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April 26, 2013

Bookreporter.com Newsletter April 26, 2013
Paparazzi

Most days I order in a salad from a place called Chop't Creative Salad Company, which pairs salad ingredients and dressings in more imaginative ways than I might. On Wednesday, I decided to walk over to pick up my salad instead of ordering in. Our office is a block away from Universal Music Group, the record company that owns labels like A&M, Motown and Island Records. Walking past there on my way to the office from my parking garage around the corner, I say hello each day to a man who stands in front of the building. I confess I wondered what his job was; I assumed he was a driver for one of the execs and he stood at the ready to be called to get the car.

Suddenly, a rush of the paparazzi came towards the building. Photographers were popping out of cars leaving the engines running while others raced down the street, and all were holding large-lensed cameras. I had no idea what was going on. A Maybach pulled up, and I saw someone get out and head into the building. I confess that I never recognize celebrities. So yesterday, when I headed into the office, I stopped to ask who the cameras were on hand for. Ends up it was Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Oh, and who was the man in front of the building? We shook hands as he told me that his name is Eric, he’s a retired NYC detective, and his job is to make sure that no one who does not belong gets into the lobby, like the men with the cameras. Needless to say, the artists on these labels attract quite a following. I walked back to my office smiling as I put the pieces of this story together. I also learned that the concierges at hotels and drivers of black cars tip off the photographers about the celebs.

We stalk musicians, actresses, athletes and reality stars with tons of paparazzi, but wordsmith artists like authors fly under the radar. I saw E.L. James with a bodyguard when she was on tour, but I do not recall any other authors who were not celebrity writers needing this same kind of treatment. By the way, I confess that I have NO idea why the Kardashians are famous or what they DO for people to care about them so much. Something there has eluded me.

At the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, there always are celebrity authors with muscle beside them, but other authors walk freely around the campus. I was not able to be in LA for last week’s Festival, but I am very happy to once again share a report from Kathy Jund, one of our readers who attended for the ninth time and is one of its most enthusiastic participants. You can read my interview with her here. I really appreciate her taking the time to share her day with us in this blog piece.

World Book Night was Tuesday night, and I shared my 20 copies of STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova with Mary Ellen Phelan, the English Supervisor at my younger son’s high school. She has been encouraging more contemporary reading among the students, and I thought this was a perfect book to engage students and teachers. I left Mary Ellen on the lookout for light or lapsed readers who were in search of a good story after giving my fast pitch on it to “sell it” to potential readers. Really fun! Read what our readers said about WBN here.

My local yarn shop, Down Cellar, is closing. Last Sunday, I went on the North Jersey Yarn Crawl in search of a new store to call “home.” I looked at three stores, but walked away disappointed. While all had beautiful spaces and friendly shop keepers, their inventory lacked the spark of creativity, diversity and risk that I see in Down Cellar. It takes a certain eye and gut to make the decisions of product that will inspire shoppers to take a leap and try something new. I realize it’s why I also like indie bookstores. The collections in smart indie stores reflect that same boldness. The diversity of arresting displays to call me to pick up a book, whether with a shelf talker or a pairing of titles, will give me pause.

I read an interesting piece in the New York Times this morning about THE GREAT GATSBY. In anticipation of the movie release, there are now two covers for this book --- the original and the movie title version. You can read the piece here that has some good insight into reaching two different audiences for this book. I want to re-read GATSBY prior to the movie coming out. Are you planning to do that too? We added a guide for the book on ReadingGroupGuides.com for any of you who would like to discuss it with your book groups.

By the way, my best laid plans to not add more yarn to my stash failed. You can see my “finds” above. And yes, they are all in the same color palette. Crazy, I know, but I fell in love with these skeins. It’s my own way of making art since I am a very messy painter.

After months of raving about it, I’m happy to announce that FLY AWAY --- the highly anticipated follow-up to Kristin Hannah’s 2008 novel, FIREFLY LANE --- is finally in stores! Norah Piehl has our review and says, “Readers will be eager to reenter the world of FIREFLY LANE, and the additional depth of characterization and emotion will make them even happier that they've returned.” We also have an interview with Kristin, where she talks about what inspired her to return to the world of Tully and Kate after five years, and the challenges she faced in telling most of the story in flashbacks.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Kristin at a very well-attended event in New York at Barnes & Noble on the Upper East Side on publication day. She spoke from the heart about writing this book, which she wrote three times telling the story from each of the different character perspectives before she wrote the fourth version, where she melded the three stories together. None of the original three were working for her, but the merging of stories brought her the book she was looking for. She spoke of looking for certain scenes and pages from the three original drafts as she pulled together the fourth version. I love stories like this as we hear about the writing behind the book. Her schedule when she was in the city did not allow for us to grab a cup of tea the way we wanted, but I was so happy to see her schedule packed with terrific television appearances and readings. By the way, you can enjoy this book if you have not read FIREFLY LANE; it does very much stand alone.

