August 28, 2009

Yesterday was the 13th anniversary of the launch of Bookreporter.com. While I got some emails telling me that this means we should have a bar mitzvah, no one mentioned that we are now in our teen years. And you know how feisty teens can be. I think that label very much suits us. I wrote a blog piece where I share a bit of what this experience has been like for the last dozen plus one year and thank the folks who make it happen every week. You can read it here.

When I saw the news of Dominick Dunne's death this week, it brought back a memory from the weeks before the site launched. When we were looking for office space, we would meet in the lobby of the Royalton Hotel, where there was a lovely boardroom table in the front library area that was perfect for our meetings and discussions about the site. Each day at lunch the chic came to eat while we, who were without an expense account, ducked out to get a burger across the street. One day as we were working, the glamorous lunch parade was making its way to their banquettes. Among the diners was Dominick Dunne. He stopped by our makeshift office to ask my business partner, Jesse Kornbluth, what we were up to. Now remember this is 1996, a year when the Internet was a novelty with AOL celebrating something like 6,000,000 members. In other words, we were talking about something that very few people understood.

Jesse gave Dominick an explanation of how we planned to have a combination of reviews and authors interviews where readers could find out more about authors and books. Dominick nodded and walked away. A few moments later he stopped back to the table and asked in a quiet voice, "Would you interview me?" We exchanged looks realizing how very cool it was that Dominick Dunne wanted in. Well, we never got the chance to make that interview happen, but I wanted to acknowledge him for that moment of encouragement when a few dreamers were sitting and planning. That kind of acknowledgement --- that we just might be on to something --- was what we needed that day. Jesse wrote a lovely tribute to Dominick, or as he knew him, Nick, that you can read here. I plan to watch the documentary about Dominick called "Dominick Dunne: After the Party" to celebrate his life. I have heard it's really great and captures his spirit well.

Tuesday night I went to a screening of Taking Woodstock. I was not at Woodstock. I was a tad too young and, let's be honest, there was no way my mom and dad were going to let me anywhere near even the thought of going to something that wild and cool. That said, I do remember the excitement that surrounded that weekend when all the buzz among those kids older than me was, "Are you going?" Taking Woodstock is fun and funny, and it's based on the book by Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte. Seen through the lens of young Elliot, it gives viewers a look inside the behind the scenes of Woodstock, as the El Monaco Motel is where the organizers of Woodstock set up camp to plan the event. Elliot's parents owned the hotel, and they were days away from losing it all when this deal was struck. Ang Lee of Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame found this story when he and Elliot were in the green room for an appearance a few years ago. Elliot handed Lee a copy of his book, and later Ang read it and plotted with James Schamus that if he would write it, he would make it. It's a lovely rollercoaster, and you can read more about the making of the film in the shooting script here. For the record, I would have hated the mud and the rain, but somehow the way that people gathered that weekend and made a memory that big is pretty amazing.

Speaking of events, here's some info on some bookish travel that you want to check out. From September through December the Fairmont Scottsdale Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona will be hosting six "A Season of Personal Discovery" Weekends at this AAA Five Diamond resort located in the pristine Sonoran Desert. Two of the weekends may be of particular interest to our readers: the literary-themed weekend of October 2-4 when I will be at the Fairmont to join Lisa See, Anita Diamant and Debra Dean as they discuss their work and mingle with guests at what promises to be a fun and informative weekend for readers and book clubs; and the suspense-filled weekend from November 6-8 when Steve Berry, Joseph Finder, David Morrell, Les Standiford and M.J. Rose will share their secrets for keeping readers on the edge of their seats is another themed weekend we think you will enjoy.

Each themed weekend includes a three-day/two-night stay at the resort, exclusive admission to the Friday "Meet the Authors" welcome cocktail reception, Saturday book readings, reminiscences, demonstrations, "Q&A" sessions, a Saturday evening "Mix & Mingle" cocktail reception and gala dinner, a farewell breakfast Sunday morning and a keepsake "Season" gift. You can read more about these events and make reservations here. It's a lovely way to spend a luxurious weekend enjoying the companionship of authors and readers!

We are launching three new spotlight features this week, which means you can enter to win one of 30 advance copies we will be giving away. Our first is for Nevada Barr, whose new thriller, 13 1/2, will be in stores on September 29th. We have 10 copies 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 11th.

Next up, we are pleased to introduce you to R.J. Ellory, whose internationally acclaimed novel, A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS, is being released in the U.S. on September 8th. We have 10 copies 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 11th.

Last, but certainly not least, we are launching a feature for Michael Walsh. His newest thriller, HOSTILE INTENT, will take readers on an intense ride. It will be in stores on September 1st. We have 10 copies 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 11th.

We received some nice feedback from our advance readers of NO MERCY by John Gilstrap. Please click here to read their comments. And for those of you who still are looking for summer reading, may we suggest our Summer Beach Bag of Books titles?

