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Bookreporter.com Newsletter
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April 3, 2009
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Books For Every Mood....
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Last weekend I read COLUMBINE by Dave Cullen. I thought I knew everything about Columbine as I had followed that story closely when it broke and in the months that followed. In my head two Goth-influenced kids who were part of the Trenchcoat Mafia at the high school took revenge one day on all of the jocks and others who had ostracized them over the years and shot them. That was the story I had been fed from the start. Now it seems that that was the story that fed upon itself when what happened was dramatically different. I started reading, and as the pages turned, every preconceived notion I had was unraveled. While I was ready to dismiss the book before I started it, I now thought it was one of the more powerful true crime narratives that I had read.
The most dramatic part of what I learned? This was not planned to be a school shooting. It was to be a bombing, followed by a shooting, and then a suicide by bombing. If the plans had gone off the way they were masterminded, it would have been a mass murder, with a goal to eclipse the Oklahoma City disaster of Timothy McVeigh. Dave Cullen spent eight years researching COLUMBINE, which provides a thorough look at the events that lead up to the story, as well as what's happened in the ensuing years. It is a huge commentary not only on the tragedy and its background, but also the inaccuracy of eyewitness testimony. And its informed look at media coverage and how misinformation became fact. Those who think this story has been told already will see a whole other look now, one that only a longer lens could bring as the 10-year anniversary approaches. If you're interested in hearing a bit more about this book, then watch this video interview with Cullen. We will have our review next week.
As we are now in an age when journalism is written via Twitter and we have instant news everywhere, I wonder how many other stories later will be seen differently under the microscope. And the story of eyewitness testimony gone awry was not lost on me. In the weeks following 9/11, I was driving to the city one day thinking of a spot where I had been when a friend called to tell me the second tower had been hit, which I was viewing. I could not have been in that location when it happened, as I had no view from there. I had been further up the road, but when I recalled the incident, I was in another place.
Since the subject matter of COLUMBINE is heavy, I needed something lighter to change my mood. I turned to Wade Rouse’s memoir AT LEAST IN THE CITY SOMEONE WOULD HEAR ME SCREAM, and within moments I was laughing out loud. Many of you may remember Wade’s CONFESSIONS OF A PREP SCHOOL MOMMY HANDLER. With this one he has perfected his comedic timing even further as he looks at life Erma Bombeck-style. Picture Wade and his partner Gary, who have moved to the woods of Michigan to channel Wade’s inner Walden. Wade, who by his own admission is the ultimate consumer of beauty/trend products, writes with great self-deprecating humor and wisdom about his adventures with wildlife and wilderness. For a humorous look at what’s in store for readers when it is published on June 2nd, click here.
Tuesday night I went to see Robert Goolrick, author of A RELIABLE WIFE, which is my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On title. It was the first stop on his tour, and the audience had a few of us who had read an advance copy of the book already and others who were hearing about the story for the first time. I'm thrilled this finally is in stores, and you all can read it too. It’s dark and compelling with twists, turns and surprises. Our reviewer Norah Piehl clearly felt the same way. Read on for why I am betting on it, and I look forward to hearing your comments when you read the lushly descriptive prose.
We are launching two new features this week. Our first spotlights Nancy Bush and her new romantic suspense novel, UNSEEN. You may remember the feature we ran with her a few weeks ago for WICKED GAME, which she wrote with her sister Lisa Jackson. In UNSEEN, which is now on sale, Bush offers readers another suspenseful tale. We have 10 copies of this book to give away to readers who would like to preview it and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, April 10th.
We are also launching a new feature for John Manning, whose suspense/thriller debut, ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS, will be out in stores this coming Tuesday. In this story, a series of mysterious disappearances leads a college student to believe that she is being targeted by a psychopath. We have 10 copies of ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, April 10th.
We’ve received great feedback from our advance readers of LORDS OF CORRUPTION, Kyle Mills’s newest political thriller. Click here to read their responses. In other news, the International Thriller Writers announced its nominees for the 2009 Thriller Awards this week, and we have them here.
As I write this newsletter opener each week, I typically am sitting in my home office on a Friday, since I loathe New York traffic on Friday nights. Lots of people walk in our neighborhood. I see the same people stroll by throughout the day. One couple walks up and down the street so much that the boys and I have dubbed them "the homeless people." One day, when we were out walking, we introduced ourselves to them and learned that they lived about a mile away. I rarely walk to go nowhere unless I am at the beach. There is one woman who does not walk in a straight line. She zigzags. At some point I need to figure out what that is about. Maybe it burns more calories. I still think that typing, reading and knitting should be considered sports!
