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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
April 18, 2008
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Greetings from Across the Pond
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By the time you read this, we will be in London. The transatlantic trip on the QE2 was amazing. The days were a lot busier than I thought they would be. As promised, there was a wonderful library on the ship. In addition to shelving many of the authors I know and love, there was a fabulous collection of titles with travel and destination themes that could keep one busy reading. This cruise was the end of the Farewell World Cruise for the ship, which is going into drydock in Dubai next November. The journey began on January 6th in Southampton and concluded there today. One of the most interesting parts of the trip for me was meeting fellow passengers and hearing their stories. A few of those who I met were on the World Cruise, while others had jumped on at various legs along the way. There was a group of women who gathered to knit and chat every afternoon at 4:30. I met up with them four of our five "at sea" days and enjoyed talking with them about books and life. The stories of their past trips, as well as this one, would fill a book. They definitely added something special to the trip for me.
Between touring the ship --- lots and lots of walking around both inside and on deck --- and meeting people, I did not get as much time as I planned to read. I did enjoy Lisa Gardner's upcoming title, SAY GOODBYE, which will be in stores in July. I passed it along to a fellow passenger who is a big Lisa Gardner fan, which was nice to do. Lisa continues to be a wonderful writer, and after reading this one I never will look at a spider quite the same way again. The idea of using spiders in the story came from watching her young daughter, who was endlessly intrigued by them and had a tarantula as a pet. Lisa tells us that her daughter's new pet is a Venus Flytrap, hinting that we may see her revolving a plot around that next year.
My older son, Greg, luckily has kept us on far tamer ground with his interests. He had a number of friends who he had met on a message board who were on this sailing. It was great fun getting to know them. Most of them were stunned to learn that he was just 18, as he acts much older than his years! A group of them, including Greg, won the Trivia Contest that was held on Wednesday. The depths of knowledge about the ship and its history amazed me. I was sitting in one of the lounges checking email and writing when I heard his name announced as one of the team winners of the first round. Very amusing. Maybe he can take an AP test in QE2 History and get some college credit.
There were two pools on board. Since the ship did some rather wild rocking and rolling along the way, it made for some interesting water activity. Each day there was sloshing back and forth as I did laps. It was like swimming in waves! As I swam outdoors on Wednesday, the water actually was sloshing OUT of the pool and onto the deck. This made for a rather wild experience, and yes, I managed to get the clothes that I had left on the deck completely soaked!
As many of you know, I have no sense of direction. On any given day I would learn to makes turns to where I wanted to go according to what people were reading. Turn left at David Baldacci, turn right at Tony Hillerman, circle the deck and I would catch people reading everything from THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON to a collection of British murder mysteries. This was a most literary journey, and I was thrilled to see how many people were passing their sailing time reading. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN by Paul Torday was selected for a book club discussion on Thursday, but I was not familiar with the title and thus skipped this part of the adventure.
Back on dry land, we are kicking off our Mother's Day Contest this week. The contest prize, which includes 13 BOOKS, will be awarded to five readers. The prize also includes a beautiful flowered keepsake trunk, a large pink Stargazer Lily Scented Candle from Illuminations, Nantucket Briar lavender-scented drawer papers from Crabtree & Evelyn, lemon cake mix from Canterbury Naturals and more. The contest is open until May 2nd. See details on how to enter below.
Our newest featured author this week is Jeff Shaara, whose new historical fiction novel, THE STEEL WAVE: A Novel of World War II, will be in stores on May 13th. In this book, Shaara tells a story that carries the reader through crucial moments of World War II that ultimately changed history. We have 10 copies of THE STEEL WAVE to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, April 25th.
We received great responses for KILLER HEAT by Linda Fairstein, which you can read here, and THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW by Elizabeth Noble, which you can read here.
With Earth Day (April 22nd) in mind, I am happy to report that Penguin Classics has announced that as of April 1st they began support of The Nature Conservancy’s ambitious reforestation plan to plant and restore one billion trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest with major marketing, publicity and in-store promotion that will increase public awareness and participation in this timely campaign. As Penguin Classics is the publisher of important books on natural history, conservation and the enviroment, we applaud this effort. They invite readers to visit www.plantabillion.org, where they can donate $1.00 for each tree they wish to plant. The campaign will run from April through August.
