 |
|
Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
December 20, 2013 |
|
|
|
|
The Holidays Are Here!
|
|
I am enjoying the ramp up to the holidays, with the optimal word there being "enjoying." This is the first year where I am not rushing around, living by a list or feeling overwhelmed. What is amusing is that there are fewer days this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and thus I should not be in such great cheer, but with five days left, every gift is wrapped (with some still arriving via mail, but under control), the cookies are baked and menus have been organized. Oh, and on cookie baking, I have decided that cooking is more fun than baking. Last week, I made four batches of cookies and three batches of brownies, and when I turned to see the last bowl that still needed to be spooned onto trays to bake, I was feeling less than festive. But when the cookies hit the oven, I grabbed my copy of MRS. KENNEDY AND ME by Clint Hill and started reading. When the buzzer went off, I was a lot happier as I had had a reading interlude!
I had read Clint Hill’s FIVE DAYS IN NOVEMBER over Thanksgiving weekend, and his stories of those days in Dallas and DC were so interesting that I turned to his previous book about Jackie and the time he served as her personal Secret Service liaison. I loved reading the details about what it means to be “in service” with the Secret Service. Having a book to escape to when holiday planning is at its peak is quite lovely. Oh, and on the cookies. I made the mistake of not hiding them, thus last night I perused many containers that are no longer full but rather have been skimmed off. Gee, I wonder who ate them? I have seen a lot more foot traffic through the dining room than usual with pauses that might equal time for cookie snatching.
On Monday night, I went to String Yarns, a beautiful yarn shop in New York where Alice Hoffman, the author of SURVIVAL LESSONS, spoke and did a Q&A with knitters. Her memoir is about the joys of life and how to embrace them; she touches on how sorrow and sadness have a very powerful other side, which is joy. I read this book in an evening, and it was so uplifting; I can see myself sharing it as a gift with many people. It was a special evening as one of the designers at the store, Lisa Hoffman, had created a hat pattern for the book called the Beehive Hat. It ends up that Lisa is Alice's cousin. (It is on page 53.) Alice talks about how knitting is as much about unraveling as it is about stitching as we work to create a piece. She notes that unraveling is as important as knitting as you learn from every stitch. She also says that “All writers should be made to knit before they start a novel. It would help with understanding the process of revision, and that process is what can bring you the most joy.” Nice idea!
By the way, I, who have no willpower when it comes to yarn, bought a couple of skeins that were screaming my name. Seriously, I heard them. And I also bought a luscious cashmere yarn exclusive to String to knit the Beehive Hat! Oh, for those who do not knit, the book also has a luscious brownie recipe.
The office has been abuzz this week as this is our last update until January 10th, so the staff can take a much-needed break. There are few books published next week and the following week, and thus we take advantage of that time to give the editorial team time off to relax. For me, it’s lovely to be able to escape the routine and pace of the weekly schedule and read on my own schedule.
Before we all headed out to the four winds, we went to lunch yesterday where Eric Rhodes, our Director of Website Design and Development, created the above panoramic photo of the staff (the reason he is not in it). From left to right are Shara Zaval (Editorial Manager, Kidsreads.com/Teenreads.com), Shannon Powers (an intern), John Hogan (Editorial Director, GraphicNovelReporter.com), Greg Fitzgerald (Ad/Promo Associate and, yes, my son), Emily Hoenig (Editorial Assistant), Nicole Sherman (Ad/Promo Assistant), Tom Donadio (Editorial Director), Nate Einhorn (an intern), and a rather amusing profile of yours truly. I am very, very lucky to have this team to work with each day. They are smart, imaginative, hard-working, and also have the best senses of humor. There is a lot of laughter in the office along with a lot of hard work! I was laughing looking at the photo because, of course, we never styled it to take the menus off the center of the table.
And now our latest news….a big update to carry you through the next few weeks….
I’m THRILLED to announce our Third Annual Bookreporter.com Bets On Contest! Over the next three weeks, we are featuring a special giveaway of ALL the books that I selected as Bookreporter.com Bets On titles throughout the year. ONE very lucky reader will be awarded ALL of my 36 selections for 2013, while 36 others will each receive one book. Among the titles you can win are AFTER HER by Joyce Maynard, THE AVIATOR’S WIFE by Melanie Benjamin, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler, ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger, LEAVING HAVEN by Kathleen McCleary, and SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky. To enter, please fill out this form by noon ET on Friday, January 10th.
