This week, just for "guest", Chicagoist decided to tie this installment of the "Buffet" into Lollapalooza. We also have an update on Bell's, some other newsworthy items, and the usual complement of events. - A forum thread started at Beer Advocate earlier this week asked the million-dollar question: When is Bell's coming back to Illinois? Standing out among the speculation was a reply from Larry Bell himself. Bell told the forum that he's been talking......

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. We were so busy between scouring the Printer’s Row Book Fair and lounging at the Chicago Blues Fest that we almost forgot to pick just one book for this month, in fact, we couldn’t and had to let fate, otherwise known as the Post Office, decide. You guys had some pretty awesome suggestions and we almost thought there would be a throw down over whose author was more prestigious......

“I promise you, this story is going some place. I’m not simply blogging,” said author Erik Larson at the Printers Row Book Fair, which was in full swing today. What we love best about hanging out with author-types like Larson is that they just know how to tell a damn good story -- the stories about trying to write, or the stories that don’t fit into a particular cookie cutter format. That is, if you......

It's a less cumbersome title than "Your Friday Food Buffet," don't you think? Good, because that's what we're calling "YFFB" from now on. On to business: - "What is Understood Need Not Be Discussed": That about describes our opinion of Ribfest Chicago 2007 this weekend. We'll leave it at that. - Practical Applications: Printers Row Book Fair is also happening this weekend. Presenting sponsor the Tribune has a full slate of demonstrations and discussions related......

Well folks, it’s the end of the month, it’s Friday, and it’s hot as underwear outside. We think we need to take a break, you know, do something fun, shake it up a little. One of our favorite answers to the question “what do you want for your birthday?” is, “give us your favorite book, the one that had the most impact on you; the one that changed your life, made you cry, made you......

We’re gearing up for the weekend and to see some of our favorite authors at the Printers Row Book Fair. We thought we’d tell you who we’re planning on seeing, but remember there are a gajillion more events; so make sure you check the schedule; there’s much too much to even fathom. E.L. Doctorow His latest novel “The March” won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer; grab a......

Ask and ye shall receive, commenters; today is the day that you requested. Today we push aside big book fairs and corporations and their easy-to-buy books. Today we shun the traffickers of false memoirs and mammoth book advances. Today we say, WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ BORDERS! We'll begin with the Reader Book Swap. Tonight, at the Hideout, from 5:30PM-8:30PM, you can bring as many as 15 used books, and exchange them for 15 other......

MySpace takes a lot of heat over being a haven for online predators and really ugly HTML coding. But without it, we wouldn’t have found out about a kickass music sale. Choke, Inc., described as “one of America’s last indie record distributors,” is having a garage sale. While your garage sale might consist of several old pairs of pants and a barely functioning humidifier, Choke’s will be filled with records, CDs, posters, magazines and other......

It’s always hard to come back after a three-day weekend and be hopeful. But here are a few things that let us know the world is going to be okay: 1. Township High School District 214 voted 6-1 to not ban the books! Sorry Pinney. 2. The authors of "Freakonomics", Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, are giving away 50 free copies of the book to students at District 214, in appreciation of not having their......

Why, oh why, did we just spend $40 last night on two (two!) books? Okay, so we're suckers for the shiny covers and undented corners, but books are for reading. So we're planning to repent, and buy even more books this weekend when two (two!) book fairs hit the area. First off is the 35th Annual Book Fair put on by the Friends of the Oak Park Library. We hear it's one of the......

While we haven't yet picked up our own copy of Bodies in Motion by Mary Anne Mohanraj, we think it's pretty safe to say that her reading tonight at Women & Children First will be a good one. Mohanraj, currently a visiting professor at Roosevelt University, be reading from her new collection of stories about Sri Lankan immigrant life, which has been well-received by critics and gets mixed reviews from readers on Amazon. We heard......

Chicagoist was probably one of the last people in the world to read Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand--we finished it at the end of last year. Honestly, we were kind of like: "horses? eh." But then, you know, we read it, and we wanted more. So we're not wasting any time with Ted McClelland's new book, Horseplayers: Life at the Track. McClelland, a staff writer for the Chicago Reader, is the Seabiscuit of horseplayers: people......

Hey, remember those elementary school book fairs, when you got to skip math for the day and go to the library to stock up on the Berenstain Bears and, later, Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume? Chicagoist does, which is why we’re so excited for this weekend’s Printer’s Row Book Fair. Billed as the “largest free literary event in the Midwest,” the Printer’s Row Book Fair is the ultimate book fair for grown-ups and kids......

It’s a well-established fact that Chicagoist is a big nerd. And it’s also well established that nerds like books. So by the transitive property, Chicagoist likes books. Especially when said books are written by (or associated with) the fine folks at McSweeney’s. Having enjoyed Dave Eggers’s work as well as the various collections released under the McSweeney’s banner, we’re pretty stoked about his upcoming book tour with his younger brother Toph (immortalized in Eggers’s quasi-memoir......

Watching the Democratic Convention has made Chicagoist want to give a speech. Like, super-badly. And lucky for us, now's our chance. Tonight and tomorrow afternoon, the Bughouse Square Debates will give hippies, hecklers, historians and political types a chance to vent. Festivities kick off tonight at 6 p.m. in Washington Square Park with historical reenactments of famous orators who once participated in the lively debate scene. You can catch Lucy Parsons, Emma Goldman, Clarence Darrow......

Itching to be on a reality show? Chicagoist is tempted to criticize you, and yet, without folks who want to be reality �stars,� what would we watch on TV? NBC is launching The Hilton Project,, starring Paris and Nicky�s madre Kathy, and it looks promising. [Producers are] looking for deserving men and women to take part in an uplifting unscripted drama for NBC. Hilton will play "Henry Higgins" to these candidates and help transform their......

Chicagoist's friend Rachel Kramer Bussel is doing a reading for her book, Up All Night: Adventures in Lesbian Sex, on June 6th at 6 p.m at Early to Bed. Join Rachel, along with Heidi Cowgirl, for some very naughty and very true bedtime stories from this anthology recently published by Alyson. Also on June 5-6, check out other authors at the Printers Row Book Fair.......

Chicago's busy festival season kicks off this weekend with the Milwaukee Avenue Block Party in Wicker Park on Saturday and the Windy City Hemp Fest in Montrose Park on Saturday & Sunday. Chicagoist has tickets to the Ravinia Festival and is also looking forward to the Printers Row Book Fair, Taste of Chicago, the Outdoor Film Festival, the 21st Annual Chicago Blues Festival and the 26th Annual Chicago Jazz Fest. Our friend, Gothamist, will not......

The Printers Row Book Fair is the largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest and is taking place in June 5 - 6 in Chicago's historic Printers Row neighborhood. The list of over 100 authors scheduled to appear include Chuck Palahniuk, Dave Eggers, Gish Jen, James Atlas, and Oprah's personal chef, Art Smith. Each of these authors are asked to remain at the fair at least one hour after their event to sign......