With that in mind, I was happy to read that Patti McFarland, owner of Encinitas Book Tales in Encinitas, California, is launching "The Literary Walking Companions," a daily book club for walkers. Walkers will be able to chat about whatever books, authors, plot lines, characters or writing styles they're in the mood to discuss. It makes me want to fly to California and walk with them. Wonder if they zig and zag.
Speaking of sports and books, Erin Quinn, one of our staffers, plays on a soccer team with fellow University of Michigan Alumni through ZogSports (a charity-focused, co-ed, social sports club that promotes charity and social action amongst young professionals in New York). Her team came in Runner Up in their division, so ZogSports is making a donation to Room to Read, her team's designated charity. If you haven't yet heard about Room to Read, they partner with local communities throughout the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children's literature, constructing schools, and providing education to girls. Pretty cool.
We are headed to the Outer Banks tomorrow for Spring Break. Cory is traveling with us, maybe with a friend; Greg drives down Tuesday. Of course, the way my mind works, I panic that Greg will break down somewhere between New York and North Carolina, and we will have to retrieve him. He tells me I overthink things. I do not deny this. I also am going to hope that IF this happens it happens a) near an airport or mass transit, or b) when he's closer than two hours from the NC house. I also have told him he has to leave 1.5 hours before us, so that on the drive home he is ahead of us. Of course he has requested gas money since I was ready to pay for a plane ticket. The plane ticket was so I would not have to worry about the car breaking down. I hope he does not get lost driving, again overthinking I am sure. But my frame of reference is that this is the same child who two years ago used to get to the end of the driveway and ask me which way to go to the food store!
Books are packed; this trip always is a huge reading vacation. I have been collecting books for weeks saying, I will get to that in NC. The way I see it, if I do not sleep for the next 10 days, I MAY get through part of the stack. There’s also a huge tub of yarn. But hey, without Greg’s luggage, we have more room in the trunk! I can pack Easter paraphernalia.
Have a great week.....and Happy Passover to all of you who are celebrating. Read on....
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Now in Stores: LONG LOST by Harlan Coben
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LONG LOST by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
Harlan Coben's latest novel is notable not only because it features the welcome return of Myron Bolitar (last seen in 2006's PROMISE ME), but because it is a sequel of sorts to THE FINAL DETAIL and DARKEST FEAR. One does not need to have read these previous books, however, to fully appreciate LONG LOST, which may well be the author's best work to date. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read an excerpt from LONG LOST.
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Click here to read a review of LONG LOST.
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Bookreporter.com Bets On...: Books We're Betting You'll Love
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With thousands of books published each year and much attention paid to the works of bestselling and well-known authors, it is inevitable that some titles worthy of praise and discussion may not get the attention we think they deserve. Thus throughout 2009, we will be spotlighting books written by debut or up-and-coming authors that immediately struck a chord with us and made us say “just read this” in a new feature called "Bookreporter.com Bets On…" Our plan is to alert our readers about these titles as soon as they’re released so you can discover them for yourselves and recommend them to your family and friends.
Here is our latest featured title, with more to come in the weeks ahead:
A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick (April 7th): A RELIABLE WIFE opens with Ralph Truitt standing on a train platform on a cold winter morning waiting for a woman who had answered his ad looking for "a reliable wife," "a simple honest woman." But Catherine Land is not the woman who she appears to be, and she, like Ralph, has secrets to hide. Thus their story takes you on a very wild ride that is neither quiet nor placid. Passion, lust and greed motivate the characters. Readers will not be able to look away until they read the final page, lured in by a plot that continually delivers and writing that is careful but never precious. Every look has meaning; every plot twist propels the story faster. It's just brilliant.
-Click here to read a review of A RELIABLE WIFE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from A RELIABLE WIFE.
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Click here to see all the titles we're betting you'll love.
