March 20, 2015

Spring has arrived, or so says the calendar! Maybe the snow today means that summer will last longer when it has its turn. We can hope, right?

It’s been a lovely book-filled week. Greg and I went to see Erik Larson at the Roosevelt House on Monday night (see the photo above), where he spoke before a standing room only audience and answered reader questions for more than an hour. We learned that when Larson first started thinking about the Lusitania, he was not sure it was a story he wanted to write. He thought the ship’s sinking was "a fact to memorize in history class." What else was there to tell? It seemed to have no “barriers to entry,” which is what intrigues him when writing a book. It is about finding the right details to enlighten the reader and putting these details together to tell as good a story as possible, and he had to see if that would work with the Lusitania as a subject.

As he spent time in archives and researching (which he loves to do), the pieces that would enhance his storytelling --- and ensure that the story has a beginning, middle and end, including plenty of surprises along the way --- came together. Things like how one full lifeboat fell on top of another or that two people were sucked into the funnel, expelled and survived. This makes the narrative of the history a lot more interesting. The title comes from the maritime term that refers to the wake that is left long after the ship has sailed past. With the Lusitania, this is a very apt title. It was a wonderful evening.

Later in the week, I went to a lunch for a new publishing imprint, Scout Press. Their lead title is Bill Clegg’s DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY, which will be in stores on September 15th; I raved about it here a few weeks ago. To “prep for lunch,” I read their second title, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD by Ruth Ware, which is releasing on August 25th. I love psychological suspense, and this book rocks that. Set in the UK, the setting is a “hen party” (known here as a bachelorette party) where a group of women have gathered for the weekend. Let’s just say there is some history here that needs to be settled. It’s a BEA Buzz title, so we will have a lot more about it in the months to come --- and I am looking forward to interviewing Ruth for the BEA Author Buzz panel. The flowers above were on the tables at lunch, and they were so beautiful and screamed spring that I had to share them!

News of this new imprint has sparked our poll question this week. Are you familiar with publishers and publishing imprints? And which selection of imprints, if any, are you familiar with? Click here and let us know! In our last poll, we wanted to know your thoughts on signed books. 38% of you have no interest in signed books, while 32% think an author’s signature on a book would be nice, but you don’t actively seek it out, and 23% actively try to get books signed at author events. Click here for the complete results.

Last weekend, weather was not an issue as the Tucson Festival of Books took place on the University of Arizona campus. With more than 250 exhibitors and new and veteran authors including Lisa See, Deborah Harkness, Daniel James Brown, Mitch Albom and William Kent Krueger in attendance, there was plenty for attendees to see. Luckily, Bookreporter.com reader Edy Alderson is an experienced festival-goer, and she was kind enough to navigate the scene for us. You can read all about that here. We all really loved Edy's enthusiasm!

We also heard from Susan R., a first-time attendee, who had this to say: “I'm at the Tucson Festival of Books for the first time. This a fabulous event! Last night we began the festivities with a concert with the Rock Bottom Remainders. A highlight was Amy Tan performing “These Boots”...in biker garb…and then mock whipping the behinds of other male band members. She rocks with a fabulous gray head of hair! Today's highlights included great anecdotes about the band's origins from presentations with Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. I also attended a great discussion of race and politics with Leonard Pitts and thoroughly enjoyed a discussion of family dynamics in the mystery genre with William Kent Krueger, C.J. Box and Ace Atkins. It was especially meaningful to hear from Krueger that the family in ORDINARY GRACE is autobiographically based. (I won a copy of that title from a Bookreporter.com contest and loved it.) He says a sequel is being released soon!” We are looking forward to that too.

This weekend, the Virginia Festival of the Book is in full swing in Charlottesville. If any of you are attending, let us know as we would love to interview you. We already have Bethanne Patrick on tap to report for us next week. I attended this event for five years, and I am sorry not to be there this year. Bethanne has promised to stop in at The Needle Lady to do some yarn shopping in my name!

This week, we’re launching our One to Watch Author Spotlight of Susan Crawford and her debut novel, THE POCKET WIFE, with our review and interview. Dana is horrified when her neighbor, Celia, is brutally murdered. Even more shocking is the fact that Dana was the last person to see Celia alive. Unfortunately, Dana suffers from bipolar disorder and was manic during the time of Celia’s death, leaving her memory spotty and unreliable. Meanwhile, her husband is acting strange, and Detective Jack Moss won’t stop probing her for answers. As she tries to put together the clues from her memory, she must wonder if she has killed her best friend --- or knows who has.

