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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
August 4, 2006
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This Week on Bookreporter.com
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Rocking With Authors
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When we left off last week I was at the Romance Writers of America convention in Atlanta. Friday evening of the convention many publishers host parties. My 16-year-old son accompanied me to them and it was nice for him to meet my author and publishing pals. At the Harlequin party there was a DJ and a packed dance floor. He was joking that he was learning to line dance from watching a group of authors. How many guys will say THAT at the junior prom? We kept telling him more hip, less shoulders and by the end of the night there was some pretty good rhythm going on. By midnight I was ready for bed and he was ready for room service. Ah, to be 16 again.
This week we are introducing a new Debut Suspense/Thriller author, Jed Rubenfeld, the author of THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER. This book was generating a lot of buzz at the book convention in June. It's a historical fiction account of Sigmund Freud's trip to New York where a sadistic killer is killing wealthy heiresses. We have 10 copies to give away to readers who want to get an early read and comment. Interested? Send your name and snail mail address to [email protected] by Friday, August 11th.
We also have advance reader comments about David Robbins's book, THE ASSASSINS GALLERY, which is one of our Suspense/Thriller features. Last week I failed to note in my opener that Daniel Silva's new book, THE MESSENGER, the latest in his Gabriel Allon series, is in stores. You can read more about him and his work at DanielSilvaBooks.com. I read THE RIGHTEOUS MEN by Sam Bourne a few weeks ago and I just loved it. There's a gripping plot, some fast action and lots of twists. It will be in stores on August 22nd and we have information on how you can win an iPod and a copy of the book later in this newsletter.
This week New York has felt like Phoenix or Atlanta. I know as I have been to both of those places this summer. When the thermometer reads 107, New York gets interesting since the lifestyle is not set up for wickedly high temperatures. Subway handrails too hot to touch, warnings from Con Ed about using less power and some outfits on the street that lend themselves more to the beach than the city. Hot time; summer in the city.
This weekend is all about floating in the pool reading. While this summer's travels have been a lot of fun, they have not been conducive to great reading time. I am looking forward to delving further into this week's beach bag book, SUMMER AT WILLOW LAKE by Susan Wiggs. The setting is a camp in the Catskills, and right now just visualizing that is making me cool.
Have a great week...do some floating and reading of your own.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
List of titles reviewed and featured on August 4th.
List of titles reviewed and featured on July 28th. |
Click here to read Advance Reader Comments for David L. Robbins.
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Author Talk: Gordon Dahlquist, Author of THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS
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Gordon Dahlquist has written and directed numerous plays and experimental films in Los Angeles and New York. In this interview, he discusses what drove him to write his debut work of fiction, THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS, and how this experience differed greatly from his film and theater work. Dahlquist also expounds on the mysterious objects for which his novel was named, shares his literary influences, and describes how much --- or how little --- research was involved in the preparation of this book.
THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS by Gordon Dahlquist (Suspense)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
It begins with a simple note. Roger Bascombe wishes to inform Celeste Temple that their engagement is forthwith terminated. Adopting a disguise, Celeste follows her erstwhile lover to the forbidding Harschmort manor, where she discovers a world she never could have imagined --- and a conspiracy so terrifying as to be almost beyond belief.
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Click here to read an interview with Gordon Dahlquist and our review of THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS.
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Our Newest Debut Suspense/Thriller Author: Jed Rubenfeld, Author of THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER
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We are very excited to be introducing you to Jed Rubenfeld, our newest featured Debut Suspense/Thriller Author. Currently the Robert R. Slaughter Professor of Law at Yale University, Jed Rubenfeld is one of this country's foremost experts on constitutional law. His debut novel, the psychological page-turner THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER, hits stores September 5th.
We have 10 advance reading copies of THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER by Jed Rubenfeld to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. A description can be found by clicking the link below. If you are interested, please send your name and mailing address to [email protected] by Friday, August 11, 2006.
