January 7, 2011

Happy New Year!

After a nice break, we are back and wish you a great 2011!

It was a really lovely holiday this year. We saw six inches of snow on the Outer Banks, which made me look out the window more than once and wonder if we were in Colorado or at the beach. Snow there is a rare occurrence, and it gave us some nice photo ops as well as a chance to drive in the snow on the 4x4 beach. I had held up my snow boots the day I was leaving and thought I wouldn't be needing those at the beach. How wrong I was! My younger son had not brought gloves, thus fun in the snow was confined to snow angels outside the hot tub and melting snow in the hot water as we scraped it from the cover.

We made some nice memories, which is what the holidays are all about for me. There were traditions like Jesse’s Holiday Ham and a new treat with Eggnog French Toast courtesy of a recipe from my good friend, Annie Binkley. And lots of time for reading, knitting, movies, and kicking it back a notch. I knitted a quick and easy bulky scarf for myself, and then when the snow rolled in I was really glad to have done that. I was joking that if the weather kept up, I was going to be knitting up winter wear for the entire family. This is the first year we did not get to the movies over the holiday. I wanted to see The King’s Speech, but it was not playing at the 10-Plex there. For me, there were just not that many “must see” movies this year, and from what I am hearing from my friends, many felt the same way.

In December, a colleague gave me an iPad as a present, which was a really lovely surprise. I liked the concept of a device that was more than a reader since I like the idea of portable multimedia, given the way I travel. And since I love color, I of course loved the idea of four-color. My younger son got me set up with the “necessary and essential” apps and acted as my tutor. Cory would give me homework each day, such as “move these apps” and “download something new.” It was pretty amusing; I “flunked” more than once since I had a lot going on in my life in December, and tech concentration was not high on that list. Now I have a much better handle on this. I watched a movie for a project that I am working on. I logged onto Epicurious’s app to make a number of recipes for holiday dinners. I listened to music. And yes, I even read a book on it! And here was the best part about that: I like to knit and read at the same time. It was nice to find it was easier to click to the next page than it was to turn a page in a physical book.

Now before I get tons of email about how I have gone to "the dark side” reading eBooks, let me assure you that I also read a number of physical books, and I enjoyed them just as well. This was a nice choice. There was a moment when I finished the first book that I thought Let me just download another, and then I saw the bookshelf that I had stocked in the small office at the house and I abandoned that idea. I read on the Kindle app for iPad, and I confess that it made me insane that I never knew what page I was on and how much was left in a chapter. Instead, I was at 37% or 42% through the book. It’s quite odd to adopt a philosophy that I will read X percent more instead of X more pages before going to sleep. I read some samples on the iPad reader, and I liked that experience much better, but can see there will be a lot experimentation going on.

As I write this, I am in San Diego for the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting. I am going to try taking notes on the iPad, which HAS to be better than my writing longhand and then trying to interpret what I wrote since I really have the worst handwriting. Also, it will be nice to watch Netflix in the hotel on my iPad if there is any downtime. So, like I said, I am feeling my way with this and will continue to report on what I am seeing. If any of you got eReaders over the holidays, I would love to know about your adventures with them. For humor, as I walked down the aisle on the plane yesterday, I saw a man watching the movie on the DirectTV screen in front of him and watching a show on his iPad on his lap --- simultaneously. Seriously, he had two sets of headphones on. I was picturing a kid trying this technique to get his homework done. Read the book on his eReader and watch the DVD at the same time!

My husband finished The Millennium Trilogy over the break and also watched the first two movies. He had the wonderful advantage of reading the entire series at once. And the vacation lent itself to a booklover’s dream of being able to read a book in its entirety over the course of a day instead of in bits and pieces. I remember hearing Ridley Pearson talk about this at ThrillerFest last summer, how kids and teens read differently from adults. The reading experience is quite different when you are able to read in an unrushed way like that. Wondering what else I read? Well then check out the “What I Read on My Christmas Vacation” blog here. Also, for those of you who have not read all our Author Holiday Blogs, you can still read the last posts here. There were some days when more than 13,800 people read these pieces on our Facebook page alone. The stories were inspiring and gave us really nice insight into these authors’ lives. I appreciate each writer who shared a story with us.

