February 6, 2015

I am not going to talk about the weather in this newsletter, except to say that I am happy that I THINK the skies will be clear for my early morning Sunday flight to Asheville for the 10th Annual American Booksellers Association’s Winter Institute. This annual gathering of 500 indie booksellers is one of my favorite events of the year, as these are uber readers as well as booksellers. The conversation about what we like --- and what we felt did not quite hit the mark --- is always invigorating.

There will be more than 100 authors in attendance, and I am making fast and furious notes on who I especially would like to meet! One program that I am excited about is “A Conversation about F. Scott Fitzgerald.” As the program notes, “Asheville has a rich literary history. Included among the authors with ties to the city is one of the 20th century’s greatest novelists, F. Scott Fitzgerald. (His wife, Zelda, was treated at Asheville's Highland Hospital, a psychiatric facility.) Maureen Corrigan, author of SO WE READ ON: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures, and Stewart O’Nan, author of WEST OF SUNSET, a novel of Fitzgerald’s last years in Hollywood, will share their insights and observations about the writer, his works, and his times. The conversation will be moderated by Erik Larson, author of DEAD WAKE: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania (coming in March)." My husband just read an advance copy of DEAD WAKE and enjoyed it. Larson, as you may recall, also is the author of THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY and IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS.

Speaking of authors, Kristin Hannah was in town this week to kick off her tour for THE NIGHTINGALE, which is a #1 Indie Pick for February! We got to catch up over a cup of tea on Tuesday morning before she was off to do a radio interview. Reader comments about this book have been coming in steadily, all of which are raves. At the launch event on Tuesday night, there was a large crowd of loyal readers who braved the cold, snow and subway delays to be there. Kristin’s passion infused this story about what women went through in World War II; she feels that much focus has been on men's stories, and she wanted to tell another side. She draws a vivid picture of life for women in France in this novel, which is full of rich historical detail. Melanie, who edits our Word of Mouth feature and who also loved the book, caught up with Kristin at Book Revue in Huntington on Wednesday night and reported that the crowd there was equally enthusiastic.

We are featuring THE NIGHTINGALE on ReadingGroupGuides.com, as it is perfect for book groups. One fan talked about how she enjoys the audios of the books. On the audiobook for THE NIGHTINGALE, Kristin narrates the discussion questions for book clubs. One note: Hold off on reading the discussion questions until you finish the book as there are spoilers in them!

We’ve been featuring THE NIGHTINGALE in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight. Norah Piehl has our review this week and says, "The novel is suspenseful and romantic at the same time, and offers readers a very personal portrait of life in wartime and of the kind of bravery harbored by even seemingly ordinary people." We’re also pleased to share a Q&A in which Kristin talks about her inspiration for the book, how she approached the research into this particular setting and era, and what she hopes readers will take away from the novel. If you can catch her on tour, you are in for a treat; you can check out her schedule here. My sister is going to try to catch up with her at her Costco signing in Georgia on Sunday.

An aside here: As often as I go to Costco (we joke that my husband has a Costco addiction), I have never gone to an author signing there. I would love to do that…the ultimate multitasking!

Bestselling thriller author Lisa Gardner has released CRASH & BURN, a stand-alone novel with a cameo by fan-favorite Detective D.D. Warren. We are introduced here to Nicole Frank, who has just survived a nearly fatal car accident and rescue. Throughout it all, one thought propels Nicky to safety: a little girl in danger. Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when he can’t find any signs of the missing child, until Nicky’s husband shows up with a shocking revelation: Nicky suffers from a rare brain injury that makes her untrustworthy. But as Wyatt investigates further, it seems that this is not Nicky’s first accident --- and now it's up to him to ensure that it's her last.

According to reviewer Joe Hartlaub, “CRASH & BURN is not so much a departure from Lisa Gardner’s immensely popular D.D. Warren series as it is an interlude.... [H]er stalwart long-time audience will find it a very satisfying read for its long look at Wyatt Foster and the hint of what is to come.”

Also available now is FUNNY GIRL, Nick Hornby’s highly anticipated new novel. Set in 1960s London, the book follows the adventures of Sophie Straw. A working class English girl, Sophie is just beginning to come of age as a television starlet surrounded by a bevy of eccentric characters. Funny, flawed and devilishly enchanting, the characters of FUNNY GIRL will encourage readers to examine both their cultures and themselves. By the way, I still cannot believe that the '60s were half a century ago!

