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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
July 3, 2014 |
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Have a Firecracker 4th!
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Yes, it’s Thursday, not Friday night. The newsletter is arriving in your mailbox a day early today so the staff can enjoy a much-deserved 3 1/2-day weekend.
Last weekend, I had a booklover’s dream weekend as I read two books that were page-turners. First up was BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty, which is one of our Summer Reading titles that will be in stores on July 29th. Many of you may remember Liane’s last book, the New York Times bestselling THE HUSBAND’S SECRET. In BIG LITTLE LIES, she looks at three women, each of whom have their secrets that they are putting bright faces on. There’s a bullying scandal among the youngest students and a murder that are gossiped about from various characters in pithy comments from the opening pages. At the start it is not clear who and what is being commented on, but as the pages turn --- and they will turn quickly --- the tension ramps.
Second up was ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes, who wrote both ME BEFORE YOU and THE GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND. We have our review this week from Norah Piehl, who says, "[T]he novel manages to be both sexy and funny simultaneously, and provides an ending that is fulfilling without being entirely predictable.... Read ONE PLUS ONE, and you, too, will be recommending the works of this continually surprising young novelist to your book-loving friends." For me, the voice in ONE PLUS ONE reminded me a lot of ME BEFORE YOU, perhaps because both female protagonists were so plucky.
We have LOTS more reviews for you, as many books came out in the last couple of weeks!
Dean Koontz has a new novel, THE CITY, about a young man coming of age within a remarkably talented family. Jonah Kirk is not only the son of an exceptional singer and grandson of a formidable “piano man,” but a musical prodigy himself. Just as he is beginning to explore his gift, he crosses paths with a dangerous group of people --- with shattering consequences. Ray Palen has our review and says, "Dean Koontz has created a terrific character in young Jonah Kirk, blessing him with natural and supernatural gifts, along with a love of science fiction novels and a strong moral sense of right and wrong."
Fans of THE CUCKOO’S CALLING will be thrilled to learn that private detective Cormoran Strike is back in THE SILKWORM by Robert Galbraith (also known as J. K. Rowling). When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife is more annoyed than worried and enlists Strike to find him and bring him back. As Strike investigates, however, he learns that Quine has recently completed a manuscript full of poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If published, the novel would ruin many lives --- meaning that almost any of Quine’s acquaintances could be linked to his disappearance. According to reviewer Kate Ayers, "Rowling’s irrepressible style surfaces in myriad ways. She can’t keep her whimsical side under total control, and it comes out notably in the creation of her characters’ names and in dramatic reactions to situations."
Hillary Rodham Clinton has published her second memoir, HARD CHOICES, offering her inside account of the crises, choices and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State and how those experiences drive her view of the future. Drawing on conversations with numerous leaders and experts, Clinton offers her views on what it will take for the United States to compete and thrive in an interdependent world. Reviewer Jana Siciliano has this to say: "HARD CHOICES is Clinton’s testament to the good and the bad of her time as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama in his first term.... It is clear that she is using this book as an opportunity to put behind her all that she has done thus far --- and to look forward to an open vista of challenges and changes."
San Francisco private investigator Sharon McCone returns in Marcia Muller’s THE NIGHT SEARCHERS. Sharon is understandably skeptical when new clients Jay and Camilla Givens report devil worshippers performing human sacrifices right in San Francisco. But when she discovers that Jay is involved with the treasure-hunting group The Night Searchers, she begins investigating exactly what he and the other participants are up to after dark. According to reviewer Roz Shea, "Muller’s previous Sharon McCone mystery, LOOKING FOR YESTERDAY, read almost like a swan song, so I was delighted to see this new installment that ends (this is not a spoiler) with Sharon and Hy becoming business partners."
Appropriately published to coincide with the centennial of the Great War is THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF LIES, Jacqueline Winspear's first stand-alone novel and a departure from her Maisie Dobbs series. By July 1914, the longtime friendship between Kezia Marchant and Thea Brissenden has become strained. Kezia and Tom, Thea’s brother, wed only a month before war is declared between Britain and Germany. When Tom enlists and Thea is drawn reluctantly onto the battlefield, Kezia takes over the family farm. Tom and Kezia hide their despair in letters and cards, and Tom’s fellow soldiers take solace in the dream world of Kezia’s imaginary meals. But will well-intended lies be of use when they come face to face with the enemy? Reviewer Terry Miller Shannon says, "Along with an impossible-to-put-down page-turner of a tale, thought-provoking and still timely questions about the nature of war linger on after Winspear’s latest literary success is closed for the final time."
