June 28, 2013

This Friday finds me on the way to Chicago. And no, I did not fly in for the Blackhawks Stanley Cup celebration, though it was to overlap with my arrival. Instead, my early morning flight was cancelled due to violent weather last night that kept my plane from arriving. May I saw two words? Mercury retrograde. Yes, it came back Wednesday for three weeks of communications snafus. If I make it back from Chicago on Monday, I will be happy. When Mercury is roaming crazily, anything can happen.

I am headed to Chicago for the American Library Association’s Annual Convention. I am looking forward to this weekend, including seeing Khaled Hosseini (AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED), Melanie Benjamin (THE AVIATOR’S WIFE), Gregg Hurwitz (TELL NO LIES, which will be in stores on August 20th) and Stephen Kiernan (THE CURIOSITY, on sale July 9th, for which we currently have a contest for book clubs running on the site), all talk about their books, as well as many, many more!

When we left off last week, I was headed to Cory’s graduation, which was just a wonderful night. The skies were clear, and though it was warm, it was a perfect evening to be outdoors. You can see him beaming in the above photo with Tom and me; he was so happy, which made my night! Sheryl Sandberg would have been pleased; all four of the student speakers were young women --- and their speeches were well done. One recounted all that has happened since they graduated from kindergarten. She included that, 12 years ago, when they were celebrating that milestone, no one would have thought about the Twin Towers falling just three months later. This made me realize that this class may be the last one where the students were old enough to remember what happened on that fated day. On a much lighter note, she shared that, 12 years ago, no one would have predicted that aviator sunglasses would be back in style. So many of the graduates and their parents were wearing them (including Cory and me) that there was definite laughter at that statement.

We were saddened last week to hear of the passing of James Gandolfini. The last sequence of “The Sopranos” was filmed in the ice cream parlor in the town where I grew up, Holsten’s. They put a “Reserved” sign on that table, and added some flowers and gave fans of his a place to gather and leave messages. Really lovely. Ann Bruns, one of our readers, shared an audio segment of Gandolfini reading from IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN. I found this video of that performance on the Time magazine website. As the article stated, it “was part of an 80th birthday celebration for the Newbery Medal winner, which took place on September 15, 2008 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Gandolfini was also the voice of Carol, one of the Wild Things in the 2009 film adaptation of Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are.”

As you may know, Netflix is creating their own original programming. I was crazy about “House of Cards” and watched all 13 episodes back to back. Last Monday night, I attended a screening for their latest series that will air beginning July 11th, “Orange is the New Black,” which is billed as a comedic drama. It’s based on the book ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK by Piper Kerman. Before we watched the first episode, Piper was interviewed by Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone. Let me set the stage on this one. Shortly after she graduated from Smith College, Piper was in a relationship with someone who was in the drug business. One time she carried one bag of money to a drop. Ten years later, that one time caught up with her, and she was arrested and sentenced to 15 months at a federal correctional facility. The book is the memoir of her time in jail. The Netflix 13-part series gives the story a well-scripted and humorous spin. It’s edgy and not for everyone, but I found it to be very well done, as in bring on the next 12 episodes! Besides the storyline, it’s a look into the penal system of today. Is it working? Are punishments too harsh?

I always say I could not go to jail as I look terrible in orange, thus this title humored me.

I have been eagerly anticipating Jamie Ford’s next book, thus it was a pleasure last weekend to take some time to enjoy SONGS OF WILLOW FROST, which will be published on September 10th. Once again, Jamie mines the history of Seattle, this time set during the Great Depression and telling the story of a young boy living in an orphanage who is on a quest to find his mother. At an annual outing at a movie theater, he sees an actress who he is convinced is his mom. Her story --- and how she came to leave him behind --- is something he never anticipated. It completely speaks to a mother’s love even in the toughest of circumstances. You will be hearing lots more about this in the weeks and months to come.

I am now reading THE TILTED WORLD by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly (the latter is his wife, who is a poet and a nonfiction writer), which will be in stores on October 1st. You may remember Tom as the author of CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER, which was one of my Bookreporter.com Bets On selections. This book is set in Mississippi in 1927, and the Great Flood and bootlegging moonshine are the backdrop for a story about love, broken laws and broken hearts. It’s the kind of book that I love settling in with --- and I wish I had had more time to READ this week!

