April 19, 2013

As I write this newsletter, I am watching CNN. Our thoughts are with our readers, reviewers, authors, booksellers and librarians who live in the Boston area. As soon as the news began to unfold on Monday, we were checking in with those who we know lived there. It's been such a very, very sad week. The story has been unfolding like a thriller, and it just does not seem real.

The other night, my younger son Cory told us that he is addicted to the Game of Thrones series. He started reading Book One a week ago, and he already is buried in Book Two. If this is anything like the addiction to this series that his father had, we will see him again in about a month. I am really happy to see him reading again. It started when we were in Colorado, where he read the latest Orson Scott Card book, THE GATE THIEF, and as he packed that one in his suitcase, he found the first book in the series on his shelf and brought that along as well. When he finished those two in Colorado, he downloaded two more and read them on his phone.

Cory was a really serious reader for years. I think he read a book a day in middle school. But as soon as high school started, schoolwork got in the way of pleasure reading and, BAM, the youngest bibliophile in our house was off his reading game. I'm so happy that he now has time to read again as a second semester senior. I loathe that while we have programs like DEAR in grammar school, by the time kids reach high school they are bogged down with so much work that reading for pleasure drops by the wayside. I remember sneaking in novels between textbook reading when I was in college. I would head back to my room after class and give myself a break by reading a book for fun. I see so many of our young staffers excited about the chance to get back to reading what they want --- and I love seeing the piles of books that they have next to their desks. I always am curious as to what they are reading.

I was so excited --- I literally yelled --- when it was announced on Monday that Adam Johnson is the recipient of this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his highly acclaimed, bestselling novel, THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON. I met Adam (the first Pulitzer Prize winner who I can say, “I knew him before he won the Prize”) when he spoke on two separate programs that I moderated at the Miami Book Fair. At Stanford he taught a brilliant graphic novel creation class where students completed a graphic novel work in the 16 weeks of the course. Each time he presented in Miami, we all found ourselves wishing we had him as a professor as he was a really dynamic speaker. Over dinner, he shared that he was working on a novel and was excited about it being published; that novel was THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON.

In it, Pak Jun Do is the son of a lost mother and an influential father who runs a work camp for orphans. There the boy is given his first taste of power, picking which orphans eat first and which will be lent out for manual labor. Jun Do comes to the attention of state superiors, rises in the ranks, and starts on a road from which there will be no return: he boldly takes on the role of rival to Kim Jong Il in an attempt to save the woman he loves. Read more about the book, along with our review and an excerpt. And in May, we will have a discussion guide for it on ReadingGroupGuides.com for any of you who would like to delve into this book with your book groups. Click here to see the other winners of this year’s Pulitzer Prize in Letters and Drama.

Today I went out to The Bookworm bookstore in Bernardsville to pick up 20 copies of STILL ALICE, one of my early Bookreporter.com Bets On selections, which I will be giving away for World Book Night on Tuesday, April 23rd. I was not able to attend the reception that they threw for their bookgivers on Monday night as I had another event. You can see a photo of me with Mary Ann Donaghy, the proprietor of the bookshop, as well as a photo of the lovely antique building where the store is housed. I am looking forward to giving away my books, and I look forward to hearing what bookgivers who are Bookreporter.com readers have to say about their experiences. Please share photos and stories at Info@bookreporter.com so we can compile them into a wrapup next week.

In honor of this special day, we gave five readers the chance to receive five free World Book Night editions to share with others: FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury, BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey, PLAYING FOR PIZZA by John Grisham, DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS by Walter Mosley, and MONEYBALL by Michael Lewis. Click here to see if you were one of the lucky winners!

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of meeting Margot Stedman (M. L. Stedman), the author of THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS, who was visiting the States from London. I was thrilled to meet her as this book had been one of my Bets On selections last year. We talked a bit about her research. She had spent many hours reading the logs from lighthouse keepers, and she loved not just perusing their detailed comments, but also studying the handwriting on the pages. They crammed in as much writing as they could on the page with their observations as paper was at a premium. If you have not read this book yet, I heartily recommend it. It's now in paperback.

During the week, I read CRIME OF PRIVILEGE by Walter Walker, which we will be featuring in the next months in an Author Spotlight feature. It is a well-plotted thriller that looks at the privilege of power and how a very powerful political family was able to shape justice to meet their needs with money and influence. The narrator, George Becket, is outside this rarefied world, though he was present one night when a woman was raped in Palm Beach at the home of the Senator. Thus, when another woman was found murdered on a golf course on the Cape near where this family lives, he questions what really happened there. It makes you think about power --- and its abuse.

