Authors Night Shines Bright in East Hampton

As the founder of BookTrib (and a book publicist with three decades of experience in the literary world), I’ve attended my fair share of fantastic book events. But there’s something undeniably special about the star-studded East Hampton Authors Night… 
 

Christie Brinkley, whose new memoir Uptown Girl tells the story of her meteoric rise to fame, flashed her million-dollar smile.

Griffin Dunne, author of The Friday Afternoon Club (a perfect self-narrated audiobook listen that gives readers an inside look at the Los Angeles literary scene; highly recommend!), charmed the crowd with his Hollywood good looks and warm smile.
 
James Frey made a splash with his latest novel Next to Heaven, a dark thriller about a wealthy Connecticut town that sounds astonishingly similar to BookTrib HQ’s hometown of Westport, CT. (Come visit, James! We have questions!)  

I spoke with Cynthia Weiner about A Gorgeous Excitement, a book about 1980s NYC (and a fictional exploration of the Preppy Murder) that I can’t wait to read. I lived in the city during that era (with roommates, big permed hair, and an IBM Selectric on the desk!).  

I even chatted with Dr. Nicholas Perricone about his new book The Beauty Molecule (He’s still eating salmon and told me he had it for breakfast. Talk about a derm devotee!)

Everywhere I turned, I found a public figure with a story to tell. Hilaria and Alec Baldwin held court as usual, and Maureen Dowd chatted with a steady stream of fans about Notorious, her electric new book full of celebrity profiles.  Rachel Simmons showed up for Sesame, her book where readers learn to incorporate sesame in global recipes. Peter M. Wolf promoted two titles: My New Orleans, Gone Away: A Memoir of Loss and Renewal, which offers insight about the social structure of New Orleans, and Etruscans and the Jews, revealing links between the culturally vibrant Etruscan people and long forgotten Jewish communities. Jane L. Rosen’s Songs of Summer was the talk of the tent.    

It’s always fun to celebrate books with the movers and shakers who shape the industry. The cherry on top? The night’s proceeds benefitted the East Hampton Library for the 21^st year in a row.  There’s nothing like a charitable summer soirée that offers both celebrity selfies and your next great read!
 

If you’re looking for book recs worth adding to your summer reading list, find the latest and greatest  on BookTrib.com. And if you end up reading one of these books penned by a public figure, drop us a line and let us know what you think!