Saturday, March 13 / 10 a.m. The Sherlock Holmes Book Club will discuss The Red-Headed League, a short story from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Penguin, $14).  All Sherlockians, old or new to the canon, are welcomed.  And if you don't know the difference between the canon and a pastiche, don't worry, just an enjoyment of "the game" is all that's needed.

Saturday, March 13 / 1 p.m.  Evelyn McNight and Travis Bennington will sign A Never Event (Arbor Books, $16.95). Fremont, Nebraska, townspeople eagerly welcomed an acclaimed doctor as the first full-time oncologist at their new cancer treatment center--but the fanfare soon turned into a nightmare. During chemotherapy treatments, 857 patients who were already waging the fights of their lives against cancer, were inexplicably exposed to the deadly, blood-borne hepatitis C virus. At least ninety-nine of them contracted the lethal illness, the largest healthcare-transmitted outbreak of hepatitis C in American history. A Never Event--a term used to describe a preventable medical tragedy--is a searing story of recklessness, deception and betrayal. It’s part mystery, part courtroom drama. Written by a survivor of the tragedy and an attorney who represented many of the victims, A Never Event is a wake-up call to medical and legal communities nationwide. 

Thursday, March 18 / 6:30 p.m. The As the Worm Turns Book Discussion Group will discuss Lights on a Ground of Darkness: An Evocation of a Place and Time by Ted Kooser (Bison Books, $10.95).  Like the yellow, pink, and blue irises that had been transplanted from house to house over the years, the stories of poet Ted Kooser's family had been handed down until, as his mother lay ill and dying, he felt an urgency to write them down. With a poet's eye for detail, Kooser captures the beauty of the landscape and the vibrancy of his mother's Iowa family, the Mosers, in precise, evocative language. The center of the family's love is Kooser's uncle, Elvy, a victim of cerebral palsy. Kooser's grandparents, their kin, and the activities and pleasures of this extended family spin out and around the armature of Elvy's blessed life. Kooser has said that writing this book was the most important work he has ever undertaken because it was his attempt to keep these beloved people alive against the relentless erosion of time.  Barry Combs will facilitate the discussion.  Space is limited, so please call to reserve your place.

Sunday, March 21/ 1:30 p.m.  Ralph Ekwall signs Tina, an Immigrant’s Story ($14.95).  My name is Amelia Albertina Holmgren. I was the second child of Karl Pehrson and Sophia Styrlander. I was born in the year 1852 on the Hof­garden estate in the Hov Parish on the west side of Lake Vattern. Later we moved across Lake Vattern to a house not far from Vadstena, Sweden. Vad­stena is on the Eastern shore of Lake Vattern. Vadstena is in the province Ostergotland in south central Sweden. My parents named me in honor of her Royal Highness, Charlotte Eu­genia Augusta Amelia Albertina, the fourth child of the king of Sweden, King Oscar, and Josephine Napoleon de Beauharnais. Even though I was named for an important royal personage, my parents and everyone else called me Tina. 

Monday, March 22 / 2 p.m. The World War II History Book Discussion Group will discuss Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-1945 by Max Hastings (Vintage, $18).  In September 1944, the Allies believed that Hitler's army was beaten and expected the bloodshed to end by Christmas. Yet a series of mistakes and setbacks drastically altered this timetable and led to eight more months of brutal fighting. Hastings gives memorable accounts of the great battles and captures their human impact on soldiers and civilians. He tells the story of both the Eastern and Western Fronts, raising provocative questions and offering vivid portraits of the great leaders. 

Saturday, March 27 / 1 p.m.  Backwaters Press poets Jay Leeming and Sarah McKinstry-Brown will read and sign their works.  Leeming, the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, is the author of Dynamite on a China Plate ($16.00).  McKinstry-Brown lives in Omaha and has been published everywhere from standardized tests to bus benches.  Her poetry collection, When You Are Born, won the 2004 Bluelight Poetry Prize. 

Sunday, March 28/ 2 to 4 p.m. Liar’s Contest 2010.  Tell a 5 to 7 minute family-friendly whopper and you just might win a great prize at the Liar's Contest, sponsored by Nebraska StoryArts.  Acceptable "Lies" should be 5-7 minutes or less and must be "tall tales." Ribbons will be awarded for the top three liars in two age categories--kids 10-14; and adults (anyone 15 and older). Stories must be suitable for a family audience. No profanity or off-color content will be accepted. Liars from past contests must submit new stories. Please pre-register to participate by calling (402) 551-4532 and leaving a message with contact info, or registering at the Bookworm before the contest begins.  Entry and admission are free.  Winners receive large ribbons that are more beautiful than any ribbon ever given at the state fair and very prestigious titles.  There will be most excellent and honest judges present to choose the best liars.  For more information, visit www.nebraskastoryarts.org.  

Monday, March 29 / 6 p.m.  Janine Latus will sign If I Am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation (Simon & Schuster, $15).  In April 2002, Janine Latus' sister, Amy, wrote a note and taped it to the inside of her desk drawer. "Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved, but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me..."   That same spring Janine was struggling to leave her marriage in which she felt she could do nothing right and everything wrong. A marriage in which she felt afraid, controlled, inadequate, and trapped.  Ten weeks later, Janine had left her marriage and Amy was dead, killed by her boy friend. Latus wondered how two seemingly well-adjusted, successful women end up in strings of physically or emotionally abusive relationships with men. If I Am Missing or Dead is a heart-wrenching journey of discovery as Janine traces the roots of her own and her sister's victimization with unflinching candor.  

Monday April 12 / 6:30 p.m.

The Broadmoor Market and The Bookworm will host a new book discussion and cooking class, The Tasting Club, to be held at The Broadmoor Market.  The class will be limited to 10 participants. A $20 fee will apply to the cooking class. Jennifer LaMontia from The Broadmoor will be the cooking instructor, and Janet Grojean from The Bookworm will facilitate the book discussion.  Please register at The Bookworm by April 1.  The book will be The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn (Penguin $15).  Flinn was a thirty-six year old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder until her boss eliminated her job. So she cashed in her savings and moved to Paris to pursue her lifelong dream of attending the venerable Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.  She relates a funny and inspiring account of her struggle in a stew of hot-tempered chefs, competitive classmates, her own wretchedly inadequate French, and the basics of French cuisine. Fans of “Julie & Julia” and the late Julia Child will be richly rewarded by this vibrant tale of self-discovery, transformation, and ultimately love.