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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
November 11, 2011 |
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"Deer" Readers on 11/11/11 (Love Writing That Date!) |
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The deer population in our town is out of control. There are times I feel like we live at the North Pole. Our entire yard has a 12-foot black mesh fence around it to keep Rudolph and his friends out. The front of the house has rustic landscaping as I am bored with buying plants that the deer love, aka deer food. Last weekend, I bought two nice pots for the front porch where I moved two mums that had been part of Operation Plant Rescue during the October Snowbration; the front porch looks like a nursery as I snatched all the plants that were on the patio the day before the snowstorm and plopped them there. The geraniums still are blooming!
Afraid that the deer would munch the flowers closest to the edge of the porch, we bought Deer Away. We opted for the brand with the spray pump, though the saleswoman mentioned the mint-scented one was better-smelling. She told us not to worry, the smell WOULD go away. I think we were half listening. On Saturday afternoon, I was working in the back winterizing the garden, and I heard what seemed like EVERY dog in the neighborhood start barking and howling. It was annoying, but I did not give it a second thought until Tom came in the back and asked, “Do you smell that stuff? Did you hear the dogs go crazy?” It ends up he had sprayed the deer spray, and yowser, it was vile-smelling as it wafted its way to the back of the house. He said it must be something like coyote urine. Hearing that I blanched.
For the record, I am not going to go near the stuff. I can see myself going back to the store for the mint-scented version and relegating this to a back shelf in the gardening shed to someday be discarded when we move. In other gardening news, I have been hauling kitchen scraps to the black composting container I set up in the yard, the container that cost more than fertilizer.
Of course, it would have been better to start this process when it was warmer, but I digress. I have been putting dirt in there as well. I cannot see how when I go to use this compost next spring that the ear of corn and celery roots will have broken down, but hey, I was always the English/history girl, not the math/science one. The woman at the garden center told me I should add nitrogen to the compost to help it break down. I asked where I could buy nitrogen. She immediately turned her attention from me to my husband and said "grass clippings." I think she did that because she knew I would not be cutting the grass, not because she realized I was lacking a science gene.
Hah, I can at least rest easy that I know something about books…and I know I love this week’s lineup.
As we all know, John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. In Stephen King’s new novel, 11/22/63, the two protagonists, Jake and Al, head back in time to try and prevent this gruesome event. But as they attempt to change the course of history, they can’t imagine how history might change them; soon they are caught up in the world of Elvis and sock hops --- not to mention the lives of a few women --- more than they ever expected to be. Our reviewer Kate Ayers gets mega-points from us for zipping through this 864-page book so we could have our review this week. She says, "11/22/63 isn’t classic King. This is the New & Improved King, and you’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the best of the best. For me, it’s the Story of the Century."
If you like crime drama, you will be happy to hear about our latest contest for the new psychological thriller, KILL SWITCH, by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene. In it, Claire Waters is a forensic psychiatrist who is especially drawn to the most deranged, “untreatable” criminal minds. A new patient, Quimby, housed in the Psych Ward at Riker’s Island, is one of the most dysfunctional patients she has ever encountered. Yet dealing with his case makes her vulnerable due to her own fraught personal history, and as she enters his mind, she is slowly drawn into his madness.
I read KILL SWITCH a few weeks ago and was halfway through the book when it wrapped up neatly, or so I thought. But holding the book in my hand, I saw there were hundreds of pages left. And bam! Turning the page it headed off in another direction ---- and, whoa, what a ride it was. Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene were co-Executive Producers for "Law and Order: SVU" for 11 years. In KILL SWITCH, they parlayed their television writing talent for building tension and crafted a finely plotted story. And this time they did not have to break for commercials or insert that distinctive "Law and Order" "thunk-thunk" sound effect in between scenes. Looking back, that point where I thought the book was done was just to allow me a moment to relax before the story took off again --- sort of like the way the rollercoaster pauses and then throttles you forward.
We are giving 40 lucky readers the chance to win advance reading copies of this suspenseful thriller. Click here to read more about the contest and to enter. And click here to pre-order a copy of KILL SWITCH.