For those of you who are enjoying or have enjoyed the Millennium books, don’t forget to answer our Millennium Series Survey, which you can find here. Those who complete the 11 questions by January 31st will be eligible to win one of our three Millennium boxed sets. For those who were consumed with holiday revelry in December and thus off your normal schedules, be sure to check out our feature where we celebrate Stieg Larsson’s THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST as our Book of the Year and his international bestselling Millennium trilogy as our series of the decade. Also, on the Swedish crime front, we have our review of THREE SECONDS by Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström --- winner of the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers' 2009 award for Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year --- later in this newsletter.

Many thanks to all of you who participated in our Holiday Cheer Daily Contests. It was a new contest format for us, and we’re thrilled with the daily participation from our readers, especially since we know December is very busy, and thus your reading these daily emails and entering the contests took some doing. We expect all the prizes have arrived by now, but please keep in mind that the holiday shipping schedule as well as the blizzard that hit New York City last week may have delayed things. If you haven’t received your prize yet, please contact Stephen@bookreporter.com, and he will look into it. We plan to try this format for more contests in the future.

I hope all of you have entered to win our grand prize, a full collection of my 2010 Bets On books. There’s 13 books in all, a more than $300 value. Almost all of the books are hardcover editions, even though some, like ONE AMAZING THING by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and ALICE I HAVE BEEN by Melanie Benjamin, are now in paperback. We’ll be picking a winner on Tuesday, January 18th, so enter here now! One lucky reader is going to clear some serious shelf space!

I’m also returning with my first Bets On pick for 2011, Lisa Genova’s LEFT NEGLECTED. Lisa proves lightning can strike twice as her debut, STILL ALICE, was one of my very first Bets On picks. I loved Jacquelyn Mitchard’s quote about LEFT NEGLECTED where she calls Genova "the Michael Crichton of brain science" after reading both of her books. In LEFT NEGLECTED, Sarah Nickerson, a young mother with small children, is in a horrible car accident that leaves her without feeling on the left side of her body. From here, she has to learn to live her life again and at the same time looks at many things in her life that have been left neglected all these years as she worked long hours and lost her focus. You can read more of my thoughts on LEFT NEGLECTED below and here. Reviewer Carole Turner says, “It is hard to put down and practically begs to be read in one sitting, as it lingers with the reader long after the last page is turned.”

This week we shine our author spotlight on three titles we'd like to share with you. The first is a One to Watch Author Spotlight featuring debut novelist Sherri Wood Emmons and her very impressive PRAYERS AND LIES. I read this book over the holidays and just loved it. The story starts out in the Coal River Valley of West Virginia, where Bethany travels with her family each summer from Indianapolis to visit relatives. The contrast between her life and that of her cousin, Reana Mae, who still lives in the valley, is drastic, but the two still are fast friends. And suddenly that all falls apart. The voices here are so crystal clear, which give the book its charm. PRAYERS AND LIES won't be in stores until January 25th, but we have 20 copies to give away to readers who would like to comment on it. Enter here by Friday, January 14th at noon ET.

Daniel Palmer’s DELIRIOUS is being featured in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight. DELIRIOUS has received some rave advance reviews from the likes of Steve Berry, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen and John Lescroart, which really makes me even more intrigued. It’s about Charlie Giles, a successful technology entrepreneur who is riding high with his latest invention. After a publicity stunt goes horribly awry, Charlie’s life begins crumbling around him, and former colleagues are turning up dead. DELIRIOUS won’t be in stores until January 25th, but we have 20 advance copies of this psychological thriller to give away to those who want to read and comment on it. Enter here by Friday, January 14th at noon ET.

Our first Romantic Suspense Author Spotlight of 2011 belongs to SENSELESS by Mary Burton, who is one of the genre’s most popular authors. Eva Rayburn has just put the haunting attack upon her sorority in her past, and is trying to start fresh in her small Virginia hometown. Just as life seems to return to normal, a vicious killer strikes, with each victim being linked to Eva. A wary detective is charged with protecting her, but thinks she might be worth investigating. SENSELESS is in stores now, but we have 20 copies to give away to readers who enter here by Friday, January 14th at noon ET. MERCILESS, the sequel to SENSELESS, will be in stores January 25th.