David Baldacci’s newest thriller, THE HIT, is now in stores. Will Robie is a highly skilled assassin who the U.S. government calls on to eliminate the worst enemies of the state. Fellow assassin Jessica Reel, who is every bit as lethal as Robie, is now turning her gun sights on other members of their agency. As Robie pursues Reel, he quickly finds that there is more to her betrayal than meets the eye. Reviewer Ray Palen calls THE HIT “a masterful novel that allows Baldacci to show off his insightful knowledge of the internal machinations that drive our modern government security systems and combines it with his gift for creating edge-of-your-seat suspense that builds with each passing page.”

Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella is back with a stand-alone novel, WEDDING NIGHT. Freshly rejected by her boyfriend, 33-year-old Lottie jumps at the chance to marry a lover from her past. But the pair's family and friends are determined to do anything and everything they can to break up the couple. Reviewer Amie Taylor calls the book “an engrossing novel” that is “[f]illed with laugh-out-loud moments” and proclaims Kinsella to be at her “wittiest” here.

Also in stores this week is I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN, the gut-wrenchingly moving memoir of Jackie Hance’s immeasurable grief after losing all three of her daughters in a car accident on the Taconic Parkway in the summer of 2009, in a minivan driven by her sister-in-law, who (as it turned out) was driving while impaired. In her review, Bronwyn Miller says, “Heartbreakingly real, raw and honest, Jackie Hance’s memoir...is a genuine perspective-shifter for those who haven’t known the inestimable grief of losing a child, and a comforting account of the resilience of the human spirit for those who unfortunately have.”

When I read I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN, the idea of reading a book about the “Taconic Parkway Crash” immediately filled me with a flood of sad memories about that terrible tragedy. But the real story here is not of the accident, but what happened afterward to those left behind. Jackie was a nurturing mother whose entire life changed the day she lost her girls. Bereft and numb, she and her husband are cared for by a loving group of friends who circle them from the moment that the tragedy strikes. They are there for comfort, and we are not just talking about dropping off casseroles and racing on. Rather, these are people who are there day to day to fill in for the emptiness and to talk, listen and cajole Jackie to live again. There are a lot of lessons here on how to be there physically and emotionally for those who experience loss.

THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI is a debut novel from Helene Wecker that’s been getting lots of praise leading up to this week’s release, so we’re excited to be featuring it in this newsletter. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask. Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. According to reviewer Amy Gwiazdowski, “What might feel like several story lines is really one very long tale that twists and turns but never tangles. It’s an incredible web that draws people together in ways never imagined.” We also have a Q&A with Helene, along with a reading group guide. I got to meet Helene at a small pre-publication event and again at Winter Institute. Her stories of how she crafted the book were so interesting.

Another debut novel we’d like you to take note of is PASTORS’ WIVES by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, which follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. It’s inspired by Cullen’s reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine, and promises to be a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty and love. Be sure to pick up a copy when it releases on Tuesday, April 30th.

SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart is the latest title featured in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight. The lives of a middle-aged doctor and a love-struck young woman intersect across time in this haunting novel about love, jealousy, and the boundaries between loyalty and truth. We have 50 copies of the book, which releases on May 21st, to give away to readers who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 9th at noon ET. You may remember Nicole’s last book, FAR FROM HERE, which we also featured and that many of you enjoyed.

Our contest for SWEET SALT AIR is still up. In Barbara Delinsky’s upcoming novel, a woman has a secret that may save the life of her best friend's husband --- or destroy him. The book doesn’t release until June 18th, but we have 25 copies to give away to readers who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 2nd at noon ET. This is my favorite Barbara Delinsky novel to date…and we continue to get lots and lots of raves from the book groups who won this book on ReadingGroupGuides.com. It’s going to be a fabulous summer read, so if you want to get a look at it now, be sure to enter!

Also, Barbara has made available a FREE e-short story called “The Right Wrong Number.” In this tasty appetizer to SWEET SALT AIR, a wrong number leads to a surprise that Carly Kelly never expected. Click here for more and to download this fun read, which also features an excerpt from SWEET SALT AIR.

