On April 18, 1943, a squadron of U.S. Army fliers intercepted and shot down a pair of Japanese bombers, one of which contained Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the brilliant commander of Japan's combined Fleet and the mastermind behind Pearl Harbor. It was a turning point in the war, but for over sixty years questions remained about what really happened that day. Now, in Lightning Strike (St. Martin's, $25.95), DON DAVIS settles once and for all one of the biggest mysteries of WWII.

Lightning Strike

STEVEN CHURCH
Wednesday, July 6, 7:30 p.m.

STEVEN CHURCH'S first book, The Guinness Book of Me (Simon & Schuster, $23.00) is a highly original, darkly comic account of a young boy's fascination with The Guinness Book of World Records. Using the often peculiar Guinness Record-holders as archetypes, Church has found an ingenious way of capturing many of the thematic undertones of his generation—people struggling with identity, success and failure, ambition and destiny—while simultaneously exploring and giving meaning to his own life.

The Guinness Book of Me

The Guinness Book of World Records 2005 ($ 7.50)

JOHN BEHRENDT
Thursday, July 7, 7:30 p.m.

When JOHN BEHRENDT went to Antarctica in the early 1960's as part of the United States Antarctic Research Program, the Cold War was at its height and research on the ice sheet was risky. In his memoir, The Ninth Circle (University of New Mexico, $29.95), we relive that era of scientific exploration--leading field parties, conducting scientific research, and struggling against the elements. Readers who are fascinated with the 20th century frontier of our shrinking planet will relish this adventurous account.

The Ninth Circle

DZIGAR KONGTRÜL RINPOCHE
Friday, July 8, 7:30 p.m at First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce Street.

In It's Up to You (Random House, $19.95), DZIGAR KONGTRÜL examines the dilemma of reconciling enlightenment with the insecurities, doubts, and self-centered tendencies that arise within our minds. Examining the practice of self-reflection, he contends that such experiences are not a problem if we simply let those feelings arise without judging them or investing them with too much meaning, an approach that allows practitioners to take Buddhist liberation into their own hands.

This event will be held at First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce Street. Tickets are $7.00 each, and are available at Boulder Book Store. Phone 303-447-2074.

It's Up to You

TODD CAUDLE
Monday, July 11, 7:30 p.m.

14,000 Feet: A Celebration of Colorado's Highest Mountains (Skyline Press, $34.95) chronicles the history, geology, and legacy of Colorado's magnificent "fourteeners" with essays and vignettes by historian WALTER BORNEMAN, accompanied by page after page of stunning color photography by acclaimed nature photographer, TODD CAUDLE. It also includes twenty pages of historic black & white photographs dating as far back as 1913. This event will feature a slide show of some of Colorado's most magnificent peaks.

CAROL SETTERS
Tuesday, July 12, 7:30 p.m.

Kick Start: A Cosmic Biker Babe's Guide to Life and Changing the Planet (Conari Press, $12.95) is a clarion call from a motorcycle-riding mama with a shoot-from-the-hip self-help for the greater good, using the rebellious attitude of motorcycle riders as an analogy to help women break away from mind-numbing conformity and consumerism. CAROL SETTERS promotes the identity of a "biker babe" as a metaphor for an attitude that women can adopt to set out on the road to personal discovery.

Kick Start: A Cosmic Biker Babe's Guide to Life and Changing the Planet

PETER STARK
Wednesday, July 13, 7:30 p.m.

Join PETER STARK, Outside magazine contributor, on a spine-tingling adventure down the unexplored Lugenda River in Mozambique. In At the Mercy of the River (Random House, $24.95), he chronicles his trip through expected and unexpected hazards, exploring our urge to explore the boundaries of civilization even as the surrounding wilderness dwindles. The journey is harrowing and inspiring, but it is Stark's discussion of the meaning of "wilderness" that carries the book into greatness.

At the Mercy of the River

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE RELEASE PARTY
Friday, July 15, 9:00 p.m.-12:00 midnight

Magical entertainment, costume contests, a grand feast offered by Ideal Market, and raffles and drawings will set the stage for the release of J.K. ROWLING’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Scholastic, $29.99) at our Hogsmeade Village Midsummer’s Eve Festival! Submit your wizard wand creations and portraits of the mysterious Half-Blood Prince early to be judged and displayed (Visit our website or ask a bookseller for more details). Buy a voucher for the book up until Friday, July 15, and receive 20% off. (Members of our Frequent Buyer Program will receive an additional 10%). Books will be distributed at the stroke of midnight.

