Mandel JCC in Boynton Beach & PB Gardens Invites Local Readers to Upcoming Literary Events
- Bagels & Books – Feb 19-20, March 19-20 & April 9
- Boynton Beach Book Fair – March 2-3
- Spotlight Event on The Simpsons – March 18
(West Palm Beach, FL – February 12, 2019) The Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches today invited literary fans to several upcoming cultural events under the auspices of the Mandel JCC Book Festival. The Mandel JCC has two locations in Palm Beach County—in Boynton Beach at 8500 Jog Road and in Palm Beach Gardens at 5221 Hood Road.
RSVPs for these Mandel JCC literary events may be made online at www.jcconline/artsandculture or by calling 877.318.0071.
February
Mandel JCC Book Festival
Bagels & Books
Tuesday, February 19 at 10 am / Mandel JCC Palm Beach Gardens
Wednesday, February 20 at 10 am / Mandel JCC Boynton Beach
+ Book: THE SECRET OF CLOUDS
Katya, a rising ballerina, and Sasha, a graduate student, are young and in love when an unexpected tragedy befalls their native Kiev. Years later, after the couple is safely in America, their son is born with a rare health condition that isolates him from other children. When a passionate and dedicated teacher is assigned to tutor young Yuri, she is forced to confront her own painful childhood memories. This is a journey of a mother and her son, and a teacher and her student—a story that will make readers examine what it means to actually live life with a full heart.
+ Author: Alyson Richmond is the number one international bestselling author of seven novels including The Velvet Hours, The Garden of Letters, and The Lost Wife, which is currently in development for a major motion picture. Her novels have been published in 30 countries and 20 languages, and have received critical acclaim in both the United States and abroad. A graduate of Wellesley College, Richmond’s novels combine her deep love of art, historical research, and travel.
Cost to Attend:
+ Chaverim, Star Arts, Publishers and Authors: Complimentary admission
+ Palm Beach Gardens: Literary Society Reader: $15; Guest: $18
+ Boynton Beach: Literary Society Reader: $13; Guest: $15
March
Mandel JCC Book Festival
Boynton Beach Book Fair
Spotlight Event
Saturday, March 2 at 7 pm / Mandel JCC Boynton Beach
+ Book: GONE TO DUST
A rare murder in a tranquil suburban neighborhood in the dead of winter—the body and house littered with dirt from hundreds of emptied vacuum cleaners. A conflicted Jewish private investigator who retains his sardonic wit while in search of a very sophisticated killer. A review on Bookreporter.com hailed this New York Times Best Seller as “simply terrific.”
+ Author: Matt Goldman is a playwright and Emmy Award-winning writer for Seinfeld, Ellen, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and more.
Cost to Attend:
+ Literary Authors and JCC Members: $15; Guest: $18
Note: Evening includes a Q&A with the author, book-signing and dessert reception.
Mandel JCC Book Festival
Boynton Beach Book Fair
Author Presentations & Book Bazaar
Sunday, March 3 / 10 am to 3:30 pm / Mandel JCC Boynton Beach
+ 10:30 am Presentations
- THE INTERMISSION with author Elyssa Friedman
This novel about marriage is told from the alternating perspectives of a husband and wife who both have something to hide.
- THE ASTRONAUT’S SON with author Tom Siegel
A brilliant aerospace executive is determined to complete his father’s unfulfilled mission, forge a relationship with the reclusive Neil Armstrong, and confront NASA’s shadowy past of Nazi scientists and engineers.
- SON OF A BITCH with author Jason Sheffield
Benjamin Scales, a budding defense attorney, owes it all to his mother, who clawed her way to the top of the sexist, male-dominated legal profession. Years later, after being caught in flagrante delicto with the head of a notorious crime family, she turns to her son for help.
+ Noon Keynote Lunch
- THE COLLECTOR’S APPRENTICE with author B.A. Shapiro
In the summer of 1922, Paulien Martens, 19, finds herself broke in Paris and a suspect in her former fiancé’s con game. While trying to prove her innocence she is caught up in the world of Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse.
+ 2 pm Presentations
- ANOTHER SIDE OF PARADISE with author Sally Koslow
This novel imaginatively brings to life the 1937 love affair between novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hollywood gossip columnist Sheilah Graham.
- THE TWO-PLATE SOLUTION with author Jeff Oliver
This book follows a diverse cast of chefs through a high0stakes TV cooking competition in Israel.
- THE EMPEROR OF SHOES with author Spencer Wise
Alex Cohen, a Jewish Bostonian, is living in China where his father runs a shoe factory. Alex reluctantly assumes the helm of the company, absorbing the generations-old trade secrets from his living but neurotic father.
Cost to Attend:
+ Two author sessions & Keynote Lunch: Literary Authors and JCC Members: $35; Guests: $42
+ Keynote Luncheon only: Literary Authors and JCC Members: $18; Guests: $21
+ Individual Author Presentations: Literary Authors and JCC Members: $10; Guests: $12
Mandel JCC Book Festival
Spotlight Event
Monday, March 18 at 7 pm /
Improv Club at CityPlace in West Palm Beach
+ Book: SPRINGFIELD CONFIDENTIAL
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Simpsons, the show’s longest-serving writer and producer offers a humorous look at the writing and making of the legendary Fox series that has become one of the most revered artistic achievements in TV history. This delicious inside glimpse shares stories, scandals, and gossip about America’s most iconic cartoon family.
+ Author: Mike Reiss is a multi-Emmy Award-winning writer of television, film, children’s books and theater. He has written forThe Simpsons since its inception as a series and served as show runner during two of its early seasons. His film work includesAirplane II, Ice Age and the Despicable Me series.
Cost to Attend:
+ Chaverim, Star Arts, and Publishers: Complimentary admission; Literary Society Authors and Readers: $30; Guests: $36
Note: Tickets include one drink per person.
Mandel JCC Book Festival
Bagels & Books
Tuesday, March 19 at 10 am / Mandel JCC Palm Beach Gardens
Wednesday, March 2 at 10 am / Mandel JCC in Boynton Beach
+ Book: THE BUTTON MAN
This is a story of an immigrant family torn apart, brought together and then torn apart again by the birth of organized crime in New York City in the 1930s.
+ Author: Andrew Gross is the author of New York Times best sellers The Blue Zone, Don’t Look Twice, and The Dark Tide. He also coauthored five number one best sellers with James Patterson, including Judge & Jury and Lifeguard.
Cost to Attend:
+ Chaverim, Star Arts, Publishers and Authors: Complimentary admission
+ Palm Beach Gardens: Literary Society Reader: $15; Guest: $18
+ Boynton Beach: Literary Society Reader: $13; Guest: $15
Mandel JCC Book Festival
Bagels & Books
Tuesday, April 9 at 10 am / Mandel JCC Palm Beach Gardens
+ Book: THE OPTIMISTIC DECADE
Framed by the 1980s and ‘90s oil shale bust and the real estate boom, this book looks at the lives of five unforgettable characters. It is a sweeping novel about idealism, love, class, and a piece of land that changes everyone who lives on it.
+ Author: Heather Abel has written articles for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Slate, and elsewhere.
Cost to Attend:
+ Chaverim, Star Arts, Publishers and Authors: Complimentary admission; Literary Society Reader: $15; Guest: $18
About the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches:
The Mandel JCC has two locations in Palm Beach County. The Boynton Beach building is at 8500 Jog Road and the Palm Beach Gardens building is at 5221 Hood Road. For more information about the Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches, visitwww.jcconline.com.
The mission of the Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches is to build community and enhance connection to Jewish life. The Mandel JCC is a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.