More about THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER:
In this ingenious, suspenseful historical thriller, Sigmund Freud is drawn into the mind of a sadistic killer who is savagely attacking Manhattan's wealthiest heiresses
THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER leads readers from the salons of Gramercy Park, through secret passages, to Chinatown --- even far below the currents of the East River where laborers are building the Manhattan Bridge. As Freud fends off a mysterious conspiracy to destroy him, Dr. Stratham Younger, America's most committed Freudian analyst, is drawn into an equally thrilling adventure that takes him deep into the subterfuges of the human mind.
Richly satisfying, elegantly crafted, THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER marks the debut of a brilliant, spectacularly entertaining new storyteller.
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Click here to read more about Jed Rubenfeld and THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER.
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Bookreporter.com Beach Bag of Books Contest --- Spotlight on SUMMER AT WILLOW LAKE by Susan Wiggs
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Every week from May 19th through August 25th a different title in the Bookreporter.com Second Annual Beach Bag of Books promotion will be featured with a review and contest prize --- a beach bag stocked with that book, plus summertime essentials that tie in to its theme. Five FABULOUS beach bags will be given away each week, as well as five copies of the book to additional winners.
Our twelfth spotlighted title is SUMMER AT WILLOW LAKE by Susan Wiggs, a captivating tale of family and friends, of secrets revealed and passions that flair --- and of the nostalgic joys of summer. Our Beach Bag Prize for this title features items destined to keep you basking in the glow of summer memories long after the season has faded. In a blue and green tote that doubles as a backpack, winners will find a collection of floral potpourri from Illuminations, a Margarita mix where you can mix up a batch of drinks for a crowd, Margarita-flavored salts for your beverage glasses, an oversized towel with an aquatic theme, a light green sudsing loofah from H2O Plus, a lounge-worthy tin of delectable Key Lime Cooler Cookies, and if that doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth, we threw in a watermelon sugar cookie --- as well as a copy of the book. We have five to give away, as well as five additional prizes of copies of SUMMER AT WILLOW LAKE. To enter to win answer the question below:
What is the name of Olivia's mysteriously familiar savior?
You can find the answer by reading an excerpt here:
SUMMER AT WILLOW LAKE by Susan Wiggs (Fiction)
Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller
An unlucky-in-love Manhattan real estate consultant is enlisted to oversee renovations on her family's summer camp in time for her grandparents' 50th anniversary celebration. In addition to her looming deadline and enormous workload, the only contractor available just happens to be the boy who broke her heart nine years ago. Can she shrug off her tarnished romantic past to make way for the camp's shiny future?
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Click here to read all the details of our Summer Beach Bag Contest.
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Now in Stores: SNOW BLIND by P. J. Tracy
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SNOW BLIND by P. J. Tracy (Mystery)
Reviewed by Norah Piehl
With a wintry setting as suffocating as a snowbound January day, P. J. Tracy's latest thriller is a chilling reminder of why this talented mother-daughter duo are fast establishing themselves among the most creative, engaging mystery authors writing today.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SNOW BLIND.
-Click here to vist P. J. Tracy's website PJTracy.net.
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Click here to read our review of SNOW BLIND.
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Our Newest One to Watch Author: Dan Burstein, Author of SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE
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We are so excited to be featuring Dan Burstein as our newest One to Watch Author. Burstein is the creator of the Secrets series, which, in addition to SECRETS OF THE CODE, includes SECRETS OF ANGELS & DEMONS, SECRETS OF THE WIDOW'S SON, and his newest --- SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE, which hits stores August 14th.
-Click here to see our 50! Advance Copy winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE.
More about SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE:
Continuing in the tradition of the New York Times bestselling SECRETS OF THE CODE, the latest book from the Secrets team, SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE, brings together world class experts from different faiths, backgrounds, and perspectives, to discuss the most thought-provoking new ideas and original thinking about Mary Magdalene.
All of the contributors to SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE are well-known and highly respected authors whose books have sold more than five million copies in total. Never before has such a wide range of fascinating ideas and new scholarship about Mary Magdalene been collected in one book that is so timely, popular and accessible.