As promised, this week we’re featuring our review of Lisa Scottoline’s latest bestseller, DON’T GO. When Dr. Mike Scanlon is called to serve as an army doctor in Afghanistan, he’s acutely aware of the dangers he’ll face and the hardships it will cause his wife Chloe and newborn baby. However, in an ironic turn of events, Chloe dies in an apparent household accident. A devastated Mike returns home to bury his wife, only to learn a shocking secret that sends him into a downward spiral. Reviewer Norah Piehl calls DON'T GO “a well-paced novel of suspense, which includes not only a well-crafted mystery but also Scottoline's trademark courtroom scenes. Just as importantly, though, her latest book is a probing psychological portrait of a man in crisis, a glimpse at how a moment of tragedy and crisis can cause someone to spiral out of control.”

I finished reading DON’T GO last weekend, and what I liked is that I was not sure where the story was headed. Just as I thought I had it figured out, I was sent down another path. It became subtitled to me, “Don’t Stop,” since that was how I felt as I read it. I needed to see what happened next, which I usually am good at. My husband hates going to movies with me as I typically figure out what is going on early in the show. The exception was Inception; I STILL am not sure what happened, even though Cory has explained it to me 10 times.

We also have a review of the much-anticipated true crime book, THE GOOD NURSE. Charlie Cullen was a registered nurse who was dubbed “The Angel of Death” by the media. This husband, beloved father and celebrated caregiver was implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients. Journalist Charles Graeber now presents the whole story for the first time, thanks to hundreds of pages of previously unseen police records, interviews, wiretap recordings and videotapes, as well as exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself and the confidential informant who helped bring him down. According to Sarah Rachel Egelman, “Graeber presents his subject with an objectivity that refuses to romanticize him, and does a good job presenting the themes of moral ambiguities and ethical responsibility that is the flip side to Cullen’s killing.”

This week, we’re announcing a contest featuring Barbara Delinsky’s upcoming novel, SWEET SALT AIR, which releases on June 18th. Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole's family's island house, but they have since grown apart. When Nicole returns to the island house, she invites Charlotte for both sentimental and practical reasons. But what both women don't know is that they are each holding a secret that may change their relationship forever. Are the bonds of friendship strong enough to weather past indiscretions and betrayals? Can love survive an honest mistake? To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 2nd at noon ET. I have read a lot of Barbara’s books, and this is my favorite to date. We’re getting a lot of raves from the book groups who won this book on ReadingGroupGuides.com.

In anticipation of the release of SWEET SALT AIR, Barbara has made available a FREE e-short story called “The Right Wrong Number.” Here, Carly Kelly has just been presented with a life-changing business opportunity for a tiny nursery and flower store, Plant People. But she only has four days to decide, which means she will most likely have to cancel her weekend trip away. She dials her friends to let them know, and excitedly launches into a speech about the opportunity. But when she pauses, a sexy, inquisitive stranger is on the other end, and he’s eager to hear about her store, her passions and her life. She’s dialed the wrong number --- and the man on the other end, with his deep voice, his charming jokes and his excellent advice, is a surprise she never expected… Click here to download this fun read now…and also get a sneak peek of SWEET SALT AIR!

Our Mother’s Day Contest is back for an EIGHTH year! From now through Monday, May 6th at noon ET, readers will have the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Mother's Day tote bags, each of which is filled with a selection of nine varied and wonderful books. Nikki from our office went shopping with me the other day, and we picked up bath sponges, gel eye masks and Godiva chocolates, along with those cute tote bags, to spark up these mom-themed presents. To enter, please fill out this form and let us know your favorite book that your mom read to you.

Our contest continues for I’LL BE SEEING YOU by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan, which is a timeless celebration of friendship and the strength and solidarity of women. Read more about the book, which releases on May 28th, here. We’re giving 25 readers a chance to win an advance copy of the book and comment on it, along with a small travel-tissue pack featuring a note from the editor. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 25th at noon ET.

Last week, we featured our reviews and interviews for AND THEN I FOUND YOU by Patti Callahan Henry, THE ASHFORD AFFAIR by Lauren Willig and PALISADES PARK by Alan Brennert. This week, I let you know why I selected these three books as my latest Bets On picks. Click on the titles to see why I’m betting you’ll love these books.

Our Word of Mouth contest is up for one more week. Let us know the books that you’ve read by Friday, April 26th at noon ET, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of THE HIT by David Baldacci, I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN: A Memoir by Jackie Hance with Janice Kaplan, and MAYA’S NOTEBOOK by Isabel Allende. We’ll be reviewing all three of these books next week.

