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March 1, 2013

Bookreporter.com Newsletter March 1, 2013
Hoping for a Lamb/Lamb Kind of a Month
When we left off, I was in Kansas City, which I never knew was “The City of Fountains”, for the American Booksellers Association’s Winter Institute. It is rumored to have as many or more fountains than Rome! Of course, I was there in the dead of winter and thus the water was turned off. At least in the fountains. The snow gods were working their snow guns in full force. I slipped into the city after one storm and fled on a 6am flight (and yes, that meant I got up at 4am to make that flight) on Monday as another storm was bearing down. And I am told that this is not a city known for its snow!

Just remember folks, Mercury went retrograde last Saturday, and as Bookreporter.com readers, you know what this means. New to this newsletter? Read here and hold on tight until March 17th. My horoscope said this: “It is not a time to travel, so reschedule or just expect delays, lines, and lost directions. Instead, take care of local affairs. Patience and a sense of humor are needed.” I am short on patience, so I have been working the humor angle instead.

All travel woes aside, this conference was both educational and fun! I got to see bookseller friends from across the country --- and each of those conversations sparked memories of store visits on my various trips. The thing I love about Indie stores is that each has its own personality. Greeting the store owners had me thinking about their store layouts --- and even what I had bought when I shopped at them. I have so much in common with these booksellers as they, like me, are small business owners. Thus Daniel Pink’s talk based on his book TO SELL IS HUMAN and Malcolm Gladwell’s talk on his forthcoming DAVID AND GOLIATH (October 3rd) were as applicable to us and what we do as they were to bookselling.

Over and over again, the word “curation” sprang up. That and “discovery” are the big buzz words in publishing these days. I realized that we have been curating --- and inspiring discovery --- since we started the site in 1996. Books are chosen, and we select which of our sites (often more than one) that they should be shared on. The notes we get from readers about how we inspire them cheer us.

On Saturday night, I got to meet Alex George, whose book A GOOD AMERICAN was the “One Institute Read,” meaning that all the booksellers were sent a copy to read before this discussion. You may recall this was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection for me last year when it came out in hardcover; as you know from our Paperback Spotlight feature, it’s now out in paperback. In a room filled with booksellers, Alex shared the journey that he took to write this book. A lawyer by day, he spent a lot of early mornings writing --- and rewriting. The book was originally rejected by his editor, Amy Einhorn, who later published it after he re-wrote the last third to make it hum. Alex, who is British, moved to Missouri in 2003. One thing that he has noted here is how differences in race through the years have divided this country, which is something he captures in his book. As we are a country of immigrants, many readers have told him that he has reminded them of their own family stories. It’s a great book group title.

Alex became an American citizen last year; as many have teased him, we hope he is “a good American.” You can see a photo of Alex and me above where I am wearing my name badge, in case I forget who I am! And for those who love his writing, note that he is working on a new book set in Maine in the ’70s.

On Sunday morning after Gladwell’s talk (which was excellent), Ann Bruns, who was one of our chat hosts when we first started the company and has become a good friend, picked me up at the hotel to give me a grand tour of her native city. Besides my snapping photos of fountains, the Kansas City Library with its fabulous book-themed design that wraps the building (which you can see above) and the beautiful architecture of Country Club Plaza, we ate the barbeque that KC is famous for at Jack Stack, where the cheesy corn bake is absurdly great; stopped by Yarn Shop and More, where I picked up some gorgeous hand-dyed yarn called Paradigm (you can guess the color) by a company called Vice Yarns; hit a shop where Ann indulged her passion for all things Christmas; and capped our adventure with a visit to Rainy Day Books, where Vivien and her wonderful staff hosted booksellers and publishers. I loved the displays in their store where most books are face out, and of course we did some shopping. They shared the most incredible chocolate-covered almonds with us as treats. I was vowing to have one a day upon my return, which they thought was going to be impossible. They were so right. One quickly became four, five, six. I now have another bookstore in my memory book.

I treasure the friendships like mine with Ann that The Book Report Network has afforded me through the years via meeting readers in person or in email. There was another reader who wrote who I wanted to meet in KC, but the trip was so jammed I was not able to get in touch. Next time. When the fountains are on.

Another of our former chat hosts, Anna Knapp, gave me this tip this week. She downloaded voice recognition software to her laptop, opened her reader app, opened a book, and when she got to the bottom of the page she said “Page down” and the pages turned. Anna likes to knit as much as I do, thus this is a major multi-tasking achievement!

