Your favorite new read, handpicked by your favorite bookstore

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re running this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “The Templar Legacy”

For any fan waiting for the next Dan Brown novel, then “The Templar Legacy” by Steve Berry is a must read this summer! Book One in the Cotton Malone series, “The Templar Legacy” has all of the history and mystery as “The Da Vinci Code,” with a twist of conspiracy. If you are already a Mallone follower, then check out the newest installment, “The Jefferson Key.”

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick: “The Devil All the Time”

Following up on “Knockemstiff,” which was his gritty debut collection of interconnected stories, Donald Ray Pollack’s new book takes place in the same rural back-country town and surrounding areas. And I gotta say, it feels somehow wrong to say I like a book that makes me feel so unclean, but it’s dang good. If you like Pete Dexter or Chuck Palahaniuk, then Pollack is right for you.

— Rebecca Fitting, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “The Chairs Are Where the People Go”

This book is part-philosophy, part-self-help, part-business, but without any of the bulls—t you probably associate with those categories. Sheila Heti worked with Misha Glouberman to write down his thoughts on cities, education, art, love, charades, and other important things — in short, smart chapters that cohere closer and closer as the book goes on. Full of sharp insights and never boring. Next time you find your brain needing a jump-start, this is the book to dive into.

— Stephanie Anderson, manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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Your favorite new read, handpicked by your favorite bookstore

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re running this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “Fragile”

On the surface, “Fragile” is a story of the kidnapping of a young girl in a small town outside of New York City. But beneath this simple story, Lisa Unger shows how one single event can turn an entire community apart, and how life will never be the same, not only for the family involved, but the whole town.

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick: “What You See in the Dark”

I have a soft spot for books set in my hometown, Bakersfield, California, often described as “dusty” — it’s two hours from L.A. and a world apart. Manuel Muñoz makes the combination of small-town intimacy, desert bleakness, and the proximity to Hollywood into the perfect setting for a tragic and unconventional late 1950s noir mystery, featuring a shy Mexican singer, the town’s golden boy, a failing hotel, and the making of “Psycho,” among other elements. It’s masterfully written, with great characterizations and a powerful sense of atmosphere, and the story is as haunting as an old country song.

— Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “The Curfew”

You should read this novel partly because it will make you think, and partly because it is surprising, but mostly because it’s brilliant. Jesse Ball has created an intense portrait of a family being torn apart by war without giving any details other than those of the characters themselves — the war, their city, their country, all are unspecified, making the book a universal cry against political violence. But William and Molly, father and daughter, are achingly familiar, and their story will catch you and hold you captive. “The Curfew” is a short, precise and haunting masterpiece.

— Jenn Northington, events manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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Your favorite new read - picked by your favorite bookstore

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re running this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “The Devlin Diary”

“The Devlin Diary” by Christi Phillips reminds me of a mix between “The DaVinci Code” and “The Birth of Venus.” The novel follows Claire Donovan of Cambridge, class of 2008, as she tracks down a vicious killer that stalked Londoners during the 17th century. “The Devlin Diary” is filled with political intrigue, true historical facts, and proof that a secret cannot stay buried forever.

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick: “The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine”

Alina Bronsky’s second novel is a delight. Tim Mohr does a fine job translating the sure-footed narration of one woman’s family life through the twilight of the Soviet regime. Quirky Rosa meddles in every aspect of her daughter’s life in the name of her Tartar heritage, bringing vibrancy to the otherwise bleak outlook of the 1980s Eastern Bloc. (Editor’s note: This is the second appearance of Bronsky’s novel in book picks, so that should tell you something.)

— Rebecca Fitting, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “The Dewey Decimal System”

Composer and musician Nathan Larson plunges us into a Manhattan gone mad. The city’s infrastructure has been derailed by a massive bombing and our narrator, an amnesiac ex-soldier rechristened Dewey Decimal, is doing his best just to get by. For him, that means squatting in the New York Public Library, running odd jobs (mostly violent in nature) for the district attorney, and following an obsessive-compulsive disorder–inspired system to keep his post-traumatic-stress-disorder–born neuroses at bay. But his most recent job may trump even his system’s ability to maintain order in the chaos. Stark and gripping, this one should go to the top of your summer reading pile.

— Jenn Northington, events manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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The accidental writer

 By Meredith Deliso

Songwriter Alina Simone’s landed the best gig of her life — and it has nothing to do with music.