On our lineup this week is another creepily riveting book, THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, which can be added to the growing list of great Scandinavian thrillers. The action begins when nurse Nina Borg finds a three-year-old boy in a suitcase that has been deposited in a locker, the key to which Nina has received from an estranged friend. When this friend ends up murdered, Nina must navigate the intricate world of child-trafficking on her own --- even out of sight of the useless government authorities. Joe Hartlaub has our review where he says that the book is "a keen and wonderfully devised mystery that will prick the curiosity of any reader with even the most tangential of interests in the whodunit genre." I read THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE back in September and was happy to learn that it is the start of a series, so stay tuned for more. Careful newsletter readers may recall that I was lucky enough to meet Lene and Agnete at Bouchercon in St. Louis. So nice to have had that moment.
My newest Bets On pick is a new book by Nancy Jensen called THE SISTERS. After the death of their mother, Mabel and Bertie reckon with fulfilling two different roles in their family. Mabel, the elder of the two, is forced to drop out of high school and pick up the housekeeping. Bertie remains in school and fosters dreams of her own that include marrying her beau Warren and moving away. Yet soon the relationship between the two sisters becomes fraught as new information surfaces about the nature of the relationships between Bertie, Mabel, Warren and the girls’ father, Butcher. Dreams are shattered as the girls begin to drift apart, and there is no clue as to whether they will ever be reconciled. The story continues over 80 years, and along the way we meet sisters in subsequent generations who all are impacted by one day in rural Kentucky.
Our reviewer Terry Miller Shannon says, “THE SISTERS is an irresistible (almost addictive) read. From the opening chapter, we must keep turning pages to find out how these sisters' paths diverge.” I loved this book and have been looking forward to sharing it with you. Read why it’s a Bets On below or here. And book groups, this would make for a fabulous discussion. We hear Nancy Jensen is already hard at work on her next book. Until then, keep an eye out for her piece on our Bookreporter.com Author Holiday Blog in a few weeks!
In BREAKING POINT, a new book by Dana Haynes, two NTSB experts, those used to investigating plane crashes, find themselves the victims of a crash when their plane goes down outside Helena, Montana. The plot thickens when they discover the crash was not accidental, and was in fact caused by weapons banned by an international treaty. Soon the NTSB agents find themselves literally caught up in the world of international arms diplomacy and weapons technology as they are trapped at the site of the crash among the players who caused it and their targets. Joe Hartlaub says, “Haynes starts with a plot that picks you up by the seat of your pants and moves at MACH 3.” I read this one months ago (though this time I was smart enough not to read it on an airplane as I did with CRASHERS) and loved picking up with his characters Dr. Tommy Tomzak and Kiki Duvall. It’s like running into old friends on the street and going on to a nice dinner with them to catch up when you read characters you enjoyed again. When I saw Dana in July, he was well into book three; all I will share is that there is a character in BREAKING POINT I loved who we are going to get to see a lot more of.
Anyone who has worked in retail knows that when you work in a store, you tend to hear lots of customers’ stories. In her new book, KNIT WITH LOVE: Stories to Warm a Knitter’s Heart, Lisa Bogart purls together some of the tales she encountered while working in a knitting shop. These stories talk of how to “cast on,” “cast off,” “knit two together,” and everything in between. Reviewer Marcia Ford says “Readers who work with yarn, whether they use needles or hooks or looms, should find a great deal of inspiration here, expressed through stories they likely can relate to.” You can imagine how much I am looking forward to reading this one; I will be reading and knitting at the same time!
In a book group? Then note that until next Friday, we are featuring a very special book group contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com for NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah. We hosted a VERY successful contest with our ReadingGroupGuides.com Registered Book Clubs in October, and it spurred us to offer the same opportunity to Bookreporter.com readers who are in book groups as well as our other ReadingGroupGuides.com readers. Thus, an additional 150 clubs --- we already awarded this prize to 500 clubs!!! --- will win hardcover copies of NIGHT ROAD for everyone in their group. There is a caveat. Groups who win must agree to talk about the book in their January or February discussion groups and post about their discussions on Kristin Hannah’s Facebook page, the blog on KristinHannah.com, their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or blogs. Pretty nice, eh? If you are in a book group, fill out the form here to enter your group!
Kristin Hannah also has a FREE special short story, "The Glass Case", available today. Kristin shares this story with her readers to thank them for their support for her work. She chose to release it on Veterans Day as soldiers and their families are explored in her upcoming novel, HOME FRONT, which will be in stores on January 31st. She came away with “a more profound and even deeper respect for our soldiers and their families, who sacrifice so much so that we all can live safely. It is the first of my own books that consistently brought me to tears. The emotions that come with the story of a deployed soldier are simply overwhelming. On this Veteran's Day, I'd like to offer my thanks to the troops and their families, and our veterans.”
