Author Event

Join the staff of Lake Forest Book Store for lunch with local author Rebecca Makkai to celebrate her newest novel.

Additional copies available for purchase and signing

Space is limited, be sure to RSVP at 847-234-4420

"A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past--the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia's death and the conviction of the school's athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers--needs--to let sleeping dogs lie. But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? s the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn't as much of an outsider at Granby as she'd thought--if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case."

Rebecca Makkai's last novel, The Great Believers, was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award; it was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal, the Stonewall Book Award, the Clark Prize, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and it was chosen as one of the Ten Best Books of 2018 by The New York Times. Her other books are the novels The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House, and the collection Music for Wartime--four stories from which appeared in The Best American Short Stories. A 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, Rebecca is on the MFA faculties of the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe and Northwestern University, and is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.

Author photo by Brett Simison

Join us as the Lake Forest Book Store hosts a luncheon at The Gallery with local author Renée Rosen who celebrates the publication of her newest book.

Additional copies available for purchase and signing

Space is limited so RSVP required. Call 847-234-4420

It's 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she's about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer. 

In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that's what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She's ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on--and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria's life forever. Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend's mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York's finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée's insatiable ambitions. But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they'll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.

Renée Rosen is the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces, Park Avenue Summer, Windy City Blues, White Collar Girl, What the Lady Wants, and Dollface. She is also the author of Every Crooked Pot, a YA novel published in 2007. Renée lives in Chicago.

Join us at Lake Forest Book Store as debut author Julie Gerstenblatt appear in conversation with Lisa Barr.

Books available for purchase and signing

Refreshments will be served

RSVP at 847-234-4420

Set against Nantucket's Great Fire of 1846, this sweeping, emotional novel brings together three courageous women battling to save everything they hold dear .... Nantucket in 1846 is an island set apart not just by its geography but by its unique circumstances. With their menfolk away at sea, often for years at a time, women here know a rare independence--and the challenges that go with it. Eliza Macy is struggling to conceal her financial trouble as she waits for her whaling captain husband to return from a voyage. In desperation, she turns against her progressive ideals and targets Meg Wright, a pregnant free Black woman trying to relocate her store to Main Street. Meanwhile, astronomer Maria Mitchell loves running Nantucket's Atheneum and spending her nights observing the stars, yet she fears revealing the secret wishes of her heart. On a sweltering July night, a massive fire breaks out in town, quickly kindled by the densely packed wooden buildings. With everything they possess now threatened, these three very different women are forced to reevaluate their priorities and decide what to save, what to let go and what kind of life to rebuild from the ashes of the past. 

Julie Gerstenblatt holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Cognoscenti, among others. When not writing, Julie is a college essay coach, as well as a producer and on-air host for A Mighty Blaze. A native New Yorker, Julie now lives in coastal Rhode Island with her family and one very smart shichon poo. Daughters of Nantucket is her first novel..

Join us in welcoming author and blogger Jeanine Donofrio to Lake Forest Book Store for a book signing of her latest offering in the Love & Lemons cookbook series.

Love and Lemons is back with make-now and make-ahead vegetarian recipes for every kind of cook. What type of cook are you? That is the question Jeanine Donofrio, creator of the wildly successful blog Love & Lemons and bestselling cookbooks by the same name, asks her readers in her newest book, Love & Lemons: Simple Feel-Good Food. Jeanine is beloved for her bright and breezy cook-from-the-hip style where trips to the farmers market lead to impromptu, seasonal meals. But, as life has gotten busier (she's a mom now), meal plans and weekly prep have entered into the rotation, too. Over the last few years, Jeanine has realized that getting fresh, nourishing, and flavor-packed meals to the table daily is doable through different approaches. After engaging with millions of her followers, two cooking camps crystallized: those who love easy, at-the-ready dishes that can be made at the drop of a hat and those who like to plan in advance (like Jeanine's mom who always has a whole lasagna in the freezer, a trick Jeanine has since adopted). Now, for the first time, she's put pen-to-paper serving up feel-good recipes for both types of home cooks, and those who toggle between, just like herself.