This week we have an interview with Dean Koontz, whose latest book, WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS, was featured in our final Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight of 2010. It’s always great to read what makes an author tick, especially someone who has had as much success as Koontz. Sarah Rachel Egelman has our review and says, “From ghosts to demons, from cold-blooded criminals to psychopaths, Koontz's dark tale has something to spook and scare all kinds of readers.”

Looking forward to some warm weather in San Diego as well as lots of bookish chatter, as opposed to my older son, who right now is crossing the Atlantic on the maiden voyage of the Queen Elizabeth as part of the “Winter Crossing Club” where he is hoping for huge swells to rock the boat. He called me Wednesday as they left Southampton full of good cheer, and I tried to erase thoughts about the Titanic’s maiden voyage.

I will have lots more to report after ALA. I'm looking forward to meeting Paula McLain, who wrote THE PARIS WIFE, which is coming out on February 22nd, as well as Luanne Rice, whose new one, SECRETS OF PARIS, I have with me, and Beth McMullen, who wrote ORIGINAL SIN: A Sally Sin Adventure, our Sneak Peek title from December. (I confess I am so afraid I will call the author Sally Sin.) And of course, there will be time to see lots of librarian friends, as well as author pals like Wendy Corsi Staub (whose latest book, SCARED TO DEATH, we're reviewing this week) and Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Read on…and thanks for reading….

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

 

Bookreporter.com Talks to Dean Koontz, Author of WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS

Dean Koontz is the international bestselling author of over 80 heart-stopping masterpieces, including WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS, a chilling tale about a homicide detective’s relentless quest to put the killer who murdered his family to rest once and for all --- before his wife and children become the next victims. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Sarah Rachel Egelman, Koontz discusses the dream that inspired his latest novel, elaborating on the eerie figure that evolved into Alton Turner Blackwood and why this particular character has haunted him the most. He also muses on the questions of good and evil that found their way into the book, shares some of his favorite ghost stories, and reveals what’s next for a couple of his spine-tingling series.

WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS by Dean Koontz (Supernatural Thriller)
Long ago, Alton Turner Blackwood brutally murdered four families. But the last survivor of the last family ended his savage spree. Now someone is recreating Blackwood’s crimes two decades later. And homicide detective John Calvino knows his own family will be the fourth target --- just like it was when he was 14 and killed the slayer. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

-Click here to read a review of WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS.
-Click here to read an excerpt from WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS.
-Click here to watch a trailer for WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS.
-Click here to read Dean Koontz’s bio.
-Click here to see Dean Koontz’s backlist.
-Visit Dean Koontz’s official website, www.DeanKoontz.com.
-Click here to see our finished copy winners.
 

LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova (Fiction)
LEFT NEGLECTED is by Lisa Genova, who many of you will remember as the author of STILL ALICE, a favorite book of mine from two years ago. In fact, it was one of my first Bets On Picks, making Lisa Genova our first Bets On repeat author. LEFT NEGLECTED is just as brilliant. In it, Sarah Nickerson had a busy life --- a husband, three kids (one a baby), a high-powered job, and a long commute where she always tried to fit in one more thing. Well, she’s flying down the Mass Pike headed to work one morning multitasking, making a call on her cell phone, when she looks up and sees a string of red lights in front of her --- stopped traffic. She cannot stop and rolls her car.

When she awakens, Sarah realizes she does not recognize the entire left side of her body --- something called left neglect, hence the title of the book. Once again, Genova has brought readers a compelling story, and I dare you to pick up your BlackBerry to text or make a call without being hands-free while driving once you finish it. Mine’s been buried in my handbag as soon as I turn on the ignition to hide any temptation to read a text! To me, the title also reflects what Sarah has left neglected in her own life over the past years. In rushing, she has missed taking time for a lot of things that matter.

Lisa has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard, which informs her writing on what happens with the brain. That said, the story here is never bogged down with science, but as she did with her writing about Alzheimer’s in STILL ALICE, you will finish reading LEFT NEGLECTED and have a better understanding of left neglect besides enjoying a full, rich story.

-Click here to read a review of LEFT NEGLECTED.
 

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, the third volume in Stieg Larsson’s international bestselling Millennium series, is Bookreporter.com’s Book of the Year. This is just as much a celebration of the book as it is Larsson’s trilogy, which includes THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE. There was no denying the series’ global impact upon the release of THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST. A copy of one of Larsson’s books seemed to be everywhere you turned --- in cafés, trains, buses, airports, pools, parks, and so on.

