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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
February 4, 2005
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Long Distance Reading
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Happy Friday! I am just back from a rather whirlwind trip to Nashville where I spent most of this past week at the Christian Booksellers Association. I flew in just in time to put finishing touches on this week's newsletter and lineup. I will write more about my trip this weekend on the Bookreporter.com Blog, including what I read when I was on the road.
Now here's this week's news....
While I was away, Tom Donadio pulled together a list of Bookish Valentine selections. Books and amore, what could be better? The titles he picked are everything from the literary to the risque. May I share that books have zero calories, and they do not wilt and die? Think about them for your special valentine.
Last October I read ME & EMMA by Elizabeth Flock and immediately knew this was a title I wanted to spotlight as ONE TO WATCH. I picked up the book on a Wednesday, canceled a dinner that night so I could stay in and read and the following morning I was waiting to meet someone for breakfast with it still in hand. About a month ago my friend Annie Binkley, who reads about as voraciously as me, called and said that she had just read the BEST book. What was it? ME & EMMA. It's a haunting and honest story written in the voice of a young girl. The book will be in stores on March 1st. We are looking for 10 advance readers to read this book and comment on it. Interested? Then send us mail at OneToWatch@bookreporter.com by Friday, February 11th with your name and your mailing address.
A couple of weeks ago I told you about SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR by Pam Lewis, an upcoming psychological suspense title. We are spotlighting Pam and this book as a Debut Suspense/Thriller. The story in a nutshell: When she was in high school, a young woman was present at a murder for which she is blamed. The events of this evening haunt her and send her running, but then her past catches up with her. The writing would have me classify it as a very literary suspense title, which is something we do not see often. We are looking for 10 advance readers to read this book and comment on it. Interested? Then send us mail at DebutSuspenseThriller@bookreporter.com by Friday, February 11th with your name and your mailing address.
Though I am just back I keep telling people that I need a really long trip to catch up on my reading. I keep dreaming of a trip to Australia and back. Hmmmmm...frequent flyer miles and hours of reading with no interruptions. Wouldn't that be great?
And for those who wrote to ask....I managed to get ONE fire lit in the fireplace last weekend before we ran out of wood. This weekend's goal --- two all-day fires. Wish me luck!!! Have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Miranda Beverly Whittemore, Author of THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT
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Bookreporter.com Co-Founder Carol Fitzgerald and contributing writer Shannon McKenna interview debut novelist Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, author of THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT. Beverly-Whittemore talks about her inspiration for writing the book and addresses a central aspect of the novel that is likely to be a hot button issue with some readers. She also discusses the significance of the title, how her favorite writers have influenced her, and what her next project will be.
THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (Fiction)
Reviewed by Shannon McKenna
This richly evocative debut novel by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore tells the story of two sisters whose lives are forever altered by a series of photographs taken by a family friend. |
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Read our our interview with Miranda Beverly-Whittemore and our review of THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT here.
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One to Watch: Elizabeth Flock, Author of ME & EMMA
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Our latest One to Watch author is Elizabeth Flock, Author of ME & EMMA, which will be in stores on March 1st.
Interested in being one of our 10 advance readers of this book and sharing your comments about it? Then send your name and address to OneToWatch@bookreporter.com by Friday, February 11th to be entered in our random drawing.
In many ways, Carrie Parker is like any other eight-year-old-playing make-believe, dreading school, dreaming of faraway places. But even her imaginative mind can't shut out the realities of her impoverished North Carolina home or help her protect her younger sister, Emma.
By turns achingly naive and utterly pragmatic, Carrie has been shaped by the loss of her beloved daddy, and mired by a drunken stepfather and emotionally absent mother. Charting an astonishing course of survival for herself and Emma, she hopes to transform their life into one more closely resembling the story books she treasures.
But after the sisters' plan to run away from home unravels, their world takes a shocking turn-and one shattering moment ultimately reveals a truth that leaves everyone reeling.
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Click here to read more about Elizabeth Flock and ME & EMMA.
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Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: Pam Lewis, Author of SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR
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Our latest Debut Suspense/Thriller author is Pam Lewis, Author of SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR, which will be in stores on March 1st.
Interested in being one of our 10 advance readers of this book and sharing your comments about it? Then send your name and address to DebutSuspenseThriller@bookreporter.com by Friday, February 11th.