One of my favorite books of 2007, LOVING FRANK, is now available in paperback. I can see this book becoming a terrific book group title. Please note that on ReadingGroupGuides.com this month we added a record number of titles for possible discussion. Next Friday I am off to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which is one of my favorite weekends. If any of you plan to be there, please let me know. I cannot even fathom how jet lagged I am going to be! This week was an hour time change each day that has left me feeling just a tad confused. I left my watch on NY time so I knew when to check in with the office. My 9AM was 4AM for them today, thus writing this opener was a bit of an adventure.
I am looking forward to visiting bookstores in London this weekend. I will share more about that next week and work on some blogs about this trip as well. Connectivity on board was fairly good though expensive. There was something quite amazing about Instant Messaging the office from the middle of the Atlantic! I can see that I will do another trip like this in the future on the Queen Mary 2. Have a great week....here's to finding something wonderful to read.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Heather Graham, Author of THE DEATH DEALER
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International bestselling author Heather Graham has written over 100 books in genres that range from romance and horror to mysteries and thrillers. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Graham discusses her latest novel THE DEATH DEALER --- a sequel to 2007's THE DEAD ROOM --- which was inspired by her fascination with the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe. She also shares some of the real-life incidences that she has incorporated into her books, mentions the authors and films that have influenced her writing and offers advice to aspiring writers.
THE DEATH DEALER by Heather Graham (Paranormal Romantic Suspense)
Genevieve O'Brien knows all about nightmares. She survived for two months as the prisoner of a deranged killer. Now a new menace is stalking the streets of New York. The media is buzzing about the “Poe Killings,” a string of homicides mirroring the author's macabre stories --- and Genevieve’s own mother may be in danger. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read a review of THE DEATH DEALER.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE DEATH DEALER.
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Click here to read our interview with Heather Graham.
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Author Talk: Kate Mosse, Author of SEPULCHRE
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In a similar vein to her previous novel, the international bestseller LABYRINTH, Kate Mosse's most recent release, SEPULCHRE, travels back and forth in time --- from 1891 to present-day France as a graduate student stumbles upon a deck of Tarot cards from the 19th century that eerily bear her resemblance. In this interview, Mosse discusses both the benefits and the challenges of writing about timeslips and explains why she chose to make her protagonist American, despite her own very English background. She also describes the origins of her long-held interest in Tarot, shares what she loves the most about the southwest region of France and muses on which historical periods she'll write about next.
SEPULCHRE by Kate Mosse (Thriller)
From the author of the New York Times bestselling novel LABYRINTH comes another haunting tale of secrets, murder and the occult set in both 19th-century and 21st-century France. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read a review of SEPULCHRE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SEPULCHRE.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KateMosse.com.br />
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Click here to read an interview with Kate Mosse.
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Now in Stores: UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri
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UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri (Fiction/Short Stories)
Pulitzer-Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri offers readers an achingly emotional, near-perfect collection of impeccably developed short stories that take us from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand as they enter the lives of sisters and brothers, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, friends and lovers. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
-Click here to read an excerpt from UNACCUSTOMED EARTH.
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Click here to read a review of UNACCUSTOMED EARTH.
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Now in Stores: HOLD TIGHT by Harlan Coben
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HOLD TIGHT by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
Tia and Mike Baye’s 16-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his classmate --- the latest in a string of issues at school --- they can’t help but worry. When he goes missing, it soon becomes clear that something deep and sinister has infected their community. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read an excerpt from HOLD TIGHT.
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Click here to read a review of HOLD TIGHT.
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New Featured Historical Fiction Author: Jeff Shaara, Author of THE STEEL WAVE: A Novel of World War II |
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In THE STEEL WAVE, Jeff Shaara --- America’s premier author of military historical fiction and New York Times bestseller --- brings us the centerpiece of his epic trilogy of the Second World War that began with THE RISING TIDE. Releasing on May 13th, this second installment tells the story of World War II through the points of view of some of history's most colorful and dynamic characters.
