February 20, 2015

Ahhhhh, the bliss of a three-day weekend quickly fades when it leads to a four-day work week where the same five days of work need to be accomplished. Couple that with the brutal cold and wind, and I had to share the photo above of the latest amaryllis blooming at our house to brighten the day. Today it was very sunny and 0 degrees. Years ago, a friend who worked at a ski area in Vermont would wake up on winter mornings and declare, “Please do not let it be sunny!” Turns out, on the mountain on cold winter days, it actually was warmer on days when the sun was not out! I must look into the meteorological background on that. Luckily, the weather has not had an impact on my reading. I picture our readers making book runs to their local booksellers and libraries when snow is called for the way others flock to pick up milk, bread and eggs.

Quick moment for a public service announcement as many of us cocoon in our homes. I hear from many of you that you have shared our newsletter with friends and family. Our circulation still grows steadily each week, which I love to see. May I ask you to take a moment to think about others who you feel might enjoy our book and author news and forward this newsletter to them, by clicking the Forward to a Friend button on the upper right? We would so appreciate this, as we know recommendations from friends and family are the ones we all trust the most.

I currently am reading CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain, which will be in stores on July 28th. When her previous book, THE PARIS WIFE, was published, I immediately fell in love with it. I am happy to share that I am feeling the same way about this new book. I received an early edition, which comes without flap description copy to orient a reader. I did no research about the book in advance and instead just started reading. It’s the story of Beryl Markham, who grew up in Britain, but moved to Africa as a young child. She is an accomplished horsewoman, aviator and adventurer. I am having lunch with Paula in early March and cannot wait to hear why she selected Markham as a subject and how she conducted her research. Paula’s writing style is similar to THE PARIS WIFE. It’s informative, as well as engaging. I am looking forward to the last 75 pages tonight.

Including this week’s “Sounding Off on Audio” feature, we have now interviewed 34 of our readers (Jen Jackson and Margaret Gulick are interviewed this week). We would love to continue to share audiobooks with you each week and welcome your ideas on what you would like to see. We are not talking about reviews here, but rather the kinds of audiobook editorial that you would like to see from us. Please email me at [email protected] with any ideas you may have! I am on the epilogue of THE BOYS ON THE BOAT, which was brilliant. Next up I think will be ALAN TURING: The Enigma. It’s the book that The Imitation Game was based on; the movie was one of my favorites of the year.

I have a humorous audiobook story to share. Amy, who is the receptionist at the hair salon that I frequent (to ensure that I look younger than my years), has been enjoying audiobooks since I introduced them to her. Today, as I was leaving there, she told me a funny story about listening to Karen Marie Moning’s BURNED, which is narrated by Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross. It seems that the action is...ummm...“steamy” at certain points, and she found herself diving to turn off the radio when she stopped at the bank drive-up window. She is hoping that when she brought the car in for service, she had remembered to turn the CD player off. I can just imagine her turning beet red as she listened at a stop light, thinking everyone else could hear!

This week, we bring you our review of THE WHITES by Richard Price, writing as Harry Brandt (click here for the full story behind Price’s pseudonym). Sergeant Billy Graves once worked as part of an anti-crime unit known as the Wild Geese --- until a tragic accident ruined his career. Branded a cowboy, Graves suffered 18 years of dead-end positions until becoming a Sergeant in Manhattan’s Nigh Watch, a team dedicated to responding to night-time felonies until they can hand them off to men working the day shift. But when Billy is called to a fatal slashing, he discovers that the victim was once a suspect in the unsolved murder of a young boy. Now the past is back to haunt him, threatening his friendships, career and family.

Reviewer Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum raves, “This plot-driven, fast-moving procedural is one not to miss. Price is on his mark as the narrative unfolds, and the tightly drawn characters are limned so that you expect them to jump off the page.” I agree; it’s really tight and very visual!

We’re wrapping up our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight of Emily Gray Tedrowe and her new book, BLUE STARS, with our review and interview. Following the popularity of realistic war fiction, the novel exposes the struggles of two modern women, Ellen and Lacey, left behind while the men they love are at war. When their loved ones are injured, the ladies meet in a hospital and forge a bond strong enough to get them through the war and its fallout.

Reviewer Alexis Burling says of BLUE STARS, “Though it touches briefly on the courage it takes to serve one’s country, the tight-knit camaraderie between soldiers during wartime, and the PTSD that often accompanies a debilitating injury, Tedrowe’s novel is more concerned with the question of how legions of mothers and daughters manage while their sons and husbands are away.” Click here to read Alexis’ interview with Emily and learn about her inspiration for the novel, its characters and the powerful friendship it celebrates. This look at the effects of military life on a family made me even more grateful to those who serve and those who support them from home.