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Author Talk: Ilana Stanger-Ross, Author of SIMA'S UNDERGARMENTS FOR WOMEN
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In this interview, Ilana Stanger-Ross, author of SIMA'S UNDERGARMENTS FOR WOMEN, traces her debut novel's roots as a short story written in graduate school and recalls memories of a neighborhood shop from her childhood that inspired the book's titular setting. She also touches on the story's themes --- such as the complexities of friendship, marital relationships and desire --- shares her hesitation to categorize literary fiction into niche markets, and reveals what she hopes her readers will gain from reading the book.
SIMA'S UNDERGARMENTS FOR WOMEN by Ilana Stanger-Ross (Fiction)
Sima Goldner runs an underground bra shop in an Orthodox neighborhood of Brooklyn where women come in search of laughter, love and support. When Timna, a young Israeli with enviable cleavage, becomes the shop’s seamstress, Sima finds herself drawn into the girl’s life of romance and adventure, and a 40-year-old secret comes unhooked. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
-Click here to read a review of SIMA'S UNDERGARMENTS FOR WOMEN.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SIMA'S UNDERGARMENTS FOR WOMEN.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for SIMA'S UNDERGARMENTS FOR WOMEN.
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Click here to read an interview with Ilana Stanger-Ross.
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New Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Nancy Bush, Author of UNSEEN
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Nancy Bush is the author of the acclaimed Jane Kelley Mysteries, which include CANDY APPLE RED, ELECTRIC BLUE and ULTRAVIOLET. In her new romantic suspense novel, UNSEEN, Gemma La Porte survives a horrific car accident and awakens with a loss of memory and a terrifying realization that she may be guilty of murder. UNSEEN is now available in stores.
We have 10 copies of UNSEEN to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, April 10th.
-Click here to read Nancy Bush’s bio.
-Visit Nancy Bush's official website, www.NancyBush.net.
More about UNSEEN:
Gemma La Porte wakes up in a hospital and knows her name and where she lives, but there are blank spaces in her memory. When released, she senses she’s being watched but thinks she's overreacting. As the days pass, Gemma begins having blackouts, waking up and having no idea where she's been or what she's done, especially when she finds blood on her hands. Has she committed murder?
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Click here to read more about Nancy Bush and UNSEEN.
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New Featured Debut Suspense/Thriller Author: John Manning, Author of ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS
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From a new voice in suspense/thriller writing comes a novel in which a decades-old crime and a modern-day string of murders force a young college student to be a pawn in a psychopath’s twisted game. ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS, John Manning’s debut suspense/thriller novel, will be available in stores on April 7th.
We have 10 copies of ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, April 10th.
-Click here to read John Manning’s bio.
More about ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS:
Two decades ago, at a private women’s college in upstate New York, a student was brutally attacked in her dorm room, but her assailant was never found. Sue Barlow arrives at Wilbourne College 20 years later. When a classmate disappears, Sue thinks it’s an isolated incident until two other girls vanish. As fear grows on campus, Sue begins to sense she’s being watched, and as the body count rises, she soon realizes that a twisted psychopath is summoning her to play a wicked game.
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Click here to read more about John Manning and ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Lisa Scottoline, Author of LOOK AGAIN
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Lisa Scottoline is the Edgar Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of 16 books, including LADY KILLER, DADDY’S GIRL and DIRTY BLONDE. In LOOK AGAIN, her new novel releasing on April 14th, a reporter’s life takes an unexpected turn when she receives a photo of a missing child who is identical to her adopted son.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from LOOK AGAIN.
-Click here to read fast facts about Lisa Scottoline.
-Click here to read Lisa Scottoline’s bio.
-Click here to see Lisa Scottoline's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for LOOK AGAIN.
-Visit Lisa Scottoline’s official website, www.Scottoline.com.
-Click here to watch a video in which Lisa Scottoline shares her favorite thrillers.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about LOOK AGAIN:
When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops --- the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Everything inside her tells her to deny the similarity between the boys, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she’s a journalist and won't be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth.
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Click here to read more about Lisa Scottoline and LOOK AGAIN.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Jilliane Hoffman, Author of PLEA OF INSANITY
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Jilliane Hoffman began her professional career as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting felonies in Florida. Through 2001, she was the Regional Legal Advisor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, advising more than 100 special agents on criminal and civil matters in complex investigations involving narcotics, homicide and organized crime. PLEA OF INSANITY, releasing on April 14th, is her third novel, following her international bestsellers RETRIBUTION and LAST WITNESS.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from PLEA OF INSANITY.
-Click here to read Jilliane Hoffman’s bio.
