October 19, 2012

This is the time of year when it’s dark in the morning and my body clock is really feeling the effects of the hour we lost back in mid-March, like there’s a jetlag that is just now catching up with me. Two more weekends until we get that hour back! The other morning as I was driving to work, I was admiring the color palette on the trees, which is quite spectacular. There was one tree that appears to light up in a bright red color this time of year that I just love. I was going to try to photograph it for you today, but it’s raining quite hard right now.

I have a huge stack of books --- some coming out the next few weeks and others releasing later in the year or next year --- all in a neat pile. I have had a busy last few weeks, thus I keep looking at them longingly trying to decide what to read first over the weekend. I know that this is a high-class problem!

I just finished reading THE ASHFORD AFFAIR by Lauren Willig, which will be published next April. For those who love family sagas, which are rift with all kinds of secrets, this is a book for you. It begins with Grandmother Addie’s 99th birthday party as Clemmie races there after a long day at the law firm where she has been slaving to become a partner. A simple aside comment gets her wondering what she really knows about her family. It’s rich and wonderful, and I am betting you will hear a lot about it in the months ahead…and yes, it will be a 2013 Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.

It’s been a busy fun week with the highlight being Nelson DeMille’s book party on Wednesday night to celebrate THE PANTHER, which my son, Greg, joined me at. As readers of Nelson's books know, his character John Corey and wife Kate are on the staff at FBI New York Field Office's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Hours before the party, it was disclosed that a terrorist who was plotting to blow up the Federal Reserve Building had been arrested with help from the Task Force. As Greg and I were headed out to the party, my husband called and filled me in on what he had heard and mentioned how it was like a real-life John Corey story. It’s interesting how much I know about this organization from Nelson’s books.

The party was a collection of publishing folks, authors, friends and family --- as well as, this time, Nelson’s utterly adorable five-year-old son, James. Nelson is firm about taking his time with his writing; he is never going to be “a book a year” kind of a guy, and his quips from the podium were all about thanking everyone for their patience. We have a photo above of Nelson and David Young, the CEO of the Hachette Book Group, which has been Nelson’s only publisher for 30 years now.

We also have our review of THE PANTHER this week, which features the aforementioned John Corey. When John and Kate are sent to a Middle East hot spot to track down an Al Qaeda operative known only as The Panther, they find that there is more to this assignment than meets the eye --- and the hunters are about to become the prey. Our reviewer, Kate Ayers, LOVED the book: “With Nelson DeMille’s wicked wit, THE PANTHER ticks all the boxes of another bestseller. The characters are razor sharp, true to life, scary, amoral and occasionally naïve. And endlessly entertaining.” Also, there is a good interview with Nelson in Newsday, which you can see here. And Nelson is now on Facebook and Twitter. He’s marveling that he has more than 41,000 people who have “liked” him in just these past few weeks; and hey, I did!

Next up is THE TWELVE, the highly anticipated follow-up to Justin Cronin’s THE PASSAGE. In a nightmarish world created after a man-made apocalypse, it’s up to three strangers to work together to build a new future, as they learn that even in the darkest of worlds, there shines a glimmer of hope. Meanwhile, 100 years in the future, the curiously quiet Amy fights to save mankind from ruin. Reviewer Sarah Rachel Egelman calls the book “tightly written, spanning much time and space, full of sympathetically drawn characters who are given almost insurmountable challenges. The elements of fantasy in this apocalyptic novel never overpower the story itself or the humanity of the characters.”

For readers looking for something a bit more heartwarming, we have MY BRILLIANT FRIEND by Elena Ferrante, which you may recognize as one of our Fall Preview contest titles from over the summer. From the acclaimed Italian novelist comes a triumphant paean to friendship; we watch as two Italian women, Elena and Lila, find strength in one another as their nation goes through tumultuous changes around them. Through the eyes of these two remarkable women, we are given a rare view of a neighborhood, a city, and a nation. Reviewer Melanie Smith says, “I would recommend this book freely to anyone who enjoys history of any kind or a well-written novel. The ending is entirely unconventional and unexpected, so creative that it takes the reader’s breath away and makes one hungry for the next installment.” I completely agree; it’s so very well done. By the way, MY BRILLIANT FRIEND is published by Europa Editions, a publisher that is known for bringing readers works from around the world. Perusing their catalog is like a trip around the world!

