Skip to main content

May 16, 2008

Bookreporter.com Newsletter

May 16, 2008

This Week on Bookreporter.com

Here Comes Summer: Beach Bag Style!

Our Summer Beach Bag Contest is Back! Spotlight This Week on LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH by Emily Giffin and Her Three Backlist Titles

Bookreporter.com Talks to Jeff Shaara, Author of THE STEEL WAVE

Author Talk: Garth Stein, Author of THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN

Now in Stores: APPLES & ORANGES: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner

Now in Stores: THE FILM CLUB by David Gilmour

New Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming, Author of I SHALL NOT WANT

New Featured One to Watch Author: Lucie Whitehouse, Author of THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT

Graphic Novels: The Classics

Featured Women's Fiction Author: Victoria Lustbader, Author of STONE CREEK
Special Contest: Win a Copy of THE ANGEL by Carla Neggers
What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com

This Week's Reviews

Poll and Question of the Week: Your Home Library

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

Here Comes Summer: Beach Bag Style!

The weather this May in the New York area has been cooler than usual. I have not yet thought about buying flowers. I usually buy my mom a hanging flower arrangement for Mother’s Day and, while I am at it, lay in a few flats for myself, which becomes the start of my annual overplanting adventure, usually requiring my purchasing additional pots and buckets for the flowers I MUST have. This year I opted for yarn and a pattern for Mom, and the yarn was wool! I think that tells the tale of the weather mood.

I am itching for summer. Sure we have had some blasts of nice days, but it has not been steady. On Mother’s Day I swung in the hammock as the menfolk around my house opened the pool --- the thing I wanted most for Mother’s Day. There is nothing that makes you feel more mom-like than swinging and reading as you hear your loved ones squabbling as to who is pulling the cover too far too fast and who is not doing enough work. In honor of Mother’s Day I chose to ignore, not mediate, taking a break from my peacemaker role. The pool is beginning to look ready to swim in as the filters are churning 24/7, and if I get a wetsuit I can be doing laps soon. With the price of energy, there is no way I am going to be persuasive enough to get the heater going.

As I mentioned last week, this weekend I am scheming for guaranteed warmth by traveling to Coral Gables and Grand Cayman for some book club events for Books & Books, one of my favorite bookstores. Note: This is all I have had time to get to know about Grand Cayman. It is a Caribbean island and near Jamaica; to get there I need a passport, and it's one time zone behind New York. There is something about this lack of knowledge that makes me feel like I actually am on an adventure. Usually I have everything scoped out in advance so there are few surprises, and I do like surprises.

This week we are kicking off one of my favorite promotional contests of the year --- our 4th Annual Beach Bag of Books Contest. We have a terrific lineup of books for this promotion --- I truly think it's our best ever!!! Week one is all set to go with LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH by Emily Giffin. As our reviewer Norah Piehl says, "Giffin has made a name for herself by writing unpredictable, non-formulaic novels that defy categorization as 'chick lit.' With its appealing but deeply flawed protagonist and uncomfortable situations, LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH will continue to fill a niche for readers who want a light novel that still hides a hard edge." I always enjoy her books, and this one is no exception.

Our beach bag prize includes copies of Emily's backlist titles ---
SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE and BABY PROOF, as well as LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH, making it extra fun for someone who is ready to make this an Emily Giffin summer. Last Saturday night the boys and I had fun shopping for items themed around the book. This adventure takes on the air of a scavenger hunt as we race around trying to find the perfect items themed to the book. We have a packing room in the house where we keep the items for these contests, and it's filled with brightly colored towels and everything that screams summer. My older son shoots the prize photos in our yard each week, and this year the lawn chair was hauled into its ceremonial spot just for this moment. We hope you have as much fun with this promotion as we will in the weeks ahead. And thanks to our truly amazing staff in New York who pulled this promotion together all week. Alex, Tom, Sunil and Eric, grab a well-deserved beer or summer cocktail to celebrate! Trust that we went down to the wire on the details, and I really appreciate the way they all jumped in to help.

For those of you who do not know how our Beach Bag Contest works, here's what you need to know. Each week we will have a featured title (or group of titles) that we will be spotlighting. We will be giving away five beach bags, as well as five runner-up prizes of books. To enter to win, readers will be asked to read an excerpt from our featured title, or titles, and answer a question about it. Please note that our Canadian readers only will be eligible for book prizes due to prohibitive customs and shipping issues involved with sending prizes across the border.

