Toby Barlow, author of “Sharp Teeth,” is slated to speak about his spellbinding werewolf novel at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Literary Tastes Breakfast, the premier event for book lovers at ALA’s Annual Conference.

This not-to-miss event is a conference tradition, held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday, July 12. Book lovers and librarians alike are invited to celebrate the year’s best literature with award-winning authors from the Notable Books List, The Reading List and the Sophie Brody Medal winners. Authors read from their work, ruminate on writing and sign books, while attendees enjoy a scrumptious breakfast. “Sharp Teeth” was the top horror selection for the 2009 Reading List, a RUSA award that annually highlights the best titles in genre fiction that merit attention from both adult readers and librarians.

In addition to its Reading List honors, “Sharp Teeth” has received vigorous praise throughout the literary world: a starred review by Publishers Weekly heralded it as “a gut-wrenching, sexy debut,” and Nick Hornby, writing for The Believer, called the book “tremendous…it’s ambitious as any literary novel, because underneath all that fur, it’s about identity, community, love, death, and all the things we want our books to be about.” The Reading List selection committee comprised of readers’ advisory experts noted, “The insiders’ perspective and lyrical language of this haunting free verse novel offer a sympathetic glimpse into the lives of urban werewolves, a nightmarish noir world where violence and heartbreak go hand in hand.”

“Toby Barlow’s innovative approach to storytelling took the Reading List committee by storm,” said Neal Wyatt, RUSA president and Reading List committee chair. “We are very excited that with his attendance at the breakfast, we’ll be able to share his amazing talent with even more readers and librarians.”

The breakfast is a ticketed event sponsored by the Collection Development and Evaluation Section of RUSA and is one of many CODES events at the Annual Conference. Those not attending the conference are invited to purchase tickets for the breakfast only (event code RU5). Want to register for this event or the entire conference? Read our registration blog post for the full scoop.

Discover the rest of RUSA’s collection development programming, as well as a list of all conference events and programs offered by RUSA, at the RUSA website.