We echo her thanks to all our veterans. We all sleep a lot more easily because of the folks who have given their time around the globe for us. A donation from me is going out to IAVA.org today, which benefits veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Think about your own way to support veterans today and throughout the year.
Today is 11/11/11! 89 years ago, on 11/11/1922, author Kurt Vonnegut was born. This week heralds the publication of not one but TWO biographies of Vonnegut: AND SO IT GOES: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life by Charles J. Shields and UNSTUCK IN TIME: A Journey Through Kurt Vonnegut’s Life and Novels by Gregory D. Sumner. For AND SO IT GOES, Shields met Vonnegut just twice, but from these memorable encounters and lots of research (he had experience with elusive subject after his biography of Harper Lee, MOCKINGBIRD) he penned his biography. Sumner’s book follows the relationship between the author’s novels and his personal history, theorizing that Vonnegut’s work and life were guided by a strong personal philosophy. These two books shed insight into this great author, who died in 2007, and we'll be sharing our reviews of both titles soon.
Another note to book groups --- we have 13 new reading guides available now on ReadingGroupGuides.com, including guides for Man Booker Prize Winner THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes and Pulitzer-Prize winning author Jeffrey Eugenides’s latest book, THE MARRIAGE PLOT. Click here to see a list of all the new guides.
On Wednesday, I will be heading down to the Miami Book Fair. While New York has had beautiful May-like weather this past week, the wind kicked up last night and the temperatures started to drop, and as I write this morning, the leaves are dancing up and down the street. I am looking forward to heading to Miami on Wednesday for five days of author-and-book-filled panels and conversations. On Thursday, I am moderating The School of Comics and Graphic Novels with 125 teachers and educators scheduled to attend. This will be my third year moderating this programming, and I love the idea of spending time with librarians and educators like this.
John Hogan, our Editorial Director for GraphicNovelReporter.com, will be moderating two panels over the weekend. Over the next few days, I will be mapping out my schedule for the Fair, noting the authors I want to meet and the events I want to see including the aforementioned Charles J. Shields. There are always moments where hard choices have to be made about who to see in a particular time slot. The complete schedule is here. Headed to Miami for the Fair? Let me know. I would love to catch up with you!
On Monday, the child in me will come out as I attend the kickoff party for the latest installment in Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, which comes out on Tuesday. As the mom of two boys, I love these books; I joke with Jeff and his publisher that I am his best mom fan. The cover of the book is turquoise --- I think they were channeling me as they chose this color. The tour will include six stops, including one in Miami next weekend. SNOW is a part of all of these events…and I cannot wait to see how long snow lasts in Miami!
Quiet weekend this weekend. Cory is off to Model UN, which he really enjoys a lot. I convinced him to try on his suit a few weekends ago as he has grown a lot. The shoulders on the jacket are tight, but he is a boy, and better that than a day of shopping with mom. Greg has found a great way to write his school papers…dictating them first with voice recognition software, then editing. Hmmmm maybe I can borrow that and dictate the newsletter as I drive to New York. More composting on the agenda; I am delegating the Deer Away.
Have a great weekend…and week. More from Miami next week…
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Now in Stores: 11/22/63 by Stephen King |
11/22/63 by Stephen King (Historical Fiction)
If you had a way to go back in time and prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, would you do it? Jake Epping, a high-school English teacher, has that chance. And he doesn’t hesitate to take it. But if he’s successful, what ripple effect might it have on the future of America? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
-Click here to read an excerpt. |
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Click here to read a review. |
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Special Contest: Win an Advance Copy of KILL SWITCH by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene, Former Executive Producers of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” |
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We are celebrating the forthcoming release of KILL SWITCH by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene --- the riveting story of a forensic psychiatrist who gets caught up in the mind of a particularly dysfunctional patient --- with a special contest. 40 readers will have the opportunity to each win an advance copy of the book, which will be available on December 13th. The deadline for entries is Friday, November 18th at noon ET.
KILL SWITCH by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene (Psychological Thriller)
Meet Claire Waters, a young, dedicated forensic psychiatrist with unnervingly personal insights into the criminal mind. Haunted by a disturbing childhood incident --- and driven by her demons --- Claire has always been drawn to those rare “untreatable” patients who seem to have no conscience or fear. She has a natural ability to put people at ease, to help them face their darkest secrets. But one shocking case could make or break her career --- and it’s waiting for her in the psychiatric wing of New York City’s Rikers Island.