Over the past few months, I have been promising that we will be taking a more in-depth look at graphic novels, a format that has been gaining consumer and bookseller attention over the last few years. While I was in Los Angeles at a Graphic Novels panel a few weeks ago, a woman asked if there was a list of classic graphic novels available on the web for her to look at for suggested titles beyond Art Spiegelman's THE COMPLETE MAUS: A Survivor's Tale (which she loved). I was happy that we had one in the works, and with the help of our Contributing Editor John Hogan, we bring it to you this week. We look at nine titles that are often referred to as Classic Graphic Novels. Each has garnered significant critical and popular attention over the years, making them titles that have stood the test of time. In upcoming weeks we will be sharing roundups of more recently published works and will be including interviews as well. I have been having fun learning more about the creators and the writers of these works and how they collaborate, and I look forward to sharing more about this with you.

It's here. My absolute favorite book of the past few months published this week --- THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein. I love this book, and I have been talking about it since late March when I read it. Once you finish it, drop me a note to let me know what you think about it. My younger son finished it this week, and he too is now a fan quoting Enzo, the dog who narrates the story. It's quite amusing to hear Enzo's lines being related by Cory. As I have said before, I am not someone who normally embraces pet-themed titles (we have no dog; we have an off-white leather couch in the living room --- enough said), but there is something about this story and the metaphors in it that I just love. Bottom line, folks. We all can do well when the sun is shining and all is looking well. But when we are trapped in a rainstorm and everything is being pelted against you, only those who draw on their inner reserves to not only embrace life but conquer whatever gets in the way will come out winning. I would love to be part of a discussion about this book beyond those that we have had around our dinner table. We also bring you an interview with Garth Stein, where you can read his amusing story of how Enzo saved his third son from bearing that name!

We are launching a new Romantic Suspense feature for award-winning author Julia Spencer-Fleming, whose new Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne novel, I SHALL NOT WANT, is in stores on June 10th. In this book, an Episcopal priest and a town cop must confront their complicated past as a series of murders begins plaguing the town. We have 10 copies of I SHALL NOT WANT 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, May 23rd.

We are also announcing a new One to Watch feature for Lucie Whitehouse, whose debut novel, THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT, will be available in stores on June 3rd. In this book, Whitehouse weaves a captivating novel about a haunting English manor home and its effects on a group of friends. We have 10 copies of THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT 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, May 23rd.

In addition, we are featuring an interview with Jeff Shaara, author of THE STEEL WAVE. We've received great feedback from our advance readers for MRS. PERFECT by Jane Porter, which you can read here. You may remember the positive responses we received for GUILTY by Karen Robards. This week she responds to our readers' questions, which you can read here.

Well, I am writing this note as we sit on the runway number 25th in line for takeoff. Once again, I can write an ad for my Verizon air card as I sit here IMing with the office and sending emails as I sit here waiting to taxi. Time to pull out a book and read. I have a collection with me: JUST BREATHE by Susan Wiggs (loving this one, which pubs in September), THE LIZARD KING by Bryan Christy (a true-crime book about the underground world of reptile smuggling, which is fascinating, releasing in August) and two Penny Vincenzi titles --- AN ABSOLUTE SCANDAL, releasing on June 10th, and SHEER ABANDON, which is just out in paperback. The latter are two books I am talking about tonight. Yes, I am last-minute cramming...always was my style.

Have a great week. Read on...lots and lots to share this issue...


Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

 

Our Summer Beach Bag Contest is Back! Spotlight This Week on LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH by Emily Giffin and Her Three Backlist Titles

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 Fourth Annual "Bookreporter.com Beach Bag of Books."

Every week from May 16th through August 29th, a different title or collection of titles will be featured with a review and contest prize --- a beach bag stocked with the featured book(s), plus summertime essentials that tie in to the weekly theme. 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 kicking off our Beach Bag of Books feature with a very special offer. We’re celebrating the release of LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH, Emily Giffin’s new novel, by giving it away with the author’s entire backlist! In a green and blue beach bag, winners will find a colorful towel with a daisy pattern, a Kodak disposable camera, two pink plastic martini glasses, a travel edition of Scrabble, colorful daisy-decorated paper plates and napkins, a pink and white tablecloth with a daisy print, a small reporter's steno pad and delicious peach jam, as well as a copy of LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH and Giffin’s three previous titles now available in paperback ---
SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE and BABY PROOF. We have five to give away, as well as five additional prizes of copies of LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE and BABY PROOF.

To enter, fill out this form and answer the following question by Thursday, May 22nd at 11:59PM. You can find the answer by reading the excerpt here.

Where were the narrator and her husband living when they got married?

LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
How do you know if you’ve found the one? Can you really love the one you’re with when you can’t forget the one who got away? Emily Giffin, author of the New York Times bestselling novels SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE and BABY PROOF, poses these questions --- and many more --- with her thought-provoking new work of fiction. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Read more about Emily Giffin and LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH here.