In stores now is HUNTED, a new romantic suspense novel from Karen Robards that introduces readers to Caroline Wallace, one of New Orleans PD’s top hostage negotiators, who has never failed to get every hostage out alive. But this time, she’s trying to negotiate with Reed Ware, a former co-worker who left the force disgraced, under investigation by Internal Affairs, and considered to be volatile and extremely dangerous. According to reviewer Maggie Harding, “[Robards’s] characters are engaging and likable, the suspense builds and carries the plot, and the resolutions are both expected and satisfying.”
Coming December 31st is THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE, the latest installment in Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series. In 1987, Nete Hermansen plans revenge on those who abused her in her youth, including Curt Wad, a charismatic surgeon who was part of a movement to sterilize wayward girls in 1950s Denmark. More than 20 years later, Detective Carl Mørck is presented with the case of a brothel owner named Rita, who went missing in the ’80s. As he and his assistants sift through the disappearances, they get closer and closer to Curt, who is more determined than ever to see the vision of his youth take hold. Joe Hartlaub has this to say in his review: “THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE is a dark book, though not unrelentingly so. Jussi Adler-Olsen injects some occasional humor, grim and otherwise, into the proceedings at irregular intervals. There are also surprises, twists and turns galore…”
We continue to be impressed with the pieces we’ve been receiving from authors for this year’s Author Holiday Blogs. This week, we heard from Brenda Novak, Jane Maas, Jill McCorkle, Alma Katsu and Christopher Reich. This weekend, you can read essays from Susan Wiggs and Margaret Wrinkle. And still to come are contributions from Jeff Abbott, Carla Buckley, Mary Jane Clark, Deborah Crombie, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and more! We will have new pieces for you right up until New Year’s Eve (and on some days, we will be sharing TWO blog posts with you), so please check back each day for more author holiday memories of giving or receiving books. Many, many thanks to Emily Hoenig for writing the brilliant intros that accompany these pieces and organizing them for us!
Our Holiday Cheer contests ended this week. Congratulations to all our winners! Whether or not you won any of our 16 contests, we encourage you to take a look at the feature and see which books you may want to add to your last-minute shopping list.
Once again, we’ve asked our reviewers to share with us some of their favorite books of the year. These lists are a wonderful mix of fiction and nonfiction, bestsellers, debut novels, and books you may be hearing about for the first time that are worth checking out. We so appreciate everything that our reviewers have done for us this year, and look forward to working with them again in 2014!
We’re also curious to find out what YOU think were the best books of the year. Let us know by answering our Question of the Week.
Do you typically look at "Best of the Year" book lists? If so, which ones? Let us know by voting in our new poll, which will be up until Friday, January 10th at noon ET. In our previous poll, we wanted to know if you give eBooks as gifts. 15% of you do, but a whopping 70% of you prefer to gift print books. Click here for all the results.
We’ve updated our Young Adult Books You Want to Read feature, reviews that we’ve posted on our Teenreads.com site. This month’s selections are FOUL TROUBLE by John Feinstein, THE LIVING by Matt de la Peña, WHAT WE LOST IN THE DARK by Jacquelyn Mitchard, and CY IN CHAINS by David L. Dudley. Click here to see more YA books we recommend you read.
Let us know what you’re reading, and you’ll automatically be entered in our Word of Mouth contest for a chance to win these three books: IN THE BLOOD by Lisa Unger, THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd, and RADIANCE OF TOMORROW by Ishmael Beah. To be in the running, all you have to do is fill out the form found on this page by Friday, January 10th at noon ET.
For those of you who are on Facebook, I will be posting interesting news items as they come up in the next few weeks.
What are the holidays without humor in the sitcom that is my life? Our housekeeper has been bringing her sister with her to work, and I wanted to get her a holiday card. Since she only speaks Spanish, I wanted to get her a card in Spanish. So Greg and I went shopping. Between us, we have about 10 years of Spanish education and no practical knowledge. One card he thinks said “Will you marry me?” I picked up a really pretty one, and he said that is for someone to give to their wife. Finally, I got one that looked like it would work. Last night on Facebook, I asked friends to help translate as I thought it said something about greetings of the season and here’s to a nice new year. Instead, it said something nice about the holidays and “put money here.” Since the point of the card was to give me a way to give her some money, this worked. But I do shudder to think of the faux pas that could have been created if I failed to do that.
