I’ll be doing talks and signings for my new novel The Lager Queen of Minnesota this Friday and Saturday in Deadwood, South Dakota, as a part of the always excellent South Dakota Festival of Books. Details about both events, including advance tickets for the Friday event at His & Hers Ale House and Wine Bar, are on the festival’s website.
I was over the moon to be interviewed by the wonderful Rico Gagliano for KCRW’s daily news & culture show “Press Play” and by the always insightful and wise Norman B for “Life Elsewhere.” Find the Gagliano interview here at the Press Play archives, and the Norman B interview here on the Life Elsewhere site.
I never expected to open a copy of People and see my face. Certainly no one’s ever going to buy a 13-month wall calendar of J. Ryan Stradal. And I did not wear anything better than anyone else, ever. But here I am, in the August 5th 2019 issue.
The Washington Post writes: “This generous spirit makes ‘The Lager Queen of Minnesota’ a pleasure to read and the perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.”
TIME Magazine has a review in their July 29th issue, saying “In Stradal’s follow-up to his best-selling debut, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, the Minnesota native’s energetic prose once again captures the optimism of the heartland.”
USA Today writes: “Stradal, who also wrote 2015's well-received "Kitchens of the Great Midwest," is an understated storyteller whose American voice and quaint, ambling prose reads like it would feel at home in "A Prairie Home Companion" or "A River Runs Through It." Raised in Minnesota and now living in Los Angeles, Stradal clearly knows Midwestern women, and his sensitively crafted portrayals read authentic and come from the heart.”
This Tuesday, NPR aired my interview with Ari Shapiro on “All Things Considered.” He’s a fellow native Midwesterner, and I feel extremely fortunate that he’s a fan of the book.
In the last week, I’ve also been lucky enough to have insightful, excellent interviews with Bradley Sides for The Millions and with Jason Diamond for Inside Hook. Each one was a total pleasure, tackling different aspects of the book and the writing experience that no one has yet.
On Tuesday, I also had a wonderful launch party for my book tour at Lake Monster Brewery, sponsored by Valley Booksellers. Beth Dooley, Peter Geye, Lorna Landvik, and Sarah Stonich — Minnesota literary royalty, all — joined me onstage to help read excerpts. The audience included family, high school and college friends, grade school teachers, high school teachers, and folks I hadn’t met yet who were fans of my first novel. It was an emotional, unforgettable night.
I feel extremely fortunate to receive a wonderfully insightful interview in the St. Paul Pioneer Press and a kind review in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I read both of these newspapers growing up in Minnesota, and to be featured in them all these years later is always a little bit surreal.
Penguin/Random House made a nice graphic of all the tour dates that were official by the end of last week. Forty-two total dates — thirty-three indie bookstores, six libraries, and three various other locations!
#indiesfirst #shopindies
This has been in the works for a while, and at last, I can announce it — I’m over to moon to be working with Pamela Dorman and Viking Books, again, on my third novel. I feel like the luckiest person alive.
“... now you know the spell this author can cast. He does it again with THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTA.”
The New York Times review is out, and man, I wish my mom were alive to read this one.
Read the entire review here.
Callie Crosley is one of the best interviewers I’ve had in a long time. She did such a thorough and thoughtful read of Lager Queen, and asked excellent questions I truly wasn’t prepared to answer — and I think that’s a good thing. Hear the full interview here on the WGBH site.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota has received a starred review in Booklist, which reads, “Imbued with Midwestern references and the importance of a “can-do” attitude, this warm, witty novel will appeal to fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Meg Wolitzer.” Wildly, wildly honored.
The new novel has also made some new summer reading lists published by Apple, Book Riot, Family Circle, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Fast Company, Kirkus Reviews, Oprahmag.com, Parade Magazine, the Napa Valley Register, the Grand Island Independent, Dandelion Chandelier, Inside Hook, and the Daily Waffle, among other places.
Extremely grateful for all of this, and currently trying to enjoy the calm before the tour.
Unspeakably floored. Who is that guy? Who took his hat?
Much gratitude to everyone I grew up with in Minnesota — and since — who believed in and supported me. It should be a picture of all of you.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota is fortunate enough to be on some summer reading lists: It’s one of USA Today’s “20 Hottest New Books”, Thrillist’s “33 Books We Can’t Wait To Read This Summer”, New York Post’s “25 Best Beach Reads of 2019”, and Entertainment Weekly’s “35 hottest reads.”
Also, on Tuesday, May 14th, Over Town Brewery hosted a party for The Lager Queen of Minnesota for local booksellers and librarians, and amazingly, brewed an excellent batch of Grandma Edith’s Rhubarb Pie in a Bottle Ale. It feels like just yesterday I wrote the scene where Edith brews that beer. To hold a bottle of it in my hands had me at a complete loss for words.
The French translation of Kitchens of the Great Midwest — “Les Cuisines Du Grand Midwest” — is in the running for a reader’s prize in France.
The long-running website Ezvid Wiki has listed Kitchens as one of the Top Ten Emotional Novels about Parents and Children.
Finally, a high school student in South Carolina who read Kitchens created this painting, inspired by the novel, titled “Lars and Eva.” I’m completely blown away.
The first major review is in, and I’m floored.
When I read reviews like this, I miss my mother, most of all.
Friday, April 5th, I'll be at the Orcas Island Lit Fest for a panel on "Delicious Writing" with Kim Bast, Jess Gigot, and Joe Ray. If you're in the area, I hope you can join us.
Find more details, including info on how to get to Orcas Island, at the festival website.
I’m very lucky to have hit the road last week with three wonderful authors to promote our upcoming books. We stopped in DC, NYC, and Boston, and I’m looking forward to returning to each city this summer after THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTA comes out July 23rd.
Huge thanks to our extraordinary publicist Shannon Twomey, our local sales reps Trudi, Justin, Karl and Megan, my editor Pam Dorman, and all of the booksellers and media (including my high school friend Ellen) who came out on cold, snowy nights to meet a bunch of writers. Hope to see everyone again when it’s a little warmer.
Heads up. If you're a Kindle, Nook, Apple, Google Play, or Kobo user, you can download a free short excerpt of The Lager Queen of Minnesota (and many other upcoming books) through this #BuzzBooks2019 promotion. More information here.
My second novel, The Lager Queen of Minnesota, about a family split over an unfairly divided inheritance, set against the backdrop of Minnesota beer culture from the 1950s to today, is out on Pamela Dorman Books/Viking this July 23rd.
Check back here for updates regarding the tour schedule and other non-tour events in 2019 and beyond.
Beyond Baroque was a literary staple of my years living in Venice Beach. I’m honored to return there on Saturday, December 8th to help them celebrate their 50th anniversary.
From Beyond Baroque’s website:
Each installment of the NEW Series features original work commissioned from authors on a single theme.
The changes Beyond Baroque has undergone over a half-century have brought us to reflect on our past and our present. That's why we chose Innocence and Experience as the theme for the final installment of the NEW Series. Join us as acclaimed writers Harryette Mullen and J. Ryan Stradal read wholly original work that has never been published or presented elsewhere. Other guests to be announced soon!
This program is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.
For more info, and advance tickets, visit here.