With all the travel this week, when I looked back, I was surprised to see I read four really terrific books. May United Airlines NEVER get Internet access as flying time is reading time! While I want to share all these books with you --- I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN by Jackie Hance (April 23rd), WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall (July 2nd) and IF YOU COULD BE MINE by Sara Farizan (August 20th), in the interest of time this week I am going to focus on UNTIL I SAY GOODBYE: My Year of Living with Joy by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter (March 12th).

I had read about this book a few months ago and read some of the columns that inspired it in the Palm Beach Post. Susan has ALS and knows her fate. She also is a journalist and a very take-charge person. So instead of crying “woe is me,” she has gone on to live life joyfully, all the while the disease is zapping her muscle control. She's traveled with family and friends, planned memories for her children, and focused on doing rather than weeping. This book is powerfully moving in the same way as THE LAST LECTURE and TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE were. However, it resonated with me even more. Maybe because I am a mom and a wife --- like Susan. She is fashion-conscious (okay, fashion-crazy) like me. And the details of how she still plans her appearance even as her health is declining show the depths to which one will go to maintain normalcy in a world spinning out of control. When you read, think of this. While Susan was writing this book, she had lost control of her hands. It was typed on an iPhone with the one finger she still could control. Seriously. She had people read it back as she could see so little on the iPhone screen. I could go on and on about why I love this book.

It’s inspiration for all the moments in our lives when we have said we cannot. And yes, Susan, you have spurred me to make a donation for ALS research. Oh, and here is a link to a video of Susan with her husband. She is still very much alive while her muscles are locking down!

Four seems to be a theme this week.

We have FOUR new contests to tell you about this week. First up is FAMILY PICTURES by Jane Green, one of two titles we’re featuring in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight. Two women live on opposite coasts, but their lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined. Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school. They are both in their 40s and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like. They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected. But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart. I have been a longtime fan of Jane’s writing, and I am looking forward to reading this book. By the way, the 500(!) book groups who won ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART in our recent ReadingGroupGuides.com contest are writing in with raves about that!

We have 50 copies of FAMILY PICTURES, which releases on March 19th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 14th at noon ET.

Our second featured Women’s Fiction author is Sophie Littlefield, whose latest novel, GARDEN OF STONES, is now in stores. Lucy Takeda is just 14 years old when the bombs rain down on Pearl Harbor. Within weeks, she and her mother, Miyako, are taken to the Manzanar prison camp, where they must endure its harsh living conditions. Corruption and abuse creep into every corner of Manzanar, eventually ensnaring Miyako. Ruined and unwilling to surrender her daughter to the same fate, Miyako soon breaks. Her final act of desperation will stay with Lucy forever...and spur her to sins of her own. I read this one last month and was captivated by how the story unfolded. It kept tugging me to read it even when I should have been doing other things. Melanie Smith has our review and says, “GARDEN OF STONES is a remarkable work of fiction based on solid facts and a plausible scenario about a family that is quite engaging and unique. The book and writing are immediately engrossing and engage the reader’s sympathies deeply.”

We have 25 copies of GARDEN OF STONES to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 14th at noon ET.

In January, we introduced our Enduring Bestseller Spotlight, which gives us a chance to go back and revisit books from years past that have affected us deeply --- books that have moved us, made us laugh, or struck other emotional chords. Our debut titles for this exciting new feature were THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini --- and now we have a giveaway to tell you about that you won’t want to miss out on.

If you’ve read one or both of Hosseini’s books, we’d love for you to share your thoughts about them, which we then will post on the site. Please fill out this form by Thursday, April 11th at noon ET, and you will be entered to win one of 25 copies of Hosseini’s highly anticipated forthcoming novel, AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED, which releases on May 21st. I cannot wait to read this one. There are no review copies out, but everyone at the publisher is CRAZY about it.

For our fourth contest, we’re giving away 20 copies of THREE SISTERS by Susan Mallery, which marks a return to Blackberry Island (which we first visited in BAREFOOT SEASON) and is now in stores. Thrown together by fate and geography, and bound by the strongest of friendships, three women will discover what they're really made of. Click here to read more, and then enter our giveaway by filling out this form by Friday, March 29th at noon ET for your chance to win a copy.