We hope you enjoy this special Bookreporter.com feature and tribute to the crusading journalist and his cyberhacking sidekick who have captivated readers and book lovers all over the globe. Here you will find information about all three novels, as well as the special deluxe boxed set, including reviews, reading guides, the official film trailers, and links to articles and information of interest to fans of the series

An L.A. Superior Court judge and a first-time author, John Kralik is impacting lives across the country with his unique and incredibly moving memoir, 365 THANK YOUS, which tells the story of how a desperate New Year’s Day walk inspired him to write a thank-you note every day for an entire year --- and eventually turn his life around. In this interview, Kralik talks about his aspirations for the future, elaborating on his own idea of goal-setting and his evolving relationship with his daughter. He also shares the stories behind a few of his favorite thank-you notes, reflects on the best way to write a letter, and speculates on where his epistolary inclinations will take him next.

365 THANK YOUS: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik (Memoir)
At age 52, John Kralik was as down as he could get, as he contemplated financial, romantic, health and residential problems galore. Then he heard a mysterious voice speak to him about gratitude. He decided that he would attempt to ferret out someone to be grateful to every day for a year. The result is this thoroughly delightful and uplifting book --- the perfect read for the beginning of a new year. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read a review of 365 THANK YOUS.
 

Romantic suspense author Mary Burton returns with SENSELESS, a taut tale of a woman trying to move past the tragic events that plagued her since her college days, and the detective who's wondering if he should be protecting her or investigating her.

We have 20 copies of SENSELESS, which is in stores now, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, January 14th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from SENSELESS.
-Click here to read Mary Burton’s bio.
-Click here to see Mary Burton’s backlist.
-Visit Mary Burton’s official website, www.MaryBurton.com.

More about SENSELESS:
The vicious burns scarring the victims’ flesh reveal the agony of their last moments. Each woman was branded with a star, then stabbed through the heart. With every death, a vengeful killer finds a brief, blissful moment of calm. But soon it’s time for the bloodshed to start again…

Ten years ago, Eva Rayburn and her sorority sisters were celebrating the end of the school year. That party turned into a nightmare Eva can’t forget. Now she’s trying to start over in her Virginia hometown, but a new nightmare has begun. Every victim is linked to her. And Detective Deacon Garrison isn’t sure whether this mysterious woman needs investigating --- or protecting…
 

Sherri Wood Emmons has crafted a lyrical and touching coming-of-age story in her debut novel, PRAYERS AND LIES, which focuses on a young woman coming to grips with her less-than-perfect family in her small coal mining hometown.

We have 20 copies of PRAYERS AND LIES, which will be in stores January 25th, 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, January 14th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from PRAYERS AND LIES.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for PRAYERS AND LIES.
-Click here to read critical praise for PRAYERS AND LIES.
-Click here to read Sherri Wood Emmons’s bio.
-Visit Sherri Wood Emmons’s official website, www.SherriWoodEmmons.com.

More about PRAYERS AND LIES:
When seven-year-old Bethany meets her six-year-old cousin Reana Mae, it’s the beginning of a kinship of misfits that saves both from a bone-deep loneliness. Every summer, Bethany and her family leave Indianapolis for West Virginia’s Coal River Valley. For Bethany’s mother, the trips are a reminder of the coalmines and grinding poverty of her childhood, of a place she’d hoped to escape. But her loving relatives, and Bethany’s friendship with Reana Mae, keep them coming back.

But as Bethany grows older, she realizes that life in this small, close-knit community is not as simple as she once thought --- that the riverside cabins that hold so much of her family’s history also teem with scandalous whispers, and that those closest to her harbor unimaginable secrets.
 

Some of the suspense/thriller genre's biggest authors --- including Steve Berry, Lee Child and Tess Gerritsen --- are giving rave reviews to Daniel Palmer's debut, DELIRIOUS, about a technology mogul whose life begins taking strange and violent twists and turns. This new voice is sure to turn heads in 2011!

We have 20 copies of DELIRIOUS, which will be in stores January 25th, 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, January 14th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from DELIRIOUS.
-Click here to read critical praise for DELIRIOUS.
-Click here to read Daniel Palmer’s bio.
-Visit Daniel Palmer’s official website, www.DanielPalmerBooks.com.

