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August 6, 2010

Bookreporter.com Newsletter August 6, 2010
 
Back on the Ground...Ready for R&R...Reading and More Reading
This is when you know it’s hot. I dashed out for a fast swim in Orlando last Friday afternoon when I was attending the Romance Writers of America Convention, and I saw a note that “the pool temperature will not get over 104.” Um, to me, that is a hot tub. I did laps and the air felt the same temperature as the water. Now I know people say romances can be hot and steamy...well, here the temperatures contributed to the sizzle! Since I was in town less than 48 hours, I did not get to see everyone who I would have liked, but did spend two evenings party hopping, which is a nice way to catch up with a lot of people fast.

I saw Debbie Macomber, who was being honored with the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, and of course we talked knitting; Debbie was off the day after the show to go to Turkey, where a line of yarns that will be branded under her name are being made (they will be in stores this fall). Mary Kay Andrews was talking about her upcoming book (she is working on revisions now) that takes place in one of my favorite places, The Outer Banks. She moaned that she was in Nags Head writing for days and never left her writing cottage. Also, I saw Tess Gerritsen, who had just gotten news that the show based on her Rizzoli and Isles series has already been renewed by TNT for next season. I saw many more folks and then ended Friday evening at the Harlequin party, where there was dancing…lots and lots of dancing. They had the same killer deejay who has mixed the party the last three years; I always wish I could remember what he plays since it’s always a great night. I flew back Saturday morning missing the RWA Awards ceremony, where Debbie was feted and the RITA and Golden Heart awards were announced. You can see the list of winners here. As always, I wished I had more time! I missed seeing so many people.

Another list of awards, of sorts, was unveiled earlier this week. A few weeks ago, NPR asked readers to vote for the Top 100 Killer Thrillers of all time. Close to 200 titles were nominated by authors in the suspense/thriller genre, and readers were then allowed to vote for 10 titles each to make the top 100. You can see the full list here. Reading through it brought back a lot of memories. At the same time, I was making careful notes of some books unfamiliar to me that I’ll be sure to check out. The list is of not just current titles but spans from the likes of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA and Ian Fleming’s GOLDFINGER. Check it out!

Now that my business travel schedule has ended for a couple of months, I’m finally able to gather my wits and name my latest Bets On picks. I admit, I’m loooong overdue to share some new personal favorites, but I know these two titles will more than make up for it. My first Bets On pick is RICH BOY by Sharon Pomerantz, which I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of last spring. RICH BOY reminded me a lot of Herman Wouk’s classic MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, a book I’ve always loved. Like Herman did with Marjorie, Sharon just dropped me into the world of Robert Vishniak, a middle-class young man who finds himself in New York’s high society. Sharon spent 10 years writing RICH BOY, and it shows, as all the details, dialogue and plot turns are just perfect.

One more note on RICH BOY. I have been looking for a book that envelops readers into setting and period like "Mad Men," and this is the closest I have come. There are very vivid descriptions of setting and location in each decade, beginning in the '60s and moving up to modern times, and Robert is as detached emotionally as Don Draper.

My second Bets On pick is STILTSVILLE by Susanna Daniel. My friend, Virginia Stanley, was raving about this one at library conferences I attended in both January and March, and as I value her opinion, I gave it a shot and fell in love with it! STILTSVILLE takes place in the Miami area, an area I’ve come to love after some visits over the years. I was familiar with a lot of the locations mentioned in the book, like the pool at the Biltmore Hotel (my favorite pool anywhere!) and the Cape Florida Lighthouse near Key Biscayne. I saw the remains of the actual Stiltsville --- a collection of houses built high on stilts in Biscayne Bay, which is the inspiration for the title and story --- from the top of the lighthouse. The love story that unfolds in STILTSVILLE was very touching, and I felt a real connection to the characters, like I had known them already. The personal touch of having visited many of the landmarks was a special treat. Love the cover, too. Both our reviewers were as wild about them as I was. If you read either of these books, I would be curious as to what you think.

