February 10, 2006

Cocooning With a Book

They are calling for snow here and I have to tell you I am hoping it happens. January was so warm that I have done none of my annual cocooning. Thus I have closets that need straightening, files that need cleaning out and I want time on the couch with a roaring fire and a book. Every time I mentioned a fire in the fireplace in January everyone looked at me like I was daft --- and I probably was!
 
This week we have a new One to Watch author to introduce you to --- Kate Mosse, author of LABYRINTH. It's the story of two women --- one living in the 1200s and one in present day. There are three secrets and one grail. It's just terrific reading. We have 10 copies to give away to advance readers who would like a chance to read and comment about it. Write [email protected] to enter by Friday, February 17, 2006.
 
By the way, we built Mosse's website, LabyrinthBook.net. Look at the home page. Did you ever see an author's eyes match the cover of a book like this? I love it and I LOVE this cover. Explore the site while you are there. Mosse has created an incredible amount of backstory for you to enjoy.
 
Since our Valentine's Day Contest is over, we needed another fun contest, so we bring you our Oscar Basket for Book Lovers Contest. The prize --- movie tie-in books, a $50 Blockbuster gift card, movie-size candy and, of course, popcorn --- is valued at $275! Details on how to enter are below. 
 
While I have many friends who work on the Street, I confess that I was pretty naive about just what Wall Street analysts actually do. In December I read CONFESSIONS OF A WALL STREET ANALYST by Dan Reingold with Jennifer Reingold, which shares the background of what happened on the Street during the whirlwind days of the telecom boom and bust. Now I am not one who usually loves business books, but this one grabbed me from the start. It reads like a novel. I passed it to my dad and he finished it and said, "What a great read." In the spirit of full disclosure, please note that The Book Report also built Dan's website (WallStreetConfessions.com), which is how this book got on my radar.
 
This weekend Curious George hits movie theaters. I do not love cartoon movies, but this one is on my list to see. For those of you who are child-like at heart, this little monkey is a heartgrabber. An interesting book called THE JOURNEY THAT SAVED CURIOUS GEORGE: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey by Louise Borden came out a few months ago telling the story of how the authors escaped from Paris to New York during the war. With them, the original manuscript for Curious George. We have a cute Curious George feature Kidsreads.com, as well as tie-in books to the movie 
 
Looking for a few laughs this weekend? Then pick up Paul Levine's DEEP BLUE ALIBI. His characters from SOLOMON VS. LORD are back in the second book in the series, and it's been getting raves. In person, Paul is such fun to spend time with. I will see him at Sleuthfest in Fort Lauderdale in a few weeks.

Raymond Khoury, the author of THE LAST TEMPLAR, answers advance reader questions this week. Oh, and the news on Khoury that I alluded to last week? His book rises from 10 to 5 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Pretty incredible for a debut author!
 
Deal we heard about. There's a specially priced version of Joseph Finder's PARANOIA being sold in stores this month for the incredible price of $2.99. It's not on Amazon at this price, but we hear the big box stores have it! Nice way to try a new author.
 
Whew...lots of choices. Have a great week.
 

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

List of titles reviewed and featured on February 10th.

List of titles reviewed and featured on February 3rd.

Bookreporter.com Talks to Karenna Gore Schiff, Author of LIGHTING THE WAY

Bookreporter.com contributing writer Andi Shechter interviewed Karenna Gore Schiff, author of LIGHTING THE WAY: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America. Schiff explains her criteria for selecting the women profiled in her first book and why it was easier to write about females from the past as opposed to those who are still living. She also discusses what she learned from her subjects that served as personal inspiration to her and reflects on who woman #10 might have been.

LIGHTING THE WAY: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America by Karenna Gore Schiff (Women's History)
Reviewed by Andi Shechter
In this highly readable, illuminating narrative that spans the twentieth century, Karenna Gore Schiff tells the remarkable stories of nine influential women who each in her own way tackled inequity and advocated a change. These women recognized our country wasn't living up to its promise and fought to alter it.