As promised, LITTLE MERCIES by Heather Gudenkauf is my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Click here to see why I'm betting you'll love it just as much as I do.
Last week, we posted our review of Rosie Thomas's latest book, THE ILLUSIONISTS. We're now pleased to share our interview with Rosie, who talks to reviewer Norah Piehl about her inspiration for the novel, some of the fascinating details she found out during the course of her research for the book, and the sequel she's currently working on.
In this week’s Summer Reading Contests, we gave away ALL THOSE VANISHED ENGINES by Paul Park, SCARED SCRIPTLESS by Alison Sweeney and TERMINAL CITY by Linda Fairstein. Next week’s prizes will be CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS by Chris Bohjalian, FAIR PLAY by Deeanne Gist, THE STORIES WE TELL by Patti Callahan Henry and THE TRAITOR'S WIFE by Allison Pataki. Click here to see all of our featured titles.
Are you signed up for our Summer Reading newsletter so you get word as soon as these contests go live? If not, click here to get signed up! Please note: If you signed up for the Summer Reading newsletter in the previous years we’ve done these contests, you don’t need to do so again…you already are signed up!
We’ve updated our New in Paperback feature for July. Among this month’s releases are ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM by Debbie Macomber, TAMARACK COUNTY by William Kent Krueger, A TAP ON THE WINDOW by Linwood Barclay, TELL NO LIES by Gregg Hurwitz, NIGHT FILM by Marisha Pessl and THE GOOD NURSE: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber.
We’ve also updated our Books on Screen feature. July’s theatrical releases include A Long Way Down, A Most Wanted Man and Deliver Us from Evil. On the small screen, you can look forward to the debut of "The Strain" on FX and the season premieres of "Masters of Sex" and “Witches of East End.” And among this month’s DVD releases are Under the Skin, Heaven is for Real and Half of a Yellow Sun.
Do you read more than one book at the same time? Click here to let us know in our latest poll. We’d love to get your feedback on this, whether you read print books, eBooks, audiobooks, or a combination of the three.
Our current Word of Mouth contest will be up for one more week. Please let us know by Friday, July 11th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll have an opportunity to win COP TOWN by Karin Slaughter, along with the aforementioned THE CITY and THE NIGHT SEARCHERS.
We know that many of you were big supporters of World Book Night as givers. Sadly we learned yesterday that World Book Night U.S. is ceasing operations as funding from outside the industry proved tough to secure. Here is a part of the announcement: “After three years in which thousands and thousands of you distributed over a million and a half specially-printed World Book Night paperbacks across America, we are sad to announce that we are suspending operations. The expenses of running World Book Night U.S., even given the significant financial and time commitment from publishers, writers, booksellers, librarians, printers, distributors, shippers --- and you, our amazing givers! --- are too high to sustain.” I personally thank our readers who jumped on board as givers and cheerleaders for this program.
Looking for more book recommendations for the weekend? Let me steer you to this “Today Show” video where authors Kate White and Brad Thor make summer reading recommendations; there’s one that they have in common, which also is on MY list. Also, you can see a video of Linda Fairstein talking about TERMINAL CITY on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
For my week of audiobook listening, I found myself switching between COP TOWN (which I started last week), a thriller that has a depth and breadth of social commentary in it on race and equality for women, as well as a plot that has drawn me in, and HAVE A NICE GUILT TRIP, which is written and narrated by Lisa Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella. Their essays are perfect for a car drive --- one story on the way to the grocery store and one on the way back! It's like they are in the seat next to me. The hardcover and audiobook editions of HAVE A NICE GUILT TRIP release on July 8th.
Next week, I am headed to ThrillerFest, the annual International Thriller Writers Conference, which again is being held in New York City. This is the 10th anniversary of this conference; it’s hard to believe the first one was 10 years ago in Scottsdale (it has been in New York since then). To prep, I will be reading selected stories from FACEOFF this weekend, the short story anthology that was published last month pairing thriller authors to write chapters starring their iconic characters. On Friday night, there will be a FanFest event where a select group of ITW authors and the FACEOFF authors are hosting a special signing and cocktail party for some lucky fans. I am looking forward to seeing MANY of my thriller writing friends there.
For those who did not see the season finale of season six of “Nurse Jackie,” it’s brilliant. Episode four of season two of “Orange is the New Black” may be my favorite, where we learn more about why Lorna is behind bars. The writing on both of these shows is tight; for “Nurse Jackie,” it’s hard to believe an episode is only 27 minutes long. Also, we got word that Showtime will be screening the first seasons of both “Ray Donovan” and “Masters of Sex” (the latter is based on the book by my college friend, Thomas Maier) on July 4th in anticipation of their season two launches on July 13th. I have screened some of the second season of each --- the first two episodes of “Ray Donovan” and three episodes of “Masters of Sex,” and they do not disappoint. I have not yet watched “The Leftovers” on HBO, which is based on the book by Tom Perrotta, but some staffers here have given it very high marks.