This talk of beaches, oceans and lighthouses segues into our latest Beach Bag of Books contest. Our contest featuring Lisa Jackson’s RUNNING SCARED has ended, and you can see if you’re one of our grand prize winners or runners-up here. The latest collection has taken a “crime” theme as we’re featuring four titles of mystery, mayhem, suspense and thrills. Perfect for this time of year, I think. Our featured titles are BURN: An Anna Pigeon Novel by Nevada Barr; THE DARK END OF THE STREET: New Stories of Sex and Crime by Today’s Top Authors edited by Jonathan Santlofer and S.J. Rozan, and featuring new short stories from Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Lawrence Block and more; STILL MISSING by Chevy Stevens; and THEY’RE WATCHING by Gregg Hurwitz. Five grand prize winners will receive copies of the books, along with a multicolored striped beach towel, flamingo-shaped towel clips, a multicolored striped roll-up beach mat that can double as a picnic blanket, and multicolored picnic ware (including plates and glasses for four and an oversized bowl), all packed in an oversized beach tote. Five runners-up will receive the books. Enter here by noon ET on Friday, August 20th for your chance to win. We also share all our contests on our Facebook page. If you're not on Facebook, you can keep up with our daily postings here.

We have a great lineup this week, and I want to touch on a few books we have reviews of that I have been looking forward to sharing with you. The first is FRAGILE by Lisa Unger. In it, a young woman has disappeared, which brings back memories of a woman who went missing and was found dead a few decades before. Most of the same people are still in town, and there are questions swirling about what happened now --- and then. Lisa captured so much of what it must be like to stay in the town you grew up in --- where everyone knew you back when. As our reviewer Kate Ayers says, “Lisa Unger brings this little town alive with flourish, probing the tragedies and the victories of the citizens of The Hollows. Each character has a multi-layered complexity and his or her own dangerous flaw unseen in most novels.”
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We also have an interview with Elizabeth Brundage, whose A STRANGER LIKE YOU hit stores this week. Elizabeth has a great book trailer on her site, which you can view here. I spoke with her after I read the book and asked her about the page of phrases at the front of the book. It ends up they are premise tags used in screenwriting that set up “if/then” scenarios; Elizabeth has written many screenplays. Our conversation led to this video, which is one of the slickest I’ve seen and really builds the tension even before opening the book. We have a review of A STRANGER LIKE YOU below, and here is what Joe Hartlaub had to say about it: “Brundage is a wonderful storyteller who digs into those secret little corners of lives and personalities and lays bare the thoughts and emotions that reside therein. You know the ones of which I’m speaking; I think we all lay awake at night at some point in our lives and think, Am I the only one who feels like this? Brundage not only exposes these but also sets them free. The result is a wild ride of first impression.”

Also on the site this week, we have an interview with bestselling historical fiction author Philippa Gregory, whose latest title, THE RED QUEEN, is out now. You can read our review from Kathy Weissman here.

Henry Perez, whose MOURN THE LIVING is our current Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight title, talks to Joe Hartlaub this week, and you can read Joe's review here.

Another Elizabeth gearing up for a busy month is Elizabeth Gilbert, author of EAT PRAY LOVE, which maybe you have heard is hitting movie theaters everywhere Friday, August 13th. Just a bit of sarcasm there as the hype for the film adaptation, starring Julia Roberts, seems to be everywhere with tie-ins at clothing stores, furniture outlets, restaurants and, well, you get the idea. Eat Pray Love highlights our August Books into Movies feature, and you can win 20 copies of the movie tie-in edition of EAT PRAY LOVE over on ReadingGroupGuides.com. Read more details on how you can win and subscribe to that newsletter here. On the small screen, "Swords: Life on the Line" kicks off its second season Tuesday night at 10 ET on the Discovery Channel. I love this show, even if it does make me a bit seasick at times.

Also on ReadingGroupGuides.com, just a few weeks are left to enter the site’s 10th anniversary contest. We’re giving away $10,000 in prizes in the form of 50 $200 gift cards to the store of your choice, or you could donate your prize to a local library, school or charity. All you have to do is share your group’s favorite 10 discussion books over the years. The more members who enter, the better your chances of winning. Click here for more details and to enter.

