January 9, 2015

It’s been a hectic week of “re-entry” after a fabulous two weeks away. When the holiday breaks on a Thursday, it allows for maximum vacation time (I learned this from my mom who was a teacher). Keith Raffel wrote and told me that this will not happen again for 10 years, so I am glad we savored this year. We spent the first week on the Outer Banks, and then came home for the second week as both of the boys had New Year’s plans. It was the first time we had been home for New Year’s since 2001!

It was nice to have time for extended reading, and I was happy to finish seven books and start two others. I look forward to sharing them with you in the weeks and months to come! My husband loved NATCHEZ BURNING by Greg Iles, which consumed most of his week.

I loved hearing about a tradition that Melanie Steinberg, our Word of Mouth Editor, does with her family each New Year’s. They all put together a puzzle; this year, it was the 500-piece puzzle of The Bizarre Bookshop pictured above. I definitely am going to pick this one up. We had a "Games of Thrones" puzzle with us, but somehow we never got around to it during the trip. There was too much else to keep us occupied, including a visit to Duck's Cottage Downtown Books, where I got to catch up with Jamie Layton, the store's manager --- and we, of course, bought books!

We did bring the DVDs of "50 Years of Bond" with us; I think we have been through eight movies over the last two Christmas trips. Greg read GOLDENEYE by Matthew Parker, which will be published on March 11th; it looks at the influence Ian Fleming's home in Jamaica had over the creation of James Bond. He was full of factoids as we were watching.

Over the break, I heard the sad news that Edward Herrmann passed away. While many knew him as the father on "Gilmore Girls," I knew him best as the brilliant narrator of the audiobooks of UNBROKEN and ENDURING COURAGE, and the voice of FDR on at least two programs. I plan to listen to his narration of THE BOYS IN THE BOAT next. I probably then will work my way through everything that he narrated. Next week our audiobook interviews with readers will be back. If you have not contacted me yet about being interviewed, shoot me a note at Carol@bookreporter.com.

The snowy day last week meant a fire in the fireplace and a fabulous roasted pork loin with sauerkraut and warm potato salad from Mario Batali's AMERICA --- FARM TO TABLE cookbook. Lovely!

And now on to this week’s update, which is full of stellar titles...

Back in October, I attended Hachette’s Third Annual Book Club Brunch. Though the event was full of delightful panels and author talks, the star of that day was Christopher Scotton, whose first novel, THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH, was given to attendees in advance so they could participate in his panel. The buzz surrounding his redemptive and insightful debut has been on a steady build. Narrated by Kevin, a grown man recounting the events of the fateful summer of 1985, the book tells the story of Medgar, Kentucky, an Appalachian coal town beset by a massive Mountaintop Removal operation. Sent to live with his grandfather after witnessing the horrific death of his younger brother, Kevin becomes embroiled in the battle between community and company, leading to an epic struggle for justice and survival. With its touching coming-of-age storyline and captivating look into the effects of modern-day coal-mining, THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH is one of my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On picks. Click here for my thoughts on the book.

Joe Hartlaub has his own thoughts about the book, and they are all raves. Here’s a preview of his review: “It’s difficult to predict such things, but my gut feeling as I sit here in (very) early January is that THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH is going to be on a number of 'Best of the Year' lists 12 months from now.… Scotton labored over his book for over 15 years and has created a quiet masterpiece that I daresay will be read and remembered years from now. It’s not a race, but, as this impressive debut novel demonstrates, slow and steady wins it.” By the way, I think those of you who enjoyed ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger will love this book!

Priya Parmar, whose book VANESSA AND HER SISTER is also a Bets On pick, is the latest featured author in our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight. In this captivating novel, Parmar takes readers back to the prewar London of 1905, where the Stephens siblings are beginning a new circle of intellectuals: the Bloomsbury Group. At the center of this esteemed group are Vanessa and Virginia, two gifted sisters who would go on to find fame as Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf. While the sisters find stimulation and support in one another, this bond is threatened when Vanessa falls in love. Feeling abandoned, Virginia begins to lose her grasp on sanity, forcing Vanessa to make a difficult decision. In celebration of the release of VANESSA AND HER SISTER, we’re giving away 25 copies to readers who would like to read the book and share their comments on it. To enter the contest, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 22nd at noon ET.