Cory is home from college; that was one FAST semester. He’s had a great experience thus far, winning top place in an engineering competition and making some terrific new friends. It’s really nice having him home now for a month. We are heading to the Outer Banks for the holidays where Son 2A and Son 2B will be joining us for part of the trip. It’s a first where both of them will be on vacation with us, and I really am looking forward to it. My plans include reading, knitting, cooking, RELAXING and watching movies. I am bringing a huge stack of books --- ones that I “missed” reading this year and many more that are publishing Q1 next year. I cannot wait to kick life back a notch and turn some pages. Once we are back, I will blog about what I read!
Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas if you are celebrating; Happy Holidays to everyone else. Here’s to a bright 2014 filled with health, happiness and lots of good books. We will see you on January 10th. Thank you for reading…from all of us!
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bookreporter.com Reviewers Choose Their Favorite Books of 2013
|
We've asked our reviewers to provide us with a list of some of their favorite books from 2013. Included is a mix of fiction and nonfiction titles, all published this year. Among their top picks are DOCTOR SLEEP by Stephen King, THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman, THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS by Elizabeth Gilbert, THE SON by Philipp Meyer, TENTH OF DECEMBER: Stories by George Saunders, and THIS IS THE STORY OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE by Ann Patchett. Take a moment to read these varied lists of titles and see if you agree with any of their selections!
|
|
Click here to see our reviewer picks for 2013. |
|
Now in Stores: HUNTED by Karen Robards
|
HUNTED by Karen Robards (Romantic Suspense)
Caroline Wallace is one of New Orleans PD’s top hostage negotiators, and she’s never failed to get every hostage out alive. But this time, it’s different. This time, the hostages include her boss --- the chief of police --- and the mayor. And this time, she’s trying to negotiate with Reed Ware, a former co-worker who left the force disgraced, under investigation by Internal Affairs, and worst of all, considered to be volatile and extremely dangerous. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to visit Karen Robards's official website.
|
|
Click here to read a review. |
|
Now in Stores: THE KID by Ben Bradlee, Jr.
|
THE KID: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams by Ben Bradlee, Jr. (Biography)
Ted Williams was the best hitter in baseball history. His batting average of .406 in 1941 has not been topped since, and no player who has hit more than 500 home runs has a higher career batting average. Those totals would have been even higher if Williams had not left baseball to serve as a Marine pilot in WWII and Korea. He hit home runs farther than any player before him --- and traveled a long way himself, as Ben Bradlee, Jr.'s biography reveals. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
-Click here to read more about the book.
|
|
Click here to read a review. |
|
Now in Stores: INNOCENT BLOOD by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell
|
INNOCENT BLOOD: The Order of the Sanguines Series by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (Gothic Thriller/Adventure)
While exploring a tomb hidden for centuries in the depths of Masada, Israel, brilliant archaeologist Erin Granger began an incredible journey to recover a miraculous ancient artifact tied to Christ himself. In this follow-up to THE BLOOD GOSPEL, an attack outside Stanford University thrusts Erin back into the fold of the Sanguines. As the threat of Armageddon looms, she must unite with an ancient evil to halt the plans of a man determined to see the world end, a man known only as Iscariot. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
-Click here to read more about the book.
|
|
Click here to read a review. |
|
In Stores December 31st: THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE by Jussi Adler-Olsen
|
THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE: A Department Q Novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
In 1987, Nete Hermansen plans revenge on those who abused her in her youth, including Curt Wad, a charismatic surgeon who was part of a movement to sterilize wayward girls in 1950s Denmark. More than 20 years later, Detective Carl Mørck is presented with the case of a brothel owner named Rita, who went missing in the ’80s. As he and his assistants sift through the disappearances, they get closer and closer to Curt, who is more determined than ever to see the vision of his youth take hold. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
|
|
Click here to read a review. |
|
|
|
Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit
|
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.
STARTER HOUSE releases on December 31st.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Sonja Condit’s bio.
-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
|
|
Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight. |
|
Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES by Averil Dean
|
 |
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.
ALICE CLOSE YOUR EYES releases on December 31st.
-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.
-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
|
|
Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight. |
|
Bookreporter.com's Author Holiday Blogs: Authors Write About Their Favorite Holiday Memories of Giving or Receiving Books
|
Bookreporter.com's Author Holiday Blogs are back for a SIXTH consecutive year. From now until the end of the 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, Joshilyn Jackson, Theresa Schwegel, Josh Hanagarne, Brenda Novak, Jane Maas, Jill McCorkle, Alma Katsu and Christopher Reich. This weekend's pieces will be written by Susan Wiggs and Margaret Wrinkle. And still to come are contributions from Jeff Abbott, Carla Buckley, Mary Jane Clark, Deborah Crombie, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and more!
