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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
October 17, 2008
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Speaking British....Watching Bees....Lists of Books to Read....One Last Sailing...
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The leaves are falling on the front lawn, making it look like a very colorful carpet. Doesn't that line sound like it belongs in a book? Of course that very colorful carpet needs to get raked up or blown away at some point, which definitely kills the lovely feeling pretty quickly!
It's been a busy week beginning with last weekend's Bouchercon events. While there were many terrific panels (often starting at the ungodly hour of 8:30 AM), one that I just loved was called "Books We Love That You Should Too." It was brilliantly moderated by Dana Kaye and featured Patti Abbott, Lee Child, Bill Crider, Rae Helmsworth and Ali Karim. They each spoke passionately about the crime, mystery/thriller and suspense titles that they personally love. I found myself unable to take notes quickly enough.
Lee Child often has told me that he is a huge fan of the genre as well as a writer of it. Hearing him talk about book after book in huge detail made me realize he was not kidding when he said this. Ali Karim was wild wild wild about THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson. He also has read the follow-up, which will be coming out in England before it hits here in the States, and could not rave about it more! I love passion like that. Another book that more than a few people mentioned all weekend was TRIGGER CITY by Sean Chercover. Sean won the Shamus Award for BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD on Friday night. Needless to say, both are on my bedside stack now. Bill is an author as well as a reader, and Dana and Rae both review for Crime Spree magazine. Patti has a blog about Forgotten Books that you can visit here. I found myself wishing I had had time to talk to ALL of them more and will make a point to do that next year. And I wish they had posted somewhere all the titles that they talked about so I could share them with you.
I have not read the old hard-boiled masters of the genre --- Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald. I have not read many of the names that were shared. And I always think I am well-read. One of the fun things about Bouchercon each year is that a number of British authors and fans make their way to the convention, bringing along their brilliant accents and their own way of speaking English. Such fun. At dinner on Friday night I was seated between the always amusingly fun Jonathan Santlofer, author of THE MURDER NOTEBOOK, and Jim Huang, who is organizing Bouchercon 2009 in Indianapolis. It was fun to hear his early ideas for next year.
On Saturday night folks gathered in the conference hotel bar and I found myself sitting with Gayle Lynds, William (Bill) Lashner and Joseph Finder, chatting books and life. Gayle is working on a new book, Bill's BLOOD AND BONE comes out in February and Finder's new series will be out next year. We were in Shula's Bar, one of those places where there are TVs everywhere and they are each tuned to a different game. Bill loves the Philadelphia Phillies and Joe is a Boston Red Sox fan, so there was lots of playoff chatter. Really fun when an evening just falls together like that.
Lots of awards announced last weekend, so click here for the Anthony, Barry and Macavity Award winners. Also, the 2008 National Book Award nominees were announced on Wednesday, and we have those titles here.
On Wednesday night I went to a screening of the film adaptation of THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, which you can read more about in my blog post here. I really enjoyed it, and if you are looking to see a really beautifully shot and wonderfully done movie this weekend, I do suggest it. I rented Gone Baby Gone from Netflix and am looking forward to watching that.
This week we are launching two new features for authors many of you will be familiar with. Our first is for Marie Bostwick, whose new novel, A SINGLE THREAD, weaves a beautiful story of friendship and sisterhood. We have 10 copies of A SINGLE THREAD 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, October 24th.
We are also launching a new suspense/thriller feature for award-winning and New York Times bestselling author John Lutz. In NIGHT KILLS, his newest thriller, a former detective is called back to duty when in pursuit of a cold-blooded killer. We have 10 copies of NIGHT KILLS 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, October 24th.
Our readers had some nice things to say about DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY by James Villas. You may read their responses here.
