December 6, 2013

When we left off before Thanksgiving, I was headed to the kitchen to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. It was a fun, fun day with family and friends. For those looking for a turkey update, it’s interesting to see how a hand-raised turkey does not boast the huge breast of white meat that those that are bred in other ways do. Less hormones means less leftovers, but what we had was really tasty!

I skipped Black Friday as I am not someone who loves shopping enough to commence a battle plan for it. Later in the weekend, I bought some yarn at a local store called Down Cellar, taking care of the all-important “to me/from me” gift category that I love best. They had just gotten in a batch of Madelinetosh yarn, which, when it arrives, is like getting a limited edition of a book. They had one skein of a color I liked, but were missing the second I needed for a project. So I came home and looked online to see if I could find it. A few stores came up, but I clicked on ImagiKnit in San Francisco as I remembered a delightful experience shopping there years ago and their emails that always bring up fun memories. I shopped local, from afar! When I think of this San Francisco shop, it reminds me of an amusing story. When I was leaving that store, I was headed to a bookshop. As I asked directions, they told me I needed to take a bus, though the bookstore was only blocks away, because of “the hill.” I thought….how steep could it be? Well, I saw it, laughed and hopped on the bus, and every time the bus stopped, I panicked we would slip downhill; at times, it felt like we were pitched at 90 degrees!

Staying with a theme of knitting and books here, above please see a photo of Ann Hood, the author of KNITTING YARNS, standing outside the Duxbury Library in Massachusetts with book contributors Taylor Polites and Anne D. LeClaire as they admire the “yarn bombing” that took place to celebrate their appearance there. Knitters draped their creations outside the library, including the bike racks, to welcome them. FUN!

String Yarns, a fabulous yarn shop in New York City, is hosting an event featuring Alice Hoffman on December 16th that I am looking forward to. Alice will be reading and signing copies of SURVIVAL LESSONS, which I loved. The book features a hat pattern created by the store’s Lisa Hoffman. Interested in attending the event? Click here for more details and how to RSVP.

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and we have a place where you can find something special for the booklover in your life --- the Children’s Book Week store. Click this link to learn how to purchase prints, posters, t-shirts, mugs, calendars and more featuring designs created for Children’s Book Week by well-known children's book illustrators. It also offers an easy opportunity to do some good. Proceeds from the Children’s Book Week store benefit Every Child a Reader (ECAR), the 501(c)(3) literacy organization dedicated to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children. I am on the board of ECAR, and it’s been wonderful seeing this organization grow via the events that happen during Children’s Book Week, the National Ambassador Program, and so many other events that promote literacy and reading.

The tree we are sharing above was designed and built by Anna Knapp, one of our former Bookaccino chat hosts. I have tried “to build” trees like this in the past (there is a reason we instead did a wreath of books), and thus I really admire the tenacity that Anna had in creating it. She jokes that in January she is going to have a massive job re-shelving her library to put the books back in place and confesses to borrowing a few from her son. Attempting this yourself? Anna notes to those who want to make a book tree: “Stuff a pillow in the bottom and then a blanket as it goes higher, for a little support.

I was saddened to hear the news of Nelson Mandela’s death yesterday at the age of 95. Two memories that immediately sprang to mind --- the first was of Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba talking at the Graceland concert about a world with Nelson Mandela being freed. The second was watching coverage of him leaving prison on February 2, 1990...when my older son Greg was just a few days old. Mandela was one of the great leaders and teachers of the 20th century. He conceived a model for mortal enemies to overcome their hatred and find a way through compassion to rebuild a nation based on truth, justice and the power of forgiveness. His passing should reignite a worldwide effort for peace. As a way of celebrating his life and legacy, we suggest you take a look at CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF, which includes letters he wrote during his 27 years of imprisonment, the draft of an unfinished sequel to LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, and much more from his personal archives. And I heartily recommend watching the film Invictus.

