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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
October 2, 2015 |
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Fun Celebrating Authors...
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What a lovely bookish week! Last night, I celebrated 100 Years of Knopf, the legendary publisher, at the New York Public Library. What a lovely evening. On the way, we were greeted by two Borzoi dogs, which I confess I did not know until then was the dog breed featured in the Knopf logo; I wish I had captured a photo of them. Sonny Mehta, Knopf editor-in-chief (and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group chair), opened the evening, and then there were beautiful toasts by authors Robert Caro, Sharon Olds, James Ellroy and Toni Morrison, and one of my favorite booksellers and the founder of the Miami Book Fair, Mitchell Kaplan. Patti Smith wrapped up the formal ceremonies by singing a cappella.
Then today I enjoyed a lunch with the folks from Random House featuring authors from four upcoming books: Elizabeth Strout, author of MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON (January 5th); Melanie Benjamin, author of THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE (January 26th and already slated as a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick); Ethan Canin, author of A DOUBTER’S ALMANAC (February 16th); and Helen Simonson, author of THE SUMMER BEFORE THE WAR (March 22nd). You know Helen as the author of MAJOR PETTIGREW’S LAST STAND; you can see her above with Melanie and me (she is on the right).
In between, I have been reading THE GUEST ROOM by Chris Bohjalian, which releases on January 5th. A couple’s life is upturned when the husband hosts a bachelor party for his brother at their home. Things get out of hand when the “adult entertainment” turns out to be two Russian women who are victims of human trafficking. The party turns ugly fast when the girls see a moment to free themselves from their captors --- and take it --- and those at the house find themselves wondering just what they were a party to. It reads like a thriller with escapes and chases; I did not see the end coming. Chris does a terrific job of exploring the very dark side of this trafficking and the women who are preyed on. There was one point when I was reading where I found myself deeply saddened as I know this fiction of these women’s lives is deeply rooted in fact. It leaves you with lots to discuss, and book clubs should take note.
Now on to this week’s update….
Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood returns with THE HEART GOES LAST, a new dystopian novel set after an economic and social collapse. Married couple Stan and Charmaine are struggling to stay afloat following the collapse, living in their car amidst dangerous gangs. The nearby Positron Project seems to be the perfect solution to their predicament, offering residents jobs and clean homes to live in --- every other month. On alternating months, residents must join the Positron prison system as inmates. At first this seems a small price to pay for safety and stability, but soon Charmaine becomes involved with the man who lives in their house during her and Stan’s prison months. As a series of disturbing events unfolds, Stan’s life is endangered and Positron appears more dangerous than ever.
Pauline Finch raves about the book in her review: “THE HEART GOES LAST, Atwood's newest literary assault on North American complacency and paranoia, checks all the emotional, sensual, spiritual and intellectual boxes where discomfort can reside. Even her gritty humor operates in ambush mode; you’re never quite ready for it…. Once again, the truly iconic Margaret Atwood has kept us eagerly uncomfortable from beginning to end.”
Following the success of ME BEFORE YOU, beloved author Jojo Moyes revisits Louisa Clark in AFTER YOU. After spending a remarkable six months with Will Traynor, Louisa is struggling to adapt to life without him. When a brutal accident forces Lou to return to her family, she feels like she is right back where she started. With time, her body heals, but she needs a little help jumpstarting the rest of her life. She soon joins the Moving On support group, where she meets Sam Fielding, a strong, capable paramedic who makes her feel alive again. But when a figure from Will’s past appears, Lou’s future takes a wild turn.
Reviewer Katherine B. Weissman comments: “[ME BEFORE YOU] is one of the funniest and, at the same time, most heartrending novels I’ve ever had the luck to stay up all night reading. AFTER YOU has some of the same combination of wicked humor and poignancy, I’m happy to say, but at first it’s pretty grim.”
Sandra Dallas takes readers to a small Colorado mining town in 1880 with THE LAST MIDWIFE, a story of family, community and secrets. Gracy Brookens is the only midwife in Swandyke, trusted and depended on by every female resident. But when a baby is found dead, all evidence points to Gracy as the murderer. Although Gracy is innocent, she alone has been privy to some of the town’s most intimate secrets --- and knowledge can be dangerous. With her friends taking sides and an upcoming trial rapidly approaching, Gracy must decide what she is willing to risk to prove her innocence. Even if she decides to reveal what she knows, the truth may cost her.