Roz Shea has our review and says, “Parmar uses letters, telegrams and Vanessa’s diary entries to create an intriguingly original novel that details the day-to-day activities, travels, romances and, sadly, medical ailments that regularly plague the main characters…. Not only has Parmar brilliantly captured the essence of an era of intellectual exploration, she also has breathed life into several of its larger-than-life characters.” Click here for my Bets On commentary.

The publication of VANESSA AND HER SISTER encouraged us to revisit some of Virginia Woolf’s works. The result is our latest bookshelf entitled “We’re Not Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” Narrowing her wide bibliography down to only 20 books was no easy feat, but Nicole Sherman did it, including her best-known novels, short stories and even some diaries on the bookshelf. Now you, too, will not be afraid that you do not know your Virginia Woolf!

My final Bets On pick of the week is THE BISHOP’S WIFE by Mette Ivie Harrison. Inspired by a chilling true crime, the novel introduces readers to Linda Wallheim, a devout Mormon, mother of five boys, and the wife of a bishop. One bitter winter night, Carrie, a young wife and mother in Linda’s ward, disappears. While Carrie’s husband claims that she has always been unstable, Linda is troubled by his secrecy and suspects that he killed his wife. Although Linda’s husband tells her not to get involved, she becomes obsessed with learning the truth --- a fixation that puts her faith and loyalty to the ultimate test. Written by a practicing Mormon, THE BISHOP’S WIFE is full of fascinating insights and shocking twists and turns. You can read my Bets On commentary here, and we look forward to bringing you our review on January 23rd.

Our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight features Amanda Eyre Ward, whose timely and heartfelt novel THE SAME SKY releases on January 20th; it also will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Told from opposite sides of the American border, the book introduces readers to Alice and her husband, Jake, who own a restaurant in Austin, Texas. Though they are happy and popular, Alice cannot help but feel that something is missing from their life. Meanwhile, across the border, young Carla struggles to care for her six-year-old brother since their mother made the dangerous journey to Texas. When their grandmother dies, Carla makes the difficult decision to take her brother and cross the border from Mexico to America for the chance at a better life. We’re celebrating the release of THE SAME SKY with a contest that will award 25 readers a copy of the book and the opportunity to share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 22nd at noon ET.

Fan favorites detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles return in Tess Gerritsen’s DIE AGAIN. When the two are called to the gruesome murder scene of a renowned hunter and taxidermist, Isles fears this isn’t the killer’s first slaughter. After connecting the murder to a series of unsolved homicides, she finds an answer in a remote corner of Botswana where, six years earlier, a tourist group was murdered by one of their own --- save for one victim who escaped. Now, with the killer loose in Boston, Rizzoli and Isles plan to tempt him with irresistible bait: the victim who got away.

Ray Palen has our review and says, “I am pleased to report that DIE AGAIN pulls no punches, and the result is something unlike any of Gerritsen’s previous novels. The suspense and peril depicted within are excruciating, and readers will find themselves squirming in their chairs and checking under the bed while reading it.”

For a thrilling read to kick off the new year, try HUSH by Karen Robards. Though the police have deemed Jeff Cowan’s death a suicide, his wife, Riley, suspects he has been murdered --- probably by one of the many people his father ripped off in one of the biggest financial fraud cases of all time. Riley views Jeff’s death as a message that people will continue to die until the money is returned. FBI agent Finn Bradley is also looking for the missing money, with Riley as his main suspect. But when someone attempts to kill Riley, Finn must protect her while the two work together to uncover the killer’s identity before he strikes again.

According to reviewer Renee Yeager, “Robards does a good job of keeping readers involved in the actions and motives of her characters, who we find ourselves rooting for…. In good romantic suspense, there is always a question of whether or not the two characters will get together or stay together. HUSH has elements of both, along with a solid mystery that is sure to please whodunit fans.”

How would you like to do some binge reading to start the year? St. Martin’s Press is giving you a good head start with “The Clifton Chronicles Sweepstakes.” 500 lucky winners will be awarded a copy of ONLY TIME WILL TELL, the beginning of Jeffrey Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles series, an episodic saga of love, loss, betrayal and ambition that spans the decades. Read it, along with the next three installments, and you’ll be all set for February 24th, when the fifth book in the series, MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD, releases. The deadline for your entries is Tuesday, January 20th at 11:59pm. Click here for all the details.

