Skip to main content

September 26, 2008

Bookreporter.com Newsletter

September 26, 2008

This Week on Bookreporter.com

Forecast: Rainy Reading Weekend Ahead

Now in Stores: THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane

Author Talk: Philippa Gregory, Author of THE OTHER QUEEN

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Katherine Neville, Author of THE FIRE
Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Alex Kava, Author of EXPOSED

Featured Southern Writers Author: James Villas, Author of DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Beverly Barton, Author of COLD HEARTED

New in Paperback for September

This Week's Graphic Novel Reviews

What's New This Month on FaithfulReader.com
Exciting News for the ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog
Book Group Expo 2008 -- October 25th and 26th in San Jose

This Week's Reviews

Poll and Question of the Week: Book Reviews

Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- TWO Prizes

Quick Links to Features On The Book Report Network
 
Bookreporter.com
Past Reviews
Can't See the Graphics? Read This Newsletter Online
Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight Promotion
Debut Suspense/Thriller One to Watch Promotion
Mystery Mayhem Promotion

Historical Fiction Promotion

One to Watch Promotion
Books Into Movies
Bestseller Lists
Coming Soon
New in Paperback
ReadingGroupGuides.com

Forecast: Rainy Reading Weekend Ahead

It's raining the proverbial cats and dogs here today. Where did that expression come from anyway? The rain is pounding on the roof in a pretty regular staccato beat, and I think my typing on the keyboard is keeping rhythm with it. Actually I think I am typing faster than usual since it's coming down so hard. In some ways I like days like this since I just hunker down and work. There is no thought about "whether to swim or not to swim." We also live in a neighborhood where a lot of people take walks. I watch them out my big office window on Fridays and feel guilty that I am being sedentary and ponder if one seriously can consider a keyboard a piece of exercise equipment. Today I will be happy I am not a walker.

Also, Mercury is retrograde. If you live around me, you already know what that means. If not, you can read more about it here. I am not into astrology much more than to know I am a Sagittarius, but I can always tell when Mercury is retrograde. I told a friend last night that I am like the Mercury Retrograde Magnet. I can sense when it is happening as weird communication things occur all around me with information missing and misplaced. Yesterday I wrote the entire speech that I am going to give on Sunday at the Waldorf Astoria's Bestsellers Brunch. When I went to save it into a format I could read on my home computer, the entire thing went poof! I thought as I drove home, I wonder if Mercury is retrograde. It is --- started September 24th and will be until October 15th.  Recreating writing is really hard. I spent a lot of time last night trying to remember what I originally wrote. I am sure there is a great joke that got away.

Wednesday night this week I went to see Dennis Lehane, who was in town to promote his new book THE GIVEN DAY, which has been getting lots of attention. For Lehane fans who loved his previous work, it's a real departure as he ventures into historical fiction. He is very clear on why he took this path. Once he finished MYSTIC RIVER he knew there was a chance to fall into a trap and continue to write the same book over and over. Instead he said he knew he had to push himself off in a new direction. And that he does with THE GIVEN DAY. Here's some background on the plot from our review by Joe Hartlaub: "THE GIVEN DAY is a sprawling tale of the city of Boston in the closing days of World War I, as chaotic as the times and locale it attempts to describe. Romance, violence, racial politics, socialism, corruption and a Boston Red Sox player named Babe Ruth all rear their heads here, along with gratuitous shots at Calvin Coolidge and a Department of Justice attorney named John Hoover."

There are times I wish I could go back and study history again. When I was in school, there was so much emphasis on memorizing dates that I think the context of what was happening was lost. My son's Social Studies teacher made a very wise observation that she rarely quizzes kids on dates of battles and their names. Those can be looked up at any time. Instead she wants them to think about what was happening as part of a bigger story. I know I cannot remember 90% of the dates that I studied. The chapter Lehane read talked about the Spanish flu, which occurred in 1918-19. There were approximately 500,000 deaths in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide; when he said the 20 million number I was startled. I don't remember reading about that. My son's teacher also noted that most school curriculums are so packed that when studying American History in middle school they only get to World War II, which now was 60 years ago. When we think of what has happened since then, we realize how much context has been lost.

Lehane clearly loves characters and giving them voices. As he said, "Plot is the last thing people come to my books for." With these characters he usually addresses three things: violence, the urban landscape and the underdog. As someone who has written for the screen and television, as well as novels, he offered these interesting assessments of the difference between the two. A novelist is like a general contractor, who deals with everything from the foundation to the framing to painting the trim. When he does screenwriting for a show like "The Wire," he only is thinking about painting the trim. It's a completely different way of writing. He also said that it does take quite an ego for an author to write a 700-page book like THE GIVEN DAY, which was quite amusing.

