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March 15, 2013

Bookreporter.com Newsletter March 15, 2013
Beware the Ides of March…and Erin Go Books!

I am Irish in name only. My husband is three-quarters German, which means my boys are something like one-eighth Irish. But on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish! Greg is planning to walk in the St. Patrick’s Day parade tomorrow with a contingent from Fordham. He was trying to convince me to join him, but the forecast is for rain and I am not walking 30 blocks in the rain, even if I get to wear a sash (a joking point around the house after I did that for his graduation). Also, during my Conde Nast years, the parade marchers used to line up outside my office. Picture four hours of bagpipe bands tuning up outside your office window. Trust me, the charm wears off really quickly.

I still am experiencing “Daylight Savings Time jetlag.” I am wide awake at night, but also am waking up early in the morning, thus I am in some suspended sleep zone. As a result, I am getting a lot of reading done, as when I cannot sleep I find myself reaching for a book or my iPad to read a manuscript. In my current reading rotation is Mary Kay Andrews’s upcoming novel, LADIES’ NIGHT, which will be in stores on June 4th. Grace Stanton is a lifestyle blogger who learns that her husband is cheating on her, with her personal assistant no less. And she wants revenge. Thus she drives his sporty car into the swimming pool behind her house. The judge does not take kindly to that, and suddenly she’s in deep water herself as she is ordered into a weekly “divorce recovery” group. There she meets other women who also have been dissed by their men. Together they ditch their court-appointed therapist and turn their sessions into a mega bonding experience. I am only one-third of the way in, but already I am moving into my “I want to decorate” mode as Grace is inspiring me --- or Mary Kay is. Reading her books can be very expensive for me as the decorating ideas motivate me. As Mary Kay’s agent Stuart says, “There’s lots of house porn!” I am waiting for Tom to hide it from me if I start bringing out paint swatches!

On Wednesday night, Greg and I zipped down to the Algonquin Hotel to see Suzanne Rindell talk about her upcoming book, THE OTHER TYPIST, which will be in stores on May 7th. Set in New York in 1923, the protagonist Rose is a prim and proper police department typist who lives by the rules. Her typing skills get her a seat front and center at the crimes of the day, some of which police brass apologize for as being too rough for the typist’s fragile womanly nature. Enter Odalie, who lives life by a different code. She brashly bobs her hair and has an edge that is scandalous in Rose’s eyes. But Odalie brings out a new side of Rose and suddenly life changes dramatically. For fun, Suzanne had the bartender at the Algonquin create two signature cocktails to celebrate her characters; one is light and fresh (like Rose) with cucumber and lemon and gin, as well as a drop of champagne, whereas Odalie’s drink is more like a Sazerac drink with bourbon and has a brasher taste. It was a fun way to introduce the book and the characters. You can see a photo of me with Suzanne above. More on this in the months ahead.

I look forward to finishing both of these books over the weekend!

This week, we have our review of UNTIL I SAY GOODBYE: My Year of Living with Joy by Susan Spencer-Wendel and Bret Witter, which I raved about a couple of weeks ago. Susan has ALS and knows her fate. She also is a journalist and a very take-charge person. So instead of crying “woe is me,” she has gone on to live life joyfully, even though the disease is zapping her muscle control. She's traveled with family and friends, planned memories for her children, and focused on doing rather than weeping.

Norah Piehl has this to say in her review: “UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE is both bittersweet and often surprisingly funny…. [Such] moments not only provide levity in what could otherwise be a pretty downbeat read, they also continually remind readers that it's okay to follow in Spencer-Wendel's footprints and to approach her memoir with joy --- fragile and complicated to be sure, but joy nonetheless.”

Once again, we’re giving you an opportunity to jump in early and read a book --- and comment about it. WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall is the latest title we’re spotlighting in our Sneak Peek: An Early Look at an Upcoming Book feature. The story takes place in the summer of 1963 and introduces readers to nine-year-old Starla Claudelle, who runs away from home to be with her mother in Nashville and is offered a ride by a black woman who is traveling with a white baby. As the two unlikely companions make their long and sometimes dangerous journey, Starla’s eyes are opened to the harsh realities of 1963 southern segregation.