I got word this morning that my old friend, Elinor Nuxoll, passed away last night in Eugene, Oregon, at the age of 92. Elinor and I became friends in 1970 when I wrote her after she had done a cover story about Simon and Garfunkel for Horoscope magazine. As a huge S&G fan, I asked about how she had done her research (I was a budding journalist). The letter was forwarded from the magazine to her, and she replied a few months later. (I think this is the reason I am compulsive about answering reader mail.)

Thus was the start of a 43-year-old friendship that took place almost exclusively via snail mail and email. We met just twice: once in Berkeley in the early '70s, and the second time about four years ago when I was in Oregon for a conference. We spoke on the phone maybe a dozen times. Six weeks after we saw each other that second time, Elinor suffered a stroke that affected her speech. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she was so happy we had met when she could talk to me! She was an amazing friend...I am so lucky to have known her. She loved to read and write, and has reviewed for us a few times here at Bookreporter.com. I can picture her now chatting with Nelson Mandela about Paul Simon.

And now to this week’s news….

Michael Connelly is back with a new legal thriller starring defense attorney Mickey Haller. In THE GODS OF GUILT, his latest Lincoln Lawyer novel, Mickey learns that a murder victim was his own former client, a prostitute he thought he had put on the straight and narrow path. Sadly, it turns out he may have been the one who put her in danger. Haunted by the ghosts of his past, Mickey must work tirelessly on a case that could mean his ultimate redemption --- or proof of his ultimate guilt. Joe Hartlaub has our review and says, “THE GODS OF GUILT certainly stands tall on its own merits as one of Connelly’s better books, full of twists and turns and one VERY unexpected incident that will reverberate in readers’ thoughts.”

Eric Van Lustbader continues Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series with the latest installment, THE BOURNE RETRIBUTION. Ouyang Jidan, a senior member of China's Politburo, and a major Mexican drug lord may be trafficking in something far more deadly than drugs. Jidan is the man who ordered Rebeka --- one of the only people Jason Bourne has ever truly cared about --- murdered. Bourne is determined to avenge her death, but in the process becomes enmeshed in a monstrous world-wide scheme involving the Chinese, Mexicans and Russians. Reviewer Ray Palen says, "Eric Van Lustbader has once again taken the Bourne saga to another level of greatness as THE BOURNE RETRIBUTION is filled with non-stop action. Fans of the superspy will find themselves rooting for him right up until the last page is turned."

This week also marks the return of Christopher Reich, whose new financial thriller, THE PRINCE OF RISK, is his first since RULES OF BETRAYAL in 2010. Robert "Bobby" Astor is a New York hedge-fund gunslinger on the verge of making his biggest killing ever. But everything changes when his father, the chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange, is murdered along with the head of the Federal Reserve. In the moments before his death, Bobby's father sends him a mystifying text message that offers the only clue to the identity of the killer and the terrifying motivation behind the attack. According to Joe Hartlaub, “What sets THE PRINCE OF RISK above the pack is Reich’s ability to craft memorable characters to populate his complex plots.” I have been reading this all week; there have been lots of late nights and early mornings. I am so glad he has returned to writing financial thrillers; the plot of this one will make you think "what if."

The husband-and-wife writing team of Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini have penned the second book in their Carpenter and Quincannon historical mystery series, THE SPOOK LIGHTS AFFAIR. While John Quincannon follows a danger-laden trail to unmask the murderous perpetrators of a Wells, Fargo robbery, his partner, Sabina Carpenter, contacts friends and relatives of a vanished debutante until the pieces of her puzzle start falling into place. But it’s an oddly disguised man appearing out of nowhere --- and claiming to be Sherlock Holmes --- who provides the final clue to both cases. Reviewer Roz Shea says, “Muller and Pronzini write alternating chapters as Sabina Carpenter and John Quincannon in two discernibly different voices, a device that adds to the originality of their work.”

