At The Smithsonian Associates on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Although Jane Austen’s books have been reinvented by fans for decades, Seth Grahame-Smith was the first to create a “monster mash-up” using Austen’s text. His New York Times best-selling first novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Quirk Books, 2009), uses 85% of Austen’s original text fused with zombie mayhem, Ninjas, and a combat-trained Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, who must battle otherworldly forces while they slowly fall in love.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Continuing with the trend of combining Jane Austen text with supernatural elements, Ben H. Winters expands the original story of Sense and Sensibility to include an array of savage sea creatures. In addition to Austen’s meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues, the Dashwood sisters must overcome tentacled monsters as they pursue their paths to true love. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (Quirk Books, 2009) is a New York Times best-selling novel.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Regina Jeffers is a bestselling author and re-inventor of Jane Austen text. Two of her earlier novels, Darcy’s Temptation and Darcy’s Passions (Ulysses Press, 2009), reinterpreted Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy’s point of view, depicting his growing love for Elizabeth, his transformation into Elizabeth’s true love, and the early years of their marriage. With her latest novel, Vampire Darcy’s Desire (Ulysses Press, 2009), Jeffers rewrites Mr. Darcy as a vampire, torn between his love for Elizabeth and his desire to end the evil workings of master vampire George Wickham.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, March 18, 2010.

Graham Schweig’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita (HarperOne, 2007) from the Sanskrit into a rich, but accessible text grants readers new insight into the most important sacred text of Hinduism. The text, written between 500 and 50 B.C. as a dialog between a prince and a charioteer, uses the prince’s moral and ethical conflicts to highlight what is most important in life. It also serves as a guide for how mortals can achieve inner peace. Schweig is an associate professor of religion at Christopher Newport University.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

John L. Esposito is one of America's leading authorities on Islam. Now, in The Future of Islam (Oxford University Press, 2010), Esposito paints a brilliant portrait of Islam today--and tomorrow. He draws on a lifetime of thought and research to sweep away the negative stereotypes and provide an accurate, richly nuanced, and revelatory account of the fastest growing religion in the world. Esposito is a professor of religion and international affairs, Georgetown University, and founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Wednesday, March 31, 2010.

Mithradates led a colorful life, to say the least. He claimed ancestry from Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia; he seized Greece and modern-day Turkey, and massacred 80,000 Roman citizens in an attempt to challenge Rome’s power; and he mastered poisons, allowing him to foil assassination attempts and eliminate rivals. Adrienne Mayor brings this ruthless and visionary rebel-king to life in her book, The Poison King: The Life and Times of Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy (Princeton University Press, 2009). Mayor is an author and a visiting scholar in classic and history of science at Stanford University.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

Matt and Ted Lee, gurus of the Southern gastronomic tradition, have combined the old with the new in their cookbook, The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knock-Out Dishes with Down-Home Flavor (Clarkson Potter, 2009). They drew from the slow-cooked, deep-fried recipes of their childhood and updated them for contemporary kitchens and palates, focusing on crisp produce and lighter cooking methods while respecting venerable folkways. The Lees Bros. are contributing editors for Travel + Leisure and wine columnists for Martha Stewart Living.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Monday, April 12, 2010.

In her new book, For You, Mom. Finally, (Penguin, 2010), Ruth Reichl traces a life filled with good food and inspiring chefs on her journey from restaurant critic and food editor for the New York Times to the top ranks of the culinary world. Combining food history with family history, Reichl takes a clear-eyed look at her own determination to pursue a career in the food industry, as well as the sacrifices her mother made to make sure her daughter’s life would be open to choices. Reichl is the editor of the comprehensive Gourmet Today Cookbook and the last editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

Physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist Paul Davies is one of a handful of people who would be the first to know if we made contact with aliens. But he says our approach to the search has been all wrong. In his new book, Eerie Silence (Harcourt, 2010), redefines the search, challenging existing ideas of what form an alien intelligence might take, how it might try to communicate with us, and how we should respond if it does.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, April 15, 2010.

In The Swan Thieves (Little Brown and Company, 2010), Elizabeth Kostova’s latest historical novel, the protagonist descends from a life of artistic creativity into one of obsession and violence. Moving back and forth in time from a tragedy during the time of the French Impressionists to the present day, the story traces the main character’s attempt to destroy a canvas hanging in the National Gallery of Art. The book also takes a revealing look at the relationship between creativity and madness.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

Cooking teacher, culinary journalist, and cookbook author Monica Bhide provides a personal look at modern Indian cooking in her latest cookbook, Modern Spice - Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, 2009). Bhide departs from the standard Indian recipes, and instead focuses on traditional Indian spices and flavors, with reinterpreted recipes to make them more accessible to the international kitchen.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, April 22, 2010.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author E.O. Wilson’s first work of fiction, Anthill (W.W. Norton & Co., 2010), is an epic story that’s part thriller and part parable. It features a modern-day Huck Finn character in Alabama whose improbable love for ants ends up transforming his life and the lives of those around him. Wilson is Pellegrino University Research Professor emeritus and honorary curator in entomology at Harvard University.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Friday, April 23, 2010.