I read this book a few weeks ago and loved it. Starla’s voice and plucky nature is reminiscent of another little Southern girl from literature whose name also starts with an S. Claudelle’s portrayal of the South in 1963 will make you think. (And yes, it’s another book set in the ’60s, which I noted as a trend last week!) The book doesn’t release until July 2nd, but we have 50 advance copies to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and share their comments about it by May 2nd. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 28th at noon ET. For our Sneak Peek program, your commitment to participate is critical, so please only enter this contest if you truly will have time to read WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD and give us your feedback before our May 2nd deadline. We take these project deadlines seriously. If not, don’t worry…we will have more opportunities like this in the future. This will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection when it releases.

This week, we're featuring a new title in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight: HEART OF PALM by Laura Lee Smith, which I talked about glowingly in a previous newsletter. Here we meet the Bravos, who live in a small southern town on the other side of prosperity. The town is faded, and the people there are going through the motions. But the town is primed for the big time with a land deal that could completely change things --- but it all hinges on the Bravos’ next move. I’m thrilled to be able to spotlight Laura and her debut work with our readers. I was lucky enough to meet her in Kansas City at Winter Institute, and it was a pleasure to be able to chat with her about her inspiration for the Bravos! The book is not in stores until April 2nd, but we’re giving away 25 copies to those who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 28th at noon ET. This, too, will be a Bets On selection.

Our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight for Becky Masterman’s RAGE AGAINST THE DYING enters its final week, and we have our review from Joe Hartlaub. I read this book in manuscript form back in November and always like an opportunity to see writers at the start of their careers. There are so many who I have discovered this way. I found myself enjoying pulling together all the clues, and the multiple suspects made it endlessly intriguing. Masterman is a great storyteller, and the first-person narrative is just perfect here. In his review, Joe tantalizingly says, “If you want a clue as to how incredibly superb RAGE AGAINST THE DYING is, just read the first sentence. It’s not a false teaser, either. That introduction of just a few words promises a lot and delivers much more.” Joe also had the opportunity to interview Masterman, who talks about her characters, research, writing schedule, and long road to publication.

As promised, we have our review of THE OBITUARY WRITER, which I announced last week as my latest Bets On selection. Ann Hood’s new novel has two storylines that weave themselves together. First, readers are introduced to Claire, who, on the day JFK is inaugurated, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless marriage or follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. The other character is Vivien, an obituary writer who lost track of her lover in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Reviewer Melanie Smith calls the book “a wonderful novel with pensive themes, presented creatively and interestingly.... Female readers who enjoy literature or history will find a lot to think about and discuss here.”

My son, Greg, is a huge fan of Cara Black’s series featuring Parisian private investigator Aimée Leduc, so he jumped at the chance to review the latest installment, MURDER BELOW MONTPARNASSE. This time, Aimée has to find a precious painting, stop her attackers, and figure out what her long-missing mother has to do with all this. The book was another winner for Greg, as he says, "Fans won’t be disappointed by MURDER BELOW MONTPARNASSE; it’s one of the best in an already-strong series. They may be surprised, however, by the biggest plot twist at the end."

We also have a review of A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING by Ruth Ozeki, who I also had the pleasure of meeting at Winter Institute. In Tokyo, 16-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates’ bullying. But before she ends it all, Nao first plans to document the life of her great grandmother, a Buddhist nun who has lived more than a century. A diary is Nao’s only solace --- and will touch lives in ways she can scarcely imagine. According to reviewer Michael Magras, “A 750-word review can’t do justice to the many big ideas and lovely moments in this book…. In an era when American novels rarely have the courage to address large themes, it’s a pleasure to read a book that dares to think big.” This is Ozeki’s first novel in 10 years; her first two books were MY YEAR OF MEATS (1998) and ALL OVER CREATION (2003).

There’s one more week left in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight contest for WHAT TEARS US APART by Deborah Cloyed, which releases on March 26th. When Leda desperately flees her life of privilege to travel to Kenya, she unexpectedly falls for Ita at a boys' orphanage in the slums of Nairobi. As political unrest plagues the country, Leda and Ita are left to face the reality that sometimes the most treacherous threat is not the world outside, but the demons within. We have 25 copies of the book to give away to readers who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 21st at noon ET.

