December 13, 2013

I do not watch sitcoms on television, and I realized the other day that I probably skip them because I feel like I live in one! A few moments this week underscored this. We were at dinner Sunday night, and the waitress announced they were out of rainbow trout. Cory looked up from the menu with a look of bemusement and said, “I wonder if they have the solid color trout.” Queue the laugh track. While I have been knitting up a storm for holiday presents and shopping in stores and online, Tom has been handing me things saying, “You can give this to me for Christmas.” I now have a pile of things that he has given me that need to be wrapped, many of which I have not even looked at. He is doing more “to me/from me” shopping this year than usual. It is very efficient. I particularly enjoyed the pitch I got about the new technology that Under Armour is using with their Cold Gear. I am now giving him a present that I know the complete cold weather attributes of. How nice as I feel good about my “non-purchased” gift!

Then Wednesday I had a number of meetings, and when I got dressed, I was wearing a skirt I have not worn in a while. It was loose, but I did not give it much thought. I have lost some weight. But this was loose! Racing to get to my first meeting, I was running from the subway and my skirt literally fell down. I had on a long coat so no one could see from the back. Though my coat was open, no one was in front of me and I had on black tights and the skirt was black, so nothing was obvious. I yanked it up, rolled it like I was in high school and raced to the meeting. There I grabbed two clips from the info packets on the table and fashioned a closure to keep it on. Later I remembered that I had not worn it for a while since it needed new elastic. Once home, it went to the mending pile, not back to a hanger!

The tree shown above was a birthday present from my friend, Cathy. Knowing my passion for all things turquoise, she hunts down appropriate items all year, squirrels them away and then packs them up to give me for my birthday. Last Saturday, she sent me a text with a photo of this tree and some flowers in a carafe with a turquoise lid and a bunch of flowers with turquoise spatulas in them. The photo was taken on my front porch, leaving me to squeal like I was six and race to the door. I have to say that this tree has been really amusing me all week! It’s made of mylar, so the lights reflect off of it and it shimmers. It may end up with a year-round home somewhere in the house. Wondering where to get it? Target. It does not come in turquoise this year, but they have a pretty range of colors there. And it’s not available mail order. I share this as I have answered a LOT of questions about this tree this week. Best part: it collapses into a small box for easy storage…if it ever gets stored!

In an attempt to help harness my book addiction, I bought three new bookshelves for my New York office (photo above). I have been primping and arranging them (still not done) and am thrilled that they are not yet filled. The plan is that my Bookreporter.com Bets On selections for each year will be housed here, along with my graphic novel collection. I still have some work to do since the books are all in many places, but this WILL happen. By the way, these shelves are in addition to the wall of bookshelves BEHIND my desk, which I have outgrown.

Speaking of Bets On, here’s a heads up that next week we will be announcing our annual Bookreporter.com Bets On Contest where one winner will receive ALL of my selections, while others will receive one title each. I will have more on this next week. Last year’s winner, Lynn from Centreville, VA, has been keeping in touch throughout the year with her thoughts on my 2012 books. Her favorite thus far was THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB by Will Schwalbe, and she said a good number of them have been 5-star reads for her, which makes me smile. By the way, something fun happened for her with Will’s book. A friend of hers borrowed it before she read it and surprised her by having Will write a personal note inside it for her. She had gone to hear him speak at a function at one of their local libraries and brought my copy with her. How nice is THAT?

Speaking of sharing books, I wanted to be sure you had World Book Night U.S. on your radar. On April 23rd, a half-million free paperbacks will be handed out in towns and cities across America by enlisting 25,000 volunteer book lovers to help promote reading by going into their communities and personally handing out specially printed books to light or non-readers and to those without the means or access to them. You can see the complete list of this year’s titles, which were selected by a committee, here. If you’re interested in becoming a World Book Night U.S. book giver, all you have to do is fill out the online application. Click here for all the details. The deadline for all applications is Sunday, January 5th.

And now it’s time to share some highlights of this week’s robust update…

The late Tom Clancy’s final book, COMMAND AUTHORITY (co-written with Mark Greaney), is now in stores, and we have our review this week. There’s a new strong man in Russia, but his rise to power is based on a dark secret hidden decades in the past. The solution to that mystery lies with a most unexpected source: President Jack Ryan. Reviewer Joe Hartlaub declares, “If the powers that be are seeking to continue the franchise that Clancy created and nurtured over several decades, Greaney would be an excellent choice for the driver’s seat, as he demonstrates here.”

As promised last week, we also bring you our review of Greaney’s new stand-alone novel, DEAD EYE, the fourth installment in his Gray Man thriller series. Joe also had the pleasure of reviewing this one, which he calls “Greaney’s best effort to date, worth sweeping aside whatever duties you have to steal several hours of your time and attention as it raises your pulse and blood pressure from first page to last.”