Romantic suspense fans, this one’s for you! We’re celebrating the release of BROKEN BONDS, the newest installment in Karen Harper’s Cold Creek series, with a special contest that will give five readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, February 3rd at noon ET.

Our New in Paperback roundups have been updated for January. Among this month’s releases are MR. MERCEDES by Stephen King, COP TOWN by Karin Slaughter, THE ACCIDENT by Chris Pavone, and three books that I picked as Bets On selections when they released in hardcover: A CIRCLE OF WIVES by Alice LaPlante, THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL by Nadia Hashimi, and UNREMARRIED WIDOW: A Memoir by Artis Henderson.

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to enter our End-of-the-Year Contest, you’re in luck! We’ve extended the giveaway through the weekend (we had meant to do that from the start and got dates mixed up), so the new deadline for entries will be Monday, January 12th at noon ET. This very special contest features all 32 of my Bets On picks for 2014. One grand prize winner will win a copy of all 32 books, while 32 other winners will receive a copy of one of the featured titles.

The countdown is on for our first-ever “Winter Reading Dedicated Contests." On select days through February, we’ll be awarding new and upcoming releases to lucky readers. Our Winter Reading newsletters will be starting on January 20th, so be sure you’re signed up to receive them so you know what book we’re giving away on each of the contest days. We do not send you our themed newsletters unless you opt-in, so sign up here. If you are having trouble doing so, please write John Maher at John@bookreporter.com.

For our first poll of the new year, we’d like to know how you discovered Bookreporter.com. Was it through word of mouth? Another website? Social media? Or perhaps a bookseller or librarian? Click here to let us know.

Our previous poll asked how many books you read in 2014. We’re happy to share that 26% of you, like me, read more than 100(!) books last year. 20% read 51-75 books, while 13% read 76-100. Click here for the full results. Based on the number of books that are releasing in January alone, it’s safe to assume that I will answer “More than 100” to this question 12 months from now! And Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, plans to read one book every two weeks, which will be 26 books, well below most Bookreporter.com readers.

We have a new Word of Mouth contest starting today. Let us know the books you’ve been reading, and you’ll be in the running to win FEAR THE DARKNESS by Becky Masterman, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins (which will be a Bets On selection next week), and SAINT ODD: An Odd Thomas Novel by Dean Koontz. The deadline for your entries is Friday, January 23rd at noon ET.

In case you missed these while we were on hiatus, here are a few pop culture items to share:

For “Serial” podcast fans: Here’s a three-part interview where Jay, a key witness from "Serial," responds to the podcast, and here’s the "Saturday Night Live" skit where “Serial” is parodied.

For “Downton Abbey” fans, here's the parody with George Clooney that was done for UK viewers to raise money.

For those who are wondering when their favorite midseason shows will be airing, I found this link with the complete lineup.

Saw: The Imitation Game, which is a brilliant film that deserves to be seen. Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken was a huge achievement for her. It’s hard to take a book that wonderful and trim it down. I personally would have liked to see Part Two with the rest of his story, which deserved a whole other movie.

Watched: "Transparent," a new series on Amazon. It's very edgy and not for everyone, but I confess to watching 10 episodes in one day. It’s nominated for two Golden Globes on Sunday night, so I had to investigate.

Watching: "Black Mirror" on Netflix. This UK series --- two seasons of three episodes --- shows what futuristic tech-based dystoptia may look like. It’s done in the style of "The Twilight Zone," so you do not have to watch every episode.

Something to Note: Mercury will be retrograde January 21- February 11, May 18-June 11 and September 17-October 9.

As for me, I am listening to THE ROSIE EFFECT, which is a follow-up to THE ROSIE PROJECT, which I read in print. I am loving being read to by Dan O’Grady. I am reading the aforementioned FEAR THE DARKNESS by Becky Masterman. I loved her last book, RAGE AGAINST THE DYING, and am enjoying this one just as much. Next up, I am reading THE WHITES by Richard Price writing as Harry Brandt (I will get to the bottom of that), which I started since I typically am reading more than one book!

With the wind whistling, we are hunkering down here with guests coming Saturday night and Sunday. Lots of movies and football on the agenda. I am still unsure of who I am pulling for Monday night in the National Championship. Read on, and here’s to a great week!

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

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