The South Slope songstress, who previously hadn’t written anything seriously beyond a blog post, celebrates the release of her new memoir, “You Must Go and Win,” this month.

The collection of essays are owed, in part, to Eric Chinski, the editor-in-chief at Farrar, Straus & Giroux who discovered the singer while listening to his PJ Harvey station on Pandora a few years back.

“I was struck by her voice and fell in love with her music,” said Chinski. “Her voice is just so overwhelmingly good.”

Chinski soon realized there was potential in her written voice. After reaching out to Simone to say what a big fan he is, they became friends and he heard more about her life — her father’s exile by the KGB in the Ukraine, revisiting her homeland with her philosopher husband decades later, the ups and downs of striving to make it as a musician in New York.

Soon, a book deal followed, and Simone set aside the next year-and-a-half of her life to writing.

“It’s probably one of the weirdest thing if not the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me,” said Simone. “I was not even on the cusp of writing a book, or an article or a short story or anything.”

The resulting book is a collection of funny, cynical essays on meeting sketchy producers off of Craigslist, her obsession with Skopsy, a Russian castrati set, and battling fleas in her Williamsburg apartment.

Simone concurrently celebrates the release of a new album, “Make Your Own Danger,” but it appears she has caught the writing bug — bad. She recently finished a screenplay about a home organizer in New York City, and is deep into a novel about a woman searching for a passion in New York City and decides to become a DIY filmmaker.

“I don’t know if I have enough life material to do [autobiographical essays] again, so I’m trying different styles,” said Simone. “I feel like I put my best adventures in this book for now.”

Yes, for now.

Alina Simone at WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], tonight at 7:30 pm. Free. For info, visit www.alinasimone.com.

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Your favorite new read — picked by your favorite bookstore

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re running this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “The Postmistress”

This novel by Sarah Blake follows the lives of three women during World War II. Two women in the sleepy town of Franklin, Mass., listen to the news being delivered by Frankie Bard in London. Filled with personal heartache and hope and devastation that comes with war; this is a must read.

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick: “When God Was a Rabbit”

The main character in Sarah Winman’s novel is sacrilegious in the way that only a child can be (case in point, she names her pet rabbit “God” because she hasn’t yet learned that it’s uncommon to do so). This is a book about a family told through the young daughter’s voice. She has a brother whom she’s crazy about, in the slightly oppressive way that only a little sister can adore a big brother. Set in England, spanning childhood to adulthood, the voice of Elly sticks in your head long after reading it. She’s a singular, precocious narrator with an unconventional family that feels real upon reading about them.

— Rebecca Fitting, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “Vaclav & Lena”

I had to pry myself away from this one. Haley Tanner captures the voices of these characters so aptly, their evolution from children to teenagers is perfectly handled, and the plot tugs your heartstrings without ever descending into sentimentality. It reminded me of “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky” in both its ability to tackle difficult issues and its young adult crossover potential. It’s a gorgeous debut that captures the spirit of the immigrant experience in New York, as well as the joys and pains of first loves and first revelations. 

— Jenn Northington, events manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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Your favorite new read — picked by your favorite bookstore

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re running this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “Cleopatra’s Daughter”

Many know the tragic ending to the real life story of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. But not many people know the story continued on with Cleopatra’s children. Follow Cleopatra Selene, daughter to Cleopatra, as she is forced to leave her home land of Egypt, into the harsh lands of Rome and defend her family name and honor in this new book by Michelle Moran.

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick: “It Happened on the Way to War: A Marine’s Path to Peace ”

This is a book that surprised me, it is a very special, moving, and affecting read. While training to be a Marine, the tireless Rye Barcott juxtaposed his life and was simultaneously working to found a NGO in one of the poorest slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Partnering with local community members who formed a tight bond, Barcott involved people in the surrounding community to initiate change from the ground up, and in “It Happened on the Way to War,” he tells, and honors their story. Really, words can’t justify how moving this book is. Humanity at its best.

— Rebecca Fitting, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “Matterhorn”

Hailed as one of the best novels on the Vietnam War when it came out last year, “Matterhorn” by Karl Marlantes is now out in paperback. This book absolutely blew me away, and I don’t mind telling you I’m not much of a war-novel reader. While the novel tackles big issues — the politics of war, racism in the troops, all the blood and guts you can stand and then some — it’s Marlantes’ attention to the small, almost invisible details of daily life during war-time that makes it so affecting. Long, intense and worth every single second you’ll spend reading it.