Dean Koontz delivers yet again in INNOCENCE, his new stand-alone fantasy/thriller. Addison lives in solitude as an exile from society, which will destroy him if he’s ever seen. Gwyneth dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she’s ever found. But the bond between Addison and Gwyneth runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance --- and nothing less than destiny --- has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching. According to reviewer Ray Palen, the book is “difficult to label and a work featuring many memorable images that will linger with the reader.”

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been one year since 20 children and six adults senselessly lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Now, Matthew Lysiak of The New York Daily News takes a close look at the tragedy and into the mind of the unstable killer, Adam Lanza. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and a decade’s worth of emails from Lanza’s mother to close friends that chronicled his slow slide into mental illness, NEWTOWN: An American Tragedy pieces together the perfect storm that led to this unspeakable act of violence that shattered so many lives. Here’s what our reviewer, Jana Siciliano, took away from this often-difficult book to read: “As a parent who also loves this country, I hope that we all will continue in dialogue towards a more peaceful and respectful place, discussions not bogged down in constitutional politics but filled with the earnest yearnings of human beings who only want to live together in peace and harmony.”

The contests for our two Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlights that we announced in last week’s newsletter continue for one more week. In STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit, Lacey and her husband’s new house, seemingly warm and welcoming, becomes cold and dark. There is something malevolent within the walls that wants to hurt Lacey’s unborn child --- and she must discover the truth about the house before it’s too late. 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. 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.

We’ve updated our History Books Roundup: Reliving the Past feature for December. Our very own Greg Fitzgerald has selected a number of hardcover and paperback titles releasing this month that especially caught his eye. Among the books we’re featuring this month are HEIR TO THE EMPIRE CITY: New York and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt by Edward P. Kohn, WARSAW 1944: Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising by Alexandra Richie, BETWEEN MAN AND BEAST: An Unlikely Explorer and the African Adventure that Took the Victorian World by Storm by Monte Reel, and BEETHOVEN: THE MAN REVEALED by John Suchet. Click here for all of December’s featured History titles.

’Tis the season to go to the movies! Our Books on Screen feature for this month includes such theatrical releases as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Saving Mr. Banks, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Wolf of Wall Street; the six-part miniseries “Mob City” on TNT; and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Lone Ranger and The Family, all out on DVD. The Golden Globe announcements were made yesterday morning, and I loved that both “Masters of Sex” and “House of Cards” led with the most nominations, as both were based on books. “Masters of Sex” was written by my college friend, Thomas Maier, which is very exciting!

Our final Holiday Cheer contest will be going up on Monday, December 16th at noon ET. Five lucky readers will win Cindy Woodsmall’s THE DAWN OF CHRISTMAS: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country. Click here to see the complete list of Holiday Cheer titles for some outstanding gift-giving and gift-receiving suggestions!

We continue to bring you 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! Thus far, we’ve heard from Lynn Cullen, Ann Hood, Nancy Thayer, Shannon McKenna Schmidt, Preston & Child, Melanie Benjamin, Anne Perry and Joshilyn Jackson. This weekend’s pieces will be written by Theresa Schwegel and Josh Hanagarne. And still to come are contributions from Jeff Abbott, Mary Jane Clark, Alma Katsu, Jill McCorkle, Christopher Reich, Wendy Webb, Susan Wiggs, and many more. As always, we so appreciate all the authors who have taken the time to share these wonderful holiday memories with us.

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

In our Word of Mouth contest, we’re continuing to give five lucky readers a chance to win the aforementioned INNOCENCE by Dean Koontz, along with THE PRINCE OF RISK by Christopher Reich and ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE BOURNE RETRIBUTION by Eric Van Lustbader. 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.

In September, I got a really nice surprise when I received the scarf shown above, which was made by Emma Laframboise of Toronto, the mother of one of our readers, Kathy Jund. It was a wonderful act of spontaneous kindness. When I wear it, it always makes me smile. My latest “go-to” knitting book is KNIT TO FLATTER: The Only Instructions You'll Ever Need to Knit Sweaters that Make You Look Good and Feel Great! I am planning to study this over the holidays as I am tired of making boxy sweaters that do not flatter!

By the way, Tom is not the only one who has been indulging in “to me/from me” shopping. Besides KNIT TO FLATTER, I have been buying poufs, also seen above. I am enamored with the colors on these and the way they look like they have been knit on large needles. I have now lined up three to make a nice look at the foot of the bed. Mind you, I bought one at a time, thus I have had the pleasure of opening three packages. Small things --- well, actually large things --- like this really make me smile.

Here’s to reading in between the wrapping (of books, of course) and cookie baking as I am making batches of Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, which is Tom’s mom’s recipe (a good use for the blackened bananas now in my freezer), as well as our family’s brownie recipe for the gang at my parking garage in New York. Embrace the holidays!

