Hi.
Welcome to Hasty Book List—your cozy corner of the internet for all things bookish. Here, I share the stories I’m reading, the ones I can’t stop thinking about, and a few literary surprises along the way. I’m so glad you’re here.
Welcome to Hasty Book List—your cozy corner of the internet for all things bookish. Here, I share the stories I’m reading, the ones I can’t stop thinking about, and a few literary surprises along the way. I’m so glad you’re here.
Step into the sun-drenched glamour of 1956 Balboa Island with bestselling author Nicola Harrison as she joins us for a tennis-tinged, seaside escape at the Chicago Literary Salon.
In her captivating novel, The Island Club, Harrison transports us to an idyllic California enclave where life appears picture-perfect—cocktails by the water, crisp white tennis skirts, and afternoons at the newly opened Island Club. But beneath the polished surface, three women are quietly unraveling.
Seating is extremely limited. Reserve your place today.
Step into the shadowed world behind museum glass—where beauty, history, and power collide—with author Natalie Lemle, as she joins us for an evening of intrigue, memory, and moral complexity at the Chicago Literary Salon.
In her riveting debut novel, Artifacts, Lemle introduces Lena Connolly, a successful trusts and estates attorney drawn into a case involving a rare ancient Roman cup—one that may have been looted and illegally sold to a museum. What begins as a professional inquiry quickly becomes deeply personal, forcing Lena to revisit a long-buried past: a summer spent on an archaeological dig in the Italian Alps, where ambition, love, and mystery intertwined—and where everything she thought she knew unraveled.
As timelines blur between past and present, Lena must confront what really happened on the dig, the disappearance of her mentor, and the truth about the artifact at the center of it all. In a world where history is bought and sold, she is left to question who truly owns the past—and what it costs to reclaim it.
Your evening includes:
A signed hardcover copy of Artifacts from Three Avenues Bookshop
A handpainted bookmark by Katie Corcoran Art
A thoughtfully curated menu by featuring:
A welcome cocktail
Hors d’Oeuvres
A compelling conversation with Natalie Lemle, in conversation with Sheila Schuenemann of Booked & Busy Reader, on cultural heritage, museums, looted antiquities, and the hidden networks of the art market
Thoughtfully designed conversation prompts to spark reflection and connection—no prior reading required
Whether you’re drawn to art, history, or stories that peel back the polished facade of institutions we trust, join us for an evening that moves beyond the gallery walls—into the secrets, ethics, and human stories behind the artifacts we preserve.
Seating is extremely limited. Reserve your place today.
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