September 28, 2012

This week around the office, when we were not talking about books, we were talking about television shows. This is “Premiere Week” where the new fall programming kicks off, and it was harkening me back to my teen years when the Fall Preview issue of TV Guide was as eagerly anticipated as the August issue of Mademoiselle.

I got home from work the other night, and Tom and Cory were sitting in the family room with beatific expressions on their faces clearly with something up their sleeves. They kept saying, “You are not figuring it out, are you?” As I was totally perplexed, they told me --- "We have a new TV!" I swear it looks like the old one, but I professed glee. Once I learn how to use this, I will be able to land on Mars. They have given me reams of instruction on how to operate it. Oh, and why did we get a new one? There was a yellow line in the LCD projector on the old one in the center of the screen, and that was unacceptable. Who knew? I just thought there was a ray of sunshine and was kind of liking it. Before I was sooo happy with the four remotes it used to take to watch a movie with surround sound. It was like I was running Mission Control. Now I have been told that Netflix and the Internet are ON the TV. No need for a Roku box or the Google TV box....because TVs over 40" now COME WITH THEM!!! Now, watch us lose the very important remote.

Of course, the only thing we have watched the first two nights are the Yankees, which means I had no idea about the attributes of our new spaceship...the TV. Finally I wrestled the remote away to watch Season One of “Homeland,” which won a huge pile of Emmys the other night. I am enjoying it. The second season kicks off on Sunday night, along with the season premieres of “Dexter,” “The Good Wife” and “Revenge.” For those who want to do a “Homeland” catch up, Showtime is running a marathon on Saturday. And for you “Good Wife” fans, they moved the start of that show back to 9:30 to accommodate football.

Back to the books… Z by Therese Anne Fowler, which will be in stores on March 26th, ended just as wonderfully as it began; I finished it last weekend. Those who loved THE PARIS WIFE will enjoy seeing how Hadley and Hemingway are portrayed here. Another side of the story. What dashing characters these authors were. Speaking to today’s celebrity authors, here is a nice interview with Lee Child in Playboy. I guess this confirms what I have always heard --- Playboy is "bought for the articles." Lots of great background on Lee, including where his pen name came from --- and yes, he talks about Tom Cruise and the movie.

J. R. Moehringer --- who many of you know as the author of THE TENDER BAR and the co-author of Andre Agassi’s memoir OPEN --- has written SUTTON, a novel about the life of Willie Sutton, America’s most successful bank robber. In Moehringer’s retelling, it was more than need or rage at society that drove Sutton. It was one unforgettable woman. And when Sutton finally walked free --- a surprise pardon on Christmas Eve in 1969 --- he immediately set out to find her. Stuart Shiffman has our review and calls SUTTON “an entertaining and delightful book. In the beginning, you may wonder what is true and what is embellishment, but eventually it becomes irrelevant. Willie Sutton was quite a character, and J. R. Moehringer has captured his spirit on the pages of this novel.” If you get a chance to see Moehringer on tour, do! I heard him speak about this book at BookExpo America, and he is a wonderful storyteller. While I cannot provide a direct link to that interview, you can find it on this page.

Readers may recall that I selected both STILL ALICE and LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova as Bookreporter.com Bets On selections in previous years. I am very pleased to share that Lisa is now the first author to grab a slot with a third Bets On selection with her latest novel, LOVE ANTHONY. Lisa is a brainy author --- literally. She has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University and infuses her novels with stories of how the brain works. Along the way, she creates some very vivid and memorable writing while making the reader “smarter” --- so much that you are surprised about what you have learned. Click here to see why I decided to make Lisa a three-time Bets On winner. Our reviewer, Kathy Weismann, says “Sometimes trying to 'fix' a person is not the answer. Sometimes love --- by which Genova means total, unconditional acceptance, buttressed by a healthy dose of faith --- is enough. That is what this moving novel is all about.”

We’re entering the final week of our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight promotion of HEAVEN SHOULD FALL by Rebecca Coleman with our review and interview. Alone since her mother's death, Jill Wagner wants to eat, sleep and breathe Cade Olmstead when the golden, handsome and ambitious man bursts upon her life. Even putting college on hold feels like a minor sacrifice when she discovers she's pregnant with Cade's baby. But it won't be the last sacrifice she'll have to make. Reviewer Amie Taylor says, “As readers turn the pages, they'll encounter a cast of characters who are deep, dark and disturbed, each trying to survive in the best way they know how. It's practically guaranteed that they will find it impossible to outguess the twists and turns that author Rebecca Coleman's mind takes, as various characters tell their stories from their points of view.”

