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June 6, 2014

Bookreporter.com Newsletter June 6, 2014
Where to Start?
The opener to this newsletter has been rewritten in my head about a dozen times this week. So much has happened in my world of books since we left off. There were times I thought about subtitling this “My Week with Nat Wolff,” though before last Saturday, I did not even know who he was. I think it’s easiest to work backwards, so let’s hit the rewind switch.

I will start with last night when I attended a special movie preview screening of The Fault in Our Stars that was titled “The Night Before Our Stars.” (Someone gets points for clever for that title.) At 650 movie theaters around the country, tickets were sold for $25 that offered viewers a chance to see the movie in advance of its wide release today (and get a poster and charm bracelet), and afterwards see a simulcast interview with the stars, including the aforementioned Nat Wolff, the producer, the director, and the author of the book, John Green. John wore green sneakers, which made me smile; I guess that was in case audience members needed a reminder of which one he was on stage, they could look at the shoes. One of my happiest moments of the evening was when the audience screamed louder for John (EVERY time he spoke during the interview after the movie) than they did for the actors. Heartwarming. For all his success, he still seemed to be in awe of the attention as well as unabashedly excited and emotional. I enjoyed the movie, but enjoyed that recognition for him even more.

My son Cory (who needs a haircut) and his friend Dennis (who did get a haircut) joined me and posed for the photo above with their posters. Cory had just finished the book this week; Dennis had read it a while ago. Both loved the book and thought it was special, more so than the movie. They loved its smart language and imagery, which are hard to convey the same way on the screen. Driving home, we had a spirited discussion about that.

On Monday night, the official movie premiere of TFIOS was at the Ziegfeld Theater on 54th, and I walked by (on my way to the dentist --- my so glamorous life), and hundreds of teen girls were standing behind barricades holding TFIOS signs. One held a sign that said, “I have been waiting on line for 30 hours.” Walking back from the dentist, the crowd of teen girls had doubled and they were screaming. Nat Wolff was in the street waving and shaking hands. My third Nat sighting.

Last Saturday, there was a panel at BookCon in New York where the producers, director and screenwriters joined John Green and Nat Wolff to talk about the making of the film. I found myself in a crowded auditorium with 1,500 teen girls who were screaming and yelling “I love you” at John Green. When he came on stage, I was reminded of footage of the Beatles at Shea Stadium --- the noise of screaming girls was that deafening. They were wearing TFIOS t-shirts and carrying copies of the book (some with the hardcover, paperback and movie edition versions). We all know that books are never exact interpretations, thus a discussion like this about how the book was brought to the screen was interesting to me.

The screenwriters, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, did not want to change the way the story unfolded and worked to accomplish that. John knew that the book and movie would have to differ, but felt that the scriptwriters kept the tone and feel of the book and had only brief notes for them. Josh Boone, the director, said he was struggling with how to pitch it. It was “like this was the Titanic and cancer was the iceberg.” It was inevitable that something bad happens, but how do you tell the story? For me, the book is a more special experience than the movie as I did not know what was happening when I read, whereas with the movie, I constantly was interpreting what was going to happen and how it would be shown. One of the producers, on the other hand, read the script first and then the book.

Oh, my other Nat Wolff sighting? As I left the Javits Center to take the ferry back to New Jersey after the panel, I saw a line of limos on the street and Nat Wolff was there with a few of the other panelists. I wanted to walk over and ask him how much he would pay me to not tweet and tell those thousands of screaming teen girls where he was. By the way, on Monday night I wondered if the girl on line for 30 hours had made her way from Javits right to the Ziegfeld!