Walter Dean Myers, a multi-honored treasure of a children's and YA author who was the National Ambassador for Children's Literature from 2012-2014, passed away this week. To see just part of why he was so special, watch this video. And just as I was wrapping this newsletter, I saw the very sad news that Louis Zamperini has passed away at the age of 97. He is the hero whose life inspired Laura Hillenbrand's book, UNBROKEN, and the upcoming film that is coming out on Christmas Day.
The pool is sparkling, the flowers are in their brightest blooms yet, and the very tall pile of books I want to delve into is ready to go. The lazy weekend ahead will be about relaxing with a book, floating in the pool, laps and water aerobics, cucumber soda (amazing) and barbecuing. The rain in the forecast is being ignored as activities will fit between the raindrops, if necessary. Note: no fireworks as I loathe sitting in traffic to get to and from them. It takes the joy away.
Cory is working on getting the catamaran readied to be sailed again (it was last on the water before Greg was born). So glad we held onto it all these years.
Here’s to YOU having a firecracker 4th no matter what you do. Read on and have a great week! May you find a book, or two or three or four, to enjoy this extended weekend.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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Now in Stores: THE CITY by Dean Koontz
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THE CITY by Dean Koontz (Fiction)
Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, THE CITY encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
-Click here to read more about the book. |
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: THE SILKWORM by J. K. Rowling, writing as Robert Galbraith
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THE SILKWORM: A Cormoran Strike Novel by J. K. Rowling, writing as Robert Galbraith (Mystery)
When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. Quine has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives. When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer unlike any Strike has encountered before. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: HARD CHOICES by Hillary Rodham Clinton
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HARD CHOICES: A Memoir by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Memoir)
HARD CHOICES is Hillary Rodham Clinton’s inside account of the crises, choices and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the future. Secretary Clinton’s descriptions of diplomatic conversations at the highest levels offer readers a master class in international relations, as does her analysis of how we can best use “smart power” to deliver security and prosperity in a rapidly changing world. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes
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ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes (Fiction)
Jess’s life is falling apart. Her husband has done a vanishing act, her teenage stepson is being bullied, and her math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that she can’t afford to pay for. But then an unexpected knight in shining armor offers to rescue them --- Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. Driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages…maybe ever. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: THE NIGHT SEARCHERS by Marcia Muller
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THE NIGHT SEARCHERS: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller (Mystery)
When new clients Jay and Camilla Givens come to Sharon McCone with Camilla's stories of devil worshippers performing human sacrifices in San Francisco, the detective is skeptical, to say the least. However, when she discovers that Jay is involved with the treasure hunting group "The Night Searchers," she starts looking into what exactly he and the other participants are up to after dark. As she digs deeper into the Searchers, Sharon joins their ranks in order to find out more --- while someone is searching for her. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to visit Marcia Muller's official website.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Bookreporter.com Bets On: LITTLE MERCIES by Heather Gudenkauf
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LITTLE MERCIES by Heather Gudenkauf (Fiction)
LITTLE MERCIES by Heather Gudenkauf reminds us that even those with the best of intentions can make a mistake with costly ramifications. One morning, Ellen Moore heads to her high-stress job as a social worker with a laser focus on saving some endangered children trapped in a house with their dad, who is brandishing a weapon. As she dashes to the scene, she forgets that her own infant daughter, Avery, is strapped in her car seat just steps from the unfolding crisis. The temperatures rise, and Avery’s life slips into a danger zone. Ellen is charged with criminal intent to harm, and suddenly she is on the other side of the law and what is right.
In a parallel story, Jenny Briard is 10 years old and living with her dad, who is well-meaning but misguided. As a scheme of his fails, Jenny finds herself on her own. She is drawing on her street smarts to navigate a new city when she crosses paths with a well-meaning woman who helps her.
As their worlds collide, readers come to see the meaning of “little mercies,” a phrase you will not easily forget.
This story has stayed with me. It takes a look at the “what if” that turns the tide from right to wrong that haunts us all. There is lots here to discuss for book groups. And for those are intrigued by the character of Ellen, be sure to check out Heather’s prequel, LITTLE LIES, that sets up this story and Ellen’s family/career wonderfully.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here for a special Digital Book Club Kit.
-Click here to read our interview with Heather Gudenkauf.
-Click here to read Heather Gudenkauf's bio.
-Visit Heather Gudenkauf's official website and blog.