We also continue our contest for Susan Wiggs’s upcoming novel, THE APPLE ORCHARD. This time, Wiggs brings readers to the lush abundance of Sonoma County in a novel of sisters, friendship, and how memories are woven like a spell around us. The book is not out until April 30th, but we’re giving 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy. All you have to do is fill out this form by Thursday, March 21st at noon ET.

This week in our Spring Preview Feature, we gave away LIFE AFTER LIFE by Jill McCorkle and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler. You can see the lucky winners of these and our other Spring Preview contests here. We will be wrapping up the feature next week with PALE HORSES by Jassy Mackenzie. This final contest will be announced on Tuesday, March 19th at noon ET.

In a previous newsletter, I talked about LEAN IN: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, which I read and is now in stores --- and if you had been near a TV this week, I am sure you have seen Sheryl interviewed. The book is sparking lots of controversy, which I find interesting. Especially since some of the comments are coming from people who come right out and say that they have not read the book, but they do not agree with her. One big stumbling block for many is that Sheryl is perceived as being too wealthy and privileged to be speaking realistically for other women.

Here’s my take. I am married, have two sons, worked in management at a corporation, and now run my own company. My husband is great at helping out around the house, which frees me up a lot to work! Does the house always look perfect? No. Would I be happier if it was like a television set? Yes. There are times when I think I am way too much in charge of things, but he is in the grocery store a lot more than me and I am not really big on emptying the kitchen garbage, as in I rarely do it. We each have our roles. There also are a lot of nights that he has been tapping his toe on a Friday night waiting for me to finish writing so we can go out for dinner. While I work home one day a week, he works from the house most days, and thus he is there for the boys when I am not. We have a great housekeeper two days a week who I gave up other things to employ since I know she makes all of our lives easier (not excavating teen boys' rooms leads to familial harmony). But guess what? For working on all this together, life is still not perfect, but it’s better than most.

Reading the book, I remembered a lot of times that I leaned back and did not raise my hand when working...and I have to say I have been thinking about the concept of leaning in more since I read it. Thinking back, I also realize that my four years at an all-girls high school in the ’70s were empowering for my getting some key roles sans competition from “the boys,” though they made dates for the prom a lot more challenging. Sure, Sheryl is privileged, and to many I am as well. But the ideas here can make for some constructive conversations, and I suggest there not be a quick dismissal of the ideas. In fact, I think it would be helpful for men to read it as well. I will be curious as to what those of you who read it think. I also have been talking about some of the ideas in it with our young female staffers; I hope I am encouraging them to leave doors open for themselves and to lean in. We will have our review in the next couple of weeks.

We have a new Word of Mouth contest this week. Let us know what you’re reading by Friday, March 29th at noon ET, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of LEAN IN and LIFE AFTER LIFE, along with ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger.

Please note: We will be picking the winners of our last Word of Mouth contest next week once all the entries have been posted on the site. So if you don't currently see your comments here, you will next week.

Thus far, this year has brought us some excellent books --- and my “reading ahead” is promising that there will be MANY more.

Last week, I talked about why our websites have been running so slowly lately. We’ve been working on some big solutions to solve the problem, but until that happens, we’ve decided it would be best to hold off on posting a new poll. We want as many people as possible answering these questions, and a speedier site will certainly help us achieve that goal. So stay tuned…our poll will be up and running again very soon!

In our last poll, we asked what types of nonfiction books you typically read. Biographies/Autobiographies (77%), Memoirs (65%) and History (58%) were the three most popular categories. Click here for all the results and to see what other nonfiction genres readers enjoy that weren’t on our list. We’ll be taking a very close look at these results, as we’re aiming to increase the number of nonfiction titles we cover. Speaking of noteworthy nonfiction, this week the Books for a Better Life Awards were announced, and they included an award for Inspirational Memoir for THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB by Will Schwalbe, which was one of my Bets On selections, as well as a First Book award for BRAIN ON FIRE by Susannah Cahalan. You can see the complete list of award winners here.

Mercury is emerging from retrograde this weekend and not a moment too soon. I am soooo over endless communications snafus! The Ides of March and Mercury. What a combo!