International bestselling author Jamie Freveletti has contributed a new installment to Robert Ludlum’s Covert-One series of novels with THE JANUS REPRISAL. Covert-One operative Colonel Jon Smith is attending a conference in The Hague on infectious diseases. Without warning, the conference hotel is consumed in a bloodbath. Smith is caught in the crossfire and barely escapes. But the hotel is not the only location under attack in The Hague. In the midst of further chaos, Pakistani warlord Oman Dattar puts in motion a plot to bring down the West once and for all. According to reviewer Ray Palen, “THE JANUS REPRISAL never gets bogged down in dull ‘spy speak’ and instead races forward with the energy of a super-charged Bourne film --- making readers of Robert Ludlum proud and extremely satisfied.”

Wendy Corsi Staub’s latest suspense trilogy, which kicked off in August with NIGHTWATCHER, continues just one month later with SLEEPWALKER. Allison has moved on with her life 10 years after barely escaping death at the hands of New York’s Nightwatcher serial killer, who recently committed suicide in his prison cell. But now her husband, Mack, has started sleepwalking, with no recollection of where his nighttime excursions are taking him. And north of the city, more women are being savagely murdered, their bodies bearing the Nightwatcher’s unmistakable signature. Reviewer Joe Hartlaub raves, “I have to tell you that the plotting of SLEEPWALKER is brilliant. You will want to read it twice: once to enjoy and a second time just to pick up on the clues you might have missed or ignored the first time through.” This insta-trilogy wraps up early next year when SHADOWKILLER releases on January 29th.

We also have a review of Amanda Coplin’s much-talked-about debut novel, THE ORCHARDIST. At the turn of the 20th century, reclusive orchardist William Talmadge tends to apples and apricots as if they were loved ones. One day, two teenage girls appear and steal his fruit from the market; they later return to see the man who gave them no chase and end up indulging in his deep reservoir of compassion. But just as they begin to trust him, men arrive in the orchard with guns, leading to a shattering tragedy. Reviewer Terry Miller Shannon calls THE ORCHARDIST “an engrossing page-turner --- the kind of book that makes it nearly impossible to quit reading in order to attend to the reader's actual real life…. I predict this title will find its way to many ‘Best of’ lists. In the meantime, don't miss it.” We also have a reading group guide for this book, which you can see here.

This week, we’re featuring THREE books in our Paperback Spotlight, all of which release in paperback on October 2nd.

Before his untimely passing in February, Jeffrey Zaslow --- best known as the co-author of THE LAST LECTURE with Randy Pausch --- had completed THE MAGIC ROOM: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters. For thousands of women, Becker's Bridal in Fowler, Michigan, is the site of some of the most important moments of their lives. Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman's journey to the altar, THE MAGIC ROOM tells the stories of a diverse group of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Carole Turner reviewed the book for us when it released in hardcover and had this to say: “In THE MAGIC ROOM, Jeffrey Zaslow follows eight brides-to-be, their families, and their fiances. Each bride has a different story…. Just imagine if the walls of the shop could talk. What stories they would tell.”

Donna M. Johnson was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist for tent revivalist David Terrell. Before long, Donna and her family were part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher’s inner circle. At 17, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger-than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, HOLY GHOST GIRL is a memoir that brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and face-offs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that’s just what went on under the tent.

America's high divorce rate is well known. But little attention has been paid to the flip side: couples who creatively (sometimes clandestinely) manage to build marriages that are lasting longer than we ever thought possible. What's the secret? To find out, bestselling journalist Iris Krasnow interviewed more than 200 wives whose marriages have survived for 15 to 70 years. In THE SECRET LIVES OF WIVES, Krasnow's cast of wise women give voice to the truth about marriage and the importance of maintaining a strong sense of self apart from the relationship.

I wanted to be sure that two books that were on our Fall Preview list are on your radar. The first is MY BRILLIANT FRIEND by Elena Ferrante. Growing up on the tough streets of Naples in the 1950s, friends Elena and Lila learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow, and as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, they remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. I read this book months ago and really enjoyed it...it's very atmospheric!