In Love & Lemons: Simple Feel-Good Food, each chapter--Breakfast, Salads, Soups, Dinner, and Dessert--is divided into two parts: one for recipes made with minimal prep and ingredients ("at the ready"), and the second for food prepared ahead of time ("in advance"), whether that be components or full dishes destined for the freezer. Here, morning meals can be met with quick-to-assemble Spiced Chickpea Waffles or Skillet Granola while pre-made pancake dry mix ensures a fluffy stack is just minutes away. Rainbow Blender Soups turn one base into four colorful bowls while Tortellini Soup with Lemon Peel Broth offers an elegant, no-waste trick. Quick, meatless mains include Spring Pea Fritters with Whipped Feta, Chickpea Cacio e Pepe, and a range of sheet pan dinners such as Eggplant Sheet Pan Shawarma, while two different homemade veggie burgers (White Bean Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Paneer) require some forethought but store brilliantly. Moreover, eight no-waste meal plans (what Jeanine calls 3-in-1 recipes -- three dinner dishes made with one whole vegetable) further provide kitchen ease without sacrificing flair or freshness. And, as with her previous books, scattered throughout are Jeanine's signature flow charts, offering visual guides to reusing, mixing, and matching ingredients to create fresh, must-eat dishes for grain bowls, lasagnas, tacos, and more.

Jeanine Donofrio is the creator of Love and Lemons, the blog and inspiration behind her first two cookbooks, Love and Lemons Every Day and The Love and Lemons Cookbook, which Bon Appétit hailed as "the most beautiful cookbook we've ever seen." Her passion is creating healthy, yet approachable, recipes that all types of eaters enjoy. The recipes celebrate how nourishing, fun, and delicious cooking with seasonal, plant-forward ingredients can be. Jeanine has been featured in The New York Times, People, Oprah, among others, and has developed recipes for brands including Whole Foods, KitchenAid, and Le Creuset. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Jack, and their son, Oliver.

Join us as we welcome local novelist, Elizabeth Berg as she presents her latest novel.

Random House  $27.00 Releases March 21, 2023

Books available for purchase and signing

Space is limited, so RSVP early at 847-234-4420

Refreshments will be served

This beautiful new novel by the beloved author of Open House and Talk Before Sleep tells the story of two young people growing up in Mason, Missouri, and how Arthur Moses, a shy young man, becomes the wise and compassionate person readers loved in The Story of Arthur Truluv.

Nola McCollum is the most desirable girl in Arthur's class, and he is thrilled when they become friends. But Arthur wants far more than friendship. Unfortunately, Nola has a crush on the wrong Moses--Arthur's older brother, Frank, who is busy pursuing his own love interest and avoiding the boys' father, a war veteran with a drinking problem and a penchant for starting fights. When a sudden tragedy rocks the family's world, Arthur struggles to come to terms with his grief. In the end, it is nature that helps him to understand how to go on, beyond loss, and create a life of forgiveness and empathy. But what can he do about Nola, who seems confused about what she wants in life, and only half aware of the one who loves her most?

Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including The Story of Arthur Truluv, Night of Miracles, The Confession Club, Open House (an Oprah's Book Club selection), Talk Before Sleep, and The Year of Pleasures, as well as the short story collection The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year. She adapted The Pull of the Moon into a play that enjoyed sold-out performances in Chicago and Indianapolis. Berg's work has been published in thirty-one countries, and three of her novels have been turned into television movies. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a quality reading series dedicated to serving author, audience, and community. She teaches one-day writing workshops and is a popular speaker at venues around the country. Some of her most popular Facebook postings have been collected in Make Someone Happy, Still Happy, and Happy to Be Here. She lives outside of Chicago.