Next up is INVISIBLE MURDER from Danish crime masters Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnette Friis. Red Cross nurse Nina Borg, who first appeared in THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE, is back, and this time she must risk her life and her family to help a group of Hungarian gypsies hiding out in a Copenhagen garage. But the risks are more dangerous than even Nina has realized. My son Greg wrote the review and has wonderful things to say about it: "INVISIBLE MURDER will blow your mind.... It races towards an epic finish, an ending that leaves the reader both shocked and wonderfully satisfied. In the crowded world of Nordic crime, INVISIBLE MURDER rises above as a don’t-miss title."

We also have a review of a remarkable anthology edited by John Connolly and Declan Burke: BOOKS TO DIE FOR. This is a fascinating collection of 120 personal essays by the world’s most renowned crime writers about their favorite works in the mystery genre, lovingly compiled by two of their own. Here are Michael Connelly on THE LITTLE SISTER, Kathy Reichs on THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Mark Billingham on THE MALTESE FALCON, among so many others. If you’re dying to know more about your favorite crime stories, BOOKS TO DIE FOR is not to be missed. Reviewer Joe Hartlaub says, “One could legitimately ask, upon encountering BOOKS TO DIE FOR, if yet another extended checklist with commentary of iconic mystery novels is really needed. My response is ‘YES,’ particularly when it is as well-conceived and crafted as this one.”

We’ve updated our Young Adult Books You Want to Read feature with the following books, which we’re also featuring on our Teenreads.com website: SON by Lois Lowry (the end of a quartet of books that began with THE GIVER, and continued with GATHERING BLUE and MESSENGER, which made me want to re-read them all), CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, DODGER by Terry Pratchett, THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER by Jasper Fforde (his first YA novel) and ZOM-B by Darren Shan.

More than 1,000 of you answered our last poll, where we asked about the television shows that you watch. You can see the results here. Note that I eagerly look at poll responses throughout the period when a poll is open. I feel like I get to know you all better reading how you weigh in on various topics. In our new poll, we want to know what kinds of books, if any, you download for free, and which of those you have actually read. I am very curious about this.

We’re offering three new books in our Word of Mouth contest. Let us know what you’re reading by Friday, November 2nd at noon ET for your chance to win FLIGHT BEHAVIOR by Barbara Kingsolver, LOOKING FOR YESTERDAY: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller, and THE RACKETEER by John Grisham.

The latest trailer for the first Jack Reacher movie, starring Tom Cruise, has just been released, and it’s garnering TONS of attention. Cruise brings his famous smolder to the role of the former military cop who has gone rogue and has nothing to lose. If the movie is as action-packed as the trailer, which I hear it is, fans of Lee Child’s books will have something to crow about.

Hilary Mantel has won her SECOND Man Booker Prize for her novel BRING UP THE BODIES, the sequel to WOLF HALL, which won the prize in 2009. This is quite an achievement. Click here for more info about the award.

I watched Ethel on HBO last night, a documentary shot by Rory Kennedy about her mom. Rory was born six months after Robert F. Kennedy's death, and this documentary feels like a very personal exploration of her mom and dad's life. No matter what side of the aisle you're on, it's a very interesting history lesson.

This weekend, Alex Cross, the movie based on CROSS by James Patterson, opens in theaters. Those who have read our Fall Books to Screen bookshelf already know this. Click here to see what other movies based on books are coming out in the months to come.

My weekend will be about reading --- as I mentioned, I keep trying to figure out “what to read first.” There can be worse decisions to make in life. Also, I want to get some biking and walking in…this is a perfect time of year for both! Before the weather turns colder, I want to get some more outside work done as well.

Tom has his final golf tournament of the year, but I am sure there will be some other that crops up with a name like “The Whack Your Turkey” tournament that just HAS to be played. He taught at a BMW driving school last weekend and met Ingrid Steffensen, who has written FAST GIRL, a memoir in which Ingrid talks about shrugging off her staid suburban life as she learned the thrill of driving fast on the track in her Mini Cooper. Before Tom and I got engaged, I was at the track with him one weekend and I took some laps as a passenger in one of his fellow instructors’ cars. Once I dropped into the zone of realizing I had no control over what was going on, it became a lot of fun. My shifting is lousy, so I am not headed for the track in the driver’s seat anytime soon (I’ll save that for retirement), but it’s fun to read how Ingrid channeled her own “need for speed.”

Cory is working on his essays for his college applications. I love reading about the things that impacted him through the years. While I live with him every day, I am learning a lot about him reading his essays. Just as I learn a lot from reading books!