Allison Pataki, bestselling author of THE TRAITOR’S WIFE, has now written THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS, a love story about Emperor Franz Joseph and “Sisi,” his captivating wife. Pataki takes readers to 1853, where Europe’s most powerful family, the Habsburgs, is searching for a wife for young Emperor Franz Joseph. Although Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria is only 15 when she travels to the Habsburg court with her sister, who is to marry Franz, she inadvertently captures the groom’s heart. When Franz declares that he will marry Sisi instead, political and familial loyalties are tested, and Sisi must fight for the love of not only Franz, but also her people.

According to reviewer Jana Siciliano, “Pataki takes special care to ensure that readers fall in love with Sisi, the Fairy Queen. She does; we adore Sisi and will follow her anywhere. The historical depth of the backdrop against which she struggles and succeeds just enhances the romantic draw of this lovely novel.” We’re also pleased to share this Q&A with Allison and her recent conversation with Kathie Lee and Hoda on the “Today Show.” By the way, some of you may remember reading about Empress Sisi in Daisy Goodwin’s THE FORTUNE HUNTER. Enjoy this fresh take on this very interesting historical character here.

Our latest Paperback Spotlight features THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs, which releases in mass market paperback on February 24th. Tess Delaney loves sharing and illuminating history, perhaps because her own is so full of gaps. Then Dominic Rossi appears on her doorstep to inform her that the grandfather she never met is in a coma and she will soon inherit half of a hundred-acre apple orchard estate called Bella Vista. The rest, she learns, is willed to Isabel, a half-sister she never knew existed. Although Isabel is everything Tess isn’t, the two will soon discover that the roots of family history run deeper than they know.

As promised, my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On picks are MY SUNSHINE AWAY by M.O. Walsh and CRAZY LOVE YOU by Lisa Unger, both of which we reviewed last week. Click on each of the titles to see why I’m betting you’ll love these novels.

Our first-ever Winter Reading series of contests wrapped up this week (may this be a signal for the winter weather wrap as well!). Our final three prizes were the aforementioned THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS by Allison Pataki, along with FIRST TIME IN FOREVER by Sarah Morgan and ONE WISH by Robyn Carr. Congratulations to all the winners of our 18 contests!

For those who weren’t among these 90(!) lucky winning readers, our Spring Preview contests are right around the corner. Here, we’ll be spotlighting a number of hot new books releasing in the spring that you will want to consider adding to your reading list. Starting Tuesday, March 10th at noon ET and continuing through Thursday, April 16th, once again we’ll be hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these books. You’ll have to check the site each day to see which title is being given away --- or you can sign up here for our Spring Preview newsletter to be notified when contests go live.

And a big congratulations to the five winners of our Valentine's Day contest! These readers received a copy of each of our six featured books and some delicious Ghirardelli chocolate. Those who entered had the option of responding to the question “Who is your all-time literary crush?” which many of you answered, much to our delight. We had so much fun compiling your top 10 “Literary Loves and Lusts,” which you can see here. Many thanks to all who participated!

Our History Books roundup has been updated for this month. Among our featured titles are WASHINGTON’S REVOLUTION: The Making of America's First Leader by Robert Middlekauff, LINCOLN’S GREATEST CASE: The River, the Bridge, and the Making of America by Brian McGinty and AMERICAN RECKONING: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity by Christian G. Appy (which we’re also reviewing this week).

For our latest poll, we have listed a number of fiction titles releasing in March and are curious which, if any, you’re planning to read. Click here to let us know! Our previous poll asked how many of your friends enjoy reading books (89% of you said “Most of them” or “Some of them”), and when asked whether or not you talk about books with your book-loving friends, 98% of the respondents answered either “All of the time” or “Some of the time.” You can see all the results here. We love that you are book concierges for your friends.

In our new Word of Mouth contest, we’re giving five readers the chance to win HUSH HUSH: A Tess Monaghan Novel by Laura Lippman, MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD by Jeffrey Archer and MRS. GRANT AND MADAME JULE by Jennifer Chiaverini. Let us know by Friday, March 6th at noon ET the books that you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to receive all three of these upcoming releases.

Here’s a report from our Word of Mouth editor, Melanie, about the latest trends she’s noticed in the last two weeks based on readers’ submissions: “By far, the most read and reviewed title is THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (there are as many as 20 comments), followed closely by THE NIGHTINGALE, which many people are saying they could give higher than 5 stars!! I have also seen quite a few reviews for THE ROSIE EFFECT, LILA and several for RUSSIAN TATTOO by Elena Gorokhova. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE continues to be read as well.”

News and Pop Culture Bits

Watched: Gone Girl, and I confess I did not love it. My husband, who had not read the book, felt the same way. Maybe it’s because I had no affinity for any of the characters, the same way I felt about the book.

Cold Weather MUST: Uniqlo’s HeatTech shirts that have become a “must” layer in the past weeks. It’s amusing that I have them in a half-dozen colors when the color truly does not matter as no one sees four layers down.

