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Bookreporter.com Newsletter
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June 19, 2009
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Reading in the Rain
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I feel like I live in Seattle these days. The rain has left the New York metropolitan area in a perpetual state of damp. Yesterday I got so wet walking just a block that my shoes were squeaky for the rest of the day. We opened the pool a month ago, and it was beautifully crystal clear within a day for the first time in years. And it has stayed that way. I think it’s too cold for algae to grow! Of course, it has been so cold that I hopped in and out just twice and both times decided that I am not a 60-degree water kind of girl.
Readers take heart. There are a lot of things that you cannot do in the rain, but you always can read in the rain. So forget the forecast, your weekend plans can include a book no matter what the weather brings.
My younger son is graduating from middle school on Monday. It feels like this school year has gone on forever. He told me that this week they have been watching movies in every class as all the grades have been filed. It makes me wonder about the need for 180 days of school when five of them are spent with a schedule that goes something like Forrest Gump and Remember the Titans and whatever other PG movie makes the cut.
Since graduation will be held indoors and there is limited seating, Cory came home a week ago and told me that he was going to buy a fifth ticket (we are allowed four) from a scalper. I kid you not. I was trying to figure when middle school graduation took on the tone of a Stones concert. He told me the scalper wanted $1.50, which I was happy to spend. By the next day the ante had been upped to $15.00, and he declared the price was too high, though I in my graduation fever mode was reaching for my wallet. Luckily our terrific PTO President jumped in matching those who had extra tickets with those who were in need of tickets. Thus he will be marching in his blue gown (that I dare not iron lest it melt) with my husband, my older son and my parents all looking on. High school here he comes, which has as its only negative that the bus is 30 minutes earlier than the middle school one. I am wondering how a tent will look at the end of our driveway since I never have been a morning girl.
Last week a reader wrote and asked me if I was a fast reader. I smiled when I saw this question since I already had decided a few days before this email that I was going to ask a poll question about whether or not you are a fast reader. Yes, I am pretty speedy, which definitely helps me with my accelerated reading adventures. And when you have a job like mine when people are asking you to read books just about daily, it does come in handy. Answer the poll here and let us know about your reading speed.
I enjoyed this week’s Beach Bag of Books title, MERCURY IN RETROGRADE. It’s a great romp of a beach read about three single women who live in the same apartment building. Our reviewer, Jana Siciliano, said, "MERCURY IN RETROGRADE is truly a summer read. It’s romantic, funny, fairly self-explanatory, a perfectly frothy concoction, a Cosmopolitan, if you will (to borrow the favorite drink of Manhattan's most famous career-driven heroines), that will find its way from one beachcomber to another throughout the hot, humid months." And I do agree.
My mom called from the beach the other day to tell me that people in her beach town at the Jersey shore have been chatting about MERCURY IN RETROGRADE. And for those of you who have heard me talk about the astrological term, Mercury in Retrograde, you will enjoy the references to it throughout the book. The author, Paula Froelich, writes for Page Six, the gossip column in the New York Post, and thus her tales of New York social life have been written by someone who has seen it all. There was a fun interview with her on "The Today Show" two weeks ago that you may want to check out. Click here to watch it.
We are launching a new Mystery Mayhem feature for THE LIKENESS by Tana French, which is now available in paperback. This novel is a follow-up to Tana’s award-winning IN THE WOODS, and many of our staffers raved about it when it released in hardcover last year. We have 10 copies of THE LIKENESS 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, June 26th.
On GraphicNovelReporter.com we have pieces written by two prose thriller authors. In the first, Gregg Hurwitz shares the story of how he was asked to write the story arc for one of his favorite comic characters. He also brings news about the contest for his latest thriller, TRUST NO ONE, which will be in stores on Tuesday. It’s a terrific book with an opening chapter that tosses you into the story with both feet fast, and the action does not let up from there. I am planning to attend his reading next Thursday night in New York City.