Here’s to a great week of reading!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

PS. When you use the links below to purchase books, you also support Bookreporter.com as we have affiliate arrangements with each of them. Please consider this when purchasing books!

THE PANTHER by Nelson DeMille (Thriller)
Anti-Terrorist Task Force agent John Corey and his wife, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, have been posted in one of the most dangerous places in the Middle East to track down a high-ranking Al Qaeda operative called The Panther. John and Kate don't know the entirety of their mission, but they know there is more to it than meets the eye. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to visit Nelson DeMille’s official website.

THE TWELVE by Justin Cronin (Thriller)
In the present day: As three strangers attempt to navigate the chaos cast upon civilization by a U.S. government experiment gone wrong, their destinies intertwine. A hundred years in the future: Amy, Peter, Alicia and the others introduced in THE PASSAGE hunt the original 12 virals, unaware that the rules of the game have changed and that one of them will have to sacrifice everything to bring the Twelve down. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

THE BONE BED: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell (Mystery)
A woman has vanished while digging a dinosaur bone bed in the remote wilderness of Canada. Somehow, the only evidence has made its way to the inbox of Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta in Boston. As events unfold, Scarpetta begins to suspect that the paleontologist’s disappearance is connected to a series of crimes much closer to home: a gruesome murder, inexplicable tortures, and trace evidence from the last living creatures of the dinosaur age. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

MY BRILLIANT FRIEND by Elena Ferrante (Fiction)
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, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.

-Click here to read more about the book.

INVISIBLE MURDER by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis (Mystery)
In this follow-up to THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE, Danish Red Cross nurse Nina Borg doesn’t realize she is putting life and family on the line when she tries to treat a group of sick Hungarian gypsies who are living illegally in a Copenhagen garage. Nina has unwittingly thrown herself into a deadly nest of the unscrupulous and the desperate, and what is at stake is much more terrifying than anyone had realized. Reviewed by Greg Fitzgerald.

-Click here to read more about the book.

THE JEWELS OF PARADISE by Donna Leon (Mystery)
After nearly three centuries, two locked trunks, believed to contain the papers of a baroque composer, have been discovered. The composer died childless, and now two Venetians each claim inheritance. Caterina Pellegrini’s job is to examine any enclosed papers to discover the “testamentary disposition” of the composer. But when her research takes her in unexpected directions, she begins to wonder just what secrets these trunks may hold. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.

BOOKS TO DIE FOR: The World's Greatest Mystery Writers on the World's Greatest Mystery Novels by John Connolly and Declan Burke (Essays/Anthology)
In the most ambitious anthology of its kind yet attempted, the world’s leading mystery writers have come together to champion the greatest mystery novels ever written. In a series of personal essays that often reveal as much about the authors and their own work as they do about the books that they love, 119 authors from 20 countries have created a guide that will be indispensable for generations of readers and writers. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.

Bestselling author Lauren Willig took time out of her busy schedule to interview author and friend Tasha Alexander about Tasha's latest book in the Lady Emily series, which is now in stores. DEATH IN THE FLOATING CITY takes readers to 19th-century Italy, where Emily is wrapped up in a centuries-old puzzle, the answer to which lies hidden in the tangle of tiny streets, canals, palaces and slums that make up the City of Bridges. In this interview, Tasha talks to Lauren about her witty and fearless heroine, singing gondoliers, and the best place to eat in Venice.

DEATH IN THE FLOATING CITY: A Lady Emily Mystery by Tasha Alexander (Historical Mystery)
Emily's childhood nemesis, Emma Callum, turns to Emily when her father-in-law is murdered and her husband vanishes. Emily soon realizes that to solve the present-day crime, she must first unravel a centuries-old puzzle. But the past does not give up its secrets easily, especially when these revelations might threaten the interests of some very powerful people.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.

YA Readers Survey
Teenreads.com’s 2012 YA Readers Survey asks you what you think about books and authors --- as well as your thoughts about a whole lot more happening in pop media culture! Your responses will help us shape our editorial features: we really value your feedback. This survey is for everyone who loves reading YA who is over 10 years old and is living in the U.S. (many of the questions are so U.S.-based that those residing elsewhere would not be able to reply). So make sure you spread the word to your friends, family and any adults who read YA! If you are under 13, there will be a form your parents must complete in order to be eligible to win a prize. And, to reward your efforts, by completing this survey you are eligible to enter a contest to win one of 450 FREE books.

