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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
March 10, 2006
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This Week on Bookreporter.com
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I Feel Spring Blowing In
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Today the wind has been blowing. Why can I picture the calendar in the 3rd grade as I write this with the big wind symbol with a face with puffed cheeks on it smack dab in the middle of March? But what's blowing in? Warm air. I feel spring coming in from wherever it was hiding.
It cannot happen quicker since I am definitely in a sunny frame of mind as I am just back from a long weekend in Florida where I first attended Sleuthfest and then spent a glorious three days READING at the pool and on the beach. You'll hear more about what I was reading in the months ahead, but there are two books that I will share now.
The first is Mary Kay Andrews's book, SAVANNAH BREEZE, which is on sale on April 11th. This is the perfect beach read. Think about this one for spring break April trips, Mother's Day and summer beach reading. I had soooo much fun reading it and the cover just screams summer. The second book is Robert Crais's THE TWO MINUTE RULE, which is the book I voted to take to a fire. Want to see what I mean about that and hear more about my Florida adventure? Then read the blog called Spring Break - In Reading Style. Great trip. I can see making this one of my annual stops. Since so much of my week is outlined on this blog, I'll just write about a few quick things here.
We have our Advance Reader comments for ISOLATION WARD by Joshua Spanogle here.
This week on Bookreporter.com we're launching two new Author Features. Harley Jane Kozak, whose smart and funny novel DATING IS MURDER comes out in paperback on March 14th, is our newest featured Mystery Mayhem author. We have 20 copies of DATING IS MURDER to share with readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to Mystery@bookreporter.com by Friday, March 24th.
Our Chick Lit Feature has been on hiatus for a while, but we're bringing it back in full force with Laurie Graff, whose book LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG comes out on April 1st. It's a sexy, witty tale about a princess who just can't seem to stop kissing frogs. (Thus we love that it comes out on April Fool's Day). Those of you who would like to receive one of 20 Advance Copies of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG and comment on it can send your name and mailing address to ChickLit@bookreporter.com by Friday, March 24th.
While we rarely feature How To or Advice books on these pages, one came across my desk this week that has been making so much noise that I had to share it with you. It's called THE SKIN TYPE SOLUTION by Leslie Baumann, MD. You know those makeup counters where you find out if your skin is dry, oily or some combination thereof? Well, Baumann looks at skin in a whole new way. With a quiz that explores oily vs. dry, sensitive vs. resistant, pigmented vs. non-pigmented, and wrinkled vs. tight, you can see where she is headed with her writing. I am not a beauty products junkie by any means, but the idea of knowing more about my skin as I get closer to a certain age is making me plan to take this quiz this weekend. Note that this book is one of our Word of Mouth prizes this week.
Enjoy your weekend...if the weather is as nice where you are as it is here, get out walking and enjoy! It really will lift your spirits.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
List of titles reviewed and featured on March 10th.
List of titles reviewed and featured on March 3rd.
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Kate Mosse, Author of LABYRINTH
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Bookreporter.com's Carol Fitzgerald, Joe Hartlaub and Wiley Saichek interviewed Kate Mosse, author of ESKIMO KISSING, CRUCIFIX LANE and the newly released LABYRINTH. Mosse discusses how much of the novel's inspiration --- both in setting and plot --- stemmed from her love of the Southwest region of France and explains her intent to expand the parameters of a predominantly Christian myth to encompass all religions. She also describes her hands-on approach to research and shares details about future novels and projects.
LABYRINTH by Kate Mosse (Thriller)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Two female protagonists are obsessed with a mystery that slips between the present day and the year 1209. In Kate Mosse's page-turning thriller --- rich in the atmospheres of medieval and contemporary France --- the lives of these women, born centuries apart, are linked by a common destiny.
-Click here to read Advance Reader Comments for LABYRINTH.
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Click here to read our interview with Kate Mosse and a review of LABYRINTH.
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Our Newest Featured Mystery Mayhem Author --- Harley Jane Kozak, Author of DATING IS MURDER
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Harley Jane Kozak is our newest featured Mystery Mayhem author. Her smart and funny novel DATING IS MURDER is coming out in paperback and we're excited to be spreading the word about this witty and suspenseful tale.
We have 20 copies of DATING IS MURDER to share with readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to Mystery@bookreporter.com by Friday, March 24th.
More about DATING IS MURDER:
Wollie Shelley, the plucky amateur sleuth Kirkus Reviews called "funny, brave, smart, and altogether the fetchingest crime heroine since the early Stephanie Plum," returns to face suspect lovers and unlovable suspects in this hilarious sequel to DATING DEAD MEN.
