March 4, 2011

Lighting a Fire to Read Some Books (And No, It's Not a Book Burning!)

I cheated last week when making a fire. Instead of trudging out to the woodpile to carry in logs, I bought a case of those insta-light logs from the supermarket. Sadly they did not have my favorite style, which have the color crystals built right in, enabling me to play techno-pyro at the flick of a match. Instead, I lit the pressure-treated log and then tossed some crystals on top as the flames started to rage to make them colorful. Then, to ensure I was not completely cheating in my firemaking technique, I hauled in some of the twigs that had littered the front lawn from the blowing winds so I would not have to totally abandon my pioneer spirit. Somehow the flick of a match on a Friday night (I never have time for a fire during the week) is my version of turning on the weekend.

With the cold weather and no travel plans last month and this month, I have found myself planted on the couch in the family room by the fire on many a night and weekend. Books, knitting, my iPad, my laptop and the endless remotes needed to watch anything on our video/sound system surround me, though I am loathe to call myself a couch potato. I think those are people who just blindly stare at the TV; I instead remain actively engaged on the couch, though I do wish that reading, knitting and plunking the keys on my laptop were as aerobic as the treadmill and the exercise bike.

Quick project for all of you. Bestselling author Ian McEwan will be in New York the week of March 14th as part of his tour for the paperback release of SOLAR, which comes out on March 8th. We have been offered the opportunity to interview him and wanted to give you the chance to suggest a question or two for us to ask him. Thus, if you’ve read his books and would like to ask him a question about SOLAR or his other works, please email Elizabeth Bruce (Elizabeth@bookreporter.com) your suggested question(s) by Tuesday, March 8th. We look forward to sharing this interview with you and welcome your participation.

The movie tie-in edition of Sara Gruen's WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is now available with a cover featuring co-stars Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. The film will be in theaters on April 22nd, so if you have not read this book yet, the time to get to it is NOW! You can watch a trailer for the movie here. Also, for those who like to read the book before the movie, Michael Connelly’s THE LINCOLN LAWYER is coming to theaters on March 18th starring Matthew McConaughey. You can see a trailer here.

Our latest Sneak Peek: An Early Look at an Upcoming Book feature spotlights THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD by Rebecca Coleman, which will not be in stores until October. But you have a chance to read and comment now on the book, which tells the story of a teenager and a teacher who find comfort in each other until their relationship edges toward dangerous territory. I have started this book, and it’s tugging me to keep reading, as I can feel the characters spiraling out of control. You can read more about it here. We have 50 specially formatted early reader editions to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and share their comments about it. If you have time to read THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD and answer some questions by Friday, April 15th, please enter this contest here by Friday, March 18th at noon ET. If not, we plan to have more opportunities like this in the future.

We also have a new Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight feature, where we share the latest book from Sarah Addison Allen, the New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON. THE PEACH KEEPER welcomes readers to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be. I have 75 pages left, and the secrets still are unfolding. We have 20 copies of THE PEACH KEEPER, which will be in stores March 22nd, 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, March 11th at noon ET.

As I so often am reading books months in advance of publication, I am REALLY happy when they finally are available for me to remind you about them. The first this week is THE NIGHT SEASON by Chelsea Cain, which is reviewed by Joe Hartlaub. I have been a fan of Chelsea’s since her first book, HEARTSICK, and I am so happy to share that THE NIGHT SEASON completely delivers.

Portland detective Archie Sheridan is back and putting his life together as Gretchen is behind bars --- again --- and not there to torment him. Instead, reporter Susan Ward steps up to the plate in a bigger role here, and she and Archie continue their cat and mouse game. In the story, the Willamette River in Portland has flooded and a few people have drowned. But as the medical advisor looks more closely at the victims, it’s found that these people did not die innocently --- they were poisoned. With a new serial killer running around, Archie’s team is back doing what they do best. Susan also has discovered a story of a flood from the past, and her story has ramifications for the future.

It’s fast-paced, so well done and a lot less gritty than Chelsea’s previous novels. If you have not explored her work before, you can jump in here. And having been to Portland earlier last year, reading this was all the more interesting. I found myself picturing the neighborhoods. As Joe says in his review, “Dark, smart and terrifying in places, it will give you so many bangs for your buck that it should have been published in the shape of an automatic rifle.”

Last year, when we started talking about our proposed college-twentysomething site (which I still am planning), we had a great meeting with Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg, who have written a book called TO TIMBUKTU: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story. Casey and Steven met in Morocco during a semester abroad and after college decided to travel together first to China and then all the way to Timbuktu. This is the story of the intrepid adventure they took during those two years; it’s about travel as well as pushing limits and building an honest relationship. I loved it, and while it works for any age, it’s a great graduation present for any college senior pondering what comes next.