Reviewer Norah Piehl calls THE POCKET WIFE “a well-written psychological thriller with two equally complex primary characters and a couple of twists that readers won't see coming.” Norah also had the pleasure of interviewing Susan, and you can read their conversation here. And on our ReadingGroupGuides.com site, we’re awarding five book groups in the Atlanta area up to 10 copies each of the book, PLUS a visit from the author on the day of their discussion. An additional 20 readers will win a single copy of the book, so even if you’re not in a book group, you can still enter the contest by Wednesday, April 1st at noon ET to be a winner. I enjoyed this book and see that Susan is a talent I am going to want to read more from!

This week, we’re delighted to be bringing back our Southern Writers Author Spotlight; this time, we’re featuring THE MEMORY HOUSE by Linda Goodnight. In this heartfelt novel, the first in a series, Goodnight takes readers to Honey Ridge, Tennessee, to meet Julia Presley. Although Julia was once a happy wife and mother, her family was stolen by tragedy years ago. Now she runs the Peach Orchard Inn, comforted by the quiet routine and solitude. But when Eli Donovan shows up in town with his motherless son, Alex, her loneliness is interrupted as she hires Eli to renovate the inn. When the two discover a stack of old love letters hidden in the attic, they become enveloped in a long-dead Civil War romance, exposing the inn’s violent history and offering them a chance for a new future. In celebration of the March 31st release of THE MEMORY HOUSE, we’re offering 25 readers the chance to win a copy of the book and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 2nd at noon ET.

Fan favorite private investigator Maisie Dobbs returns in Jacqueline Winspear’s A DANGEROUS PLACE. The year is 1937, and it has been four years since Maisie left England. In that time, she has experienced both love and great tragedy. She believes she will find peace by returning to India, but her trip is cut short when her stepmother summons her home, as her father is not doing well. On a ship bound for England, Maisie realizes she is not yet ready to return and disembarks in the British garrison town of Gibraltar. But soon after her arrival, a prominent member of the Sephardic Jewish community is brutally murdered, and Maisie becomes involved in the case under the suspicious eye of the British Secret Service. Torn between her past and her future, Maisie must find her way amidst political intrigue, deceit and danger.

Norah Piehl has our review and says, “A DANGEROUS PLACE marks a satisfying and emotionally affecting return to this series. The complex mystery plot is successfully positioned historically and politically while also working well on a more personal level. And, especially for readers who have followed Maisie's evolution since the beginning of the series, this latest installment will prove emotionally wrenching, as readers yearn not only for Maisie to find the culprit, but also for some measure of healing for what she's gone through.” We also posted a guide for A DANGEROUS PLACE on ReadingGroupGuides.com, which you can see here.

For a heaping dose of glamour, take a look at MADEMOISELLE CHANEL by C. W. Gortner, a captivating novel about the self-made woman who created her own empire. Born into poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her sisters were shuffled off to a convent orphanage after their mother’s death. From a young age, Gabrielle was praised for her exceptional sewing skills, a talent that set her apart from her peers. Highly ambitious, Gabrielle transformed herself into Coco: a hardworking seamstress by day and nightclub singer by evening. When she met a wealthy man, she found love and followed him to Paris, where she encountered her destiny. Her sleek, minimalist designs quickly gained fame, and her business exploded, even while other areas of her life suffered.

Reviewer Amy Gwiazdowski raves, “Sometimes we have to trust an author we like to do justice to a new subject. This was the case for me with MADEMOISELLE CHANEL. Gortner is clearly a fan of not only the woman but also her work. About halfway through the novel, I found myself searching Coco Chanel, not only to see her fashion vision, but also to find out more about her…. I’m glad I picked up MADEMOISELLE CHANEL. It’s immensely entertaining --- complete with fashion, affairs and parties --- and a wonderful escape to enjoy this spring.” I am selecting this as a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. It’s well-written and has dazzling details. I will have more about it next week!

