A Weekend Of Words

The books we read are the stories our souls crave. You can be an adventurous journalist discovering a time-bending tale, a Southern baker whipping up magic, the sassy mother just saying what’s on her mind, a wife determined to change her husband’s fate, a law student from Boston, or be on a soul-searching trip to coastal Scotland in the 1500s. Whatever pages you turn, they can become pieces of who you are.

Liz Broder, owner of White Fences Inn in Southampton, founded Hamptons Bedside Reading Authors Weekend in 2019, a spin-off event to Jane Ubell’s Bedside Reading, a company that provides complimentary books to luxury and boutique hotels across the nation. Authors Weekend will run its second installment February 28 through March 1, bringing together six unique authors for a literary event that will draw in a much-needed off-season audience.

“We’re bringing in a little business, trying to work together as a community and build this as part of Discover The Hamptons,” Broder said. “We want to let people know that there are things to do here in the wintertime. You’re not standing in a bookstore with 100 other people. You can sit, chat with an author, hear about why they wrote the book, how they wrote the book.”

She said her team based this year’s event on last’s, and tried to get authors with more name recognition to enhance the experience.

The weekend kicks off at the Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton with “I Know How This Ends” returning author Amy Impellizzeri on Friday from 6 to 8 PM. The novel is a follow-up to her award-winning debut novel, “Lemongrass Hope.”

“The book had somewhat of an open ending. I was asked by many readers if I was ever going to do a follow-up book, and I always said, ‘No,’” Impellizzeri said. “I wasn’t going to write a follow-up unless I had a very good idea. Then, I did. So this is very exciting.”

On Saturday from 10 AM to noon, White Fences Inn will host Jennifer Moorman who will be discussing her novel “The Baker’s Man” as she leads a baking lesson and reads from her book. Then, from noon to 1:30 PM, Laurie Gelman, author of “You’ve Been Volunteered,” will arrive, followed by a Five North Chocolate tasting.

Over in East Hampton, 1770 House will have Hampton Coffee Company brew available while guests chat with Natalie Banks, author of “The Moments Between,” from 2 to 4 PM. The get-together continues with champagne and cocktails at Baker House 1650 from 5 to 7 PM with Hank Phillippi Ryan, writer of “The Murder List.” The weekend concludes on Sunday with brunch at the Maidstone Hotel from 10:30 AM to noon with Kim Sakwa and her book “The Prophecy.” This last event also kicks off National Reading Month.

nicole@indyeastend.com