This weekend is the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and sadly my schedule is not going to allow me to be there this year. I am enlisting some “correspondents” to report back to us about the event. If you are going and would like to be interviewed, shoot me an email at Carol@bookreporter.com and I will send you some questions.

Netflix is at it again. "Hemlock Grove" is an American horror/thriller television series for Netflix based on Brian McGreevy's novel, HEMLOCK GROVE, which was released in March 2012. The show is set in Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, a fictional small town. Once again, as with "House of Cards," viewers will be able to watch episodes back to back.

Last weekend, we cleaned two-thirds of the garage; I am trying to encourage Tom and Cory to plunge onto the last third with me this weekend, but I fear my rallying cry will not be heard! I’ll read instead. I just started reading IS THIS TOMORROW by Caroline Leavitt.

This weekend is the North Jersey Yarn Crawl, a free four-day (April 18th-21st) self-guided tour of 16 of NJ's most wonderful independently owned yarn stores. My friend Annie and I are planning to trek out and hit some stores; I think I am going to hand her my wallet at the start of the day as I have NO willpower when it comes to yarn. I would love to see an Indie book crawl in my part of New Jersey! Wonder if we could get that organized…and in fact have them happen simultaneously around the country? Hmmmm…there is an idea there!

Tom is off to play golf at Myrtle Beach on Sunday with a group of guys for part of the week; the organization of this trip is pretty impressive --- golf clubs shipped ahead, transportation coordinated...it's amusing. While they hit 'em, I am going to be turning some pages.

And to all of you…read on…..

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

DON'T GO by Lisa Scottoline (Fiction)
When Dr. Mike Scanlon is called to serve as an army doctor in Afghanistan, he’s acutely aware of the dangers he’ll face and the hardships it will cause his wife Chloe and newborn baby. However, in an ironic turn of events, Chloe dies in an apparent household accident. A devastated Mike returns home to bury his wife, only to learn a shocking secret that sends him into a downward spiral. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

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

Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. Why not brighten her special day with some great books? From now through May 6th at noon ET, readers will have the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Mother’s Day tote bags. Each bag is filled with a selection of nine varied and wonderful books, along with a variety of gifts to treat Mom: Godiva dark chocolate truffles, a bath sponge shaped like a flower, and a gel eye mask that can be either chilled or heated.

To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, May 6th at noon ET.

This year's featured Mother's Day titles are:

• AND THEN I FOUND YOU by Patti Callahan Henry
• BETWEEN HEAVEN AND TEXAS by Marie Bostwick
• THE BLOSSOM SISTERS by Fern Michaels
• GOLD by Chris Cleave
• HAVE MOTHER, WILL TRAVEL: A Mother and Daughter Discover Themselves, Each Other, and the World by Claire and Mia Fontaine
• LOTS OF CANDLES, PLENTY OF CAKE: A Memoir of a Woman's Life by Anna Quindlen
• THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE by Courtney Miller Santo
• STARTING NOW: A Blossom Street Novel by Debbie Macomber
• WEDDING NIGHT by Sophie Kinsella

We are celebrating the May 28th release of I'LL BE SEEING YOU by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of the book, along with a small travel-tissue pack featuring a note from the editor. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 25th at noon ET.

I'LL BE SEEING YOU by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan (Historical Fiction)
It's January 1943 when Rita Vincenzo receives her first letter from Glory Whitehall. Glory is an effervescent young mother, impulsive and free as a bird. Rita is a sensible professor's wife with a love of gardening and a generous, old soul. Glory comes from New England society; Rita lives in Iowa, trying to make ends meet. They have nothing in common except one powerful bond: the men they love are fighting in a war a world away from home. Brought together by an unlikely twist of fate, Glory and Rita begin a remarkable correspondence.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Read bios of Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan.
-Click here to visit the authors’ official website.
-Connect with the authors on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to visit the authors’ Pinterest page.
-Discover THIS HEART OF MINE, the prequel eBook novella to I'LL BE SEEING YOU.

WHISKEY BEACH by Nora Roberts (Romantic Suspense)
Lawyer Eli Landon has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of the murder of his soon-to-be ex-wife. He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, where Abra Walsh --- Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist --- is helping him take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

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

MOM & ME & MOM by Maya Angelou (Memoir)
For the first time, Maya Angelou reveals the triumphs and struggles of being the daughter of Vivian Baxter, an indomitable spirit who was absent during much of Angelou’s early life. Their eventual reunion began a story that has never before been told. In MOM & ME & MOM, Angelou dramatizes her years reconciling with the mother she preferred to simply call “Lady,” revealing the profound moments that shifted the balance of love and respect between them. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.