Yesterday, Greg, my older son, met up with all of his QE2 friends who he affectionately calls his ship geek buddies to bid farewell to the QE2 as she sailed off from New York Harbor for the last time, and he invited me to come over to South Street Seaport to say hi to them. He's very active on an online forum where they chat about staterooms, history and all things ship! I confess that they lose me on most of this. Greg is doing the coolest thing. When we sailed on the ship in April, he left a book in the ship's library and asked the librarian there to allow folks on the final crossings to sign it. The plan is that, once the ship is anchored in Dubai, the book will be returned to him so he can scan it and share it with his friends, and at some point find a historical resting place for it. Someone had brought it to the event yesterday, and it was wonderful to see how many people have participated and written these past six months. I was really proud of him seeing this. And it was just wonderful to meet his friends.
The weekend will be all about getting the Halloween decorations out. My younger son is enlisting friends to help with this as we do go a bit...um....over the top about this every year. Here's wishing you a lovely fall weekend with lots of reading time. Oh, I am off to San Jose next Friday for Book Group Expo. Be sure to let me know if you are planning to be there.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Now in Stores: THE FIRE by Katherine Neville
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THE FIRE by Katherine Neville (Suspense)
Katherine Neville’s groundbreaking novel, THE EIGHT, dazzled audiences more than 20 years ago and set the literary stage for the epic thriller. A quest for a mystical chess service that once belonged to Charlemagne, it spans two centuries and three continents, and intertwines historic and modern plots, archaeological treasure hunts, esoteric riddles and puzzles encrypted with clues from the ancient past. Now the electrifying global adventure continues, in Neville’s long-anticipated sequel. Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE FIRE.
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Click here to read a review of THE FIRE.
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Now in Stores: A MOST WANTED MAN by John le Carré
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A MOST WANTED MAN by John le Carré (Thriller)
New spies with new loyalties, old spies with old ones; terror as the new mantra; decent people wanting to do good but caught in the moral maze; all the sound, rational reasons for doing the inhuman thing; the recognition that we cannot safely love or pity and remain good "patriots." This is the fabric of John le Carré's fiercely compelling new novel. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
-Click here to read an excerpt from A MOST WANTED MAN.
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Click here to read a review of A MOST WANTED MAN.
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Now in Stores: THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly
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THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly (Legal Thriller)
THE BRASS VERDICT is an exciting departure for Michael Connelly. Here he brings criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller, the protagonist of THE LINCOLN LAWYER, into a case that has caught LAPD Detective Harry Bosch’s interest. The story is masterfully plotted, highly suspenseful and offers insights into human nature and the machinations of the jury/judicial system. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE BRASS VERDICT.
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Click here to read a review of THE BRASS VERDICT.
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New Featured Women’s Fiction Author: Marie Bostwick, Author of A SINGLE THREAD |
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New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick has captivated readers everywhere with her historical fiction titles, including FIELDS OF GOLD and ON WINGS OF THE MORNING. In A SINGLE THREAD, her first full-length novel to take place in a contemporary setting, Bostwick weaves the unforgettable story of four very different women whose paths cross, changing their lives forever. A SINGLE THREAD will be available in stores on October 28th.
We have 10 copies of A SINGLE THREAD 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, October 24th.
-Click here to read Marie Bostwick’s bio.
-Visit Marie Bostwick's official website, www.MarieBostwick.com.
More about A SINGLE THREAD:
It’s a long way from Fort Worth, Texas, to New Bern, Connecticut, yet it only takes a day in the charming Yankee town to make Evelyn Dixon realize she’s found her new home. The abrupt end of her marriage was Evelyn’s wake-up call to get busy chasing her dream of opening a quilt shop. Finding a storefront is easy enough; starting a new life isn’t. Little does Evelyn imagine it will bring a trio like Abigail Burgess, her niece Liza and Margot Matthews through her door...
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Click here to read more about Marie Bostwick and A SINGLE THREAD.
