Another Author Event - Lauren Groff at A Great Good Place for Books

I know that the title is not too imaginative.  But this was a particularly interesting event for me.  I don't usually go to see an author unless I either know her personally or have read one of her books.  I went against type here.  Why?  Well, it's all the bookstore owner's fault! A Great Good Place for Books sends out the usual emails announcing their events.  But, in this case, the owner, Kathleen, sent a separate email extolling the virtues of Lauren Groff.  I even emailed the store and asked if it was worth my long drive.  The answer was a resounding yes.  So, although I knew it was going to take me a while to get there (South Bay to East Bay during afternoon rush hour traffic!), I decided... what the heck.  And, fortunately, Joni agreed to go with me.

Was it, in fact, worth it?  Absolutely.  She was not only interesting (she was very animated and very appreciative of her audience).  But I think she is somebody that I want to read. And let's not forget that I did the same thing a couple of years ago.  I came up to AGGPFB to see Beth Hoffman, even though I knew nothing about her.  In that case, I went because one of my fellow bloggers raved about her books (and said she was a delightful person - and she was/is). And you all know what I think of Beth's 2 books.  The 1st one, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, is in my 2nd 12 all-time.  And the 2nd one, Looking for Me, is a 4/4. With that kind of background, I'm excited to read Lauren's books, starting with The Monsters of Templeton (I'm 25 pages in).

The crowd last night was big.  Probably 40-50 people.  And one person gave the best quote during the Q&A.  He said "I just finished the book last night and can't wait to start it again." He was referring to Lauren's latest book, Fates and Furies.  But when I went to the cash register before the start of the show, I asked Carolyn which one I should read.  She thought I might want to start with The Monsters of Templeton.  So that's the one I picked.

If Monsters is as good as Kathleen and Carolyn say, then I will be following it very quickly with Fates and Furies. Especially since F&F is already #7 on the NYT best-seller list.  AND, it's nominated for a National Book award.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  I just have to make sure that I keep my expectations reasonable!