February 11, 2011

Queen of Hearts

I am not enamored with Valentine’s Day, so those commercials about men racing off to Jared and Kay Jeweler to prove their love are pretty amusing to me. I will celebrate the day by baking my traditional heart-shaped cake with pink whipped cream frosting and raspberries. But this year something happened that I would just call Valentine’s Day karma.

Tuesday night I got home, and my husband was playing a new CD. He told me that it was one of my favorite artists, suggesting I guess who it was. I was preoccupied and in no mood for a pop quiz, and while I did not readily recognize who it was, I was enjoying it. A bit later my son Greg (who I still think should spell his name with two Gs at the end) asked, “You liking the new Gregg Allman CD?” Aha! Allman’s solo work “Laid Back” was/is one of my favorite albums; there is a song on it called “Queen of Hearts” that I never tire of listening to. I clicked out to his website to read more about it and saw he is doing a concert in NJ on June 2nd and bought tickets. Two amusing things about this: 1) the concert had been rescheduled due to weather issues, and that January performance would have happened on a night when I was traveling, and 2) a library that I was scheduled to speak at the night of the 2nd had just been in touch that day to reschedule, so I had the night free. Perfect, but the story does not end there.

A few years back I decided I really wanted to learn to play “Queen of Hearts”. I started scouting for the sheet music for it and was not able to find it anywhere. Wednesday night I was trolling the Internet, taking a break from a project that had me stumped, and I decided to look for the music again. There, listed on eBay at the top of my Google search, was a copy of “a rare Laid Back Songbook” that I never knew existed. I confess that I stress eBay auctions --- when I see something I want, I just want it and I do not want to strategize how to get it --- and I always assume there are thousands of people lurking over their keyboards ready to outbid me. I always make my husband bid for me, so I handed this assignment over to him.

Thursday morning he told me that the mission was accomplished. He just bought it for the “buy it now” price listed of $19.99 instead of bidding starting at $9.99. So now my quest for this is over, and I realized that THIS is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for me. Now onto the new quest: to find a piano for the living room so I can learn to play “Queen of Hearts”. I know…it’s a little backwards, but, hey, I figure the piano will be easier to find than the sheet music. And oh, I wrote Allman’s assistant to ask that he play “Queen of Hearts” the night I see him. Hey, might as well make a special request!

Our lineup this week has some nice backstories to go with it. We’re reviewing HEARTWOOD by Belva Plain this week, which is bittersweet. Belva passed away in October at the age of 95. HEARTWOOD was the long-awaited follow-up to her beloved bestseller, EVERGREEN. She wrote over 20 novels that sold more than 28 million copies, but most readers remember her for EVERGREEN. As soon as the news of her passing broke, I heard from readers inquiring about HEARTWOOD, and thus I am happy to share our review by Melanie Smith, where she says that "her final drama is a testament to her extraordinary talent and an experience readers of fiction and romance should heartily enjoy."

Back in November, when I was at the Miami Book Fair, I ran into Ted Habte-Gabr, who is the tour manager for the Rock Bottom Remainders at the band’s practice session. He told me that his girlfriend, Lisa Napoli, had written a book and brought me over to say hi to her. I recognized her name and was doing a fast flip search of my mental Rolodex to try to remember HOW I knew her. We saw each other, but still nothing was clicking, and then she remembered our earlier connection. She had been a writer for the New York Times and had interviewed me a number of times in the late '90s on the tech business. Thus, over the sound of the band tuning up, we did a quick catch up and what are you doing now session.

Her book, RADIO SHANGRI-LA: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth, arrived in my office the following week, and I smiled as I already knew something about Bhutan from Eric Weiner’s book, THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, which had talked about Bhutan as the happiest place on Earth. Lisa’s writing style is honest and quick-paced, and you will find yourself dropped right into Bhutan with her almost as if you are perched on her shoulder.

As Barbara Bamberger Scott notes in her review, “RADIO SHANGRI-LA is an open-hearted portrait of Napoli’s own struggles to understand Bhutan and learn to enjoy its special qualities amid the swirl of her personal history and the changes that were creeping in to the country with people like herself coming in.... Returning after several trips, she (Lisa) says, 'I wasn’t waiting for something to fall into place so that life could get started. Life was brimming all around me. And now I understood that what I gave was more important than what I got.’”