The second is THE MALICE OF FORTUNE by Michael Ennis. Against a teeming canvas of Borgia politics, Niccolò Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci come together to unmask an enigmatic serial killer, as we learn the secret history behind one of the most controversial works in the western canon: The Prince.

Our poll, where we ask which September and October books you’re most looking forward to reading, continues. There are a number of books vying for the top spot, so be sure to vote and let your voices be heard. And in our Word of Mouth contest, we’re giving away the aforementioned LOVE ANTHONY and SUTTON, along with ROGUE by Mark Sullivan (which releases this coming Tuesday). Enter by Friday, October 5th at noon ET for your chance to win all three books.

The 2012 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 30th through October 6th. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the issue of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. For more information on Banned Books Week, click here. According to the American Library Association, there were 326 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2011, and many more go unreported. Click here to check out the 10 most challenged titles of 2011.

Clifford the Big Red Dog, who found his way into my sons' rooms for many a bedtime story, turned 50 and had a big birthday celebration in New York this week! His birthday is also being celebrated at YMCAs across the country. So check your local Y for details. It’s a great way to celebrate books and reading --- and Clifford --- with your kids and grandkids.

Tomorrow, from 10:30-3:30, I am off to the Hachette Book Group’s Day for Readers at the Mid-Manhattan Branch of the New York Public Library. Tickets are available at the door tomorrow for $75, and the day includes morning refreshments and lunch, along with the chance to hear from 11 authors. Click here for all the details. I have heard from some of you who will be there…and I am bringing two of my friends as well; it should be a really fun day!

On Thursday, I fly to Cleveland for Bouchercon, the annual mystery event where I will be catching up with mystery reader friends and authors --- way too many to list here. I am reading THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND by Jennifer McMahon (January 2013 release) in anticipation of having lunch with her there. Elizabeth George, Robin Cook, (we can talk A&E’s “Coma”), Mary Higgins Clark and Les Roberts will be feted by Toastmaster John Connelly. Oh, and what makes this event the MOST fun for me is that I will be catching up with our mystery/thriller reviewer extraordinaire, Joe Hartlaub! The opening evening event is at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which I always have wanted to see --- and for me a reason to go to Cleveland. More on this next week.

I also am reading CREWEL by Gennifer Albin, a completely captivating YA novel. This one releases on Tuesday.

Remember I told you fall was going to be a big reading season? NOW are you believing me? To me, this entire year has been filled with truly wonderful books.

Greg is off to Boston for the weekend, and then taking a cruise to Bermuda for a week. He has been watching the seas off the coast of Africa for possible hurricanes for weeks now, which is pretty crazy. The coast is clear, literally. I think that Cory will be attacking college applications, or so I dream. And Tom is addicted to the Ryder Cup, so I do not see him giving up the remote unless he leaves the house to chase the little white ball live. For the record, golf seems to have a BIG match every weekend. Tom and the boys were shocked when I asked to watch the Golf Channel the other night as Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan were on “Feherty Live” together meeting for the first time. Michael P sees Michael J as his hero. Fun, though Feherty made me insane.

Here’s to a great week of reading….

SUTTON by J. R. Moehringer (Historical Fiction)
Pulitzer Prize-winner J.R. Moehringer brings Willie Sutton blazing back to life. In his retelling, it was more than need or rage at society that drove Sutton. It was one unforgettable woman. In all of Sutton’s crimes and confinements, his first love (and first accomplice) was never far from his thoughts. And when Sutton finally walked free --- a surprise pardon on Christmas Eve, 1969 --- he immediately set out to find her. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

-Click here to read more about the book.

LOVE ANTHONY by Lisa Genova (Fiction)
Readers may recall that I selected both STILL ALICE and LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova as Bookreporter.com Bets On selections in previous years. I am very pleased to share that Lisa will be the first author to grab a slot with a third Bets On selection with her latest novel, LOVE ANTHONY. Lisa is a brainy author --- literally. She has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University and infuses her novels with stories of how the brain works. Along the way, she creates some very vivid and memorable writing while making the reader “smarter” --- so much that you are surprised about what you have learned.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read an interview with Lisa Genova.
-Click here to see all the books we're betting you'll love.