Our reviewer Melanie Smith says, “Their expedition is impressive and continually comical, an experience that screams ‘go out and find your own adventure.’ This is a bright story about appreciating different people and places. The writing and art are impressive, making it possible for the reader to be transported.” In her review she ends with, “Thus far, it is my favorite book of the year.” High praise indeed.

SING YOU HOME by Jodi Picoult is reviewed by Ray Palen, who says, "What Picoult does best is bring audiences inside the mind, body and soul of each of her characters --- real people with the same hopes and dreams as anyone else. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of same-sex marriage and the ability of these couples to raise children, you cannot help but be compelled by the desires of Zoe, Max and Vanessa. The court case and its outcome is continuously unpredictable and will have readers glued to their chairs right up to the startling conclusion.”

I mentioned BRINGING ADAM HOME: The Abduction That Changed America, by Les Standiford and Det. Sgt. Joe Matthews, last week, and this week we have our review by Barbara Bamberger Scott, who says, “Most Americans are aware of the legacy of Adam Walsh, even if they don’t know of him by name. They may have seen the milk carton campaigns to find missing children that began as a result of Adam’s death, or watched “America’s Most Wanted,” hosted by his father, John Walsh. Perhaps they have heard about the child advocacy work of his mother, Revé. But few can imagine the long, sorrowful, agonizing saga that John and Revé have lived, the gruesome and haunting story that began on an ordinary day in 1981 when Revé took her six-year-old son to the mall in Hollywood, Florida, left him briefly in a safe place at the arcade, and came back to find him gone. Forever.”

EMILY AND EINSTEIN by Linda Francis Lee is a romp of a great read, and our reviewer, Amy Gwiazdowski, has this to say about it: “This is a feel-good tale, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Also, I’m a sucker for any story that has a lovable, if ugly, dog in it. Einstein plays the part well.” Linda has created some really fun videos with auditions for the dog in the book that you can see here. She also has been shooting videos all over New York during the year in her "Linda Lee in NYC" series. If you have not been to New York, it’s fun to see this native Texan gal see the city.

WHEN YOU WERE MINE by Elizabeth Noble is reviewed by Amie Taylor, who has this to say: "Elizabeth Noble’s latest novel is a coming-of-age story, even though the heroine is approaching her 40th birthday. For the first time in her life, Susannah is asking what she really wants rather than what she feels compelled to do by others. The problem is that what she wants now has the potential to disrupt the lives of those around her, as well as her own. Told in a chronological manner with frequent glimpses into the past, the book allows us to compare the Susannah of today with the Susannah of yesteryear. As a character, she is finally freed from her chains as she grows and changes before our eyes, no matter how painful or liberating that change may be…. Susannah and her loved ones are frustrating, amusing, entertaining and, ultimately, encouraging in this slice-of-life novel that presents events that could happen to any of us.”

We have an interview with Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens, as well as our review of their book, NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU, by Joe Hartlaub, who says, “The most fascinating part of this series is that it works. If there was such a show on television, the ratings for it would shoot through the roof. It’s a great concept to begin with, and its flawless execution by Collins and Clemens will keep you reading from beginning to end.”

Lots more reviews; the editorial team has had a very busy week.

In other news, those of you who like to support libraries will want to know about the auction that is going on to raise funds for the DeKalb County Public Library in Georgia. An event will take place there on March 12th featuring Karin Slaughter, the author champion of SaveTheLibraries.com, and her co-hosts, Kathryn Stockett and Mary Kay Andrews. But anyone can get in on the action to support this library by taking a look at the items they have up for auction here, which includes signed books, naming characters in books, lunches with prominent publishing folks, and a whole lot of other fun, bookish ideas. Enjoy, and note that while this event is in Georgia, there will be forthcoming events in Boston and other cities! But don’t let that hold you back on getting into the action now.

I always have a stack of books to read, and thus always feel I am behind, but it’s nice to know that’s not the only place where I am playing catchup. I am knitting an artsy-looking cape that I picked up the yarn and pattern for at the Vogue Knitting Convention. It has 27 different pieces that eventually will be sewn together; I have 17 done. Assume that by the time piece 27 is finished, it will be spring. My yarn stash is like my reading pile; I never seem to catch up. I read in one yarn store newsletter the other day that it’s time to put away winter projects and get knitting for spring/summer. I was sputtering…but but but…I am not done yet!