On Tuesday night, I was happy to be the guest of Barbara J Zitwer (who graciously curated our Korean bookshelf earlier this year) as the Harmonie Club hosted Kyung-Sook Shin, whose new book I'LL BE RIGHT THERE came out on Tuesday. It was a moving evening where cultures collided as Shin (through an interpreter) shared background on the writing of both her new book and PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM, which was published here in 2012 and won the Man Asian Literary Prize. Shin’s writing of I’LL BE RIGHT THERE actually began when she was in college in the '80s, which was a depressing time in South Korea. Students spent more time protesting than going to school. Many went to the Army and were killed; others committed suicide as the times were so hard. She wanted to tell a story that talked about the fact that, no matter how much in life is against you, people can still be good to one another. Just like the title says, no matter what trouble people are going through, she wants them to know “I will be right there.” Many members of the audience had read her previous work, PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM, and it’s clear that this author of 17 books is a talent we will want to see more of in the States. Really a lovely evening.

SAVE THE DATE, which we’ve been featuring in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight the past few weeks, is now in stores. Jamie Layton reviews Mary Kay Andrews’s latest for us and says, “Perfect for the beach or the back deck, SAVE THE DATE is the first absolute must-read for Summer 2014. Readers will get lost among the wisteria and Spanish moss of Savannah, and when they get to the heartwarming ending, they will be very glad they made a date to read Andrews’s latest, and possibly greatest, book yet.” Jamie also had the pleasure of chatting with Mary Kay, and you can read the interview here.

As you all know, I loved this book; I have become an ardent floral arranger after reading it. This week, I listened a bit to the audio of SAVE THE DATE. It's nice to enjoy the story told like that and hear pronunciations of decorating terms that I typically stumble over. For humor, after I finished disc two, I slipped in disc six instead of three. I knew the storyline and wondered if I had been distracted since the audio seemed to be moving along at a different clip. I guess this is the audio version of “losing your bookmark.”

Stephen King is back with a new thriller, MR. MERCEDES, in which a retired cop named Bill Hodges remains haunted by the unsolved case of a lone driver who plowed through a crowd in a stolen Mercedes and ran over innocent bystanders. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy. Joe Hartlaub has our review and advises, “Whether you have stuck with King since he was writing about outcast teenage girls, or haven’t picked up on what he’s doing for a while, you should read MR. MERCEDES. You’ll be checking your automobile’s back seat for months, if not years.”

Lisa See returns with what promises to be her latest bestseller, CHINA DOLLS. Three young women from very different backgrounds meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub in 1938 San Francisco. They become fast friends, relying on one another through unexpected challenges and shifting fortunes. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion threaten to destroy their lives, and a shocking act of betrayal changes everything. According to reviewer Roz Shea, "Lisa See brings us a winning new novel about three young Asian women from very different backgrounds who are drawn to San Francisco during the 1938 World’s Fair.... See masterfully creates unforgettable characters that linger in your memory long after you close the pages." Lisa is headed to New York on her book tour on June 16th, and I look forward to catching up with her --- and also to reading CHINA DOLLS.

Also releasing this week is FACEOFF, an unprecedented collaboration edited by David Baldacci in which 23 authors have paired their series characters in an 11-story anthology curated by the International Thriller Writers (ITW). Among these dynamic duos are Cotton Malone vs. Gray Pierce in “The Devil’s Bones” by Steve Berry and James Rollins; Jack Reacher vs. Nick Heller in “Good and Valuable Consideration” by Lee Child and Joseph Finder; Paul Madriani vs. Alexandra Cooper in “Surfing the Panther” by Steve Martini and Linda Fairstein; and Michael Quinn vs. Repairman Jack in “Infernal Night” by Heather Graham and F. Paul Wilson. Joe Hartlaub has this to say in his review: “It is a testament to Baldacci, who was assisted mightily by Steve Berry (one of the book’s stalwart contributors) and the authors who collaborated on these stories, that the volume succeeds so well on every level, in every story.” So many author pairings here that I am looking forward to!

