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December
15 ,
2000
Dear
Reader:
Early
holiday surprise for our readers this week --- we've redesigned
the logo and graphics for Bookreporter.com, which gives this website
a much-needed facelift.
On December 26th we'll have another holiday surprise --- a brand
new website for readers. More details to come. Don't forget to check
your e-mail on the 26th for our special announcement.
I must say it's been a little hectic making so many changes while
preparing for the holidays! Everyone who knows me is well aware
of how much I loathe shopping in malls and stores even when it is
not the holidays. One way I've saved myself some time and hassle
is by doing nearly all of my holiday shopping online. Amazon.com
and enews.com
made tackling my list a lot easier. I continuously am surprised
by how much is available for purchase at Amazon --- beyond books,
music and videos, I have been through their electronics, software,
kitchen and hardware stores, just to name a few. Our UPS delivery
man has been here almost every day, and when the packages arrive
I just tick the names off on my list. Best news: no disappointments
in anything I ordered.
It always amazes me what a vast array of subjects I encounter while
book-browsing. Many books appeal to a very small audience. One that
caught my eye the other day was ANATOMY
OF ANATOMY --- a perfect book for anyone in the medical field,
or considering medical school. The book looks at the human body
through the eyes of medical students who are studying anatomy by
working with cadavers. Yes, the accompanying photos are graphic,
but the text is wonderfully written, using notes from the students,
and the forward by one of my favorite authors, Abraham Verghese,
is just brilliant.
This week we are skipping our Poll, but we still have a Question
of the Week: What book are you reading right now?
Last Week's Poll Results
Do holiday-themed books play a part in your holiday celebration?
28%: I used to read certain holiday-themed books every year,
but I stopped as my children got older.
26%: Yes, there are classics I read every holiday season,
and every year I look for new titles to add to my collection.
20%: Yes, there are certain books I read every holiday season.
15%: No, but this sounds like a nice idea.
11%: No, I am not interested in making books a part of my
holiday.
Last Week's Question
Results
Last week we asked, How do you incorporate books into your holiday
celebration and what titles do you enjoy most? See
other readers' holiday reading favorites.
NEW THIS WEEK
Bookreporter.com Talks To...
Ken Follett
CODE TO ZERO, a chilling
blend of history and imagination, is Ken Follett's latest thriller.
Follett reflects on the secretive CIA, Communism, and his writing
methods in an interview with Bookreporter.com's Ann Bruns.
Jonathan
Kellerman
Jonathan Kellerman, author of the intellectual thriller DR.
DEATH, reveals what inspires his storylines and complex characterizations
in an in-depth interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub.
James Atlas
The extensive research behind BELLOW,
the critically acclaimed biography penned by James Atlas, is just
one of many topics Atlas discusses in this enlightening interview
with Bookreporter.com's Joel Wells.
Features:
BEST OF 2000
It's that time of year --- we've chosen what we think are the best
books of the year 2000 in fiction, biography and memoir, and books
for teens and kids. Agree with us or argue with us, but don't miss
these Top 10 lists.
What
To Give/What To Get
An eclectic mix of intriguing new titles appear here, in our annual
feature designed to make your holiday shopping just a little bit
easier. We'll be adding unique selections throughout the season
that appeal to a variety of special interests. So before you head
out to battle the holiday traffic and crowds, stop in to see what's
new each week in our growing collection of "What To Give, What To
Get!"
PERSPECTIVE:
Real and Wrinkly or Young and Cute --- What do looks have to do
with authors?
Jana Siciliano fires a shot at the purveyors of publicity exacting
a toll on today's most talented authors.
DISOBEDIENCE
by Jane Hamilton
A son is torn between anger and adoration for his mother in a novel
that falls short of the author's more compelling previous works.
Reviewed by Jana Siciliano and excerpted.
CODE
TO ZERO by Ken Follett
A man fights to regain his identity and prevent disaster in this
inventive reenactment of the first U.S. space launch. Reviewed by
Ann Bruns and excerpted.
DR. DEATH by Jonathan Kellerman
When a doctor is murdered, Alex Delaware struggles with ethical
questions, in a provocative new thriller about doctor-assisted suicide.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and excerpted.