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Click here to read more about Dan Burstein and SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE.
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Our Newest Suspense/Thriller Author: Tess Gerritsen, Author of THE MEPHISTO CLUB
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Tess Gerritsen, the New York Times bestselling author of VANISH, BODY DOUBLE and THE SINNER, is our newest featured Suspense/Thriller Author. A master of the genre, Gerritsen's newest page-turner --- THE MEPHISTO CLUB, which hits shelves August 29th --- will chill you to the bone.
-Click here to see our Advance Copy Winners.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
-Click here to read Fast Facts about Tess Gerritsen.
-Click here to read Tess Gerritsen's Backlist.
-Click here to read Critical Praise for THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
-Click here to read a Study Guide for THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
More about THE MEPHISTO CLUB:
Evil exists. Evil walks the streets. And evil has spawned a diabolical new disciple in this white-knuckle thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
PECCAVI
The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman's brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It's a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O'Donnell --- Jane's professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.
Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning.
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Click here to read more about Tess Gerritsen and THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
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On Sale August 22nd: THE RIGHTEOUS MEN by Sam Bourne --- Win an iPod and a Copy of the Book!!!
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"WE HAVE YOUR WIFE. DO NOT CALL THE POLICE OR YOU WILL REGRET IT. FOREVER," reads the e-mail on reporter Will Monroe's Blackberry. While out in Seattle covering the second puzzling murder in a week, Will jumps on the next plane back to New York to find who has his wife and why she was taken. He tracks her captors to the heart of the ultra-orthodox Jewish community, but why would they want his wife?
-Enter to win an iPod and a copy of THE RIGHTEOUS MEN here.
-Learn more about the book here.
-Visit the official website of THE RIGHTEOUS MEN here.
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Click here to learn more about THE RIGHTEOUS MEN.
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Now Available in Paperback: HALF BROKEN THINGS by Morag Joss
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A gripping tale of psychological suspense perfect for the readership of Minette Walters and Ruth Rendell, HALF BROKEN THINGS is a novel that peers into the lives of three dangerously lost people --- and the ominous haven they find when they find each other.
Jean is a house sitter at the end of a dreary career. Steph is nine months pregnant and on the run. And Michael is a thief. Through a mixture of deceit, good luck, and misfortune, these three damaged loners have come together at a secluded country home called Walden Manor. Now all three have found what they needed most: a new beginning, a little kindness, a little love. Living off the manor's riches, tending its grounds and gardens, they leave the outside world far behind and build a happiness so long denied them. That is, until the first unexpected visitor arrives...igniting a chain reaction that is at once spellbinding and disastrous.
A stunning, thought-provoking crime novel of chilling moral complexity, HALF BROKEN THINGS is a gripping, haunting exploration of love and our need for it, of the damage done when we go long without it, and the deeds we might be driven to in its name.
-Click here to read our review of HALF BROKEN THINGS.
-Click here to read our interview with Morag Joss.
-Click here to read an excerpt from HALF BROKEN THINGS.
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Click here to read our One to Watch feature on Morag Joss and HALF BROKEN THINGS.
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Books Into Movies for August
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August's Books Into Movies promise to be excellent ways to beat the late-summer doldrums. Whether you're sweating in the sun or mourning the coming of fall, you'll find more than just air-conditioned distraction in the theaters this month --- you'll find complex characters, compelling plots and even a little fun for the kids.
From the highly anticipated film adaptation of Armistead Maupin's eerie and compelling tale THE NIGHT LISTENER, to the creepy-crawly antics of How to Eat Fried Worms, you're bound to find something that makes you think and laugh, and keeps you cool at the movies this August.
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Click here to read our Books Into Movies feature.
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This Week's Reviews and Features
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HEAT: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford (Memoir/Cooking)
Reviewed by Colleen Quinn
When the opportunity arose for Bill Buford to train in the kitchen of Mario Batali's three-star New York restaurant, Babbo, he grabbed it. HEAT is the chronicle of his time spent as Batali's "slave" and of his far-flung apprenticeships with culinary masters in Italy.