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New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: John Lutz, Author of NIGHT KILLS
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A multiple Edgar and Shamus Award winner, John Lutz is the author of over 40 books, including SWF SEEKS SAME, which became the film Single White Female, and THE EX, a critically acclaimed feature for HBO. In NIGHT KILLS, his terrifying new thriller now available in stores, former NYPD detective Frank Quinn and his team of brilliant law enforcement misfits return to hunt down a cold-blooded killer.
We have 10 copies of NIGHT KILLS 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, October 24th.
-Click here to read John Lutz’s bio.
-Visit John Lutz's official website, www.JohnLutzOnline.com.
More about NIGHT KILLS:
New York Times bestselling author John Lutz returns with a gruesome, page-turning psychological thriller. A former NYPD detective is hunting for a madman: someone is shooting young women in the heart, defiling their bodies, and only leaving their torsos to be found. No one knows the true motives behind a rampage of cold-blooded murders…or how much more terrifying it’s going to get.
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Click here to read more about John Lutz and NIGHT KILLS.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: M.J. Rose, Author of THE MEMORIST |
M.J. Rose is the international bestselling author of 10 novels, including THE REINCARNATIONIST and three titles in the Butterfield Institute series: THE HALO EFFECT, THE DELILAH COMPLEX and THE VENUS FIX. In THE MEMORIST, Rose's riveting follow-up to THE REINCARNATIONIST, a strange letter sets a woman on a journey to unlock the mystery of who she once was. THE MEMORIST will be available in stores on October 28th.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from THE MEMORIST.
-Click here to read M.J. Rose’s bio.
-Click here to see M.J. Rose's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE MEMORIST.
-Visit M.J. Rose's official website, www.MJRose.com.
-Visit M.J. Rose's two blogs, Buzz, Balls & Hype and Backstory.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about THE MEMORIST:
As a child, Meers Logan was haunted by memories of another time and place, always accompanied by the faint strains of elusive music. Now the hand of the past has reached out again. Determined to unlock the mystery of who she once was, Meers travels to Vienna. With each step, she comes closer to remembering the connections between a clandestine reincarnationist society; the lost Memory Flute linked to Ludwig van Beethoven and rumored to open the door to the past; and to David Weiss, a journalist who knows all too well how the past affects the future.
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Click here to read more about M.J. Rose and THE MEMORIST.
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Featured Mystery Mayhem Author: M. C. Beaton, Author of A SPOONFUL OF POISON
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M. C. Beaton is the New York Times bestselling author of the Agatha Raisin mysteries as well as the Hamish Macbeth series. In A SPOONFUL OF POISON, Beaton’s latest installment in the Agatha Raisin series now available in stores, Agatha and her team of private detectives are called to duty when a festive family event becomes the scene of two murders.
-Click here to read an excerpt from A SPOONFUL OF POISON.
-Click here to read M. C. Beaton’s bio.
-Click here to see M. C. Beaton’s backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for A SPOONFUL OF POISON.
-Click here to see our finished copy winners.
br />More about A SPOONFUL OF POISON:
When Agatha Raisin goes to the remote hamlet of Comfrey Magna to politely turn down a public relations job, she encounters the stunning green eyes of handsome widower George Selby, and promptly agrees to do whatever PR work the village needs. But as events in Agatha’s new adventure A SPOONFUL OF POISON unfold, the rural festival Agatha is promoting soon takes a deadly turn, and Agatha must investigate the toxic spiking of some local preserves.
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Click here to read more about M. C. Beaton and A SPOONFUL OF POISON.
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Featured Mystery Mayhem Author: Christopher Fowler, Author of THE VICTORIA VANISHES
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Christopher Fowler is the acclaimed author of the award-winning FULL DARK HOUSE and WHITE CORRIDOR, among other novels. In THE VICTORIA VANISHES, his newest Peculiar Crimes Unit mystery releasing on October 28th, detectives Arthur Bryant and John May must stop a lonely hearts killer targeting middle-aged women at some of England’s most well-known pubs.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from THE VICTORIA VANISHES.
-Click here to read Christopher Fowler’s bio.