Do you love Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games books? The final title, MOCKINGJAY, will be in stores on August 24th, and adults are as excited about this as our teen friends. We have a special contest to win a SIGNED copy of MOCKINGJAY on Teenreads.com. Share with the teens you know, or give it a whirl yourself. Click here to enter.


Are paperbacks your favorite format? Well, our monthly New in Paperback feature highlights the latest paperbacks, including these August titles: FORD COUNTY: Stories by John Grisham, TRUE BLUE by David Baldacci, PURSUIT OF HONOR by Vince Flynn, VANISHED by Joseph Finder, EVIL AT HEART by Chelsea Cain, THE SIEGE by Stephen White and LABOR DAY by Joyce Maynard.

Last night, Greg and I went to see the Swedish version of The Girl Who Played with Fire, which is just as good as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, maybe even better! Even with the subtitles; in fact, I barely noticed I was reading along. There was a moment last night where I literally jumped in my seat, and I was not alone. There also is a fabulous chase scene. What's interesting is that as raw, graphic and edgy as it is, I felt none of it was gratuitous. They showed what was needed to tell the story. Also, things were not prolonged. A few-seconds scene told a story instead of something long and drawn out to make a point. Now I am nuts about Daniel Craig (I will admit I have watched Casino Royale just a few times to swoon), but I am not sure the American movies can top the Swedes. There is a rawness to the Swedish films that will become seductive in the American ones. And to me, that is what gives them their edge.

It’s hard to believe that Greg is headed back to school in just a couple weeks, and probably even harder for HIM to believe. Summer vacation seems endless when you are in college. If there’s a student in your family, he/she might want to consider this textbook program from Amazon. With the skyrocketing tuitions and living costs for students, anything to help offset those costs makes a big difference. I also read a piece in USA Today that the new Higher Education Opportunity Act requires colleges to release required book lists at the time of class registration. Publishers must disclose prices and revision information to schools. Worth exploring.

Well, I have lots of R&R planned for the weekend --- reading and more reading. Reading, floating and grilling are all in my future! Here’s to a week of great reading.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

 
Bookreporter.com Talks to Henry Perez, Author of MOURN THE LIVING

Henry Perez follows up last year’s acclaimed thriller, KILLING RED, with MOURN THE LIVING, which finds reporter Alex Chapa investigating a serial killer with an unusual calling card who is responsible for the murder of a friend and colleague. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Joe Hartlaub, Perez discusses the different elements he had woven together to create the plot of this story and speculates on the appeal of journalists in mystery fiction. He also mentions a few current favorite reads, shares his thoughts on the future of the newspaper industry, and recounts some of his own colorful experiences as a journalist chasing stories.

MOURN THE LIVING by Henry Perez (Thriller)
From city to city, one man walks the streets, carefully choosing his victims. Mercilessly, he cuts their throats. And with each kill, he leaves his chilling trademark, honed to razor-sharp perfection over decades of practice. But now, reporter Alex Chapa is tracking the story, following the lead of a murdered colleague --- and getting dangerously close to the most elusive serial killer in decades. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read a review of MOURN THE LIVING.
-Click here to read an excerpt from MOURN THE LIVING.

-Click here to read Henry Perez’s bio.
-Click here to see Henry Perez’s backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for Henry Perez’s books.

-Visit Henry Perez’s official website, www.HenryPerezBooks.com.
 

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Click here to read our interview with Henry Perez.

 
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Bookreporter.com's Latest Summer Beach Bag Contest: BURN, THE DARK END OF THE STREET, STILL MISSING and THEY'RE WATCHING

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 Sixth Annual Bookreporter.com Beach Bag of Books feature and contests.

During select weeks from May 28th through September 3rd, we will highlight a different book or collection of books from
these featured titles with a contest prize --- a beach bag stocked with the featured book(s) and summertime essentials. Five FABULOUS beach bags will be given away each week, as well as five copies of the featured book(s) to additional winners.


We are currently spotlighting four titles of mystery, mayhem, suspense and thrills:

BURN: An Anna Pigeon Novel by Nevada Barr (Mystery)
While Anna Pigeon is staying with Geneva, an old friend from the National Park Service, she crosses paths with a tenant of Geneva’s, a creepy guy named Jordan. She discovers what seems to be an attempt to place a curse on her --- a gruesomely killed pigeon marked with runic symbols --- and begins to slowly find traces of very dark doings in the heart of post-Katrina New Orleans.