Eileen Zimmerman Nicol has this to say in her review: “As he did with ABOUT A BOY and HIGH FIDELITY, Nick Hornby once again has created a funny and lovable cast of characters inhabiting a complex, fully fleshed-out world. I enjoyed it, although at times it began to seem like a clever sitcom that had gone on a bit too long. But it made me laugh, and it made me feel good.”

From prolific fantasy author Neil Gaiman comes TRIGGER WARNING: Short Fictions and Disturbances, his third collection of short fiction. Full of horror, science fiction and fairy tales, this anthology explores both the masks we wear and the vulnerabilities we hide behind them. From a special “Doctor Who” story to pirates, igloos made of books, and even a spin on Sherlock Holmes, Gaiman offers numerous surprises in this imaginative collection.

Sarah Rachel Egelman has much praise for TRIGGER WARNING in her review: “Gaiman's skill is always apparent, and his creativity never fails to yield entertaining and thoughtful results. The introduction, where we learn his own thoughts on the stories and some of his ideas about writing in general, is just as fun to read as the rest of TRIGGER WARNING. This is a book to savor and enjoy, and it's perfect reading for the long cold days and nights of late winter.” We also have a guide for the book on ReadingGroupGuides.com (the questions were written by Sarah herself), which you can see here.

Another short story collection out this week is GET IN TROUBLE, which fans of darkly playful Kelly Link will be excited to learn is now available. In her first collection of adult stories in a decade, she weaves imagination with sly humor to expose the hidden strengths of human beings. From “The Summer People,” the story of a young girl playing caretaker to mysterious visitors to the cottage behind her home, to “I Can See Right Through You,” the tale of a movie star who visits the set of a ghost-hunting reality show, Link will terrify and amuse you.

Michael Magras has our review and says, “GET IN TROUBLE...demonstrates [Link's] ability to spin gripping yarns about haunted houses, vampires, wolfmen, spaceships and Egyptian cartouches, and infuse her tales with a vitality rarely seen in this type of fiction…. For the most part, these are beautifully written stories by one of today’s most inventive writers.”

As we feature more than one short story collection this week, I wanted to share something that Kelly noted to me when we had lunch a few months ago. It is not necessary for readers to love every story in a short story collection. As you read, see which stories resonate more than others and think about why. I feel the same way about collections of essays and gave it a lot of thought when I was listening to David Sedaris on audio.

To celebrate the March 17th release of THE POCKET WIFE by Susan Crawford, which is being compared to THE SILENT WIFE and TURN OF MIND (as they were both Bookreporter.com Bets On titles, that was enough of a comparison to get ME reading), we’re giving 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of the book and submit their comments on it. Dana Catrell is shocked when her neighbor, Celia, is brutally murdered on their quiet street. Although Dana was the last person to see Celia alive, her bipolar disorder’s mania has poked holes in her memory of the day. Meanwhile, her husband is acting strangely, and Detective Jack Moss won’t stop probing her for details. As Dana comes closer to finding the truth, she must wonder if there is a murderer hiding too close to home. The deadline for your giveaway entries is Thursday, February 19th at noon ET. Click here to enter.

I am about halfway through THE POCKET WIFE, finding pockets of time in this very crazy week to read it. Dana is one very unreliable character, and I am loving following her head around. Looking forward to finishing it!

Continuing from last week is our Sneak Peek feature for WHISKEY AND CHARLIE by Annabel Smith, which releases on April 7th. Whiskey and Charlie were once so close that they spoke in a coded language, but now, as adults, they do not even speak --- until Whiskey is in a terrible accident. Now Charlie must face their issues alone to find the closure he needs. There is still time to enter our contest to win one of 100 advance copies of the book, but please remember that participation is critical, so we must ask that only readers who can commit to reading the book and sharing their comments by Tuesday, March 24th apply. The deadline for your contest entries is Thursday, February 12th at noon ET.

I am just about finished with WHISKEY AND CHARLIE and just love it. It will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Oh, and for those who read the newsletter last week and wondered what W stands for in our house, it’s William. Both Tom and Greg’s real names are William; we call them by their middle names. Tom’s dad was William Thomas, thus he is Jr., and Greg is just named that to honor Tom's dad. Now, this was not an issue before 9/11, but since then, remembering to buy plane tickets and handle medical tasks in their “William” name has been an issue. When Greg was born, the nurse brought him to me the following morning and told me that “William had a great night.” I asked who William was. She immediately checked my wrist bracelet, identifying me as the mother. Birth announcements read "W. Gregory Fitzgerald," making him sound like a little prince!