William Kent Krueger so enjoyed the questions that were posed by our Sneak Peek readers for ORDINARY GRACE that he answered them in the interview that we have here. Love moments like this!

Our Mother’s Day Contest launched last week --- our EIGHTH Annual Contest! Readers have the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Mother's Day tote bags, each of which is filled with nine varied and wonderful books, along with a few goodies to pamper Mom: a bath sponge shaped like a flower, an eye mask that can be either chilled or heated, and Godiva dark chocolate truffles. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, May 6th at noon ET and let us know your favorite book that your mom read to you. By the way, we will be bringing back our Mother’s Day Author Blogs leading up to Mother’s Day. We know how much you've enjoyed them.

We’ve posted a new Word of Mouth contest this week. Let us know the books that you’ve read by Friday, May 10th at noon ET, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of A DELICATE TRUTH by John le Carre, IS THIS TOMORROW by Caroline Leavitt (which I am enjoying), and the very, very highly anticipated NOS4A2 by Joe Hill.

Our "Young Adult Books You Want to Read" feature has been updated this month with MY LIFE AFTER NOW by Jessica Verdi and PRETTY GIRL-13 by Liz Coley. Click here to see all the YA books we recommend you read.

Winners of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were announced last Friday to launch the L.A. Times Festival of Books. Among the winners were THE PASSAGE OF POWER: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, by Robert A. Caro (Biography), BROKEN HARBOR by Tana French (Mystery/Thriller) and BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, by Katherine Boo (Current Interest). Click here for all the winners.

Also announced recently were the Indies Choice Book Award winners, which will be given out at the BookExpo America Conference in late May, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal finalists for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, which will be announced at the American Library Association Conference in late June. Click on the links for all the winners and nominees. Also this morning, I read that Don DeLillo has been named the first recipient of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, which honors "an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but for its originality of thought and imagination."

In last week’s newsletter, we incorrectly stated that THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction last week, was Adam Johnson's debut novel. In fact, it’s his SECOND novel. His first was PARASITES LIKE US, and it came out in 2003; he also released a collection of short stories in 2002 called EMPORIUM. Apologies for the error!

For those of you who have HBO, I had fun last night watching a documentary called "In Vogue: The Editor’s Eye." It was really a fun piece about fashion photography and the art behind it.

Quiet weekend on tap, which is good, as next week has MANY events, including the Mystery Writers of America’s gala awards event on Thursday evening and a Reader Day at Random House Publishers that is open to the public on Friday. They have a terrific lineup here, and I am looking forward to this. The day’s events are $45 if any of you in the New York City area are interested in attending.

Also, a reminder that Power Readers Day at BEA will be Saturday, June 1st. Tickets are $49 for you to attend this previously-not-open-to-the-public trade show. We will be doing a Speed Dating Session for Book Groups that is open to all Power Reader Day attendees. Register for Power Readers Day here, and sign up for the Speed Dating event here.

The whole family is home this weekend! Greg flew back from Norway via Reykjavik, Iceland. During his trip, he said that Jo Nesbo, Jussi Adler-Olsen and Gregg Hurwitz were huge bestsellers where he traveled. He talked books with many of the readers on the trip, and many people noted that they were looking for a place to find what is on sale in a given week. He turned them on to our “On Sale This Week” newsletter, which I encourage you to sign up for as well if you have not done so already.

Read on…..

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

Bookreporter.com Talks to Kristin Hannah, Author of FLY AWAY
FLY AWAY, the highly anticipated sequel to Kristin Hannah’s FIREFLY LANE, finally has been released. In this emotionally complex and often heart-wrenching novel, Hannah focuses on the characters of Tully, Johnny, Dorothy and Marah, and the stories and relationships that have made them who they are. Told with vibrant flashbacks, the book paints a portrait of growth, redemption and what it means to be a woman. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Norah Piehl, Hannah discusses grief, motherhood and our misunderstandings of the people closest to us. She also talks about the craft and struggle of writing with flashbacks, and what led her to return to the world of FIREFLY LANE five years after its publication.

FLY AWAY by Kristin Hannah (Fiction)
FLY AWAY is the story of three women who have lost their way and need each other --- plus a miracle --- to transform their lives. An emotionally complex, heart-wrenching novel about love, motherhood, loss and new beginnings, this long-awaited follow-up to FIREFLY LANE reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Kristin Hannah’s bio.
-Click here to visit Kristin Hannah’s official website.
-Click here to connect with Kristin Hannah on Facebook.
-Click here to see the 50 readers who were selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.