We’re working on a really fun feature to celebrate the NCAA Basketball Tournament, which we plan to have live on Monday. We’ve all had a blast working on it. More on that next week. I am finishing this newsletter in the wee hours of Friday morning as I am spending the day in the city with Mary Ellen Phelan, the Supervisor from our high school’s English department, meeting with publishers. She has some brilliant ideas for updating the curriculum at the high school, as well as their summer reading. My only regret is that my boys will be out of high school as these plans are implemented!

Read on and Erin Go Books! May you have the luck of the Irish finding something to read this week.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

Now in Stores: UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter
UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE: My Year of Living with Joy by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter (Memoir)
Susan Spencer-Wendel’s UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE is a moving and inspirational memoir by a woman who makes the most of her final days after discovering she has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Co-written with Bret Witter, the book is Spencer-Wendel’s account of living a full life with humor, courage and love, but also accepting death with grace and dignity. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to watch a video of Susan and her husband talking about the book.

Click here to read a review.
Sneak Peek: An Early Look at an Upcoming Book --- Our Latest Featured Title: WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall
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 and 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 WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall, a wise and tender coming-of-age story about a nine-year-old girl who runs away from her Mississippi home in 1963, befriends a lonely woman suffering loss and abuse, and embarks on a life-changing road trip. We have 50 advance copies to give away to readers who would like to preview the book, which releases on July 2nd, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 28th at noon ET.

We really want to hear what you have to say about WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD, so if you will have time to read it and answer some questions by Thursday, May 2nd, please enter this contest. If not, we will have more opportunities like this in the future.

WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall (Historical Fiction)
The summer of 1963 begins like any other for nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. Born to teenage parents in Mississippi, Starla is being raised by a strict paternal grandmother, Mamie, whose worst fear is that Starla will turn out like her mother. Starla hasn’t seen her momma since she was three, but is convinced that her mother will keep her promise to take Starla and her daddy to Nashville, where her mother hopes to become a famous singer --- and that one day her family will be whole and perfect.

When Starla is grounded on the Fourth of July, she sneaks out to see the parade. After getting caught, Starla’s fear that Mamie will make good on her threats and send her to reform school cause her to panic and run away from home. Once out in the country, Starla is offered a ride by a black woman, Eula, who is traveling with a white baby. She happily accepts a ride, with the ultimate goal of reaching her mother in Nashville.

As the two unlikely companions make their long and sometimes dangerous journey, Starla’s eyes are opened to the harsh realities of 1963 southern segregation.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read Susan Crandall’s bio.
-Click here to visit Susan Crandall’s official website.
-Connect with Susan Crandall on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Sneak Peek Feature and enter the contest.
New Featured Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and Contest: HEART OF PALM by Laura Lee Smith
We have 25 copies of HEART OF PALM by Laura Lee Smith, which releases on April 2nd, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 28th at noon ET.

HEART OF PALM by Laura Lee Smith (Fiction)
Utina, Florida, is a small, down-at-heels southern town. Once enlivened by the trade in Palm Sunday palms and moonshine, Utina hasn’t seen economic growth in decades, and no family is more emblematic of the local reality than the Bravos. Deserted by the patriarch years ago, the Bravos are held together in equal measure by love, unspoken blame, and tenuously brokered truces.

The story opens on a sweltering July day, as Frank Bravo, dutiful middle son, is awakened by a distress call. Frank dreams of escaping to cool mountain rivers, but he’s only made it 10 minutes from the family restaurant he manages every day and the decrepit, Spanish-moss-draped house he was raised in, and where his strong-willed mother and spitfire sister --- both towering redheads, equally matched in stubbornness --- are fighting another battle royale. Little do any of them know that Utina is about to meet the tide of development that has already engulfed the rest of Northeast Florida. When opportunity knocks, tempers ignite, secrets are unearthed, and each of the Bravos is forced to confront the tragedies of their shared past.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Laura Lee Smith’s bio.
-Click here to visit Laura Lee Smith’s official website.
-Connect with Laura Lee Smith on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Talks to Becky Masterman, Author of RAGE AGAINST THE DYING
Becky Masterman’s debut thriller, RAGE AGAINST THE DYING, introduces readers to Brigid Quinn, a former FBI agent who made a legendary career out of hunting sexual predators but who resigned under cloudy circumstances. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Joe Hartlaub, Masterman talks about her inspiration for her tough-as-nails female protagonist, the long and arduous process of getting her first book published, the authors who have influenced her the most, and what we can look forward to in the next installment of what is shaping up to be a heart-stopping series.

RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman (Thriller)
When Brigid Quinn retired early from the FBI, she thought she could put all her horrible memories of hunting sexual predators behind her. Wanting nothing more than a quiet life with her new husband and their dogs, she moves to Tucson and begins to settle in. However, when Floyd Lynch confesses to the worst of her unsolved crimes and the new FBI agent on the case thinks the confession is fake, Brigid is pulled back into the world she thought she left behind. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Becky Masterman’s bio.
-Click here to connect with Becky Masterman on Facebook.
-Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.

Click here to read our interview.
Now in Stores: A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING by Ruth Ozeki
A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING by Ruth Ozeki (Fiction)
In Ruth Ozeki’s new novel, a writer named Ruth discovers on a British Columbia beach a bag that contains the diary of Nao, a 16-year-old Japanese girl. The diary begins as Nao’s attempt to tell the story of her 104-year-old great-grandmother but becomes instead a chronicle of Nao’s feelings of ostracism among family and schoolmates. This challenging book combines Japanese mythology, quantum physics and the 2011 tsunami into a meditation on the vagaries of fate. Reviewed by Michael Magras.

-Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read a review.
Special Contest: Enter to Win a Copy of THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs
We are celebrating the April 30th release of THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs --- a novel of sisters, friendship, and how memories are woven like a spell around us --- with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 21st at noon ET.

THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs (Romance)
Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother’s beloved necklace --- despite Tess’s advice. To Annelise, the jewel’s value is in its memories.

But Tess’s own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.

The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half sister she’s never heard of.

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Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read Susan Wiggs’s bio.
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Click here to visit Susan Wiggs’s official website.
-Connect with Susan Wiggs on
Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and Contest: WHAT TEARS US APART by Deborah Cloyed
We have 25 copies of WHAT TEARS US APART by Deborah Cloyed, which releases on March 26th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 21st at noon ET.

WHAT TEARS US APART by Deborah Cloyed (Romance)
The real world. That’s what Leda desperately seeks when she flees her life of privilege to travel to Kenya. She finds it at a boys' orphanage in the slums of Nairobi. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for Ita, the charismatic and thoughtful man who gave up his dreams so as to offer children a haven in the midst of turmoil.

Their love should be enough for each other --- it embodies the soul-deep connection both have always craved. But it is threatened by Ita’s troubled childhood friend, Chege, a gang leader with whom he shares a complex history. As political unrest reaches a boiling point and the slum erupts in violence, Leda is attacked…and forced to put her trust in Chege, the one person who otherwise inspires anything but.

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Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read Deborah Cloyed’s bio.
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Click here to visit Deborah Cloyed’s official website.
-Connect with Deborah Cloyed on
Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Featured Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight: FAMILY PICTURES by Jane Green
FAMILY PICTURES by Jane Green (Fiction)
From the author of ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART comes FAMILY PICTURES, the gripping story of two women who live on opposite coasts but whose lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined. Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school. They are both in their 40s and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like. They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected. But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart. As dark truths from the past reveal themselves, will these two women be able to learn to forgive, for the sake of their children, if not for themselves?

FAMILY PICTURES releases on March 19th.

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Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read Jane Green’s bio.
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Click here to visit Jane Green’s official website.
-Connect with Jane Green on
Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.
Featured Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight: GARDEN OF STONES by Sophie Littlefield
GARDEN OF STONES by Sophie Littlefield (Fiction)
Lucy Takeda is just 14 years old, living in Los Angeles, when the bombs rain down on Pearl Harbor. Within weeks, she and her mother, Miyako, are ripped from their home, rounded up --- along with thousands of other innocent Japanese-Americans --- and taken to the Manzanar prison camp.