His name is Quimby. A deranged inmate whose boyish good looks hide a sordid history of dysfunction and abuse, Quimby triggers something in Claire she’d rather not face. As she tries to unlock Quimby’s past, she unwittingly reveals her own painful secrets --- leaving herself dangerously vulnerable. For Claire, the patient’s obsessions are just the beginning. When the case propels her into the mind of another killer --- a homicidal maniac who’s watching her every move --- it could only end in madness, or murder, or both.
-Click here to read more about the book and pre-order a copy now.
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Click here to enter the contest! |
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Now in Stores: THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis |
THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis (Mystery)
When her estranged friend, Karin, leaves her with a key to a public locker in the Copenhagen train station, Red Cross nurse Nina Borg makes a shocking discovery. Inside the locker is a suitcase, and inside the locker is a three-year-old boy: naked and drugged, but alive. When Karin is discovered brutally murdered, Nina realizes that her life and the boy's are in jeopardy, too. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE SISTERS by Nancy Jensen |
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THE SISTERS by Nancy Jensen (Fiction)
THE SISTERS, a debut novel by Nancy Jensen, opens in rural Kentucky in 1927 with two sisters --- Bertie Fischer and her older sister, Mabel --- who become separated through a tragic string of events. For a moment, I got settled in with these characters and thought this book was just going to be their story. But as I kept reading, I realized that these are not the only compelling sister characters we come to know in THE SISTERS. As the years unfold, other generations of sisters in this family form the backdrop for the narrative. The story flows through 80 years, marking the social changes that affect life in America as well as the ways these changes affect the characters. A secret that was buried in the past will impact all these sisters --- and the courses of their lives.
I see a bright future for it as people discuss the power of sisterhood, as well as how society through the years has influenced the roles of women. Book groups will love this book; I can see wonderful conversations with folks tripping their opinions over each other arising from discussions about it.
-Click here to read a review.
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Click here to see all the books we’re betting you’ll love. |
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Now in Stores: THE NEXT ALWAYS by Nora Roberts |
THE NEXT ALWAYS: Book One of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy by Nora Roberts (Romance)
Clare Brewster, widowed mom of three young boys, is working hard to make a success of her small-town bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland while she reconnects with hunky architect Beckett Montgomery, dodges the unwanted attentions of a stalker, and tracks a ghost who moves through the Inn BoonsBoro in a cloud of honeysuckle perfume. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: OUT OF OZ by Gregory Maguire |
OUT OF OZ: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire (Fantasy)
Once peaceful and prosperous, the spectacular Land of Oz is knotted with social unrest. Yet amidst all the chaos, Elphaba’s granddaughter, the tiny green baby born at the close of SON OF A WITCH, has come of age. Now it is up to Rain to take up her broom --- and her legacy --- in an Oz wracked by war. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: THE PRAGUE CEMETERY by Umberto Eco |
THE PRAGUE CEMETERY by Umberto Eco (Historical Fiction)
Conspiracies rule history. Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots and massacres. From the unification of Italy to the Paris Commune to the Dreyfus Affair to "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," Europe is in tumult and everyone needs a scapegoat. But what if, behind all of these conspiracies both real and imagined, lay one lone man? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: THE CORN MAIDEN AND OTHER NIGHTMARES by Joyce Carol Oates |
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THE CORN MAIDEN AND OTHER NIGHTMARES by Joyce Carol Oates (Suspense/Short Stories)
Joyce Carol Oates spins six imaginative tales of suspense. From the story of a young girl trapped in a basement and told that the world has ended, all because of an ancient Indian legend, to that of an unlikely friendship with a shocking outcome, Oates explores a variety of characters in riveting and unexpected tales. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Win Copies of NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah for Your Reading Group! |
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This month, 150 groups are being offered a very special opportunity --- a chance to win a hardcover copy of NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah for each member of their group (up to 20), provided that they agree to discuss the book at their January or February meeting and post comments or feedback about the book and/or their discussion on Kristin Hannah’s Facebook page, the blog on KristinHannah.com, their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or blogs. The deadline for entries is Friday, November 18th at noon ET.
NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah (Fiction)
For 18 years, Jude Farraday has put her children's needs above her own, and it shows --- her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia's best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.
Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm's way. It has always been easy --- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them. On a hot summer's night her worst fears come true.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to see the reading group guide.