 

Click here to read our interview.
Now in Stores: THE HIT by David Baldacci
THE HIT by David Baldacci (Thriller)
A highly skilled assassin, Will Robie is the man the U.S. government calls on to eliminate the worst enemies of the state. Fellow assassin Jessica Reel is every bit as lethal as Robie. And now she's turning her gun sights on other members of their agency. As Robie pursues Reel, he quickly finds that there is more to her betrayal than meets the eye. Her attacks on the agency conceal a threat that could send shockwaves through the U.S. government and around the world. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to visit David Baldacci’s official website.
Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: WEDDING NIGHT by Sophie Kinsella
WEDDING NIGHT by Sophie Kinsella (Fiction)
Lottie is 33 and sick of long-term boyfriends who don't want to commit to marriage. When her old boyfriend Ben reappears after 15 years and reminds her of their pact to get married if they were both still single at 30, she jumps at the chance. But not everyone is thrilled with their rushed marriage, and family and friends are determined to intervene. Will Lottie and Ben have a wedding night to remember or one to forget? Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
 
Click here to read a review.
New Featured Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and Contest: SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart

We have 50 copies of SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart, which releases on May 21st, 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, May 9th at noon ET.


SLEEPING IN EDEN
by Nicole Baart
(Fiction)
On a chilly morning in the Northwest Iowa town of Blackhawk, Dr. Lucas Hudson is filling in for the vacationing coroner on a seemingly open-and-shut suicide case. His own life is crumbling around him, but when he unearths the body of a woman buried in the barn floor beneath the hanging corpse, he realizes this terrible discovery could change everything...

 

Years before Lucas ever set foot in Blackhawk, Meg Painter met Dylan Reid. It was the summer before high school and the two quickly became inseparable. Although Meg's older neighbor, Jess, was the safe choice, she couldn't let go of Dylan no matter how hard she tried.
 

Caught in a web of jealousy and deceit that spiraled out of control, Meg's choices in the past ultimately collide with Lucas's discovery in the present, weaving together a taut story of unspoken secrets and the raw, complex passions of innocence lost.
 

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

 

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Special Contest: Enter to Win a Copy of SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky
We are celebrating the June 18th release of SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 2nd at noon ET.

SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky (Fiction)
Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole's coastal island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart. A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian. When Nicole is commissioned to write a book about island food, she invites her old friend Charlotte back to Quinnipeague, for a final summer, to help. Outgoing and passionate, Charlotte has a gift for talking to people and making friends, and Nicole could use her expertise for interviews with locals. Missing a genuine connection, Charlotte agrees.

But what both women don't know is that they are each holding something back that may change their lives forever. For Nicole, what comes to light could destroy her marriage, but it could also save her husband. For Charlotte, the truth could cost her Nicole’s friendship, but could also free her to love again. And her chance may lie with a reclusive local man, with a heart to soothe and troubles of his own.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Barbara Delinsky's bio.
-Click here to visit Barbara Delinsky's official website.
-Click here to connect with Barbara Delinsky on Facebook.
-Click here to download Barbara Delinsky's FREE e-short story, "The Right Wrong Number."

 
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com's Eighth Annual Mother's Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love

Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. Why not brighten her special day with some great books? From now through May 6th at noon ET, readers will have the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Mother’s Day tote bags. Each bag is filled with a selection of nine varied and wonderful books, along with a variety of gifts to treat Mom: Godiva dark chocolate truffles, a bath sponge shaped like a flower, and a gel eye mask that can be either chilled or heated.

To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, May 6th at noon ET.

This year's featured Mother's Day titles are:

Click here to read more about the prize books and enter the contest.
Now in Stores: LET’S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS by David Sedaris
LET'S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS: Essays, Etc. by David Sedaris (Humor/Essays)
From the unique perspective of David Sedaris comes a new book of essays taking his readers on a bizarre and stimulating world tour. From the perils of French dentistry to the eating habits of the Australian kookaburra, from the squat-style toilets of Beijing to the particular wilderness of a North Carolina Costco, we learn about the absurdity and delight of a curious traveler's experiences. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