THE DARK END OF THE STREET: New Stories of Sex and Crime by Today’s Top Authors edited by Jonathan Santlofer and S.J. Rozan (Crime Anthology)
Sex and crime: the centerpieces of some of the most compelling literature the world has ever known. The Bible. Homer. Shakespeare. Tolstoy. They can define us, motivate us, make us tower with rage or quiver with shame. And in the hands of some of today’s great writers, they get us into all sorts of trouble.

STILL MISSING by Chevy Stevens (Suspense)
On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals --- sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

THEY’RE WATCHING by Gregg Hurwitz (Suspense)
Patrick Davis is a man with troubles. First his Hollywood dreams crumble and then his storybook marriage hits a snag. Now, DVDs start being delivered to his house --- DVDs that show someone is watching him and his wife, that the two of them are being stalked and recorded by cameras hidden in their house. Then the e-mails start, and someone offers to fix everything.
 

Click here to read all the contest details.

 

Bookreporter.com Bets On: RICH BOY by Sharon Pomerantz and STILTSVILLE by Susanna Daniel

Here are two books that Carol is betting you will love. Each is special in its own way, written with characters you will remember, lots of emotion and a strong sense of place. And our reviewers see why she is so excited about them; they are too! We'd love to know what you think once you read them.

RICH BOY by Sharon Pomerantz (August 2nd): I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of Sharon Pomerantz’s debut novel last spring. RICH BOY reminded me a lot of Herman Wouk’s classic MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, a book I’ve always loved. Like Herman did with Marjorie, Sharon just dropped me into the world of Robert Vishniak, a middle-class young man who finds himself in New York’s high society. Sharon spent 10 years writing RICH BOY, and it shows, as all the details, dialogue and plot turns are just perfect.

One more note about RICH BOY. I have been looking for a book that envelops readers into setting and period like “Mad Men,” and this is the closest I have come. There are very vivid descriptions of setting and location in each decade beginning in the ’60s and moving up to modern time, and Robert is as detached emotionally as Don Draper.


-Click here to read a review of RICH BOY.
-Visit the publisher’s official website, www.TwelveBooks.com.

 

STILTSVILLE by Susanna Daniel (August 3rd): My friend, Virginia Stanley, was raving about STILTSVILLE at library conferences I attended in both January and March. As I value her opinion, I gave it a shot and fell in love with it! Susanna Daniel’s debut novel takes place in the Miami area, which I’ve come to love after some visits over the years. I was familiar with a lot of the locations mentioned in the book, like the pool at the Biltmore Hotel (my favorite pool anywhere!) and the Cape Florida Lighthouse near Key Biscayne. I saw the remains of the actual Stiltsville, a collection of houses built high on stilts in Biscayne Bay, which is the inspiration for the title and story from the top of the lighthouse. The love story that unfolds in STILTSVILLE was very touching, and I felt a real connection to the characters, like I had known them already. The personal touch of having visited many of the landmarks was a special treat. And I love the cover, too.

-Click here to read a review of STILTSVILLE.

 

Click here to see all the titles we're betting you'll love.

 
Author Talk: Philippa Gregory, Author of THE RED QUEEN

Philippa Gregory’s second installment in The Cousins’ War series, THE RED QUEEN, centers on Lady Margaret Beaufort --- matriarch of the House of Tudor, mother to King Henry VII, and political rival of Elizabeth Woodville, the protagonist of last year’s THE WHITE QUEEN. In this interview, Gregory compares the two influential monarchs in their roles as dynastic pawns and political figures alike, and elaborates on what their positions in a male-dominated society reveal about women in the 15th century. She also reflects on Margaret’s lasting historical legacy while speculating on how her life would have differed had she been born a man, and describes one of the biggest challenges she has encountered as a writer so far.