-Click here for more information and to take the survey.


Teen Board
We are looking around the country for 20-25 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 years old who are passionate about books and committed to contributing to Teenreads.com to serve on our new Teen Board for a six-month period, from January to June 2013. Opportunities will include contributing reviews, writing blog posts, sharing ideas for the site, giving feedback on features we have, and scouting trends in the reader’s own community. Participants will be given a Contributor profile on the site, as well as a snazzy certificate of proof of their involvement on the Teen Board. That would look pretty nice on a college application, wouldn't it? Our application will be up until Wednesday, October 31st.

-Click here for more information and to apply to be a Teenreads.com Board member.

As you may or may not know, our company, The Book Report Network, has a number of websites about books and authors in addition to Bookreporter.com. Throughout the year, Bookreporter.com features adult books on Teenreads.com, our site for young adult readers, that we think will have definite appeal to a teen audience. In the spirit of sharing, we are now spotlighting a selection of titles each month from Teenreads.com that we believe are great reads that you might enjoy.

Here are our latest featured titles:

SON by Lois Lowry (Fantasy)
SON thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal-winning book THE GIVER, as well as GATHERING BLUE and MESSENGER, where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Thriller)
On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone --- maybe not even herself. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous --- and revealing --- game.

DODGER by Terry Pratchett (Historical Fantasy/Mystery)
Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl --- not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.

THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER by Jasper Fforde (Fantasy)
In the good old days, magic was indispensable --- but now it’s fading. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians. It’s hard to stay in business, though, when magic is drying up. If the visions predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer are true, everything will change for Kazam --- and for Jennifer.

ZOM-B by Darren Shan (Horror)
When news reports start appearing of a zombie outbreak in Ireland, B's racist father thinks it's a joke --- but even if it isn't, he figures, it's ok to lose a few Irish. B decides it's easier to take out his father's hateful tendencies on his fellow classmates, until zombies attack the school. B is forced on a mad dash through the serpentine corridors of high school, making allegiances with anyone with enough gall to fight off their pursuers.

ANCIENT LIGHT by John Banville (Fiction)
Is there any difference between memory and invention? This question haunts Alexander Cleave, whose stunted acting career is suddenly revived by a movie role portraying a man who may not be who he says he is. Cleave explores memories of his first love affair with his best friend's mother, as well as those of his daughter, lost to a kind of madness of mind and heart that he can only fail to understand. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

MICK JAGGER by Philip Norman (Biography)
From exclusive interviews with those closest to Mick Jagger, such as ex-girlfriends Chrissie Shrimpton and Cleo Sylvestre, which shed light on little seen aspects of Jagger's personality, to record-straightening revelations about Jagger's infamous 1967 drugs bust and the notorious Altamont concert, Philip Norman's groundbreaking biography crafts a vivid portrait of the real man behind the swagger, little glimpsed and much misunderstood. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED by Jonas Jonasson (Fiction)
After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he's still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey. Not only has Allan witnessed some of the most important events of the 20th century, he has actually played a key role in them. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.

THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS by Tan Twan Eng (Fiction)
Malaya, 1951. Yun Ling Teoh, the scarred lone survivor of a brutal Japanese wartime camp, seeks solace among the jungle-fringed tea plantations of Cameron Highlands. There she discovers Yugiri, the only Japanese garden in Malaya, and its owner and creator, the enigmatic Aritomo. Who is Aritomo, and how did he come to leave Japan? And is the real story of how Yun Ling managed to survive the war perhaps the darkest secret of all? Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

SILENT HOUSE by Orhan Pamuk (Fiction)
Fatma, a mostly bedridden widow, awaits the annual summer visit of her grandchildren. Her servant’s nephew, Hasan, is a high school dropout who has lately fallen in with right-wing nationalists. He will draw the visiting family into the growing political cataclysm issuing from Turkey’s tumultuous century-long struggle for modernity. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

THE CALLER: An Inspector Sejer Mystery by Karin Fossum (Mystery)
Inspector Sejer is called to the hospital to try to figure out who was responsible for carrying out a sinister prank on a young couple. Later that night, he hears a knock at the door and receives a note that has him worried about what is to come. The postcard in question bears a short message: Hell begins now. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE EXCEPTIONS by David Cristofano (Thriller)
The son of a prominent mobster needs to kill the woman whose testimony can put his father in prison, but he can't bring himself to do it. Rather than end her life, he decides that he will make it his duty to protect her. It isn’t long before he finds his mind and his heart more and more devoted to her. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

We have a number of contests currently running on our other sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com. Please take a look at them below, and enter for your chance to win some fabulous books!