In addition, our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight continues for Becky Masterman, whose first thriller, RAGE AGAINST THE DYING, releases on March 12th. Brigid Quinn's experiences in hunting sexual predators for the FBI have left her with memories she wishes she didn’t have and lethal skills she hopes never to need again. Having been pushed into early retirement by events she thinks she's put firmly behind her, Brigid keeps telling herself she is settling down nicely in Tucson with a wonderful new husband and their dogs. But the past intervenes when a man named Floyd Lynch confesses to the worst unsolved case of Brigid’s career --- the disappearance and presumed murder of her young protégée, Jessica.

We have 50 copies of RAGE AGAINST THE DYING to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 7th at noon ET.

Among our featured reviews this week is Jodi Picoult’s latest novel, THE STORYTELLER. In it, Sage Singer becomes friends with an old man who is particularly beloved in her community after they strike up a conversation at the bakery where she works. Josef Weber is everyone’s favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. When a shocked Sage refuses, he then tells her he deserves to die. Once he reveals his secret, Sage wonders if he’s right. Reviewer Kathy Weissman calls the book “sincere and gripping. Authors as popular as Picoult rarely step out of their comfort zone; she deserves credit for risking a new and perilous direction.”

Kent Haruf, the bestselling author of PLAINSONG and EVENTIDE, is back with a new novel, the much-talked-about BENEDICTION (it’s a #1 Indie Next Pick for March). When Dad Lewis is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he and his wife, Mary, must work together to make his final days as comfortable as possible. Their daughter, Lorraine, hastens back from Denver to help look after him. Her devotion softens the bitter absence of their estranged son, Frank, but this cannot be willed away and remains a palpable presence for all three of them. Stuart Shiffman has our review and says, “BENEDICTION captures the full meaning of life by representing its many stages through the eyes and thoughts of the denizens of Holt. With insight and compassion, Kent Haruf paints an indelible word portrait that readers will not soon forget.”

Another book that got lots of attention leading up to its release date is THE SILENCE OF BONAVENTURE ARROW, a debut novel from Rita Leganski. Bonaventure Arrow did not make a peep when he was born, and the doctor thought he was dead. No one knows that Bonaventure's silence is filled with resonance --- a miraculous gift of rarefied hearing that encompasses the Universe of Every Single Sound. With the help of a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts, Bonaventure will find the key to long-buried mysteries and soothe a chorus of family secrets clamoring to be healed. According to reviewer Jennifer Romanello, the book “heralds the arrival of a talented new voice in fiction…. Leganski tells a lovely and magical tale about a mute boy and how the love that surrounds him --- both familial and spiritual --- transcends time and place.”

For the second week of our Spring Preview Feature, we hosted 24-hour contests for THE CONDITIONS OF LOVE by Dale M. Kushner and GRAVE CONSEQUENCES: The Grand Tour Series, Book 2 by Lisa T. Bergren. You can see the lucky winners of these and our other Spring Preview contests here. Next week’s prize books will be THE TALE OF RAW HEAD AND BLOODY BONES by Jack Wolf and VIRUS THIRTEEN by Joshua Alan Parry, with the first contest of the week kicking off on Tuesday, March 5th at noon ET. If you’d like to receive our Spring Preview newsletter in which we announce each day’s title, you can sign up for those contest alerts here.

In our new poll, we’re curious to know what types of nonfiction books, if any, you typically like to read. Our previous poll asked which of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture you have seen or plan to see, and which of the Oscar-nominated "Books on Screen" movies were your favorites. Lincoln, Argo, Silver Linings Playbook and Les Misérables yielded the most votes for the first question, while these same movies were the top vote-getters for favorite film adapted from a book (but in a different order). As I was at a business dinner, I only caught the last three awards live; the rest is on DVR. Very interesting how the prizes were shared with no one running away with everything. It says something about the quality of the films last year.

Let us know what you’re reading by Friday, March 15th at noon ET, and you could be entered to win THREE books: BENEDICTION by Kent Haruf, THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD by Emily Rapp and UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE: My Year of Living with Joy by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter. Click here to enter our latest Word of Mouth contest.

The winners of the 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award were announced on Thursday evening. Click here to see which books were triumphant.

As part of Winter Institute last weekend, there were two Rep Picks sessions where publisher representatives moved from table to table to share their selections for the upcoming season. To get a view of what that looks like, see the photo above. By the way, if you look really closely, you will see me chatting with a bookseller at one of the tables on the right in the front!