We have 10 copies of THE STEEL WAVE to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, April 25th.
-Click here to read Jeff Shaara’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.JeffShaara.com.
More about THE STEEL WAVE:
General Dwight Eisenhower once again commands a diverse army that must find its single purpose in the destruction of Hitler’s European fortress. His primary subordinates, Omar Bradley and Bernard Montgomery, must prove that this unique blend of Allied armies can successfully confront the might of Adolf Hitler’s forces, who have already conquered Western Europe.
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Click here to read more about Jeff Shaara and THE STEEL WAVE.
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Featured One to Watch Author: Jane Porter, Author of MRS. PERFECT
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Jane Porter is the author of over 20 books, including FLIRTING WITH FORTY, ODD MOM OUT and THE FROG PRINCE. In MRS. PERFECT, her new book releasing on May 5th, a woman’s seemingly perfect life is threatened by a devastating secret. As her fairy-tale lifestyle begins to unravel, she realizes she must become the woman her family truly needs.
-Click here to read an excerpt from MRS. PERFECT.
-Click here to read Jane Porter’s bio.
-Click here to see Jane Porter's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for MRS. PERFECT.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.JanePorter.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about MRS. PERFECT:
For Taylor Young, life is very good. She has a handsome husband, three gorgeous children and a dream house. Then a devastating secret bursts Taylor’s fairy-tale bubble. Struggling to maintain her alpha image, Taylor finds help from the unlikeliest of people. But to become the woman her family truly needs, Taylor must first believe in the person she is hardest on --- herself.
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Click here to read more about Jane Porter and MRS. PERFECT.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Gregg Olsen, Author of A COLD DARK PLACE
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Gregg Olsen is the New York Times bestselling author of seven nonfiction books and two novels. As a journalist and true crime author, Olsen has received numerous awards and much critical acclaim for his writing. In A COLD DARK PLACE, his new thriller now in stores, police officer Emily Kenyon must find a diabolical killer --- before the killer finds her daughter...
-Click here to read a review of A COLD DARK PLACE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from A COLD DARK PLACE.
-Click here to read an interview with Gregg Olsen.
-Click here to read fast facts about Gregg Olsen.
-Click here to read Gregg Olsen’s bio.
-Click here to see Gregg Olsen's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for A COLD DARK PLACE.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.GreggOlsen.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about A COLD DARK PLACE:
In a secluded farm house in the Pacific Northwest, a family has been slaughtered --- and a teenage son has disappeared. Single mother and cop Emily Kenyon spearheads a dark hunt for a killer. But Emily’s teenage daughter Jenna knows the boy suspected of murdering his family and wants to help him --- perhaps too much. As Emily fits the puzzle pieces together, she realizes that the danger surrounding her daughter is worse than she had imagined.
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p>Click here to read more about Gregg Olsen and A COLD DARK PLACE.
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Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Karen Robards, Author of GUILTY
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Karen Robards is the New York Times bestselling author of over 30 books, including OBSESSION and VANISHED. In GUILTY, her new romantic suspense now available in stores, a feisty female attorney's life is threatened when her hidden past resurfaces in an unexpected way.
-Click here to read a review of GUILTY.
-Click here to read an excerpt from GUILTY.
-Click here to read an interview with Karen Robards.
-Click here to read fast facts about Karen Robards.
-Click here to read Karen Robards’s bio.
-Click here to see Karen Robards's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for GUILTY.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KarenRobards.com.
-Click here to view a trailer for GUILTY.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about GUILTY:
Sixteen years after she and her friends committed an unspeakable crime, Kat --- now Kate --- has built a new life for herself. Now a single mom, she works as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia DA's office. But her dark past rears its head when she walks into court one day and discovers that she is to prosecute Mario Castellanos, one of her friends from that terrible night 16 years earlier. And that is only where the trouble begins...
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Click here to read more about Karen Robards and GUILTY.
