March 11, 2011

Note: There's One Less Hour of Reading This Weekend

I am all for Daylight Saving Time, but I am not sure who thinks this is a great idea for the second week in March! DST used to fall somewhere around the end of April, then crept up to the beginning of April, and now it’s mid-March. I am going to have to buck up to the concept of one less hour of shuteye, reading time, etc. over this weekend and at least a few weeks where it’s so dark in the morning I feel like Cory needs a flashlight and reflective clothing to head to the bus stop at 7AM.

I have had an absolutely crazy, busy, hectic week. When life gets like this, you may remember my favorite thing to do when I drive home is to crank up the sound system, open the sunroof and sing…LOUDLY! Now let me share something here that I have previously confessed. I cannot sing. Seriously, when I was in school they would ask me to mouth the words in choir. But there is nothing better for me than loudly singing at the top of my lungs to release stress and tension. Forget hitting the gym, yoga, meditation, etc. I CRANK up the radio and sing, and the tension disappears. I hit on one or two songs and focus on those. This week, I was addicted to singing along to “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys, and “You Come Back” from the new Edie Brickell CD. Now just like any aerobic exercise, the secret is repetition. So I hit the repeat button again and again. Seriously, try it...it really helps! Oh, and you can make up the words if you cannot figure them out. The key here is LOUD! And there’s a bonus if you are on pitch for even one word.
 

LOVE YOU MORE: A D. D. Warren Novel by Lisa Gardner (Thriller)
State trooper Tessa Leoni says she shot her husband in self-defense and has the bruises to prove it. For Detective D. D. Warren, it should be a clear-cut case. But their six-year-old daughter is missing. As Warren’s investigation turns into a statewide search, the clock starts ticking for Tessa. For her, the worst has yet to happen. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt from LOVE YOU MORE.
-Click here to enter our giveaway for LOVE YOU MORE.
 

SILENT MERCY by Linda Fairstein (Legal Thriller)
In the middle of the night, Prosecutor Alexandra Cooper is called to a church in Harlem. A woman’s decapitated body has been left burning on the steps. Three days later, a second is found in Little Italy. As Alex mines Manhattan’s houses of worship in search of a connection, she uncovers a terrible truth that puts her in the path of danger. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

 

SATORI by Don Winslow (Thriller)
It’s 1951, and the Korean War is raging. Nicholai Hel is a master of hoda korosu --- or "naked kill" --- and he’s acutely attuned to danger. He’s spent the last three years in solitary confinement, but now the CIA needs him. The Americans are willing to offer Hel freedom, money and a neutral passport, but only if he kills the Soviet commissioner to China. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
 

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 an 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.
 

Author Rae Meadows follows three generations of women in one family in MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS, a richly textured novel of birth, death, love, loss, secrets, strength, and the unbreakable ties between mothers and daughters.

We have 20 copies of MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS, which will be in stores March 29th, 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 18th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS.
-Click here to read critical praise for MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS.
-Click here to read Rae Meadows’s bio.
-Click here to see Rae Meadows’s backlist.
-Visit Rae Meadows’s official website, www.RaeMeadows.com.

More about MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS:
Samantha is lost in the joys of new motherhood --- the softness of her eight-month-old daughter's skin, the lovely weight of her child in her arms --- but in trading her artistic dreams to care for her child, Sam worries she's lost something of herself. And she is still mourning another loss: her mother, Iris, died just one year ago. When a box of Iris's belongings arrives on Sam's doorstep, she discovers links to pieces of her family history but is puzzled by much of the information the box contains. She learns that her grandmother Violet left New York City as an 11-year-old girl, traveling by herself to the Midwest in search of a better life. But what was Violet's real reason for leaving? And how could she have made that trip alone at such a tender age?
 

Bestselling author Gregg Olsen returns with CLOSER THAN BLOOD, a truly terrifying tale of murder and revenge as a crime long forgotten is revisited with chilling, modern consequences.

We have 20 copies of CLOSER THAN BLOOD, which will be in stores March 29th, 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 18th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from CLOSER THAN BLOOD.
-Click here to read critical praise for CLOSER THAN BLOOD.
-Click here to read Gregg Olsen’s bio.
-Click here to see Gregg Olsen’s backlist.
-Visit Gregg Olsen’s official website, www.GreggOlsen.com.

More about CLOSER THAN BLOOD:
The first time was easy. No one ever suspected the victim had been murdered. The crime long buried, the dark passions guiding the killer's hand are still alive. But the need for revenge cannot be denied. Only one person can stop the killing. Only one person can identify the killer. Only one person knows the face of death --- is as close as the face in the mirror…
 

Anna Jean Mayhew's debut novel, THE DRY GRASS OF AUGUST, explores the meaning of race through the eyes of a teenager as her family vacations through the segregated South in the mid-1950s, with their trip taking a shocking, tragic turn.
 

At Bookreporter.com, we have the opportunity to read many great books well in advance of their release dates. Now, with our Sneak Peek Feature/Contest, we are offering our readers the chance to preview select early picks --- and share feedback on them. We know that readers champion books that they love, and we want you to be part of the excitement of upcoming releases as early as possible.

Our latest Sneak Peek Feature spotlights THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD by Rebecca Coleman --- about a teenager and a teacher who find comfort in each other until their relationship edges toward dangerous territory --- which releases in October. 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. Enter here by Friday, March 18th at noon ET.

