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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
August 18, 2006
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This Week on Bookreporter.com
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Nighttime Reading
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Last night I worked late at the office...really late. I came home and could not get myself into a relaxed enough mood to sleep, so I picked up I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK by Nora Ephron. And I started laughing. A lot. Her writing is great and she's funny in that way I love in that there is not just one funny line, there's a followup and then another and sometimes a third. I ran into an old friend (old as in I know her a long time, not old as in age) on the street this week who told me that she has been buying multiple copies of this book to give to her girlfriends as she has enjoyed it so much. I found myself making a list of people who I think will love it as I was reading last night. And I can see all of them buying multiple copies for their friends.
Here's the interesting thing. I typically loathe reading books about women talking about being "of a certain age." I have no desire to see Menopause on Broadway. But there is something about Ephron's humor that made me want to read more more more. I look forward to reading more tonight.
This week I also read WAKE-UP CALL: The Political Education of a 9/11 Widow by Kristen Breitweiser, which will be in stores on September 6th. She is one of the "Jersey Girls," who led an active campaign on behalf of the victims of the 9/11 tragedy in Washington and elsewhere around the country. I am halfway through and she has some very interesting comments about the political system in this country, no matter what political persuasion you come from. I look forward to finishing this one when I am on vacation.
Also on my bedside this week (and yes, I do read more than one book at once...and no, it is not confusing) is ANGEL'S REST by Charles Davis, which takes place in Virginia in 1967. I love the writing on this one and its young protagonist Charlie York, who is 11. His mom's charged with killing his dad with a shotgun and Charlie's care is entrusted to an elderly black man named Lacy Albert Coe. I am about 50 pages in and this one also qualifies for the vacation pile. It's on-sale in September, as well.
I am doing something different this year for my vacation reading. There are some books definitely making the trip, namely Sandra Brown's new one, RICOCHET. Reading Sandra in the pool is a tradition. Also, Karin Slaughter's TRIPTYCH is on the pre-qualified list. Beyond this I am reading 50 pages here before I pack a book to be sure that it's vacation-worthy. I amuse myself saying that this will mean I carry fewer books. Actually since I read fast, I am betting that I will "test drive" a huge stack and nothing will change.
For the record, I really enjoyed IN PLAIN SIGHT by Tara Taylor Quinn last weekend. We will be featuring her as our latest Romantic Suspense/Thriller author next week. And equally enjoyable was RIVER'S EDGE by Marie Bostwick, which we will share more about with you here and on ReadingGroupGuides.com in the weeks to come.
Our Beach Bag book this week is A TALE OF TWO SISTERS by Anna Maxted, the story of two London sisters who have very different lives and who come to know and love each other in a whole new way. As the book takes place in Britain we have a British theme to the bag with tea and scone mix (my older son was with me when I was shopping and he is lamenting he has never had scones, so I see myself whipping some up!). We also have these citrus towelettes (I love all things citrus) and a freesia-scented candle as well as the cutest eyepacks I have seen. Click here to learn more about this week's contest.
In the world of my knitting, my armholes AND necklines got signoff from the Queen of Knitting at my local yarn store, A Yarn for All Seasons (love the name). Now here's the tricky part. I have made fronts for two tank tops so far. Now I need to get the backs to match. Lots of knitting this week as my younger son and I watched ALL of Season Three of "24" in a week. He thinks we should watch Season Four in a day and "be like Jack." I ordered it from Amazon, just in case it rains at the beach!
One more week before the beach! And yes, I am counting down the minutes. We are deep into our 10th Anniversary plans thus this week's poll and question. I am off to make soothing foods for my older son who got braces this week. He is complaining how he cannot eat. I am wondering if braces could be an effective diet tool for me!
Have a great week. Happy reading.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
List of titles reviewed and featured on August 18th.
List of titles reviewed and featured on August 11th.
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Click here to send us your 10th Anniversary wishes.
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Now in Stores: RICOCHET by Sandra Brown
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RICOCHET by Sandra Brown (Thriller)
Reviewed by Maggie Harding
Sandra Brown is back with a spine-tingling story of murder and betrayal --- and a homicide detective's struggle with his own rules of conduct. RICOCHET's plot twists and palpable suspense combine to create this gripping thriller, in which a decent cop's worst enemy may be his own conscience, and trusting the wrong person could mean the difference between life and death.
