Jen Lancaster's If You Were Here tells the story of two new homeowners with a “fixer upper” on their hands and the adventures encountered through its renovation. Lancaster just kicked off her book tour, and she’ll be in reading in Chicago this weekend. She kindly answered our questions and spoke about her transition from personal writing to fiction, being funny, and what she learned from being an unemployed author. more ›

Bookworms, unite! The Printers Row Lit Fest, the self-billed largest literary event in the Midwest, descends on the South Loop this weekend with world-class authors, quirky booksellers, wine tastings, kiddie events, and beyond. more ›

Chicago writer Jen Lancaster is back with her third memoir, Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big; Or, Why Pie Is Not the Answer, which hits bookshelves across the nation today. To celebrate the launch, the author kicks off her book tour in our hometown, making a book signing appearance tonight at Barnes & Noble in Lincoln Park. more ›