I share this, as the same type of opportunity is available for those of you curious as to what book groups will be reading this fall. On Friday, May 31st, from 9:30am to 10:50am, representatives from a dozen publishers will gather at BookExpo America in New York to share selections and book group news from their houses in a speed-dating format designed to give book group leaders, booksellers, librarians and bloggers an inside look at what book groups will be tempted by for fall and winter. Galley giveaways and ideas for enhancing book group discussions will be part of this event. Advance signup is required and seating will be assigned. Fill out the form found here to sign up. Please note: You must be registered to attend BookExpo America in order to attend this session. If you are not, click here to register.

I am glad that March arrived like a lamb here. I really need a lamb/lamb month (that line is for my son Greg, who laughed and laughed the first time I said that!). LOTS of reading ahead…I toted 50 lbs. of advance copies of books on the plane. And I cast on 700 stitches for a scarf that I am making on incredibly small needles. Let’s see how this goes. Here’s to a great week…read on….

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

Now in Stores: THE STORYTELLER by Jodi Picoult
THE STORYTELLER by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
Sage Singer becomes friends with an old man who’s particularly beloved in her community after they strike up a conversation at the bakery where she works. Josef Weber is everyone’s favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. When a shocked Sage refuses, he then tells her he deserves to die. Once he reveals his secret, Sage wonders if he’s right. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read a review.
New Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and Contest: FAMILY PICTURES by Jane Green
We have 50 copies of FAMILY PICTURES by Jane Green, which releases on March 19th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 14th at noon ET.

FAMILY PICTURES by Jane Green (Fiction)
From the author of ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART comes FAMILY PICTURES, the gripping story of two women who live on opposite coasts but whose lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined. Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school. They are both in their 40s and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like. They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected. But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart. As dark truths from the past reveal themselves, will these two women be able to learn to forgive, for the sake of their children, if not for themselves?

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Jane Green’s bio.
-Click here to visit Jane Green’s official website.
-Connect with Jane Green on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
New Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and Contest: GARDEN OF STONES by Sophie Littlefield
We have 25 copies of GARDEN OF STONES by Sophie Littlefield, which is in stores now, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 14th at noon ET.

GARDEN OF STONES by Sophie Littlefield (Fiction)
Lucy Takeda is just 14 years old, living in Los Angeles, when the bombs rain down on Pearl Harbor. Within weeks, she and her mother, Miyako, are ripped from their home, rounded up --- along with thousands of other innocent Japanese-Americans --- and taken to the Manzanar prison camp.

Buffeted by blistering heat and choking dust, Lucy and Miyako must endure the harsh living conditions of the camp. Corruption and abuse creep into every corner of Manzanar, eventually ensnaring beautiful, vulnerable Miyako. Ruined and unwilling to surrender her daughter to the same fate, Miyako soon breaks. Her final act of desperation will stay with Lucy forever…and spur her to sins of her own.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Sophie Littlefield’s bio.
-Click here to visit Sophie Littlefield’s official website.
-Connect with Sophie Littlefield on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
New Special Contest: Win a Copy of AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini Before It Releases on May 21st
In January, we introduced our Enduring Bestseller Spotlight, which gives us a chance to go back and revisit books from years past that have affected us deeply --- books that have moved us, made us laugh, or struck other emotional chords. Our debut titles for this exciting new feature were THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini --- and now we have a giveaway to tell you about that you won't want to miss out on.

If you’ve read one or both of Hosseini's books, we’d love for you to share your thoughts about them, which we then will post on the site. Please fill out this form by Thursday, April 11th at noon ET, and you will be entered to win one of 25 copies of Hosseini’s highly anticipated forthcoming novel, AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED, which releases on May 21st.

AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini (Fiction)
Khaled Hosseini has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe --- from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos --- the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

-Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to enter the contest.
Discover THREE SISTERS by New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Mallery
THREE SISTERS: A Blackberry Island Novel by Susan Mallery (Romance)
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s prose has been called “gritty and magical” and “luscious and provocative” (Publishers Weekly). Now the award-winning author returns to Blackberry Island with a poignant new story of three very different women whose friendship will change the course of their lives. Thrown together by fate and geography, they’re about to discover what they’re really made of: laughter, tears, love and all.