This week we have NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU by Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight. Last year we featured YOU CAN’T STOP ME, which introduced sheriff turned TV host J.C. Harrow and his “Crime Seen!” fictional reality series, and it was a huge hit with our readers. This time, Max has the “Crime Seen!” crew racing to apprehend a killer who is sending grisly videos of his crime scenes, threatening to continue the carnage unless he’s given his own segment. We have 20 copies to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. Enter here by Friday, February 18th at noon ET.

We are also hosting a contest to celebrate the paperback release of THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS by Randy Susan Meyers. This dark family saga unfolds over 30 years as two sisters each have drastically different methods of coping with their father's brutal crime. It's been drawing some rave reviews and is in stores now. We have 20 copies to give away to readers. Enter here by Friday, February 18th at noon ET.

We got news of an author’s passing this week that sent a ripple through our office: the sudden death of Young Adult author Brian Jacques. You can read the official obituary here. His Redwall series --- about peaceful woodlands creatures fending off evildoers in a mythical forest --- was a bestseller all over the world, getting kids of all ages hooked on reading and paving the way for the mega-series like Harry Potter and Twilight that followed later. Several of our staffers grew up reading these books, including my oldest son, Greg, who has a lot of the hardcovers on his shelf. Brian died of a heart attack at the age of 71 last weekend. I’m sure many of you have kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews who tore through the Redwall books as well. He’ll be missed. But what better time to turn a new reader on to his action-packed, imaginative books? THE ROGUE CREW, Jacques's final Redwall book, releases on May 3rd.

Our latest poll asks “What best describes your ONLINE book purchases in January?” I’m very curious to see how the snowy, icy, cold weather that many of us faced in January impacted book buying habits last month. Vote here! We received several notes saying that book groups were delayed, and visits to the store were tough, so we extended the deadline for our Share Your 2010 Picks contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com until Monday, February 21st. If you’re in a book group, share your 2010 picks here and be entered to win a set of one of those titles.

I was quoted in a piece in USA Today about indie bookstores and what their role is as eBooks evolve. You can read it here. I got so many reader notes last week that I still am playing catchup answering them. I have to tell you that waking up and reading reader mail on a Saturday morning is really fun!

This week, Mary Kay Andrews had a Facebook post where she referred to her treadmill as “the dreadmill.” I so agree. I have not been swimming much since it’s been cold, and I have had a lot going on. Also, while swimming is my passion, I cannot read advance copies of books while I swim, so I have turned my workouts over to "the dreadmill" and the exercise bike. I joke that I am the only person who thinks more about what book(s) to bring to the gym than I do about what I am going to work on when I am there! I have a lot of reading on tap for this weekend, so I figure I may be five pounds thinner by Monday on “The Book Workout.”

Here’s wishing you a great week and a Happy Valentine’s Day. Although our annual Valentine’s Day Contest has ended, you can see some great Valentine’s Day book suggestions here because, after all, flowers wilt and too much chocolate is bad for you! No matter how you celebrate, may you all have a moment that is as special as my “Queen of Hearts” one was.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

 

HEARTWOOD by Belva Plain (Fiction)
Belva Plain's final novel is a moving story layered in psychological reflection, which has more depth than any simple drama or ordinary work of fiction. This is a book that delves deeply into the psychology of older parents and their adult children, presenting a striking image of one mother's deep-seated need for perfection and impulse to manage her family long past the time when she should stop. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.

-Click here to read an excerpt from HEARTWOOD.
 

RADIO SHANGRI-LA: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth by Lisa Napoli (Travel/Memoir)
Lisa Napoli was dissatisfied with her life and her work as a radio journalist. But then a stranger gave her the chance to move to Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom said to be one of the happiest places on earth. There, she created a new home for herself and discovered that the world is a beautiful place --- and how to appreciate life for the adventure that it is. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

-Click here to read an excerpt from RADIO SHANGRI-LA.
-Click here to take a virtual book tour of RADIO SHANGRI-LA.
 