Our Newest Featured One to Watch Author: Kate Mosse, Author of LABYRINTH

Our newest featured One to Watch author is Kate Mosse, whose novel LABYRINTH has as many twists as a real labyrinth and two female protagonists, set apart by 800 years, who are both strong and obsessed with a mystery that slips between the present day and the year 1209.

We have 10 advance copies of LABYRINTH to share with readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to [email protected] by Friday, February 17th.

More about LABYRINTH:
In this extraordinary thriller, rich in the atmospheres of medieval and contemporary France, the lives of two women born centuries apart are linked by a common destiny

July 2005. In the Pyrenees mountains near Carcassonne, Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig stumbles into a cave and makes a startling discovery --- two crumbling skeletons, strange writings on the walls, and the pattern of a labyrinth; between the skeletons, a stone ring, and a small leather bag.

Eight hundred years earlier, on the eve of a brutal crusade to stamp out heresy that will rip apart southern France, Alais is given a ring and a mysterious book for safekeeping by her father as he leaves to fight the crusaders. The book, he says, contains the secret of the true Grail, and the ring, inscribed with a labyrinth, will identify a guardian of the Grail. As crusading armies led by Church potentates and nobles of northern France gather outside the city walls of Carcassonne, it will take great sacrifice to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe.

In the present, another woman sees the find as a means to the political power she craves; while a man who has great power will kill to destroy all traces of the discovery and everyone who stands in his way.

Click here to read more about Kate Mosse and LABYRINTH.

Our Valentine's Day Basket Contest Winners!

The five winners in our Valentine's Day Basket Contest are:

Ruth from Oshkosh, WI
Elizabeth from Stevensville, MI 
Glecia from League City, TX
Marilyn from Destin, FL
Sandra from El Paso, TX

Wondering who our winners and other entrants named as their favorite romantic characters? Click below to find out. Here's a clue: You seem to like your men tall, dark, handsome and mysterious.

Click here to see who our winners and other readers chose as their most romantic character.

Our Newest Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Richard Montanari, Author of THE SKIN GODS

Our newest featured Suspense/Thriller author is Richard Montanari, who readers will no doubt recognize from his previous page-turners THE ROSARY GIRLS, KISS OF EVIL, DEVIANT WAY, and THE VIOLET HOUR. Now, with his noir thriller THE SKIN GODS, Montanari re-establishes himself at the forefront of the suspense/thriller genre.

We have 20 advance copies of THE SKIN GODS to share with readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to [email protected] by Friday, February 17th. (Please carefully note the address.)

More about THE SKIN GODS:
With the breakneck pacing and intricate plotting of his most recent novel, THE ROSARY GIRLS, Richard Montanari established himself as one of the most exciting suspense writers working today. Now he proves himself a virtuoso with THE SKIN GODS, an explosive new thriller featuring Philadelphia homicide detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano.

It is the steaming heart of summer in the City of Brotherly Love. Back on the force after taking a bullet during the arrest of a sadistic murderer, Detective Kevin Byrne warily returns to police headquarters. He cannot shake the memory of the Rosary Killer's innocent victims --- or his growing sense that the evil has not been vanquished. And when he and his partner, Detective Jessica Balzano, are called in on a bizarre case, Byrne's gravest suspicions are confirmed.

Hot on the psychopath's trail, Balzano and Byrne descend into the mouth of madness and beyond, deep into the depraved underworld of S&M clubs and the porn industry, where the worship of flesh leads to malevolent evil. Before the final credits roll, the investigators will discover that none of The Actor's victims are as innocent as they appear to be, and that the clue the police need to prevent future murders might be found in Detective Byrne's own dark past.

Click here to read more about Richard Montanari and THE SKIN GODS.

Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: Stephen White, Author of KILL ME

Stephen White, one of our featured Suspense/Thriller authors, hardly needs any introduction. The author of such works as MISSING PERSONS, BLINDED, THE BEST REVENGE, and many more has been delighting readers with his twisting, tangled plots and shocking twists. KILL ME, which hits shelves March 2nd, is both intelligent and gripping, firmly solidifying White's place as one of the most talented suspense/thriller writers out there.