BELLOW:
A Biography by James Atlas
This comprehensive portrait of author Saul Bellow is a scintillating
journey through the cultural history of the 20th century. Reviewed
by Joel E.D. Wells and excerpted.
ALL
THE PRETTY HORSES by Cormac McCarthy
McCarthy's incredible vision of the Southwest in a historic period
of transition, circa 1930, and the first novel in his Border Trilogy.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and excerpted.
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GREAT GIFTS!
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Buy
books, CD's and movies from Amazon.com,
and Bookreporter.com will donate 10% of its proceeds to charity!
Use this link for your purchases to count toward our donation:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thebookreport01
Give a gift that lasts all year --- a magazine subscription!
Save up to 90% on over 1000 magazines now at enews.com.
Get unbelievable deals on favorites including...
Reader's Digest - Save 53%
Biography - Save 64%
Sports Illustrated - Save 58% and get a free sweatshirt
Time - Save 72%
Shop at enews.com
for these and many more!
Levenger.com
is stocked with sophisticated items for the booklover who seems
to have it all. Find unique and luxury gifts like fountain pens,
leather-bound journals and accessories, furniture for serious readers,
stocking-stuffer treasures, and much more.
BOOK Magazine celebrates
the continuation of the stories of Dr. Seuss; examines the prolific
career of Donald Westlake; and interviews Jane Hamilton, author
of DISOBEDIENCE, on her Wisconsin farm.
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Reviews:
BARK IF YOU LOVE ME: A Woman
Meets Dog Story by Louise Bernikow
A heartwarming narration of Bernikow's experience with an abandoned
canine and their eventual, inseparable bond. Reviewed by Marge Fletcher.
ELLEN GILCHRIST: COLLECTED
STORIES by Ellen Gilchrist
An outstanding collection representing the grit and humor that characterize
this author's heart-and-soul storytelling. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
LITERARY TRAILS: British
Writers in Their Landscapes by Christina Hardyment
An armchair tour of the history, homes, and countryside that form
the memorable backdrops for Britain's greatest literature. Reviewed
by Ann Bruns.
SPAIN:
A HISTORY edited by Raymond Carr
An illuminating, richly detailed overview of the art, literature,
politics and achievements of this fascinating country. Reviewed
by Jonathan Shipley.
(PB) A MAN NAMED DAVE: A
Story of Triumph and Forgiveness by Dave Pelzer
The latest in Pelzer's trilogy is a powerful story of childhood
scars and Pelzer's struggle to find love and acceptance. Reviewed
by Judy Gigstad.
Contests and Giveaways:
Each week, one contributor to Word of Mouth
wins a prize. This week, we're giving away Richard North Patterson's
new thriller PROTECT
AND DEFEND.
As a thank-you to our readers, we give
away a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate to one newsletter subscriber
every month. To subscribe and enter the random drawing, write to
newsletter@bookreporter.com.
If you already receive this newsletter every week, why not forward
it to a friend?
Tell the younger readers in your family to check out the cool contests
on Teenreads.com, our website for teenagers, where teens can win
signed books
by horror master R.L. Stine, the bestselling children's author
of all time; TEEN
INK, a new collection of writing by teens; and the new edition
of the American
Heritage Dictionary, a $50 value. Go to www.Teenreads.com
for details on how to enter and win!
Click and Give:
Click and Give gives
you two ways to give a book to a needy child this holiday season.
You can buy and send books to the pediatric literacy organization
ROAR using the recommendations and links on our website, or, if
you don't wish to donate directly, you can simply shop on Amazon.com
and a percentage of our proceeds from the Amazon purchases you make
will be donated to the charity.
Just remember that for your Amazon.com
purchases to count toward our donation, you must click through to
Amazon from this newsletter or from Bookreporter.com, rather than
going directly to Amazon on your own. You can also simply save this
link to use to access Amazon and have your purchases count toward
the program:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thebookreport01
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From all of us at Bookreporter.com and The Book Report Network,
warm wishes for a very happy holiday season!
--- Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@Bookreporter.com)
for The Book Report Network: Bookreporter.com
* ReadingGroupGuides.com
* Teenreads.com * Kidsreads.com
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