As always, we so appreciate all the authors who have taken the time to share these wonderful holiday memories with us.
|
|
Click here to read Bookreporter.com's Author Holiday Blogs. |
|
|
|
Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cheer Feature
|
At Bookreporter.com, we've been celebrating the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, we've been spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it.
Although the contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at this year's featured titles. These are books you'll want to read during the holidays --- and throughout the year as well!
This year's featured titles are:
-Click here for the winners of this year's Holiday Cheer contests.
|
|
Click here to see our Holiday Cheer feature. |
|
|
|
More Reviews This Week
|
|
THE BURGLAR WHO COUNTED THE SPOONS: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery by Lawrence Block (Mystery)
Bestselling mystery writer Lawrence Block brings back one of his most popular characters, burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, in this 11th novel of the series. Bernie must use his illegal skills to solve a mystery involving a rare and valuable American Colonial silver spoon, an F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, a priceless portrait, and an array of historic buttons. And along the way, he just happens to have to solve a murder. Reviewed by Tom Callahan.
MIRAGE: A Novel of the Oregon Files by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul (Thriller/Adventure)
In October 1943, a U.S. destroyer sailed out of Philadelphia and supposedly vanished, the result of a Navy experiment with electromagnetic radiation. The story was considered a hoax --- but now Juan Cabrillo and his Oregon colleagues aren’t so sure. As Cabrillo races to find the truth, he discovers there is even more at stake than he could have imagined. But by the time he realizes it, he already may be too late. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
THE INVISIBLE CODE: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery by Christopher Fowler (Mystery)
Bryant and May, two of the sharpest minds in all of London, tackle one of the most confounding cases of their storied --- and eccentric --- careers. An ill-timed death, a powerful curse, a mad dowager, and a dead photographer are just a few of the ingredients in this puzzling stew. And so begins an investigation that will test the members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit to their limits. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE NEW COUNTESS by Fay Weldon (Historical Fiction)
THE NEW COUNTESS is the final novel in Fay Weldon's trilogy that began with HABITS OF THE HOUSE and continued with LONG LIVE THE KING. The bestselling novelist and award-winning writer of the pilot episode of the original "Upstairs Downstairs" lifts the curtain on British society, upstairs and downstairs, under one roof. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
HILD by Nicola Griffith (Historical Fiction)
In seventh-century Britain, small kingdoms are merging, frequently and violently. A new religion is coming ashore; the old gods are struggling, their priests worrying. Hild is the king’s youngest niece, and she has a glimmering mind and a natural, noble authority. She will become a fascinating woman and one of the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages: Saint Hilda of Whitby. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
WANT NOT by Jonathan Miles (Fiction)
As the novel opens on Thanksgiving Day, readers are telescoped into three different worlds in various states of disrepair --- a young freegan couple living off the grid in New York City; a once-prominent linguist, sacked at midlife by the dissolution of his marriage and his father’s losing battle with Alzheimer’s; and a self-made debt-collecting magnate, whose brute talent for squeezing money out of unlikely places has yielded him a royal existence, trophy wife included. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.