— Jenn Northington, events manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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This week's book picks

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re running this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “Tweak”

“Tweak “is the true story of a young man’s journey from hell to redemption. Nic Sheff led a privileged childhood, but that didn’t stop him from experimenting with alcohol and marijuana at the age of 11. What started as fun eventually led to a full-blown addiction. This will be the most difficult story you may ever read, but the hardest to put down.

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick:  “Moonwalking with Einstein”

Even if you’re not a regular nonfiction reader, “Moonwalking with Einstein,” a quirky and often funny exploration of human memory written by Joshua Foer (younger brother of Jonathan Safran Foer, the greatest writer of his, or anyone’s, generation) will hook you with its engaging narrative and fun facts. Foer covered the national memory championships as a journalist, but ended up a competitor, and began investigating the ancient techniques of memorization pioneered by the Greeks and still used today. With digressions into neuroscience, psychology, pop culture, and history, this is far from a self-help book, but it might inspire you to create your own “memory palace,” and maybe even help you remember your shopping list.

— Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “The Hottest Dishes of the tartar Cuisine”

What an incredible book. The main character in “The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine” is thoroughly detestable in her manipulations of everyone around her, but despite that (or, more likely, because of it!), I miss her very much now that she’s gone. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed hating a narrator so much since I read “Money” by Martin Amis. Author Alina Bronsky’s use of language is vibrant and surprising and I was heartbroken when the book was over. It often seems like everybody who comes in the store is looking for a funny book for a change of pace; I can’t wait to sell them this one.

— Stephanie Anderson, store manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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Your favorite new read — picked by your favorite bookstore

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re launching this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “The Imperfectionists”

“The Imperfectionists” is one of the most original stories I have come across as it follows the lives of a group of people working at an international newspaper based in Rome, Italy. Each chapter introduces us to a new character while maintaining the common thread of the life of the newspaper. It still amazes me how author Tom Rachman was able to capture the pivotal point in a character’s life while showing all of their imperfections. This is a must-read!

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick:  “Kraken”

We’re big China Mieville fans at Greenlight, and his newest novel in paperback, “Kraken,” is suspenseful, thought-provoking, sometimes scary and often funny — perfect for springtime beach or park reading. In fantasist Mieville’s version of London, the supernatural realm is the territory of gangland thugs, cult leaders and a special branch of the police. They’ve all got theories about the coming apocalypse — which seems to be connected to the magical disappearance of a rare giant squid from a museum. Full of unforgettable images and bizarre characters, the novel is a race against time and through Mieville’s incomparable imagination.

— Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “Kitchen Daughter”

My favorite thing about “Kitchen Daughter” is how it defies expectation. The premise sounds gimmicky: a woman with undiagnosed Asperger’s loses her parents, her buffer from the world, and whilst fighting with her sister over her future discovers she can summon ghosts by cooking their favorite recipes. I know, I know. But author Jael McHenry (a contributor to Culinate and other food sites) unites these precarious plot elements beautifully. Dark and hopeful by turns, “The Kitchen Daughter” is a moving, unaffected novel about the ways that grief can simultaneously derail us and open new doors.

— Jenn Northington, event manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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Your favorite new read - picked by your favorite bookstore

Who can you always count on when you’re in a bind and need a good book? Your neighborhood bookstore, of course, whose employees read all the newest books before you do. That’s why we’re launching this semi-regular column featuring must-reads, handpicked and written about by the staff at some of our favorite independent bookstores in Brooklyn.

The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “Viola in the Spotlight”

Adriana Trigiani is perhaps one of my favorite authors of all time … and I read a lot of books each week. Her writing instantly draws you into each character. Trigiani has a flair for writing about family drama that will have you laughing and crying through to the end. In her latest young adult novel, “Viola in the Spotlight,” the title character finds her way back to Brooklyn for the summer, but is home where she really belongs? Pick up a copy and find out for yourself! Better still, Trigiani will be at The BookMark Shoppe on April 19 at 7 pm, when you can meet her and pick up my other favorites by her, including “Lucia Lucia,”  “Very Valentine” and “Queen of the Big Time.”

— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-5115].

Greenlight’s pick:  “Witches On The Road Tonight”

The Greenlight staff is crazy about “Witches On The Road Tonight,” the new novel by our neighbor, Sheri Holman. The author of book club favorite “The Dress Lodger” writes engrossing and accessible fiction that also addresses the big themes of class, gender, politics and culture through unique and compelling characters. This novel is partly about American fears, from witches in 1930s Appalachia to cheesy 1980s horror movies to the terrifying 24-hour TV news cycle of the 21st century. It’s also deliciously atmospheric, suspenseful, heartbreaking and sometimes spooky — it will stick with you like last night’s strange dreams.

— Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [86 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200].

WORD’s pick: “A Visit from the Goon Squad”

WORD agrees that Jennifer Egan’s experimental novel is one of our favorite books, and since its recently out in paperback, you really have no more excuses not to pick it up. Egan takes some big risks in this novel — one chapter is entirely composed of PowerPoint slides, one takes us briefly into the future, the cast of characters is huge and varied — and pulls them all off. The last two chapters in particular are a one-two punch to the emotional gut. Don’t let the phrase “linked story-set” scare you off! Pick it up and dive in.

— Jenn Northington, event manager, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096].

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Funny girls

By Meredith Deliso

Jill Kargman is a funny person who wouldn’t call herself a comedian.

“I can never get out and be like, ‘I’m funny,’” said the writer. “I don’t know that I could ever say that about myself.”

So Word Bookshop will say it for her. Tomorrow, Kargman will participate in “Comedienne’s Night” at the Greenpoint store, a night that also includes Rachel Shukert, author of the comedic memoir “Everything Is Going to Be Great”; and comedian Sarah Benincasa.

“Our events are a little something more than just a reading,” said Jenn Northington, event manager at Word. “We’ve got such funny female authors at our disposal, it would be a shame not to take advantage of that.”

Kargman may not consider herself a comedian, but she is, employing improv as she reads from her new collection of essays, “Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut.”

“I usually tell a story from the book without reading. I would rather look at people,” said Kargman. “It’s not so much with a ‘bad-dum-bum’ kind of thing. I like an element of improv with it.”

Comedienne’s Night at Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], Feb. 3 at 7:30 pm. Free. For info, visit www.wordbrooklyn.com.

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Paul Murray at Word

By Meredith Deliso

This writer is deadly funny.

Paul Murray has equally charmed and haunted readers with his praised comic novel, “Skippy Dies,” set at a Dublin boys’ school. 

That title’s no spoiler alert; within five pages of the Irish novelist’s wildly entertaining book, which was longlisted for this year’s Man Booker Prize, Daniel “Skippy” Juster, a shy 14-year-old student, meets his tragicomic demise on the floor of a doughnut shop.

From there, Murray flashes back to the preceding months, from the perspective of the school’s hormone-fueled boys, apathetic teachers, female love interests, and the nerdy, quantum physics-loving Ruprecht Van Doren, whose own life is upended by the death of his friend and roommate.

In addition to its plethora of gay jokes, “Skippy Dies” is deeper and poignant than any book about teenage boys has the right to be — a fact the author himself is well aware of.

“My brain seems to find it quite natural to slip from one register to the other,” says Murray, who crosses the pond to read at Greenpoint’s Word Bookshop on Dec. 5. “I tried to make sure that although the opening chapters are largely comic, the tragic elements are visible to some degree, too.” 

Adds Edward Champion of the Bat Segundo Show, who'll also be interviewing Murray at the reading: "Comic novels often get a bad rap.  If something is funny or entertaining, people often consider it lesser. What I'm hoping the interview will do is get people to understand the hard work and sheer talent that goes into a book as extraordinary as 'Skippy Dies.'" 

Paul Murray at Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], Dec. 5 at 7 pm. Free. For info, visit www.wordbrooklyn.com.

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Lit for tat! The very best in literary tattoos

By Meredith Deliso

This just inked: the ultimate in literary fandom.

“The Word Made Flesh” features photographs of tattoos from bookworms across the globe who have permanently expressed their devotion to the written word.

Friends Eva Talmadge and Justin Taylor noticed a rise in these literary tattoos, from highbrow pieces inspired by James Joyce’s “Ulysses” to the covers of the “Twilight” books. They sent out a call for submissions, and the tattoos came pouring in.

The resulting anthology has more than 150 color photographs of literary tattoos, ranging from lines of verse, quotations from authors, illustrations of scenes depicted in novels and poems, and even a flaming typewriter. 

“We tried to present the crème of the crop,” said Taylor, a Bushwick-based author who, as far as these things go, is tattoo-less. “We wanted a lot of diversity and to be as all-encompassing as we possibly could. You’ll find some high literary stuff in there — Pynchon, T.S. Eliot, ‘Moby Dick’ — as well as J.K. Rowling and Stephen King.”