Now on to books in stores now….This week marks the release of SISTERLAND by Curtis Sittenfeld, who has gained much acclaim as the bestselling author of PREP, THE MAN OF MY DREAMS and AMERICAN WIFE. Her latest novel (which is included in our Summer Reading feature) introduces readers to Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, who were born with innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. When a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. She is ultimately forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister and to face truths about herself she has long tried to deny. I found it to be engaging from page one. Jennifer Romanello has our review and says, "Sittenfeld is a gifted storyteller, and SISTERLAND is a well-written, at times humorous novel that expertly explores the meaning of family, daily domestic life, and deep sibling bonds."

As we mentioned in last week’s newsletter, bestselling author Chris Bohjalian has curated our latest bookshelf --- and we have it for you this week! His upcoming novel, THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS (in stores July 9th), began as a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet. Watching his daughter as one of the Shark girlfriends in a Vermont production of West Side Story --- the musical version of Shakespeare’s classic love story --- served as part of the inspiration for the bookshelf. We appreciate that Chris, who is a very avid reader, has taken the time to put together this feature for us --- and we loved his opening commentary for the feature as much as seeing his suggestions.

The newest addition to our Paperback Spotlight is THE LAST CONQUISTADOR by Michael Elias. On a Peruvian Andes mountaintop, archaeology professor Nina Ramirez and her students make two stunning discoveries: the 500-year-old mummy of an Inca girl, the victim of ritual sacrifice, and in another grave, the corpse of a recently kidnapped boy wearing the same ancient costume. Child abductions are being reported throughout Peru, and when an American boy is snatched in Lima, FBI agent Adam Palma is assigned to the case. Click here to read more about the book.

We continue our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight contest for Jessica Brockmole’s debut novel, LETTERS FROM SKYE. The book spans two continents and takes place over the course of two world wars, capturing the way that love builds and the way words can make a heart beat faster. I enjoy sagas, and the way this one plays out in the characters’ own words makes it so charming! We have 25 copies to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on July 9th, and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, July 8th at noon ET. This WILL be a Bets On selection. And don’t miss this terrific trailer for the book that the publisher just made available this week. It’s very atmospheric, and I was told by my publishing contact that it was shot on the isle of Skye!

Also still running is our contest for THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY, Dianne Dixon’s second novel. Ever since she was a little girl in California, Livvi Gray has been tormented by a nightmare of an eerily beautiful stranger in a shimmering silver dress. Shortly before Livvi's 30th birthday, she will come face to face with this stranger, an encounter that will not only alter her future, but also change much of what she thinks she knows about the past. I read this novel, which has been generating lots of early buzz, a few weeks ago and did NOT guess the ending. A friend also read an advance copy, and we had a lot of conversation about the ending; this will be a terrific book club title. We have 100 advance copies of the book, which doesn’t release until September 3rd, to give away to readers who would like to read the book NOW. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, July 11th at noon ET.

A few weeks ago, we featured S. J. Bolton in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight. In LOST, the third installment in her series featuring Lacey Flint, the young detective constable and a courageous, lonely 11-year-old boy must work together to unmask a killer before it’s too late for both of them. Joe Hartlaub reviewed the book earlier this month and had nothing but raves for it. Now we’re pleased to share with you this interview that Joe did with S. J., which must’ve been a big thrill for him since he’s a HUGE fan of hers.

In this year’s Summer Reading Feature, we’re running contests on select days through July 31st where we’re giving away books that we think will be great summer reads. This week, we posted giveaways for the aforementioned SISTERLAND, along with GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn. We won’t be posting any contests next week because of the long 4th of July weekend; we know that lots of you will have travel and family plans. Be sure to check back the week of July 8th when we’ll be giving away WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall and SIGNED copies of LADIES’ NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews. Are you signed up for our Summer Reading newsletter so you get word as soon as our contests go live? If not, click here to get signed up!

June is Audiobook Month, and to celebrate, we’ve been featuring a month-long blog series with pieces from authors who are avid fans of audiobooks. We devoted the final week of this series to five narrators --- Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Johnny Heller, Robert Fass and Tavia Gilbert --- who talk about the job they love doing. Once again, many thanks to Meg at Tandem Literary for coordinating these wonderful essays and helping us celebrate Audiobook Month in style!