Amie Taylor has our review and says, “THE LAST MIDWIFE is a tale that brings the harsh realities of life in the 1880s clearly into focus…. Readers will easily root for kindhearted Gracy to prove her innocence and thwart the dark powers that be who want to bring her down in order to keep their own dirty little secrets hidden.” I loved this book. Sandra is a beautifully descriptive writer, who draws a strong sense of character and place. Mysteries lie at the heart of the story, and their careful layering makes it a read you want to stay with from the first page. What great pacing! It will be a Bets On selection next week.
From Karin Slaughter comes PRETTY GIRLS, the gripping story of two sisters and their haunted past. Over two decades ago, Claire and Lydia’s family was rocked by the disappearance of their teenage sister, Julia. The tragedy split the family apart, and Claire and Lydia have not spoken since. Today, Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire, and Lydia is a single mother dating an ex-con. When Claire’s husband is killed, it becomes clear that neither woman has recovered from the horror of losing her sister, and both forge a wary truce. As the two women look into their past, they find surprising secrets --- and the key to redemption.
Joe Hartlaub has our review and proclaims it to be “one of the best books published thus far in 2015… While a work of fiction, it has the power in its message to literally save lives, if someone reading it becomes aware of the smiling predators who wait in the shadows for the unwary.”
THE LAST MIDWIFE and PRETTY GIRLS were this week’s Fall Preview prize books. We won't be giving away any books next week, but we'll be back the week of October 12th. Our prize books then will be PLAYING WITH FIRE by Tess Gerritsen, TWAIN'S END by Lynn Cullen and VANESSA AND HER SISTER by Priya Parmar. The first contest that week will be announced on Tuesday, October 13th at noon ET.
We’re also giving away THE LAST MIDWIFE in our Word of Mouth contest, along with the aforementioned THE HEART GOES LAST and THE SECRET CHORD by Geraldine Brooks. All you have to do is tell us about the books you’ve finished reading by Friday, October 9th at noon ET for your chance to win all three of these novels. Melanie, our Word of Mouth editor, shared that during this contest period, THE NATURE OF THE BEAST by Louise Penny is trending.
With BLOOD RED, Wendy Corsi Staub launches a new series set in a sinister town. Nestled in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, Mundy’s Landing is famous not only for its picturesque views, but for a century-old string of unsolved murders. Rowan Mundy returned to her hometown years ago, following a momentary mistake that could have ripped her family apart. Now she teaches school and lives happily with her husband and three children. But when she begins receiving anonymous packages that reference her secret encounter, she fears her whole life crashing down around her. With suspects piling up and danger lurking around every corner, Rowan must find out who is behind the mysterious messages.
According to Joe Hartlaub, "BLOOD RED is a conundrum in the best possible way: you won’t want it to end, but you’ll race to the conclusion.... If you have never read Staub’s work or haven’t read her recently, this is the book to get and put at the top of your reading list."
To celebrate the official arrival of fall, our own Nicole Sherman has built a taste-tempting bookshelf displaying 20 cookbooks releasing this fall that you’ll want to sink your teeth into (not literally, of course!). Whether you're already clipping, highlighting and test-running recipes for the holidays, or you're just getting accustomed to your autumn palate, we’re confident that you’ll love the recipes, tips and tricks contained within these pages. I personally covet the NOPI book by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully.
In our latest poll, we continue to ask how long it typically takes for you to read a book that’s between 350 and 400 pages. The question was inspired by my research into reader habits and behavior, so I’d appreciate as many respondents as possible!
I got a note from one of our readers named Lilian, who shared this: "To tie into your poll, here is a website that tells you how long it will take you to read a book. It gives the number of pages and number of words for your title, gives you a sample to read (usually a blurb from the book) and times you, then does the calculations for you.
We have a new Sounding Off on Audio contest to tell you about. Let us know by Monday, November 2nd at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve finished listening to, and you’ll be in the running to win the audio versions of both Robert Galbraith’s CAREER OF EVIL: A Cormoran Strike Novel, read by Robert Glenister, and FIND A WAY, written and read by Diana Nyad (I have been looking forward to this one).
I have been doing some fun audio sampling these past weeks. There are a number of authors who I have not had time to read, but I would like to be familiar with their work. Thus I have been listening to THE END GAME: A Brit in the FBI Novel by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (we review the hardcover this week) and BRUSH BACK: A V.I. Warshawski Novel by Sara Paretsky.