Wollie Shelley is a greeting card artist struggling to keep afloat financially and to pursue --- despite a series of recent disasters --- the search for the love of her life. She reluctantly agrees to be a contestant on the reality television show Biological Clock. The show's premise: Six eligible singles date each other, and the audience votes on which couple would make the best parents. Alas, Wollie isn't having much luck finding a man she'd like to date "off the air," much less father her child. As her own biological clock ticks away, Wollie gets caught up in a much more pressing demand on her time. Her friend Annika has vanished into thin air, and Wollie is convinced that she's in grave danger.
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Click here to read more about Harley Jane Kozak and DATING IS MURDER.
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Chick Lit Author Feature --- Spotlight on Laurie Graff and LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG
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Our newest featured Chick Lit author is Laurie Graff, whose book LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG comes out on April 1st and is a fun twist on the old story about a princess and a frog.
We have 20 Advance Copies of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG to share with readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to ChickLit@bookreporter.com by Friday, March 24th.
More about LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG:
A Fact About Frogging:
With new species discovered every day, it's hard to find a rule to catch a good frog, except to say that when it comes to frogs there are no rules at all.
Karrie Kline had kissed her share of frogs. But when it came to finding her prince, her pond was dry. With disappointments ranging from a Colorado-bound Casanova to a lascivious lawyer she meets online, Karrie's frustration climbs so high, even dreams of meeting her match on her own reality show become a nightmare. But she still has her tales.
An enterprising actress, Karrie turns her dating stories into a successful one-woman show. Has her quest to put her bad-date karma to good use turned her into a dating pariah? Her old frogs are hopping out of the woodwork. But offstage, Karrie journeys back to the beginning to figure out how she got here. From finding her very first tadpole on up to her biggest horniest toad, Karrie comes away with an even stronger sense of herself and relationships, passing on a prince for her own good frog.
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Click here to read more about Laurie Graff and LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG.
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Our First Featured Romantic Suspense Author --- Lisa Jackson, Author of SHIVER
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To launch our Romantic Suspense Author Spotlight we are featuring Lisa Jackson, author of SHIVER. In each of her gripping bestsellers, Lisa Jackson has brought readers to the edge of their seats and proven herself a master of romantic suspense. Now the New York Times bestselling author delivers SHIVER --- her most powerful novel yet.
-Click here to read our Advance Copy Winners.
More about SHIVER:
Detective Reuben "Diego" Montoya is back in New Orleans where a serial killer is turning The Big Easy into his personal playground. The victims are killed in pairs -- no connection, no apparent motive, no real clues. Somebody's playing a sick game, and Montoya intends to beat him at it.
His only lead is the ex-wife of one of the victims, Abby Chastain,a woman haunted by painful secrets. Twenty years ago she watched in horror as her mother, a patient at the Our Lady of Virtues Mental Hospital, plunged through a window to her death. Abby has always dreaded that she too would one day go insane...especially now, back in this town, where she's begun to feel watched, as if the devil himself is scraping a fingernail along her spine.
As more bodies are found in gruesome, staged scenarios Montoya's in a desperate race to find a killer whose crimes are getting more terrifying, and closer all the time. Plunging deep into a nightmare investigation will uncover a shocking revelation -- a deadly connection between Abby and Montoya and an asylum where unspeakable crimes were committed, evil once roamed free, and a human predator may still wait.
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Click here to read more about Lisa Jackson and SHIVER.
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Our Newest Debut Suspense/Thriller Author --- Robert Taylor, Author of PARADIGM
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Robert Taylor, whose intelligent and wickedly well-written thriller PARADIGM comes out March 13th, is our newest featured Debut Suspense/Thriller author.
-Click here to read an excerpt from PARADIGM.
-Click here to see our list of Advance Copy Winners.
-Click here to see a list of Robert Taylor's Bookstore Appearances.
More about PARADIGM:
What is tomorrow's Wall Street Journal worth to you today? Where is the line between reality and fiction? Are the financial markets really predictable? Does an ancient artifact hold the key to how some of the world's wealthiest families made their fortunes?
When a mysterious granite and cypress Egyptian box is found hidden away in a secret room in the palatial Biltmore Estate, twin scientists Alex and Nicholas Shepard work to unlock the secret of its intricate dials, gauges, crystals, and carvings. What they discover has the potential to make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But it could also collapse financial markets, bankrupt corporations around the globe, and destroy many of the world's most powerful families. As the twins quickly find out, people will not only kill to make money, but will kill to keep it.
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Click here to read more about Robert Taylor and PARADIGM.
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Featured Debut Suspense/Thriller Author --- Robert Dugoni, Author of THE JURY MASTER
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Debut Suspense/Thriller author Robert Dugoni has written a legal thriller with a soul in THE JURY MASTER, which is on sale March 21st. It has high praise from both Nelson DeMille and Stephen White.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE JURY MASTER.
-Click here to see the winners of our Advance Reader Copies.