Buffeted by blistering heat and choking dust, Lucy and Miyako must endure the harsh living conditions of the camp. Corruption and abuse creep into every corner of Manzanar, eventually ensnaring beautiful, vulnerable Miyako. Ruined and unwilling to surrender her daughter to the same fate, Miyako soon breaks. Her final act of desperation will stay with Lucy forever…and spur her to sins of her own.

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Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read a review.
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Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read critical praise.
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Click here to read Sophie Littlefield’s bio.
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Click here to visit Sophie Littlefield’s official website.
-Connect with Sophie Littlefield on
Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.
Special Contest: Win a Copy of AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini Before It Releases on May 21st
In January, we introduced our Enduring Bestseller Spotlight, which gives us a chance to go back and revisit books from years past that have affected us deeply --- books that have moved us, made us laugh, or struck other emotional chords. Our debut titles for this exciting new feature were THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini --- and now we have a giveaway to tell you about that you won't want to miss out on.

If you’ve read one or both of Hosseini's books, we’d love for you to share your thoughts about them, which we then will post on the site. Please fill out
this form by Thursday, April 11th at noon ET, and you will be entered to win one of 25 copies of Hosseini’s highly anticipated forthcoming novel, AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED, which releases on May 21st.

AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini (Fiction)
Khaled Hosseini has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe --- from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos --- the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

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Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com's Spring Preview Contests and Feature

Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by a list of great upcoming books! Here are some picks that we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We've been hosting a number of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days for the past few weeks.

Our final prize book will be announced on Tuesday, March 19th at noon ET.

This year's featured titles are:

-Click here to see the winners of this year’s Spring Preview contests.

Click here to see our Spring Preview feature.
This Week’s Reviews
BREAKING POINT: A Joe Pickett Novel by C. J. Box (Thriller)
Butch Roberson, a hardworking, upright local business owner, is accused of murdering two EPA employees. As the manhunt organized itself, Joe heard about the tract of land Butch and his wife had bought to build their retirement home on, until the EPA declared it a wetland. It was an awful story. But was it the whole story? The more Joe looks into it, the more he finds himself in the middle of a war he never expected and never wanted. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BLOODFIRE QUEST: The Dark Legacy of Shannara by Terry Brooks (Fantasy)
Long ago, many dangerous creatures were locked behind a magical barrier, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. But now those barriers are eroding, and generations of embittered prisoners are about to escape. War seems inevitable...unless a few brave souls can stem the tide. While some venture into the forbidden lands, others must undertake a perilous quest, the success of which will mean the death of a young girl, but whose failure will have unimaginable consequences. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

THE OBITUARY WRITER by Ann Hood (Historical Fiction)
On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless marriage or follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, obituary writer Vivien Lowe is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. The surprising connection between Claire and Vivien will change the life of one of them in unexpected and extraordinary ways. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.

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Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to see why we’re betting you’ll love this book.

OUT OF ORDER: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court by Sandra Day O'Connor (History)
The road to today's modern court, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor writes, was one fraught with change, upheaval and contingency for most of our nation's history. So much of what we take for granted was once steeped in uncertainty. Here, Justice O'Connor sheds light on the people and transformations that took us from John Jay to John Roberts, from an erratic young court to the incredible institution that endures today. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

MURDER BELOW MONTPARNASSE: An Aimee Leduc Investigation by Cara Black (Mystery)
Yuri Volodya, a mysterious old Russian man, hires Aimée Leduc to protect a painting. By the time she gets to his Montparnasse atelier, the precious painting has already been stolen. The next day, Yuri is found tortured to death. Some very dangerous people are threatening Aimée and her co-workers, and witnesses are dropping like flies. Now Aimée has to find the painting, stop her attackers, and figure out what her long-missing mother has to do with all this. Reviewed by Greg Fitzgerald.

