The Books Inc./Center Book Group discusses Mayra Montero's "Dancing to Almendra" March 19, 2008

Books Inc. in the Castro in association with the SF LGBT Center is pleased to announce our next Book Group selection: Dancing to Almendra by Mayra Montero.

On the same day that the Mafia capo Umberto Anastasia is assassinated in a barber's chair in New York, a hippopotamus escapes from the zoo and is shot and killed by its pursuers. Assigned to cover the zoo story, Joaquin Porrata, a young Cuban journalist, finds himself embroiled in the mysterious connections between the hippo's death and the mafioso's in this intoxicating story of murder, mobsters, and, finally, love.

Review Quotes:
"I devoured it with absolute delight, and I'm looking forward to reading it again, and to reading anything Montero might come up with next."--"The New York Times Book Review"
"Montero exploits true crime, romance, family drama, cabaret, and even danzon. . . . Her new novel is a hell of a song."--"San Francisco Chronicle"

Mayra Montero is the author of a collection of short stories and of eight novels, including "The Messenger, The Last Night I Spent with You, "and "Captain of the Sleepers," She was born in Cuba and lives in Puerto Rico, where she writes a weekly column in "El Nuevo Dia" newspaper.

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Our next Book Group meeting is Wednesday, March 19 at 7 PM at the Three Dollar Bill Cafe at the LGBT Center, 1800 Market St. (@ Octavia). As always, I'd like everyone to come with any observations they may have as well as at least one question to pose to the group. Also, please come equipped with any title suggestions for our next joint venture. Hope to see you there. The Center/Books Inc. Book Group is free and open to everyone. We encourage inclusiveness and promote diversity. We meet the 3rd Wednesday of every month.

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Books Inc. is a locally owned and operated independent bookseller with 10 locations in California. Books Inc.’s origin dates back to the Gold Rush Days of 1851 when Anton Roman struck it rich in Shasta City, California and set himself up in business selling books. That small bookstore was moved, bought, sold, burned, rebuilt, renamed and became Books Inc., as we know it today, in 1946.

Today, with 10 Stores and 200 employees, Books Inc. serves as a shining example that independent bookselling can survive and prosper, even if we must dance among the elephants.

This Event is Free at the Three Dollar Bill Café within the SF LGBT Center
Sponsored by Books Inc. 2275 Market St.
San Francisco 94114
For Questions:415.864.6777
or on the web at www.booksinc.net and
www.myspace.com/booksinccastro

Official Website: http://booksinc.net/NASApp/store/IndexJsp;jsessionid=abcnp743srf5L7c3ljjHr?s=localinterest