Bookreporter.com's Amie Taylor talks with Rebecca Coleman about her new work of fiction, HEAVEN SHOULD FALL, in which a woman who puts her life on hold for her baby and husband ends up sacrificing much more than she ever anticipated. In this interview, Coleman discusses the characters of Jill and Cade, where the idea for the book originated, and the pressure to deliver following her debut novel, THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD.

HEAVEN SHOULD FALL by Rebecca Coleman (Fiction)
Alone since her mother's death, Jill Wagner wants to eat, sleep and breathe Cade Olmstead when the golden, handsome and ambitious man bursts upon her life. Even putting college on hold feels like a minor sacrifice when she discovers she's pregnant with Cade's baby. But it won't be the last sacrifice she'll have to make. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Rebecca Coleman’s bio.
-Click here to visit Rebecca Coleman’s official website.
-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.

THE MAGIC ROOM: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters by Jeffrey Zaslow (Marriage/Family Relationships)
Thousands of women have stepped inside Becker’s Bridal, in Fowler, Michigan, to try on their dream dresses in the Magic Room, a special space with soft lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that carry a bride’s image into infinity. The women bring with them their most precious expectations about romance, love, fidelity, permanence and tradition. Each bride who passes through has a story to tell --- one that carried her there, to that dress, that room, that moment.

Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman’s journey to the altar, THE MAGIC ROOM tells the stories of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Run by the same family for four generations, Becker’s has witnessed transformations in how America views the institution of marriage: some of the shop’s clientele are becoming stepmothers, some are older brides, some are pregnant. Shop owner Shelley has a special affection for all the brides, hoping their journeys will be easier than hers. Jeffrey Zaslow weaves their true stories using a reporter’s research and a father’s heart.

THE MAGIC ROOM will be available in paperback on October 2nd.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read Jeffrey Zaslow’s bio.

HOLY GHOST GIRL: A Memoir by Donna M. Johnson (Memoir)
Long before the Blues Brothers coined the term, Donna M. Johnson’s family was on a mission from God. She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist for tent revivalist David Terrell. Before long, Donna and her family were part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher’s inner circle. At 17, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger-than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, HOLY GHOST GIRL brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and face-offs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that’s just what went on under the tent.

As Terrell became known worldwide during the 1960s and ’70s, he enthralled --- and healed --- thousands a night, and the caravan of broken-down cars and trucks that made up his ministry evolved into fleets of Mercedes and private jets. The glories of the Word mixed with betrayals of the flesh, and Donna’s mother bore Terrell’s children in one of the secret households he maintained. Terrell’s followers, dubbed “Terrellites” by the press, descended on backwaters across the South to await the apocalypse in cult-like communities.

HOLY GHOST GIRL will be available in paperback on October 2nd.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read Donna M. Johnson’s bio.

THE SECRET LIVES OF WIVES: Women Share What it Really Takes to Stay Married by Iris Krasnow (Marriage/Family Relationships)
America’s high divorce rate is well known. But little attention has been paid to the flip side: couples who creatively manage to build marriages that are lasting longer than we ever thought possible. What’s the secret? To find out, bestselling journalist Iris Krasnow interviewed more than 200 wives whose marriages have survived for 15 to 70 years.

In raw, candid, sometimes titillating stories, Krasnow’s cast of wise women give voice to the truth about marriage and the importance of maintaining a strong sense of self apart from the relationship. Some spend summers separately from their partners. Some make time for wine with the girls. One septuagenarian has a recurring date with an old flame from high school. In every case, the marriage operates on many tracks, giving both spouses license to pursue the question “Who am I apart from my marriage?”

THE SECRET LIVES OF WIVES will be available in paperback on October 2nd.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read Iris Krasnow’s bio.

ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE JANUS REPRISAL by Jamie Freveletti (Thriller/Adventure)
Covert-One operative Colonel Jon Smith is attending a conference in The Hague on infectious diseases. Without warning, the conference hotel is consumed in a bloodbath. Smith is caught in the crossfire and barely escapes. But the hotel is not the only location under attack in The Hague. In the midst of further chaos, Pakistani warlord Oman Dattar puts in motion a plot to bring down the West once and for all. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read more about the book.