DARK TIDE by Elizabeth Haynes (Thriller)
Genevieve has finally escaped the stressful demands of her sales job and begun a new life aboard a houseboat in Kent. Not many people know that she financed her fresh start by working weekends as a dancer at a less-than-reputable gentlemen's club, and she's determined to keep it that way. But on the night of her housewarming party, the past intrudes when a body washes up beside the boat, and Genevieve recognizes the victim as a fellow dancer. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE DEMONOLOGIST by Andrew Pyper (Horror/Thriller)
Professor David Ullman doesn’t believe in demons, though his extensive knowledge of the literature of the demonic --- especially Milton’s PARADISE LOST--- has won him wide acclaim. When he is lured to Venice on a mysterious journey, he loses his 12-year-old daughter to an ancient evil that will force him to come face to face with all he knows about the underworld and the faith required to defeat it. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

TELLING THE BEES by Peggy Hesketh (Fiction)
Albert Honig’s most constant companions have always been his bees. Deeply acquainted with the workings of the hives, Albert is less versed in the ways of people, especially his friend Claire, whose presence and absence in his life have never been reconciled. When Claire is killed in a seemingly senseless accident during a burglary gone wrong, Albert is haunted by the loss, and by the secrets and silence that hovered between them for so long. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

LITTLE ELVISES: A Junior Bender Mystery by Timothy Hallinan (Mystery)
LA burglar Junior Bender is being bullied into proving that aging music industry mogul Vinnie DiGaudio is innocent of the murder of a nasty tabloid journalist he had threatened to kill. It doesn’t help that the dead journalist’s pretty widow is trying to get Junior to mix pleasure with business. Just as the investigation is spiraling out of control, Junior's hard-drinking landlady begs him to solve the disappearance of her daughter, who got involved with a very questionable character. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

ANGEL'S GATE: A Shortcut Man Novel by p.g. sturges (Thriller)
Dick Henry --- aka the Shortcut Man --- becomes involved in a case featuring aging movie mogul Howard Hogue, who keeps a stable of young starlets available for his highly ritualized attentions. After Hogue’s star director assaults one of these women in a drug-fueled romp, Henry is drawn into a deeper mystery from years past involving a mysterious death on a boat and a missing screenplay written by what appears to be a homeless man. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

LUCKY STIFF: A Mattie Winston Mystery by Annelise Ryan (Mystery)
Deputy coroner Mattie Winston is at the burnt remains of a house where a charred body has been found. The victim is none other than Jack Allen, a paraplegic who recently won a huge casino jackpot. Upon closer inspection, Mattie and detective Steve Hurley are convinced Jack was murdered to steal his winnings, but as Mattie investigates, even her cutting-edge forensic skills keep coming up short in a case with as many suspects as twists. Reviewed by Amy Alessio.
Contests Running on Other Sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com
We have a number of contests currently running on our other sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com. Please take a look at them below, and enter for your chance to win some fabulous books!

ReadingGroupGuides.com

“What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature
Let us know what your group is reading in March, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE: My Year of Living with Joy by Susan Spencer-Wendel and Bret Witter, a moving and inspirational memoir by a woman who makes the most of her final days after discovering she has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We have 12 copies of the book, which releases on March 12th, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 2nd at noon ET.

20SomethingReads.com

HER: A Memoir by Christa Parravani
When a charismatic and troubled young woman dies tragically, her identical twin must struggle to survive. We are celebrating the March 5th release of Christa Parravani's memoir, HER, with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 2nd at noon ET.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
In anticipation of the February 5th release of SCARLET --- the second book in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, which retells the story of Little Red Riding Hood --- we’re giving five readers the opportunity to win a copy of both CINDER and SCARLET. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 28th at noon ET.

Teenreads.com

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
In anticipation of the February 5th release of SCARLET --- the second book in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, which retells the story of Little Red Riding Hood --- we’re giving five readers the opportunity to win a copy of both CINDER and SCARLET. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 28th at noon ET.


FaithfulReader.com

FaithfulReader.com’s Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, 30 readers will receive a copy of LOVE IN THE BALANCE, a second historical romance from Regina Jennings following her debut novel, SIXTY ACRES AND A BRIDE. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 9th at noon ET.
Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Could Win THREE Books!
Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from March 15th to March 29th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of LEAN IN: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, LIFE AFTER LIFE by Jill McCorkle, and ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines,
click here.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.

Click here to enter the contest.

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Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: www.20SomethingReads.com, www.Teenreads.com, www.Kidsreads.com, www.ReadingGroupGuides.com, www.GraphicNovelReporter.com, www.FaithfulReader.com and www.AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.

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