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

THE GOOD NURSE: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber (True Crime)
After his December 2003 arrest, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed "The Angel of Death" by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favorite son, husband, beloved father, best friend, and celebrated caregiver. Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

-Click here to read more about the book.

The 97th annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music, awarded on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, were announced on Monday, April 15th by Columbia University.

The winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is Adam Johnson for his highly acclaimed, bestselling novel, THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON, which we featured on the site when it released in hardcover last year.

THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON by Adam Johnson (Fiction)
Pak Jun Do is the haunted son of a lost mother --- a singer “stolen” to Pyongyang --- and an influential father who runs a work camp for orphans. Superiors in the state soon recognize the boy’s loyalty and keen instincts. Considering himself “a humble citizen of the greatest nation in the world,” Jun Do rises in the ranks. He becomes a professional kidnapper who must navigate the shifting rules, arbitrary violence, and baffling demands of his Korean overlords in order to stay alive. Driven to the absolute limit of what any human being could endure, he boldly takes on the treacherous role of rival to Kim Jong Il in an attempt to save the woman he loves, Sun Moon, a legendary actress “so pure, she didn’t know what starving people looked like.”

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Adam Johnson's bio.
-Click here to see this year’s Pulitzer Prize winners in Letters and Drama.

WHEN SHE CAME HOME by Drusilla Campbell (Fiction)
Frankie Byrne Tennyson stunned everyone when she decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now --- after bravely serving her country in Iraq --- she's finally come home. Home to a husband whose lingering feelings of abandonment make her wonder if their lives can ever be the same. Home to a daughter whose painful encounters with bullies can only be healed by a mother's love. And home to a father who still can't accept his daughter's decision to serve in spite of his own stellar career as a brigadier general. But the most difficult part about coming home lies within Frankie herself. To save everything she holds dear, she must face the toughest battle of her life...

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Drusilla Campbell’s bio.

TAPESTRY OF FORTUNES by Elizabeth Berg (Fiction)
Cecilia Ross is looking for a change. She has decided to take time off from her job as a successful motivational speaker and sell her home. She moves in to a beautiful old house in St. Paul, Minnesota, complete with a big front porch, a wild garden, a chef's kitchen --- and three roommates. The four women are different ages, but all are feeling restless, and want to take a road trip to find again the people and things they miss. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

SECRETS FROM THE PAST by Barbara Taylor Bradford (Romance)
At 30, American photojournalist Serena Stone has already made a name for herself with her unique and dramatic coverage of wars in the Middle East, following in her famous father's footsteps. But after his unexpected death in France, she ends her job at the renowned photo news agency. When Serena discovers that her former lover Zachary North is in trouble overseas, she is forced to head back to a place she was trying to escape... and her life will never be the same again. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE FAMOUS AND THE DEAD: A Charlie Hood Novel by T. Jefferson Parker (Thriller)
Three men --- an earnest law-enforcer, an inveterate lawbreaker, and the man who pits them against each other --- hurtle toward one another in the jaw-dropping conclusion to T. Jefferson Parker’s mesmerizing vision of the border. Their climactic showdown brings to a spectacular close a crime series that obliterated the boundaries of the genre. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

MIDNIGHT AT MARBLE ARCH: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel by Anne Perry (Historical Mystery)
The beloved husband-and-wife team of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt take on a traumatic murder case with chilling implications, exposing a nightmare world of fear and intimidation in which women are too often blamed for the violent attacks against them and powerful men take what they want --- leaving others to pay the price. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE STRIKER: An Isaac Bell Adventure by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott (Historical Thriller/Adventure)
It is 1902, and a bright, inexperienced young man named Isaac Bell has an urgent message for his boss. Hired to hunt for radical unionist saboteurs in the coal mines, he is witness to a terrible accident that makes him think that something else is going on. Given exactly one week to prove his case, Bell quickly finds himself pitted against two of the most ruthless opponents he has ever known. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

I CAN'T COMPLAIN: (All Too) Personal Essays by Elinor Lipman (Essays)
In her two decades of writing, Elinor Lipman has populated her fictional universe with characters so utterly real that we feel like they’re old friends. Now she shares an even more intimate world with us --- her own --- in essays that offer a candid, charming take on modern life. Looking back and forging ahead, she considers the subjects that matter most: childhood and condiments, long marriage and solo living, career and politics. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

THE CARRION BIRDS by Urban Waite (Noir/Thriller)
Hired gun Ray Lamar is ready to put his past behind him. He wants to see his 12-year-old son and start a new life --- away from the violence of the last 10 years. One last heist will take him there. All he has to do is steal a rival’s stash. But when things start to go very wrong, Ray realizes that the path to redemption isn’t always easy. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

