December 17, 2004

Happy Holidays: 2004 is a Wrap!

I am trapped in the "holidaze." There are a pile of presents that need wrapping, some treats to be baked (the parking garage attendants have been asking for my brownies for two weeks now) and lots of merry ho ho ho to be had. My sister flies in this weekend from Atlanta with her family to kick off the festivities. The following week has family and friend celebrations where I will cook, bake and over create the holiday. The day after Christmas I escape. We are heading to the Outer Banks in North Carolina where I plan to read and sleep for a week. I have a stack of books ready to take with me. It has both books we missed this year --- and books that will be out this winter/spring.

We will not be updating Bookreporter.com until January 7th so the staff can get some time away. For those of you in need of a dose of bookish news before then, I am planning to start a blog on this site where I can wax about the titles I am reading and things I am seeing over the holidays. Once it's live you will be able to reach it from the home page of Bookreporter.com. But, before we go off to celebrate, there's lots of news to share and lots to leave you to read.

First, our annual holiday card. Yes, once again we waxed nostalgic about the year. This year the card is titled: 2004 is a Wrap, and you can get to it by clicking on the link above. The books that you see there were lined up on my bookshelves and shot by my son, Greg. For the record, all of those are 2004 titles. Also in a wrapping up frame of mind, some of our reviewers logged in with their favorite titles for 2004. You can find these by clicking on the link at the end of my note. We chose not to do a Best of list again this year. I really loathe talking about Best since my goal here is to suggest, not dictate. Our poll is about Bookish Resolutions; our Question asks YOU what YOU think was the Best Book of 2004.

We also have pulled together all the interviews that were done on Bookreporter.com this year for when you have some extra time in these next weeks. You can find them by clicking on Author Interviews above.

Still looking for presents to buy? Looking for an impressive present? We have an idea that carries some weight --- THE GOURMET COOKBOOK. It has more than 1000 recipes from over 60 years of the magazine's history. Some of these recipes are easy enough to make when there's not much time; others are perfect for an afternoon or evening of cooking. The book lacks photos as they would have added too many pages to an already hefty tome, but it still packs enough punch with the drawings that are there that it works!

This week we announce our latest Mystery Mayhem author, Sarah Graves, whose book TOOL & DIE will be in stores on December 28th. TOOL & DIE is the 7th book in Graves' Home Repair is Homicide series. I have found myself enjoying this one over the past week. Graves is very witty (with such little gems as a cleaning service called Gopher Baroque) and the story moves along quite well. I also love her home repair tips sprinkled throughout. We are looking for 20 readers to read the book and let us know what they think about it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to [email protected] by Friday, January 7th.

One more note. As the holidaze unfold don't forget to make some memories. A book crossed my desk a few weeks ago that revived one of mine. It's called SEASON'S GLEAMINGS: The Art of the Aluminum Christmas Tree. It made me think of my Aunt Donna who had a pink aluminum tree one year. With a pink spotlight on it. I remember thinking that was pretty cool since we just had a plain old evergreen. Aunt Donna's tree had flair. It's interesting to see the memories that linger.

I am off to check my lists twice....we'll see you next year sooooo Happy New Year too.

--Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

PS. If you shop Amazon.com, may we ask that you use this link? It's a great way to support Bookreporter.com as we see a royalty from the sales! We saw a lovely jump last week, which we really appreciate.

Click here to read our reviewers' favorite books of 2004.

Bookreporter.com Talks to Fannie Flagg, Author of A REDBIRD CHRISTMAS

Bookreporter.com reviewer Bronwyn Miller interviewed Fannie Flagg, author of numerous New York Times bestsellers including Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and Standing in the Rainbow. Flagg talks about her choice of setting for her latest novel, A REDBIRD CHRISTMAS, and the development of her characters, many of whom are strong, irrepressible women. She also explains how being dyslexic and having A.D.D. impacts her writing routine and why she thinks Southerners have such a flair for storytelling.

A REDBIRD CHRISTMAS by Fannie Flagg (Fiction)

Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller
When Oswald T. Campbell is told by his doctor that he doesn't have long to live and must relocate to a more pleasant climate, he begins the journey to the small hamlet of Lost River, Alabama, and coincidentally finds himself --- and a whole bunch of other quaint characters --- in the process.

Read our interview with Fannie Flagg and a review of A REDBIRD CHRISTMAS here.

Mystery Mayhem Author Spotlight: Sarah Graves, Author of TOOL & DIE

Sarah Graves, author of  TOOL & DIE, is our new featured Mystery Mayhem author. TOOL & DIE will be in stores on December 28th.