Read the book today and find Book Club ideas for THREE SISTERS and the Blackberry Island series at www.BlackberryIsland.com and www.SusanMallery.com.

-Click here to enter our contest for a chance to win one of 20 copies of the book.
-Click here to read Susan Mallery’s bio.
-Connect with Susan Mallery on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more about Susan Mallery and her Blackberry Island series.
Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight and Contest: RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman
We have 50 copies of RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman, which releases on March 12th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 7th at noon ET.

RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman (Thriller)
Brigid Quinn's experiences in hunting sexual predators for the FBI have left her with memories she wishes she didn’t have and lethal skills she hopes never to need again. Having been pushed into early retirement by events she thinks she's put firmly behind her, Brigid keeps telling herself she is settling down nicely in Tucson with a wonderful new husband, Carlo, and their dogs.

But the past intervenes when a man named Floyd Lynch confesses to the worst unsolved case of Brigid’s career --- the disappearance and presumed murder of her young protégée, Jessica. Floyd knows things about that terrible night that were never made public, and offers to lead the cops to Jessica's body in return for a plea bargain.

It should finally be the end of a dark chapter in Brigid’s life. But it's not.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Becky Masterman’s bio.
-Click here to connect with Becky Masterman on Facebook.

Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Now in Stores: BENEDICTION by Kent Haruf
BENEDICTION by Kent Haruf (Fiction)
When Dad Lewis is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he and his wife, Mary, must work together to make his final days as comfortable as possible. Their daughter, Lorraine, hastens back from Denver to help look after him. Her devotion softens the bitter absence of their estranged son, Frank, but this cannot be willed away and remains a palpable presence for all three of them. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: THE SILENCE OF BONAVENTURE ARROW by Rita Leganski
THE SILENCE OF BONAVENTURE ARROW by Rita Leganski (Historical Fiction)
Conceived in love and possibility, Bonaventure Arrow didn't make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead. No one knows that Bonaventure's silence is filled with resonance --- a miraculous gift of rarefied hearing that encompasses the Universe of Every Single Sound. With the help of a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts, Bonaventure will find the key to long-buried mysteries and soothe a chorus of family secrets clamoring to be healed. Reviewed by Jennifer Romanello.

-Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read a review.
Bookreporter.com's Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air (or will be very soon)! We’ve already caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by a list of great upcoming books! Here are some picks that we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We will be hosting a number of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through March 19th. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, March 5th at noon ET .

This year's featured titles include:

Click here to see our Spring Preview feature and sign up for our special newsletter.
Paperback Spotlight: A GOOD AMERICAN by Alex George
A GOOD AMERICAN by Alex George (Historical Fiction)
This is the story of the Meisenheimer family, told by James, a third-generation American living in Beatrice, Missouri. It’s where his German grandparents --- Frederick and Jette --- found themselves after journeying across the turbulent Atlantic, fording the flood-swollen Mississippi, and being brought to a sudden halt by the broken water of the pregnant Jette. A GOOD AMERICAN tells of Jette’s dogged determination to feed a town sauerkraut and soul food; the loves and losses of her children, Joseph and Rosa; and the precocious voices of James and his brothers, sometimes raised in discord…sometimes in perfect harmony.

A GOOD AMERICAN
, which released in hardcover last year and was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, is now available in paperback.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to see why we're betting you'll love this book.
-Click here to read Alex George’s bio.
-Click here to read an interview with Alex George.
-Click here to visit Alex George’s official website.
-Click here to connect with Alex George on Facebook.

Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
Paperback Spotlight: FIREFLY LANE by Kristin Hannah --- Read it Now Before the Follow-up, FLY AWAY, Releases on April 23rd
Typically in our Paperback Spotlights, we feature either paperback originals or paperback reprints of hardcovers that recently released. FIREFLY LANE by Kristin Hannah doesn't fall into either category as it was published in paperback in 2009. But we wanted to bring this book to your attention in anticipation of the April 23rd release of its follow-up, FLY AWAY, where readers will have a chance to revisit the characters from FIREFLY LANE --- or meet them for the first time. The backstory is so well-told that FLY AWAY can easily work as a stand-alone, but if you haven't read FIREFLY LANE yet, we suggest you do so before the new novel's publication. And you will understand why those who read it five years ago are so eager to see what happened to these characters.