THE RED QUEEN by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
If you’ve wondered where the whole Tudor drama began, look no further than this stunning novel of England’s chronically tempestuous 15th century. From a writer with a gift for making the past live, THE RED QUEEN is the tale of a woman who spent her life in a holy --- and unholy --- war to put her son, the future Henry VII, on the throne. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.


-Click here to read a review of THE RED QUEEN.
 

Click here to read an interview with Philippa Gregory.

 

Author Talk: Elizabeth Brundage, Author of A STRANGER LIKE YOU

Elizabeth Brundage’s third novel, A STRANGER LIKE YOU, is a psychological thriller that centers on a Hollywood executive who is abducted by a spurned screenwriter bent on proving the plausibility of his rejected script. In this interview, Brundage elaborates on the various themes and elements explored in this latest work --- including religion, sexism and war --- and discusses her instinctual writing process that relies on choices made by the characters she creates. She also responds to the “feminist” label placed upon her work by critics, describes how her roots as a screenwriter have enriched her fiction, and reflects on the somewhat unresolved ending to main character Hedda Chase’s story.

A STRANGER LIKE YOU by Elizabeth Brundage (Psychological Thriller)
Hedda Chase is a top-flight executive producer at Gladiator Films who recently pulled the plug on a film project initiated by one of her predecessors. An enraged Hugh Waters, the screenwriter on the project, flies to Los Angeles and finds Hedda, kidnaps her, and locks her in the trunk of her vintage BMW in the parking lot at LAX. He leaves the keys in the ignition, the parking ticket on the dash, and lets “destiny” take its course. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.


-Click here to read a review of A STRANGER LIKE YOU.
-Click here to watch a trailer for A STRANGER LIKE YOU.
-Visit Elizabeth Brundage’s official website, www.ElizabethBrundage.com.

 

Click here to read an interview with Elizabeth Brundage.

 

Now in Stores: FRAGILE by Lisa Unger

FRAGILE by Lisa Unger (Mystery)
When a troubled teen disappears, some people in The Hollows --- a quaint, charming town outside of New York City --- think she just ran away. But others remember a time a couple of decades back when another local girl disappeared, and they know she didn’t run away. She never made it out of The Hollows. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

 

Click here to read a review of FRAGILE.

 
New in Paperback for August

August’s roundup of New in Paperback titles includes FORD COUNTY, John Grisham’s first collection of short stories that takes us back to the setting of his debut novel, A TIME TO KILL; VANISHED by Joseph Finder, the first book in a new series featuring Nick Heller, a Special Forces-trained intelligence investigator commissioned by his 14-year-old nephew to find and rescue his estranged brother; THE SIEGE, in which Sam Purdy --- a secondary character in Stephen White’s bestselling Alan Gregory series --- takes center stage as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a group of Yale students; PURSUIT OF HONOR, the 10th addition to Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp saga and a return to the secretive world of fearless Americans fighting a covert war that can never be discussed; LABOR DAY, Joyce Maynard’s affecting tale of three damaged people who come together to form an unlikely family; THE PROMISED WORLD by Lisa Tucker, in which a literature professor’s carefully constructed life is shattered after the death of her twin brother and the unraveling of the secret world they shared; and OPEN, Andre Agassi’s revealing and engrossing memoir of his rollercoaster life both on and off the tennis court.

Click here to see our New in Paperback feature for August.

 
Books into Movies/Books into Movies on DVD for August
With an onslaught of sleepy sequels and tired remakes these past few months, August’s Books into Movies feature is spotlighting a handful of films that provide the perfect antidote to this lackluster season of summer blockbusters. Whether you’re looking to escape the scorching temps with fun popcorn flicks like the over-the-top comic adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and the unconventional comedy The Switch, or in need of inspiration and perhaps a good cry with the redemptive Eat Pray Love and the poignant biopic Mao’s Last Dancer, moviegoers a bit disheartened by the summer’s earlier offerings will surely find a little something to suit their cinematic cravings --- from edgy teen drama in Twelve, to sweet, nostalgic romance in Flipped, and fantastical family-friendly adventures in Nanny McPhee Returns.

Don’t forget that there’s plenty more where that came from, so check out our Books into Movies on DVD feature, where we’re spotlighting the endearing and hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the sentimental tearjerker The Last Song.
 
