The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is always kicked off by a ceremony that awards one book in each key category with a Book Prize. The nominees in each category were just announced and we're both thrilled and a tad flummoxed by some of their picks, listed below. We're mostly pleased to see that the usual suspects, who have made up every other book awards list this year, are noticeably absent. This list doesn't......

Monday Portia Iversen & Jane Kaczmerek present Strange Son 7pm @ Vroman's Christopher Hitchens discusses God is Not Great 7pm @ Central Library Diane Lefer signs California Transit: Stories and a Novella 7pm @ Dutton's Larry Doyle presents I Love You Beth Cooper 7pm @ Borders, Westwood Tuesday Ron Carlson signs Five Skies: A Novel 7pm @ Dutton's Larry Doyle presents I Love You Beth Cooper 7pm @ Book Soup Aurelia Scott presents Otherwise......