FIREFLY LANE by Kristin Hannah (Fiction)
In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all --- beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, FIREFLY LANE is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Kristin Hannah’s bio.
-Visit Kristin Hannah’s official website and blog.
-Click here to connect with Kristin Hannah on Facebook.

 
Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
This Week’s Reviews
CALCULATED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb (Futuristic Thriller)
On Manhattan's Upper East Side, a woman named Marta lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better. When someone steals the files out of Marta's office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke's world of big business to figure out who's cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

GHOSTMAN by Roger Hobbs (Thriller)
When a casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly awry, the man who orchestrated it is obliged to call in a favor from someone who’s occasionally called Jack. While it’s doubtful that anyone knows his true identity, he does entirely as he pleases and is almost impossible to get in touch with. But within hours, a private jet is flying him to New Jersey and right into a spectacular mess. He has only 48 hours until the twice-stolen cash literally explodes. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

EIGHTY DAYS: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman (History)
On November 14, 1889, reporter Nellie Bly left New York City by steamship on a quest to break the record for the fastest trip around the world. Also departing from New York that day --- and heading in the opposite direction by train --- was journalist Elizabeth Bisland. Each woman was determined to circle the globe in less than 80 days. The dramatic race that ensued would change both competitors’ lives forever. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

BAD BLOOD: A Kate Shugak Novel by Dana Stabenow (Mystery)
A Kuskulana man is accused of murdering a young Kushtaka ne'er-do-well. But when the suspect disappears, members of both tribes refuse to speak to Sergeant Jim Chopin. When a second murder that looks suspiciously like payback occurs, Jim has no choice but to call in Kate Shugak for help. This time, though, her Park relationships may not be enough to sort out the truth hidden in the tales of tragedy and revenge. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY: Stories by Ron Rash (Fiction/Short Stories)
PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash turns again to Appalachia to capture lives haunted by violence and tenderness, hope and fear, in stories that span from the Civil War to the present day. In the title story, two drug-addicted friends return to the farm where they worked as boys to steal their former boss's gruesomely unusual war trophies. Reviewed by Rebecca Kilberg.

GODS AND BEASTS by Denise Mina (Mystery)
A lone robber bursts into a busy Glasgow post office carrying an AK-47. An elderly man helps the gunman fill bags with cash and is then murdered. DS Alex Morrow arrives on the scene. None of the employees can be linked to the gunman, and the grandfather is above reproach. As Morrow searches for the killer, it becomes chillingly clear that her involvement will go deeper than she ever could have imagined. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

HEART OF ICE: A Louis Kincaid Novel by P. J. Parrish (Mystery)
Louis Kincaid’s vacation with his 10-year-old daughter is cut short when Lily takes a fall onto a pile of old bones in an abandoned hunting lodge. His reluctance to take on the case grows when he discovers that the state investigator is Norm Rafsky, who had worked with Louis’s girlfriend Joe Frye 15 years ago. When Joe returns to the island to help, she and Louis must confront the simmering tension between her and Rafsky, and yet stay focused on finding a dangerous killer who still may be in the area. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

INDISCRETION by Charles Dubow (Romance)
Harry and Madeleine Winslow share a love that is both envied and admired. One weekend at the start of the summer season, Harry and Maddy meet Claire and cannot help but be enchanted by her winsome youth, quiet intelligence, and disarming naivete. Drawn by the Winslows' inscrutable magnetism, Claire eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit. But over the course of the summer, her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

THE OFFICE OF MERCY by Ariel Djanikian (Post-Apocalyptic Thriller)
In a perfect life far into the future, wherein inhabitants of the underground settlement America-Five enjoy nearly eternal life and zero pain, workers in the Office of Mercy are compelled to eliminate the suffering of the nomadic tribes roaming outside…by tracking and killing them. Then one worker, 24-year-old Natasha, begins to doubt. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

DREAMS AND SHADOWS by C. Robert Cargill (Fantasy)
What happens when a wish comes true? What happens when that granted wish is cursed? Colby Stevens and Ewan Thatcher meet as children, and what seems on the surface to be a needed friendship for both actually turns out to be a harbinger of death and destruction. When they reach adulthood, the world hidden behind a magical veil appears for a battle on the streets of Austin, Texas. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

DIE EASY: A Charlie Fox Thriller by Zoë Sharp (Thriller)
Bodyguard Sean Meyer has woken from a gunshot-induced coma with his memory in tatters. When an ambitious robbery explodes into a deadly hostage situation, the motive may be far more complex than simple greed. Somebody has a major score to settle, and Sean is part of the reason. Only trouble is, he doesn’t remember why. And when his former lover, Charlie Fox, finds herself facing a nightmare from her own past, she realizes she can’t rely on Sean to watch her back. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Contests Running on Other Sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com
We have a number of contests currently running on our other sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com. Please take a look at them below, and enter for your chance to win some fabulous books!