We’ve updated our Young Adult Books You Want to Read feature, which spotlights books from our Teenreads.com site that we also recommend to our adult readers. This month’s update includes THE MOON AND MORE by Sarah Dessen, THE 5th WAVE by Rick Yancey and THE LUCY VARIATIONS by Sara Zarr.

Be sure to answer our poll (yes, it’s back!) as we’re curious about the social media platforms you use. Are you on Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest? Please let us know by answering our questions here. This poll will be up until Friday, July 12th to give you lots of time to weigh in.

We also continue our Word of Mouth contest that went up last week. Let us know what you’ve read by Friday, July 12th at noon ET, and you’ll have the opportunity to win a copy of SISTERLAND, along with BEAUTIFUL DAY by Elin Hilderbrand and UNSEEN by Karin Slaughter.

Have a Firecracker 4th! By the way, after much discussion around the office, we have decided to stay on our Friday newsletter schedule next week, though the website will be updated on Wednesday so the entire staff can have a nice loooong weekend! And we have a HUGE update, so be sure to check your mailbox next week. Extra days to read…and we have lots and lots of options for you! I will be floating and reading for 4.5 days. After last year, when the 4th of July was smack in the middle of the week, which sparked not much of a celebration, this extended break will be such fun!

Read on….

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

SISTERLAND by Curtis Sittenfeld (Fiction)
Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, were born with innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. When a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. She is ultimately forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister and to face truths about herself she has long tried to deny. Reviewed by Jennifer Romanello.

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

THE LAST CONQUISTADOR by Michael Elias (Thriller)
On a Peruvian Andes mountaintop, archaeology professor Nina Ramirez and her students make two stunning discoveries: the 500-year-old mummy of an Inca girl, the victim of ritual sacrifice, and in another grave, the corpse of a recently kidnapped boy wearing the same ancient costume. Child abductions are being reported throughout Peru, and when an American boy is snatched in Lima, FBI agent Adam Palma is assigned to the case.

At the home of a manic artist who was the sole survivor of similar kidnappings in 1962, Adam is shown a disturbing mural depicting the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. In the painting, the conquistador's face looks exactly like his own. Adam teams up with Nina, and with the help of a mysterious boy named Quiso, their investigation takes them deep into the Amazon jungle in search for a lost city of the Incas, where the ancient sacrificial rituals may still be alive. As Quiso leads Nina and Adam close to the city and its secrets, Adam realizes that the only way to save the kidnapped children is to make the past repeat itself. Adam, like his distant ancestor Pizarro, must square off against an Inca high priest.
 

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to visit the book’s official Facebook page.
-Click here to read Michael Elias’s bio.
-Click here to read more about Michael Elias.

We have 25 copies of LETTERS FROM SKYE by Jessica Brockmole, which releases on July 9th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, July 8th at noon ET.

LETTERS FROM SKYE by Jessica Brockmole (Historical Fiction)
March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence --- sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes and deepest secrets --- their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.

June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to read Jessica Brockmole’s bio.
-Click here to visit Jessica Brockmole’s official website.
-Connect with Jessica Brockmole on Facebook and Twitter.

Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We will be spotlighting a different title on select days from now through July 31st, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter. We also will be sending a special daily newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

This year's featured titles include:

• APPROACHING THE SPEED OF LIGHT by Victoria Lustbader
• BIG GIRL PANTIES by Stephanie Evanovich
• THE ESKIMO HUNTS IN MIAMI by Stefan Kanfer
• THE EXPATS by Chris Pavone
• GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn
• THE INNOCENTS by Francesca Segal
• IS THIS TOMORROW by Caroline Leavitt
• LADIES' NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews
• MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND by Matthew Dicks
• THE PANTHER by Nelson DeMille
• PASTORS' WIVES by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen
• READY TO DIE: A Selena Alvarez/Regan Pescoli Novel by Lisa Jackson
• THE RED BOOK by Deborah Copaken Kogan
• SEA CHANGE by S.M. Wheeler
• SISTERLAND by Curtis Sittenfeld
• SOMETHING WICKED by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush
• SUTTON by J.R. Moehringer
• TELL ME by Lisa Jackson
• THOSE WE LOVE MOST by Lee Woodruff
• WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall
• WISP OF A THING by Alex Bledsoe

Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, July 9th at noon ET.

SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky (Fiction)
Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole's coastal island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart. A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian. When Nicole is commissioned to write a book about island food, she invites her old friend Charlotte back to Quinnipeague, for a final summer, to help. Outgoing and passionate, Charlotte has a gift for talking to people and making friends, and Nicole could use her expertise for interviews with locals. Missing a genuine connection, Charlotte agrees.

But what both women don't know is that they are each holding something back that may change their lives forever. For Nicole, what comes to light could destroy her marriage, but it could also save her husband. For Charlotte, the truth could cost her Nicole’s friendship, but could also free her to love again. And her chance may lie with a reclusive local man, with a heart to soothe and troubles of his own.

-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.

SECOND HONEYMOON by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (Thriller)
A newlywed couple steps into the sauna in their deluxe honeymoon suite --- and never steps out again. When another couple is killed while boarding their honeymoon flight to Rome, it becomes clear that someone is targeting honeymooners. FBI Agent John O'Hara is deep into solving the case, while Special Agent Sarah Brubaker is hunting another ingenious serial killer, whose victims all have one chilling thing in common. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

TRAINS AND LOVERS by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction)
The rocking motion of the train as it speeds along, the sound of its wheels on the rails. There’s something special about this form of travel that makes for easy conversation, which is just what happens to the four strangers who meet in TRAINS AND LOVERS. As they journey by rail from Edinburgh to London, the four travelers pass the time by sharing tales of trains that have changed their lives. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

CHOKE POINT: A Risk Agent Novel by Ridley Pearson (Thriller)
When an award-winning foreign journalist reveals the existence of an Amsterdam-based sweatshop that employs and enslaves young girls as laborers, private security firm Rutherford Risk is hired by a philanthropist to find it and shut it down. Joined by Grace Chu, whose more subtle skills for acquiring sensitive tech information help to balance his improvisational style, Knox heads to Amsterdam in an attempt to dismantle the child labor operation and rescue the girls. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan (Fiction)
When Rachel Chu's boyfriend, Nicholas Young, invites her to accompany him to his family home in Singapore to attend the most talked-about wedding of the summer, she makes a number of startling discoveries about him, including the fact that he is among the most eligible bachelors from one of Southeast Asia's richest families. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

THE SILENT WIFE by A. S. A. Harrison (Psychological Thriller)
Jodi and Todd are at a bad place in their marriage. Much is at stake, including the affluent life they lead in their beautiful waterfront condo in Chicago, as she (the killer) and he (the victim) rush haplessly toward the main event. He is a committed cheater. She lives and breathes denial. He exists in dual worlds. She likes to settle scores. He decides to play for keeps. She has nothing left to lose. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.

THE IMPOSSIBLE LIVES OF GRETA WELLS by Andrew Sean Greer (Fiction)
After the death of her beloved twin brother and the abandonment of her long-time lover, Greta Wells undergoes electroshock therapy. Over the course of the treatment, Greta finds herself repeatedly sent to 1918, 1941, and back to the present. In these other worlds, Greta finds her brother alive and well --- though fearfully masking his true personality. And her former lover is now her devoted husband. But will he be unfaithful to her in this life as well? Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

THE SHADOW TRACER by Meg Gardiner (Thriller)
Sarah Keller is a skip tracer, an expert in tracking people who have gone on the lam. When a school bus accident sends her young daughter Zoe to the ER, their quiet life explodes. Zoe’s medical tests reveal that Zoe is not her daughter. Zoe’s biological mother --- Sarah’s sister, Beth --- was murdered shortly after the child’s birth. And Zoe’s father is missing and presumed dead. With no way to prove her innocence, Sarah must abandon her carefully constructed life and go on the run. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

MICKEY AND WILLIE: Mantle and Mays, the Parallel Lives of Baseball's Golden Age by Allen Barra (Sports Biography)
Culturally, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were light-years apart. Yet they were nearly the same age and almost the same size, and they came to New York at the same time. They were both products of generations of baseball-playing families, for whom the game was the only escape from a lifetime of brutal manual labor. These two men shared a close personal friendship, and each was the only man who could truly understand the other's experience. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