-Connect with Heather Gudenkauf on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.
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Click here for more books we're betting you'll love. |
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July’s New in Paperback Roundups
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July’s roundups of New in Paperback titles include ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM, Debbie Macomber's return to the charming Rose Harbor Inn, where each guest finds a second chance and every room comes with an inspiring new view; TAMARACK COUNTY, the 13th installment in William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor mystery series; NIGHT FILM by Marisha Pessl, the haunting story of a journalist who becomes obsessed with the mysterious death of a troubled prodigy --- the daughter of an iconic, reclusive filmmaker; HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN, the ninth Chief Inspector Gamache novel from Louise Penny; HELP FOR THE HAUNTED by John Searles, the story of a most unusual family, their deep secrets, their harrowing tragedy, and ultimately, a daughter’s discovery of a dark and unexpected mystery; and THE GOOD NURSE, Charles Graeber's terrifying chronicle of registered nurse Charlie Cullen's deadly career and the breathless efforts to stop him.
-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of June 30th, July 7th, July 14th, July 21st and July 28th.
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Bookreporter.com's Books on Screen Feature for July
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You’re up, summer blockbuster fans! It’s the movie season you’ve been waiting for, when films get bigger and louder --- and hit harder than a Huffington Post article! Jokes aside, it’s a great month to hunker down in a cool theater or crank up your AC and check out some of the latest books on screen.
For those of you who love horror movies and America, Deliver Us From Evil will be out just in time for the holiday weekend. However, if you tend to avoid scary movies and can’t get enough Nick Hornby since NBC’s “About a Boy” wrapped for the season, check out A Long Way Down, adapted from the 2005 book of the same name. There’s also Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and A Most Wanted Man, both tense thrillers starring lauded character actors (Gary Oldman and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, respectively).
If you’ve already blown your movie budget on frozen margaritas, stay in and watch TV this month. The second season of Lifetime’s campy, underrated “Witches of East End” will premiere on the 6th, and Showtime’s fan-favorite “Masters of Sex” (starring “True Blood” alum Lizzy Caplan) will be back for season two on the 13th. Also on the 13th, don't miss the debut of "The Strain," a vampire horror series on FX created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, based on their novel trilogy of the same name.
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Click here to see all the movies, TV shows and DVDs featured in July's Books on Screen. |
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Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading Contests and Feature
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Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We will be hosting a number of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days throughout the summer, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, July 7th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles include:
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Click here to read all the contest details and see our featured titles. |
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One to Watch Author Spotlight: THE SPARK AND THE DRIVE by Wayne Harrison
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THE SPARK AND THE DRIVE by Wayne Harrison (Fiction)
Justin Bailey is 17 when he arrives at the shop of legendary muscle car mechanic Nick Campbell. Anguished and out of place among the students at his rural Connecticut high school, Justin finds in Nick, his captivating wife Mary Ann, and their world of miraculous machines the sense of family he has struggled to find at home.
But when Nick and Mary Ann’s lives are struck by tragedy, Justin’s own world is upended. Suddenly Nick, once celebrated for his mechanical genius, has lost his touch. Mary Ann, once tender and compassionate to her husband, has turned distant. As Justin tries to prop up his suffering mentor, he finds himself drawn toward the man’s grieving wife. Torn apart by feelings of betrayal, Justin must choose between the man he admires more than his own father and the woman he loves.
THE SPARK AND THE DRIVE releases on July 15th.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Wayne Harrison’s bio.
-Click here to visit Wayne Harrison's official website.
-Click here to connect with Wayne Harrison on Facebook.
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Click here to read more in our One to Watch Author Spotlight. |
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Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight: THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL by Susan Wiggs
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THE BEEKEEPER'S BALL by Susan Wiggs (Fiction)
Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef who grew up in the sleepy Sonoma town of Archangel, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school --- a unique place for other dreamers to come and learn the culinary arts. Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel's project...and the perfect place for her to forget the past.
But Isabel's carefully ordered plans begin to go awry when swaggering, war-torn journalist Cormac O'Neill arrives to dig up old history. He's always been better at exposing the lives of others than showing his own closely guarded heart, but the pleasures of small-town life and the searing sensuality of Isabel's kitchen coax him into revealing a few truths of his own.
The dreamy sweetness of summer is the perfect time of year for a grand family wedding and the enchanting Beekeeper's Ball, bringing emotions to a head in a story where the past and present collide to create an unexpected new future.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to read our interview with Susan Wiggs.
-Click here to read Susan Wiggs’s bio.
-Click here to visit Susan Wiggs’s official website.