 

Click here to read all the details of our Summer Beach Bag Contest.

 

Bookreporter.com Talks to Jeff Shaara, Author of THE STEEL WAVE

THE STEEL WAVE is the second installment in Jeff Shaara's historical fiction trilogy centered on the European Theater of World War II. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Stephen Hubbard, Shaara discusses some of the surprising firsthand accounts he had encountered while researching this novel and explains how it offers new material on a subject that has been covered many times previously in other books and films. He also singles out one particular lesser-known character who he hopes will gain more recognition as a result of his work, and comments on the current trend in historical writing to soil the images of previously respected historical figures, as well as increasing negative attitudes toward members of the armed forces.

THE STEEL WAVE: A Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara (Historical Fiction)
General Dwight Eisenhower once again commands a diverse army that must find its single purpose in the destruction of Adolf Hitler’s European fortress. His primary subordinates, Omar Bradley and Bernard Montgomery, must prove that this unique blend of Allied armies can successfully confront the might of Hitler’s forces, who have already conquered Western Europe. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.

-Click here to read a review of THE STEEL WAVE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE STEEL WAVE.
-Click here to watch a trailer for THE STEEL WAVE.

 

Click here to read our interview with Jeff Shaara.


 

Author Talk: Garth Stein, Author of THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN

The narrator of Garth Stein's latest work of fiction, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, is Enzo --- a lab terrier mix impatiently awaiting the end of his life as a dog so he can be reborn in his next life as a man. In this interview, Stein describes what inspired the idiosyncratic premise for the novel and explains how his enthusiasm for race car driving doubled as research. He also talks about his desire to change readers' perspectives on their pets and shares what he hopes they will take away from this four-legged philosopher.

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein (Fiction)
Enzo relays the story of his family --- which includes race car driver Denny, wife Eve and daughter Zoë --- who face being torn apart when Eve becomes ill. While struggling to hold them together, Enzo refines his plans to be reincarnated as a human. After all, being a dog severely limits his ability to express his huge heart and soaring soul to those he loves most. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read a review of THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN.

 

Click here to read an interview with Garth Stein.


 
Now in Stores: APPLES & ORANGES: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner
APPLES & ORANGES: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner (Memoir)
All her life, Marie Brenner struggled to understand her older brother, Carl. They had very little in common: Carl was a one-time lawyer turned apple farmer in Washington State; Marie was an investigative journalist in New York City, espousing every cultural and political position Carl professed to hate. He was aloof and patronizing, his put-downs cruel and constant; she was never allowed to forget that she did not impress him. How could she break through? Reviewed by Colleen Quinn.

-Click here to read an excerpt from APPLES & ORANGES.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.MarieBrenner.com.

 

Click here to read a review of APPLES & ORANGES.


 

Now in Stores: THE FILM CLUB by David Gilmour

THE FILM CLUB: A Memoir by David Gilmour (Memoir)
At the start of this brilliantly unconventional family memoir, David Gilmour is an unemployed movie critic trying to convince his 15-year-old son Jesse to do his homework. When he realizes that Jesse is beginning to view learning as a loathsome chore, he offers his son an unconventional deal: Jesse can drop out of school, but he must watch three movies a week of his father's choosing. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE FILM CLUB.
-Visit the publisher’s official website, www.TwelveBooks.com.

 

Click here to read a review of THE FILM CLUB.


 
New Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming, Author of I SHALL NOT WANT

Julia Spencer-Fleming’s debut novel, IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, was the recipient of multiple awards, including the Anthony Award, the Agatha Award and the Macavity Award. In I SHALL NOT WANT, the latest installment in her bestselling mystery series that releases on June 10th, the Reverend Clare Fergusson and Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne find themselves sucked into a murder investigation in Clare's small Adirondack town.

We have 10 copies of I SHALL NOT WANT 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, May 23rd.

-Click here to read Julia Spencer-Fleming’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.JuliaSpencerFleming.com.

More about I SHALL NOT WANT:
In the small Adirondack town of Millers Kill, New York, life doesn’t stop for heartbreak. But when a farmhand stumbles over a Latino man killed with a single shot to the back of his head, an Episcopal priest is sucked into the investigation through her involvement in the migrant community.

 

Click here to read more about Julia Spencer-Fleming and I SHALL NOT WANT.