 
Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: PARIS: THE NOVEL by Edward Rutherfurd
PARIS: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd (Historical Fiction)
In this breathtaking saga of love, war, art and intrigue, Edward Rutherfurd has set his sights on the most magnificent city in the world: Paris. Moving back and forth in time across centuries, the story unfolds through intimate and vivid tales of self-discovery, divided loyalties, passion, and long-kept secrets of characters both fictional and real, all set against the backdrop of the glorious city. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
 
Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN by Jackie Hance with Janice Kaplan

I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN: A Memoir by Jackie Hance with Janice Kaplan (Memoir)
Until the horrific car accident on New York State’s Taconic Parkway that took the lives of her three beloved young daughters, Jackie Hance was an ordinary Long Island mom, fulfilled by the joyful chaos of a busy household. After the tragedy, she was “The Taconic Mom,” whose unimaginable loss embodied every parent’s worst nightmare. I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN chronicles the day Jackie received the traumatizing phone call that defied all understanding, and the numbed and torturous events that followed. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

-Click here to read more about the book.

 

Click here to read a review.
An Interview with Helene Wecker, Author of THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI
Helene Wecker’s debut novel, THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI, is a magical tale of cross-cultural love in turn-of-the-century New York. The golem, Chava, was created to seem human only while serving her husband, and the Jinni is a creature whose true magical nature is being supplanted by his fascination with mortals. The two meet by chance, and learn together how to reconcile their cultures and their struggle for independence. In this interview, Wecker discusses what inspired her supernatural twist on a classic immigrant love story, the challenges of making mystical characters seem human (and modeling her Golem on Lt. Commander Data of “Star Trek”), and discovering that people across the centuries have always been wrestling with the same all-too-human issues: faith, identity and love.

THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI by Helene Wecker (Historical Fantasy)
A lonely man’s desire for a wife is the catalyst for the creation of a golem like no other. When she’s left master-less on the streets of New York City, she fights her ingrained impulse to help and protect those around her. A jinni, captured and enslaved hundreds of years ago, is free of his flask but not truly free as the iron cuff that keeps him in human form remains on his wrist. The golem and the jinni are drawn to each other, kindred spirits of long-forgotten fairy tales. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.

 

Click here to read the interview.
In Stores April 30th: PASTORS’ WIVES by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

PASTORS’ WIVES by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (Fiction)
A sparkling debut novel for anyone who’s ever wondered: “What’s it like when the man you married is married to God?”


PASTORS’ WIVES follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at Greenleaf. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past.


“Hilarious and moving.”
— A.J. Jacobs, author of THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY

 

Click here to read more about the book.
Paperback Spotlight: WHEN SHE CAME HOME by Drusilla Campbell

WHEN SHE CAME HOME by Drusilla Campbell (Fiction)
Frankie Byrne Tennyson stunned everyone when she decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now --- after bravely serving her country in Iraq --- she's finally come home. Home to a husband whose lingering feelings of abandonment make her wonder if their lives can ever be the same. Home to a daughter whose painful encounters with bullies can only be healed by a mother's love. And home to a father who still can't accept his daughter's decision to serve in spite of his own stellar career as a brigadier general. But the most difficult part about coming home lies within Frankie herself. To save everything she holds dear, she must face the toughest battle of her life...

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Drusilla Campbell’s bio.

 

Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
This Week’s Reviews
MAYA'S NOTEBOOK by Isabel Allende (Fiction)
Neglected by her parents, 19-year-old Maya Nidal has grown up in a rambling old house in Berkeley with her grandparents. When her grandfather dies of cancer, Maya turns to drugs, alcohol and petty crime. Her one chance for survival is Nini, who helps her escape to a remote island off the coast of Chile. Here Maya tries to make sense of the past, unravels mysterious truths about life and about her family, and embarks on her greatest adventure: the journey into her own soul. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.

ALL THAT IS by James Salter (Fiction)
From his experiences as a young naval officer in battles off Okinawa, Philip Bowman returns to America and finds a position as a book editor. But despite his success, what eludes him is love. His first marriage goes bad, another fails to happen, and finally he meets a woman who enthralls him --- before setting him on a course he never could have imagined for himself. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