Also continuing this week is our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight of Emily Gray Tedrowe, whose haunting novel BLUE STARS releases on February 17th. Ellen, a Midwestern professor, is drawn into the Iraq War when her legal ward, Michael, enlists. Lacey, a proud army wife, is struggling to maintain her home while her husband, Eddie, is at war. When Michael and Eddie are injured, Ellen and Lacey meet at the Walter Reed Army Hospital, where they form an unlikely friendship while helping each other survive the dislocated world of the army hospital. There is still a week left to enter to win one of 25 copies of BLUE STARS and comment on it. Thursday, February 12th at noon ET will be your deadline for entries.

And don’t forget to enter our Valentine’s Day contest, which we’ve brought back for a 10th consecutive year. Five readers will win six love-themed books and Ghirardelli chocolates. Enter here by Monday, February 16th at noon ET for your chance to win this delicious prize package. We’re also spreading the love on Teenreads.com and 20SomethingReads.com with Valentine’s Day contests of their own that you should consider entering as well!

We’ve wrapped up our third week of Winter Reading contests, where we gave away the aforementioned THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah, along with BETTYVILLE: A Memoir by George Hodgman; A MEMORY OF VIOLETS: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers, by Hazel Gaynor; and THE KIND WORTH KILLING by Peter Swanson, which we’re reviewing this week. Next week’s prize books will be CRAZY LOVE YOU by Lisa Unger, THE LAST GOOD PARADISE by Tatjana Soli, THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES by Sally Hepworth, and THE WHITES by Richard Price, writing as Harry Brandt (I will have the answer on why that is worded like that next week!). The first 24-hour contest of the week will appear on the Bookreporter.com homepage on Monday, February 9th at noon ET.

Our New in Paperback feature has been updated for February. Releases include REDEPLOYMENT by Phil Klay, which won the 2014 National Book Award and is the latest book we’re giving away in our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com; SHOTGUN LOVESONGS by Nickolas Butler, the guide for which we’re also featuring now on ReadingGroupGuides.com; and titles from such bestselling authors as Dean Koontz (THE CITY), Kathy Reichs (BONES NEVER LIE) and Daniel Silva (THE HEIST).

This week’s “Sounding Off on Audio” interviews are with Bernadette Taylor, the director of Human Resources for a mid-size company, and Mary Ann Blanton, a former Health Environmentalist for a Public Health Department who is now retired. If you are interested in being interviewed for this feature, please email me at Carol@bookreporter.com with the subject line "Audiobook Lover."

How many of your friends enjoy reading books? Do you talk about books with your book-loving friends? Let us know the answers to these questions in our latest poll. In our previous poll, we wanted to know how many reviews you typically look at before reading a book. 65% of you read 1-3 reviews, while 9% read more than 5 and 17% don’t read any. Click here for a more detailed breakdown of the results.

Our new Word of Mouth contest kicks off today. Let us know by Friday, February 20th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll have a chance to win the aforementioned CRAZY LOVE YOU by Lisa Unger, in addition to MY SUNSHINE AWAY by M.O. Walsh and A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD by Anne Tyler.

Also, last month was so hectic that we didn't have a chance to share the list of winners for our 2014 End-of-the-Year Contest. Click here to see that list, and congratulations to all our lucky winners! Hope you enjoy the books.

Pop culture and news of note:

Harper Lee’s New Book: The BIGGEST book story of the week! Very excited to see GO SET A WATCHMAN coming in July. I am most interested as it was written in the '50s through a lens that was not yet jaded by the events of the '60s. It will share that unique perspective of time and place. Eager anticipation of this as a book event! USA Today called me for my thoughts when it was announced, which you can read here. Interested to hear what the indie booksellers will say about it next week.

Water for Elephants: The Musical?: Peter Schneider and Elisabetta di Mambro, two producers, are adapting Sara Gruen's WATER FOR ELEPHANTS into a musical. Gruen will be involved with this theatrical project, which they hope to bring to the Great White Way of Broadway. I had forgotten that she originally wrote the book for National Novel Writing Month until I read it in GalleyCat.

Super Bowl: I liked only three of the ads: the Budweiser dog/horses, the ones with Liam Neeson (I think for a video game?) and Pierce Brosnan's (again I cannot remember what it was for, but it was clever). I felt that the brawl at the end kind of contradicted the anti-violence and “super dad” ads. Oh, and about that call at the end that probably cost Seattle the game: All I can say is that we all have made bad calls in business and life, but few are watched by millions and not all are worth $50,000 per person (the difference between what the winners and losers get).