-Click here to see Jilliane Hoffman's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for PLEA OF INSANITY.
-Visit Jilliane Hoffman’s official website, www.JillianeHoffman.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about PLEA OF INSANITY:
The prosecutor --- Julia Vacanti. Young, ambitious, and facing a case that could launch her career. The defendant --- David Marquette. A successful Miami surgeon and devoted family man. The victims --- Marquette’s own wife and three small children. The plea --- Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. The perfect father and model husband, David Marquette seemingly just snapped one night. Or did he? His experienced defense team claims paranoid delusions caused by schizophrenia drove him to slaughter his entire family.
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Click here to read more about Jilliane Hoffman and PLEA OF INSANITY.
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Featured Women's Fiction Author: Sandra Dallas, Author of PRAYERS FOR SALE
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Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Sandra Dallas has captivated readers with her novels that explore themes of loyalty, friendship and human dignity, including NEW MERCIES, THE CHILI QUEEN and TALLGRASS, among others. PRAYERS FOR SALE, Dallas’s eighth work of fiction, is an unforgettable tale of a friendship between two women, one with surprising twists and turns, and one that is ultimately a revelation of the finest parts of the human spirit. PRAYERS FOR SALE will be available in stores on April 14th.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from PRAYERS FOR SALE.
-Click here to read Sandra Dallas’s bio.
-Click here to see Sandra Dallas's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for PRAYERS FOR SALE.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for PRAYERS FOR SALE.
-Visit Sandra Dallas's official website, www.SandraDallas.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about PRAYERS FOR SALE:
It's 1936 and the depression has ravaged the country. Hennie Comfort is 86 and has lived in the mountains of Middle Swan, Colorado since before it was Colorado. Nit Spindle is just 17 and newly married. After a chance encounter between the two women, the harsh conditions of life that each have endured create an instant bond and an unlikely friendship is formed, one in which the deepest of hardships are shared and the darkest of secrets are confessed.
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Click here to read more about Sandra Dallas and PRAYERS FOR SALE.
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Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Lisa Jackson, Author of MALICE
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New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson has written over 75 novels, and more than 12 million copies of her books are in print. In MALICE, her new novel now available in stores, Jackson crafts a riveting edge-of-your-seat thriller of deception and betrayal as a New Orleans detective is forced to confront the ghosts of his past --- and a killer's twisted vengeance.
-Click here to read a third excerpt from MALICE.
-Click here to read Lisa Jackson’s bio.
-Click here to see Lisa Jackson's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for MALICE.
-Visit Lisa Jackson's official website, www.LisaJackson.com.
-Click here to view a trailer for MALICE.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about MALICE:
The scent is unmistakable --- gardenias, the same perfume that his beautiful first wife, Jennifer, always wore. Opening his eyes in the hospital room where he is recovering from an accident, New Orleans detective Rick Bentz sees her standing in the doorway. She blows him a kiss and disappears. But Jennifer died 12 years ago...
The murders begin soon after this peculiar encounter. Each victim is a part of Jennifer’s past, and each grisly corpse points to Bentz as the prime suspect.
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Click here to read more about Lisa Jackson and MALICE.
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Books into Movies/Books into Movies on DVD for April
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This month’s Books into Movies feature boasts three films that promise plenty of thought-provoking drama, as well as the best form of guilty pleasure fit for a quiet Saturday night at home.
April 24th marks the release of The Soloist, a poignant and emotional film about the redemptive power of friendship, based on true events first chronicled by journalist Steve Lopez in articles for the L.A. Times. Written by the screenwriter of Erin Brockovich, directed by Joe Wright --- responsible for Oscar nominees Atonement and Pride & Prejudice --- and starring Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx and Catherine Keener, The Soloist will surely be one to keep your eye on come next year’s awards season.
If April showers are keeping you indoors this month, then fans of romance, mystery and suspense are in luck, as Lifetime Network rounds out its Nora Roberts 2009 Collection. High Noon and Tribute --- featuring the likes of Brittany Murphy, Cybill Shepherd, Tippi Hedren and Jason Lewis of “Sex and the City” --- will be airing on April 4th and 11th.
Lastly, April’s DVD releases include the animated family-friendly film The Tale of Despereaux and the over-the-top Jim Carrey comedy Yes Man.
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Click here for more details about April's films.
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ReadingGroupGuides.com's 2009 Book Group Survey -- Give Us Your Input and Be Entered to Receive a Complementary Book!