THE ILLUMINATION by Kevin Brockmeier (Fiction)
No doubt there are those who dismiss the notion that it’s possible to write a lyrical novel on the subject of human pain. But perhaps they will change their minds after reading Kevin Brockmeier’s gorgeous new work about how we suffer and how we love. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE ILLUMINATION.
 

THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown (Fiction)
The Andreas family is one of readers. Their father speaks almost entirely in verse and has named his three girls after famous Shakespearean women. Under the guise of caring for their mother, the sisters come home to bury their secrets --- and each is horrified to find the others there. But soon they discover that the things they’ve been running from might offer more than they expected.

-Click here to read a review of THE WEIRD SISTERS.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE WEIRD SISTERS.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for THE WEIRD SISTERS.
-Click here to watch a special video for THE WEIRD SISTERS.
 

IT’S ALL RELATIVE: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine: A Memoir by Wade Rouse (Memoir)
"How come the only thing my family tree ever grows is nuts?” Wade Rouse attempts to answer that question in his blisteringly funny new memoir by looking at the yearly celebrations that unite us all and bring out the very best and worst in our nearest and dearest. Family is truly the only gift that keeps on giving --- namely, the gifts of dysfunction and eccentricity. Wade captures our holidays with his trademark self-deprecating humor and acerbic wit. He paints a funny, sad, poignant and outlandish portrait of an all-too-typical family that will have you appreciating --- or bemoaning --- your own and shrieking in laughter.

-Click here to read a review of IT’S ALL RELATIVE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from IT’S ALL RELATIVE.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for IT’S ALL RELATIVE.
-Visit Wade Rouse’s official website, www.WadeRouse.com.
 

THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS by Randy Susan Meyers (Fiction)
Lulu and Merry's childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu's 10th birthday, their father drives them into a nightmare. She had been warned never to let her father in, but when he shows up drunk, he's impossible to ignore. He bullies his way past Lulu, who then listens in horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but discovers upon her return that he's murdered her mother, stabbed her five-year-old sister, and tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself. For 30 years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened. One spends her life pretending their father is dead, while the other feels compelled --- by fear, by duty --- to keep him close.

To celebrate the paperback release of THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS, we are giving 20 readers the chance to win a copy of the book. All you have to do is fill out this form by Friday, February 18th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS.
-Click here to read Randy Susan Meyers's bio.
 

After scoring a hit with 2010's YOU CAN'T STOP ME, Max Allan Collins and collaborator Matthew Clemens take the tension up a notch with NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU, which has the cast and crew of "Crime Seen!" racing to stop a killer before he strikes again.

We have 20 copies of NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU, which will be in stores March 1st, 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, February 18th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU.
-Click here to read critical praise for NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU.
-Click here to read Max Allan Collins’s bio.
-Click here to read Matthew Clemens’s bio.
-Visit Max Allan Collins's official website, www.MaxAllanCollins.com.

More about NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU:
The first video arrives by email. An unidentifed man. A naked woman. Her scream caught in a freeze-frame. The producers of TV’s “Crime Seen!” can’t believe what they’re witnessing --- an all-out sadist “auditioning” for a starring role in reality television. And if he doesn’t get it, he’ll kill again. To meet the demented demands of the self-proclaimed “Don Juan,” former sheriff and TV host J.C. Harrow has no choice but to spotlight him along with another ruthless maniac who has captivated millions of viewers. Now two killers are locked in a bloodthirsty competition. For fame. For notoriety. For victims.
 

Paula McLain revisits the Jazz Age in her beautifully written novel, THE PARIS WIFE, an account of the troubled relationship between legendary author Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from THE PARIS WIFE.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE PARIS WIFE.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for THE PARIS WIFE.
-Click here to read Paula McLain’s bio.
-Click here to see Paula McLain’s backlist.
-Visit Paula McLain’s official website, www.PaulaMcLain.com.
-Click here to see the winners of THE PARIS WIFE.

More about THE PARIS WIFE:
A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, THE PARIS WIFE captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet 28-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness --- until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group --- the fabled “Lost Generation”--- that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, THE PARIS WIFE is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.
 