While I love words and stories, last Friday night I watched a documentary about the famous magazine photographer, Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens, and realized how she has told many a story with pictures. It’s very well done and worth checking out. I also watched two other films that may be of interest to you that are under the radar. The Stoning of Soraya M., based on THE STONING OF SORAYA M.: A Story of Injustice in Iran by Freidoune Sahebjam, is sad and brave at the same time. Mother and Child, which was advertised on Bookreporter.com over the summer when I was traveling and unable to see it in theaters, also is well done, weaving a number of storylines together about a mother who places her child up for adoption and the way that one action affects a number of lives. All are available via Netflix.

Be on the lookout for Lisa Gardner’s LOVE YOU MORE and Linda Fairstein’s SILENT MERCY, both of which will be in stores on Tuesday. I have started SILENT MERCY and am enjoying checking back in with Alex Cooper. And with LOVE YOU MORE, I am ready for more from D. D. Warren. It’s one of those weekends where my couch time will be spent with book character friends. Hmmmm…are these adult versions of imaginary friends? Here’s to a great week of reading.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

 

SING YOU HOME by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life. But to her shock and inevitable rage, some people --- even those she loves and trusts most --- don’t want that to happen. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read an excerpt from SING YOU HOME.

Prolific author T.C. Boyle is challenging readers with his latest literary masterpiece, WHEN THE KILLING’S DONE, which charts the mounting confrontation between a National Park Service biologist and a local businessman, as each does what they deem necessary to preserve the rare --- and increasingly endangered --- wildlife on California’s fabled Channel Islands. In this interview, Boyle discusses his lifelong interest in environmental issues, reflecting on the now-destroyed New York forest where he spent much of his childhood. He also addresses the real-life crisis that inspired his new novel, speculates on the effectiveness of radical activism, and reveals why, in his mind, policy and prose should always remain separate matters.

WHEN THE KILLING’S DONE by T.C. Boyle (Fiction)

Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens have teamed up once again for NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU, the sequel to last year’s YOU CAN’T STOP ME, which follows sheriff turned reality television host J.C. Harrow as he tries to track down two ruthless killers, who have locked themselves in a relentless battle for notoriety by sending videos of their latest victims to Harrow’s true crime TV show. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Joe Hartlaub, Collins and Clemens discuss the ideas that inform their latest novel, elaborating on how they came up with the concept of a “killer” TV series and the real-life reality show that helped inspire it. They also share a few of their favorite unsolved mysteries, give the scoop on the years they spent behind the scenes of “CSI” and unveil their plans for the cast of “Crime Seen!”

Sarah Addison Allen, the New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON, welcomes readers of THE PEACH KEEPER to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.

We have 20 copies of THE PEACH KEEPER, which will be in stores March 22nd, 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, March 11th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE PEACH KEEPER.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE PEACH KEEPER.
-Click here to read Sarah Addison Allen’s bio.
-Click here to see Sarah Addison Allen’s backlist.
-Visit Sarah Addison Allen’s official website, www.SarahAddisonAllen.com.

More about THE PEACH KEEPER:
It’s the dubious distinction of 30-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam --- built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home --- has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.

But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate --- socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood --- of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.
 

Sarita Mandanna's ambitious debut novel, TIGER HILLS, traces a love triangle over three decades on the sprawling plantations of southern India, underscored by beautiful prose, a rich setting and delicate pacing.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from TIGER HILLS.
-Click here to read critical praise for TIGER HILLS.
-Click here to read Sarita Mandanna’s bio.
-Click here to see the winners of TIGER HILLS.

More about TIGER HILLS:
As the first girl born to the Nachimada family in over 60 years, the beautiful Devi is the object of adoration of her entire family. Strong-willed and confident, she befriends the shy Devanna, a young boy whose mother has died under tragic circumstances. The two quickly become inseparable, until Devi meets Machu the tiger killer, a hunter of great repute, and a man of much honor and pride. Soon, they fall deeply in love, an attraction that drives a wedge between Devi and Devanna. It is this tangled relationship between the three that leads to a devastating tragedy --- an event that changes their fates forever and has unforeseen and far-reaching consequences for generations to come.
 

THE NIGHT SEASON by Chelsea Cain (Thriller)
With Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell behind bars, Portland police detective Archie Sheridan can rest a little easier. But the city is flooding, and several have drowned --- or that’s what everyone thought. Soon Portland has a new serial killer on its hands. And reporter Susan Ward has unearthed another set of skeletons from the last time Portland flooded, leaving at least 15 dead. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE NIGHT SEASON.
 