More about DELIRIOUS:
Charlie Giles is at the top of his game. An electronics superstar, he’s sold his startup company to a giant Boston firm, where he’s now a senior director. With his dog, Monte, at his side, Charlie is treated like a VIP everywhere he goes.

Then one day, everything in Charlie’s neatly ordered world starts to go terrifyingly wrong. His prestigious job and his inventions are wrenched away from him. His family is targeted, and his former employers are dying gruesomely, picked off one by one. Every sign, every shred of evidence, points to Charlie as a cold-blooded killer. And soon Charlie is unable to tell whether he’s succumbed to the pressures of work and become the architect of his own destruction, or whether he’s the victim of a relentless, diabolical attack.
 

January’s roundup of New in Paperback titles includes WINTER GARDEN, Kristin Hannah’s heartbreaking story of two sisters’ unexpected journey into the depths of their mother’s past --- and their discovery of a harrowing secret that threatens to shatter their family forever; THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT, the latest installment of Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series, in which an investigation by a pregnant Tess ends up opening a Pandora’s box of past crimes and unsettling deaths; NOAH’S COMPASS, Anne Tyler’s riveting narrative of an ex-teacher who wakes up in a hospital after being attacked in his apartment --- only to discover that most of his memory is gone; THE WAY HOME by George Pelecanos, in which old demons and new temptations threaten to conquer a formerly troubled man once and for all; and THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE, Julie Orringer’s heart-wrenching tale of a Hungarian-Jewish architecture student who comes to Paris in 1937 with a mysterious letter that will alter the course of his life.
 

January is a time for new beginnings, and Bookreporter.com’s Books into Movies feature is celebrating the start of 2011 by spotlighting four fiction-based films that are guaranteed to whet your cinematic appetite --- whether you’re looking for an offbeat confessional, action-packed adventures, or some true-to-life chills.

Booklovers and film enthusiasts beware, because Barney’s Version --- the soon-to-be blockbuster based on Mordecai Richler’s award-winning novel of the same name --- will give viewers the best of both worlds. A quirky look inside the life of an unlikely hero named Barney Panofsky, Barney’s Version tells the story of an ill-fated man who spots the girl of his dreams on his wedding day --- much to the chagrin of the actual bride. While this movie might move you to tears or laughter, Michel Gondry’s take on The Green Hornet/A> will have you gripping the edge of your seats --- at least when you’re not in stitches over the ridiculous antics of Seth Rogen.

And for those of you looking to launch the New Year with either an epic journey or a colossal thrill, The Way Back --- the incredible story inspired by Slavomir Rawicz’s THE LONG WALK --- chronicles the escape of several multinational prisoners from Siberia, while The Rite --- the real-life account of a seminary student turned exorcist --- promises to give theater-goers the creeps.

But if you’d rather kick off 2011 within the comfort of your own home, this month’s Books into Movies on DVD feature is highlighting Freakonomics, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Secretariat and The Social Network. You’ll be sure to start the new year with a bang with these four outstanding flicks, regardless of your cinematic tastes.
 

ReadingGroupGuides.com is interested in gathering a collective list of what groups read in 2010, so we want to know what books your book group discussed in 2010. Click here and give us a list of what your group read month by month. If you did not meet in a particular month, just write “Did Not Meet” in that slot. Also, you do not need to have attended the group discussion --- or read the book --- to add it. After all, we know many people’s schedules are hectic, and they may miss a month or two. Just include on the list what your group read each month.

Besides getting an opportunity to see the Most Discussed Titles in 2010, which we will release in late February or early March, we will be awarding prizes. Thirty-three participating groups will be eligible to win 12 copies of a recently published or soon-to-be published book that is “book group perfect.” You can see the entire list of books here. Note that prizes will be selected at random. This opportunity will be available until January 31st at 11:59PM ET, but may we suggest you click here now to list your titles? Please note that only U.S. and Canada residents are eligible to enter.
 