New this week for Sarah Graves:
-We are looking for 20 advance readers to read the book and let us know what they think about it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to [email protected] by Friday, January 7th

-Read more about Sarah Graves
-Visit Sarah Graves website: SarahGraves.net

Here is more about TOOL & DIE, which is the 7th title in Graves' Home Repair is Homicide series:

Jake Tiptree is driving through downeast Maine on an unusual errand. She's getting ready to interview a large, angry man with a criminal history. Jim Diamond may or may not be harassing his ex-wife with life-threatening letters, but Jake promised her new housekeeper, Bella Diamond, she'd look into the matter. An ex-con and a deadbeat, Jim Diamond doesn't have a history of violence...that is, not until Jake arrives at his apartment and discovers that a killer has been there first.

Suddenly Jake and her best friend, Ellie White, find themselves at the center of a murder with too many suspects and too few clues. And as if that's not enough, Jake is now saddled with the manic Bella, whose certainty that she'll be the next victim is fueling a supercompulsive neatness-one that threatens to clean Jake and her long-suffering husband, Wade, out of house and home.

Read more about Sarah Graves and TOOL & DIE here.

Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: Richard Montanari, Author of THE ROSARY GIRLS

Richard Montanari, author of THE ROSARY GIRLS, is our new featured Suspense/Thriller author. THE ROSARY GIRLS will be in stores on February 15th.

New this week for Richard Montanari:
-We are looking for 20 advance readers to read the book and let us know what they think about it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to [email protected] by Wednesday, December 22nd.
-Read more about Richard Montanari
-Visit Richard Montanari's website: RichardMontanari.com

More about THE ROSARY GIRLS:
Richard Montanari has written an astounding novel that pits two besieged detectives against a fiercely intelligent serial killer. Relentlessly paced and vividly told, THE ROSARY GIRLS is a smart, emotionally complex, fiercely gripping thriller from an author who takes chances, breaks new ground, and leaves readers haunted and moved long after the last page is turned.

Read more about Richard Montanari and THE ROSARY GIRLS here.

ONE TO WATCH: CAGE'S BEND by Carter Coleman

Our newest One To Watch author is Carter Coleman. His novel, CAGE'S BEND is written in the tradition of Pat Conroy's THE PRINCE OF TIDES. It's the dramatic story of the unraveling of a tight-knit Southern family. It will be in stores on January 7th.

New This Week:
Read our third excerpt.

Here's more about CAGE'S BEND:

Cage, Nick, and Harper appear to be the archetypal sons of the ideal American family of the 1960s and 70s. The firstborn, Cage, is the golden boy --- star athlete and scholar, adventurous, handsome, and preternaturally popular; Nick is the quiet, late-blooming middle son, and Harper, 10 years younger, chases after his older siblings, trying not to be left out. With the tragic death of Nick in the 1980s, the breakdown of the family begins. Cage's guilt triggers incipient mental illness, and the next two decades find him swinging between mania and depression, between grim institutions and comebacks. Harper, who achieved early success on Wall Street, is torn between wanting to help his brother and seeking escape from his ghosts via an endless stream of women. Told in the alternating voices of Cage, Harper, and their parents, CAGE'S BEND is the story of a family damaged by tragedy and unfulfilled dreams, and renewed by the unshakable bonds of love.

Read more about Carter Coleman and CAGE'S BEND here.

New in Paperback for December

December's roundup of New in Paperback titles features two of the world's most popular authors and an award-winning journalist who has written a captivating second novel. In John Grisham's THE LAST JUROR, a man vows revenge on the twelve people who convicted him of a brutal rape and murder. Jonathan Kellerman departs briefly from his protagonist Alex Delaware to introduce readers to a young psychologist who must follow the trail of a cunning psychopath in order to prove his innocence, in THE CONSPIRACY CLUB. And in THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY by Jonathan Hull, a World War II veteran and his grandson confront the painful events of the recent and more distant past.

Read our New In Paperback titles for December here.

STATE OF FEAR by Michael Crichton (Thriller)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Michael Crichton's latest page-turner is a superb blend of edge-of-your-seat suspense and thought-provoking commentary on how information is manipulated in the modern world.

FAITHFUL: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season, by Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King (Nonfiction)
Reviewed by Ron Kaplan
Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King, proud members of Red Sox Nation, chronicle Boston's 2004 season from spring training to the memorable last game of the season --- the important plays, the controversial managerial decisions, the significant front office moves, and the spectacular finish.

THE CHRISTMAS THIEF by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark (Suspense)
Reviewed by Carol Fitzgerald
Alvirah Meehan, lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly team up to solve another Christmas mystery. This time they get in the middle of a case involving a beautiful eighty-foot blue spruce that has been chosen to be Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree.

HIT REPLY by Rocki St. Claire (Chick Lit)
Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon
Rocki St. Claire's entertaining tale is composed entirely of emails and instant messages --- and is amazingly effective and compelling. This heartwarming story revolves around friendship and love, friendship and work, friendship and marriage, friendship and motherhood, friendship and romance.