The countdown to Valentine's Day is on! Stuck on what to buy your Valentine? Our featured titles have the bookish answer. Recently we gave readers the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Valentine's Day prize packages, which included one copy of each of our featured books and some delicious gourmet chocolate from Godiva. Thanks to all who entered the contest and told us which character in a book they would want to share a Valentine moment with. Click here to see our winners and their responses.

Even if you weren't a winner, may we suggest you take a look at our featured titles? These are books you or your Valentine will want to read any time of the year.

Our featured Valentine’s Day titles are:

-BRAVA, VALENTINE by Adriana Trigiani
-EVERY ZOMBIE EATS SOMEBODY SOMETIME: A Book of Zombie Love Songs written by Michael P. Spradlin and illustrated by Jeff Weigel
-MARRYING DAISY BELLAMY: The Lakeshore Chronicles by Susan Wiggs
-THE PERFECT MISTRESS by Victoria Alexander
-PICTURES OF YOU by Caroline Leavitt
-WILD MAN CREEK: A Virgin River Novel by Robyn Carr
 

With more than 3,150 discussion guides now 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:

-An Interview with Eleanor Brown, Author of THE WEIRD SISTERS
-Heather Gudenkauf on Sisters
-Heather Newton: UNDER THE MERCY TREES
-Susan Vreeland: CLARA AND MR. TIFFANY
-An Interview with Christina Meldrum, Author of AMARYLLIS IN BLUEBERRY
-Jessica Anya Blau: DRINKING CLOSER TO HOME

The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

AMARYLLIS IN BLUEBERRY by Christina Meldrum
CARIBOU ISLAND by David Vann
CROSSING THE HEART OF AFRICA: An Odyssey of Love and Adventure by Julian Smith
DREAMING IN ENGLISH by Laura Fitzgerald
DRINKING CLOSER TO HOME by Jessica Anya Blau
GHOST LIGHT by Joseph O’Connor
I THINK I LOVE YOU by Allison Pearson
IT'S ALL RELATIVE: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine: A Memoir by Wade Rouse
LONELY: Learning to Live with Solitude by Emily White
MOONFACE: A True Romance by Angela Balcita
THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL by Michael David Lukas
THE PARIS WIFE by Paula McLain
THE REVENGE OF THE RADIOACTIVE LADY by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
SADDLED: How a Spirited Horse Reined Me In and Set Me Free by Susan Richards
SHADOW TAG by Louise Erdich
SOUTH OF SUPERIOR by Ellen Airgood
SWAMPLANDIA! by Karen Russell
THESE THINGS HIDDEN by Heather Gudenkauf
THINK TWICE by Lisa Scottoline
UNDER THE MERCY TREES by Heather Newton
WENCH by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
WHEN WE WERE STRANGERS by Pamela Schoenewaldt
WRECKER by Summer Wood

Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

36 ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD by Rebecca Goldstein
THE CREATION OF EVE by Lynn Cullen
THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON by Sarah Addison Allen
THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE by Maggie O’Farrell
THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE by Julie Orringer
NOAH'S COMPASS by Anne Tyler
ONE GOOD DOG by Susan Wilson
THE POSTMISTRESS by Sarah Blake
SEARCHING FOR TINA TURNER by Jacqueline E. Luckettspan>
THE THREE WEISSMANNS OF WESTPORT by Cathleen Schine

The following guides are now available for Christian book groups:

THE AMISH MIDWIFE: The Women of Lancaster County, Book 1 by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould
DEADLY TIES by Vicki Hinze
A SEASON OF MIRACLES by Rusty Whitener
 

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 Monday, February 21st 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.
 