ReadingGroupGuides.com

THE PAINTED GIRLS by Cathy Marie Buchanan
We are celebrating the forthcoming release of THE PAINTED GIRLS by Cathy Marie Buchanan --- a romantic, exhilarating novel set during Belle Époque Paris and inspired by the real-life model of Degas’s Little Dancer Aged 14 --- with a special contest. 50 readers will have the opportunity to each win an advance copy of the book, which will be in stores on January 10th, for their group. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 5th at noon ET.

EVERYTHING WAS GOOD-BYE by Gurjinder Basran
We are celebrating the forthcoming release of EVERYTHING WAS GOOD-BYE by Gurjinder Basran --- a heartbreaking and riveting story about a young woman caught between a clash of cultures and the intricate bond between mothers and daughters that transcends boundaries --- with a special contest. 50 readers will have the opportunity to each win an advance copy of the book, which will be in stores on December 31st, for their group. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 5th at noon ET.

“What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature
Let us know what your group is reading in October, and you’ll be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB by Will Schwalbe, the inspiring true story of a son and his mother who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. We have 12 copies of the book, which is in stores now, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 5th at noon ET.

Teenreads.com

Book O'Lantern
We are celebrating the season of ghouls and ghosts with our Third Annual Book O'Lantern Contest! Between now and Wednesday, October 31st, teens can enter to win a bag perfect for trick-or-treating, filled with a few special sweet treats, plus some spooky reads that will help make the scariest season of them all last well beyond Halloween.

Grab Bag of Books
Winners of our latest Grab Bag of Books contest will each receive a copy of THE DEAD GIRLS DETECTIVE AGENCY by Suzy Cox, FANG GIRL by Helen Keeble and SAFEKEEPING by Karen Hesse. The deadline for entries is Thursday, November 1st at noon ET.

Word of Mouth
Send us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. This contest period, one teen reader will be randomly chosen to win a copy of SON by Lois Lowry and ZOM-B by Darren Shan. The deadline for entries is Thursday, November 1st at noon ET.

Kidsreads.com

THE GOLDEN DOOR by Emily Rodda
To celebrate the release of THE GOLDEN DOOR, the start of a stirring fantasy trilogy from the internationally bestselling author of the Dragons of Deltora series, Kidsreads.com is giving 25 readers the chance to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 5th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com

RIVER OF MERCY: The Riverhaven Years, Book 3 by BJ Hoff
We are celebrating the release of RIVER OF MERCY with a special contest that will give 75 readers the opportunity to win a copy of this conclusion to BJ Hoff's Riverhaven Years trilogy. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 12th at noon ET.

BORDERS OF THE HEART by Chris Fabry
We are celebrating the release of BORDERS OF THE HEART by Chris Fabry with a special contest that will give 10 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book, which centers on the relationship between a man and a mysterious girl he feels compelled to save. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 12th at noon ET.

The Reluctant Prophet Series by Nancy Rue
We are celebrating the release of TOO FAR TO SAY FAR ENOUGH, the conclusion to Nancy Rue's The Reluctant Prophet trilogy, with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win all three books in the series (which also includes THE RELUCTANT PROPHET and UNEXPECTED DISMOUNTS). The deadline for entries is Monday, November 12th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com’s Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, 10 readers will be awarded a copy of all four books in Mona Hodgson's historical romance series, The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek: TWO BRIDES TOO MANY, TOO RICH FOR A BRIDE, THE BRIDE WORE BLUE and TWICE A BRIDE. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 12th at noon ET.

Which of the following do you download for free? Please check as many as apply.

Full-length eBooks
eShorts/Novellas written by authors you are familiar with
eShorts/Novellas that are part of a series you are familiar with
eShorts/Novellas written by authors whose work you are not familiar with as you would like to sample it
I do not download free eBooks.
I do not download eBooks.
Other (Please specify)

What percentage of the free eBooks that you have downloaded have you actually read?

100%
75%
50%
25%
Less than 25%
None
I do not download free eBooks.
I do not download eBooks.

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from October 19th to November 2nd, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of FLIGHT BEHAVIOR by Barbara Kingsolver, LOOKING FOR YESTERDAY: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller, and THE RACKETEER by John Grisham.

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.