-Click here to read an excerpt from KILL ME,
-Click here to read our list of advance copy winners.
-Click here to read Fast Facts about Stephen White.
-Click here to read Stephen White's backlist.
-Click here to read Critical Praise for KILL ME.

More about KILL ME:
We've all been there. A loved one or a dear friend becomes desperately ill or is tragically injured. Someone-maybe even you-says, "If that ever happens to me, I wish someone would just . . . kill me."

What if you could choose when to die? But once you decide, you can't change your mind. Ever. No matter what.

KILL ME brings Alan Gregory face-to-face with the most challenging case of his career. As always, White's characters are indelible and the dialogue is dead-on, but KILL ME is fresh and thought provoking in a way that's so uncommon in crime fiction. KILL ME delivers on all the promise of White's earlier work and then raises the bar in an unforgettably inventive tale of life and death.

Suspense/Thriller Feature --- Spotlight on Steve Berry, Author of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY

One of our featured Suspense/Thriller authors is Steve Berry, who has already made a name for himself with such page-turners as THE THIRD SECRET, THE ROMANOV PROPHECY and THE AMBER ROOM. His newest work, THE TEMPLAR LEGACY, comes out February 21st, and is sure to satisfy old fans and lure new readers with its DA VINCI CODE-esque mix of modern day thrills and ancient religious mysteries.

-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE TEMPLAR LEGACY.
-Click here to read the list of our advanced copy winners.
-Click here to read Fast Facts about Steve Berry.

More about THE TEMPLAR LEGACY:
The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power over kings and popes...until the Inquisition, when they were wiped from the face of the earth, their hidden riches lost. But now two forces vying for the treasure have learned that it is not at all what they thought it was --- and its true nature could change the modern world.

Our Newest Featured One to Watch Author: Allegra Goodman, Author of INTUITION

Click here to read more about Allegra Goodman and INTUITION.

Our Newest Featured Debut Suspense/Thriller Author: Joshua Spanogle, Author of ISOLATION WARD

Joshua Spanogle is our newest Debut Suspense/Thriller author. With ISOLATION WARD, Spanogle has put his medical and bioethics training to good use creating a spine-tingling novel that will have readers turning the pages with bated breath.

-Click here to read an excerpt from ISOLATION WARD.
-Click here to see our list of advanced copy winners.

More about ISOLATION WARD:
Straight out of today's hospitals and labs --- and tomorrow's headlines --- comes a frightening, scalpel-sharp thriller from medical insider Joshua Spanogle. In an astounding debut, Spanogle takes us on an all-too-real race against time...as a young doctor enters the dark side of scientific research, desperate to stop a terrifying epidemic before it is too late....

At once a taut medical thriller and a riveting psychological portrait of a young doctor on the edge, ISOLATION WARD is a tale of runaway tension --- with a brilliant "what-if" premise that is harrowing, heartbreaking and impossible to wrench from your imagination.

Click here to read more about Joshua Spanogle and ISOLATION WARD.

Our First Annual Oscar Basket For Book Lovers Contest --- Win Books, Treats and a $50 Blockbuster Gift Card!

In celebration of this year's Oscar Awards, Bookreporter.com and Newmarket Press bring you our First Annual Bookreporter.com Oscar Basket for Book Lovers Contest. Newmarket Press is renowned for book tie-ins for some of the most successful and acclaimed films of our time, and it's primed for another big Oscar season with books tying in to eight films that garnered a total of 29 Academy Award nominations. We're featuring all eight of those books in our basket, along with a $50 Blockbuster gift card and, of course, essential movie goodies --- an assortment of only the finest movie snacks and the obligatory popcorn!

