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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
September 19, 2008
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Farewell To Summer....It's Time for Fall Book Festivals
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I guess I need to admit that the calendar turns to fall on Monday. This morning I got up, threw on my usual summer Friday attire of shorts and a t-shirt over a bathing suit (Note: if I swim in the AM I will drown since I am not awake enough, but having my bathing suit on reminds me to swim later!) and sat down at my computer. A few minutes later I reached for a sweatshirt. A few hours later I realized I was really cold, and perhaps I needed to acknowledge that the temperatures were in the 50s and jeans were a better choice of what to wear. I hope the pool heater is working and not being its persnickety self since I still want to get out and do some laps.
I vowed not to travel for the month of September, but I am doing a local event. On Sunday, September 28th, I am moderating the Waldorf Astoria's Bestsellers Brunch, which is part of the New York is Book Country program (though the NYIBC events will be held in Central Park tomorrow, September 21st). The guests for the Brunch include Harlan Coben, Lawrence Block, Marlo Thomas and Dionne Warwick, as well as debut authors Matthew Quick and Rivka Galchen. Click here for ticket information. Because of my self-imposed “no travel” rule for September, an event that I am missing --- though I have enjoyed it in the past --- is the National Book Festival, which will be held on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Saturday, September 27th.
In October I am back on a plane going to...California! Yes, I am headed back across the country, lured there by Book Group Expo, the book group event that is being held in San Jose on October 25th and 26th. If any of you plan to be there, please drop me a note since I would love to catch up with you. One more travel note.
In November I am going to the Miami Book Fair, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. I love this event, which I have attended the last three years. It features hundreds of authors and lots of great bookish conversation. The events run from November 9th-16th, with the street fair on the 14th through the 16th. They have pulled together some GREAT travel packages for those traveling from New York, Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles that you can read more about here.
Last Friday night's bookstore event with Robin Gaby Fisher talking about her book AFTER THE FIRE was one of the most inspiring evenings that I have spent. Most of my friends heard me talking about this event all week, and I wrote a blog about it that you can read here. There are evenings that really make you appreciate life. This was one of them!
Our new featured Suspense/Thriller author is Katherine Neville, whose new novel, THE FIRE, continues the riveting saga that began 20 years ago in her groundbreaking bestseller, THE EIGHT. This highly anticipated follow-up will be in stores on October 14th. We have 10 copies of THE FIRE 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, September 26th. I first met Katherine about five years ago at the Virginia Festival of the Book. At that time, she told us all that she was writing the sequel and readers were prodding her to tell them WHEN it would be. There are going to be a LOT of people thrilled that THE FIRE is hitting bookshelves.
In bookish news, Oprah announced her latest book club pick today, THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski. When Oprah speaks, readers listen, so let's see what her magic does for book sales. If your book club is going to be exploring this book, we have a guide here. M. J. Rose noted that something has been the same on all of Oprah's picks since 2005. Curious as to what that is? The answer is here on her Buzz, Balls & Hype blog.
Lots of excitement this week as our ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog had won "Best Book Group Blog" in the Book Blogger Appreciation Awards. The awards were in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, launched by My Friend Amy. VERY special thanks to Shannon McKenna Schmidt, who has been writing/editing/producing/cheerleading posts for this blog from the beginning. A reminder: we always are looking for people to contribute a blog post about their book group adventures. If you're in a group with a story to tell, then write Shannon@bookreporter.com with your ideas and she will talk to you about scheduling your post!
My younger son and one of his best friends are contemplating going to a store event for the release of Christopher Paolini's new book, BRISINGR, which goes on sale at midnight. They are in a debate over whether it's better to go to the store at midnight, or if it is better to hang out and do other things tonight and go to the bookstore first thing in the morning. Since I am going to be the chauffeur for this book run, I am debating whether I need a lot more Diet Coke on ice to see the wee hours of the morning. By the way, THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins is in stores this week, and it's one of the best YA novels I've read in years. Just brilliant plotting. If you read it along with your kids, you will not be disappointed.