-Connect with Susan Wiggs on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to see the 35 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
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Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight. |
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More Reviews This Week
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THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF LIES: A Novel of the Great War by Jacqueline Winspear (Historical Fiction)
On the eve of World War I, a rift develops between best friends Kezia Marchant and Thea Brissenden as Kezia marries Tom, Thea's brother. Thea, scornful of Kezia's future as a farmer's wife, turns to political causes that transform her into a hunted outlaw. When Tom and Thea head off to the battlefields and Kezia takes over the farm, all three are challenged and changed. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.
SUMMER HOUSE WITH SWIMMING POOL by Herman Koch (Psychological Suspense)
When a medical procedure goes horribly wrong and famous actor Ralph Meier winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser needs to come up with some answers. After all, reputation is everything in this business. Personally, he’s not exactly upset that Ralph is gone, but as a high-profile doctor to the stars, Marc can't hide from the truth forever. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
GHOST SHIP: A Kurt Austin Adventure by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown (Thriller/Adventure)
When Kurt Austin is injured attempting to rescue the passengers and crew from a sinking yacht, he wakes with fragmented and conflicted memories. Determined to know the truth, he begins to search for answers, and soon finds himself descending into a shadowy world of state-sponsored cybercrime and uncovering a pattern of vanishing scientists, suspicious accidents, and a web of human trafficking. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
SALLY RIDE: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr (Biography)
Lynn Sherr, an award-winning broadcaster and author who spent more than 30 years at ABC News and covered NASA during its transformation from a test-pilot boys’ club to a more inclusive elite, has written the definitive biography of Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, featuring exclusive insights from Ride’s family, partner, and countless friends and colleagues. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
BRUTAL YOUTH by Anthony Breznican (Fiction)
To even stand a chance at surviving their freshmen year at Saint Michael’s, Peter Davidek, Noah Stein and Lorelei Paskal must join forces as they navigate a bullying culture dominated by administrators like the once-popular Ms. Bromine, their embittered guidance counselor, and Father Mercedes, the parish priest who plans to scapegoat the students as he makes off with church finances. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
PHANTOM INSTINCT by Meg Gardiner (Psychological Thriller)
Harper Flynn is trying to rebuild her life a year after her boyfriend was gunned down in the L.A. club where she worked. Meanwhile, the investigation into the shoot-out has been closed, as the two gunmen were killed when the building collapsed. Certain that a third gunman escaped and is targeting the survivors, Harper enlists the help of L.A. Sheriff Deputy Aiden Garrison. She soon realizes that her presence during the attack was no coincidence --- and that her only ally is unstable, mistrustful of her, and seeing the same enemy everywhere he looks. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE STRING DIARIES by Stephen Lloyd Jones (Horror/Thriller)
Hannah frantically drives through the night --- her daughter asleep in the back, her husband bleeding out in the seat beside her. In the trunk of the car rests a cache of diaries dating back 200 years, tied and retied with strings through generations. The diaries carry the rules for survival that have been handed down from mother to daughter since the 19th century. But how can Hannah escape an enemy with the ability to look and sound like the people she loves? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE AMERICAN MISSION by Matthew Palmer (Thriller)
After a devastating experience in Darfur strips Alex Baines, former rising star of the State Department, of his security clearances, he receives a call from his old mentor with an incredible opportunity to start over. The job isn’t quite what Alex imagined it to be when he finds a shady U.S.-based mining company everywhere he turns. As violence in the political climate escalates, Alex struggles to balance the best interests of the United States with the fate of the Congo and its people. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
MOVING DAY by Jonathan Stone (Thriller)
When a con man steals his houseful of possessions in a sophisticated moving-day scam, Stanley Peke is reminded of another helpless time: decades in his past, a cold and threadbare Stanislaw Shmuel Pecoskowitz eked out a desperate existence in the war-torn Polish countryside, subsisting on scraps and dodging Nazi soldiers. Now, the 72-year-old Peke must summon his original grit and determination to track down the thieves, retrieve his things, and restore the life he made for himself. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub. |
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Our Latest Poll: Juggling More Than One Book
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Do you read more than one book at the same time?
I read more than one print book.
I read more than one eBook.
I listen to more than one audiobook.
I read a print book and an eBook.
I read a print book and listen to an audiobook.
I read an eBook and listen to an audiobook.
I read a print book and an eBook, and listen to an audiobook.
No, I only read or listen to one book at a time.
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Click here to answer the poll. |
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Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win THREE Books!
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Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from June 20th to July 11th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE CITY by Dean Koontz, COP TOWN by Karin Slaughter, and THE NIGHT SEARCHERS: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller.
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 this 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.
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Click here to enter the contest. |
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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.
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