-Click here to see Christopher Fowler's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE VICTORIA VANISHES.
-Visit Christopher Fowler’s official website, www.ChristopherFowler.co.uk.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about THE VICTORIA VANISHES:
A lonely hearts killer is targeting middle-aged women at some of England’s most well-known pubs --- including one torn down 80 years ago. What’s more, Detective Arthur Bryant happened to see one of the victims only moments before her death at the pub that doesn’t exist. Now, with the public on the verge of panic and their superiors determined to shut the Peculiar Crimes Unit down for good, Detectives Bryant and May must rise to the occasion.
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Click here to read more about Christopher Fowler and THE VICTORIA VANISHES.
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Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Carla Neggers, Author of COLD PURSUIT |
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Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including THE ANGEL and TEMPTING FATE. In COLD PURSUIT, her new romantic suspense title releasing on October 28th, a Secret Service agent and a recovering Special Forces soldier must put aside their mutual qualms when they are asked to locate a missing teenager.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from COLD PURSUIT.
-Click here to read Carla Neggers’s bio.
-Click here to see Carla Neggers's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for COLD PURSUIT.
-Visit Carla Neggers’s official website, www.CarlaNeggers.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about COLD PURSUIT:
A number of prominent figures have been killed under mysterious circumstances in the past year. All unconnected. But when an esteemed U.S. ambassador is slain in a questionable hit-and-run in Washington, D.C. and his stepdaughter vanishes mere hours later in the mountains of northern New England, suspicions are raised by a Secret Service agent and a recovering Special Forces soldier.
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Click here to read more about Carla Neggers and COLD PURSUIT.
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This Week's Graphic Novel Reviews |
IN ODD WE TRUST by Queenie Chan and Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz and manga artist Queenie Chan team up to take Odd Thomas to new and different territory: graphic novels. IN ODD WE TRUST is a prequel set before the opening of the first novel and fills in some missing details on the series’ characters. Reviewed by John Hogan.
SENTENCES: The Life of M.F. Grimm by Percy Carey and Ronald Wimberly
An expansive work that documents the birth and growth of hip-hop culture in New York City’s African-American community, SENTENCES reveals the life story of Percy Carey, otherwise known as M.F. Grimm. Carey’s journey from a life of violence and crime to his being given a second chance are explored in raw and emotional honesty. Reviewed by John Hogan.
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Click here to see all our graphic novel reviews and features.
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Now in Stores: BUFFALO GAL by Laura Pedersen |
BUFFALO GAL: A Memoir by Laura Pedersen (Memoir)
Combining laugh-out-loud humor with a slice of social history, Laura Pedersen's BUFFALO GAL paints a vivid portrait of an era. Like many families in Buffalo, NY during the 1970s energy crisis, the Pedersens feared rising prices at the gas pump, argued about the thermostat and often slept in their clothes. While her parents were preoccupied with surviving separation and stagflation, daughter Laura became the neighborhood wild child --- skipping school, playing poker and trading stocks. Learning how to beat the odds, Pedersen was well prepared to seek her fortune on Wall Street, becoming the youngest person to have a seat on the American Stock Exchange and a millionaire by age 21.
-Click here to read an excerpt from BUFFALO GAL.
-Visit Laura Pedersen's official website, www.LauraPedersenBooks.com
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Click here to read more about BUFFALO GAL.
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This Week's Reviews
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ONE FIFTH AVENUE by Candace Bushnell (Fiction)
Champagne, Chopard, Chanel --- the allure of money, fame and status is oh so tempting and oh so worth it! New York’s infamous One Fifth Avenue harbors the wealthy, their excesses and their dirty little secrets in this latest social commentary from New York Times bestselling author Candace Bushnell. Reviewed by Hillary Wagy.