-Click here to read an excerpt from RICOCHET.
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Click here to read our review of RICOCHET.
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Now in Stores: TRIPTYCH by Karin Slaughter
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TRIPTYCH by Karin Slaughter (Suspense)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
From Atlanta's richest suburbs to its stark inner-city housing projects, a killer has crossed the boundaries of wealth and race. And the people who are chasing him must cross those boundaries, too. But another player has entered the game: a loser ex-con who has stumbled upon the killer's trail in the most coincidental of ways --- and who may be the key to breaking the case wide open.
-Click here to read an excerpt from TRIPTYCH.
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Click here to read our review of TRIPTYCH.
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Bookreporter.com Beach Bag of Books Contest --- Spotlight on A TALE OF TWO SISTERS by Anna Maxted
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Every week from May 19th through August 25th a different title in the Bookreporter.com Second Annual Beach Bag of Books promotion will be featured with a review and contest prize --- a beach bag stocked with that book, plus summertime essentials that tie in to its theme. Five FABULOUS beach bags will be given away each week, as well as five copies of the book to additional winners.
Our fourteenth spotlighted title is A TALE OF TWO SISTERS by Anna Maxted, the bestselling author of GETTING OVER IT and RUNNING IN HEELS. A TALE OF TWO SISTERS is the smart and compelling story of two very different, London-based sisters attempting to navigate the best and worst of times. Our A TALE OF TWO SISTERS Beach Bag is a British-inspired medley of all things comforting and familial. In a sturdy blue and green beach tote, winners will find an oversized striped beach towel, a box of Twinings Earl Grey tea, refined English scone mix, a soothing eye-pack, Freesia-scented candles and Crabtree and Evelyn travel toilettes that smell like citrus --- as well as a copy of the book. We have five to give away, as well as five additional prizes of copies of A TALE OF TWO SISTERS. To enter to win answer the question below:
What does Tim design that gets him an embarrassing feature in the Times business section?
You can find the answer by reading an excerpt here:
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS by Anna Maxted (Fiction)
Reviewed by Shannon McKenna
Siblings Cassie and Lizbet Montgomery are opposites in almost every way but have always maintained a close relationship. Until now. Anna Maxted's humorous and heartwarming tale follows these two sisters as they confront unexpected challenges, navigate romantic pitfalls, and find their way back to the simple goodness of sisterhood.
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Click here to read all the details of our Summer Beach Bag Contest.
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Kay Hooper, Author of SLEEPING WITH FEAR
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Kay Hooper has written over 60 novels in various genres and recently published the final book in her Fear trilogy, SLEEPING WITH FEAR. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Carol Fitzgerald and Joe Hartlaub, Hooper describes how she conceptualized this series revolving around psychic investigators and comments on the popularity of television shows that feature the paranormal. She also explains how she continually generates new ideas for future novels and provides information on the first installment of her upcoming trilogy.
SLEEPING WITH FEAR by Kay Hooper (Suspense)
New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper returns with a relentless thriller that brings her readers face-to-face with fear itself. In this terrifying new novel, a psychic special agent finds herself caught up in a tangled web of secrets, lies...and evil.
-Click here to read Kay Hooper's answers to her Advance Reader Copy Winner's questions.
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Click here to read our interview with Kay Hooper and a review of SLEEPING WITH FEAR.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Tess Gerritsen, Author of THE MEPHISTO CLUB
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Tess Gerritsen, the New York Times bestselling author of VANISH, BODY DOUBLE and THE SINNER, is our newest featured Suspense/Thriller Author. A master of the genre, Gerritsen's newest page-turner --- THE MEPHISTO CLUB, which hits shelves August 29th --- will chill you to the bone.
-Click here to see our Advance Copy Winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
-Click here to read Fast Facts about Tess Gerritsen.
-Click here to read Tess Gerritsen's Backlist.
-Click here to read Critical Praise for THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
-Click here to read a Study Guide for THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
More about THE MEPHISTO CLUB:
Evil exists. Evil walks the streets. And evil has spawned a diabolical new disciple in this white-knuckle thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
PECCAVI
The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman's brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It's a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O'Donnell --- Jane's professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.
Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced....one whose work is only just beginning.
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Click here to read more about Tess Gerritsen and THE MEPHISTO CLUB.
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Featured One to Watch Author: Dan Burstein, Author of SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE
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We are so excited to be featuring Dan Burstein as one of our One to Watch authors. Burstein is the creator of the Secrets series, which, in addition to SECRETS OF THE CODE, includes SECRETS OF ANGELS & DEMONS, SECRETS OF THE WIDOW'S SON, and his newest --- SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE, which hit stores August 14th.
-Click here to see Advance Reader Comments for SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE.
-Click here to see our 50! Advance Copy winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE.
-Click here to watch a trailer for the DVD and send a SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE E-Card.
More about SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE:
Continuing in the tradition of the New York Times bestselling SECRETS OF THE CODE, the latest book from the Secrets team, SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE, brings together world class experts from different faiths, backgrounds, and perspectives, to discuss the most thought-provoking new ideas and original thinking about Mary Magdalene.
All of the contributors to SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE are well-known and highly respected authors whose books have sold more than five million copies in total. Never before has such a wide range of fascinating ideas and new scholarship about Mary Magdalene been collected in one book that is so timely, popular and accessible.
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Click here to read more about Dan Burstein and SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE.
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Our Newest One to Watch Author: John Boyne, Author of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS
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We are SO excited to be featuring John Boyne and THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS as the newest addition to our One to Watch feature. The incredible story of two boys, one the son of a commandant in Hitler's army and the other a Jew, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS hits stores on September 12th and is already garnering exciting advanced buzz --- this is a book that touches everyone who reads it.
-Click here to see our Advance Copy Winners.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS.
-Click here to read the Reading Group Guide for THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS.
-Click here to read John Boyne's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS.
More about THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS:
Set during the Holocaust, Bruno is only nine years old when his father, a commandant in Hitler's army, is transferred from Berlin to Auschwitz. The house at "Out-With," as Bruno calls it, is small, dark, and strange. He spends long days gazing out the window of his new bedroom, where he notices people dressed in striped pajamas and rows of barracks surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Bored and lonely, and not really understanding the circumstance of his new existence, Bruno sets out to explore the area and discovers Shmuel, a very thin Jewish boy who lives on the other side of the fence. An unlikely friendship develops between the two boys, but when Bruno learns that his mother plans to take her children back to Berlin, he makes a last effort to explore the forbidden territory where the boy in the striped pajamas lives.
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Click here to read more about John Boyne and THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS.
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On Sale August 22nd: THE RIGHTEOUS MEN by Sam Bourne --- Win an iPod and a Copy of the Book!!!
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The End of the World is Coming...
One Body at a Time
And The Day is Near. THE RIGHTEOUS MEN On Sale This Tuesday, 8/22.
What will happen when the one secret that has kept the world safe for thousands of years is revealed to all? In THE RIGHTEOUS MEN, a blistering thriller filled with mystery, romance, and suspense, Sam Bourne will take you deep into the hidden worlds of fundamentalist religion, mysticism, and biblical prophecies. This is a visionary tale that is as frightening as it is entertaining. You won't stop turning the pages until the very end.
-Enter to win an iPod and a copy of THE RIGHTEOUS MEN here.
-Learn more about the book here.
-Visit the official website of THE RIGHTEOUS MEN here.
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Click here to learn more about THE RIGHTEOUS MEN.
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Our Newest Debut Suspense/Thriller Author: Jed Rubenfeld, Author of THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER
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We are very excited to be introducing you to Jed Rubenfeld, our newest featured Debut Suspense/Thriller Author. Currently the Robert R. Slaughter Professor of Law at Yale University, Jed Rubenfeld is one of this country's foremost experts on constitutional law. His debut novel, the psychological page-turner THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER, hits stores September 5th.
-Click here to see our Advance Copy Winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER.
More about THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER:
In this ingenious, suspenseful historical thriller, Sigmund Freud is drawn into the mind of a sadistic killer who is savagely attacking Manhattan's wealthiest heiresses
THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER leads readers from the salons of Gramercy Park, through secret passages, to Chinatown --- even far below the currents of the East River where laborers are building the Manhattan Bridge. As Freud fends off a mysterious conspiracy to destroy him, Dr. Stratham Younger, America's most committed Freudian analyst, is drawn into an equally thrilling adventure that takes him deep into the subterfuges of the human mind.