The finalists for the second annual Kirkus Prize were announced in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction and Young Readers’ Literature. Among the nominees are FATES AND FURIES by Lauren Groff (Fiction), BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Nonfiction) and ECHO by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Young Readers’ Literature). The winners will be announced at a special ceremony in Austin, Texas on October 15th.
Our intern and reviewer Rebecca Munro attended the book launch party for FATES AND FURIES last week, and she shares her thoughts with us here. I love reading her reports; I feel like I'm attending these events vicariously.
News and Pop Culture:
Reader Mail: I was in awe of this email from Jamie, one of our readers: “Just wanted to say that I love your newsletter. I feel like I know you and your family, and I look forward to seeing what you are all up to each week. I am an Adult Services Librarian in a public library and was on maternity leave from March through May, so all my subscriptions piled into a folder while I was gone (even from a month or two before...). Finally today, the last day of September, I have caught up on your newsletters from then until now. Over the summer I deleted a lot of other emails I received through subscriptions without reading them, but I vowed to read all of your newsletters! It may have taken me a long time, but it feels good to be ‘caught up with my friends!’” I wrote back and asked her for baby details! She had a boy; his name is Beckett.
"Ray Donovan": Great finale worthy of lots of discussion. I loved reading this interview for some insight into what the Executive Producer was thinking.
BEL CANTO, the Opera: From the website Book Club Girl I learned this: “Ann Patchett's bestselling and award winning BELL CANTO is a book club favorite, and it’s about to hit the stage! In Lyric Opera of Chicago’s must-see world premiere curated by Renée Fleming, this riveting story inspired by real-life events becomes a powerful opera opening on December 7th.”
Hello, It’s Me: This movie based on the book by the aforementioned Wendy Corsi Staub (who wrote it under her pen name "Wendy Markham") is airing on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. I snagged a look during the week, and it’s a fun watch!
Amy Robach: She will be part of Random House Reader Day on December 11th, which already sold out! (This has become an event where, if you wait to book, it’s like “you snooze, you lose.”) Here’s a terrific video of her talking about changes she has made in her life since she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"The Affair": Season Two starts Sunday night. I was lucky enough to preview the first two episodes, and they are very strong. By the time you finish with the four points of view, you will wonder what to believe.
"Homeland": Season Five starts Sunday night. I have not had a moment to preview it yet, but I know the setting has moved to Germany.
New on Netflix for October: Here’s what's kicking off new on Netflix for October.
This weekend, may the rain stay at bay as I have a packed schedule. Tomorrow morning, I am going to be at breakfast at the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Trade Conference. On the agenda are B. A. Shapiro, THE MURALIST (November 3rd); Stacy Schiff, THE WITCHES (October 27th); Maggie Thrash, HONOR GIRL (now in stores); Simon Van Booy, FATHER’S DAY (April 26th); and Eric Weiner, THE GEOGRAPHY OF GENIUS (January 5th). From there, I zip up to the Morristown Festival of Books for the day; I have my schedule completely outlined. I will not let rain spoil any of these plans, though I do wish I had stylish rain boots!
Last weekend, I brought the houseplants that had been vacationing in the yard inside. Wow, the Christmas cactus and spider plants are lush! I took the amaryllis bulbs out of their pots and slipped them onto a shelf in the basement to get them to hibernate before planting them again in early November or eight weeks before I want them to bloom. Then I got mums into pots on the front porch. There's lots more garden cleanup to do, but somehow tackling these on my list was a huge ahhhh moment.
Cory is headed to Montreal for the weekend with some friends from school with his newly minted passport; he learned all about expediting a passport when he realized his was expired and he was headed out of town with less than two weeks to get the paperwork done! Greg canceled some plans to see a lighthouse in Connecticut when he saw the weather forecast. I am happy about this as I had a vision of him clinging to the lighthouse as the wind whipped the water around the bottom of it. Okay, I have a vivid imagination.
Tom won the BMW CCA Foundation golf outing at BMW CCA Oktoberfest at the Stockton Seaview Resort; he now gets to play in the BMW Golf Cup Final in Pinehurst, NC next October. Guess all that playing this summer really paid off!