Back in April, we awarded 25 copies of Lauren Willig’s new novel, THAT SUMMER, to those who wanted to read it in advance and share their comments about it. The book is now in stores, and we have a review from Bronwyn Miller, who offers her fair share of praise: “Brimming with sumptuous detail and slow-burning suspense, THAT SUMMER, in addition to being a fun and inviting read, will fill that ‘Downton Abbey’ void felt by many. Fans of Tracy Chevalier, M.L. Stedman and Sarah Dunant will revel in this resplendent tale of family secrets too long kept.” Bronwyn also interviewed Lauren, and you can read their insightful discussion here. By the way, if you feel a desire to hunt through the attic for treasures after reading this, we do understand.

Our One to Watch Author Spotlight is back with Rosie Thomas, whose new novel, THE ILLUSIONISTS, releases on June 26th. Through her work as an artist’s model, Eliza meets the magnetic and irascible Devil --- a born showman whose dream is to run his own theater company. Devil’s righthand man is Carlo Bonomi, an ill-tempered dwarf with an enormous talent for all things magic and illusion. And then there is Jasper Button, the enigmatic, unlikely final member of this fascinating cast of characters. Thrown together by a twist of fate, their lives are inextricably linked. As Eliza gets sucked into their seductive and dangerous world, she risks not only her heart, but also her life, which is soon thrown into peril. We have 100 copies to give away to readers who would like read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out the form on the One to Watch Author Spotlight page by Thursday, June 19th at noon ET.

As promised, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR by Joël Dicker, which we featured last week, is my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Click here to see why I’m betting you’ll love this international bestseller as much as I did.

We’re continuing our Summer Reading Contests, where we’re giving away a different book on select days throughout the summer. In our second series of contests this week, we gave away ALL GOOD THINGS: From Paris to Tahiti: Life and Longing, by Sarah Turnbull; HEADHUNTERS ON MY DOORSTEP: A True Treasure Island Ghost Story, by J. Maarten Troost; THE IDEA OF HIM by Holly Peterson; and the aforementioned SAVE THE DATE by Mary Kay Andrews. Next week’s prizes will be GUESTS ON EARTH by Lee Smith; MY ACCIDENTAL JIHAD by Krista Bremer; THE SUPREME MACARONI COMPANY by Adriana Trigiani; and WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES by Karen Joy Fowler. Click here to see all of our featured titles.

Are you signed up for our Summer Reading newsletter so you get word as soon as these contests go live? If not, click here to get signed up! Please note: If you signed up for the Summer Reading newsletter in the previous years we’ve done these contests, you don’t need to do so again…you already are signed up! Thanks for all the notes on how you've been enjoying these contests; we appreciate them.

There’s still time to enter our Ninth Annual Father’s Day Contest. Fill out the form on the contest page by Friday, June 13th at noon ET, and you’ll have the opportunity to win books and assorted goodies for you or the special man in your life. Ten readers will be awarded a prize package that includes nine of the titles in this year’s feature, along with a "Best. Dad. Ever." T-shirt, a $10 Starbucks gift card, and some dark chocolate with toffee. Click here to see all our featured titles and enter the contest.

And speaking of Father’s Day, in the days leading up to the 15th, we’ll be posting a variety of pieces from authors who share memories of their fathers reading to them or their own experiences reading to their children. Our Father’s Day blog series kicks off early next week, so be sure to check back and see what our participating authors have to say!

We’ve updated our New in Paperback feature for June. Among this month’s releases are AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini, THE QUEST by Nelson DeMille, SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky, THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman, and THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS by Elizabeth Gilbert.

We’ve also updated our Books on Screen feature. June’s theatrical releases include the aforementioned The Fault in Our Stars, along with How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Edge of Tomorrow. On the small screen, you can look forward to the debut of "The Leftovers" and the season premieres of "Orange is the New Black," "True Blood" and "Under the Dome." And among this month’s DVD releases are Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Winter’s Tale and Lone Survivor.

We have a new Word of Mouth contest starting this week. Let us know by Friday, June 20th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE BOURNE ASCENDANCY by Eric Van Lustbader, TERMINAL CITY by Linda Fairstein and THAT NIGHT by Chevy Stevens.

