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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
July 1, 2004 |
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Have a Firecracker Fourth! |
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I love fireworks. There is something so special about watching the colors explode overhead. I also relish documentary shows about how fireworks displays are created. The choreography that goes into them amazes me. However, I loathe the crowds and traffic going to and from the fireworks displays in our area. My favorite Fourth of July celebrations were the years that friends hosted their own displays at their homes --- very very cool. Will not happen at our house as there are too many trees around!
I love to travel, but this is one weekend I am just staying put. I have my stack of summer reading beckoning me. The plan is to float, read and grill. Our poll and question are all about giving books as hostess gifts. Do you give books as hostess gifts? What book would you love to receive as a hostess gift?
Advance readers of KILL THE MESSENGER and UNLUCKY IN LAW both weigh in this week. See what they had to say about both of these books! Once I read a book I enjoy seeing what other readers had to say about it.
New York City area residents, take note: The New York Times has announced their book promotion called "The Great Summer Read: The New York Times Free Book Series." Beginning July 12th, The Times will serialize four well-known books throughout the summer. Each book will be published in its entirety in seven installments that will begin on Monday and culminate on Sunday. Chapters of the books will be inserted into copies of The Times and distributed in the New York market. The four books chosen for the series are "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald beginning July 12; "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel beginning July 26; "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Truman Capote beginning August 9; and "The Color of Water" by James McBride beginning August 23. Of these four books I have only read Gatsby, so I am looking forward to this!
Now that our Summer Contest has ended we have posted the answers to the game that was created for us by Jim Gladstone, author of GLADSTONE'S GAMES TO GO. See the home page of Bookreporter.com for details!
Enjoy your long weekend...hope you find a cool spot and a good book.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com) |
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SAM'S LETTERS TO JENNIFER by James Patterson |
SAM'S LETTERS TO JENNIFER by James Patterson (Fiction)
Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
In James Patterson's latest work of fiction, a grieving widow returns to the resort village where she grew up to help a beloved relative --- and ends up experiencing not one but two of the most amazing love stories she has ever known. |
Read our review of SAM'S LETTERS TO JENNIFER here.
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Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: Tami Hoag, Author of KILL THE MESSENGER and Perri O'Shaughnessy, Author of UNLUCKY IN LAW |
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Tami Hoag, author of KILL THE MESSENGER, is our June Suspense/Thriller Author. KILL THE MESSENGER hits bookstores July 6th.
New This Week for Tami Hoag:
-Read what our advance readers had to say about KILL THE MESSENGER.
KILL THE MESSENGER
At the end of a long day, bike messenger Jace Damon has one last drop to make. But en route to delivering a package for one of L.A.'s sleaziest defense attorneys, he's run down by a car, chased through back alleys and shot at. He narrowly manages to escape with his life --- and a package someone would kill for. Now he finds himself suspected of murder, and he's on the run from both the cops and a brutal killer. The key to saving himself and his ten-year-old brother may be the envelope with a message no one wants delivered: the truth.
Perri O'Shaughnessy, author of UNLUCKY IN LAW, is our latest featured Suspense/Thriller author. UNLUCKY IN LAW will be in stores July 13th.
New This Week for Perri O'Shaughnessy:
-Read what our advance readers have to say about UNLUCKY IN LAW.
UNLUCKY IN LAW
Nina Reilly takes on the most dangerous and difficult case of her career in New York Times bestselling author Perri O'Shaughnessy's latest thriller. An ingenious blend of forensic science, history, and gripping suspense, UNLUCKY IN LAW pits the tough but compassionate attorney against the most unbeatable adversary of all: the law. |
Read our Suspense/Thriller feature here.
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Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: M.J. Rose, Author of THE HALO EFFECT |
M.J. Rose is our latest Debut Suspense/Thriller Author. While she has written four other books, THE HALO EFFECT, which will be in stores on July 1st is the first book in her new Butterfield Institute Series.
Here is more about the book, which has as its protagonist, a sex therapist.
Lawyers, cops, forensic experts, FBI agents and CIA operatives are the expected heroes of suspense thrillers. But never before has a series featured a protagonist with the unlikely occupation of sex therapist. M.J. Rose breaks this ground with THE HALO EFFECT, the first book in an innovative new series featuring the sex therapy clinic The Butterfield Institute and psychiatrist Dr. Morgan Snow. A seductive mix of psychological suspense, intrigue and adventure, the novel takes a provocative look at sexual issues through the eyes of a woman who has devoted her career to studying and talking about them.
New This Week:
Read a second excerpt from THE HALO EFFECT |
Read more about M.J. Rose and THE HALO EFFECT here.
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THE VANISHED MAN by Jeffery Deaver is Now Available in Paperback |
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The New York Times bestselling author of THE STONE MONKEY is back with a brilliant thriller that pits forensic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme and his partner, Amelia Sachs, against an unstoppable killer with one final, horrific trick up his sleeve.