Speaking of films, Nights in Rodanthe opens today at the movies. (Thanks to the commercial we now all can pronounce Rodanthe.) I have a weakness for Nicholas Sparks's books, so the movies made from these books are great for escapes. I have been reading Sparks's THE LUCKY ONE, which will be in stores on Tuesday. He has this way of writing a story that gives readers a nice way to just visit with characters and dip into their worlds. I have had a hectic week and have loved reading these pages before I fall asleep and again when I first wake up in the morning. They make me want to pour lemonade and sit on the porch or at least feel like I am there during a VERY hectic week.

There are always books that I miss telling you about that I enjoyed. One is I'M WITH STUPID by Elaine Szewczyk. It's a very witty romp of a book about a girl who gets the boy and then decides she really does not want him after all. The cover line of "Some flings were meant to last. Theirs was not one of them" truly speaks to the story. Hearing the stories from my single friends about their adventures in dating, I loved reading this one. I realize how smart women really can have trouble finding smart guys who can keep up with them. Read this smart girls and realize you are not alone!

Banned Books Week begins on Saturday. The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the American Library Association has launched a new website to help the readers learn more about this year's celebration, which will be held from September 27th through October 4th, and suggests ways they can support it. The key feature of the website is a list that visitors can use to find participating bookstores and libraries in their communities, which you can view here.

We have received some great responses from our advance readers of THE KEEPSAKE by Tess Gerritsen. Click here to read what they had to say.

My younger son is home today with a headache and sore throat. He has traced the lineage of this to his friends whose mothers sent them to school sick. I think this was a lobby to stay home today and it worked, especially with the rain. He keeps showing up in my office telling me he is bored. My suggestion at the 15th visit was that he try to clean his room; he has not returned.

As I re-read this newsletter I realized that I avoided referencing the news you read elsewhere this week ad nauseum, namely "to debate or not to debate" and the financial mess on Wall Street. I am not sure if any of this will be solved while Mercury is retrograde. I loathe politics and I loathe smarmy rich guys in suits who are full of themselves. I do wonder exactly where my 401K is these days. I am sure I will find out soon enough. Until then I keep reading and suggest you do too!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])


 

Now in Stores: THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane

THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane (Historical Fiction)
Set in Boston at the end of the First World War, New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane's long-awaited eighth novel captures the political and social unrest of a nation caught at the crossroads between past and future. THE GIVEN DAY tells the story of two families --- one black, one white --- swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engaged in a battle for survival and power. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE GIVEN DAY.

 
Click here to read our review of THE GIVEN DAY.

 

Author Talk: Philippa Gregory, Author of THE OTHER QUEEN

Having written several works of historical fiction on Queen Elizabeth, author Philippa Gregory examines a different aspect of Tudor England from the perspective of one of the legendary ruler's greatest rivals --- Mary, Queen of Scots --- in her latest novel, THE OTHER QUEEN. In this interview, Gregory describes what initially fascinated her about this misrepresented figure and discusses the challenges of writing this book in the midst of undocumented gaps in her story. She also shares her thoughts on today's historical films and television programs, and reveals which period in English history will be the focus of her next three books.

THE OTHER QUEEN by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
No one can resist a love triangle, and what greater triangle could there be than Mary, Queen of Scots, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Bess of Hardwick? Philippa Gregory takes us on an exciting romp through Tudor England as we delve into the hearts and minds of three key players and the triumphant and tragic events that envelop them all. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

-Click here to read a review of THE OTHER QUEEN.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE OTHER QUEEN.

Click here to read an interview with Philippa Gregory.


 
Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Katherine Neville, Author of THE FIRE

Twenty years ago, Katherine Neville’s groundbreaking bestseller THE EIGHT rewrote the rules of international suspense. Now a thrilling new chapter of this riveting saga begins in THE FIRE, which will be available on October 14th. Steeped in stunning history, enchanted settings, baffling riddles and unforgettable characters, THE FIRE presents a multilayered puzzle of infinite complexity and global importance.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE FIRE.
-Click here to read Katherine Neville’s bio.
-Click here to see Katherine Neville's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE FIRE.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KatherineNeville.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE FIRE:
Katherine Neville’s groundbreaking novel, THE EIGHT, dazzled audiences more than 20 years ago and set the literary stage for the epic thriller. A quest for a mystical chess service that once belonged to Charlemagne, it spans two centuries and three continents, and intertwines historic and modern plots, archaeological treasure hunts, esoteric riddles and puzzles encrypted with clues from the ancient past. Now the electrifying global adventure continues, in Neville’s long anticipated sequel: THE FIRE.