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Click here to read all the contest details. |
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Miami Book Fair International: November 13-20, 2011 |
Miami Book Fair International
November 13-20, 2011 - Street Fair: November 18-20
Wolfson Campus, Miami Dade College
Enjoy the 28th edition of the nation’s finest and largest literary gathering presented by the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College.
Come see hundreds of great authors like John Connolly, who will be talking about his YA novel, THE INFERNALS, on Friday, November 18th at 9:30am; New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean, author of RIN TIN TIN, who will speak on Sunday, November 20th at 2:30pm; and Jeffrey Eugenides, who will be discussing his new bestseller, THE MARRIAGE PLOT, on Saturday, November 19th at 10am.
There are also a number of discussion panels on intriguing topics like “Discover New Worlds” and “The Writer’s Voice.” And don’t forget: there are some not-quite literary events at this festival! Check the schedule for fun events like cooking demonstrations, a talk by Jim Lehrer about presidential debates, and an evening with Rosanne Cash!
-Click here for the full schedule of events.
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Click here for more information about Miami Book Fair International. |
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This Week's Reviews |
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LAST MAN IN TOWER by Aravind Adiga (Fiction)
Real estate developer Dharmen Shah rose from nothing to create an empire and hopes to seal his legacy with a new building that promises to be one of the city’s most elite addresses. Shah is a dangerous man to refuse. But he meets his match in a retired schoolteacher named Masterji, who flat-out refuses to leave the apartment that Shah is on the brink of demolishing. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.
BREAKING POINT by Dana Haynes (Thriller)
Denver journalist Natalie Benoit and Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride find themselves captives of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Working together, they escape through the desert toward the border. They fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THEM OR US by David Moody (Horror)
The war that has torn the human race apart is nearing its end. Both Hater and Unchanged alike struggle to survive, and hundreds of Hater fighters have settled on the East Coast in the abandoned remains of a town under the command of Hinchcliffe ---- who will stop at nothing to eradicate the last few Unchanged and consolidate his position at the top of this new world order. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
A BURIAL AT SEA by Charles Finch (Historical Mystery)
In 1873, a string of English spies is found dead on French soil, and the threat of all-out war prompts government officials to ask Charles Lenox to visit the newly-dug Suez Canal on a secret mission. Once he is on board the Lucy, however, Lenox finds that the ship’s second lieutenant has been murdered on the first night, his body cruelly abused. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
SWEETNESS: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton by Jeff Pearlman (Biography)
Crafted from interviews with more than 700 sources, acclaimed sportswriter Jeff Pearlman has produced the first definitive biography of legendary NFL running back Walter Payton, nicknamed “Sweetness.” Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
BEING ALIVE AND HAVING TO DIE: The Spiritual Odyssey of Forrest Church by Dan Cryer (Biography)
BEING ALIVE AND HAVING TO DIE is both an examination of liberal religion during the past 30 years of conservative ascendancy, and the fascinating personal story of legendary Reverand Forrest Church of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York. After a turbulent childhood, Church battled a public scandal, an alcohol addiction, and ultimately a terminal diagnosis. Reviewed by Laura Pedersen.
KNIT WITH LOVE: Stories to Warm a Knitter's Heart by Lisa Bogart (Crafts & Hobbies)
Knitting can't feed the hungry, fight crime, or stop global warming. But a hand-knit sweater warms a cold child. A cozy scarf eases a homeless night. A tiny hat comforts a new baby's head. Through inspiring stories and gentle encouragement, KNIT WITH LOVE reveals the many ways you can, with your own two hands, bring joy and comfort to those around you. Reviewed by Marcia Ford. |
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This Week’s Poll and Question |
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Poll:
Right now, the Bookreporter.com “Coming Soon” feature lists titles two months in advance. If we extended this preview of what’s to come further, how far out would you like to see books that are “Coming Soon”?
3 months
4 months
5 months
6 months
I am not sure how I feel.
-Click here to answer the poll.
Question:
Which books on the current Coming Soon lists for November and December (name up to three) are you most excited about reading?
-Click here to answer the question.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You’re Reading --- and You Could Win THREE Books! |
Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from November 4th - November 18th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of 11/22/63 by Stephen King, KILL ALEX CROSS by James Patterson and THE SISTERS by Nancy Jensen.
-To view reader comments from previous contest periods, click here. |
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Click here for more details. |
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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.
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