New York City, 1965: At Spence, the exclusive Manhattan girls' school, shy, overweight scholarship student Carole finds herself drawn into an unlikely friendship with charismatic, pedigreed Naomi. On a dare, Carole and Naomi make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation. Enter Eddie, a slick Upper East Side prep school dropout, expelled from a half-dozen private schools on the East Coast. Eddie is handsome, fatally charming, and more than willing to help the girls accomplish their goal. But something about him is not quite right -- his overly familiar way with Naomi, his hair-trigger temper, the stories that just don't add up -- and on one bitterly cold holiday weekend in an isolated cabin deep in the Vermont woods, a horrifying twist develops in the girls' plan. Before the night is over, a stomach-turning secret is sealed between friends, setting in motion a series of events that will have dire and far-reaching consequences.
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Read more about Pam Lewis and SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR here.
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Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: Michele Martinez, Author of MOST WANTED
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Our previously featured Debut Suspense/Thriller author was Michele Martinez. Her novel, MOST WANTED, is a solidly written pageturner that will have you craving the second book in the series. It will be in stores on February 15th.
New This Week:
-Read another excerpt.
Here's more about MOST WANTED:
Melanie Vargas is a hardworking, hotshot federal prosecutor in New York City with a rising career in the law and a marriage that's on the rocks. On an innocent evening stroll with her child, Melanie stumbles across a horrifying crime scene. It's the kind of high-profile case that can make her name, and Melanie wants in. But what she doesn't realize is that this opportunity will bring her dangerously close to a hard-to-resist FBI agent who may have secrets of his own -- and even closer to a dark, sadistic killer who seems to be one step ahead of her every inch of the way.
Read about Michele Martinez.
Sign up to get news about Michele Martinez.
Go to the website for Michele Martinez
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Read more about Michele Martinez and MOST WANTED here.
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Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: Jodi Compton, Author of SYMPATHY BETWEEN HUMANS
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Jodi Compton is the author of SYMPATHY BETWEEN HUMANS, which will be in stores on March 1st. Many of you may remember her as we spotlighted her as a Debut Suspense/Thriller author last year with THE 37TH HOUR, which is now just out in paperback. We have 20 advanced reading copies of Jodi's SYMPATHY BETWEEN HUMANS, which will be on sale on March 1st, to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. A description can be found below. If you are interested, please send your name and mailing address to SuspenseThriller@bookreporter.com by Friday, February 11, 2005.
On the streets of Minneapolis, Sarah has worked everything from vice to missing persons. But six months after the death of a small-town criminal in rural Minnesota, Sarah is still protecting the identity of a killer. And now a zealous D.A.'s investigator has come to town, determined to make an arrest. With her ex-partner half a world away and her husband in prison, only Sarah remains to face the consequences of last fall.
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Read more about Jodi Compton and SYMPATHY BETWEEN HUMANS here.
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This Week's Reviews and Features
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CONVICTION by Richard North Patterson (Legal Thriller)
Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
The latest novel by Richard North Patterson shines a light on the controversies that surround the death penalty in the United States: uncertainty, morality, inconsistency, politics, race, social class and finality. A retarded death row inmate who may be innocent is to be put to death in less than two months. Can he be saved?
ALICE IN JEOPARDY by Ed McBain (Mystery)
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
Eight months after her husband Eddie died in a boating accident, Alice receives a phone call from a woman claiming to have her children and asks for a ransom identical to the amount Alice is due from the insurance agency for Eddie's accident. As all kinds of people scheme to get their hands on her money, Alice wonders whether anyone can be trusted in her fight for everything she holds dear.
A THREAD OF GRACE by Mary Doria Russell (Historical Fiction)
Reviewed by Kathy Weissman
Mary Doria Russell, known for the science fiction classics THE SPARROW and CHILDREN OF GOD, has produced a big, passionate historical novel set during the final years of World War II. It tells the little-known story of how ordinary Italians --- from priests to partisans --- saved more than 40,000 Jews from extinction.
THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, translated by Lucia Graves (Fiction)
Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton
This wonderfully satisfying novel is a multi-layered tale about a ten-year-old boy named Daniel Sempere, whose life changes forever after picking up a book by an author who seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
THE GEOGRAPHER'S LIBRARY by Jon Fasman (Fiction)
Reviewed by Colleen Quinn
While investigating the suspicious death of a local professor, a young reporter stumbles upon a ruthless smuggling ring and a secret society of alchemists, in Jon Fasman's smart and well-written debut novel.