In 1993, Greg Mortenson climbed Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second-highest mountain in the Karakoram region. On his journey he encountered children writing in the dirt with sticks, and he promised to help them build a school. Seventeen years later, Mortenson has founded the Central Asia Institute, established more than 130 schools in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and written a New York Times bestselling book, Three Cups of Tea, about his experiences. In his latest book, Stones Into Schools (Viking, 2009), Mortenson picks up where his last book left off, focusing on his efforts to establish schools for girls in Afghanistan. He also shares his broader vision to promote peace through education and literacy. Mortenson will receive the ninth annual Benjamin Franklin Creativity Award in honor of his humanitarian efforts.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, April 29, 2010.

Historian Arthur Herman depicts the fateful contrasts and surprising similarities between two great leaders of the post-colonial era. In Gandhi and Churchill (Random House, 2009), Herman analyzes Gandhi and Churchill’s era, their careers and ideologies, and the roles each played in shaping India as an independent nation. Herman is a New York Times best-selling author.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

Susan Wise Bauer’s latest book, The Well-Educated Mind (W.W. Norton & Company, 2003), serves as a roadmap for adults seeking self-education in the classical tradition. Bauer describes the five major literary genres, their historical development, and the scholarly debates associated with each. She then provides a representative list of works for each genre, along with tips on improving reading skills, which ultimately assist the reader in making vital connections between ancient traditions and contemporary writing.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, May 6, 2010.

Anthropologist Wade Davis is a leading advocate for the world’s indigenous cultures. In The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (Anansi, 2009), he takes us on a fascinating tour through a handful of indigenous cultures and worldviews. From Polynesian navigational arts to the philosophy of the Australian Aboriginal peoples, Davis reveals the thoughts, dreams, myths, and ideas created by the human imagination since the dawn of consciousness, while reminding us of the encroaching dangers posed by unchecked globalization. Davis is an ethnographer, writer, photographer, filmmaker, and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, May 12, 2010.

One of America’s most esteemed historians, Gordon S. Wood, offers a fascinating glimpse of the early American Republic, from 1789 and the beginning of the national government to the end of the War of 1812. In his new book, Empire of Liberty (Oxford University Press, 2009), Wood examines this pivotal era and the resulting anxiety, confusion, crisis and unbridled growth as America evolved as a nation. Wood is Alva O. Way University Professor Emeritus at Brown University. He is also the author of several books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Radicalism of the American Revolution.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, May 13, 2010.

More than 20 years after writing the best-selling novel Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow has followed up with a long-awaited sequel. Featuring main character Rusty Sabich, now the chief judge of an appellate court, Innocent (Grand Central, 2010) finds Rusty in a riveting psychological match with his old nemesis, Tommy Molto, following the mysterious death of Rusty’s wife. In addition to writing several best-selling and award-winning novels, Turow is a practicing attorney.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, May 17, 2010.

In 1930, writer Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat husband, Harold Nicolson, purchased Sissinghurst Castle and 400 acres of surrounding property. They transformed the land into what is now the world-famous, lushly beautiful Sissinghurst Gardens. Eighty years later, the Nicolsons’ grandson, Adam Nicolson, is working to expand the gardens to include a mixed organic farm, raising livestock and produce for use at the National Trust Sissinghurst restaurant. In Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (Viking, 2010), Nicolson recounts the humorous efforts and challenges involved in transforming the gardens for enjoyment in the 21st century and beyond.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, May 20, 2010.

B. Janet Hibbs challenges us to go beyond communication styles, gender, and age to gaps to strengthen our relationships through fairness. Her book, Try to See It My Way: Being Fair in Love and Marriage (Avery/Penguin, 2009), offers couples practical guidance on how to apply the principles of fairness in relationships, resulting in healthier and happier interactions. Hibbs is a relational ethics expert, a family psychologist, and has served as a clinical supervisor and on the faculty at Drexel University.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Thursday, May 20, 2010.

Take an unforgettable journey of smoke and fire through the world’s barbecue tradition with Steve Raichlen. In Planet Barbeque! (Workman, 2010), Raichlen compiled 275 of the tastiest recipes from 53 countries. From Colombia to Cambodia, Australia to Turkey, and everywhere in between, Raichlen shares the methods of the world’s most inspiring grill masters, who raise grilling to an art. He also suggests inventive methods of grilling for the adventurous chef, using shovels, cloth, and even pine needles. Raichlen hosts two PBS TV series, and is an award-winning grill expert, historian, and best-selling author.

At The Smithsonian Associates on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

Actor Louis Gossett, Jr. rose to fame with his Emmy-winning role in the television mini-series Roots and Oscar-winning performance in An Officer and a Gentleman. Now he tells the story of his fifty years in the entertainment world—from his early success on the New York stage appearing with Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier in Raisin in the Sun, through his long Hollywood career working alongside countless stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Dennis Quaid. In An Actor and a Gentleman (Wiley, 2010), he writes frankly of his struggle to get leading roles and fair pay as a black man in Hollywood, the problems with drugs and alcohol that took years to overcome, and of his current work to eradicate racism and violence and give our children a better future.