ReadingGroupGuides.com

SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky
We currently are offering a very special opportunity to our readers. 250 book clubs have the chance to win up to 12 advance copies each of SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky --- which releases on June 18th --- provided that members of the winning groups agree to discuss the book at their April, May or June meeting; email friends and tell them about the book; and post comments or feedback about the book and/or their discussion on Barbara Delinsky’s Facebook page, their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or blogs. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 5th at noon ET.

THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Jane Porter
We are celebrating the release of THE GOOD DAUGHTER, the second installment in Jane Porter’s Brennan Sisters trilogy (following THE GOOD WOMAN), with a contest that we have never done before. Here, Jane will fly to meet with one book group and take them to dinner to discuss THE GOOD DAUGHTER. You’ll select a mutually acceptable date in May, June or July, and Jane will host an evening with you at a restaurant local to your group. Also, each member of the group will be awarded a copy of the book, which will be shipped in early March once the contest ends. Three other groups will win 12 copies of the book, along with an opportunity to chat with Jane via phone or Skype at a mutually convenient time. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 5th at noon ET.

“What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature
Let us know what your group is reading in February, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is THE PROMISE OF STARDUST by Priscille Sibley, an emotionally resonant and thought-provoking novel that raises profound questions about life, death, faith and medicine, and gracefully illuminates the power of love to hurt and to heal. We have 12 copies of the book, which is now in stores, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Monday, March 4th at noon ET.


20SomethingReads.com

HER: A Memoir by Christa Parravani
When a charismatic and troubled young woman dies tragically, her identical twin must struggle to survive. We are celebrating the March 5th release of Christa Parravani's memoir, HER, with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 2nd at noon ET.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
In anticipation of the February 5th release of SCARLET --- the second book in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, which retells the story of Little Red Riding Hood --- we’re giving five readers the opportunity to win a copy of both CINDER and SCARLET. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 28th at noon ET.


Teenreads.com

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
In anticipation of the February 5th release of SCARLET --- the second book in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, which retells the story of Little Red Riding Hood --- we’re giving five readers the opportunity to win a copy of both CINDER and SCARLET. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 28th at noon ET.


Kidsreads.com


HOKEY POKEY by Jerry Spinelli
To celebrate the release of HOKEY POKEY, Jerry Spinelli's fable of leaving childhood behind and entering the new adventures of adolescence, Kidsreads.com is giving 10 readers the chance to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Friday, March 15th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com

HOME RUN by Travis Thrasher
We are celebrating the March 1st release of HOME RUN by Travis Thrasher with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book, which is based on the major motion picture starring Vivica A. Fox and Scott Elrod. In addition, one of these winners will be awarded a Fandango gift card so he or she can take four friends to see the film when it opens on April 19th. The deadline for entries is Friday, March 8th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com’s Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, 25 readers will be awarded the first two books in Sigmund Brouwer's fantasy/adventure series, Merlin's Immortals: THE ORPHAN KING and FORTRESS OF MIST. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 12th at noon ET.

This Week’s Poll and Word of Mouth Contest
Poll:

What types of nonfiction books do you typically read? Please check as many as apply.

Biographies/Autobiographies
Memoirs
History
Current Events
Politics
True Crime
Sports
Travel/Adventure
Self-Help/Health
Cookbooks
Parenting
Business
Religion/Spiritual
Other (Please specify)
I don’t read nonfiction books.

-
Click here to answer the poll.


Word of Mouth:

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from March 1st to March 15th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BENEDICTION by Kent Haruf, THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD by Emily Rapp and UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE: My Year of Living with Joy by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines,
click here.

-Click here to enter the contest.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.

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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Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: www.20SomethingReads.com, www.Teenreads.com, www.Kidsreads.com, www.ReadingGroupGuides.com, www.GraphicNovelReporter.com, www.FaithfulReader.com and www.AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.

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