Screenplay Adaptation: Here is an interesting article from the screenwriter who adapted the American Sniper screenplay.

Savannah Book Festival Blog: Sincere thanks to our reader, Nancy Bader, who shared terrific commentary about the Savannah Book Festival last weekend. What a fabulous lineup they had!

Mark Zuckerberg's newest choice for Facebook’s A Year of Books: ON IMMUNITY by Eula Biss. We have our review here, and I had the pleasure of interviewing Eula last year at BEA. Talk about a timely book!

For those who do not live in Boston: 24 great photos to show the depths of the snow in Boston. To those in Boston, I hope none of these were your homes!

The Oscars are on tap for Sunday night. I have seen most of the Best Picture nominees with others scheduled to be watched on DVD. We are not dressing up for the occasion, but logs will be tossed onto the fireplace to set a warm festive mood. I am in baby blanket-making mode as a few friends are due in the next few months. One is not sure whether she is having a boy or a girl, thus I am doing double duty for that birth!

I also am pondering what to read next...will let you know what I select next week!

Read on and have a great week….

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!

In her latest book, BLUE STARS, Emily Gray Tedrowe explores, in profoundly moving detail, the lives of military families --- in particular, two very different women whose lives become intertwined in Walter Reed Army Hospital, where each must live while caring for her wounded soldier. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Tedrowe talks about how her own experience as a member of a military family informed her writing, and the critical task of capturing all the complicated and ever-shifting attitudes of the people left behind at the home front. She also discusses why the unexpected friendship between her two female protagonists is crucial to the narrative, and how she found room in a war story for Edith Wharton.

BLUE STARS by Emily Gray Tedrowe (Fiction)
Ellen is a Midwestern literature professor who is drawn into the war when her legal ward Michael enlists as a Marine. Lacey is a proud Army wife who struggles to pay the bills and keep things going for her son while her husband is deployed. Ellen and Lacey cope with the fear and stress of a loved one at war while trying to get by in a society that often ignores or misunderstands what war means to women today. When Michael and Eddie are injured in Iraq, Ellen and Lacey’s lives become intertwined in Walter Reed Army Hospital, where each woman must live while caring for her wounded soldier. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Emily Gray Tedrowe’s bio.
-Click here to visit Emily Gray Tedrowe’s official website.
-Click here to connect with Emily Gray Tedrowe on Twitter.
-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.

Allison Pataki is the author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed historical novel, THE TRAITOR'S WIFE. No slouch when it comes to history, Pataki was inspired to write her second work of fiction, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- about how Empress “Sisi” Elisabeth of Bavaria accidentally won the heart, and court, of Emperor Franz Joseph --- by her family’s deep roots in the former Habsburg empire of Austria-Hungary. In this interview, Pataki reveals how she was able to whittle all of her fascinating historical source material down to an elegantly cohesive story, as well as the liberties that writing fiction allowed her to take. She also talks about how thoroughly she researched THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- of course, it's no surprise that traveling was a highlight!

THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS by Allison Pataki (Historical Fiction)
The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich and ready to marry. Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg Court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.

MY SUNSHINE AWAY by M.O. Walsh (Fiction)
I was lucky enough to read MY SUNSHINE AWAY back in the spring of 2014, as I interviewed M.O. Walsh for the BEA Book Buzz session last May. When I read the title, I started humming the song “You Are My Sunshine,” which I learned is one of the state songs of Louisiana. Then I read the first line of the book, “There were four suspects in the rape of Lindy Simpson,” and I stopped thinking sunny thoughts.

In the summer of 1989, Lindy was a girl who caught boys’ eyes, but while she was turning heads, she never seemed to notice. Then she is attacked one night, and the world changes for both her and those in the neighborhood around her. The “safe” world became a lot less innocent.

MY SUNSHINE AWAY is a brilliant, beautifully written coming-of-age story that has a mystery rolled into it --- a mystery that is not resolved until the last few pages (no reading ahead).

-Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.


CRAZY LOVE YOU by Lisa Unger (Psychological Thriller)
Lisa Unger has a knack for writing the kind of edgy psychological thriller that lures you in and wraps itself around you Then, just when you think I got this story nailed, she whooshes you off into another direction. When you settle there, you know you better not get comfortable. When I finished CRAZY LOVE YOU, I still was wondering if I got the ending right. I was paying rapt attention to the story, but what character was I supposed to rely upon?

The story seems to be a tale we know. There’s a boy, Ian, who was overweight as a child, and Priss was the girl in his small Upstate New York town who always was there for him. She was his refuge when he was being bullied and tortured. But as is apt to happen, Ian’s life has taken a turn for the better. He has moved to New York City, where he has developed a career as a successful graphic novelist. Priss is still part of his life, but she has not cleaned up her unhealthy habits of drinking and taking drugs, and wants to keep colluding with Ian.

-Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read an interview with Lisa Unger.