The Audio Publishers Association announced this year's Audie Award winners last week. Billy Crystal's STILL FOOLIN' 'EM was named audiobook of the year. Check out the complete list of Audie winners and finalists here.

In my personal audio listening, besides the aforementioned SAVE THE DATE, this week I have been listening to the audio of LITTLE MERCIES by Heather Gudenkauf. With a minimum of eight hours of commute time in the car each week, this has been a very good use of my time, giving me the opportunity to explore books and authors in a new way. I am still an audio newbie, learning what I do and do not enjoy in a recording. This summer I will be looking at/listening to this category of books more and will be sharing more about it with you. After years of not embracing this format, I find myself enjoying this enormously. I can catch a chapter to and from errands, as well as on my longer drives and feel like I am accomplishing something. Next up, I need to figure out how to listen while swimming!

With audiobooks in mind, our poll this week asks, “Do you listen to audiobooks?” Click here and let us know! Our previous poll question asked if you were going on vacation this summer. You can check out the results here.

As previously mentioned, the second season of "Orange is the New Black" is available on Netflix --- 13 more hours that will keep me thinking “never let me go to prison.” For those who watch "Game of Thrones" who may be tired of reading subtitles, I learned this week that Living Language has partnered with HBO Global Licensing to launch a language course for Dothraki, a fictional language in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice books and HBO's "Game of Thrones." It will be available in October in perfect time for holiday giving. I wonder if I would do better with that than I did with Spanish?

Today, I have been thinking a lot about D-Day and the invasion fought 70 years ago. The enormity of what happened that day is never to be forgotten. Greg was in Normandy in early May, and he said, as he was standing on that beach, that it looked much like a beach on the Outer Banks, but the horror of what had gone on there was playing in his head. Then he traveled to the burial sites, which made for a very emotional experience.

This weekend will be all about gardening and relaxing --- reading. Also watching hockey cheering for the Rangers (though I never see the scoring goals until the instant replays; I cannot follow the puck), and hoping California Chrome wins the Triple Crown. Oh, and in more book/sports news, Karin Slaughter threw out the opening pitch at the Yankees game on Tuesday night. Above you can see a picture of her name on the Jumbotron. Still waiting for word about the pitch; when I saw her last week, she was discussing her pitching style, as well as her upcoming book, COP TOWN, which will be in stores on June 24th. I learned during the week that the opening pitch rarely makes it onto the television broadcast; it would be a lot more fun than the talking heads.

And with that, I encourage you to read on…and have a great week!

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
Bookreporter.com Talks to Mary Kay Andrews, Author of SAVE THE DATE

Mary Kay Andrews’s latest novel, SAVE THE DATE, is about Cara Kryzik, a cynical Savannah florist who is about to score the wedding of a lifetime. But when the bride goes missing, Cara must find the wife-to-be and figure out whether or not she believes in love after all. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Jamie Layton, Andrews shares how she nailed all the details of wedding planning (hint: Pinterest is a great place to start!), as well as why she thinks modern brides are throwing over-the-top weddings. She also talks about her love of rehabbing old homes, her favorite flowers, and who the real gardener in her family is.

SAVE THE DATE by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
A savannah florist is about to score the wedding of a lifetime --- one that will solidify her career as the go-to-girl for society nuptials. Ironically, Cara Kryzik doesn't believe in love, even though she creates beautiful flower arrangements to celebrate them. But when the bride goes missing and the wedding is in jeopardy, Cara must find the bride and figure out what she believes in. Maybe love really does exist outside of fairy tales after all. Reviewed by Jamie Layton.

-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

-Click here to read Mary Kay Andrews's bio.
-Click here to visit Mary Kay Andrews's official website.
-Connect with Mary Kay Andrews on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to see the 25 winners 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: MR. MERCEDES by Stephen King

MR. MERCEDES by Stephen King (Thriller)
A retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved case of a lone driver who plowed through a crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up and charging again. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

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Click here to read more about the book.