THREE SECONDS by Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström (Thriller)
Top-secret operative Piet Hoffman has spent years infiltrating the Polish mafia --- and now he’s a key player in their attempt to take over drug distribution in Swedish prisons. To stop them, Hoffman goes deep cover. But when a botched deal ends in murder, the subsequent investigation threatens to expose him --- and reveal bigger crimes at the highest levels. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

DAMAGE by John Lescroart (Thriller)
When the heir of San Francisco’s most powerful family was convicted of rape and murder, the fallout was swift and uncompromising…even for head homicide detective Abe Glitsky. Now Ro Curtlee has been released after a retrial, and within 24 hours, the star witness’s body is discovered. Ro is out for revenge, and it’s up to Abe to stop him. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt from DAMAGE.

SECRETS TO THE GRAVE by Tami Hoag (Thriller)
Everyone knew of Marissa Fordham, but no one actually knew her. So when she’s found dead with her daughter’s head resting on her body, it’s up to sheriff’s detective Tony Mendez and child advocate Anne Leone to piece things together. And as they dig into Marissa’s past, they uncover a fact that puts them directly in the sights of a killer: Marissa Fordham never existed. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

-Click here to read an excerpt from SECRETS TO THE GRAVE.

SCARED TO DEATH by Wendy Corsi Staub (Thriller)
Elsa Cavalon is terrified that an old nightmare is beginning again. And Marin Quinn’s storybook marriage is over. They’re perfect strangers whose perfect lives were shattered, bound together by a long-lost child --- and loneliness. But someone is watching them and their children. Someone driven by vengeance, with a need for innocent blood. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt from SCARED TO DEATH.
-Visit Wendy Corsi Staub’s official website, www.WendyCorsiStaub.com.

THE LAKE OF DREAMS by Kim Edwards (Fiction)
From the author of THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER comes a startling new novel about the power of guilt, family dynamics and redemption. A young woman visiting her mother finds some old political pamphlets, a piece of delicate cloth, and a few other mementos hidden away. Once she begins investigating their origin, a buried relative is revealed whose story brings revelation and ultimately healing. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

NAKED CRUELTY: A Carmine Delmonico Novel by Colleen McCullough (Thriller)
It’s 1968, and the Holloman suburb of Carew is being terrorized by vicious rapes. A victim speaks out, and it escalates to murder. For Captain Carmine Delmonico, it’s a case with no clues…and even worse, there’s trouble inside the Holloman PD. As the killer makes his plans, Carmine must use every resource --- including a highly motivated neighborhood watch, the Gentlemen Walkers. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

THE RADLEYS by Matt Haig (Fiction)
The Radleys are a typical family. Except Peter and Helen are vampires, and they’ve abstained from blood-chasing so that their children could lead normal lives. But when their daughter commits a shocking act of violence, the police launch an investigation that uncovers an unknown history --- and leads to a visit from their malevolent Uncle Will. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: A Memoir by Heather Havrilesky (Memoir)
A thoughtful memoir about the real and imagined perils of growing up, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS charts how painful moments evolve into defense mechanisms, some of which are piteously ill-suited to modern life. From cheerleading camp to her father’s sudden death, Heather Havrilesky reexamines old injuries, lessons learned, and the insights that carried her through. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THIRD DEGREE: A Murder 101 Mystery by Maggie Barbieri (Mystery)
On her way to meet NYPD detective Bobby Crawford’s parents, Alison Bergeron stops to steel her resolve. She’s never met his family…or answered his proposal. A brawl breaks out, and Alison witnesses the death of a local blogger. And when his car explodes later, what looked like a crime of passion becomes much more complicated --- maybe even premeditated. Reviewed by Usha Rao.
 

Poll and Question of the Week: Owning eReaders

Poll:

Do you own an eReader? Please check as many as apply.

I own a Kindle
I own an iPad.
I own a Nook.
I own a Sony eReader
I own another eReader.
I own an eReader now, but plan to buy a new one.
I plan to buy an eReader and know which one I want.
I do not plan to buy an eReader at this time, but am interested in them.
I have no interest in an eReader.

-Click here to answer our poll.


Question:

If you have an eReader, what were the first three books you downloaded? Also, if you are contemplating an eReader, what would you download first? Name up to three books.

-Click here to answer our question.

 

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 THE BOOK OF TOMORROW by Cecelia Ahern, DEEP DOWN TRUE by Juliette Fay and THE INNER CIRCLE by Brad Meltzer. Tell us what you are reading here and rate the titles 1-5 by noon ET on Friday, January 21st to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.