes clear: secure the earth’s only supply of deuterium—"heavy water"—before it falls into Nazi hands. The high-stakes pursuit takes them from London’s plush drawing rooms to Barcelona, ravaged by the Spanish Civil War; from far-flung Soviet aerodromes to the perilous, icy landscapes of occupied Norway. Over time, Owen evolves from a detached observer into a man forced to confront profound questions of honor, love, and moral responsibility as loyalties are tested and allegiances shift in an ever-tightening web of science, intrigue, and deceit. Rich with historical insight, emotionally complex characters, and a relentless sense of urgency with a world on the edge of cataclysm, D: Heavy Water is a suspenseful and wildly entertaining tale of courage and consequence in which humankind’s future is shaped by decisions made in the shadows. BIO Neal Stephenson is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels Termination Shock, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (with Nicole Galland), Seveneves, Reamde, Anathem, The System of the World, The Confusion, Quicksilver, Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, Snow Crash, Zodiac, and the groundbreaking nonfiction work In the Beginning . . .Was the Command Line. He lives in Seattle, Washington. HARVARD SCIENCE BOOK TALKS The Harvard Science Book Talks series is a collaboration between the Harvard University Division of Science, the Harvard Library, and Harvard Book Store. The series features talks by the authors of recently published books on a variety of science-related topics and is open to both the Harvard community and to the general public. Learn more and watch recordings of past talks here. Unable to attend a Harvard Book Store author event? You can still pre-order a signed book by one of our visiting authors. While we can't guarantee fulfillment of a signed book pre-order, our authors are almost always able to sign extra books to fulfill such orders.
Fall Warehouse Sale
Join us for our Fall Warehouse Sale in Needham! The Harvard Book Store Warehouse Sale features thousands of new books deeply discounted up to 40-80% off the list price. The sale features books across genres, hardcover and paperback, adult and children's literature. For fans of our used books department, a featured selection is available at the sale to browse as well. The Warehouse Sale also features other bookish merchandise including totes, stationary, and apparel. Are you a member of our free Frequent Buyer Program? If so, Friday, October 23 is just for you! Join us at our warehouse in Needham, between 4 PM and 7 PM for exclusive early access to the sale. To take advantage of the preview night on Friday, October 23 you must be a member of the Frequent Buyer Program. Not a Frequent Buyer yet? It's free to sign up either in store or online. Not only do perks include early access to our annual warehouse sales, but many other benefits when shopping either in-store or online. Warehouse Sale Hours: Friday, October 23: 4 PM–7 PM (exclusively for members of our frequent buyer program) Saturday, October 24 & Sunday, October 25: 9 AM– 7 PM (open to all!) Please remember the Harvard Book Store Warehouse has moved. The warehouse is now located at 330 Reservoir Street, Needham, MA 02494. Our Needham location has ample parking! The best ways to get to Needham (from Cambridge) is to take the 71 to Watertown Square, transfer onto the 59 bus to Reservoir Street, followed by a short walk. Questions If you have questions about the Summer Warehouse Sale, please direct any questions to warehousesale@harvard.com or info@harvard.com, or call the bookstore at (617) 661-1515.
Bonnie Garmus at First Parish Church
Harvard Book Store welcomes Bonnie Garmus—New York Times bestselling author of the global sensation Lessons in Chemistry, honored with sixteen international literary awards and made into an Apple TV limited series—for a discussion of her latest novel, Peck & Peck. She will be joined in conversation by Daphne Kalotay—award-winning author of the story collection The Archivists. TICKETING There are two ticket options for this event. Following the presentation, the author will personalize books (first names only). A book purchase is required in order to join the personalization line. Book-Included Tickets: Includes admission for one and one hardcover copy of Peck & Peck, pre-signed by Bonnie Garmus. Following the presentation, Bonnie will personalize books for book-included ticket holders. Admission-Only Tickets: Includes admission for one to the presentation. Additional copies of Peck & Peck will be available for purchase at the event, as well as copies of Lessons in Chemistry. Note: Books bundled with tickets may only be picked up at the venue the night of the event, and cannot be picked up in-store beforehand. Ticket holders who purchased a book-included ticket and are unable to attend the event will be able to pick up their book at Harvard Book Store up to 30 days following the event. This offer expires after 30 days. Please note we cannot guarantee signed copies will be available to ticket holders who do not attend the event. ABOUT Peck & Peck A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK FOR COUNTRY LIVING AND BOOKPAGE The #1 New York Times bestselling author of global sensation Lessons in Chemistry returns with an irresistible, delightful, and tender literary novel set in the publishing world of 1980s New York City about a young man whose life turns upside down when he is hired by the most prestigious, secretive, and dysfunctional poetry journal in the world: the renowned Peck & Peck. Find originality. Reward creativity. Burn the rest. It’s 1982, New York City. Crime is on the rise, muggings are in the streets, and Batter Gray, recent college graduate with a skill that no one wants—an “ear” for poetry—is worried about his future. While all of his friends have real jobs, he’s folding T-shirts at the Gap. As for love? No. Not unless you count Sallie Mae, the student loan tyrant. He hears from Sallie all the time. But when Batter gets a dream job at Peck & Peck, the most prestigious poetry quarterly in the world, his life moves into the literary fast lane. Soon Batter is knee-deep in the secret war between the two Editors in Chief, the famous Peck brothers—twins and enemies—as well as being privy to the private affairs of their thirty-nine editors, whose professed mission is the same: Find originality. Reward creativity. Burn the rest. And by burn, they mean incinerate. Because at Peck & Peck, “good” isn’t good enough, “interesting” doesn’t cut it, plagiarists aren’t tolerated, and parolees run the mailroom. Still want to submit your poem? Go with God. Welcome to another dazzling and unforgettable novel from Bonnie Garmus. If you loved Lessons in Chemistry, you will love Peck & Peck. BIOS Bonnie Garmus is a coffee-dependent American novelist. Her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, a Goodreads Choice Best Book of the Year, spent nearly two years on the New York Times bestseller list and was named by Times readers as one of the top 100 books of the 21st century. Translated into over forty languages, Lessons in Chemistry was honored with sixteen international literary awards and made into an Apple TV limited series. Peck & Peck is her second novel. Daphne Kalotay is the author of the fiction collections Calamity and Other Stories, shortlisted for the Story Prize, and The Archivists, winner of 2021 The Grace Paley Prize, as well as three award-winning novels: the national and international bestseller Russian Winter, which won the Writers' League of Texas Fiction Award; Sight Reading, winner of the New England Society Book Award in Fiction, and Blue Hours, a Massachusetts Book Awards "Must Read." Daphne received her M.F.A. from Boston University's Creative Writing Program, where her stories won the Florence Engel Randall Fiction Prize and a Transatlantic Review Award from the Henfield Foundation, before earning her Ph.D. in Modern and Contemporary Literature. She has received fellowships from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, Yaddo, Bogliasco, and MacDowell and has taught literature and creative writing at Princeton University, Middlebury College, Boston University, and Harvard University. She lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. Unable to attend a Harvard Book Store author event? You can still pre-order a signed book by one of our visiting authors. While we can't guarantee fulfillment of a signed book pre-order, our authors are almost always able to sign extra books to fulfill such orders.