 

Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: CHINA DOLLS by Lisa See

CHINA DOLLS by Lisa See (Historical Fiction)
Grace, Helen and Ruby, three young women from very different backgrounds, meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub in 1938 San Francisco. They become fast friends, relying on one another through unexpected challenges and shifting fortunes. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion threaten to destroy their lives, and a shocking act of betrayal changes everything. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

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Click here to read more about the book.

 

Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: FACEOFF edited by David Baldacci

FACEOFF edited by David Baldacci (Thriller/Anthology)
In an unprecedented collaboration, edited by David Baldacci, 23 of the world’s bestselling and critically acclaimed thriller writers have paired their series characters --- such as Harry Bosch, Jack Reacher and Lincoln Rhyme --- in an 11-story anthology curated by the International Thriller Writers. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

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Click here to read more about the book.

 

Click here to read a review.
New One to Watch Author Spotlight & Contest: THE ILLUSIONISTS by Rosie Thomas
We have 100 copies of THE ILLUSIONISTS by Rosie Thomas to give away to readers who would like to preview the book, which releases on June 26th, and share their comments about it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, June 19th at noon ET.

THE ILLUSIONISTS by Rosie Thomas (Historical Fiction)
Over the course of a brilliant career, bestselling novelist Rosie Thomas has earned an untold number of awards and the devotion of millions of loyal readers. Her new novel, THE ILLUSIONISTS, set in London in 1870, is a thrilling step forward --- a captivating tale of passion and intrigue in the theater world.

At the start of THE ILLUSIONISTS, we meet Eliza, a young, beautiful woman of limited means. Through her work as an artist’s model, she meets the magnetic and irascible Devil --- a born showman whose dream is to run his own theater company. Devil’s righthand man is Carlo Bonomi, an ill-tempered dwarf with an enormous talent for all things magic and illusion. And then there is Jasper Button, the enigmatic, unlikely final member of this fascinating cast of characters. Thrown together by a twist of fate, their lives are inextricably linked. As Eliza gets sucked into their seductive and dangerous world, she risks not only her heart, but also her life, which is soon thrown into peril.

-Click here to read Rosie Thomas's bio.
-Click here to visit Rosie Thomas's official website.
-Click here to connect with Rosie Thomas on Facebook.
 
Click here to read more in our One to Watch Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Talks to Lauren Willig, Author of THAT SUMMER

The award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling Pink Carnation series, Lauren Willig is no stranger to historical fiction. Her latest novel, THAT SUMMER, is set in both present-day England and the 1800s --- the early days of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, as well as a century she never planned on visiting. Lucky for us that she did, because it’s a story that takes readers on a fascinating journey through a mysterious old house, a hidden love affair, and one woman’s search for the truth about her past --- and herself.

In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Willig talks about what drew her to the radical Pre-Raphaelites and their movement (which she feels isn’t taken as seriously as it should be), finally yielding to her longtime obsession with “house books,” and which novels influenced THAT SUMMER. On a more personal note, she opens up about how her then-impending motherhood seeped into the story and how she manages to keep track of her many simultaneous projects and her own name (or not!).

THAT SUMMER by Lauren Willig (Fiction)
In 2009, Julia Conley inherits a house in England from an elderly aunt she never knew. In 1849, after years trapped in a loveless marriage, Imogen Grantham comes to life when she meets an enigmatic painter who is commissioned to paint her portrait. Their stories converge in the present, and Julia learns of the long-repressed secrets of her family, as well as a little about herself. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

-Click here to read Lauren Willig's bio.
-Click here to visit Lauren Willig's official website.
-Click here to connect with Lauren Willig on Facebook.
-Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.

Click here to read our interview.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading Contests and Feature

Summer is just around the corner! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We will be hosting a number of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days throughout the summer, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, June 9th at noon ET.