Photo credit to Teresa Crawford

Join us to welcome local author Karen Nochimowski as she tours celebrating her debut cookbook offering 100 super simple dishes

Book available for purchase and signing

Space is limited, RSVP at 847-234-4420

Refreshments will be served

As a mom of 3 rambunctious boys, I was always struggling to find time to cook a good healthy family meal while usually having a kid in on my hip or throwing a fit on the floor. Well I have finally mastered a way to serve a fabulous meal withy little effort and few ingredients. My recipes are simple and delicious, using no more than six ingredients and under six minutes of prep time.

Karen Nochimowski is the creator of the popular food blog Momma Chef and writes a monthly food column for the Daily Herald. She has appeared on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan and WGN Radio. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Lake Forest Book Store welcomes New York Times best-selling author Christie Tate at the store for a meet and greet and book signing celebrating her newest book.

Books available for purchase and signing

Space is limited, so RSVP early at 847-234-4420

Refreshments will be served

From the author of Group, a New York Times bestseller and Reese's Book Club Pick, comes a moving, heartwarming, and powerful memoir about Christie Tate's lifelong struggle to sustain female friendship, and the friend who helps her find the human connection she seeks.

After more than a decade of dead-end dates and dysfunctional relationships, Christie Tate has reclaimed her voice and settled down. Her days of agonizing in group therapy over guys who won't commit are over, the grueling emotional work required to attach to another person tucked neatly into the past. Or so she thought. Weeks after giddily sharing stories of her new boyfriend at Saturday morning recovery meetings, Christie receives a gift from a friend. Meredith, twenty years older and always impeccably accessorized, gives Christie a box of holiday-themed scarves as well as a gentle suggestion: maybe now is the perfect time to examine why friendships give her trouble. "The work never ends, right?" she says with a wink. Christie isn't so sure, but she soon realizes that the feeling of "apartness" that has plagued her since childhood isn't magically going away now that she's in a healthy romantic relationship. With Meredith by her side, she embarks on a brutally honest exploration of her friendships past and present, sorting through the ways that debilitating shame and jealousy have kept the lasting bonds she craves out of reach--and how she can overcome a history of letting go too soon. But when Meredith becomes ill and Christie's baggage threatens to muddy their final days, she's forced to face her deepest fears in honor of the woman who finally showed her how to be a friend. Poignant, laugh-out-loud funny, and emotionally satisfying, B.F.F. explores what happens when we finally break the habits that impair our ability to connect with others, and the ways that one life--however messy and imperfect--can change another.

Christie Tate is the author of the New York Times bestseller Group, which was a Reese's Book Club selection. She has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and elsewhere, and she lives in Chicago with her family.

Join us at Lake Forest Book Store as noted Director/Writer/Producer presents his extraordinary collection of animated feature and comic toys assembled in his new book.

Original book of photographs and text by the noted director/writer/producer Brian Levant, presenting his extraordinary collection of animated feature and comic toys, including hundreds of iconic characters represented in figures, banks, games, lunchboxes, puppets, comics, windups, vehicles and items at the bottom of cereal boxes. This comprehensive and one-of-a-kind collection and book/work, itself, is presented in varied chapters. There are chapters here that include the author's Flintstones collection; others created while he produced features with Steven Spielberg; or those acquired while producing classic TV shows, like Mork & Mindy. And this is just a small sampling of what is in this exhaustive book, where the sum total has been acquired over the past 50 years. This is a book distinctive in its content; in both words and the hundreds of original photographs created exclusively for it. The author's acclaim and success as a producer of popular culture film and television features allows presentation here of a distinctly individual and personal yet universally interesting book for collectors and the general public alike, which has no comparison and could not be replicated even in a minor form, by anyone else other than this author.