Click here for more details about August's films.

 
Now in Stores: PASSIONATE PLEASURES by Bertrice Small

PASSIONATE PLEASURES by Bertrice Small (Romance)
Some think librarians are stuffy, narrow-minded prudes --- but that's not true of Kathryn St. John. She runs Egret Point's library and is very involved in her community, even down to keeping them up with the latest trends. One major trend she turned the local ladies on to is the interactive network The Channel. It's there that Kathryn extends her occupational passions by playing out her favorite pieces of medieval English literature. Kathryn is quite satisfied with the princes, musketeers and highwaymen her personas seduce in The Channel. But her seductions spill out into the real world and reach Timothy Blair, new to Egret Point. Now Kathryn is left scrambling when her fantasy begins overtaking her reality...

 

Click here to read more about PASSIONATE PLEASURES.

 
ReadingGroupGuides.com's 10th Anniversary Contest --- $10,000 in Prizes!
ReadingGroupGuides.com is celebrating its 10th anniversary!

We appreciate all of you who have been loyal readers and contributors to the site. One of the best parts about watching ReadingGroupGuides.com flourish over the last decade has been the opportunity to be a part of book clubs in far-flung places. Imagine if we could celebrate with all of you in person --- what an event that would be! Since that’s not possible, we’ve come up with a way to celebrate with you: a special contest with $10,000 in prizes.

 
Click here to read all the contest details.

 
What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com

With more than 3,000 discussion guides now 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:

-Discussing ONE AMAZING THING

-Jeane Westin: HIS LAST LETTER
-Amy Bourret: MOTHERS AND OTHER LIARS
-Sara Poole: POISON
-Lynn Shepherd: MURDER AT MANSFIELD PARK
-Shop Local: Why Independent Bookstores Rock
-Award Winning (or at least nominated) Books for Book Club
-Lauren Belfer: A FIERCE RADIANCE
-New in Town? Join a Book Club
-Hot Books from the Outer Banks
-Top 10 Reading Group Suggestions from IndieBound


The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

DRACULA, MY LOVE: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker by Syrie James

EXIT by Liliana Badd
HIS LAST LETTER: Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester by Jeane Westin
THE LACUNA by Barbara Kingsolver
LEAVING BEFORE IT'S OVER by Jean Reynolds Page
MOTHERS AND OTHER LIARS by Amy Bourret
MY HOLLYWOOD by Mona Simpson
THE PLEASURE SEEKERS by Tishani Doshi
POISON: A Novel of the Renaissance by Sara Poole
SHE'S GONE COUNTRY by Jane Porter

SNAKEWOMAN OF LITTLE EGYPT by Robert Hellenga
SUCH A PRETTY FACE by Cathy Lamb
THE TOWER, THE ZOO, AND THE TORTOISE by Julia Stuart
UNDER THIS UNBROKEN SKY by Shandi Mitchell
THE UNEXPECTED SON by Shobhan Bantwal
WHAT WE HAVE: A Family's Inspiring Story About Love, Loss, and Survival by Amy Boesky

YOU HAVE GIVEN ME A COUNTRY: A Memoir by Neela Vaswani

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

HOW TO BUY A LOVE OF READING by Tanya Egan Gibson
LABOR DAY by Joyce Maynard
A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS by R.J. Ellory


The following guides are now available for Christian book groups:

COURTING MORROW LITTLE by Laura Frantz
RANSOMED DREAMS: Side Roads, Book 1 by Sally John
THE SEEKER by Ann H. Gabhart

 

Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.

 
This Week's Reviews
IN HARM’S WAY by Ridley Pearson (Thriller)
Sun Valley sheriff Walt Fleming's budding relationship with photographer Fiona Kenshaw hits a rough patch after Fiona is involved in a heroic river rescue and attempts to duck the press. She begs Walt to keep her photo out of the paper, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Lou Boldt, a police sergeant out of Seattle, calls to report that a recent murder may have a Sun Valley connection. After a badly beaten body is discovered just off a local highway, Walt knows there is a link --- but can he pull the pieces together in time? Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

SO COLD THE RIVER by Michael Koryta (Supernatural Thriller)
Struggling filmmaker Eric Shaw is asked to make a documentary about Campbell Bradford, a 95-year-old billionaire whose past is wrapped in mystery. In Bradford’s hometown, Eric discovers an extraordinary history --- a hotel that has been restored to its former grandeur just in time for his stay. Soon, however, frequent and intense hallucinations draw him deeper into the town's dark history. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to see the reading group guide for SO COLD THE RIVER.