The featured titles include: CAPOTE: The Shooting Script; MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA: A Portrait of the Film; GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK: Bringing the True Story of the Legendary Edward R. Murrow/Joseph McCarthy Broadcast to Film; THE CONSTANT GARDENER: The Shooting Script; THE SQUID AND THE WHALE: The Shooting Script; WAR OF THE WORLDS: The Shooting Script; CINDERELLA MAN: The Shooting Script; TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE: An Invitation to the Wedding. 

(You can read full descriptions of all of Newmarket's Oscar Tie-in books in our Oscar Watch Feature)

All you have to do to enter this contest is tell us your favorite movie that is based on a book.

Click here for all the contest details.

This Week's Reviews and Features

GONE by Lisa Gardner (Suspense)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rainie Conner, the estranged wife of ex-FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, has vanished without a trace. Together with his daughter, FBI agent Kimberly Quincy, Pierce is battling the local authorities, racing against time, and frantically searching for answers to all the questions he's been afraid to ask.

-Click here to read an excerpt from GONE.

THE DEEP BLUE ALIBI by Paul Levine (Mystery & Detective)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Legal partners Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are retained by Hal Griffin, a former business partner of Lord's father, to represent him when he is charged with murdering EPA official Ben Stubbs. As they interrogate everyone from the stoned Miami sheriff to Griffin's son, it soon becomes clear that Solomon and Lord have their work cut out for them!

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE DEEP BLUE ALIBI.

SEA CHANGE by Robert B. Parker (Mystery)
Reviewed by Tom Callahan
When a woman's partially decomposed body washes ashore in Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone is forced into a case far more difficult than it initially appears. Identifying the woman is just the first step in what proves to be an emotionally charged investigation.

ARTHUR & GEORGE by Julian Barnes (Fiction)
Reviewed by Roz Shea
In the vast expanse of late-Victorian Britain, two boys come to life: George, the son of a Midlands vicar, and Arthur, in shabby genteel Edinburgh. One falls prey to a series of pranks en route to a legal vocation, while the other studies medicine before discovering a different calling entirely. It is years before their destinies are entwined in a mesmerizing alliance.

THE PALE HORSEMAN by Bernard Cornwell (Historical Fiction)
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
Uhtred is a Saxon, cheated of his inheritance and adrift in a world of fire, sword and treachery. In Bernard Cornwell's sequel to THE LAST KINGDOM, Uhtred has to make a choice: whether to fight for the Vikings, who raised him, or for King Alfred the Great of Wessex, who dislikes him.

MISSING MOM by Joyce Carol Oates (Fiction)
Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara
Following the unexpected loss of her mother, Nikki Eaton --- single, sexually liberated, and economically self-supporting --- undergoes a remarkable transformation during a tumultuous year that brings stunning horror, sorrow, illumination, wisdom --- and a nurturing love from an unexpected source.

AFTERMATH by Brian Shawver (Fiction)
Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton
In the blue-collar town of East Breed, Pennsylvania, class tension erupts in a brutal fight between two groups of teenage boys. Casey Fielder watches the melee but does nothing to stop it. When it ends, Colin Chase, a handsome, cocky student, is left severely brain-damaged. In a compelling and at times heartbreaking narrative, Brian Shawver portrays the lasting effects of one night.

MANHUNT: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (History)
Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history --- the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. A dedicated Lincoln scholar, attorney James L. Swanson writes the story of Booth's incredible escape from authorities, presenting little-known facts researched with intimate detail.

CARVED IN BONE: A Body Farm Novel by Jefferson Bass (Mystery)
Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
The "Body Farm" is a place where human corpses are left to the elements, and every manner of decay is fully explored --- for the sake of science and the cause of justice. The scientist who created the Body Farm has broken cold cases and revolutionized forensics, and now, in this heart-stopping novel, he spins an astonishing tale inspired by his own experiences.

Bookreporter.com Blog

What author would you like to hear read his or her book to you?

Please note: Our question of the week will update on February 17th.

Answer the Question of the Week here.

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

This week we have two great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of THE 5TH HORSEMAN by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro and SEA CHANGE: A Jesse Stone Novel by Robert B. Parker.
 

Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on February 17th.