"The Americans" on FX: This show is back for a third season. I love the disguises and the intrigue, but the violence is tough viewing. Ahhhh, the Cold War. It lives on. Does "Allegiance" have a similar plot?

Stuck in Love on Netflix: Once the newsletter mails on a Friday night, we always watch a movie. I cannot say that Stuck in Love was brilliant, but the references to publishing were fun, and so was the cameo by Stephen King. Though, if your dad was a bestselling author, I am not sure that there would ever be a finished book ready before he heard anything about it, like what happened to the young girl in the story.

Paula Hawkins: Know her name? Maybe not. But I bet you have heard of her book, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Check out the New York Times interview with her here.

Walking on the treadmill with a book propped up on my new reading stand was wonderful last weekend! I definitely logged a lot more steps than I would have without it. And very humorous to see how many of you wrote asking if my husband could build one for you. I will let you know if he goes into mass production, but the look he gave me when I asked does not imply this will be happening soon!

The flower above grew from a giant Amaryllis bulb that I planted in late November. All three stalks and all four flowers have bloomed at once. During the dreary month of January, this is wonderful. And there is a pink one ready to sprout at any moment!

Packing is on the agenda for the weekend, as well as cramming on all the authors who will be at Winter Institute. I have some reading ahead of me! Read on, and here’s to a great week ahead.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

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Kristin Hannah is the bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her latest is a bit of a departure for her: THE NIGHTINGALE is a sweeping work of historical fiction that tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, as each embarks on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and freedom in German-occupied France. In this interview, Hannah discusses the brave Belgian who inspired her to tell the story of the women’s war, as well as the pros and cons of writing fiction that adheres so resolutely to history. She also shares her favorite scene in the novel, how she overcame her nerves in order to actually write it, and what she hopes readers will take away from the story.

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)
With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. THE NIGHTINGALE tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-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 read Kristin Hannah’s bio.
-Click here to visit Kristin Hannah’s official website.
-Click here to connect with Kristin Hannah on Facebook.
-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.

February’s roundups of New in Paperback fiction titles include the 2014 National Book Award winner REDEPLOYMENT, Phil Klay’s debut short story collection that takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned; SHOTGUN LOVESONGS, Nickolas Butler's debut novel in which four boyhood friends --- and a woman who has meant something special in each of their lives --- are all brought together for a wedding in the small Wisconsin town of Little Wing; and the latest paperbacks from such bestselling authors as Dean Koontz (THE CITY), Kathy Reichs (BONES NEVER LIE) and Daniel Silva (THE HEIST).

Among this month’s nonfiction offerings are NEW LIFE, NO INSTRUCTIONS, Gail Caldwell's memoir about a dramatic turning point in her life that unexpectedly opened up a world of understanding, possibility and connection; GLITTER AND GLUE by Kelly Corrigan, a memoir that examines the bond --- sometimes nourishing, sometimes exasperating, occasionally divine --- between mothers and daughters; and DARK INVASION, Howard Blum’s gritty, true-life tale of German espionage and terror on American soil during World War I, and the NYPD Inspector who helped uncover the plot --- the basis for the film to be produced by and starring Bradley Cooper.

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

• APPLE TREE YARD by Louise Doughty
• BEFORE I GO by Colleen Oakley
• THE DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE by Julia London
• ECHO LAKE: A Swift River Valley Novel by Carla Neggers
• THREE SISTERS: A Blackberry Island Novel by Susan Mallery
• UNBECOMING by Rebecca Scherm

• THE ACCIDENT by Chris Pavone
• THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS by Allison Pataki
• ALL JOY AND NO FUN: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior
• BETTYVILLE: A Memoir by George Hodgman
• BROKEN BONDS: A Cold Creek Novel by Karen Harper
• CRASH & BURN by Lisa Gardner
• CRAZY LOVE YOU by Lisa Unger
• DESCENT by Tim Johnston
• FIRST TIME IN FOREVER by Sarah Morgan
• THE KIND WORTH KILLING by Peter Swanson
• THE LAST GOOD PARADISE by Tatjana Soli
• THE MAGICIAN’S LIE by Greer Macallister
• A MEMORY OF VIOLETS: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers by Hazel Gaynor
• THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
• ONE STEP TOO FAR by Tina Seskis
• ONE WISH by Robyn Carr
• THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES by Sally Hepworth
• THE WHITES by Richard Price, writing as Harry Brandt

• All of them
• Most of them
• Some of them
• None of them

• All of the time
• Some of the time
• Never
• None of my friends enjoy reading books.