GOING DARK by James W. Hall (Thriller)
Earth Liberation Front is a loosely knit organization comprised of environmental activists who take a "by any means necessary" approach to defending the planet. Flynn Moss, Thorn’s newly discovered son, has naively fallen in with an ELF cell in Miami that has concocted a non-violent plan to shut down the largest nuclear power plant in the state. But unbeknownst to some in the group, there are other members who would like to cause a radioactive catastrophe rivaling Chernobyl or Fukushima. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
WARSAW 1944: Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising by Alexandra Richie (History)
In 1943, the Nazis liquidated Warsaw’s Jewish ghetto. A year later, they threatened to complete the city’s destruction by deporting its remaining residents. As Soviet soldiers turned back the Nazi invasion of Russia and began pressing west, the underground Polish Home Army decided to act. Taking advantage of German disarray and seeking to forestall the absorption of their country into the Soviet empire, they chose to liberate the city of Warsaw for themselves. WARSAW 1944 tells the story of this brave --- and errant --- calculation. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
BEETHOVEN: THE MAN REVEALED by John Suchet (Biography)
Beethoven scholar and classical radio host John Suchet has had a lifelong, ardent interest in the man and his music. Here, in his first full-length biography, Suchet illuminates the composer’s difficult childhood, his struggle to maintain friendships and romances, his ungovernable temper, his obsessive efforts to control his nephew’s life, and the excruciating decline of his hearing. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
THE STORIES OF FREDERICK BUSCH edited by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction/Short Stories)
A contemporary of Ann Beattie and Tobias Wolff, Frederick Busch was a master craftsman of the form; his subjects were single-event moments in so-called ordinary life. The stories in this volume, selected by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout, are tales of families trying to heal their wounds, save their marriages, and rescue their children. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
ROSEMARY AND CRIME by Gail Oust (Mystery)
Piper Prescott's grand opening of her own spice shop goes awry when the local chef who has agreed to do a cooking demo is found stabbed. Not only did Piper find the body, she handled the murder weapon and doesn't have a witness to her alibi. Desperate to uncover the truth --- and prove her innocence --- Piper enlists the help of her outspoken BFF Reba Mae Johnson to help track down the real culprit. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
TENNYSON: To Strive, To Seek, To Find by John Batchelor (Biography)
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Queen Victoria's favorite poet, commanded a wider readership than any other of his time. His ascendancy was neither the triumph of pure genius nor an accident of history: he skillfully crafted his own career and his relationships with his audience. This thoughtful new biography by John Batchelor reveals him to be a fascinating paradigm of both the Romantic and Victorian ideals. Reviewed by John Maher.
|
|
|
|
Young Adult Books You Want to Read
|
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 spotlight 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:
FOUL TROUBLE by John Feinstein (Fiction)
Terrell Jamerson is the #1 high school basketball player in the country, and everyone says he could play in the NBA tomorrow. He's living the dream, right? Danny Wilcox would tell you a different story. Danny is Terrell's best friend and teammate, and a top prospect himself. But he sees that not all of the people buzzing around Terrell have his best interests at heart. It's a dirty game, but Terrell will have to learn to play if he wants his chance at a slam dunk.
THE LIVING by Matt de la Pena (Thriller/Adventure)
Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he'll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy is only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed.
WHAT WE LOST IN THE DARK by Jacquelyn Mitchard (Mystery/Thriller)
Allie knows why Juliet killed herself: to escape the clutches of Garrett Tabor, whom Allie, Juliet and Rob saw commit an unspeakable crime. When Rob introduces Allie to the wildly dangerous sport of nighttime deep diving, Allie assumes he’s only trying to derail her investigation...until they uncover the terrible secret Garrett has hidden under Lake Superior.
CY IN CHAINS by David L. Dudley (Historical Fiction)
Thirteen-year-old Cy Williams has always known that he and the other black folks on Strong's plantation have to obey white men, even though he's free. Almost four years later, Cy yearns for that freedom, such as it was. Now he's a chain gang laborer, forced to do backbreaking work, penned in and shackled like an animal, brutalized, beaten and humiliated by the boss of the camp and his hired overseers. Cy is sure that a chance at freedom is worth any risk, any sacrifice.
|
|
Click here for more young adult books we recommend you read. |
|
|
|
This Week’s Poll and Question: "Best Of" Lists and Best Books of the Year
|
|
Poll:
Do you typically look at "Best of the Year" book lists?
Yes
No
Which of the following "Best of the Year" book lists do you look at?
Amazon
Entertainment Weekly
New York Times Book Review
NPR
O Magazine
Publishers Weekly
Slate Book Review
Time magazine
USA Today
Washington Post
I do not read "Best of the Year" book lists.
Other (Please specify)
-Click here to answer the poll.
Question:
What book that released for the first time in 2013 do you think was “The Book of the Year”? Since we know you may have trouble selecting just one, you can name up to three.
-Click here to answer the question.
|
|
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You've Read --- and You Can Win THREE Books!
|
|
Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from December 20th to January 10th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of IN THE BLOOD by Lisa Unger, THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd, and RADIANCE OF TOMORROW by Ishmael Beah.
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.
Also, 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.
One important technical note: If you're using an iPad or another iOS device to access the Word of Mouth page and you would like to enter the contest, you must wait for the page to fully load before you can rate your book. Only then will the stars be clickable.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
|
|
Click here to enter the contest. |
|
As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.
|
|
|