TUESDAY’S GONE: A Frieda Klein Novel by Nicci French (Psychological Thriller)
A London social worker makes a routine home visit only to discover her client, Michelle Doyce, serving afternoon tea to a naked, decomposing corpse. With no clues as to the dead man’s identity, Chief Inspector Karlsson again calls upon Frieda Klein for help. Frieda discovers that the body belongs to Robert Poole, con man extraordinaire. But she can’t shake the feeling that the past isn’t done with her yet. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE ASTOR ORPHAN: A Memoir by Alexandra Aldrich (Memoir)
Alexandra Aldrich, a direct descendant of John Jacob Astor, tells the story of her eccentric, fractured family; her 1980s childhood of bohemian neglect in the squalid attic of Rokeby, the family’s Hudson Valley Mansion; and her brave escape from the clan. Aldrich reaches back to the Gilded Age when the Astor legacy began to come undone, leaving the Aldrich branch of the family penniless and squabbling over what was left. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

A NEARLY PERFECT COPY by Allison Amend (Fiction)
Elm Howells has a loving family and a distinguished career at an elite Manhattan auction house. But after a tragic loss throws her into an emotional crisis, she pursues a reckless course of action that jeopardizes her personal and professional success. Meanwhile, talented artist Gabriel Connois wearies of remaining at the margins of the capricious Parisian art scene. Desperate for recognition, he embarks on a scheme that threatens his burgeoning reputation. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.

THE VICTORY SEASON: The End of World War II and the Birth of Baseball's Golden Age by Robert Weintraub (History/Sports)
In the spring of 1946, with World War II finally over, hundreds of baseball's stars were coming home. It proved to be one of the most memorable seasons in history, capped with a thrilling seven-game World Series. And a new era began, with Jackie Robinson making his professional debut. Robert Weintraub brings to life little-known tales from the war years, including the "world series" service members played in an abandoned Hitler Youth stadium in the fall of 1945. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

THE MOVEMENT OF STARS by Amy Brill (Historical Fiction)
Hannah, a conservative young Quaker living on Nantucket, leads a quiet and orderly life with her father and twin brother, repairing the chronometers that whaling vessels use to keep time at sea. Edward, a bit of a rebel, joins a whaling expedition, leaving behind only a note. Nathaniel feels betrayed by his son and loses interest in the night sky. A dark-skinned whaler seeking to advance his occupation by learning astronomy turns Hannah's orderly world upside down. Reviewed by Carole Turner.

BLACK IRISH by Stephan Talty (Thriller)
In this explosive debut thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of EMPIRE OF BLUE WATER, a brilliant homicide detective returns home, where she confronts a city’s dark demons and her own past while pursuing a brutal serial killer on a vengeful rampage. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

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

“What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature
Let us know what your group is reading in April, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline, a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are. We have 12 copies of the book, which is now in stores, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Monday, May 6th at noon ET.

Teenreads.com

Spring Fling 2013
We are celebrating the weather warming up and the flowers beginning to bloom with our first-ever Spring Fling Contest! Between now and Tuesday, April 30th, teens can enter to win a prize package that includes all of our featured titles along with some necessary springtime essentials.

Kidsreads.com

KID PICKERS by Mike Wolfe with Lily Sprengelmeyer
To celebrate the release of KID PICKERS: How to Turn Junk into Treasure --- in which Mike Wolfe, the star of the hit show "American Pickers," shares his love of treasure-hunting with kids --- we’re running a special contest that will give five readers the opportunity to win a copy of this fun, tip-filled, how-to book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com

THE GUARDIAN: Home to Hickory Hollow, Book 3 by Beverly Lewis
We are celebrating the release of THE GUARDIAN with a special contest that will give 50 readers the opportunity to win a copy of this third installment in Beverly Lewis's Home to Hickory Hollow series. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com’s Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, one reader will received a signed copy of TAYLOR'S GIFT: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope. Todd and Tara Storch tragically lost their 13-year-old daughter in a skiing accident; their decision to donate Taylor's organs would help save the lives of five desperate people who were anxiously awaiting a miracle. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from April 12th to April 26th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE HIT by David Baldacci, I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN: A Memoir by Jackie Hance with Janice Kaplan, and MAYA’S NOTEBOOK by Isabel Allende.

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.

Please note: You must enter your full address, using correct capitalization and filling in all fields if you would like to be eligible to win a prize.

One more important note: We realize that many times, your opinion of a book will change as you get further along into the story. Thus, to ensure that your comments and ratings accurately reflect your entire reading experience, we ask that you finish reading the book before you submit your comments about it.