BRINGING ADAM HOME: The Abduction That Changed America by Les Standiford, with Det. Sgt. Joe Matthews (True Crime)
Before Adam Walsh, there were no faces on milk cartons, no Amber Alerts, no federal databases of crimes against children. His 1981 abduction and murder went unsolved for over 27 years, and forever changed America. BRINGING ADAM HOME is the definitive account of this terrible crime. It’s a story of pain, police failures and determination, but also one of enduring love. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
 

EMILY AND EINSTEIN by Linda Francis Lee (Fiction)
Emily Barlow believes that her marriage to Sandy Portman is a happy one. But when Sandy dies in a car accident, she finds out that the fairy tale she let herself believe in was far from the truth. While working through her grief, she learns that the man she loved was not even someone she knew. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

-Click here to read an excerpt from EMILY AND EINSTEIN.
-Visit Linda Francis Lee’s official website, LindaFrancisLee.com.

WHEN YOU WERE MINE by Elizabeth Noble (Fiction)
With her 40th birthday staring her in the face, an unsatisfactory live-in relationship with her boyfriend, Doug, and a failed marriage behind her, Susannah is less than impressed with the course her life is on --- and even moreso when she crosses paths with Rob, her first true love. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

-Visit Elizabeth Noble’s official website, ElizabethNobleBooks.com.

TO TIMBUKTU: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story written by Casey Scieszka and illustrated by Steven Weinberg (Memoir)
Two young adults meet while studying abroad in Morocco. They fall in love and decide to travel some more…and their adventures begin. For the next year-and-a-half, they teach English in China, wander Southeast Asia, and do research in Mali. TO TIMBUKTU is a fully illustrated chronicle of their illuminating time abroad --- and what they learned there. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.
 

GIDEON’S SWORD by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
At the age of 12, Gideon Crew watched as his father was accused of treason and gunned down. At 24, he learned that his father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. His dying mother begs Gideon to avenge him…and his spectacular plan is successful. But someone is watching from the shadows. For Gideon, his one-time mission is only the beginning… Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

ROCK BOTTOM by Erin Brockovich, with CJ Lyons (Thriller)

A young woman returns to her hometown with her son, hoping to make amends with her parents and the father of her child, even as she takes a job fighting the town’s biggest industry. But upon her arrival, she learns that her prospective employer is dead. As she forges ahead with the battle, she begins to suspect that he didn’t die of natural causes. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

WEST OF HERE by Jonathan Evison (Fiction)

Set in the fictional town of Port Bonita on Washington’s Pacific coast, WEST OF HERE is storytelling on its grandest scale. With one segment focused on the town’s founding and another on the lives of their descendants in 2006, the novel develops as a conversation between two epochs --- one rushing blindly toward the future, and the other struggling to undo the past. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.

MADAME TUSSAUD: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran (Historical Fiction)

Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated Salon de Cire. Her greatest dream, though, is to gain the approval of the royal family, and one day her wish comes true. But will Marie be able to hold on to their friendship --- and meet the demands of powerful revolutionaries --- as France approaches civil war? Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

THE REVENGE OF THE RADIOACTIVE LADY by Elizabeth Stuckey-French (Fiction)

Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs, come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent --- and it had horrible consequences. Marylou has been plotting for 50 years, and when she accidentally discovers his whereabouts, her plans snap into action. But Marylou has no idea what she’s walking into. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to see the reading group guide for THE REVENGE OF THE RADIOACTIVE LADY.

THE GOSPEL OF ANARCHY by Justin Taylor (Fiction)

In Gainesville, Florida, in the summer of 1999, a college dropout sleepwalks through his life --- until a lost friend jolts him from his torpor. He’s drawn into the grimy world of Fishgut, a loose collective outside the law. There they watch for the return of a mysterious hobo who will transform their oasis into the Bethlehem of a strange new creed. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE CURSE-MAKER by Kelli Stanley (Historical Mystery)

When Roman physician Arcturus and his wife arrive at Bath for a holiday, a body is floating in the sacred spring. The dead man is a curse-maker whose invocations actually come true. And as murder follows murder, it looks like there's a curse on Arcturus. Now the doctor-investigator must travel down a dark road as he tries to comprehend a killer bent on revenge. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
 

Poll and Question of the Week: Borrowing eBooks from Your Library

Poll:

Do you check out eBooks from your local library?

Yes, all the time

Yes, sometimes

No, but I am aware of this and would like to try it.

No, I am not aware you could do this.

I am not interested in this.
I do not go to the library.

-Click here to answer our poll.


Question:
 

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 A LESSON IN SECRETS: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear, LIVE WIRE by Harlan Coben and NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah. Tell us what you are reading here and rate the titles 1-5 by noon ET on Friday, March 18th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.