More about THE JURY MASTER:
In a courtroom, David Sloane can grab a jury and make it dance. He can read jurors' expressions, feel their emotions, know their thoughts. With this remarkable ability, Sloane gets juries to believe the unbelievable, excuse the inexcusable, and return the most astonishing verdicts. The only barrier to Sloane's professional success is his conscience -- until he gets a call from a man later found dead, and his life rockets out of control.
THE JURY MASTER hurtles through one hairpin turn and into another. Sloane fights for his life, he gets closer and closer to an explosive truth: about who he is, how little he knows, and who is the master of his fate...
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Click here to read more about Robert Dugoni and THE JURY MASTER.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Richard Montanari, Author of THE SKIN GODS
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Our newest featured Suspense/Thriller author is Richard Montanari, who readers will no doubt recognize from his previous page-turners THE ROSARY GIRLS, KISS OF EVIL, DEVIANT WAY, and THE VIOLET HOUR. Now, with his noir thriller THE SKIN GODS (which comes out March 14th), Montanari re-establishes himself at the forefront of the suspense/thriller genre.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE SKIN GODS.
-Click here to read our list of Advance Copy Winners.
-Click here to read Fast Facts about Richard Montanari.
-Click here to read Richard Montanari's backlist.
-Click here to read Richard Montanari's bibliography.
More about THE SKIN GODS:
With the breakneck pacing and intricate plotting of his most recent novel, THE ROSARY GIRLS, Richard Montanari established himself as one of the most exciting suspense writers working today. Now he proves himself a virtuoso with THE SKIN GODS, an explosive new thriller featuring Philadelphia homicide detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano.
It is the steaming heart of summer in the City of Brotherly Love. Back on the force after taking a bullet during the arrest of a sadistic murderer, Detective Kevin Byrne warily returns to police headquarters. He cannot shake the memory of the Rosary Killer's innocent victims --- or his growing sense that the evil has not been vanquished. And when he and his partner, Detective Jessica Balzano, are called in on a bizarre case, Byrne's gravest suspicions are confirmed.
Hot on the psychopath's trail, Balzano and Byrne descend into the mouth of madness and beyond, deep into the depraved underworld of S&M clubs and the porn industry, where the worship of flesh leads to malevolent evil. Before the final credits roll, the investigators will discover that none of The Actor's victims are as innocent as they appear to be, and that the clue the police need to prevent future murders might be found in Detective Byrne's own dark past.
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Click here to read more about Richard Montanari and SKIN GODS.
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Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: Stephen White, Author of KILL ME
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Stephen White, one of our featured Suspense/Thriller authors, hardly needs any introduction. The author of such works as MISSING PERSONS, BLINDED, THE BEST REVENGE, and many more has been delighting readers with his twisting, tangled plots and shocking twists. KILL ME, which hit shelves March 2nd, is both intelligent and gripping, firmly solidifying White's place as one of the most talented suspense/thriller writers out there.
-Click here to read our Advance Reader Comments for Stephen White.
KILL ME by Stephen White (Thriller)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
One of Dr. Alan Gregory's patients, the anonymous protagonist of Stephen White's latest thriller, signs on with a company he calls the Death Angels, who promises to terminate him should his quality of life drop below a certain level. As his health status changes more quickly than he expects, he must fight not only his medical condition but also the group that will fulfill the irrevocable contract.
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Click here to read our interview with Stephen White and a review of KILL ME.
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One to Watch Featured Author: Allegra Goodman, Author of INTUITION
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Allegra Goodman, one of our featured One to Watch authors, has already generated a devoted following among readers who love her wry wit and astute observations of the nuances of family life. Her previous novel THE FAMILY MARKOWITZ was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and KAATERSKILL FALLS was a National Book Award finalist. Now, with INTUITION, she turns her penetrating gaze on the lies and intrigue that threaten to shake the placid surface of a small academic community. Surprising and gripping, INTUITION will satisfy old Goodman fans and garner her new ones as well.
-Click here to read our Advance Reader Comments for INTUITION.
INTUITION by Allegra Goodman (Fiction)
Reviewed by Joni Rendon
In a world of few certainties, should we let intuition be our guide? Equally, how much faith should we place in the hands of others, even those we think we know the best? These are the intriguing questions driving Allegra Goodman's thought-provoking new novel exploring the human side of the high-stakes world of experimental research.
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Click here to read our interview with Allegra Goodman and a review of INTUITION.
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This Week's Reviews and Features
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THE TENTH CIRCLE by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
Reviewed by Lourdes Orive
Fourteen-year old Trixie Stone is a popular straight-A student who has always looked up to her father as a hero. Until, that is, her world is turned upside down with a single act of violence. Suddenly everything Trixie has believed about her family --- and herself --- seems to be a lie.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE TENTH CIRCLE.