This week, my Bets On pick comes from my son, Greg, who loved Matthew Parker’s GOLDENEYE: Where Bond Was Born: Ian Fleming’s Jamaica, which we reviewed last week. Parker’s book looks behind the legendary icon to the man who created him, and his relationship with his home in Jamaica, Goldeneye, where Bond was born. More than just a textbook, GOLDENEYE is almost a love letter to Jamaica and left Greg with wanderlust to explore the beautiful island. Click here to read his commentary.

Greg also has updated our History Books Roundup for March. This month’s selections (in addition to GOLDENEYE) include books on such figures as Julius Caesar, Confucius, James Madison and Eliot Ness; duos including Roosevelt and Stalin, Washington and Jefferson, and Churchill and King George VI; and events such as the sinking of the Lusitania, the Spanish Civil War and the German occupation of France during World War II.

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, author Mary Pat Kelly, whose latest book is OF IRISH BLOOD, has been kind enough to write a blog post for us about her experiences participating in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and what being Irish means to her. Mary Pat attended not one but THREE parades --- in Chicago, Boston and New York. Click here to see what she had to say about the festivities. And I think she should have been wearing a Fitbit as she marched, just to count her steps!

Our Spring Preview feature has wrapped up its second week of contests. We gave away the aforementioned MADEMOISELLE CHANEL, along with THE HEADMASTER'S WIFE by Thomas Christopher Greene and THE PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER: A Treasures of the Nile Novel by Mesu Andrews. Next week’s prize books will be THE CAVENDON WOMEN by Barbara Taylor Bradford, THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA COOKBOOK: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For edited by Kate White (Bookreporter.com gets a mention in one of the recipes; tune in next week to see which one!), and THE PRECIOUS ONE by Marisa de los Santos, which we also are featuring on ReadingGroupGuides.com. The first 24-hour contest of the week will appear on the homepage beginning Tuesday, March 24th at noon ET.

We have a new Word of Mouth contest up this week. Let us know what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win AT THE WATER’S EDGE by Sara Gruen, THE PATRIOT THREAT by Steve Berry and THE STRANGER by Harlan Coben. Enter by Friday, April 3rd at noon ET.

News and Pop Culture:

Movie news about THE NIGHTINGALE: Happy to share that Kristin Hannah’s book has already been optioned for the screen. News here.

Our Kidsreads.com interview with James Patterson: He's donating $1.25 million and 100,000 books! Read about it here.

For those with kids headed to college or in college: WHERE YOU GO IS NOT WHO YOU’LL BE: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania, by Frank Bruni, is a book worth reading. Here’s the oft-quoted op-ed from the New York Times last week, and here’s a great blog piece about it.

I am a knitting slacker: Read this piece about a woman who had knitted her 1,000th sweater for kids in need! See what she is getting back into now that she has done this; I feel like I should send her the newsletter for ideas on her next step.

Heartwarming story: As we approach March Madness, here’s a story that is heartwarming about sportsmanlike conduct. Still smiling over this one.

"Going Clear" on HBO and "The Jinx": Looking forward to watching "Going Clear" on HBO on Sunday March 29th, which looks at the Church of Scientology. Had not watched "The Jinx" until Sunday when I heard of the arrest of its subject, Robert Durst. Quickly caught up on all six episodes. Fascinating look at Durst and his alleged crimes.

Interview with Dennis Lehane worth checking out: Here you go.

This week I finished up the audiobook of THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY on my commute. Greg was riding with me and got a dose of women’s fiction. We were rather caught up in the story of Pam, Shannon and Nicole, and their story made the commute fly by. He was amused as I guessed what was going to happen next. There were some awkward moments as Pam and her husband spent a passionate weekend away. We both noted that though they all lived near the beach, they did not go there enough. Perhaps this was because temps here were frigid and WE would have been on the beach if we could be!

Last weekend, I inhaled BEACH TOWN by Mary Kay Andrews. I felt a bit of guilt writing her and saying, “I loved your book; I read it in a day” when it took her a year to write it. It’s a version of spending two days making Thanksgiving dinner that is eaten in 15 minutes. My guilt washed away when I realized the memory of reading the book will stay with me as a very pleasant escape. It’s a beach read that will be on MANY beach chairs this summer. It takes place in Florida, and the main character, Greer, is a location scout for a film that is being set there. Nice background on the movie business infuses the story. Note it for a May 19th publication, and we will have more about it soon.