We’re featuring TWO new Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlights this week. First up is STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit. Shortly after Lacey and her husband move in to what they think is their dream home, the warm and welcoming house becomes cold and dark. There is something malevolent within the walls that wants to hurt Lacey’s unborn child --- a terrifying presence that only she can sense. To save her family, Lacey must discover the truth about the house and confront an evil that has lingered in wait for years. This one is edgy and will have you looking over your shoulder wherever you read it! We have 25 copies of STARTER HOUSE to give away to those who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, December 19th at noon ET.

Averil Dean makes her thriller fiction debut with the psychological thriller ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES. Ten years ago, someone ruined Alice Croft's life. Now, she has a chance to right that wrong. She thinks she has found the perfect man to carry out her plan. However, it isn't long before she finds herself involved with a man who is more dangerous than she ever could have imagined. It was a really intriguing read where the story weaves tighter and tighter. It also has a lot of…ahem…sex! Just saying. We have 25 copies of ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES to give away to those who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, December 19th at noon ET.

In stores this week is DEAD EYE, the fourth installment in Mark Greaney’s Gray Man thriller series. Haunted by his former employers and international groups, legendary ex-CIA master assassin Court Gentry, now known as the Gray Man, has always prided himself on his ability to disappear at will, to fly below the radar and exist in the shadows. But when he takes revenge upon a former employer who betrayed him, he exposes himself to something he’s never had to face before --- a killer who is just like him. We look forward to bringing you our review next week.

A book factoid to note: Greaney is perhaps best known as the co-author of three books with Tom Clancy, who passed away in October: LOCKED ON; THREAT VECTOR, which is now available in paperback; and their latest, COMMAND AUTHORITY, which released this week (we will have our review of this next week as well).

In addition to THREAT VECTOR, there are a number of paperbacks releasing this month, and we have them for you in our New in Paperback roundups. They include THE KING’S DECEPTION by Steve Berry, A MEMORY OF LIGHT by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, KINSEY AND ME by Sue Grafton, WITCH WRAITH by Terry Brooks, and THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI by Helene Wecker.

It’s been a stellar year for crime fiction fans, especially given the impressive range of mysteries translated into English. Storytellers such as Maurizio de Giovanni, Fuminori Nakamura, Denise Mina and Colin Cotterill deliver not only solidly good mysteries, but also offer fresh perspectives on place. Bookreporter.com contributor Miriam Tuliao, the Assistant Director of Central Collection Development at BookOps, has compiled 10 of her favorite international mysteries that released for the first time in the US this year. Many thanks to Miriam for helping to make this feature possible and giving our readers so many writers to explore!

This week marks the return of our Author Holiday Blogs, which we’ve brought back for a SIXTH consecutive year. From now until the start of the new year, we will be featuring new blog posts from authors every day! We kicked off the festivities today with Lynn Cullen sharing an experience from just last weekend during her stint as an Indies First author bookseller. And you can read pieces this weekend from Ann Hood and Nancy Thayer. In the days ahead, you can look forward to contributions from Melanie Benjamin, Alma Katsu, Jill McCorkle, Anne Perry, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and many more. As always, we so appreciate all the authors who have taken the time to share these wonderful holiday memories with us.

After a brief break for Thanksgiving, our Holiday Cheer contests resume. On select days this holiday season, we’ve been posting a number of 24-hour contests that give you the opportunity to win some fabulous books. We’ve also been sending our special Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. If you would like to sign up for these email alerts, click here. This week, we gave away THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS by Jan-Philipp Sendker, CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS by Susan Wiggs, and CHRISTMAS BLISS by Mary Kay Andrews. Next week’s prize books will be A CHRISTMAS HOPE by Anne Perry, DEATH OF A NIGHTINGALE by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, ROBICELLI'S by Allison and Matt Robicelli, and STARRY NIGHT by Debbie Macomber. Our first giveaway of the week will go live on Monday, December 9th at noon ET. You can see the complete list of Holiday Cheer titles here, which are perfect for gift giving and gift receiving!

Do you give eBooks as gifts? Let us know by taking part in our latest poll!