I need to do some car shopping this weekend since my car comes out of lease soon. I love cars and have since I was a kid. There are things that make me insane if they are not right in a car, like how much I can toss into the center console and whether they offer enough arm support. Tomorrow these will be the litmus tests. I pity the salesman who called the other day all anxious to have me come in and test drive. He truly has no idea what he is in for. I have a plan to test drive three cars, each for three hours, tomorrow. It will give me a chance to see which one I REALLY like. Wish me luck. Read on...I am off to FINALLY swim!
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Click here to read Carol's latest blog entry.
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Remembering The House That Ruth Built
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When the Boston Red Sox won their first World Championship in almost 90 years, it opened the door for a cottage industry in the publishing world. It seems like everyone, from the sportswriters who covered the team to the players themselves, was taking advantage of the historic occasion to write a book.
The final season of Yankee Stadium is another such occasion.
Time marches on and the old ballpark is no longer economically viable, much to the sorrow of stalwart fans. Barring a miracle that would propel the Yankees into the playoffs, the team will play their last game ever at the Stadium on Sunday, September 21st.
So, as could be expected, several titles have been released to mark the passing of the landmark in the Bronx. Most follow the same path, chronicling the (mostly) highlights of the Yankees in a straightforward timeline, while reminding the reader that there were other momentous events hosted therein.
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Click here to read Ron Kaplan's Yankee Stadium roundup.
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New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Katherine Neville, Author of THE FIRE
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Twenty years ago, Katherine Neville’s groundbreaking bestseller THE EIGHT rewrote the rules of international suspense. Now a thrilling new chapter of this riveting saga begins in THE FIRE, which will be available on October 14th. Steeped in stunning history, enchanted settings, baffling riddles and unforgettable characters, THE FIRE presents a multilayered puzzle of infinite complexity and global importance.
We have 10 copies of THE FIRE 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, September 26th.
-Click here to read Katherine Neville’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KatherineNeville.com.
More about THE FIRE:
Katherine Neville’s groundbreaking novel, THE EIGHT, dazzled audiences more than 20 years ago and set the literary stage for the epic thriller. A quest for a mystical chess service that once belonged to Charlemagne, it spans two centuries and three continents, and intertwines historic and modern plots, archaeological treasure hunts, esoteric riddles and puzzles encrypted with clues from the ancient past. Now the electrifying global adventure continues, in Neville’s long anticipated sequel: THE FIRE.
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Click here to read more about Katherine Neville and THE FIRE.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Alex Kava, Author of EXPOSED |
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Alex Kava, the New York Times bestselling author of A PERFECT EVIL and WHITEWASH, has been published in over 20 countries and is celebrated worldwide for her craft. In EXPOSED, her new thriller releasing on September 30th, Kava reintroduces FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell as she tracks down a killer with a deadly weapon.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from EXPOSED.
-Click here to read Alex Kava’s bio.
-Click here to see Alex Kava's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for EXPOSED.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.AlexKava.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about EXPOSED:
Agent Maggie O'Dell and Assistant Director Cunningham believe they're responding to a threat made at Quantico. Instead they walk into a trap. Before they realize it, they’ve both been exposed to a killer who can strike at anyone, anytime and no one can predict who might be next…until it’s too late. His weapon is a deadly virus, virtually invisible and totally unexpected. His victims appear to be random, but in fact, they are chosen with a revengeful precision. The vaccine is limited and untested.
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Click here to read more about Alex Kava and EXPOSED.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Tess Gerritsen, Author of THE KEEPSAKE
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Tess Gerritsen, the New York Times bestselling author of such novels as HARVEST and THE BONE GARDEN, knows how to expertly dissect a brilliantly suspenseful story, all the while keeping fascinated readers riveted to her side. In THE KEEPSAKE, her new thriller now in stores, a homicide detective and a medical examiner must hunt down a twisted killer who is familiar with post-mortem rituals.
-Click here to read a review of THE KEEPSAKE.
-Click here to read a third excerpt from THE KEEPSAKE.
-Click here to read our interview with Tess Gerritsen.
-Click here to read Tess Gerritsen’s bio.
-Click here to see Tess Gerritsen's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for Tess Gerritsen.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.TessGerritsen.com.
-Click here to download your FREE copy of Tess Gerritsen's THE SURGEON for your Amazon Kindle. The offer expires at midnight on Thursday, September 25th.