I'm now reading A WINDOW OPENS by Elisabeth Egan, which I am loving. I have known Elisabeth (I know her as Liz) for many years in a professional capacity; she is now the Books Editor at Glamour. She had mentioned through the years that she was writing a novel, and it’s such a delight to see it coming out. It’s set in a town where I went to high school (though the name of the town is fictionalized here). I cannot wait to get back to it once this newsletter is sent! It will be in stores on August 25th. I just learned I am going to interview Elisabeth and the aforementioned Bill Clegg at BEA in May. Soooo looking forward to that.

Quiet weekend ahead as Cory winds down his Spring Break. He and Tom got back from skiing last night and were regaling me about the heated seats on the bubble chairlift at Okemo with the amber-colored dome. THAT may get me back skiing in the East again! I think I need to think about the spring cleaning I pledged to do last weekend before I start reading. Note I said THINK about the cleaning! We shall see if the cleaning gets done...because there is this stack of books to read...and hmmmm....

Read on, and here’s to a great week ahead!

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!

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Susan Crawford is a debut author who, in addition to teaching and writing, is involved in many impressive literary extracurricular activities --- including participating in two critique groups. THE POCKET WIFE is her first full-length novel, and it’s about Dana Catrell, a bipolar woman in the throes of mania, who must piece together the shards of her broken memory in order to figure out who killed her neighbor. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Norah Piehl, Crawford talks about why she decided to write a psychological thriller, the challenges of matching her writing to Dana’s state(s) of mind, and why there’s no such thing, really, as a reliable narrator. She also recommends some great books for anyone interested in further exploring bipolar disorder.

THE POCKET WIFE by Susan Crawford (Psychological Thriller)
Dana Catrell is shocked when her neighbor, Celia, is brutally murdered. To Dana’s horror, she was the last person to see Celia alive. Suffering from mania, the result of her bipolar disorder, she has troubling holes in her memory, including what happened on the afternoon of Celia’s death. The closer she comes to piecing together the shards of her broken memory, the more she falls apart. Is there a murderer lurking inside of Dana...or is there one out there in the shadows of reality, waiting to strike again? 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 Susan Crawford’s bio.
-Click here to visit Susan Crawford’s official website.
-Connect with Susan Crawford on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to read more in our One to Watch Author Spotlight.

• THE 13th DISCIPLE: A Spiritual Adventure by Deepak Chopra
• ALENA by Rachel Pastan
• AT THE WATER'S EDGE by Sara Gruen
• BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES: A Blossom Street Novel by Debbie Macomber
• THE CAIRO AFFAIR by Olen Steinhauer
• THE CAVENDON WOMEN by Barbara Taylor Bradford
• THE DAYLIGHT MARRIAGE by Heidi Pitlor
• DEAD WAKE: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
• GOLDENEYE: Where Bond Was Born: Ian Fleming's Jamaica by Matthew Parker
• THE HEADMASTER'S WIFE by Thomas Christopher Greene
• THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD: A Memoir by Elizabeth Alexander
• MADEMOISELLE CHANEL by C.W. Gortner
• THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA COOKBOOK: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For edited by Kate White
• ORHAN'S INHERITANCE by Aline Ohanesian
• PART TIME COWBOY: A Copper Ridge Novel by Maisey Yates
• THE PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER: A Treasures of the Nile Novel by Mesu Andrews
• THE PRECIOUS ONE by Marisa de los Santos
• RE JANE by Patricia Park
• THE ROCKS by Peter Nichols
• THIS HEART OF MINE: A New Whiskey Creek Novel by Brenda Novak
• VISIBLE CITY by Tova Mirvis

• Yes, I often select books from specific imprints.
• Yes, but this does not affect my book selections.
• I am not familiar with specific imprints.
• I am not sure how I feel.

• Anchor/Vintage
• Atria
• Ballantine/Bantam
• Bloomsbury
• Crown
• Delacorte
• Doubleday
• Europa Editions
• Farrar, Straus & Giroux
• Gallery Books
• Grand Central Publishing
• Harper
• Harper Perennial
• Henry Holt
• Knopf
• Little, Brown and Company
• Penguin
• Putnam
• Random House
• Riverhead
• Scribner
• Simon & Schuster
• St. Martin's Press
• Tor/Forge
• Viking
• William Morrow
• None of the above