THE HUMANITY PROJECT by Jean Thompson (Fiction)
After surviving a shooting at her high school, Linnea is packed off to live with her estranged father. His neighbor, Christie, is a nurse distracted by an eccentric patient, Mrs. Foster, who has given Christie the reins to her Humanity Project, a bizarre and well-endowed charity fund. Meanwhile, Conner, the Fosters’ handyman, has become the one person in which Linnea can confide. As these characters and many more hurtle toward their fates, the Humanity Project is born: Can you indeed pay someone to be good? At what price? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE FLAMETHROWERS by Rachel Kushner (Fiction)
The year is 1975, and Reno has come to New York intent on turning her fascination with motorcycles and speed into art. There, she begins an affair with an artist named Sandro Valera, the semi-estranged scion of an Italian tire and motorcycle empire. When they visit Sandro’s family home in Italy, Reno falls in with members of the radical movement that overtook Italy in the ’70s. Betrayal sends her reeling into a clandestine undertow. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

HELGA’S DIARY: A Young Girl's Account of Life in a Concentration Camp by Helga Weiss (Memoir)
Of the 15,000 children brought to Terezín and later deported to Auschwitz, only 100 survived. Helga Weiss was one of them. Reconstructed from her original notebooks, Helga’s diary is presented here in its entirety. With an introduction by Francine Prose, a revealing interview between translator Neil Bermel and Helga, and the artwork Helga made during her time at Terezín, HELGA’S DIARY stands as a vivid and utterly unique historical document. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

THE EDGE OF THE EARTH by Christina Schwarz (Historical Fiction)
Trudy has been raised to marry her childhood friend and assume a life of bourgeois comfort in Milwaukee. She knows she should be pleased, but is restless instead, yearning for something she lacks even the vocabulary to articulate. When she falls in love with enigmatic and ambitious Oskar, she believes she has found her escape from the banality of her preordained life. But escape turns out to be more fraught than Trudy had imagined. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

DEADLY VIRTUES by Jo Bannister (Mystery)
Jerome Cardy knew he was going to die and that it would be made to appear like an accident. He might not be able to prevent it, but he was determined to make sure that someone knew what was going to happen. After he is found beaten to death, Ash is unable to forget Jerome’s last awkward words to him: “I had a dog once. Othello. That was its name. Othello.” Certain there is a hidden message in these words, Ash is determined to discover the truth. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

WOLFHOUND CENTURY by Peter Higgins (Historical Fantasy/Thriller)
Investigator Vissarion Lom has been summoned to the capital in order to catch a terrorist --- and ordered to report directly to the head of the secret police. A totalitarian state, worn down by an endless war, must be seen to crush home-grown insurgents with an iron fist. Lom has been chosen because he is an outsider, not involved in the struggle for power within the party. And because of the sliver of angel stone implanted in his head. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.

DIRECTING: Film Techniques and Aesthetics by Michael Rabiger and Mick Hurbis-Cherrier (Performing Arts)
This comprehensive manual covers the methods, technologies, thought processes and judgments that a director must use throughout the fascinating process of making a film. The core of the book is the human, psychological and technical knowledge that every director needs, the enduring elements of the craft that remain vital. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
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

SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness
We are celebrating the May 28th paperback release of SHADOW OF NIGHT --- the much-anticipated sequel to Deborah Harkness’s debut novel, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES --- with an exciting contest. One book group will win a Skype chat with Deborah and copies of SHADOW OF NIGHT, while five other groups will win copies of the book. All Skype chats must be scheduled between June 2nd and June 8th. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 22nd at noon ET.

 

“What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature
Let us know what your group is reading in April, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline, a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are. We have 12 copies of the book, which is now in stores, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Monday, May 6th at noon ET.

Teenreads.com

Spring Fling 2013
We are celebrating the weather warming up and the flowers beginning to bloom with our first-ever Spring Fling Contest! Between now and Tuesday, April 30th, teens can enter to win a prize package that includes all of our featured titles along with some necessary springtime essentials.

Kidsreads.com

KID PICKERS by Mike Wolfe with Lily Sprengelmeyer
To celebrate the release of KID PICKERS: How to Turn Junk into Treasure --- in which Mike Wolfe, the star of the hit show "American Pickers," shares his love of treasure-hunting with kids --- we’re running a special contest that will give five readers the opportunity to win a copy of this fun, tip-filled, how-to book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com

THE GUARDIAN: Home to Hickory Hollow, Book 3 by Beverly Lewis
We are celebrating the release of THE GUARDIAN with a special contest that will give 50 readers the opportunity to win a copy of this third installment in Beverly Lewis's Home to Hickory Hollow series. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com’s Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, one reader will received a signed copy of TAYLOR'S GIFT: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope. Todd and Tara Storch tragically lost their 13-year-old daughter in a skiing accident; their decision to donate Taylor's organs would help save the lives of five desperate people who were anxiously awaiting a miracle. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.


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