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February 2009

Welcome to the latest newsletter from GraphicNovelReporter.com. A lot has happened since we last “talked” --- most notably, the sheer joy and amazement of New York Comic-Con. What a weekend it was. There’s just nothing like being in a giant room filled with thousands and thousands of people who share your passion.

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Linda Fairstein, author of Lethal Legacy

When Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper is summoned to Tina Barr’s apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, she finds a neighbor convinced that the young woman was assaulted. But the terrified victim, a conservator of rare books and maps, refuses to cooperate with investigators.

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The Help by Kathryn Stockett

February 2009

Set in 1962, THE HELP is the story of three women --- two African-American maids in the Deep South and a young white woman who sees a story in the world that they live in. You hear the voices, see the houses and truly feel like a voyeur in their world. I found myself reaching for my advance reading copy of the book between present opening, dinner preparations and other holiday festivities in December. Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter are strong characters, and the stories they tell speak volumes about the time. Stockett closes the book with a piece about her family's maid, which shows why she could write this novel with such insight and honesty. No matter what your political views about our new president, reading THE HELP and seeing the world 46 years ago when the right to vote was something that was fought over, and not taken for granted, is interesting.
 

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: Sara Shepard, author of Pretty Little Liars #5: Wicked

Feb 10, 2009

February 2009

Sara Shepard's latest book, WICKED, is the fifth installment in the popular teen series Pretty Little Liars, which follows four best friends who each have their fair share of skeletons in the closet.

Interview: Lisa Yee, author of Absolutely Maybe

Feb 10, 2009

February 2009

In this interview with Teenreads.com's Kristi Olson, Lisa Yee --- author of several middle-grade novels, including MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS, STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME and SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS --- discusses her first book for young adults, ABSOLUTELY MAYBE, and explains why she chose to aim this latest work toward a slightly older audience. She also imagines a conversation between two of her protagonists, recalls her own attempts at teen rebellion and shares details about a few projects she's currently working on.

Author Talk: Patrick Carman, author of Skeleton Creek

Feb 10, 2009

February 2009

 
Children’s author Patrick Carman’s latest work, SKELETON CREEK, is the first installment of an innovative new series that tells its tale in two parts: Ryan, one of the main characters, shares his journals within the text of the book, while his friend Sarah --- an amateur filmmaker --- tells her side of the story through videos that readers can watch by visiting her website. 

February 6, 2009

My last two weeks have been more hectic than I want to think about. If I think about them too much, I may need a nap. But each day I still have found time to read before I fall asleep. I gave some thought this morning as to why this happens, because with me everything has to have a reason, and came up with this. Reading before bedtime allows me to escape into a world with characters who have their own stories to share. And for a lovely few moments, minutes, hours, I am able to drop into their lives and mine fades away. And then I can sleep. These past weeks I have been grabbing my nighttime book in the morning as well, reading a few pages before my day gets started. I like starting the day with a book as much as I liked ending it this way. I wonder how many of you have ever found yourselves doing the same thing.

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What is the one book you recently read that you couldn’t stop talking about?

February 6, 2009

February 6, 2009 - February 19, 2009

Send us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. To make sure other readers will be able to find the book, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). The Word of Mouth archives can be searched using the "Search" feature at the top right of the page.

February 5, 2009

GNR Roundtable: Librarians Talk Graphic Novels

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By John Hogan
Tagged:
How are graphic novels viewed in libraries across the country today? While attitudes toward graphic novels and manga are changing, and librarians were among the first to change them, we wanted to learn more about how the formats are received and perceived today. So we asked some librarians to share their experiences. Their responses were fascinating.