THE SECRET SOLDIER by Alex Berenson (Thriller)
A mysterious call puts ex-CIA agent John Wells in touch with the king of Saudi Arabia, who informs Wells that people are plotting against him and that Wells is the only one he can trust. A reluctant Wells goes undercover, but one thing soon becomes clear: More is at stake than the fall of a monarch --- this may be the first of a final fight between America and Islam. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

FATAL ERROR by J.A. Jance (Mystery)
Ali Reynolds thinks her biggest challenge will be surviving the Arizona Police Academy as the only female over 40. But then Brenda Riley, an old colleague, shows up with a missing fiancé who turns out to be a recently murdered cyber-sociopath. As the police focus on Brenda, Ali is drawn into a web of online intrigue that could lead to a real-life fatal error. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

I THINK I LOVE YOU by Allison Pearson (Fiction)
1974, Wales. Petra and her best friend, Sharon, are obsessed with David Cassidy and The Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz, a contest whose winners get to meet him. 1998, London. Petra finds a letter in her mother’s closet declaring her the winner. Twenty-four years later and 20 pounds heavier, the girls take their free trip to Vegas to meet their teen idol, middle age be damned. Reviewed by Hannah Gómez.

-Click here to see the reading group guide for I THINK I LOVE YOU.

BEING POLITE TO HITLER by Robb Forman Dew (Fiction)
After spending her life teaching and raising her family, at 51, Agnes Scofield is weary of the routine it has become. But the Scofields are full of fire, and Agnes can no more ignore them than step down as matriarch. Despite her new freedom, though, Agnes becomes even more entangled in the family web --- and is amazed to see her life grow instead. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

BREACH OF TRUST by David Ellis (Legal Thriller)
On the night his family died, Jason Kolarich was waiting for a call from an informant named Ernesto Ramirez. The call never came, and when Kolarich tries to find out who killed him, he gets caught in an FBI probe of a corrupt governor. Ramirez’s murder was only the beginning. And exposing the breach of trust could turn into the fight of his life. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

WORLD’S GREATEST SLEUTH!: A Holmes on the Range Mystery by Steve Hockensmith (Historical Mystery)
The Amlingmeyer brothers --- Big Red and Old Red --- return for another installment of Steve Hockensmith’s Holmes on the Range Mystery series. The year is 1893, and the down-on-their-luck cowboys and wannabe detectives are summoned to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago to take part in the World’s Greatest Sleuth competition. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE THINGS THAT NEED DOING: A Memoir by Sean Manning (Memoir)
In THE THINGS THAT NEED DOING, Sean Manning travels as observer and companion through a tortuous but soul-strengthening series of medical and emotional challenges that besiege his dying mother during a year spent in the hospital. His thoughts and revelations are as surprising and inspiring as they are humanly sad. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.

-Click here to see the reading group guide for THE THINGS THAT NEED DOING.

A TIGER IN THE KITCHEN: A Memoir of Food and Family by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan (Memoir)
When Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, shuttling back and forth from New York City to the Asian island of Singapore, embarks on a year-long journey to learn from her "aunties" how to create the dishes of her homeland and her childhood, she grows not only as a cook, but also as a person. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

EYES OF THE INNOCENT by Brad Parks (Mystery)
When a house fire kills two boys in Newark, New Jersey, investigative reporter Carter Ross turns their mother’s woeful tale into a front-page feature. But Akilah Harris isn’t what she seems. And neither is the fire. Soon, a city councilman is missing, launching Carter into a world of house-flipping and political corruption, as he searches for the figure behind it all. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

SHORTCUT MAN by p.g.sturges (Thriller)
When people need a problem fixed fast in the City of Angels, they call Dick Henry, a “shortcut man” who knows that the best answers aren’t always legal. But when Henry gets an assignment from a porn producer, things get a lot more complicated. Now he has to finish the job and avoid being killed --- and figure out what to do with a long-legged vixen named Lynette. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
 

Poll and Question of the Week: Online Book Purchases and Current Recommendations

Poll:
 

What best describes your ONLINE book purchases in January?

I only bought print books.

I only bought eBooks.

I bought more print books than eBooks.
I bought more eBooks than print books.
I bought the same number of print books and eBooks.
I did not buy any books in January.
I do not buy books online.
I do not buy books.

-Click here to answer our poll.


Question:

What books are you currently recommending to people? Name up to three.

-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 TREACHERY IN DEATH by J.D. Robb, WHEN THE KILLING'S DONE by T.C. Boyle and A WIDOW'S STORY: A Memoir by Joyce Carol Oates. Tell us what you are reading here and rate the titles 1-5 by noon ET on Friday, February 18th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.