 

strong>New Featured One to Watch Author: Lucie Whitehouse, Author of THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT

In her debut novel, THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT, Lucie Whitehouse delivers a captivating and gripping psychological story. After a death in the family, Lucas Heathfield inherits his uncle’s manor in the English countryside. But within the confines of the manor, the lives of a circle of friends are changed forever. THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT will be available in stores on June 3rd.

We have 10 copies of THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT 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, May 23rd.

-Click here to read Lucie Whitehouse’s bio.

More about THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT:
After the suicide of his uncle, Lucas Heathfield inherits Stoneborough Manor, in the English countryside. Lucas’s best friend, Joanna, imagines it as a place where their close-knit group can escape to London and rekindle the revelry of their college days. But from the beginning, the house has a strange effect on everyone who stays in it.

 

Click here to read more about Lucie Whitehouse and THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT.

 

Graphic Novels: The Classics

Over nearly a century, the comics industry has established itself as a rich and diverse format that offers an incredible array of amazing tales. Long perceived as simply being the domain of superheroes, graphic novels have come into their own over the past three decades. More and more readers are recognizing the significant storytelling accomplishments the field has to offer. But those looking for a good place to start can find the thousands of available titles difficult to wade through. Here’s a primer on the best, the ultimate classics in the graphic novel industry --- the perfect place for any new graphic novel reader to start. Read and enjoy; you won’t be disappointed.
 

Click here to see our list of classic graphic novels.


 
Featured Women's Fiction Author: Victoria Lustbader, Author of STONE CREEK

Victoria Lustbader’s first book, HIDDEN, received much critical praise when it was released in 2006. In STONE CREEK, her second work of fiction releasing on May 27th, Lustbader weaves an unforgettable novel of tremendous emotional heft and brilliantly illuminates how the powers of love and loss transform the human heart.

-Click here to read the first SEVEN chapters of STONE CREEK.
-Click here to read Victoria Lustbader’s bio.

-Click here to see Victoria Lustbader's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for STONE CREEK.

-Visit the author’s official website, www.VictoriaLustbader.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about STONE CREEK:
In the small town of Stone Creek, a random encounter offers two lonely people a chance at happiness. When Lily and Danny meet, something immediate and undeniable happens between them. Neither one can ignore that Lily is married and 10 years older than Danny, but it is Danny's son, Caleb, who continues to bring them together.

 

Click here to read more about Victoria Lustbader and STONE CREEK.


 
Special Contest: Win a Copy of THE ANGEL by Carla Neggers

We are celebrating the release of THE ANGEL --- Carla Neggers’s new romantic suspense novel in which a woman's passion for myth and magic leads her into the heart of a murderous evil --- with a special contest. Ten readers each will have the opportunity to win one finished copy of THE ANGEL, which is now available in stores. Those who answer a question correctly by reading an excerpt from the book automatically will be entered to win. Enter between now and Wednesday, May 28th by filling out the form found here.

More about THE ANGEL:
On a remote stretch of the rugged coast of Ireland, folklorist Keira Sullivan pursues the mysterious Irish legend of an ancient Celtic stone angel. Soon Keira realizes that the long-forgotten story that has captivated her has also aroused a killer... a calculating predator who will certainly kill again. Suspenseful and evocative, THE ANGEL is a riveting novel of dangerous myths, haunting secrets and the shattering truth concealed within them.


-Click here to read more about THE ANGEL.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE ANGEL.

 

Click here for more details about the contest and how to enter.

 
What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
With more than 2,300 discussion guides available, ReadingGroupGuides.com continues to be the leading place for book clubs to find all the resources they need on the web.

Our
ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog continues to be a big hit among our readers. Throughout the month we are sharing postings from regular contributors --- including authors, librarians, book club facilitators, booksellers and experts in the publishing industry --- as well as special guests. The latest blog can be found here, and here are quick links to some recent posts:

-Going Graphic
-Men and Books: How We Eat
-Book Club Candy
-Stephanie Hirsch Discusses Moms of All Kinds
-Mameve Medwed on Mothers-in-Law


The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

APPLES & ORANGES: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner
BANANA HEART SUMMER by Merlinda Bobis
BELONG TO ME by Marisa de los Santos
FREE FOOD FOR MILLIONAIRES by Min Jin Lee
FRIDAY NIGHTS by Joanna Trollope
NO GOOD GIRLS by Jean Marie Pierson
NOTES ON A LIFE by Eleanor Coppola
OUT STEALING HORSES by Per Petterson
A PLACE CALLED CANTERBURY: Tales of the New Old Age in America by Dudley Clendinen
THE PRINCE OF NANTUCKET by Jan Goldstein
THE SAFETY OF SECRETS by DeLaune Michel
THE SPACE BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER by Jean Reynolds Page
SPIRIT UNBROKEN: The Two Sides of Love by Rick and Alice Garlock
THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison Allen

Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS by Anita Amirrezvani
CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler
GARDEN SPELLS by Sarah Addison Allen
LOVING FRANK by Nancy Horan
THE NEW YORKERS by Cathleen Schine

We have the following new guides for Christian book groups:

THE DUCHESS AND THE DRAGON by Jamie Carie
KILL ME IF YOU CAN: Patricia Amble Mystery Series, Book Two by Nicole Young
MOVING UP: Ten Steps to Turning Your Life Around and Getting to the Top! by Suzan Johnson Cook
THE MOON IN THE MANGO TREE by Pamela Binnings Ewen
A STEAL OF A DEAL: Shop-Til-U-Drop, Book 2 by Ginny Aiken

 
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.

 

This Week's Reviews

CARELESS IN RED by Elizabeth George (Mystery)
After the senseless murder of his wife, Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley retreated to Cornwall, where he has spent six solitary weeks hiking the bleak and rugged coastline. On the 43rd day of his walk, at the base of a cliff, Lynley discovers the body of a young man who appears to have fallen to his death. It soon becomes apparent that a clever killer is at work, and this time Lynley is not a detective but a witness and possibly a suspect. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

DEAD HEAT by Joel C. Rosenberg (Political Thriller)
For Jon and Erin Bennett, the world seems to be spinning dangerously out of control. In the wake of a horrific war in the Middle East, President James MacPherson's second term is coming to an end. Now the battle to succeed him is heating up into one of the most fiercely contested presidential elections in American history, and the Bennetts realize the stakes could not be higher. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
 
VINDICATED: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball by Jose Canseco
(Memoir)
In his follow-up to JUICED, former baseball slugger Jose Canseco feels compelled to give his critics a great big “I told you so,” taking the credit for blowing the whistle on an issue that the owners and Players Association ignored in order to bring in more fans, appreciative of the mammoth home runs hit by such musclemen as Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

CITY OF THIEVES by David Benioff (Fiction)
Set in Leningrad in the depths of the German siege of 1941-42, David Benioff’s second novel (following THE 25th HOUR) is a moving exploration of the power of friendship, played out against a backdrop of both the best and worst qualities war reveals of human behavior. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
 
UP TILL NOW: The Autobiography by William Shatner with David Fisher
(Autobiography)
“There are going to be a lot of laughs in this book, mostly at my expense.” Here we have William Shatner --- the actor, the father, the husband, the horseman, the pilot, the dog lover. The whole man is pictured in the pages of UP TILL NOW. Story after story, fans of the beloved entertainer will find another reason to keep reading. Reviewed by Marge Fletcher.
 
A GRAVE IN GAZA: An Omar Yussef Mystery by Matt Beynon Rees
(Mystery)
As he tries to save the lives of two men, Palestinian history teacher Omar Yussef (who readers first met in 2007’s THE COLLABORATOR OF BETHLEHEM) is confronted with the corruption and violence of Gaza's warring government factions and the criminal gangs with which they are connected. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
 
THE PRICE by Alexandra Sokoloff
(Medical Thriller)
Boston District Attorney Will Sullivan dreams of becoming the next great governor of Massachusetts. But his plans are shattered the night his wife, Joanna, discovers a malignant tumor growing in their daughter Sydney's stomach. At that devastating moment, both parents resolve to do anything to save their daughter's life. But in the twilight world of Briarwood Medical Center, nothing is as it seems. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

 
Read this week's reviews here.

 

Poll and Question of the Week: Your Home Library

Poll:

How many books are in your home library?
 

Under 50
50-249
250-499
500-999
1,000 to 2,499
2,500 to 5,000
More than 5,000
I do not keep books once I have read them.


-Click here to answer our poll.


Question:

What new book (name up to three) are you most looking forward to reading in the next few weeks?


-Click here to answer our question.

 

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

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 APPLES & ORANGES: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein and ODD HOURS by Dean Koontz. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on May 23rd to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.

Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on May 23rd.
 
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 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 May 31, 2008 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein, BLACK OUT by Lisa Unger, COMFORT FOOD by Kate Jacobs, KILLING ROMMEL by Steven Pressfield and ODD HOURS by Dean Koontz. Juanita from West Salem, OH
was last month's newsletter winner. She won THE GIRL WITH NO SHADOW by Joanne Harris, HOLD TIGHT by Harlan Coben, SEPULCHRE by Kate Mosse, WHERE ARE YOU NOW? by Mary Higgins Clark and THE WHOLE TRUTH by David Baldacci.

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 Networkbr />250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107