This year's featured titles include:

 

Click here to read all the contest details and see our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com's Ninth Annual Father's Day Contest and Feature: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In anticipation of the big day, we're giving you the opportunity to win a number of books and assorted goodies for you or the special man in your life. From now through Friday, June 13th at noon ET, 10 readers will be awarded a prize package that includes nine of the titles in this year’s feature, along with a "Best. Dad. Ever." T-shirt, a $10 Starbucks gift card, and some dark chocolate with toffee.

This year's featured titles are:

Click here to enter the contest and see our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR by Joël Dicker
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR by Joël Dicker (Literary Thriller)
I am crazy about THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR. As I was reading, I became addicted to it. I had a whole other stack of books calling my name for projects and pleasure reading, but I could not put this one down. Around our house, it was not just me who felt like this. My son, Greg, got back from a trip to Europe, and though he was wickedly jetlagged one night, he stayed up until the wee hours to finish the last 300 pages, proving that my addiction to reading it was not singular. In fact, it’s been a bestseller in Europe, and the last time I checked, it was translated into 32 languages.

It’s a hefty 600+ pages, and even when I was 400 pages in, I still was wondering how it was going to end. The author, Joël Dicker, is Swiss, but the story is set in the States, where the main character was born in Montclair, NJ (where many publishing folks live today and where I went to high school in a neighboring town), and much of it is set in New Hampshire (where he spent summers as a child). It’s a literary thriller about a successful writer who wants to clear the name of his professor friend accused of murder.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to see our advance readers' comments about the book.
-Click here to read Joël Dicker's bio.
-Click here to visit Joël Dicker's official website.
-Connect with Joël Dicker on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book.
June's New in Paperback Roundups
June’s roundups of New in Paperback titles include AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED, the highly anticipated new novel by Khaled Hosseini, who explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another; SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky, the story of a woman who has a secret that may save the life of her best friend's husband --- or destroy him; THE QUEST, a sweeping adventure from Nelson DeMille that takes readers from the war-torn jungles of Ethiopia to the magical city of Rome; THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS, Elizabeth Gilbert's return to fiction, which spans much of the 18th and 19th centuries and follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family; and LET'S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS, in which David Sedaris discusses his misunderstood love of owls, taxidermy, colonoscopies, the pains and pleasures of frequent travel, his remarkable family, and so much more.

-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of June 2nd, June 9th, June 16th and June 23rd.
Bookreporter.com's Books on Screen Feature for June
Easily the most talked-about book to screen adaptation of the month is The Fault in Our Stars. Teens and adults alike will appreciate this highly anticipated movie based on the young adult novel of the same name by writer, Internet icon and nerdfighter John Green. It is the moving love story of Hazel and Gus, two teens who meet in the unlikeliest of places: a cancer support group.

June is also a big month for sequels: How to Train Your Dragon 2, Think Like a Man Too and Transformers: Age of Extinction promise to be fun flicks to catch, especially if you enjoyed the earlier installments. For sci-fi fans looking for more food for thought, films like Edge of Tomorrow and Snowpiercer are sure to satisfy.

On the small screen, you can look forward to the series premiere of "The Leftovers" on HBO; the season premieres of "Orange is the New Black," "True Blood" and "Under the Dome"; and the DVD release of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.
 
Click here to see all the movies, TV shows and DVDs featured in June's Books on Screen.
More Reviews This Week

MIDNIGHT IN EUROPE by Alan Furst (Historical Thriller)
Cristián Ferrar, a brilliant and handsome Spanish émigré, is a lawyer in the Paris office of a prestigious international law firm. He is approached by the embassy of the Spanish Republic and asked to help a clandestine agency trying desperately to supply weapons to the Republic’s beleaguered army --- an effort that puts his life at risk in the battle against fascism. Joining Ferrar in this mission is a group of unlikely men and women: idealists, gangsters, arms traders, aristocrats and spies. Reviewed by Roz Shea.


VERTIGO 42: A Richard Jury Mystery
by Martha Grimes
(Mystery)
Richard Jury is meeting Tom Williamson at Vertigo 42, a bar on the 42nd floor of an office building in London’s financial district. Despite inconclusive evidence, Tom is convinced that his wife, Tess, was murdered 17 years ago. The inspector in charge of the case was sure Tess’s death was accidental --- a direct result of vertigo --- but the official police inquiry is still an open verdict, and Jury agrees to re-examine the case. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.