END IN TEARS: A Wexford Novel by Ruth Rendell (Mystery)
Reviewed by Rob Cline
Chief Inspector Wexford has been on duty since 1964's FROM DOON WITH DEATH and his adventures, penned by Ruth Rendell, are among the most acclaimed mystery novels of the last four decades. She has created a thorny puzzle for her hero in the latest series entry, END IN TEARS. Both Wexford and Rendell are in fine form.
CALIBRE by Ken Bruen (Mystery)
Reviewed by Tom Callahan
Ken Bruen, the prolific Irish author of the Jack Taylor private detective books, returns to his police procedural series with CALIBRE. It is sometimes hard to tell the good guys from the bad without a scorecard in this mystery, as the constables track down a serial killer with the unique habit of targeting people with bad manners.
THE FOURTH BEAR: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde (Mystery)
Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard
The Nursery Crime Division is hunting a savage killer, but its top detective is trying to solve a seemingly separate case. Can Jack Spratt, with the help of his assistant Mary Mary, complete both tasks in enough time to save the lives of countless innocents?
SEMINARY BOY by John Cornwell (Memoir)
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
John Cornwell has written extensively on historical subjects, and in this case has chosen to write his own history. He evokes a vanished time and way of life in this moving and, at times, troubling memoir of an adolescence spent in the isolated all-male world of the seminary.
ERRORS AND OMISSIONS by Paul Goldstein (Thriller)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
When United Pictures virtually demands that attorney Michael Seeley fly out to Hollywood to confirm legally that they own the rights to their corporate cash-cow franchise of Spykiller films, he has little choice but to comply. What he discovers will plunge him headfirst into the tangle of politics of the blacklisting era and then into the even darker world of Nazi-occupied Poland.
NATURAL FLIGHTS OF THE HUMAN MIND by Clare Morrall (Fiction)
Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
Booker Prize finalist Clare Morrall's sophomore effort, following ASTONISHING SPLASHES OF COLOUR, centers on Peter and Imogen as they navigate a tenuous and emotional relationship that makes each deal with their tragic past and their hopes for the future.
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Click here to read our reviews and features.
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Poll: Favorite Features |
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What features on Bookreporter.com are your favorites? (Check as many as apply.)
Reviews
Author Interviews
Special Features (Suspense/Thriller, One to Watch, Mystery Mayhem, etc)
Contests like Beach Bag and Holiday Basket of Cheer
Word of Mouth
New in Paperback
Quote of the Day
Awards
Coming Soon
Books Into Movies
Poll/Question
Bestsellers
Author Bibliographies
Carol's Blog/Newsletter Openers
None of the above
Which special features are your favorites?
Suspense/Thriller
Debut Suspense/Thriller
One to Watch
Mystery Mayhem
Romantic Suspense
Chick Lit
None of the above
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Answer the Poll here.
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Question of the Week: Discovering Authors on Bookreporter.com |
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Share an author (or two or three) who you discovered on Bookreporter.com
Please note our Question of the Week will update August 18th.
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Answer the Question of the Week here.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading -- TWO Prizes! |
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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 SNOW BLIND by P. J. Tracy and TRIPTYCH by Karin Slaughter.
Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on August 18th.
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Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.
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As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.
Those of you who wish to send mail to Bookreporter.com, please see the form on the Write to Us page. If you would like to reach me, please write [email protected]. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.
Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by August 31, 2006 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: HELEN OF TROY by Margaret George, MESSENGER OF TRUTH by Jacqueline Winspear, RICOCHET by Sandra Brown, SNOW BLIND by P. J. Tracy and TRIPTYCH by Karin Slaughter. Last month's winner was Marcia from Derby, KS, who won BREAK NO BONES by Kathy Reichs, THE MESSENGER by Daniel Silva, RUSTY NAIL by J. A. Konrath, VANISHING POINT by Marcia Muller and WIVES BEHAVING BADLY by Elizabeth Buchan.
Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.
The Book Report Network
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