CAPTIVE QUEEN: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir (Historical Fiction)
Following her portrayals of Queen Elizabeth I in THE LADY ELIZABETH and Lady Jane Grey in INNOCENT TRAITOR, Alison Weir now harks back to the 12th century with a tale that brings vividly to life England’s most passionate --- and destructive --- royal couple: Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II. Reviewed by Marge Fletcher.

DISCORD’S APPLE by Carrie Vaughn (Fantasy/Action & Adventure)
Carrie Vaughn --- author of the New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series featuring werewolf talk radio host Kitty Norville --- creatively merges several narrative strands in DISCORD'S APPLE, a suspenseful, provocative novel about the gods of Olympus and the end of the world as we know it. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.


HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE by Margaret Dilloway (Fiction)
When Shoko, a young Japanese war bride, arrives in America armed with the helpful guide, How to Be an American Housewife, she is eager to be a true American woman. But Shoko eventually discovers that she must also incorporate the part of herself that is ultimately Japanese in order to achieve the American dream.
Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

-Click here to see the reading group guide for HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE.

NO PLACE FOR HEROES by Laura Restrepo (Fiction)
DELIRIUM author Laura Restrepo takes readers back to the days of unrest in Colombia and Argentina during the “Dirty War” that lasted from 1976 to 1983. Restrepo does this as she recounts the story of her heroine's passion for the revolution and for the revolutionary hero who fathered her son. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.


RICKWOOD FIELD: A Century in America's Oldest Ballpark by Allen Barra (Sports History)
One hundred years ago, Birmingham, Alabama businessman Rick Woodward had a dream to build a ballpark for the city’s minor league franchise. While modern stadiums are constructed for hundreds of millions of dollars, Woodward accomplished his dream for a mere $75,000. Baseball historian Allen Barra vividly captures the rich history of Rickwood Field and its impact on American culture. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

 
Click here to read this week's reviews.

 
Poll and Question of the Week: Buying eReaders

Poll:

How much would you be willing to spend on an eReader?

Less than $75
$75
$100
$150
$200
$300
$400

$500
I already have an eReader.
I’m not interested in buying an eReader.
I’m not sure.


Would you be more tempted to buy an eReader if you could get a print copy of a book as well as the eBook version at the same time?

Yes, having the book available in both formats would make this more attractive to me.
No, having the book available in both formats would not make this more attractive to me.
Maybe, but it depends on the price.|
I have no interest in eBooks.
I'm not sure.

-Click here to answer our poll.



Question:

If you already have an eReader, what prompted you to purchase it? If not, what is holding you back?

-Click here to answer our question.

 

Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win THREE Books!
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 RICH BOY by Sharon Pomerantz, A STRANGER LIKE YOU by Elizabeth Brundage and TOUGH CUSTOMER by Sandra Brown. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon ET on Friday, August 13th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.

 
Click here for more details about Word of Mouth.
 

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Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by August 31, 2010 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month, one winner will be selected to win the following five books: BURN: An Anna Pigeon Novel by Nevada Barr, I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE by Laura Lippman, THE RED QUEEN by Philippa Gregory, SPIDER BONES by Kathy Reichs and THREE STATIONS by Martin Cruz Smith. Nikki from Bridgeville, PA was last month's winner. She won CORDUROY MANSIONS by Alexander McCall Smith, LIVE TO TELL: A Detective D. D. Warren Novel by Lisa Gardner, THE REMBRANDT AFFAIR by Daniel Silva, RULES OF BETRAYAL by Christopher Reich, and STAR ISLAND by Carl Hiaasen.

Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, GraphicNovelReporter.com, FaithfulReader.com, Teenreads.com, Kidsreads.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com and AuthorYellowPages.com.

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