When I write the newsletter opener, I snack on something crunchy. My favorite newsletter opener snack food is pretzels. Snyder's big Sourdough hard pretzels. Thus each time I get stuck on what I want to say, I march downstairs from my office at the house (I work home on Fridays) and grab a pretzel. Some weeks there are many more pretzels than others. This week was a two-pretzel week, which is not bad.

Next week we are taking our annual summer hiatus. We take the week before Labor Day off to give the editorial team some time to relax, so our next update will be on Friday, September 11th. A few books to note that are releasing next Tuesday: EVIL AT HEART by Chelsea Cain (there is a great book trailer here); HEAVEN'S KEEP by William Kent Krueger (you can see some videos where I interview Kent here), THE PROMISED WORLD by Lisa Tucker, SPARTAN GOLD: A Fargo Adventure by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood, THE SPIRE by Richard North Patterson and CATCHING FIRE, the sequel to Suzanne Collins's amazing young adult novel, THE HUNGER GAMES.

I am headed to the Outer Banks to read...and relax. I stopped counting when I had packed 14 books in my bag for the seven-day trip. Now I wonder --- if my job is to read --- if this is really just a working vacation! On a summer vacation reading note, this week the White House press staff released President Obama's vacation reading list. Now, to be honest, the cynic in me here thinks that they created and released this list just to get the expected response, everyone commenting on it. And okay, when asked I did comment about it to USA Today. You can see what I had to say here. For the record, I am not releasing my list. Rather, when I get back, I will share what I read. I do not want anyone analyzing in advance.

I am noting that, as we drive south tonight, we will be driving right into the path of Tropical Storm Danny, which I think should be called by the more formal Daniel if it is going to wreak any kind of havoc. This will not be the first time that I drove into a tropical storm on my way to a vacation. I also remember waiting for Ernesto on the Outer Banks like he was the houseguest who was lost in traffic.

For those who are wondering, the cliffhanger about the microwave and television in my son's dorm apartment has not yet been resolved. He HAS moved in, and I visited to check out the digs the other night. I can tell you that if you are going to spend somewhere between $10,000-$12,000 on a dorm room, a three-bedroom, two-bath on West 60th Street in New York City seems like a bargain. Location location location.

Enjoy these next two weeks...there's lots to read and enjoy, so keep reading. I was especially humored by the passion in Lourdes Orive's review of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE. As you know, it's my current Bets On pick. Love it when a reader writes and loves a book like this. It's a magical moment. I'll see you in September.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
 

Shandi Mitchell is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter. In her remarkable debut, UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY, she crafts a boldly imagined, powerful novel of one family’s struggle to survive. This title will be available in stores on September 8th.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY.
-Click here to read Shandi Mitchell’s bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY.
-Click here to read more about Shandi Mitchell at HarperCollins.com.
-Click here to watch a video in which Shandi Mitchell discusses UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY:
Building to an unforgettable climax, this is the story of a 1930s immigrant family trying to survive the harsh Canadian prairies, where small and innocent acts have enormous and catastrophic consequences. From a passionate new voice in the world of literary fiction, UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY is a tribute to the resiliency of the human spirit told with great sensitivity and cinematic aplomb.
 

August's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes THE FIRE, the long-anticipated sequel to Katherine Neville's THE EIGHT, a novel steeped in stunning history, enchanted settings, baffling riddles and unforgettable characters; A MOST WANTED MAN, a fiercely compelling work of fiction from John le Carré in which an unlikely alliance is formed and a triangle of impossible loves is born; THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks, the story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life; THE BRASS VERDICT, a Michael Connelly legal thriller that brings criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller, the protagonist of THE LINCOLN LAWYER, into a case that has caught LAPD Detective Harry Bosch's interest; and A LION AMONG MEN, the third volume of Gregory Maguire's Wicked Years that marks a return to Oz, seen now through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion.

Among our nonfiction highlights are FREAKONOMICS, a groundbreaking collaboration between Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, who take a quirky look at all sorts of everyday activities that seem to have unsuspected subtle connections --- but only when you know what sort of questions to ask; THE NECKLACE by Cheryl Jarvis, which tells the story of 13 women in California who all share a very expensive diamond necklace that they purchased together --- something none of them could afford on their own; and Glenda Burgess's memoir THE GEOGRAPHY OF LOVE, a poignant exploration of the depths of the human heart and our ability to love and to trust no matter the obstacles.
 

Poll:

What is the most books you have read in week since you were an adult?

7 or more
6
5
4
3
2
1
I am not sure.

-Click here to answer our poll.


Question:

What do you think will be remembered as the book of summer for 2009?

-Click here to answer our question.


Word of Mouth:

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 EVIL AT HEART by Chelsea Cain, THE GUINEA PIG DIARIES: My Life as an Experiment by A. J. Jacobs and HEAVEN'S KEEP by William Kent Krueger. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on September 11th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.