Joe Hill, whose books LOCKE & KEY and LOCKE & KEY: Welcome to Lovecraft have garnered both critical and popular attention, writes a piece where he shares his appreciation of graphic novels and his love of comics. I loved this comment: “My nonwriter friends are usually amiably puzzled by the comic book thing. The novels they get. And they understand a compulsion to noodle around with short stories. But the appeal of comics is harder to see.” The more I read graphic novels, the more I understand this. Speaking of graphic novels, I spent part of Saturday last weekend reading STITCHES by David Small, which will be in stores in September. It’s a heart-wrenching memoir that is getting a lot of well-deserved attention. It’s one of the Hot Graphic Novels of Summer on GraphicNovelReporter.com.
Last Sunday I found myself in the hammock as the sun finally found its way out reading TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler, a terrific YA novel that would be a great book for a mother-daughter book group chat. I love the way it captures everything it means to be a teen --- today. It’s well paced, has great language and a ton to talk about. We will be launching a special feature for this title on Teenreads.com next week.
Here’s wishing all the dads among our readers a Happy Father’s Day. Here’s hoping a book comes your way to celebrate. If not, be sure to check out our selections below and treat yourself. Here’s to a great week. And keep a book on hand with your umbrella.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Author Talk: Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Author of THE ANGEL'S GAME
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Carlos Ruiz Zafón, who has written for both adults and young readers, follows up his international bestseller THE SHADOW OF THE WIND with his latest release, THE ANGEL'S GAME. In this interview, Zafón compares and contrasts himself to his novelist main character, and discusses why he chose to set several of his novels in his home city of Barcelona. He also reflects on the source of his passion for reading, names a few of his favorite crime writers who have served as inspiration for his own work, and shares what he hopes readers will take away from his books.
THE ANGEL’S GAME by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Fiction)
In the turbulent and surreal Barcelona of the 1920s, David Martin, a young novelist obsessed with a forbidden love, receives an offer from an enigmatic publisher to write a book like no other before --- a book for which “people will live and die.” In return, he is promised a fortune and, perhaps, much more. Soon David begins to see frightening parallels between the book he’s been commissioned to write and an old religious manuscript retrieved from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
-Click here to read a review of THE ANGEL'S GAME.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE ANGEL'S GAME.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for THE ANGEL'S GAME.
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Click here to read an interview with Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
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Author Talk: Lisa Gardner, Author of THE NEIGHBOR
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Lisa Gardner's new novel, THE NEIGHBOR, marks the return of D. D. Warren, a Boston PD Sergeant who was also featured in previous works ALONE and HIDE. In this interview, Gardner explains why she chose to continue Warren's story, and discusses the real-life cases that inspired the plot of this latest book about the disappearance of a young wife and mother whose secretive husband is suspected of her murder. She also describes the most fascinating and most challenging aspects of researching and writing about sex offenders, provides insight into the complex characters and their relationships, and hints at what's in store for Sergeant D. D. in future installments of the series.
THE NEIGHBOR by Lisa Gardner (Thriller)
It was a case guaranteed to spark a media feeding frenzy --- a young mother, blond and pretty, disappears without a trace from her South Boston home, leaving behind her four-year-old daughter as the only witness and her handsome, secretive husband as the prime suspect. But from the moment Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at the Joneses’ snug little bungalow, she senses something off about the picture of wholesome normality the couple worked so hard to create. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read a review of THE NEIGHBOR.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE NEIGHBOR.
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Click here to read an interview with Lisa Gardner.
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Author Talk: Julie Metz, Author of PERFECTION
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In her debut, PERFECTION, Julie Metz chronicles her difficult journey of acceptance and moving forward after she discovers painful truths about her marriage following her husband's unexpected death. In this interview, Metz explains the significance behind the book's title and discusses how, in retrospect, she could have foreseen her husband's betrayal. She also elaborates on the double standard that exists in today's society regarding infidelity, offers tips to women looking to start over after being cheated on by their spouses, and shares what she hopes readers will take away from her experiences.
PERFECTION: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz (Memoir)
Julie Metz’s life changes forever on one ordinary January afternoon when her husband, Henry, collapses on the kitchen floor and dies in her arms. Seven months after his death, just when Julie thinks she is emerging from the worst of it, comes the rest of it: she discovers that what had appeared to be the reality of her marriage was but a half truth. PERFECTION is the story of Metz’s journey through chaos and transformation, as she creates a different life for herself and for her young daughter. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
-Click here to read a review of PERFECTION.