A REDBIRD CHRISTMAS by Fannie Flagg (Fiction)
Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller
When Oswald T. Campbell is told by his doctor that he doesn't have long to live and must relocate to a more pleasant climate, he begins the journey to the small hamlet of Lost River, Alabama, and coincidentally finds himself --- and a whole bunch of other quaint characters --- in the process.

HAWKES HARBOR by S.E. Hinton (Fiction)
Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
S.E. Hinton's first novel for an adult audience is set in a tiny seaside community in Delaware, where Jamie Sommers, a mental patient, is treated at Terrace View Asylum. Dr. Phillip McDevitt tries desperately to break into Jamie's amnesia and blurred memories of the past.

WE ARE ALL THE SAME: A Story of a Boy's Courage and a Mother's Love, by Jim Wooten (Biography)
Reviewed by Carole Turner
This extremely powerful book is the biography of a young South African boy who was born HIV-positive, and his struggle for treatment and acceptance. Nkosi Johnson became the world's poster child for children with AIDS.

A CHRISTMAS VISITOR by Anne Perry (Mystery)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
The Dreghorn family is gathering for an anticipated reunion in the Lake District of England. The blissful tranquility of the snowbound estate, however, is soon shattered by what appears to be an accidental death. But questions about the tragic event eventually turn into whispers of murder, sending shock waves among members of the Dreghorn clan, who haven't seen each other in ten years.

NORTHERN LIGHTS by Nora Roberts (Romance)
Reviewed by Melissa A. Palmer
Former Baltimore cop Nate Burke accepts the job as Chief of Police in the tiny, remote Alaskan town of Lunacy. Just as he wonders whether or not this move was a huge mistake, an unexpected kiss on New Year's Eve under the brilliant Northern Lights of the Alaska sky lifts his spirit and convinces him to stay just a little longer.

THE FACTS BEHIND THE HELSINKI ROCCAMATIOS by Yann Martel (Fiction/Short Stories)
Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
Written earlier in Yann Martel's career, these four stories by the author of Life of Pi are thought-provoking and unique, giving the reader an interesting glimpse into the maturation and evolution of Martel as a writer.

MEAN SEASON by Heather Cochran (Fiction)
Reviewed by Carol Fitzgerald
While preparing for his new movie in the tiny town of Pinecob, West Virginia, up-and-coming actor Joshua Reed lands himself another drunk-driving conviction. Leanne Gitlin, his fan club president, agrees to vouch for him so he can serve out his sentence under house arrest. In her home.

THE COURAGE CONSORT by Michel Faber (Fiction)
Reviewed by Norah Piehl
Michel Faber, the bestselling author of The Crimson Petal and the White, has written three insightful novellas that reflect on ancient mysteries and modern preoccupations.

FALLING AWAKE by Jayne Ann Krentz (Romance/Mystery)
Reviewed by Maggie Harding
Isabel Wright spends her days at the Belvedere Center for Sleep Research analyzing other people's dreams. Although satisfying and lucrative, the work can be emotionally draining --- especially when one of her anonymous subjects captures her imagination through his compelling dream narratives.

BUGATTI QUEEN: In Search of a French Racing Legend, by Miranda Seymour (Biography)
Reviewed by Kate Ayers
Most of us have heard of Isadora Duncan, but probably few are familiar with Helle Nice, a gutsy French racer who outshined most of the drivers of her day. How did she fall into a bleak obscurity by the end of her life?

We all make resolutions this time of year, so we decided to poll you on some bookish ones. Here are our ten suggestions. Let us know which sound good to you!

• I only will finish the books I am enjoying to give me time to explore more books this year.
• I will keep a logbook of the books I read so at the end of year I can look back and see my reading history for the year.
• I will give the gift of a book to at least one friend each month this year. 
• I will donate a book for a children's book drive.
• I will read to a child once a month so I can share my love of reading with a new reader and perhaps create a lifelong reader.
• I will suggest that my book club try something new --- a new genre or a new author.
• I will organize my books on my bookshelves in any of the following manners --- by title, by author, by genre or even by size --- and feel good about it.
• I will read one author who right now intimidates me.
• Instead of baking or bringing a covered dish to an ill friend, I will seek out a book that they may enjoy.
• I will stop criticizing and judging others for their reading choices and instead embrace the idea that they too are enjoying a love of reading.
• None of the above

Question:
What do you think was the BEST book of 2004?

Please note: Our next question update will be on January 7th.

Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.

This week we have some great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of ENTOMBED by Linda Fairstein, BAKER TOWERS by Jennifer Haigh and ALICE IN JEOPARDY by Ed McBain. Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on January 7th.