 

Click here to read more about Katherine Neville and THE FIRE.

 
Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Alex Kava, Author of EXPOSED
Alex Kava, the New York Times bestselling author of A PERFECT EVIL and WHITEWASH, has been published in over 20 countries and is celebrated worldwide for her craft. In EXPOSED, her new thriller releasing on September 30th, Kava reintroduces FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell as she tracks down a killer with a deadly weapon.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from EXPOSED.
-Click here to read Alex Kava’s bio.
-Click here to see Alex Kava's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for EXPOSED.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.AlexKava.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about EXPOSED:
Agent Maggie O'Dell and Assistant Director Cunningham believe they're responding to a threat made at Quantico. Instead they walk into a trap. Before they realize it, they’ve both been exposed to a killer who can strike at anyone, anytime and no one can predict who might be next…until it’s too late. His weapon is a deadly virus, virtually invisible and totally unexpected. His victims appear to be random, but in fact, they are chosen with a revengeful precision. The vaccine is limited and untested.

 

Click here to read more about Alex Kava and EXPOSED.


 

Featured Southern Writers Author: James Villas, Author of DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

James Villas is the award-winning author of more than a dozen cookbooks and books on food, including MY MOTHER’S SOUTHERN KITCHEN and THE GLORY OF SOUTHERN COOKING. In DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY, his fiction debut releasing on September 30th, Villas tells a story about the places and people that stay with us, the courage it takes to live in the present and the endless ways life can surprise us, over and over again.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY.
-Click here to read James Villas’s bio.
-Click here to see James Villas's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY.
-Click here to find out how you can enter James Villas’s Country Cookin’ Contest, sponsored by KensingtonBooks.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY:
DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY by Beard Award-winning author, journalist and quintessential southerner James Villas is a beguiling first novel featuring an unforgettable heroine, Ella Dubose --- the kind of Southern lady Tennessee Williams peppered plays with. This rich novel is a warm, witty and poignant story of passion, friendship and family set against the lush, mellow backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry. It's as refreshing as a mint julep on a wrap-around porch!

 

Click here to read more about James Villas and DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY.


 
Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Beverly Barton, Author of COLD HEARTED /td>
New York Times bestselling author Beverly Barton has written over 50 contemporary romance novels. In COLD HEARTED, her new romantic suspense title now available in stores, private investigator Rick Carson must uncover the truth behind an elegant widow with a disturbing --- and deadly --- track record.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from COLD HEARTED.
-Click here to read Beverly Barton’s bio.
-Click here to see Beverly Barton's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for COLD HEARTED.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.BeverlyBarton.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about COLD HEARTED:
Hired by the Powell Agency to investigate Senator Dan Price’s death, Rick Carson can see at once why people would believe Jordan Price incapable of cold-blooded murder. But the deeper he delves into the sting of deaths from which Jordan has profited handsomely, the more convinced Rich becomes that he is dealing with a callous, cunning, unstoppable killer.

 

Click here to read more about Beverly Barton and COLD HEARTED.


 

New in Paperback for September

September’s roundup of New in Paperback titles includes A KILLER’S KISS, William Lashner’s seventh book featuring Philadelphia DA Victor Carl, who desperately wants to prove that his ex-fiancée did not kill her husband; THE REINCARNATIONIST by international bestselling author M. J. Rose, a spellbinding, psychologically riveting epic thriller of secrets, history and murder; the National Book Award-winning TREE OF SMOKE, Denis Johnson’s first full-length novel since 1998, which tells the story of a spy-in-training during the Vietnam War and the disasters that befall him thanks to his famous war hero uncle; THE VIEW FROM MOUNT JOY, Lorna Landvik’s delightfully quirky and intensely moving novel about a man, a supermarket, the roads not taken and the great, unexpected pleasures found in living a good life; THINGS I OVERHEARD WHILE TALKING TO MYSELF, beloved actor Alan Alda’s insightful and funny look at some of the impossible questions he has asked himself over the years; and THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY, in which A. J. Jacobs recounts his spiritual journey as he attempts to obey the Bible as literally as possible for one full year.
 
Click here to see our New in Paperback feature for September.

 

This Week's Graphic Novel Reviews

WHAT IT IS by Lynda Barry
Comics creator Lynda Barry attempts to help potential writers master that “formless thing which gives things form” in WHAT IT IS. How she succeeds is a fascinating trip into your own psyche to find out how to plumb the depths of your creativity to get to the story you’re itching to tell. Reviewed by John Hogan.