-Click here to read an excerpt from PERFECTION.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for PERFECTION.
-Click here to read Julie Metz’s blog post about PERFECTION.
-Click here to find out how you can enter to win a copy of PERFECTION for your book club.
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Click here to read an interview with Julie Metz.
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Our Summer Beach Bag Contest: Spotlight This Week on MERCURY IN RETROGRADE by Paula Froelich
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Whether your "beach" is on sand, your backyard deck or a grassy meadow in the country, the summer months mean it's time for "beach reading." Bookreporter.com is celebrating the lazy days of summer reading with our Fifth Annual Bookreporter.com Beach Bag of Books feature and contests.
During select weeks from May 22nd through September 4th, a different title or collection of titles will be featured with a contest prize --- a beach bag stocked with the featured book(s) and summertime essentials. Five FABULOUS beach bags will be given away each week, as well as five copies of the featured book(s) to additional winners.
This week, we’re spotlighting MERCURY IN RETROGRADE by Paula Froelich, a charming debut novel in which the lives of three New York women intersect when they move into the same SoHo apartment building. In a cute and spacious blue and white zippered beach tote, winners will find a two-toned striped blue beach towel, a metal shaker for summer cocktails, a package of colorful wine rabbits, a spring float for relaxing in the pool, a box of Tazo Passion Tea, H2O+ Lemon Lust Moisturizing Body Balm and a spray bottle of H2O+ pool-scented spray, as well as a copy of MERCURY IN RETROGRADE. We have five to give away, as well as five additional prizes of copies of MERCURY IN RETROGRADE.
To enter, fill out this form and answer the following question by Wednesday, July 1st at 11:59PM. You can find the answer by reading the excerpt here.
What is Penelope Mercury's hometown?
MERCURY IN RETROGRADE by Paula Froelich (Fiction)
MERCURY IN RETROGRADE introduces three women whose lives intersect when they each decide to move into the same SoHo apartment building. As these disparate ladies become friends, they soon discover that having their carefully planned lives fall to pieces might have been the best thing that could have ever happened to them. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
-Read more about Paula Froelich and MERCURY IN RETROGRADE here.
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Click here to read all the details of our Summer Beach Bag Contest.
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Great Books for Dad on Father's Day
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Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and inspired us. Why not show Dad your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? From May 29th through June 15th, readers had the chance to win one of our five Father’s Day Tote Bag Coolers stocked with handy and fun items for Dad, as well as one copy of all six of our featured titles. Thanks to all the readers who entered and told us their favorite book that their dads read to them. Click here to see our winners.
Although the contest has ended, we encourage you to visit our Father's Day feature. Whether he is a fan of suspense novels, uplifting stories --- or if he’s just looking for great summer cooking ideas --- Bookreporter.com has the perfect gift suggestions for the dad in your life.
Our featured Father’s Day titles are:
-BOBBY FLAY'S BURGERS, FRIES, AND SHAKES by Bobby Flay
-THE BOOK OF DADS: Essays on the Joys, Perils, and Humiliations of Fatherhood edited by Ben George
-DIAMONDHEAD by Patrick Robinson
-HURRY DOWN SUNSHINE: A Memoir by Michael Greenberg
-NUDGE: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
-THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
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Click here to see our Father's Day suggestions.
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New Featured Mystery Mayhem Author: Tana French, Author of THE LIKENESS, Now Available in Paperback
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In her award-winning debut novel, IN THE WOODS, Tana French demonstrated that she has an uncanny ability to draw disparate elements from her characters' past into the present. THE LIKENESS, which is now available in paperback, continues this theme, though in a totally different manner. With her richly nuanced characters and deep psychological insight, Tana French explores themes of self-invention, deception and the ways truth can emerge from even the most convincing disguises.
We have 10 copies of THE LIKENESS 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, June 26th.
-Click here to read a review of THE LIKENESS.
-Click here to read Tana French’s bio.
-Visit Tana French's official website, www.TanaFrench.com.
More about THE LIKENESS:
Six months after the events of IN THE WOODS, Detective Cassie Maddox is still trying to recover. She’s transferred out of the Murder squad and started a relationship with Detective Sam O’Neill, but she’s too badly shaken to make any commitment either to him or to her career. Then Sam calls her to the scene of his new case: a young woman found stabbed to death in a small town outside Dublin.
