Fiction book club meets Tuesday
Kona Stories hosts a fiction book club discussing “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel on Tuesday.
Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.
Twenty years later, Raymonde moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves “The Traveling Symphony,” and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.
The group meets at 6:30 p.m. at the store. Book groups are free if books are purchased at Kona Stories, or a $5 donation is requested.
Info: Brenda or Joy, 324-0350, www.konastories.com.
North Kohala book group to discuss Carrie Fisher novel
The North Kohala Public Library’s book group meets on Tuesday to discuss “Wishful Drinking” by Carrie Fisher.
The meeting is from 11 a.m. to noon at the Kapaau library.
Info: 889-6655.
Honokaa Public Library celebrates 80th anniversary
Celebrate 80 years with the Honokaa Public Library from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday in Hamakua.
The free event will feature library recollections and music by John Keawe, as well as a scavenger hunt.
Refreshments will be provided.
Info: 775-8881.
Hilo author pens mystery
Hilo author Scott D. Smith released “Guilty Deeds” on June 6.
Robert Grayson is an ex-soldier haunted by the demons of his past. Gruesome memories of combat and now of the brutal serial slayings of more than a dozen women are destroying him. Overcome with guilt, he turns himself into the police, confessing to details only the killer could know.
But Detective Stephanie Monroe quickly begins to suspect this is no cut-and-dried case. Despite this self-proclaimed killer’s recollections of certain details, the other facts just don’t add up. To prove her hunch and to save Robert, she’ll have to catch the real killer — if he exists.
“In Guilty Deeds, author Scott D. Smith has woven a tale of unreliable memories, twisted loyalties, murder and the puppet master who always seems two steps ahead,” said award-winning author and crime journalist Leif M. Wright. “It effortlessly combines bravado, terror, confusion and the sheer determination of the heroes. A rewarding and exciting page-turner.”
Smith is a married father of two who has spent the last 10 years teaching high school English.