[Experience]
BookMarx Book Club
For all you bookworms out there, BookMarx (325 E. Walnut St., Springfield, 417-501-1062) is ready to welcome you with open arms. Each third Thursday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m., a bubbly group of bibliophiles gather around the plush couch at the front of the store with handfuls of cookies, cupcakes, cheese plates… whatever is on hand that day, pop open a bottle of wine and let the literary talk flow. Each month’s book is posted to the store’s Facebook page, and February’s must-read is The Martian by Andy Weir.
[Live Music]
Lux
Remember Jake Wesley Rogers, that cherry-topped 14-year-old from Ozark who was a quarter-finalist on America’s Got Talent in 2012? Well, Jake is back with musical counterpart, Ivy Schulte. With Jake on lead vocals and keys and Ivy pounding away on the drums, the musical duo Lux floods the stage with what they call “synth/pop.” With a dance-worthy lineup of hits from Beyonce and Ellie Goulding along with their own catchy and singable songs, Jake and Ivy’s energy is contagious. Follow the group at Facebook.com/luxtunes and stay tuned for their first album to land later this summer.
[Book]
Roadtrip with a Raindrop
Join 417-land photographer Gayle Harper as she follows the mighty Mississippi on a 90-day roadtrip from Lake Itasca, Minnesota, down to Venice, Louisiana. The three-month journey is captured in word and photo by Gayle in her new book Roadtrip With a Raindrop: 90 Days Along the Mississippi. From cracking geode’s in Keokuk, Iowa, to catching alligators in New Orleans, Gayle follows her imaginary guide: A single raindrop she named “Serendipity.” And thanks to her stunning photography, readers can join in the adventure. You can buy signed copies at gayleharper.com.