SLEEPWALKER by Wendy Corsi Staub (Thriller)
Allison has moved on with her life 10 years after barely escaping death at the hands of New York’s Nightwatcher serial killer, who recently committed suicide in his prison cell. But now her husband, Mack, has started sleepwalking, with no recollection of where his nighttime excursions are taking him. And north of the city, more women are being savagely murdered, their bodies bearing the Nightwatcher’s unmistakable signature. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to visit Wendy Corsi Staub’s official website.

THE ORCHARDIST by Amanda Coplin(Historical Fiction)
At the turn of the 20th century, reclusive orchardist William Talmadge tends to apples and apricots as if they were loved ones. One day, two teenage girls appear and steal his fruit from the market; they later return to see the man who gave them no chase and end up indulging in his deep reservoir of compassion. But just as they begin to trust him, men arrive in the orchard with guns, leading to a shattering tragedy. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here for the reading group guide.

THE HOUSE I LOVED by Tatiana de Rosnay (Historical Fiction)
Paris, France: 1860s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, molding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history --- and in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.

Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end. As others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for 30 years.

THE HOUSE I LOVED will be available in paperback on October 2nd.

-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Tatiana de Rosnay’s bio.
-Click here to visit Tatiana de Rosnay’s official website.
-Connect with Tatiana de Rosnay on Facebook and Twitter.

WICKED PLEASURES by Penny Vincenzi (Fiction)
All families have secrets --- but could one scandalous secret tear this aristocratic family apart? WICKED PLEASURES is the story of a brother and two sisters who discover that they all have different fathers. None of them are the children of Alexander, Earl of Caterham, who was married to their mother for almost 20 years. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SEVEN: A 44 Scotland Street Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction)
After seven years and five books, Bertie is --- finally! --- about to turn seven. But one afternoon he mislays his meddling mother Irene, and learns a valuable lesson: wish-fulfillment can be a dangerous business. Angus and Domenica contemplate whether to give in to romance on holiday in Italy, and even usually down-to-earth Big Lou is overheard discussing cosmetic surgery. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

THE VANISHING ACT by Mette Jakobsen (Fiction)
On a small snow-covered island lives 12-year-old Minou, her philosopher Papa, Boxman the magician, and a clever dog called No-Name. A year earlier, Minou's mother left the house wearing her best shoes and carrying a large black umbrella. She never returned. One morning, Minou finds a dead boy washed up on the beach. Her father decides to lay him in the room that once belonged to her mother. Can her mother’s disappearance be explained by the boy? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACY by Timothy L. O’Brien (Historical Thriller)
In the late spring of 1865, as Washington mourns the death of Lincoln, Detective Temple McFadden witnesses a murder at the B&O Railroad Station --- and then makes an even more staggering discovery. On his slain friend's body he finds two diaries: one that clearly belongs to Mary Todd Lincoln and one that he learns was penned by John Wilkes Booth. Together, these documents reveal the true depth and reach of the conspiracy behind the assassination. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE PEOPLE OF FOREVER ARE NOT AFRAID by Shani Boianjiu (Fiction)
Yael, Avishag and Lea grow up together in a tiny, dusty Israeli village, attending a high school made up of caravan classrooms, passing notes to each other to alleviate the universal boredom of teenage life. When they are conscripted into the army, their lives change in unpredictable ways, influencing the women they become and the friendship that they struggle to sustain. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

SKIN: A Mike Hammer Story by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (Mystery)
When Private Investigator Mike Hammer spots a brutally destroyed corpse on the side of the road in upstate New York, there’s no question of him not taking the case. Especially when Melodie Anderson, the stunning young reporter determined to investigate, goes missing. But as Mike sifts through Melodie’s leads in a race to find her before it’s too late, he discovers a murder method more horrible than anything he’s ever come across. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BRIDES OF BLOOD by Joseph Koenig (Hard-boiled Mystery)
In Iran’s Islamic Republic, Darius Bakhtiar is an alcoholic in a country where intoxication is punishable by whipping, and a homicide detective in a society that sees death as an opportunity for martyrdom. In Teheran, a young prostitute is found murdered, and Bakhtiar’s superiors tell him to make only a cursory inquiry. But what he uncovers points to a sickening hypocrisy at the heart of the fundamentalist government. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from September 21st to October 5th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of LOVE ANTHONY by Lisa Genova, ROGUE by Mark Sullivan and SUTTON by J. R. Moehringer.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.