April 6 , 2001

The next time you visit Bookreporter.com, make sure you scroll all the way to the right on the home page. There you'll find a guide to what's happening across The Book Report Network. We'll highlight the best of AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, ReadingGroupGuides.com, Kidsreads.com and Teenreads.com, so that you can browse without jumping from site to site. We have so much going on that we want to tell you about. "What's Happening" will be updated every day or thereabouts, so check in often! And be sure to to let us know what you most like to see.

Lately one of the most popular areas of Bookreporter.com has been the Perspectives. Readers have given us great feedback on these editorials, which in recent weeks have mused on such far-ranging topics as the rising prices at bookstores, the value of the memoir-writing craze, the need for writers to trust their instincts about what readers are looking for, and China's warming reception to Pearl S. Buck. We thank you for all of the positive feedback you've sent our way. If you're looking for the Perspective archives, click on "Features" in the main menu and scroll down, or just click here.

If you're a fan of mystery writer and master humorist Donald E. Westlake, you'll love what we have in store this week. Not only do we have a review and excerpt of Westlake's new mystery BAD NEWS --- which features the return of John Dortmunder --- and an interview with the author, we're also offering you the chance to win a signed copy.

Question of the Week
April is National Poetry Month. Later this month we'll be featuring some of the best in contemporary poetry. Who is your favorite poet? Click here to answer the Question of the Week.

Last Week's Question
Need to laugh? Then pick up one of the books readers wrote to us about in response to last week's question, What is the funniest book you ever read? Janet Evanovich seems to take the prize for funniest author among our readers, but Carl Hiaasen, Dave Barry, Bill Bryson, John Irving and many others made the list.

This week's Word of Mouth prize is FAITHLESS: Tales of Transgression by Joyce Carol Oates, short stories which our reviewer called "disturbing, startling and, ultimately, satisfying .... a collection you'll find yourself thinking about long after the final page is turned." For your chance to win, visit Word of Mouth.

Are you still uncertain about the advantages of eBooks? I suggest you take a look at OPENING DAY, a novella about baseball by Les Standiford. OPENING DAY is about a down-on-its luck AA League baseball team and its groundskeeper, a former Negro League star, whom the owner begins to believe in the team's ticket to success. The eBook comes with features that wouldn't be possible with an old-fashioned printed book --- an interactive trivia game, information about the history of Negro League Baseball, and rare photographs and video footage. You can download it for free through Monday April 9th. Or, if you prefer, you can order a paperback copy for $11.99. Check it out, and pass the word on to any baseball fans you might know.

NEW THIS WEEK

Bookreporter.com Talks to ...

Donald E. Westlake
Donald E. Westlake, author of BAD NEWS, reveals what sparks his crime fiction, his characters, and how he lives with all their various personas with Bookreporter.com's Senior interviewer Joe Hartlaub.

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BAD NEWS: A Dortmunder Novel by Donald E. Westlake
A Las Vegas showgirl and a casino inheritance scheme lands Westlake's infamous bad-luck burglar in the middle of a graveyard. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and excerpted.

SEABISCUIT: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
During the 1930s the biggest headline-maker wasn't Franklin D. Roosevelt or Adolf Hitler, but a scrawny little horse who became an American legend. Reviewed by Rachel Choi and excerpted.

MURDER ONE by William Bernhardt
When a policeman is brutally murdered everyone is determined to hang his 19-year-old girlfriend --- everyone but her persistent attorney, Ben Kincaid. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and excerpted.

BING CROSBY: A POCKETFUL OF DREAMS: The Early Years, 1903-1940 by Gary Giddins
With enough detail to delight the aficionado, this biography portrays the multitalented Crosby "on the road to" stardom. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan and excerpted.

BILLY RAY'S FARM by Larry Brown
A collection of the author's essays that are rich with emotion, self-exploration and social commentary. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and excerpted.

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Reviews

EVERYDAY PEOPLE by Stewart O'Nan
Surrounded by the essence of urban life, a cast of characters narrate their individual stories in this thought-provoking novel of the contemporary city. Reviewed by Josette Kurey.

THE HACKER ETHIC by Pekka Himanen
Reflecting on our high-tech society, Himanen views those who combined their careers with their passions as potential role models for the future. Reviewed by Bob Rhubart.

THE BIOGRAPHER'S TALE by A. S. Byatt
Making ample use of "fancy phraseology," Byatt's tale revolves around a man who embarks on a fact-finding journey into the life of a biographer. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

A SPELL OF WINTER by Helen Dunmore
Making its American debut, this gothic tale rendered in brutally honest prose portrays a family plagued by misfortune. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

(PB) NO HURRY TO GET HOME: The Memoir of the New Yorker Writer Whose Unconventional Life and Adventures Spanned the Century by Emily Hahn
Unconventional Life and Adventures Spanned the Century by Emily Hahn A collection of stories that embodies the incredible daring and freethinking spirit of their author. Reviewed by Jonathan Lamas.

(PB) SLEEPING BEAUTY by Ross MacDonald
When an oil company executive's daughter disappears in an apparent kidnapping, Lew Archer finds himself up to his neck in more than an oil spill. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

(Audiobook) SHOP GIRL: A Novella by Steve Martin, read by the author
Looking for love is both poignant and humorous when seen through the eyes of this master of observation. Reviewed by Marge Fletcher.

(Audiobook) SEABISCUIT: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand, read by Campbell Scott
Looking like anything but a thoroughbred, this little horse with a lot of heart became the sweetheart of horse racing. Reviewed by Marge Fletcher.

Browse more new and upcoming releases here.

Perspective

The Legacy of BALL FOUR and Other Sporting Tomes
Ron Kaplan takes a hard look at a controversial biography and the tell-all trend in today's sports memoirs.

Happy Passover to those of you who are celebrating this weekend!

--- Carol Fitzgerald ( Carol@Bookreporter.com) for The Book Report Network: Bookreporter.com * ReadingGroupGuides.com * Teenreads.com * Kidsreads.com *AuthorsOnTheWeb*