THE FALLEN by T. Jefferson Parker (Suspense)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
When Garrett Asplundh's body is found under a San Diego bridge, Robbie Brownlaw and his partner, McKenzie Cortez, are called on to the case. At first his death looks like a suicide, but the clues Brownlaw and Cortez find just don't add up. With pressure mounting from the police and the city's politicians, Brownlaw fights to find the truth.
FALLING THROUGH THE EARTH: A Memoir by Danielle Trussoni (Memoir)
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
Growing up, Danielle Trussoni was fascinated by stories of her father's adventures as a tunnel rat in Vietnam, where he risked his life crawling headfirst into holes to search for American POWs held underground. But his constant drinking and violent behavior caused Danielle's mother to leave him. When everyone else walked away from Dan Trussoni, Danielle would not. In this unforgettable memoir she tells their story.
THE AMALGAMATION POLKA by Stephen Wright (Fiction)
Reviewed by Andrew Musicus
Born in 1844 in bucolic upstate New York, Liberty Fish is the son of fervent abolitionists and the grandson of Carolina slaveholders even more dedicated to their cause. When war breaks out, Liberty joins the Union army. After participating in a series of horrific battles, he deserts his fellow soldiers and eventually ends up on a blockade runner with his grandfather.
THE DEAD BEAT: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson (Cultural Studies)
Reviewed by Robert Finn
Marilyn Johnson offers a diverting look at the world of those who write about the dead for a living --- who they are, why they enjoy their somewhat macabre work so much, and how they make newspaper obituaries such compulsively interesting reading.
THE CAT WHO DROPPED A BOMBSHELL by Lilian Jackson Braun (Mystery)
Reviewed by Maggie Harding
James Qwilleran and his two extraordinary feline housemates, Koko and Yum Yum, are back for another mystery-solving stint in Lilian Jackson Braun's beloved bestselling Cat Who... series.
FANTASYLAND: A Season on Baseball's Lunatic Fringe by Sam Walker (Sports)
Reviewed by Ron Kaplan
Every spring, millions of Americans prepare to take part in rotisserie baseball, a fantasy game where fans match wits by building their own teams. In 2004, Sam Walker, a sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal, decided to explore this phenomenon by joining a private league generally reserved for the nation's top experts.
THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS by Kiran Desai (Fiction)
Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
Kiran Desai's second novel follows a number of characters --- among them, an embittered old judge who wants to retire in peace, his orphaned granddaughter, and their chatty cook --- at a moment when identity, nationality and loyalty are all called into question as an Indian-Nepali insurgency erupts in their mountain town.
ROSE OF NO MAN'S LAND by Michelle Tea (Fiction)
Reviewed by Norah Piehl
Michelle Tea, who has won acclaim for her own startlingly gritty memoirs, offers an equally gritty novel with ROSE OF NO MAN'S LAND, a spiraling, drug-fueled coming-of-age story of hitchhiking, sex and tattoos, set in the trashy, dead-end towns surrounding Boston.
OH DANNY BOY by Rhys Bowen (Historical Mystery)
Reviewed by Kate Ayers
Unflappable Molly Murphy is back, this time working to clear the name of her estranged lover, the handsome but deceiving NYPD captain Daniel Sullivan, who is accused of accepting a bribe. But her real challenge comes as she tries to evade an evil killer preying on women.
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Click here to read our reviews and features.
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Poll: Websites for Your Favorite Authors |
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Do you visit the websites of your favorite authors?
Yes, I like to keep track of what my favorite authors are currently working on, and their upcoming titles.
I would visit author websites, but I don't have time.
I would visit author websites, but many of my favorite authors do not have websites.
I'm not sure if my favorite authors have websites --- I've never looked.
Visiting author websites is not of interest to me.
If you do visit author websites, what features appeal to you most? (Check as many as apply.)
Updates on upcoming titles
Excerpts
Praise and reviews
Background information on the book(s)
Contests and book giveaways
Information about author appearances
Author interviews and author information
Photo galleries
I am not sure.
I do not visit author websites.
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Answer the Poll here.
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Question of the Week: Favorite Author Website |
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What's your favorite author website? What do you like on it?
Please note: Our question of the week will update on March 17th.
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Answer the Question of the Week 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. If you would like to reach me, please write Carol@bookreporter.com. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.
Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by March 31st, 2006 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: CIRCLE OF QUILTERS by Jennifer Chiaverini, DARK ASSASSIN by Anne Perry, FALSE IMPRESSION by Jeffrey Archer, GONE by Jonathan Kellerman and THE TENTH CIRCLE by Jodi Picoult. Last month's winner was Sue from Council Bluffs, Iowa who won THE 5TH HORSEMAN by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, THE BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEAD by Kevin Brockmeier, THE GOOD LIFE by Jay McInerney, MAGIC HOUR by Kristin Hannah and THE OLD WINE SHADES: A Richard Jury Mystery by Martha Grimes.
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.
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