Brian Levant is a nationally recognized toy and pop culture collector now in his fifth decade in the entertainment industry. Director, writer, and producer, Levant has been at the creative helm of some of the biggest franchises in family entertainment. Among Levant's more than 400 television credits include being the showrunner of "Happy Days", "Mork & Mindy" and "The Bad News Bears" series. After winning the 1989 Cable Ace Award as Best Director in a Comedy Series, for his long running "Leave it to Beaver" revival, Levant turned his attention to writing and directing feature films. Among Levant's feature directing credits are the original "Beethoven," the two Steven Spielberg produced Flintstones films, Jingle All the Way" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Snow Dogs", Are We There Yet" and the 2010 Jackie Chan vehicle, "The Spy Next Door.
In addition, Levant has produced, written or directed another 10 network and cable films including the Starz Network's first original production, "The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space" and the two live action/CGI Scooby Doo films, which remain the Cartoon Network's highest rated programs of all-time. Illumination Entertainment is currently in pre-production on Levant's original C.G.I. animated musical feature, which is being produced and the music written by Pharrell Williams.
Additional awards his works have collected include an 1981 NAACP Image Award for "The Bad NewsBears", 1987 Youth In Film Best Series Award for "Beaver" and the 1988 International Emmy for Best Children and Young People's Series, for "My Secret Identity", which he created.
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four gigantic dogs.

Join entrepreneurs Korie Minkus and Lisa Vrancken at Lake Forest Book Store for a book signing event.

Spark your imagination. Shed limiting beliefs. Find your voice. BE... is a multidimensional approach to bringing out the magic in you. Braided with universal truths and the power of the Divine Feminine, our book is all about being happy, aligned, and intentional in life and business. The words, stories, and practices in this book help you to take a step back, break free from modern myths about productivity and worth, and release what's no longer serving you. An everyday exploration of your authentic passion, BE... is our supportive guide to a clear, visionary, and prosperous future. BE... is a unique collaboration between three incredible co-authors: Ashley Black, a #1 national bestselling author and a 2020 ABA Entrepreneur; Korie Minkus, a renowned brand strategist, global consultant, and motivational speaker in more than thirty countries; and Lisa Vrancken, an award-winning television producer and marketing/brand expert. Together, we take a deep dive into the four pillars--passion, purpose, products, and prosperity. Our book offers more than a dozen exercises and actions (we call them Movements!) to get you thinking, feeling, and flowing. Woven with our personal stories and insights, along with words of wisdom from Randi Zuckerberg, Natasha Grano, and so many more, BE... cracks the code to put your purpose in motion. BE... is a fun, light-hearted read to illuminate the fractures of the past and fill them with love. Definitely not your ordinary business book, our first collaboration is really about the journey back home to yourself.

Ashley Black, #1 bestselling author of The Cellulite Myth, was named ABA's Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 for her development of tissue regenerating products, including her inaugural record-breaking tool, the FasciaBlaster®. After surviving a debilitating childhood illness, followed by a near-death experience in her thirties, Ashley's life purpose has been to help others with their health. Through her success in consumer products, she is now expanding her purpose to helping others with their own passions to bring their ideas to fruition. This book is her quantum jump into empowering women with the strategies, tools, and support they need to be free and unbridled and share their special gifts with the world through business.

Korie Minkus-Trevino is founder of Rock Your Product and CEO of Industry Rockstar, the #1 global product growth and award-winning business mentorship program. Korie is an international speaker on consumer psychology and brand leadership. She has consulted and trained tens of thousands of entrepreneurs globally. As a relied-on brand expert, she launched and scaled over a hundred products and generated $1 billion in revenue. With deep passion to impact, she delivers outcome-based business solutions connecting people, purpose, and products.

Lisa Vrancken is a globally sought-after media brand strategist, public speaker, product consultant, and marketing expert who has mentored hundreds on their entrepreneurial journeys. She is an award-winning television producer, and creator of the Innovator's Think Tank, a quarterly product pitching event that draws entrepreneurs and innovators from all over the world. She is EVP at AsSeenOnTV.pro and Shark Discoveries, specializing in TV and digital media campaigns with Kevin Harrington, original Shark from the Emmy award-winning reality TV show, Shark Tank.