In our previous poll, we asked when you were planning to start your holiday shopping. 54% of you have already started and 12% are already done (if the latter group has time and wants to keep shopping, I can give you MY list), while only 1% wait until the absolute last minute. We also wanted to know when you give books as holiday presents (if that’s something you do). 37% of you do so while you’re doing the rest of your holiday shopping, 30% buy books throughout the year, and 23% make a special trip for buying books. Thanks for weighing in!

In our new Word of Mouth contest, we’re giving five lucky readers a chance to win INNOCENCE by Dean Koontz, along with the aforementioned THE PRINCE OF RISK and THE BOURNE RETRIBUTION. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Friday, December 20th at noon ET and let us know what books you’ve been reading.

Tomorrow, December 7th, is the fourth annual "Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day." Hundreds of bookstores in the US, Canada, England, Australia and Germany will participate. Click here to learn more about this very worthwhile initiative and here to view a map of the participating bookstores within the US.

Tomorrow is also my birthday. Once again I will be turning 27, imagine that! Given that I am a December baby, I stretch out being the Birthday Princess as long as I can, which is something those of us with December birthdays have learned to do. I have a couple of fun dinners planned. Cory told me last weekend that he was coming home this weekend to get his hair cut. He looks like a sheepdog, but it’s been longer before. As he left Sunday night he said, “Get serious, Mom. I am coming home for your birthday, not just for a haircut.” Too sweet! The other night, there was a great quote on “The Good Wife” from Alicia's son: "Sometimes I think of you as Mom and other times I think of you as an interesting woman who lives in our house." I would love my boys to think this way about ME; Greg already said he agrees with it!

Here’s to shopping, holiday prepping, and just some good old-fashioned cheer this week. Read on….

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

THE GODS OF GUILT: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel by Michael Connelly (Legal Thriller)
When Mickey Haller learns that a murder victim was his own former client, a prostitute he thought he had rescued and put on the straight and narrow path, he knows he is on the hook for this one. Far from saving her, Mickey may have been the one who put her in danger. Haunted by the ghosts of his past, Mickey must work tirelessly and bring all his skill to bear on a case that could mean his ultimate redemption --- or proof of his ultimate guilt. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

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

ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE RETRIBUTION by Eric Van Lustbader (Thriller/Adventure)
Ouyang Jidan, a senior member of China's Politburo, and a major Mexican drug lord may be trafficking in something far more deadly than drugs. Jidan is the man who ordered Rebeka --- one of the only people Jason Bourne has ever truly cared about --- murdered. Bourne is determined to avenge her death, but in the process he becomes enmeshed in a monstrous world-wide scheme involving the Chinese, Mexicans and Russians. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to visit Eric Van Lustbader’s official website.

THE PRINCE OF RISK by Christopher Reich (Financial Thriller)
Bobby Astor is a fearless New York hedge-fund gunslinger on the verge of making his biggest killing ever. But everything changes when his father, the venerable chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange, is murdered along with the head of the Federal Reserve. In the moments before his death, Bobby's father sends him a mystifying text message that offers the only clue to the identity of the killer and the terrifying motivation behind the attack. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

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

STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit (Thriller)
From the moment Lacey sees the house with the beautiful wood staircase, she knows she’s found her dream home. Growing up rootless with her flighty mother, Ella Dane, a self-proclaimed psychic, Lacey is determined to give her unborn baby the stability she never had.

But shortly after she and her husband, Eric, move in, the warm and welcoming house becomes cold and dark. There is something malevolent within these walls that wants to hurt her unborn child --- a terrifying presence that only she can sense. And there is Drew, a demanding and temperamental little boy who mysteriously appears when Lacey is alone.

To protect her unborn child and save her family, Lacy must discover the truth about her dream house and the troubled Drew --- a decades-old mystery involving secrets, violence and guilt --- and confront an evil that has lingered in wait for years.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Sonja Condit’s bio.

We have 25 copies of ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES by Averil Dean, which releases on December 31st, to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, December 19th at noon ET.

ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES by Averil Dean (Psychological Thriller)
Ten years ago, someone ruined Alice Croft's life. Now, she has a chance to right that wrong --- and she thinks she's found the perfect man to carry out her plan.

After watching him for weeks, she breaks into Jack Calabrese's house to collect the evidence that will confirm her hopes. When Jack comes home unexpectedly, Alice hides in the closet, fearing for her life. But upon finding her, Jack is strangely calm, solicitous...and intrigued.

That night is the start of a dark and intense attraction, and soon Alice finds herself drawn into a labyrinth of terrifying surrender to a man who is more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. As their relationship spirals toward a breaking point, Alice starts to see just how deep Jack's secrets run --- and how deadly they could be.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Averil Dean’s bio.
-Visit Averil Dean’s official website and blog.
-Click here to connect with Averil Dean on Twitter.

THE SPOOK LIGHTS AFFAIR: A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini (Historical Mystery)
While John Quincannon follows a danger-laden trail to unmask the murderous perpetrators of a Wells, Fargo robbery, his partner, Sabina Carpenter, works her wiles on friends and relatives of a vanished debutante until the pieces of her puzzle start falling into place. But it’s an oddly disguised gent appearing out of nowhere who provides the final clue to both cases --- the shrewd “crackbrain” who believes himself to be Sherlock Holmes. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to visit Marcia Muller’s official website.

DEAD EYE: A Gray Man Novel by Mark Greaney (Thriller/Adventure)
From #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of THREAT VECTOR by Tom Clancy comes the fourth installment in Greaney's own internationally bestselling Gray Man series. Ex-CIA trained master assassin Court Gentry has a price on his head --- and more than one of his previous employers want to see him taken out of the game. Infamous for his ability to disappear at will, existing only in the shadows, Gentry is an unparalleled assassin. Or so he thinks...

Unable to track down Gentry with their own operatives, the CIA hires private contractor Russ “Dead Eye” Whitlock to get the job done. A graduate of the same top secret CIA training program that turned out the Gray Man, Whitlock is the greatest threat Gentry has faced yet --- a man who thinks like him, moves like him, kills like him. But the thing about free agents is they always have their own agenda...

-Visit Mark Greaney's official website and blog.
-Click here to read a Q&A with Mark Greaney.
-Connect with Mark Greaney on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s been a stellar year for crime fiction fans, especially given the impressive range of mysteries translated into English. Skilled storytellers including Maurizio de Giovanni, Fuminori Nakamura, Denise Mina and Colin Cotterill deliver not only solidly good mysteries, but also offer fresh perspectives on place. These international writers serve as literary and cultural ambassadors introducing readers to distinct regions of the world --- from the shadowy alleys of Naples and snowy Ukrainian farms to the quiet suburbs of Tel Aviv and haunted waters of the Mekong River. The world of international mysteries is inviting, scary, thrilling and fun.

This week, Bookreporter.com contributor Miriam Tuliao, the Assistant Director of Central Collection Development at BookOps, brings you 10 of her top favorites from 2013.

December’s New in Paperback roundups include the following highlights:

THREAT VECTOR by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney (Thriller/Adventure)
An aborted coup in the People's Republic of China has left President Wei Zhen Lin with no choice but to agree with the expansionist policies of General Su Ke Qiang. They have declared the South China Sea a protectorate and are planning an invasion of Taiwan. Jack Ryan’s administration is determined to thwart China’s ambitions, but the stakes are dangerously high as a new breed of powerful Chinese anti-ship missile endangers the US Navy's plans to protect the island.

THE KING'S DECEPTION by Steve Berry (Thriller/Adventure)
Cotton Malone and his 15-year-old son, Gary, are headed to Europe. As a favor to his former boss at the Justice Department, Malone agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to England. But after he is greeted at gunpoint in London, both the fugitive and Gary disappear, and Malone learns that he’s stumbled into a high-stakes diplomatic showdown --- an international incident fueled by geopolitical gamesmanship and shocking Tudor secrets.