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ReadingGroupGuides.com is conducting a survey of book groups. Our goal is to identify trends and topics that are of interest to book groups that we can share with publishers and authors, so they can provide the information and resources to enhance your meetings and discussions. We have not done a survey since 2001, and we know that a lot has changed in the last eight years! Thus, we would love to hear from you.
We estimate it will take 12-15 minutes to complete the survey. Each of the first 2,500 respondents will receive one of these 28 books graciously provided by our publisher colleagues. All other entrants will be entered into a random drawing to win one of 200 books. The titles that have been selected each are worthy of a terrific book group discussion, besides providing some wonderful reading enjoyment. Titles will be selected at random. Your name will not be used for any other mailing.
If you know people in other book clubs, may we suggest that you forward this link to them? The more voices that are heard for this, the more we will be able to have your comments shared with publishers and authors.
The survey will close on April 30th, so click here to answer the survey NOW.
One quick note: Given customs and mailing restrictions, the prize offerings are only available to residents of the United States and Canada. To our international readers, we welcome your participation and regret we cannot send prizes overseas.
-Click here for more information about the survey and the 28 prize books.
Please note that only our readers who are members of book clubs are eligible to take this survey.
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Click here to take part in the ReadingGroupGuides.com 2009 Book Group Survey.
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What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
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With more than 2,500 discussion guides now available, ReadingGroupGuides.com continues to be the leading place for book clubs to find all the resources they need on the web.
Our ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog continues to be a big hit among our readers. Throughout the month we are sharing postings from regular contributors --- including authors, librarians, book club facilitators, booksellers and experts in the publishing industry --- as well as special guests. The latest blog can be found here, and here are quick links to some recent posts:
-What You're Reading: Spring and Summer Picks
-Creating Community with Laurie R. King's Virtual Book Club
-Discussing Barbara Kingsolver's Novels
-Joshua Henkin's Book Club Adventures: The Latest Chapter, February 2009 Part I
-Joshua Henkin's Book Club Adventures: The Latest Chapter, February 2009 Part II
-I'll Bring the Popcorn!
-Six Titles I Wish I Had Read with My Book Club, Part II
-Gerald Kolpan: Writing ETTA
-Therese Fowler: "A Glamorous Life?"
-Book Clubs in the News
The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
7th HEAVEN: A Women's Murder Club Novel by James Patterson
ALL THE LIVING by C. E. Morgan
B AS IN BEAUTY by Alberto Ferreras
CITY OF THIEVES by David Benioff
THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING by Paulette Jiles
THE DIARY by Eileen Goudge
FIGURES IN SILK by Vanora Bennett
A FLICKERING LIGHT: Portraits of the Heart, Book 1 by Jane Kirkpatrick
THE INN AT EAGLE POINT by Sherryl Woods
LOVE IN BLOOM by Sheila Roberts
THE MOONFLOWER VINE by Jetta Carleton
THE OCEAN INSIDE by Janna McMahan
PRAYERS FOR SALE by Sandra Dallas
RIVER OF HEAVEN by Lee Martin
ROOFTOPS OF TEHRAN by Mahbod Seraji
THE SACRED WELL by Antoinette May
SECRETS TO HAPPINESS by Sarah Dunn
SERENDIPITY by Louise Shaffer
SOMEBODY ELSE'S DAUGHTER by Elizabeth Brundage
THE SORROWS OF AN AMERICAN by Siri Hustvedt
THE STORY OF FORGETTING by Stefan Merrill Block
UNDRESS ME IN THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN by Susan Jane Gilman
A WOLF AT THE TABLE: A Memoir of My Father by Augusten Burroughs
WOLF TOTEM by Jiang Rong
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
BELONG TO ME by Marisa de los Santos
BOUND by Sally Gunning
GIRLS IN TRUCKS by Katie Crouch
HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Hope, and Happily Ever After by Trish Ryan
LADY MACBETH by Susan Fraser King
THE STORY OF A MARRIAGE by Andrew Sean Greer
THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison Allen
TURNING TABLES by Heather and Rose MacDowell
UNACCUSTOMED EARTH: Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
We have the following new guides for Christian book groups:
THE HOUSE IN GROSVENOR SQUARE: A Regency Inspirational Romance by Linore Rose Burkard
MY SON, JOHN by Kathi Macias
A WIDOW'S HOPE: The Miller Family Series by Mary Ellis
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Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
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This Week's Reviews
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TRUE DETECTIVES by Jonathan Kellerman (Thriller)
Half-brothers Moses Reed and Aaron Fox usually go their separate ways. But the disappearance of Caitlin Frostig isn’t usual. For Moses, it’s an ice-cold mystery he just can’t outrun, even with the help of psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis. For Aaron, it’s a billable-hours bonanza from his most lucrative client. Like it or not, Moses and Aaron are in this one together --- and the rivalry that rules them won’t let either man quit until the case is cracked. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read an excerpt from TRUE DETECTIVES.