We really want to hear what you have to say about THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD, so if you will have time to read it and answer some questions by Friday, April 15th, please enter this contest. If not, we plan to have more opportunities like this in the future.

More about THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD:
THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD is the story of a boy and a woman: 16-year-old Zach Patterson, uprooted and struggling to reconcile his knowledge of his mother's extramarital affair, and Judy McFarland, a kindergarten teacher watching her family unravel before her eyes. Thrown together to organize a fundraiser for their failing private school and bonded by loneliness, they begin an affair that at first thrills, then corrupts each of them. Judy sees in Zach the elements of a young man she loved as a child, but what Zach does not realize is that their relationship is --- for Judy --- only the latest in a lifetime of disturbing secrets. As the walls close in, Zach finds himself needing to disentangle himself from premature adulthood. But the lines between adult and child have blurred, and life and sanity are unraveling faster and further than anyone could ever have imagined.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD.
 

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.

-Click here to read a second 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.
-Click here to see the winners of THE PEACH KEEPER.

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.
 

Spring is right around the corner. And to celebrate the start of a new season, Bookreporter.com's Books into Movies feature is spotlighting 11 films that are guaranteed to remedy the rest of your winter blues. They include The Lincoln Lawyer, the highly anticipated adaptation of Michael Connelly's legal thriller of the same name; Jane Eyre, Hollywood's latest take on Charlotte Brontë's classic novel; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, the newest on-screen installment of Jeff Kinney's hilarious series; and Kill the Irishman, the cinematic rendering of Rick Porrello's nonfiction account of a Celtic hero who took on the Italian-American Mafia.

For those of you who would rather relish the start of spring at home, our Books into Movies on DVD feature is spotlighting Hemingway's Garden of Eden, Fair Game, Love & Other Drugs and Tangled so you can enjoy the perfect combination of book-based flicks from the comfort of your own couch.

The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels have sold more than six million copies and made its writer, Laurell K. Hamilton, a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Recently, Anita took on graphic-novel form, giving her many fans a chance to see their tough-as-nails heroine depicted in a comic. Hamilton gave GraphicNovelReporter some behind-the-scenes information on the graphic novel process, how she wishes she could draw, and the imaginative fun of creating giant cobras and bringing them to life on the page.

-Click here to read a review of ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER: THE LAUGHING CORPSE, Book 1: ANIMATOR.
 

THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED: Stunning Alternate Histories of American Politics: JFK, RFK, Carter, Ford, Reagan by Jeff Greenfield (History)
History turns on a dime, and nowhere is this truer than in American politics. In THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED, Jeff Greenfield takes three dramatic narratives and shows how easily their outcomes might have changed. From assassinations to presidential debates, Greenfield depicts realistic scenarios that are remarkably plausible. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

ONE ROUGH MAN: A Pike Logan Thriller by Brad Taylor (Thriller)
They call it the Taskforce. Commissioned at the highest level, their existence is as essential as it is illegal. Pike Logan was their best operator --- until a tragedy altered everything. He knows what no one wants to admit: The real threat to America is posed by one or two men, and their attack is days away. These men will cross paths with Pike Logan. And Pike has nothing to lose. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE DARK SIDE OF INNOCENCE: Growing Up Bipolar by Terri Cheney (Memoir)
As a young girl, Terri Cheney’s life looked perfect. She was pretty and smart, with a father who doted on her. But starting with her first suicide attempt at seven, it was clear that something was wrong --- although there wasn’t a name for it yet. Throughout Terri’s chaotic early years, nothing was certain but this: Whatever was wrong with her must remain a secret. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE PHILOSOPHICAL BREAKFAST CLUB: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World by Laura J. Snyder (Science/History)
The roots of modern science can be traced to one group's transformation of nearly every scientific field in the 19th century. In the tradition of Sir Francis Bacon, four young academics at Cambridge --- each to become an inventor and luminary in his own right --- make a pact over breakfast and devote their lives to ensuring that science becomes a serious, well-awarded discipline. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.

MY FATHER’S FORTUNE: A Life by Michael Frayn (Memoir)
Like Tommy Frayn, most of us “move lightly over the earth,” leaving traces of our presence only in the hearts and minds of our loved ones who remain behind. In this tender, witty memoir, his son Michael explores a father’s quirky legacy. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

RED WOLF by Liza Marklund (Mystery)
In the dead of winter, a journalist is murdered in the Swedish town of Lulea. Crime reporter Annika Bengtzon thinks the killing is linked to a decades-old attack on an air base. Against her boss’s orders, Annika continues to investigate --- and more shocking murders follow. Soon, she is caught in a spiral of violence, centered on a communist group called The Beasts. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

HOME TO WOEFIELD by Susan Juby (Fiction)
A well-intentioned New Yorker full of ideals, Prudence Burns just inherited Woefield Farm --- 30 acres of scrubland and a half-sheared sheep. But the bank is about to foreclose, so Prudence must turn things around. And fortunately, she'll have help from her banjo-playing foreman, her reclusive neighbor, and an 11-year-old with prize-winning chickens. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to see the reading group guide for HOME TO WOEFIELD.

AUTUMN: THE CITY by David Moody (Fantasy/Thriller)
A disease that kills almost instantly, and indiscriminately, has ravaged a British city leaving few alive. Small groups of survivors hide in abandoned buildings around the city, venturing out only for the necessities, when they begin to notice a strange occurrence among the dead --- they seem to be re-animating. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

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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.