A MEMORY OF LIGHT: Book Fourteen, The Final Volume of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Fantasy)
When Robert Jordan died in 2007, it was feared that the concluding scenes of his The Wheel of Time series would never be written. But working from notes and partials left by Jordan, established fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson stepped in to complete the masterwork. Following THE GATHERING STORM and TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT, Sanderson now recreates the vision that Jordan left behind.

WINTER JOURNAL by Paul Auster (Memoir)
Facing his 63rd winter, Paul Auster sits down to write a history of his body and its sensations --- both pleasurable and painful. Thirty years after the publication of THE INVENTION OF SOLITUDE, in which he wrote so movingly about fatherhood, Auster gives us a second unconventional memoir in which he writes about his mother's life and death.

RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA by Kimberly McCreight (Fiction)
Kate learns that her daughter, Amelia, has been suspended from school. Upon her arrival, she finds the school surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. An academic overachiever despondent over getting caught cheating has jumped to her death. At least that’s the story Grace Hall tells Kate. And clouded as she is by her guilt and grief, it is the one she forces herself to believe. Until she gets an anonymous text: She didn’t jump.

THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI by Helene Wecker (Historical Fantasy)
A lonely man’s desire for a wife is the catalyst for the creation of a golem like no other. When she’s left master-less on the streets of New York City, she fights her ingrained impulse to help and protect those around her. A jinni, captured and enslaved hundreds of years ago, is free of his flask but not truly free as the iron cuff that keeps him in human form remains on his wrist. The golem and the jinni are drawn to each other, kindred spirits of long-forgotten fairy tales.

-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of December 2nd, December 9th, December 16th, December 23rd and December 30th.

This week marks the return of our Author Holiday Blogs, which we’ve brought back for a SIXTH consecutive year. From now until the start of the new year, we will be featuring new blog posts from authors every day!

We kick off the festivities with Lynn Cullen sharing an experience from just last weekend during her stint as an Indies First author bookseller. You can read pieces this weekend from Ann Hood and Nancy Thayer. And in the days ahead, you can look forward to contributions from Melanie Benjamin, Alma Katsu, Jill McCorkle, Anne Perry, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and many more.

As always, we so appreciate all the authors who have taken the time to share these wonderful holiday memories with us.

This year's featured titles are:

• THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS by Jan-Philipp Sendker
• CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS: The Lakeshore Chronicles by Susan Wiggs
• THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL by Jane Maas
• CHRISTMAS BLISS by Mary Kay Andrews
• A CHRISTMAS HOPE by Anne Perry
• THE DAWN OF CHRISTMAS: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country by Cindy Woodsmall
• DEATH OF A NIGHTINGALE by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
• DUKE: A Life of Duke Ellington by Terry Teachout
• MORNING GLORY by Sarah Jio
• MRS. POE by Lynn Cullen
• THE RETURNED by Jason Mott
• ROBICELLI'S: A Love Story, with Cupcakes: With 50 Decidedly Grown-Up Recipes by Allison and Matt Robicelli
• STARRY NIGHT: A Christmas Novel by Debbie Macomber
• TAKE ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: A Whiskey Creek Novel by Brenda Novak
• TUSCAN ROSE by Belinda Alexandra
• WHEELMEN: Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France, and the Greatest Sports Conspiracy Ever by Reed Albergotti and Vanessa O'Connell

THE HEIR APPARENT: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince by Jane Ridley (Biography)
THE HEIR APPARENT chronicles the eventful life of Queen Victoria’s firstborn son, the quintessential black sheep of Buckingham Palace, who matured into as wise and effective a monarch as Britain has ever seen. Granted unprecedented access to the royal archives, noted scholar Jane Ridley draws on numerous primary sources to paint a vivid portrait of the man and the age to which he gave his name. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE MAN HE BECAME: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency by James Tobin (History/Politics)
With a painstaking reexamination of original documents, James Tobin uncovers the twisted chain of accidents that left FDR paralyzed; reveals how polio recast Roosevelt’s fateful partnership with his wife, Eleanor; and shows that FDR’s true victory was not over paralysis but over the ancient stigma attached to the crippled. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