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Now Available in Paperback: LOVING FRANK by Nancy Horan |
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LOVING FRANK by Nancy Horan (Historical Fiction)
In this ambitious debut novel, fact and fiction are brilliantly blended in the dramatic story of Mamah Borthwick Cheney and her lover, the renowned American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. More than a poignant and engaging love story, LOVING FRANK is a novel about breaking old rules and living new ideas. Nancy Horan portrays the conflicts and struggles of a woman forced to choose among her roles as a mother, wife, lover and intellectual.
-Click here to read a review of LOVING FRANK.
-Click here to read an excerpt from LOVING FRANK.
-Click here to read our interview with Nancy Horan.
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Click here to visit www.LovingFrank.com for more on the novel, as well as photos, articles chronicling their scandalous affair and much more.
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Now in Stores: RIVER OF HEAVEN by Lee Martin |
RIVER OF HEAVEN by Lee Martin (Fiction)
Past and present collide in Lee Martin’s highly anticipated novel of a man, his brother, and the dark secret that both connects and divides them. Haunting and beautifully wrought, RIVER OF HEAVEN weaves a story of love and loss, confession and redemption, and the mystery buried with a boy named Dewey Finn.
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Click here to read more about RIVER OF HEAVEN.
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What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
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With more than 2,300 discussion guides available, ReadingGroupGuides.com continues to be the leading place for book clubs to find all the resources they need on the web.
Our ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog continues to be a big hit among our readers. Throughout the month we are sharing postings from regular contributors --- including authors, librarians, book club facilitators, booksellers and experts in the publishing industry --- as well as special guests. The latest blog can be found here, and here are quick links to some recent posts:
-National Library Week: Discussing a Debut Novel
-National Library Week: A Twist on a Yearly List
-National Library Week: Join the Circle of Knowledge at Your Library
-National Library Week: Unpredictable Book Clubs
-An Author's Oo La La
The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
ALL SAINTS by Liam Callanan
THE ARCHIVIST'S STORY by Travis Holland
ASK AGAIN LATER by Jill A. Davis
BOUND by Sally Gunning
BULLS ISLAND by Dorothea Benton Frank
CHANGE OF HEART by Jodi Picoult
GIRLS IN TRUCKS by Katie Crouch
THE JANUARY GIRL by Goldie Taylor
KNOCK YOURSELF UP: No Man? No Problem!: A Tell-All Guide to Becoming a Single Mom by Louise Sloan
LIBERATION by Joanna Scott
THE LIZARD CAGE by Karen Connelly
MENTOR: The Kid & The CEO: A Simple Story of Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Significance by Tom Pace with Walter Jenkins
MONIQUE AND THE MANGO RAINS: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway
MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL by Dorothy Koomson
NAMES MY SISTERS CALL ME by Megan Crane
THE NEXT THING ON MY LIST by Jill Smolinski
NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN by Brian Copeland
OPTING IN: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself by Amy Richards
PATRIOTISM, PEACE AND VIETNAM: A Memoir by Peggy Hanna
THE RIVER, BY MOONLIGHT by Camille Marchetta
SEARCHING FOR PARADISE IN PARKER, PA by Kris Radish
SLIVER OF TRUTH by Lisa Unger
STEWARDS OF THE FLAME by Sylvia Engdahl
THE STORY OF A MARRIAGE by Andrew Sean Greer
THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW by Elizabeth Noble
TRAVELER by Ron McLarty
TURNING TABLES by Heather & Rose MacDowell
WE PLAN, GOD LAUGHS: 10 Steps to Finding Your Divine Path When Life is Not Turning Out Like You Wanted by Sherre Hirsch
WHAT IS LIFE?: Investigating the Nature of Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology by Ed Regis
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET by Debbie Macomber
FOR ONE MORE DAY by Mitch Albom
I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora Ephron
THE MERCY SELLER by Brenda Rickman Vantrease
THE MISTRESS'S DAUGHTER by A.M. Homes
NO! I DON'T WANT TO JOIN A BOOK CLUB by Virginia Ironside
THE PENNY by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford
PETROPOLIS by Anya Ulinich
PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN by Vanora Bennett
SHEER ABANDON by Penny Vincenzi
We have the following new guides for Christian book groups:
BETRAYED by Jeanette Windle
CHRIST THE LORD: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice
HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Hope, and Happily Ever After by Trish Ryan
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Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
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This Week's Reviews
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THE THIRD ANGEL by Alice Hoffman (Fiction)
Spanning 47 years, this remarkable novel by prolific author Alice Hoffman tracks several romances gone wrong. What do they all have in common? A woman named Lucy, a ghost and a charming London hotel. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE THIRD ANGEL.