Talmadge, a Williamsburg-based literary agent, brings the ink cred. She has multiple tattoos on her arms, with her newest — two rectangles, representative of a window and a door, that are inspired by a poem by Daniil Kharms — done to help promote the book.

“I have so many tattoos, I figured, what’s one more?” said Talmadge.

In addition to Talmadge, there are Bryan Waterman’s portrait of Walt Whitman; William Clifford’s seven tattoos, the most from one person featured in the book; Cristina Moracho’s Albert Camus tattoo; and Stephanie Anderson (right), a manager at Greenpoint bookstore Word, who has nine literary tattoos, including “Words, words, words,” from “Ulysses.”

“There is nothing I don’t like about books, except maybe how heavy they are when I move,” said Anderson.

The authors celebrate the release of their new book at Word on Oct. 28 — and it’s not too late to get in on the inky fun. The authors’ website, tattoolit.com, is an online extension of the book, where they’ll continue to post submissions from across the globe. 

“If you’re staring down at your arm and wishing you had sent that Bukowski tattoo, it’s really not too late,” said Taylor.

Release of “The Word Made Flesh” at Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096]; Oct. 28 at 7:30 pm. Free. For info, visit www.wordbrooklyn.com. To submit your own tattoo, visit tattoolit.com.

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Drawn together

 By Meredith Deliso

Julia Wertz and Martin Lemelman don’t have much in common. She’s a petite twentysomething from San Francisco who came of age in the culture of overshare and is quick with a fart joke. He’s a father of four who grew up in Brooklyn during the 1950s and ’60s and is a retired professor who illustrates children’s books.

One thing that does unite them is the graphic memoir — though each approaches the artform differently.

In “Drinking at the Movies,” Wertz chronicles her move from San Francisco to Brooklyn and the ups and downs — mostly downs — that follow.

“I didn’t think anyone would want to do a book that was ‘Young girl moves to New York and everything is crazy.’ It’s the most overdone topic in movies and literature, just embarrassingly common,” said Wertz, who was inspired by the very first comic book she read: Julie Doucet’s “My New York Diary.” 

The move was great fodder, though, for her often absurd yet thoughtful strips, as Wertz gets fired from one miserable job to the next (seven), goes from one crappy apartment to the next (four), finally settling in Greenpoint, and through it all drinks lots of whiskey (too many bottles to count). 

In “Two Cents Plain,” Lemelman tells of a completely different coming of age — growing up in 1960s Brownsville as the son of Holocaust survivors and living in the back of a candy store.

“It became a book not only of my memories and my parent’s memories, but the life of the neighborhood,” said Lemelman, who incorporated memorabilia from his parent’s shop, from family photos to scanned artifacts, in addition to his pencil sketches. “It’s wonderful working within the graphic memoir form because you can do so much with it.”

Tonight, both comics will discuss graphic memoirs at Word in Greenpoint.

“Writing about New York seems to lend itself to poetic frivolities of humiliating proportions,” writes Wertz in her introduction to “Drinking at the Movies,” “which is why it’s probably better to just back away and let the comics speak for me.”

Martin Lemelman and Julia Wertz at Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], Oct. 12 at 7:30 pm. Free. RSVP suggested. For more info on the artists, visit www.fartparty.org and www.twocentsplain.com.

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Mario’s the ‘Word’ as magician brings Keaton-eque approach

This is more than just kid’s stuff.

Yes, the usually high-minded Word Bookshop in Greenpoint is bringing in a magician — a magician?! — to entertain kids on Aug. 28, but Mario the Magician is no ordinary pull-a-quarter-out-of-your-ear kid’s performer.

In fact, his half-hour show is imbued with classic slapstick (see more of that in the video below).

“I’m a huge fan of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers,” said Mario, who brings that vintage aesthetic to his one-man act. “A big goal of mine is to give that kind of comedy to younger generations.”

Mario will be accompanied by his handcrafted props, trusty top hat, and bird — Mozzarella the Dove, who always gets big laughs from the audience on name alone — but don’t expect a magic show that’s only for the 0-3 set.

“Magic tends to get that label of being super-cheesy,” said Mario. “I’m trying to break away from the cheesy Vegas-style magician that you think of at a kid’s party. That’s where my heart’s at.”

Mario the Magician at Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], Aug. 28 at 1 pm. Free. For info, visit www.wordbrooklyn.com.

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