The dead girl’s ID says her name is Lexie Madison --- the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective. And she looks exactly like Cassie.
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Click here to read more about Tana French and THE LIKENESS.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: David Morrell, Author of THE SHIMMER
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Creator of Rambo and cofounder of the International Thriller Writers Organization, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author David Morrell has been called “the father of the modern action novel.” In THE SHIMMER, his new novel releasing on July 7th, a police officer’s search for his missing wife leads him to a small Texas town that is the site of a mysterious --- and possibly deadly --- phenomenon.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE SHIMMER.
-Click here to read David Morrell’s bio.
-Click here to see David Morrell's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE SHIMMER.
-Visit David Morrell’s official website, www.DavidMorrell.net.
-Visit the official book website, www.ShimmerBook.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about THE SHIMMER:
In New York Times bestselling author David Morrell’s new novel, THE SHIMMER, bizarre phenomena draw hundreds of people to a remote Texas town, including a Santa Fe police officer and his wife who find themselves plunged into violence and bloodshed that quickly spiral out of control. But has the military known about --- and exploited --- these inexplicable phenomena for decades, thus unleashing forces they may not be able to control?
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Click here to read more about David Morrell and THE SHIMMER.
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Feautured Women's Fiction Author: Mary Kay Andrews, Author of THE FIXER UPPER
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Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of many acclaimed books, including DEEP DISH and SAVANNAH BREEZE. In THE FIXER UPPER, which will be available on June 23rd, Andrews offers a hilarious novel about one woman's quest to redo an old house...and her life.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from THE FIXER UPPER.
-Click here to read Mary Kay Andrews’s bio.
-Click here to see Mary Kay Andrews's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE FIXER UPPER.
-Visit Mary Kay Andrews’s official website, www.MaryKayAndrews.com.
-Click here to watch a video in which Mary Kay Andrews discusses THE FIXER UPPER.
-Click here to read Mary Kay Andrews's blog.
-Become of fan of Mary Kay Andrews on Facebook here.
-Follow Mary Kay Andrews on Twitter here.
-Click here to see our finished copy winners.
More about THE FIXER UPPER:
After her boss in a Washington PR firm is caught in a scandal, lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left broke, unemployed and homeless. Out of options, she reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish Birdsong, a dilapidated, Pepto Bismol–pink Victorian house he recently inherited in Guthrie, Georgia. The delightful New York Times bestselling author returns with a hilarious novel about one woman's quest to redo an old house...and her life.
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Click here to read more about Mary Kay Andrews and THE FIXER UPPER.
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Featured Debut Suspense/Thriller Author: Henry Perez, Author of KILLING RED
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Henry Perez has worked as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade. In his debut thriller novel, KILLING RED, a reporter’s dream story --- an interview with a notorious serial killer --- leads to a frightening race again time. KILLING RED is now available in stores.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from KILLING RED.
-Click here to read Henry Perez’s bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for KILLING RED.
-Visit Henry Perez's official website, www.HenryPerezBooks.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about KILLING RED:
On death row, serial killer Kenneth Lee Grubb has six days to live, and his last request is an interview with reporter Alex Chapa. What begins as a dream story soon turns into a nightmare for Alex. For amidst Grubb’s taunts and boasts lies the horrific claim that someone is carefully repeating his past crimes. When nine people suddenly turn up dead, Alex realizes Grubb is telling the truth. Now the copycat killer is ready to pay his ultimate tribute to his idol. He’s set his sights on Annie “Red” Sykes, the only survivor of his bloodlust 15 years ago.
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Click here to read more about Henry Perez and KILLING RED.
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Featured Mystery Mayhem Author: Dorothy Howell, Author of HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE
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Now available in paperback, HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE is the first novel in Dorothy Howell’s Haley Randolph Mystery series. When a fashion-obsessed salesclerk finds her boss dead, she must team up with the store’s head of loss prevention to search for the killer. The second novel in the series, PURSES AND POISON, will be in stores on June 30th.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE.
-Click here to read Dorothy Howell’s bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE.