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

COMMAND AUTHORITY: A Jack Ryan Novel by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney (Thriller/Adventure)
There’s a new strong man in Russia, but his rise to power is based on a dark secret hidden decades in the past. The solution to that mystery lies with a most unexpected source: President Jack Ryan. COMMAND AUTHORITY is the final published book by Tom Clancy, who passed away in October at the age of 66. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.

INNOCENCE by Dean Koontz (Fantasy/Thriller)
He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen. She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found. The bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives, and the fateful night in which they meet will push them to a point of reckoning for themselves and those they protect. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 

NEWTOWN: An American Tragedy by Matthew Lysiak (True Crime)
The world mourned the devastating shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012. Now comes a startling, comprehensive look at this tragedy, and into the mind of the unstable killer, Adam Lanza. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and a decade’s worth of emails from Lanza’s mother to close friends that chronicled his slow slide into mental illness, NEWTOWN pieces together the perfect storm that led to this unspeakable act of violence that shattered so many lives. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

-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.

As 2013 comes to a close, history buffs will be delighted by the number of outstanding history books releasing this month. Among these December releases, which have been compiled by Bookreporter.com's Greg Fitzgerald, are HEIR TO THE EMPIRE CITY: New York and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt by Edward P. Kohn, WARSAW 1944: Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising by Alexandra Richie, BETWEEN MAN AND BEAST: An Unlikely Explorer and the African Adventure that Took the Victorian World by Storm by Monte Reel, and BEETHOVEN: THE MAN REVEALED by John Suchet.

Thanksgiving marked the official start of the holiday season, which means we won’t be short on cheer or great movies and television shows to watch this month. Much like the chicken and the egg, we don’t know which came first, but quality entertainment and holiday spirit certainly have always had a long, happy and interdependent relationship. So, as with our spiral hams, let’s dig right in and unravel this month’s books on screen.

December starts strong on the silver screen, with the Coen brothers’ latest, Inside Llewyn Davis, now in theaters. Oscar Isaac plays the titular musician and rambling man, along with a strong supporting cast. And if you’re not drawn by the Coen brothers’ impeccable storytelling, come for the music, which was produced by frequent Coen collaborator T Bone Burnett and Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford.

If the only music you’re interested in hearing is melancholy and sung by dwarves, then you’re in luck! The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Peter Jackson’s follow-up to last year’s first installment of the beloved Tolkien classic, hits theaters on December 13th. Bilbo, Gandalf and a pack of dwarves journey across Middle Earth to restore surly leader Thorin Oakenshield to his throne. Fan-favorite (or just my own personal favorite) Legolas joins the group this time to help fight an epic battle in this Lord of the Rings prequel.

And if you didn’t get your fix of Jennifer Lawrence with November’s Catching Fire, be sure to check out Silver Linings Playbook director David O’Russell’s highly anticipated American Hustle. Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, a brilliant con man forced to play nice with the FBI (and handled by Bradley Cooper, rocking a serious perm). J. Law is his loose cannon wife, whose jealousy could topple the whole operation.

There’s plenty more to see in theaters this month --- including Martin Scorsese and his go-to leading man Leonardo DiCaprio’s fifth collaboration, The Wolf of Wall Street --- but if you’re saving up for all your holiday gifts, stay home, throw on a pair of wool socks and tune in to books on TV. TNT’s six-part miniseries, “Mob City,” takes a note from the noir classic L.A. Confidential, and explores post-war Los Angeles, where the mob competes with Hollywood movie stars and a corrupt police force for top billing.

Bookreporter.com's Author Holiday Blogs are 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!

Thus far, we have heard from Lynn Cullen, Ann Hood, Nancy Thayer, Shannon McKenna Schmidt, Preston & Child, Melanie Benjamin, Anne Perry and Joshilyn Jackson. This weekend’s pieces will be written by Theresa Schwegel and Josh Hanagarne. And still to come are contributions from Jeff Abbott, Alma Katsu, Jill McCorkle, Christopher Reich, Julia Spencer-Fleming, Wendy Webb, Susan Wiggs, 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

World Book Night U.S. is a celebration of books and reading held on April 23rd. On this day, a half-million free paperbacks will be handed out in towns and cities across America by enlisting 25,000 volunteer book lovers to help promote reading by going into their communities and personally handing out specially printed books to light or non-readers and to those without the means or access to them. You can see the complete list of this year’s titles, which were selected by a committee, here. They include books from authors like Agatha Christie, Jamie Ford, Malcolm Gladwell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Carl Hiaasen, Garrison Keillor, Walter Dean Myers, Scott Turow, and many more.

If you’re interested in becoming a World Book Night U.S. book giver, all you have to do is fill out the online application. Click here for all the details. You will be asked what your first, second and third book choices are, why you wish to share these books, and where you will go to personally hand out the books. The deadline for all applications is Sunday, January 5th.