REVOLUTIONARY MOTHERS: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence by Carol Berkin (History)
Reviewed by Robert Finn
In this slim but deftly executed book, history professor Carol Berkin informs readers of the little-publicized role played by women on both sides in the American Revolution.
THE IVY CHRONICLES by Karen Quinn (Fiction)
Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
When Ivy Ames loses her high-paying job and discovers her husband in bed with another woman, she realizes that she'll need a whole new way to support herself and her two daughters. So she dreams up a brilliant new business --- helping upscale New Yorkers get their children into the most exclusive kindergartens in the city.
THE REAL MOTHER by Judith Michael (Fiction)
Reviewed by Carole Turner
Sara Elliott returns to Chicago to take care of her three younger siblings after their mother suffers a debilitating stroke that lands her in a nursing home. Sara tries her best to look after the children while working full-time, but the return of her older brother after a three-year absence adds confusion, excitement and mystery to the household.
IT'S MY PARTY TOO: The Battle for the Heart of the GOP and the Future of America by Christine Todd Whitman (Politics/Current Events)
Reviewed by Robert Finn
The former Republican governor of New Jersey and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency issues a warning to her party that a takeover by hard-line conservative ideologues could topple the GOP from its current perch at the undisputed top of the American political world.
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Read this week's reviews and features here.
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NOW in Paperback
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January's roundup of New in Paperback titles included PARANOIA, Joseph Finder's exciting and fast-paced thriller of corporate espionage; GARDEN OF BEASTS, the first historical novel by suspense/thriller author Jeffery Deaver; THE TRUE AND OUTSTANDING ADVENTURES OF THE HUNT SISTERS, Elisabeth Robinson's hilarious and heartfelt debut novel about the relationship between two sisters and the struggles they face; LITTLE CHILDREN, the New York Times bestseller by Tom Perrotta that satirizes suburbanites "trapped in Kidworld"; and 1968, Mark Kurlansky's examination of that pivotal year in world history.
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Click here to browse new releases in paperback
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Valentine's Day Books to Give and Get
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Love is in the air, which means that Valentine's Day is fast approaching. To celebrate this most romantic of all holidays, Bookreporter.com has assembled a generous helping of fiction and nonfiction titles that focus on love, sex and intimacy. These books address themes that take on special significance during this time of year --- longing for that one person who you can love and cherish forever, maintaining and strengthening existing relationships, and coping with the loss of a loved one --- and will make wonderful gifts for the Valentine in your life.
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Click here to read our Valentine's Day What to Give/What to Get selections.
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AuthorsOnTheWeb.com Author Bibliographies
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Want to read the work of your favorite authors in the order it was written? The Author Bibliographies that we have on AuthorsOnTheWeb.com may help. This is information that is not easily found, but Tom Donadio, our Editorial Manager, updated and revised the Author Bibliographies, complete with copyright dates so you might organize your reading.
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Take a look at the Author Bibliographies here.
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Bookreporter.com Blog
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Bookstore Shopping: Let the Games Begin
Let It Snow; I'm Reading
Reading Italian (Grisham Style), Tsunami Aid (Author Style) and Celebs (Without Style)
Sign up here to get notified each time this blog is updated.
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Click here to read the Bookreporter.com blog.
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Poll: Valentine's Day |
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Do you give gifts on Valentine's Day?
All of the time
Some of the time
Never
Do you ever give books for Valentine's Day?
All of the time
Some of the time
Never
Do you ever get books for Valentine's Day?
All of the time
Some of the time
Never
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Answer the Poll here.
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Question of the Week: What Book Would You Like to Give/Get? |
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Question: What would be your favorite book to give/get on Valentine's Day?
Please note: Our next question update will be on February 18th.
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Answer the Question of the Week here.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading -- TWO Prizes! |
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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 HONEYMOON by James Patterson and Howard Roughan and ROSIE DUNNE by Cecelia Ahearn. Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on February 18th.
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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.
Quick observation --- we have noticed that many of you have been changing your Internet providers in the past month. If you do, please be sure to "take us along" by signing up for the newsletter in your new name!
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
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