SILENT ON THE MOOR: A Lady Julia Grey Mystery by Deanna Raybourn (Mystery)
Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia Grey arrives in Yorkshire to find Nicholas Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family --- the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close. A mystery unfolds from the rotten heart of Grimsgrave, one Lady Julia may have to solve alone, as Brisbane appears inextricably tangled in its heinous twists and turns. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SILENT ON THE MOOR.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for SILENT ON THE MOOR.
CHEEVER: A Life by Blake Bailey (Biography)
In CHEEVER, Blake Bailey has produced a biography every bit as absorbing as the life of its complex and tortured subject. Following on his masterful biography of another troubled (albeit much less appreciated) writer, Richard Yates, this latest work establishes Bailey as one of the preeminent literary biographers working today. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
ALL OTHER NIGHTS by Dara Horn (Historical Fiction)
How is tonight different from all other nights? For Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union army, it is a question his commanders have answered for him: on Passover in 1862 he is ordered to murder his own uncle, who is plotting to assassinate President Lincoln. After that night, will Jacob ever speak for himself? The answer comes when his commanders send him on another mission --- this time not to murder a spy but to marry one. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
GROWING UP AGAIN: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes by Mary Tyler Moore (Memoir)
Actress and activist Mary Tyler Moore relates the highs and lows of living with type 1 diabetes for the past 40 years. She drills down to the most heartfelt yet universal truths about life --- including the lives of those with diabetes --- and chronicles her struggle with the disease, as well as her successful rehabilitation from alcohol dependence. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
BREATHERS: A Zombie’s Lament by S. G. Browne (Fiction)
Thanks to a car accident, Andy Warner is undead and having a difficult time adjusting. He's living in his parents’ wine cellar, attending Undead Anonymous meetings and pondering his new existence. With the help of zombie friends, he begins a campaign to regain his civil rights and find himself. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
CONTAGIOUS by Scott Sigler (Thriller)
Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategies and brilliant ruses to fool its pursuers. The only possible explanation: the epidemic is driven not by evolution but by some malevolent intelligence. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE POSSESSION OF MR. CAVE by Matt Haig (Psychological Suspense)
THE POSSESSION OF MR. CAVE, Matt Haig’s third novel for adults to be published in the United States (following THE DEAD FATHERS CLUB and THE LABRADOR PACT), is a dark, at times claustrophobically intense character study of one man’s damaging desire to protect his young daughter at any cost. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
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Read this week's reviews here.
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Poll, Question and Word of Mouth
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Poll:
Do you read debut authors?
All of the time
Some of the time
Never
-Click here to answer our poll.
Question:
Name up to three debut authors who you have recently read.
-Click here to answer our question.
Word of Mouth:
Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.
This week we have three great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of BONEMAN’S DAUGHTERS by Ted Dekker, COLUMBINE by Dave Cullen and A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on April 17th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.
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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 Carol@bookreporter.com. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us. Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by April 30, 2009 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month, one winner will be selected to win the following five books: BONEMAN'S DAUGHTERS by Ted Dekker, CURSED: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Higgins Clark, FIRST FAMILY by David Baldacci, JUST TAKE MY HEART by Mary Higgins Clark and TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel by Alexander McCall Smith. Edna from Smyrna, DE was last month's newsletter winner. She won HANDLE WITH CARE by Jodi Picoult, ILLEGAL by Paul Levine, LIFE SENTENCES by Laura Lippman, LONG LOST by Harlan Coben and PURSUIT by Karen Robards.Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, GraphicNovelReporter.com, FaithfulReader.com, Teenreads.com, Kidsreads.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com and AuthorYellowPages.com. The Book Report Network250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228New York, New York 10107
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