CLUBBING by Andi Watson and Josh Howard
A mischievous teenager from London gets sent to live with her grandparents in the country after a brush with the law. She thinks she’s in for a long, boring stay, but the truth is a lot more sinister, beginning with the body she finds horribly mutilated. Reviewed by John Hogan.

 
Click here to see all our graphic novel reviews and features.

 
What's New This Month on FaithfulReader.com
FaithfulReader.com is our website for Christian readers with monthly updates of reviews and interviews, as well as discussion guides, book excerpts, a monthly newsletter and more. A special feature on the site is the Faithful Fifteen, in which authors answer a series of questions about writing and faith.

Here are some of the titles being featured this month on FaithfulReader.com:

-
ALL I HAVE TO GIVE: A Christmas Love Story by Melody Carlson
-
BEING CHRISTIAN: Exploring Where You, God, and Life Connect by Stephen Arterburn and John Shore
-HOMETOWN FAVORITE by Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold
-LESS THAN DEAD: A Bug Man Novel by Tim Downs
-
MESSY FAITH: Daring to Live by Grace by A. J. Gregory
-
A PASSION REDEEMED: The Daughters of Boston, Book 2 by Julie Lessman
-
A PROMISE TO BELIEVE IN: The Brides of Gallatin County, Book 1 by Tracie Peterson
-
THE PURSE-UIT OF HOLINESS: Learning to Imitate the Master Designer by Rhonda Rhea
-
SARAH’S PROMISE: Country Road Chronicles #4 by Leisha Kelly
-
THE SECRET’S IN THE SAUCE: The Potluck Catering Club, Book 1 by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson
-
SINNER: A Paradise Novel by Ted Dekker
-SUNSET by Karen Kingsbury
-WHIRLWIND by Cathy Marie Hake

 
Click here to visit FaithfulReader.com.

 
Exciting News for the ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog
We are thrilled to announce that our ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog has won "Best Book Group Blog" in the Book Blogger Appreciation Awards. The awards were in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, launched by My Friend Amy.

We have some very exciting features planned for the week ahead, including book club must-reads for the coming months as well as our first Book Group Makeover! Each month we will select groups for makeovers, review the problems, and make suggestions. Interested in a Book Club Makeover for your group? Click here for more details.

Lots of authors have been writing posts for us on the ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog, including
Brunonia Barry, Jill Pitkeathley, Joyce Hinnefeld, Joshua Henkin and Garth Stein. Many of you are telling us that you are making this blog a daily destination. The latest blog can be found here, and here are quick links to some recent posts:

-Books Into Movies
-Book Club Makeovers
-Book Profiling
-When a Book Tugs at You...
-Surprise Discussions
-Thank You...We Won!
-How the Centennial Book Club Began
-Brunonia Barry: Soup and Stories
-Read a Classic, Save a Landmark
-Book Clubs in the News
-Charles Martin Rocks the Pulpwood Queens Boat
-Jill Pitkeathley: Jane Austen's Enduring Allure


For those of you who use RSS feeds to keep track of your favorite blogs, you can now add the ReadingGroupGuides.com blog to your list by clicking the link on the blog page.

 
Click here to read the ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog.

 
Book Group Expo 2008 -- October 25th and 26th in San Jose

Looking for a way to meet up with other book groups and to have the opportunity to meet authors whose books are perfect for great book club discussions? Then you want to attend the third annual Book Group Expo in San Jose, California on October 25th and 26th. 

More than 75 authors will be there, including Annie Barrows, author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; Andre Dubus III, author of The Garden of Last Days; Kate Jacobs, author of The Friday Night Knitting Club; Ann Packer, author of Songs Without Words; and Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain. For a complete list of authors, click here.

In addition to the Literary Salons that include authors and various panel conversations, this two-day event includes a Marketplace featuring onsite vendors ready to introduce you to products available to enhance your book group and reading experience, including tastings of wine, tea, chocolate and other savory and sweet delights.

Coming in from out of town? Be sure to check out the discounted hotel rates at the official Book Group Expo hotels.
 
Click here to find out more about Book Group Expo and to get your tickets.

 

This Week's Reviews

THE COMFORTS OF A MUDDY SATURDAY: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
Isabel Dalhousie is asked to help a doctor who has been disgraced by allegations of scientific fraud concerning a newly marketed drug. Our ever-curious moral philosopher finds her interest piqued. Would a doctor with a stellar reputation make such a simple but grave mistake? If not, what explains the tragic accident that resulted in the death of a patient? Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE COMFORTS OF A MUDDY SATURDAY.

