Tonight Mayor Menino hosted the holiday event, ReadBoston at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. The event was a wonderful opportunity for authors and readers to meet, mingle and talk books while raising money for an incredibly worthwhile cause. ReadBoston’s mission is to have children in Boston reading on grade level by the time they complete third grade. Founded by Mayor Thomas M. Menino in 1995 to address low literacy levels among Boston’s youth, ReadBoston has since grown into a city-wide leader in the field of early literacy.

I took the opportunity at this wonderful event to connect with some of my favorite authors. For example, the charming Beth Teitell. Teitell is the author of FROM HERE TO MATERNITY and DRINKING PROBLEMS AT THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. She writes in such an amazingly honest and authentic voice that I found myself quoting her own writing back to her. I was certainly a fan!

And here are two of the best thriller writers of our time, Joseph Finder and Michael Palmer. Wouldn’t you love to join these two for dinner? I’m sure the conversation would be as intoxicating and intriguing as their writing.

Todd English was there, as well, signing copy after copy of his gorgeous cookbooks! I am currently poring over THE OLIVES TABLE.

Our partner, Megan Kelley Hall, was there signing copies of SISTERS OF MISERY. Here she is with debut author of legal thriller EIGHT IN THE BOX, Raffi Yessayan.

Here are just a few of the other talented authors present at tonight’s event.

Bill Brett
Michael Connelly
Anita Diamant
Todd English
Joseph Finder
Jill Ker Conway
Megan Kelley Hall
Jarrett Krosoczka
Ben Mezrich
Mary Newell DePalma
Rebecca Angelina Nigro
Michael Palmer
Andrew Rimas
Casey Sherman
Clara Silverstein
Irene Smalls
Beth Teitell
Raffi Yessayan

I am looking forward to future ReadBoston events!