-Visit Dorothy Howell’s official website, www.DorothyHowellNovels.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE:
Witty, smart and always chic, Haley Randolph has it all: Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Coach, Burberry, and she’d kill for the newest Louis Vuitton handbag...but it seems she’s not the only one. When someone’s passion for designer purses leads to murder, Haley goes shopping for a killer and to clear her name.
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Click here to read more about Dorothy Howell and HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE.
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Featured Literary Fiction Author: George Rabasa, Author of THE WONDER SINGER
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Throughout his career, George Rabasa’s work has been met with critical acclaim and recognized by numerous awards, including The Writer’s Voice Capricorn Award for Excellence in Fiction, the Minnesota Book Award for Short Stories and Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. Now available in paperback, Rabasa’s novel THE WONDER SINGER is an operatic literary caper about one grandly beautiful life and one young writer’s manic attempt to expand his world by capturing it.
-Click here to read a third excerpt from THE WONDER SINGER.
-Click here to read George Rabasa’s bio.
-Click here to see George Rabasa's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE WONDER SINGER.
-Visit George Rabasa’s official website, www.GeorgeRabasa.com.
-Click here to listen to George Rabasa’s radio interview with Minnesota Public radio, October 3, 2008.
-To pay your respects to Ms. Casals, we invite you to check out the Diva’s fan page on Facebook.
-To hear opera selections that inspired this story, please click here.
-More about Mark Lockwood, his series for teens and his work with the Diva can be found at Unbridled Books and Facebook.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about THE WONDER SINGER:
George Rabasa’s novel, THE WONDER SINGER, is an entertaining literary caper, often funny, beautifully told and rich with history.
For freelance writer Mark Lockwood, landing the job as ghost writer for opera diva Mercè Casals is a dream. But when she dies in her bath and her agent wants to give the project to a renowned celebrity biographer, Lockwood makes off with the interview tapes to save his last best chance at writing success.
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Click here to read more about George Rabasa and THE WONDER SINGER.
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Featured Women's Fiction Author: Heather Barbieri, Author of THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA
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Heather Barbieri has won international prizes for her short fiction. Her previous book, SNOW IN JULY, was a Book Sense Pick, a Glamour Magazine Riveting Read and a Library Journal Notable First Novel. THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA, her new novel releasing on June 23rd, is an enchanting tale of love and friendship in which a young woman journeys to Ireland to mend her broken heart, and helps a group of local lace makers change their lives --- and ultimately her own.
-Click here to read a third excerpt from THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA.
-Click here to read Heather Barbieri’s bio.
-Click here to see Heather Barbieri's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA.
-Visit Heather Barbieri’s official website, www.HeatherBarbieri.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA:
"You can always start again," Kate Robinson's mother once told her, "all it takes is a new thread." Overwhelmed by heartbreak and loss, the struggling 26-year-old fashion designer follows her mother's advice and flees to her ancestral homeland of Ireland, hoping to break free of old patterns and reinvent herself. An enchanting, romantic tale of friendship and love in which a young American woman helps a group of lace makers change their lives --- and, ultimately, her own.
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Click here to read more about Heather Barbieri and THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA.
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This Week's Reviews
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ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE BOURNE DECEPTION by Eric Van Lustbader (Thriller)
The mysterious Arkadin is still hot on Jason Bourne's trail and the two continue their struggle, reversing roles of hunter and hunted. When Bourne is ambushed and badly wounded, he fakes his death and goes into hiding. In safety, he takes on a new identity, and begins a mission to find out who tried to assassinate him. Meanwhile, an American passenger airliner is shot down over Egypt by what seems to be an Iranian missile. A global investigative team is assembled to get to the truth of the situation before it escalates into an international scandal. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Visit Eric Van Lustbader’s official website, www.EricVanLustbader.com.
BORDER SONGS by Jim Lynch (Fiction)
A young Border Patrol officer goes out each day searching for birds, but finds more than he bargains for --- much more --- in this timely story from the author of THE HIGHEST TIDE. In Brandon Vanderkool, Jim Lynch has given us a delightfully memorable character. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
-Clcik here to read an excerpt from BORDER SONGS.