LIBERTY: A Lake Wobegon Novel by Garrison Keillor (Fiction)
The newest novel by Garrison Keillor is another installment of life in that imaginary and somber midwestern community of Lake Wobegon. LIBERTY describes all the behind-the-scenes power struggles of Lake Wobegoners as they prepare for and then attempt to celebrate the Fourth of July in spectacular fashion. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
AMERICAN LIGHTNING: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood and the Crime of the Century by Howard Blum (True Crime)
In 1910, the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building was considered the “crime of the century.” The investigation and ensuing trial are presented by historian Howard Blum in AMERICAN LIGHTNING. With a cast of well-known historical figures and a story with unique plot twists and turns, Blum presents an actual account of the bombing that often reads as fiction. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
APHRODISIAC by Allyson Roy (Romantic Suspense)
Saylor Oz has one week to figure out who ordered her best friend killed and why. She is also being forced to find something and hand it over to the killers. Too bad that while she's busy doing all that, a hot boxer and a famous director won't stop asking her out. All in a week's work. Reviewed by Sarah Hannah Gómez.
-Click here to read an excerpt from APHRODISIAC.
-Visit Allyson Roy’s official website, www.AllysonRoy.com.
IODINE by Haven Kimmel (Fiction)
From her earliest years, Trace turned away from her abusive mother toward her loving father. Since running away from home years ago, she has eked out an impoverished but functional existence. But her singular life is upended when she and her literature professor fall in love. As it becomes apparent that he has his own dark secrets, she is forced to face herself and her past. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
THE WHISKEY REBELS by David Liss (Historical Thriller)
The years after the Revolutionary War were an explosive time for America's fledgling democracy. When Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton convinced Congress to create an excise tax on whiskey to help fund the national government, response from whiskey producers in the west was loud and violent. David Liss puts readers in the middle of this relatively obscure crisis and crafts a wonderful historical thriller that mixes humor, history and action into a blend as smooth as any bourbon. Reviewed by Jonathan Snowden.
TINY LITTLE TROUBLES by Marc Lecard (Thriller)
Aaron Rogell is a brilliant San Francisco scientist with a nanotech start-up, a beautiful wife and a brand-new baby. Ignoring business and family, however, he spends most of his quality time with an upscale call girl named Aphrodite. But when one of Aphrodite's lowlife acquaintances learns that her new boyfriend has invented a miraculous technology that may be worth fabulous sums of money, life for Rogell will never be the same again. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
BLOOD RIVER: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart by Tim Butcher (Memoir)
The Africa correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph, Tim Butcher recounts his extraordinary journey re-tracing the route of 19th century British explorer H. M. Stanley, the first white man to map the Congo River. Stanley's expedition launched the West's "Scramble for Africa" and the ongoing exploitation of the continent's richest yet most violent country. Butcher's unique overland ordeal, undertaken by motorbike, jeep and outrigger canoe, delivers a rare glimpse into the state of the original Heart of Darkness. Reviewed by Elliott Walker.
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Read this week's reviews here.
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Poll and Question of the Week: Book Buying and the Economy
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Poll:
Has the current economic crisis changed your book buying habits?
I am buying more since books are great entertainment.
I still am buying the same way.
I have had to cut back on my book buying, and I am visiting the library more.
I have had to cut back on my book buying.
I always borrowed books from the library and will continue to do so.
I am not sure if my habits have changed
-Click here to answer our poll.
Question:
What book is on your nightstand right now?
-Click here to answer our question.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- THREE Prizes
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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 BURN OUT by Marcia Muller, THE GATE HOUSE by Nelson DeMille and TESTIMONY by Anita Shreve. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on October 31st to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.
Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on October 31st.
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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 October 31, 2008 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly, BURN OUT by Marcia Muller, THE GATE HOUSE by Nelson DeMille, A MOST WANTED MAN by John le Carre and TESTIMONY by Anita Shreve. Holly from Dartmouth, MA was last month's newsletter winner. She won AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld, THE BOOK OF LIES by Brad Meltzer, FIRST DAUGHTER by Eric Van Lustbader, THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane and THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks.
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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