It begins at a prestigious music school in New York City. A killer flees the scene of a homicide and locks himself in a classroom. Within minutes, the police have him surrounded. When a scream rings out, followed by a gunshot, they break down the door. The room is empty.
Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in to help with the high-profile investigation. For the ambitious Sachs, solving the case could earn her a promotion. For the quadriplegic Rhyme, it means relying on his protégée to ferret out a master illusionist they've dubbed "the conjurer," who baits them with gruesome murders that become more diabolical with each fresh crime. As the fatalities rise and the minutes tick down, Rhyme and Sachs must move beyond the smoke and mirrors to prevent a terrifying act of vengeance that could become the greatest vanishing act of all. |
Click here to read more about THE VANISHED MAN and Jeffery Deaver here.
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MYSTERY MAYHEM Author Spotlight: Leslie Forbes, Author of WAKING RAPHAEL |
Leslie Forbes is our latest Mystery Mayhem Author. While she has written two literary fiction titles, WAKING RAFAEL, which is now in stores is her first mystery title.
Here is more about the book:
Amidst a country rocked by scandal and corruption, inhabitants of the idyllic city of Urbino, Italy, birthplace of Raphael, are more concerned with a sudden outbreak of miracles than with politics. What unspeakable secret lies hidden in Raphael's enigmatic painting? Its restoration will drive a living mute to a shocking act of violence and spark an investigation into a nearly forgotten war crime and a series of events that will shatter the silence gripping this community forever.
New This Week:
Read an excerpt of WAKING RAFAEL.
See our list of advance readers. |
Read more about Leslie Forbes and WAKING RAFAEL here.
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This Week's Book Reviews and Features |
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THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
Reviewed by Norah Piehl
Four women hailing from different backgrounds and holding different dreams come together to knit blankets and weave friendships at the same time. They make unexpected discoveries --- about themselves and each other --- in this heartwarming yarn.
SWEET LAND STORIES by E.L. Doctorow (Fiction/Short Stories)
Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara
E.L. Doctorow, one of America's premier writers and the bestselling author of such works as RAGTIME and BILLY BATHGATE, turns his attention to the short story in five dazzling explorations of who we are as a people and how we live.
THE MADMAN'S TALE by John Katzenbach (Suspense)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Twenty years after being released from Western State Hospital, Francis Petrel returns to the now-shuttered mental institution, which stirs something deep in his troubled mind: dark memories he thought he had laid to rest, about the grisly events that led to the hospital's demise.
NIGHT SWIMMING by Robin Schwarz (Fiction)
Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
Debut novelist Robin Schwarz, a creative director/writer for a New York City advertising firm, has crafted an unconventional story about a woman who moves from Gorham, New Hampshire to Los Angeles, California, determined to start a new life for herself after a stunning medical diagnosis.
OSPREY ISLAND by Thisbe Nissen (Fiction)
Reviewed by Rob Cline
Thisbe Nissen's second novel is a tale of homecomings gone wrong, summer jobs turned horrific and the revelations of long-hidden secrets in the aftermath of a deadly fire on a resort island off the eastern seaboard in the late 1980s.
THE TARNISHED EYE by Judith Guest (Mystery)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
In the town of Blessed, Michigan resides Sheriff Hugh DeWitt, a man who is still mourning the death of his infant son. When an unimaginable tragedy strikes and an entire family is murdered, Sheriff DeWitt is driven to solve the crime --- while keeping his own demons at bay.
DIVINE SARAH by Adam Braver (Fiction)
Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton
Adam Braver renders a portrait of the great actress Sarah Bernhardt in the twilight of her career as she explores her relationship to art and asks herself, "When does art become the artist?"
OFF SEASON: Discovering America on Winter's Shore by Ken McAlpine (Essays/Travel)
Reviewed by Robert Finn
This deftly written and engaging memoir centers on the adventures of travel writer Ken McAlpine, who embarked on a one-man quest up the East Coast to capture the elusive "forgotten season" of beach towns shuttered until the return of warm weather. |
Read the reviews and features here.
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Poll: Do You Give Books As Hostess Gifts? |
Do you give books as hostess gifts?
Yes
No, but that is a good idea.
No |
Answer the Poll here.
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Question of the Week: Hostess Gifts |
Our question is inspired by summer visiting. I always joke that I wish I liked the presents that I received as much as the ones that I give! With that in mind...
What book would you like to receive as a hostess gift if someone came to visit you?
Our next question update will be on July 23rd. |
Answer the Question of the Week.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading -- TWO Prizes! |
Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.
This week we have some great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of KILL THE MESSENGER by Tami Hoag and ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS by Linda Greenlaw. Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on July 23rd. |
Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.
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As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online (see the link on the upper right) or change your preferences below.
Those of you who wish to send mail to Bookreporter.com, please see the form on the Write to Us page. We were forced to move to this format after we were inundated with SPAM at the other address. If you would like to reach me, please write Carol@bookreporter.com. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.
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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: ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.
--- Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107 |
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