Richly satisfying, elegantly crafted, THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER marks the debut of a brilliant, spectacularly entertaining new storyteller.
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Click here to read more about Jed Rubenfeld and THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER.
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Now In Stores: HELEN OF TROY by Margaret George
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HELEN OF TROY by Margaret George (Historical Fiction)
Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for millennia. Now Margaret George, the highly acclaimed bestselling historical novelist, has turned her intelligent, perceptive eye to the myth that is Helen of Troy. She breathes new life into the great Homeric tale by having Helen narrate her own story.
-Click here to read an excerpt from HELEN OF TROY.
-Click here to visit Margaret George's website, www.MargaretGeorge.com.
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This Week's Reviews and Features
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THE EXPECTED ONE by Kathleen McGowan (Fiction)
Reviewed by Marcia Ford
When journalist Maureen Paschal begins the research for her new book, she has no idea that she's stepping into an ancient mystery so complex and dangerous that thousands of people have killed and died for it. She travels to France to unravel the secrets of an undiscovered treasure. A series of scrolls written in the first century by Mary Magdalene, these startling documents hold the power to redefine the events and characters of the New Testament.
-Click here to read an Author Talk with Kathleen McGowan
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE EXPECTED ONE.
SPY by Ted Bell (Thriller)
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
In this relentlessly paced tale of international suspense, intrepid MI-6 intelligence officer Alex Hawke confronts an evil like no other. Terror looms as a madman works his dark magic in the heart of the Amazon and a nightmare erupts along the Mexican border, creating a deadly combination that threatens to bring America to its knees.
THE JUDAS FIELD: A Novel of the Civil War by Howard Bahr (Historical Fiction)
Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard
Cass and Lucian Wakefield endured unimaginable horrors during their service in the Civil War. Now, for the peace of a friend's soul, they must return to the bloody ground in Franklin 20 years later and reclaim those they left behind, opening themselves up to unwanted memories with each step.
CALLING OUT by Rae Meadows (Fiction)
Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton
After being dumped by her boyfriend, Jane quits her job in New York and lands in Salt Lake City, where she answers phones at a Mormon-endorsed escort agency. As she struggles to find companionship and purpose in her new surroundings, Jane inches toward a place that would have once been unthinkable: She becomes an escort.
HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY by Lolly Winston (Fiction)
Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller
When successful lawyer Elinor Mackey and her husband Ted have trouble conceiving a child after two years of trying various treatments, their marriage begins to buckle under the strain.
GHOST DANCER by John Case (Thriller)
Reviewed by Roz Shea
John Case --- a pseudonym for the husband and wife writing team of Jim and Carolyn Hougan --- has produced an action-packed thriller, in which the very fabric of civilization threatens to come apart in the hands of a brilliantly vengeful madman.
WINS, LOSSES, AND LESSONS by Lou Holtz (Autobiography)
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
The legendary Lou Holtz reveals what motivated a rail-thin 135-pound kid with marginal academic credentials and a pronounced speech impediment to play and coach college football, and to become one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in history.
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Click here to read our reviews and features.
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Bookreporter.com Poll: 10th Anniversary Special
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How long have you been visiting Bookreporter.com?
10 years!
7-9 years
5-7 years
3-5 years
1-3 years
Less than a year
This is my first visit.
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Answer the Poll 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 two great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of RICOCHET by Sandra Brown and WHITE SISTER by Stephen J. Cannell.
Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on September 8th.
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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 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 August 31, 2006 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: HELEN OF TROY by Margaret George, MESSENGER OF TRUTH by Jacqueline Winspear, RICOCHET by Sandra Brown, SNOW BLIND by P. J. Tracy and TRIPTYCH by Karin Slaughter. Last month's winner was Marcia from Derby, KS, who won BREAK NO BONES by Kathy Reichs, THE MESSENGER by Daniel Silva, RUSTY NAIL by J. A. Konrath, VANISHING POINT by Marcia Muller and WIVES BEHAVING BADLY by Elizabeth Buchan.
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.
The Book Report Network
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