JUMP by Tim Maleeny (Thriller)
When the most hated landlord in San Francisco takes an unexpected jump off the roof of his own building, it isn’t too hard to find suspects. The police want to call it a suicide, but ex-cop Sam McGowan knows it was murder. He also knows that anyone living on the top floor of the building should be a suspect, including himself. So Sam decides to get to know his neighbors... Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
RED HOT LIES: An Izzy McNeil Novel by Laura Caldwell (Mystery)
Life is good for Chicago entertainment lawyer Izzy McNeil --- until her mentor dies and her fiancé is implicated by virtue of his mysterious disappearance. The puzzle of RED HOT LIES, the first in a summer mystery trilogy, involves deceit, theft, self-discovery and retribution. Reviewed by Hillary Wagy.
THE SIGNAL by Ron Carlson (Fiction)
There’s more intense action crammed into Ron Carlson’s brief new novel than in many works twice its length. Couple that with two complex and absorbing protagonists and gorgeous writing that pays homage to the natural world, and you have a deeply appealing work that’s easy to appreciate on a variety of levels. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
THE MEMORY COLLECTOR by Meg Gardiner (Thriller)
Meg Gardiner returns with her second Jo Beckett thriller. A forensic psychiatrist, Beckett is called to the scene of an aircraft inbound from London to California to examine Ian Kanan, a passenger who is behaving erratically, and realizes she is about to enter into a case unlike anything she has ever seen. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
TRUST ME by Peter Leonard (Thriller)
The first mistake Karen Delaney made was entrusting $300,000 to her boyfriend, Samir, the head of an illegal bookmaking operation. The second was breaking up with him --- because Samir holds a $300,000 grudge. A few months later, Karen sees a way to get her money back when two thieves break into her house in the middle of the night. She proposes a scheme to steal Samir’s safe, but Karen soon realizes she’s in way over her head as things begin to spin out of control. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
EAST OF THE SUN by Julia Gregson (Historical Fiction)
EAST OF THE SUN is a tale of personal discovery and enlightenment for three British women who set sail to India in 1928. They were part of the “Fishing Fleet,” an assembly of ladies who left Britain for India in hopes of finding a match for themselves. Set in the era of Mahatma Gandhi, this book has great historical value and is a work of rare quality. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.
-Click here to read Julia Gregson’s blog post about EAST OF THE SUN.
HELLO GOODBYE by Emily Chenoweth (Fiction)
In the winter of 1990, Helen Hansen --- counselor, wife and mother in the prime of her life --- is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. The following August, Helen, her husband, Elliott, and their daughter, Abby, a freshman in college, take a trip to northern New Hampshire, where Helen will be able to say goodbye to a lifetime of friends. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
HUNT AT THE WELL OF ETERNITY by Gabriel Hunt as told to James Reasoner (Fiction/Action & Adventure)
HUNT AT THE WELL OF ETERNITY marks the start of a new pulp adventure paperback series by the creator of Hard Case Crime. Gabriel Hunt is a modern-day hero in the Indiana Jones mold. From the skyscrapers of New York to the jungles of Guatemala, Hunt encounters nonstop action and danger as he tries to save a beautiful woman and solve a deadly mystery. Reviewed by Tom Callahan.
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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 consider yourself to be a fast reader?
Very fast
Moderately fast
Medium
Slow
Very slow
-Click here to answer our poll.
Question:
What is a recent book that you just zipped through reading?
-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 THE DOOMSDAY KEY by James Rollins, FINGER LICKIN’ FIFTEEN by Janet Evanovich and KILLER SUMMER by Ridley Pearson. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on July 10th 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 June 30, 2009 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month, one winner will be selected to win the following five books: THE ANGEL’S GAME by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, THE BOURNE DECEPTION by Eric Van Lustbader, THE FIXER UPPER by Mary Kay Andrews, KILLER SUMMER by Ridley Pearson and THE STRAIN by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Dan from Andover, NJ was last month's newsletter winner. He won GONE TOMORROW: A Reacher Novel by Lee Child, ROAD DOGS by Elmore Leonard, THE SCARECROW by Michael Connelly, SHANGHAI GIRLS by Lisa See and THE SIGN by Raymond KhouryHappy 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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