A Weekend of Virtual Book Talks

Welcome back to Florida’s Camino Island, where anything can happen — even a murder in the midst of a hurricane, which might prove to be the perfect crime …

Put simply, that’s the plot of John Grisham’s newest beach read, “Camino Winds,” and on Friday, May 22, at noon, BookHampton is offering a free virtual lunch with the best-selling Grisham in conversation with Roxanne Coady, founder of RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut and host of the weekly podcast “Just the Right Book,” in which she interviews best-selling authors and people in the bookselling and publishing community.

On Friday, May 22, at 3 p.m., author Sue Monk Kidd discusses “The Book of Longings,” a book club and discussion hosted by Jason Jeffries from Quail Ridge Books.

In her fourth work of fiction, Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, a relentless seeker with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. Though she is expected to marry an elderly widower, an encounter with the 18-year-old Jesus changes everything for Ana — he becomes a floodgate for her intellect, but also the awakener of her heart.

Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’s life that focuses on his humanity, “The Book of Longings” is the story of one woman’s bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her.

Also virtually this weekend, on Friday, May 22, at 5 p.m., BookHampton hosts Wendy Lubovich, author of “111 Places in the Hamptons That You Must Not Miss,” in Conversation with Colin Bertram.

Lubovich’s book highlights interesting and unusual places on the East End not found in traditional travel guides. Part of the international 111 Places/111 Shops series with over 250 titles and 1.5 million copies in print worldwide, join in the conversation and see for yourself if Lubovich reveals any secrets spots that you didn’t know existed — or perhaps did, and are now lamenting the rest of the world can find them too.

A former TV news anchor, Lubovich divides her time between Southampton and Manhattan, and is a life-long artist who enjoys painting in her tiny East End studio.

Finally, on Saturday, May 23, at 5 p.m., BookHampton offers a nod to the venerable East Hampton Ladies’ Village Improvement Society (LVIS) with a virtual presentation by acclaimed food writer Florence Fabricant, New York Times contributor and author of 13 cookbooks.

Her latest, “The Ladies’ Village Improvement Society Cookbook: Eating and Entertaining in East Hampton,” melds traditional taste with the flavors of the Hamptons, offering 100 recipes for entertaining as well as for everyday meals.

The LVIS is a 125-year-old nonprofit established for the preservation of historical landmarks, parks, greens, and trees in East Hampton and the surrounding area. The book is full of recipes from LVIS members, renowned chefs and celebrities who live or vacation in East Hampton (including Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Hilaria Baldwin, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Eli Zabar), and favorite local figures like farmers and vintners.

Organized into 20 menus, including “Dinner After the Movies,” “Autumn Catch,” and “Lunch by the Pool,” the recipes encompass the uniquely broad range of gatherings, from special-occasion celebrations to casual family meals or big beach picnics for a crowd. Vibrant original photographs shine a light on the freshness and originality of the food and the local spots from beaches to farm stands, while historical photographs and anecdotes from the LVIS archives and local newspapers express the best of Hamptons eating.

Today, the LVIS is 300 members strong, and as Martha Stewart notes in her foreword, their beautiful ode to the region is “an essential addition to everyone’s collection of culinary books.”

To take part in any BookHampton’s virtual presentations and order the books featured, visit bookhampton.com.