-Click here to download your FREE copy of Tess Gerritsen's THE SURGEON for your Sony Reader. The offer expires at midnight on Thursday, September 25th.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about THE KEEPSAKE:
For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston’s Crispin Museum. Now its sudden rediscovery by museum staff is both a major coup and an attention-grabbing mystery. Dubbed “Madam X,” the mummy --- to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact --- seems a ghoulish godsend for the financially struggling institution. But medical examiner Maura Isles soon discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse --- horrifying proof that this “centuries-old” relic is instead a modern-day murder victim.
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Click here to read more about Tess Gerritsen and THE KEEPSAKE.
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Featured Southern Writers Author: James Villas, Author of DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY
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James Villas is the award-winning author of more than a dozen cookbooks and books on food, including MY MOTHER’S SOUTHERN KITCHEN and THE GLORY OF SOUTHERN COOKING. In DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY, his fiction debut releasing on September 30th, Villas tells a story about the places and people that stay with us, the courage it takes to live in the present and the endless ways life can surprise us, over and over again.
-Click here to read an excerpt from DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY.
-Click here to read James Villas’s bio.
-Click here to see James Villas's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY.
-Click here to find out how you can enter James Villas’s Country Cookin’ Contest, sponsored by KensingtonBooks.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY:
DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY by Beard Award-winning author, journalist and quintessential southerner James Villas is a beguiling first novel featuring an unforgettable heroine, Ella Dubose --- the kind of Southern lady Tennessee Williams peppered plays with. This rich novel is a warm, witty and poignant story of passion, friendship and family set against the lush, mellow backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry. It's as refreshing as a mint julep on a wrap-around porch!
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Click here to read more about James Villas and DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY.
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Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Beverly Barton, Author of COLD HEARTED |
New York Times bestselling author Beverly Barton has written over 50 contemporary romance novels. In COLD HEARTED, her new romantic suspense title now available in stores, private investigator Rick Carson must uncover the truth behind an elegant widow with a disturbing --- and deadly --- track record.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from COLD HEARTED.
-Click here to read Beverly Barton’s bio.
-Click here to see Beverly Barton's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for COLD HEARTED.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.BeverlyBarton.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about COLD HEARTED:
Hired by the Powell Agency to investigate Senator Dan Price’s death, Rick Carson can see at once why people would believe Jordan Price incapable of cold-blooded murder. But the deeper he delves into the sting of deaths from which Jordan has profited handsomely, the more convinced Rich becomes that he is dealing with a callous, cunning, unstoppable killer.
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Click here to read more about Beverly Barton and COLD HEARTED.
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Now in Stores: THE DEAD PLACE by Rebecca Drake
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THE DEAD PLACE by Rebecca Drake (Suspense)
A serial killer is on the loose…ruthless, twisted and lethally smart. Now, locked in a desperate race against time, Kate’s only chance of stopping a madman’s grisly game is to venture deeper into a diabolical web where no one is who they seem to be…and the smallest mistake could be her last.
“Rebecca Drake infuses a familiar, everyday backdrop with shadows and shivers galore. Read this alone, late at night, and you won't be afraid --- you'll be terrified!”
-- Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author
“Compulsively readable.”
-- Mystery Lovers Book Shop News
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Click here to read more about Rebecca Drake and THE DEAD PLACE.
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Now in Stores: THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS by Melody Carlson |
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THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS by Melody Carlson (Christian Fiction)
Ruth is a wife and mother with no clue she has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Spiritually hungry but trapped in a false sense of reality, she and her family become entangled in a dangerous religious cult. Eventually she begins to discern God’s voice and make the arduous journey back to reality.
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Click here to read more about THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS.
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This Week's Reviews
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INDIGNATION by Philip Roth (Fiction)
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Roth departs from his novels of death and dying to write the story of young Marcus Messner’s early 1950s college years in this abrupt and disturbing work of fiction, characteristic of America’s 3 Ps: paradox, prejudice and paranoia. Reviewed by Max Falkowitz.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson (Thriller)
The late Stieg Larsson has penned a stylish Swedish thriller about a down-on-his-luck journalist who is hired by a reclusive businessman to solve the decades-old murder of his great-niece. He teams up with a street-smart, tattooed female researcher to unravel exactly what happened on that fateful day in 1966. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.