THE APARTMENT by Greg Baxter (Fiction)
Greg Baxter’s début novel is the story of an Iraq War veteran who moves from his American hometown to an unnamed European city. On a snowy December day, a young woman the narrator met weeks earlier helps him look for an apartment. The book, which takes place over the course of that day, is a chronicle of regret and a meditation on violence and those who would exploit it for personal gain. Reviewed by Michael Magras.

INSIDE THE DREAM PALACE: The Life and Times of New York's Legendary Chelsea Hotel by Sherill Tippins (History)
The Chelsea Hotel, since its founding by a visionary French architect in 1884, has been an icon of American invention: a cultural dynamo and haven for the counterculture, all in one astonishing building. Sherill Tippins, author of the acclaimed FEBRUARY HOUSE, delivers a masterful and endlessly entertaining history of the Chelsea and of the successive generations of artists who have cohabited and created there. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

BROWN DOG: Novellas by Jim Harrison (Fiction)
Brown Dog, a bawdy, reckless, down-on-his-luck Michigan Indian, has earned cult status with readers of Jim Harrison in the more than two decades since his first appearance. For the first time, BROWN DOG gathers all the Brown Dog novellas, including a never-published one, into a single volume --- the ideal introduction (or reintroduction) to Harrison’s irresistible Everyman. Reviewed by John Maher.

DEAD EYE: A Gray Man Novel by Mark Greaney (Thriller/Adventure)
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. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

DEATH OF THE BLACK-HAIRED GIRL by Robert Stone (Thriller)
A brilliant but careless professor, Steven Brookman has determined that for the sake of his marriage --- and his soul --- he must extract himself from his relationship with Maud Stack, his electrifying student, whose papers are always late and too long yet always incandescent. But Maud is a young woman whose passions are not easily contained or curtailed, and their union will quickly yield tragic and far-reaching consequences. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

A THOUSAND HILLS TO HEAVEN: Love, Hope, and a Restaurant in Rwanda by Josh Ruxin (Memoir)
Newlyweds Josh and Alissa were at a party and received a challenge that shook them to the core: Do you think you can really make a difference? Especially in a place like Rwanda, where the scars of genocide linger and poverty is rampant? While Josh worked hard bringing food and health care to the country's rural villages, Alissa was determined to put their foodie expertise to work. The couple opened Heaven, a gourmet restaurant overlooking Kigali, which became an instant success. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

GLORIOUS WAR: The Civil War Adventures of George Armstrong Custer by Thom Hatch (History)
GLORIOUS WAR, the definitive biography of George Armstrong Custer’s Civil War years, is nothing short of a heart-pounding cavalry charge through the battlefield heroics that thrust the gallant young officer into the national spotlight in the midst of the country’s darkest hours. From West Point to the daring actions that propelled him to the rank of general at age 23 to his unlikely romance with Libbie Bacon, Custer’s exploits are the stuff of legend. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

ACT OF WAR: Lyndon Johnson, North Korea, and the Capture of the Spy Ship Pueblo by Jack Cheevers (History)
1968 was a year filled with mind-boggling headlines. Both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy were struck down by assassins’ bullets. The war in Vietnam was raging. And a small, nondescript former cargo ship, the USS Pueblo, and her crew were seized by the North Koreans in international waters. This massively researched book tells the full story of what became known as "the Pueblo incident." Reviewed by Carole Turner.

THE HOUSEMAID’S DAUGHTER by Barbara Mutch (Historical Fiction)
When Cathleen Harrington leaves her home in Ireland in 1919 to travel to South Africa, she knows that she does not love the man she is to marry there. Her only real companions are her diary and her housemaid, and later the housemaid's daughter, Ada. When Ada disappears one day, scorned by her own community, Cathleen must make a choice: Should she conform to society, or search for the girl who has become closer to her than her own daughter? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE MURDER CODE by Steve Mosby (Mystery)
When a woman is found bludgeoned to death, Detective Inspector Andrew Hicks suspects a crime of passion, and attention focuses on her possessive ex-husband. But then a second body is found, and more murders arrive in quick succession. As the death toll rises, Hicks must face not only a killer obsessed with randomness and chaos, but also a secret in his own past. If he is to stop the killings, he must confront the truth about himself. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE COLLECTOR OF LOST THINGS by Jeremy Page (Historical Thriller/Adventure)
The year is 1845, and young researcher Eliot Saxby is paid to go on an expedition to the Arctic in the hope of finding remains of the by-now-extinct Great Auk, a large flightless bird of mythical status. Eliot joins a hunting ship, but the crew and the passengers are not what they seem. As the ship moves further and further into the wilds of the Arctic Sea, Eliot clings to what he believes in, but is irrevocably drawn back into a past that haunts him --- and a present that confronts him with a myriad of dangers. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

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.