LEXICON by Max Barry (Thriller)
At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students are taught to persuade. They harness the hidden power of language to manipulate the mind and learn to break down individuals by psychographic markers in order to take control of their thoughts. The very best will graduate as “poets”: adept wielders of language who belong to a nameless organization that is as influential as it is secretive. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

OUT OF RANGE by Hank Steinberg (Thriller)
Six years ago in Uzbekistan, journalist Charlie Davis was wounded when the government fired on a group of protestors he was covering on assignment. He and his pregnant wife, Julie, barely escaped with their lives. On a trip to Disneyland with their children, Julie vanishes. As Charlie soon discovers, this isn’t a random abduction. The further he goes to find her, the more it becomes clear that Julie isn’t quite the person she seems to be. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

DEATH OF THE DEMON: A Hanne Wilhelmsen Novel by Anne Holt (Mystery)
In a foster home outside Oslo, a 12-year-old boy is causing havoc. The institution’s steely director, Agnes Vestavik, sees something chilling in Olav’s eyes: sheer hatred. When Vestavik is found murdered at her desk, stabbed in the back with an Ikea kitchen knife --- with Olav nowhere to be found --- the case goes to maverick investigator Hanne Wilhelmsen, recently promoted to chief inspector in the Oslo Police. Could the child be a murderer? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

MY ISL@M: How Fundamentalism Stole My Mind --- and Doubt Freed My Soul by Amir Ahmad Nasr (Memoir)
Part memoir, part passionate call for liberty, reason and doing work that matters, MY ISL@M tells the tale of how the Internet opened the eyes and heart of a once fearful young Muslim to a world beyond the dogmatism of his upbringing, and recounts his transformation into a defiant digital activist. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE OUTSIDER: An Ash Rashid Novel by Chris Culver(Mystery)
Ash Rashid has finished law school and is aiming to become a prosecutor. The last thing he wants is to become embroiled in a new homicide investigation. That changes when he hears that the mother of one of his daughter's friends was murdered in front of her home. Ash launches an inquiry and quickly becomes entangled in a case involving a dangerous mix of election-year politics, crime and street justice. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

WHEN THE DEVIL DRIVES by Christopher Brookmyre (Thriller)
A woman hires Jasmine Sharp to find her younger sister, an assignment that takes her back into the world of professional theater. Meanwhile, Detective Superintendent Catherine McLeod is called to the scene of a murder in the Highlands. Following a theatrical outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, a prominent figure in the Scottish arts community is shot dead. As their investigations intertwine, it becomes evident that both cases are far more convoluted and dangerous than anticipated. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

Our company, The Book Report Network, has a number of websites about books and authors in addition to Bookreporter.com. Throughout the year, Bookreporter.com features adult books on Teenreads.com, our site for young adult readers, that we think will have definite appeal to a teen audience. In the spirit of sharing, we are now spotlighting a selection of titles each month from Teenreads.com that we believe are great reads that you might enjoy.

Here are our latest featured titles:

THE MOON AND MORE by Sarah Dessen (Romance)
Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, during the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

THE 5th WAVE by Rick Yancey (Science Fiction/Adventure)
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and Cassie meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother --- or even saving herself.

THE LUCY VARIATIONS by Sara Zarr (Fiction)
Before she turned 14, Lucy Beck-Moreau had a promising future as a concert pianist. Now at 16, it's over, leaving her talented 10-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the family expectations. Gus gets a new piano teacher who is interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

Poll:

We would like to know what social media platforms you use.

Are you on Facebook?
Yes, and I am active.
Yes, but I do not spend much time there.
I was, but I am not anymore.
No, but I am interested in this.
I am not interested in this.

Are you on Twitter?
Yes, I am active and use all Twitter functions
Yes, but I am only active at following and reading.
Yes, but I am not on that often.
I was, but I am not anymore.
No, but I am interested in this.
I am not interested in this.

Are you on Pinterest?
Yes, I am active and use all Pinterest functions.
Yes, but I am only active at following and reading.
Yes, but I am not on that often.
I was, but I am not anymore.
No, but I am interested in this.
I am not interested in this.

-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 June 21st to July 12th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BEAUTIFUL DAY by Elin Hilderbrand, SISTERLAND by Curtis Sittenfeld and UNSEEN by Karin Slaughter.

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.

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