Voucher for a 20% discount off the $29.95 retail price (MUST be purchased on or before July 16th).

DAN SIMMONS
Wednesday, July 20, 7:30 p.m.

DAN SIMMONS, one of the most original authors currently working in the field of speculative fiction, returns with Olympos (HarperCollins, $25.95). Breathtaking in his scope and conception, Simmons ingeniously imagines a catastrophic future where the sad remnants of humankind are forced to confront their ultimate annihilation. Like its predecessor, Ilium, Olympos is a monumental work that blurs the often arbitrary line between great science fiction and serious literature.

Olympos

TIM FREKE
Thursday, July 21, 7:30 p.m.

Join modern mystic TIM FREKE as he reinvigorates the ancient tradition of the philosopher as a traveling performer. During this "stand-up philosophy show," Freke will be promoting his new books—The Laughing Jesus: Religious Lies and Gnostic Wisdom (Harmony, $24.95), a damning indictment of fundamentalist religion and a passionate affirmation of Gnostic spirituality—and Lucid Living (Sunwheel, $12.95), an experiential journey through seven extraordinary ideas about spiritual awakening.

The Laughing Jesus: Religious Lies and Gnostic Wisdom

Lucid Living

MARK HELPRIN
Friday, July 22, 7:30 p.m.

MARK HELPRIN is a lyrical writer whose graceful prose is studded with profound truths and insights. His latest work, Freddy and Fredericka (Penguin, $27.95), an extraordinarily funny allegory of a most peculiar British royal family, is immensely mocking of contemporary monarchy and yet deeply sympathetic to the individuals caught in its lonely absurdities. Behind the laughter he speaks of leaps of faith and second chances, courage and the primacy of love.

Freddy and Fredericka

ROBERT B. “UNCLE ROCK” WARREN
Saturday, July 23, 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Robert B. “UNCLE ROCK” Warren knows about boo boos, predator dinosaurs, and meltdowns that come from getting too many presents, and will delight your kids with his funny, scary and ridiculous lyrics! Singer-songwriter Uncle Rock will perform from his family-friendly, children-centered album Here We Go! in our children’s room. Uncle Rock’s music is influenced by his years of playing with the likes of Johnny Cash’s daughter, Roseanne Cash, the Fleshtones, and Wanda Jackson. Fun for all ages!

BETTE ERICKSON, RUSSELL & GAIL DOHRMANN
Tuesday, July 26, 7:30 p.m.

Best Boulder Region Hiking Trails (Westcliffe, $19.95) covers over 86 hikes that can be completed in one day or less. Author BETTE ERICKSON leads readers to the region's prime hiking destinations, providing essential information such as detailed trail descriptions, hike highlights and difficulty ratings, and dog-friendly routes. It includes full-color scenic photographs by RUSSELL & GAIL DOHRMANN and route overview maps covering open space, park, and forest land.

Best Boulder Region Hiking Trails

GIOVANNA FRANCI
Wednesday, July 27, 7:30 p.m.

In Dreaming of Italy: Las Vegas and the Virtual Grand Tour (University of Nevada, $24.95), GIOVANNA FRANCI compares three Las Vegas Italian-themed resorts--Caesars Palace, Bellagio, and The Venetian--to their Italian counterparts: the ancient Forum in Rome, the resort town of Bellagio, and eternal Venice. Franci not only examines architecture and decorative details but considers how the mystique of these Italian sites has been transplanted to the Nevada desert and even to the imagination of tourists.

Dreaming of Italy: Las Vegas and the Virtual Grand Tour

PAT AMENT
Thursday, July 28, 7:30 p.m.

PAT AMENT'S new book, Everything That Matters (Pat Ament, $19.95), is the most moving and beautiful collection of essays of his career. In the spirit of climbing, life, comradeship, and the sacred earth, and covering a wide range of subjects, from the art of climbing to his unique meditations, Ament's book is full of luminous poetic grace. His sense of mortality and the shadow of age seem to renew his wonder and his hunger of spirit. This book inspires and uplifts from cover to cover.