SUPREME COURTSHIP by Christopher Buckley (Fiction)
Imagine for a moment the United States Supreme Court with Judge Judy occupying one of the nine seats. If that notion frightens, delights or entices you, then SUPREME COURTSHIP is right up your alley. Satirist Christopher Buckley takes a whack at judicial and presidential politics, and reminds us that even the most outrageous portrayal of current events has a kernel of truth. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

-Click here to read an excerpt from SUPREME COURTSHIP.
-Visit the publisher's official website, www.TwelveBooks.com.

RED KNIFE: A Cork O’Connor Mystery by William Kent Krueger (Mystery)
Caught in a battle between a gang of Ojibwe youths called the Red Boyz, and angry whites led by a man bent on revenge, Cork O’Connor fights desperately to restore peace to his beloved Tamarack County. But drawn into committing the darkest of deeds himself, Cork is forced to confront an awful truth: In every human heart, a beast lies waiting. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.

-Click here to read an excerpt from RED KNIFE.

DEWEY: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (Memoir)
Someone dumped a small kitten into the book drop of the public library in Spencer, Iowa, on the coldest night of the year. Librarian Vicki Myron found the nearly frozen, half-starved, dirty kitten the next morning and rescued it from certain death. Thus begins the true story of a plucky little feline who won the hearts of the library patrons and countless other folks around the world during the 19 years he spent as the unofficial town mascot and library resident. Reviewed by Carole Turner.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ANNA K. by Irina Reyn (Fiction)
Irina Reyn has written her own version of Tolstoy's most famous work in WHAT HAPPENED TO ANNA K., putting Anna Karenina in contemporary New York City. In some ways Reyn's tale follows the same path as the original, but in other ways it veers off in different directions. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

TSAR by Ted Bell (Thriller)
Ted Bell’s swashbuckling hero, Alex Hawke, returns for another adventure in TSAR. Russia once again is poised to become a superpower, threatening the world’s economy and demanding to be made whole again --- or else! It’s up to Hawke to face off with the new Russian tsar and save the day. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

LOST GIRLS: A Sherry Moore Novel by George D. Shuman (Thriller)
With his third novel in the Sherry Moore series, author George D. Shuman is sure to establish himself among America’s top suspense writers. In addition to his believable, gifted paranormal heroine, he brings to light the horrors of the little-known crime of human trafficking that has robbed so many young women of their lives. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

BADLANDS by Richard Montanari (Thriller)
Philadelphia police detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano are working a new beat: the Special Investigations Unit, aka the cold case squad. These hardened homicide veterans are chilled to the bone as a dormant murder case stirs to life --- leading Byrne and Balzano into the dark heart of their city, their souls and a psyche of pure evil. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

BESIDE A BURNING SEA by John Shors (Historical Fiction)
From the author of BENEATH A MARBLE SKY comes an inspiring new novel of a man and a woman from different worlds whose love is put to the ultimate test as they struggle to survive an extraordinary set of circumstances. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.

THE LEMUR by Benjamin Black (Thriller)
Shifting from 1950s Dublin to contemporary New York, Booker Prize–winning and Edgar-nominated author Benjamin Black returns in this stand-alone thriller --- a story of family secrets so deep, and so dangerous, that anyone might kill to keep them hidden. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE FOURTH WATCHER: A Novel of Bangkok by Timothy Hallinan (Thriller)
Travel writer Poke Rafferty is ready to let go of his Looking for Trouble series of travel books and the dangerous lifestyle that goes with it, and settle down in Bangkok with his fiancée, Rose, and his newly adopted daughter, Miaow. But trouble isn't ready to let go of Poke. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

 
Read this week's reviews here.

 

Poll and Question of the Week: Book Reviews

Poll:

Does your local newspaper have book reviews?

Yes, they run book reviews at least every week.
Yes, some of the time.
No
I'm not sure about this.


-Click here to answer our poll.


Question:

What was the last book you bought after reading a review thinking, "I need to read that book!"?

-Click here to answer our question.


 

Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- TWO Prizes

Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.

This week we have two great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane and THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on October 3rd to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.

Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on October 3rd.
 
Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.

 

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 [email protected]. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.

Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by September 30, 2008 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld, THE BOOK OF LIES by Brad Meltzer, FIRST DAUGHTER by Eric Van Lustbader, THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane and THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks. Holly from Lawrenceville, GA
was last month's newsletter winner. She won ALFRED & EMILY by Doris Lessing, DEVIL BONES by Kathy Reichs, ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE SANCTION by Eric Van Lustbader, SMOKE SCREEN by Sandra Brown and THE TURNAROUND by George Pelecanos.

Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.

The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107