THE NIGHT OF THE GUN: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life. His Own by David Carr (Memoir)
In this riveting memoir, New York Times columnist David Carr tells two gripping stories: the bleak tale of his life as a drug addict and the moving story of how he reclaimed his life as a father, husband and professional journalist. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE NIGHT OF THE GUN.
LEGALLY DEAD by Edna Buchanan (Thriller)
U.S. Marshal Michael Venturi of the Witness Protection Program relocates a mobster, now a government witness, to a small rural town after creating a new identity for him. The man proves to be a monster unleashed on an unsuspecting community. To make amends, Venturi leaves the Marshals Service and assembles a team of close confidants to secretly create new identities for innocent men and women whose lives have been ruined through no fault of their own. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
-Click here to read an excerpt from LEGALLY DEAD.
THE MAX by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr (Thriller)
When last we saw Max Fisher and Angela Petrakos, Max was being arrested by the NYPD for drug trafficking and Angela was fleeing the country in the wake of a brutal murder. Now both are headed for eye-opening encounters with the law --- Max in the cell blocks of Attica, Angela in a quaint little prison on the Greek island of Lesbos. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
TRAFFIC: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What it Says About Us by Tom Vanderbilt (Sociology)
We all hate highway traffic, right? Well, how and why does it happen the way it does? Are we ourselves in some weird way partly at fault? What if anything can we do about it? Tom Vanderbilt has studied these questions, and dozens of others, closely. The answers --- if there really are any --- are detailed in this wide-ranging book. Some of those answers will astound you. Reviewed by Robert Finn.
THE BOOK OF MURDER by Guillermo Martinez (Psychological Suspense)
A beautiful young woman works for a famous writer of murder mysteries. But when the job ends on a sour note, a series of deaths connected to the woman sends her into a panic. With dawning horror, she realizes that the events are familiar. She wrote them down as the author dictated them to her years before. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
THE DAWN PATROL by Don Winslow (Mystery)
Boone Daniels likes surfing even more than eating tortillas. And he really likes tortillas. Boone is a beach bum, a former cop working just enough as a PI to pay his bills and keep his board in the water. But when he finds himself involved in a complicated case, he refuses to let go, even when it threatens to destroy his laid-back life. Reviewed by Jonathan Snowden.
ANGEL’S TIP by Alafair Burke (Thriller)
New York City turns deadly for three Indiana girls on spring break when one of them falls prey to a sadistic killer. An electric thriller and a cautionary tale that will keep readers riveted, ANGEL’S TIP is Alafair Burke’s second novel to feature NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
FINAL THEORY by Mark Alpert (Thriller)
David Swift, a professor at Columbia University, is called to the hospital to comfort his mentor, a physicist who has been brutally tortured. Before dying, the old man wheezes "Einheitliche Feldtheorie." The Theory of Everything. The Destroyer of Worlds. Could this be Einstein's proposed Unified Theory --- a set of equations that combines the physics of galaxies with the laws of atoms? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE GLIMMER PALACE by Beatrice Colin (Historical Fiction)
The illegitimate, orphaned daughter of a cabaret performer, Lilly Nelly Aphrodite finds early refuge at a Berlin Catholic orphanage. Her eventual transformation into one of Germany’s leading silent-film stars, and a partner in a remarkable romance that crosses decades and continents, could ultimately cost her everything she has worked for. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
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Read this week's reviews here.
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Poll and Question of the Week: Book Reviews
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Poll:
Does your local newspaper have book reviews?
Yes, they run book reviews at least every week.
Yes, some of the time.
No
I'm not sure about this.
-Click here to answer our poll.
Question:
What was the last book you bought after reading a review thinking, "I need to read that book!"?
-Click here to answer our question.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- TWO Prizes
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Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.
This week we have two great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane and THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on October 3rd to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.
Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on October 3rd.
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Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.
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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 September 30, 2008 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld, THE BOOK OF LIES by Brad Meltzer, FIRST DAUGHTER by Eric Van Lustbader, THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane and THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks. Holly from Lawrenceville, GA was last month's newsletter winner. She won ALFRED & EMILY by Doris Lessing, DEVIL BONES by Kathy Reichs, ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE SANCTION by Eric Van Lustbader, SMOKE SCREEN by Sandra Brown and THE TURNAROUND by George Pelecanos.
Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.
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