ZAPPED: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Higgins Clark (Mystery)
Private investigator Regan Reilly and her husband, Detective Jack Reilly, have just returned home from a trip only to find New York City plunged into a blackout, an intruder in their apartment and a variety of mysteries just begging their attention. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
-Click here to read an excerpt from ZAPPED.
WILD NIGHTS!: Stories About the Last Days of Poe, Dickinson, Twain, James, and Hemingway by Joyce Carol Oates (Fiction/Short Stories)
In a captivating feat of literary creativity, acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates offers imaginative recreations of the last days of five titans of American literature. Whether they’re enjoyed purely as well-crafted character studies or as one writer’s insight into the lives of her literary forebears, Oates’s collection is a stimulating addition to her vast body of work. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
THE DAY I ATE WHATEVER I WANTED: And Other Small Acts of Liberation by Elizabeth Berg (Fiction/Short Stories)
Every now and then, right in the middle of an ordinary day, a woman rebels, kicks up her heels and commits a small act of liberation. What would you do, if you were going to break out and away? Readers of this collection of short stories, told only as master storyteller Elizabeth Berg can tell them, will rejoice in tiny acts of defiance by everyday women. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.
THE BLUE STAR by Tony Earley (Fiction)
In this tender and engrossing sequel to the bestseller JIM THE BOY, Jim Glass is now a high school senior whose love for a classmate is impossible and complicated, while around him the country prepares to launch into World War II. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.
HOME: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews (Memoir)
The characters who Julie Andrews has portrayed on stage and in film have little in common with the less-than-magical background in which she grew up. In this memoir of her youth, Julie takes readers from her earliest memories of life in England to the very beginnings of her hugely popular role as Mary Poppins. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
GENGHIS: LORDS OF THE BOW by Conn Iggulden (Historical Fiction)
In GENGHIS: BIRTH OF AN EMPIRE, Conn Iggulden traced Genghis’s transformation from an outcast orphan boy to powerful leader. Now Genghis embarks on his bold new quest: to conquer the massive and mighty Chin empire. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
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Read this week's reviews here.
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Poll, Question and Word of Mouth
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Poll:
How many authors have you met?
None
1-2
3-5
6-10
11-24
25 or more
After meeting an author, did you feel you knew his or her work better?
Yes
No
Not sure
I never have met an author.
-Click here to answer our poll.
Question:
What book/author would you line up at midnight to get/meet?
-Click here to answer our question.
Word of Mouth:
Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.
This week we have three great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of HOLD TIGHT by Harlan Coben, THE WARRIOR: A Mother's Story of a Son at War by Frances Richey and THE WHOLE TRUTH by David Baldacci. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on April 25th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.
Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on April 25th.
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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 April 30, 2008 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: THE GIRL WITH NO SHADOW by Joanne Harris, HOLD TIGHT by Harlan Coben, SEPULCHRE by Kate Mosse, WHERE ARE YOU NOW? by Mary Higgins Clark and THE WHOLE TRUTH by David Baldacci. Joanne from Jessup, PA was last month's newsletter winner. She won ANOTHER THING TO FALL: A Tess Monaghan Novel by Laura Lippman, CHANGE OF HEART by Jodi Picoult, THE CURE FOR MODERN LIFE by Lisa Tucker, HOLLYWOOD CROWS by Joseph Wambaugh and A PRISONER OF BIRTH by Jeffrey Archer.
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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