HAVISHAM by Ronald Frame (Historical Fiction)
Before she became the immortal and haunting Miss Havisham of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, she was Catherine, a young woman with all of her dreams ahead of her. Sent by her father to stay with the Chadwycks, Catherine discovers elegant pastimes to remove the taint of her family's new money. When a charismatic stranger pays her attention, everything --- her heart, her future, the very Havisham name --- is vulnerable. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

CHASING UTOPIA: A Hybrid by Nikki Giovanni (Poetry/Essays)
The poetry of Nikki Giovanni has spurred movements and inspired songs, turned hearts and informed generations. But if her reputation is writ large upon the national stage, her heart resides in the everyday where family and lovers gather, friends commune, and those no longer with us are remembered. And at every gathering there is food: food as sustenance, food as aphrodisiac, food as memory. Reviewed by Jamie Layton.

LIES YOU WANTED TO HEAR by James Whitfield Thomson (Fiction)
How many ways can two people wound each other? In James Whitfield Thomson's debut novel, LIES YOU WANTED TO HEAR, Lucy's husband, Matt, has taken their children and fled. This seems 100% unforgivable, until we read the backstory of terrible wrongs committed by wife against husband, and mother against child. Then we're left wondering. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.
 

RED SKY IN MORNING by Paul Lynch (Historical Fiction)
It's 1832 and Coll Coyle has killed the wrong man. The dead man's father is an expert tracker and ruthless killer with a single-minded focus on vengeance. The hunt leads from the windswept bogs of County Donegal, across the Atlantic to the choleric work camps of the Pennsylvania railroad, where both men will find their fates in the hardship and rough country of the fledgling United States. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

RUNNING WITH THE PACK: Thoughts from the Road on Meaning and Mortality by Mark Rowlands (Memoir)
In RUNNING WITH THE PACK, Mark Rowlands reveals the most significant runs of his life --- from the entire day he spent running as a boy in Wales, to the runs along French beaches and up Irish mountains with his beloved wolf, Brenin, and through Florida swamps with his husky-mix, Nina. Intertwined are the fascinating meditations that those runs triggered --- from mortality, midlife and the meaning of life. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

KILLING CUSTER: A Wind River Mystery by Margaret Coel (Mystery)
In her pulse-pounding mysteries, Margaret Coel interweaves authentic Native American culture and history with modern-day suspense. In the latest Wind River novel, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John O’Malley are caught between two cultures that won’t let go of the past --- and a killer who won’t leave any witnesses. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

SHOOT THE WOMAN FIRST: A Crissa Stone Novel by Wallace Stroby (Hard-boiled Mystery/Thriller)
A half million dollars in drug proceeds, guarded by three men with automatic weapons. For Wallace Stroby's determined heroine, professional thief Crissa Stone, and her team, stealing it was the easy part. But when the split goes awry in a blaze of gunfire, Crissa finds herself on the run with a duffel bag of stolen cash, bound by a promise to deliver part of the take to the needy family of one of her slain partners. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE LAST OF THE SMOKING BARTENDERS by C.J. Howell (Pulp Thriller)
Tom believes he is a secret agent deep undercover racing to stop terrorists from blowing up the Hoover Dam. Aided by a homeless raft guide and a band of meth-dealing Navajos, he hunts down a terrorist network one Molotov cocktail at a time. But is it all a delusion? Chased by a beautiful but damaged FBI agent and a crossbow-wielding psychopath, Tom must stay one step ahead of his pursuers and save the country he loves, all on less than a dollar a day. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

Do you give eBooks as gifts?

Yes
No, I prefer to give print books.
No, I do not give books as gifts.
I am not sure how to do that.

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from December 6th to December 20th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of INNOCENCE by Dean Koontz, THE PRINCE OF RISK by Christopher Reich and ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE BOURNE RETRIBUTION by Eric Van Lustbader.