THE BOOK OF UNKNOWN AMERICANS
by Cristina Henríquez
(Fiction)
Arturo and Alma Rivera have lived their whole lives in Mexico. One day, their 15-year-old daughter, Maribel, sustains a terrible injury. The Riveras come to America with a single dream: that in this country of great opportunity and resources, Maribel can get better. When Mayor Toro, whose family is from Panama, sees Maribel in a Dollar Tree store, it is love at first sight --- and the beginning of a friendship between the Rivera and Toro families. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.


THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP: A Novel of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad
by Alex Grecian
(Historical Thriller)
London, 1890. Four vicious murderers have escaped from prison, part of a plan gone terribly wrong, and now it is up to Walter Day, Nevil Hammersmith and the rest of Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad to hunt down the convicts before the men can resume their bloody spree. During the escape, the killers have stumbled upon the location of another notorious murderer, one thought gone for good but now prepared to join forces with them. Reviewed by Ray Palen.


BORDER WAR
by Lou Dobbs and James O. Born
(Thriller)

The border is a tough place to work, especially for FBI agent Tom Eriksen. With a history of violence, he cannot afford any on-duty screw-ups. So when an investigation ends in a bloody shootout and the shooting is deemed “questionable,” the bureau reassigns Eriksen to an office known as “the Island of Misfit Cops.” But when his partner is murdered, Eriksen must take charge and solve the case, wading through corruption and betrayal to discover the truth. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE UNEXPECTED WALTZ
by Kim Wright
(Fiction)
Kelly Wilder becomes recently widowed from a much older wealthy man with whom she spent her married life doing charity work and building a lovely home. Now, with too much time and money on her hands, Kelly has absolutely no idea what happens next. So, on a whim, she signs up for a ballroom dancing class and slowly, step by high-heeled step, begins to rebuild her life with the help of friends old and new. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.


THE BONES BENEATH: A Tom Thorne Novel
by Mark Billingham
(Mystery/Thriller)
When Stuart Nicklin announces that he wishes to reveal the whereabouts of one of his earliest victims and that he wants the cop who caught him to be there when he does it, it becomes clear that Tom Thorne’s life is about to become seriously unpleasant. Thorne is forced to accompany Nicklin to a remote island off the Welsh coast. As Thorne and his team search for bones that are somewhat more recent, it becomes clear that Nicklin’s motives are far from altruistic. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.


CLOSED DOORS
by Lisa O'Donnell
(Fiction)
Eleven-year-old Michael Murray has heard a secret, one that might explain the bruises on his mother’s face. When the whispers at home and on the street become too loud to ignore, he begins to wonder if there is an even bigger secret waiting to be discovered. Scared of what might happen if anyone finds out, and desperate for life to be normal again, Michael sets out to piece together the truth. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.


BY ANY MEANS: An Ash Rashid Novel
by Chris Culver
(Thriller)
At the end of a particularly grueling summer day, Ash Rashid is heading home to his wife and kids when he discovers a pair of bodies, shot execution style, in the front seat of a crashed vehicle. As the first officer on the scene, Ash finds himself and his department 20 minutes behind a killer in a race where every second counts. With two victims down and a third unaccounted for, Ash must find the killer before he strikes again. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

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Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can 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 June 6th to June 20th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE BOURNE ASCENDANCY by Eric Van Lustbader, TERMINAL CITY by Linda Fairstein and THAT NIGHT by Chevy Stevens.

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.

Please note: You must enter your full address, using correct capitalization and filling in all fields if you would like to be eligible to win this prize.

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One important technical note: If you're using an iPad or another iOS device to access the Word of Mouth page and you would like to enter the contest, you must wait for the page to fully load before you can rate your book. Only then will the stars be clickable.

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