Read on, and have a great week…
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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Now in Stores: THE HEART GOES LAST by Margaret Atwood
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THE HEART GOES LAST by Margaret Atwood (Dystopian/Science Fiction)
Stan and Charmaine are a married couple trying to stay afloat in the midst of an economic and social collapse. The Positron Project in the town of Consilience seems to be the answer to their prayers. No one is unemployed, and everyone gets a comfortable house to live in…for six months out of the year. On alternating months, residents must leave their homes and function as inmates in the Positron prison system. But when Charmaine becomes romantically involved with the man who lives in their house during the months when she and Stan are in the prison, a series of troubling events unfolds, putting Stan's life in danger. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
-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 LAST MIDWIFE by Sandra Dallas
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THE LAST MIDWIFE by Sandra Dallas (Historical Mystery)
It is 1880, and Gracy Brookens is the only midwife in a small Colorado mining town where she has delivered hundreds, maybe thousands, of babies in her lifetime. The women of Swandyke trust and depend on Gracy, and most couldn't imagine getting through pregnancy and labor without her by their sides. But everything changes when a baby is found dead...and the evidence points to Gracy as the murderer. She didn't commit the crime, but clearing her name isn't so easy when her innocence is not quite as simple, either. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: AFTER YOU by Jojo Moyes
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AFTER YOU by Jojo Moyes (Romance)
After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, Louisa Clark is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started. Thanks to the members of the Moving On support group, Lou meets strong, capable Sam Fielding, a paramedic whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: PRETTY GIRLS by Karin Slaughter
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PRETTY GIRLS by Karin Slaughter (Psychological Thriller)
More than 20 years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister, Julia, vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss --- a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed. The surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago…and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-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 MURDER HOUSE by James Patterson and David Ellis
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THE MURDER HOUSE by James Patterson and David Ellis (Thriller)
No. 7 Ocean Drive is a gorgeous, multi-million-dollar beachfront estate in the Hamptons. But its beautiful gothic exterior hides a horrific past: it was the scene of a series of depraved killings that have never been solved. Neglected, empty and rumored to be cursed, it's known as the Murder House, and locals keep their distance. When a Hollywood power broker and his mistress are found dead there, the gruesome crime scene rivals anything Detective Jenna Murphy experienced as a New York City cop. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: SHADOW PLAY by Iris Johansen
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SHADOW PLAY: An Eve Duncan Novel by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
When a sheriff in California contacts Eve Duncan with a request for help on the reconstruction of the skull of a girl whose body has been buried for eight years, his fierce investment in the case puzzles her. But when Eve finds herself experiencing an unusual connection with the girl she calls Jenny, she becomes entangled in the case more intensely than she ever could have imagined. Not since her daughter Bonnie has Eve had such an experience, and suddenly she finds herself determined to solve the murder and bring closure to the crime. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
-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: BLOOD RED by Wendy Corsi Staub
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BLOOD RED: Mundy's Landing Book One by Wendy Corsi Staub (Thriller)
Nestled in New York's Hudson Valley, Mundy's Landing is famous for its picturesque setting --- and for a century-old string of gruesome unsolved murders. Rowan returned to her hometown years ago, fleeing a momentary mistake that could have destroyed her family. Life is good here until an anonymous gift brings Rowan's fears to life again. The town's violent history was just the beginning. Soon everyone in Mundy's Landing will know that the past cannot be forgotten or forgiven --- not until every sin has been paid for, in blood. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to visit Wendy Corsi Staub’s official website.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Ben McPherson, Author of A LINE OF BLOOD
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Ben McPherson is a television producer, director and writer who worked for more than a decade at the BBC. His debut novel, A LINE OF BLOOD, is a thriller that also delves into the complexities of family life. When their neighbor is found dead in his apartment, Alex, his wife Millicent and their son Max are pulled into a maelstrom investigation that forces them to reexamine how they approach their relationships with each other. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Sarah Rachel Egelman, McPherson discusses his inspiration for this crime thriller/family drama hybrid, explains the importance of the book’s setting, and reveals some of his favorite authors.
A LINE OF BLOOD by Ben McPherson (Mystery/Thriller)
For Alex Mercer, his wife, Millicent, and their precocious 11-year-old son, Max, are everything. But when he and Max find their enigmatic next-door neighbor dead in his apartment, their lives are suddenly and irrevocably changed. The police begin an extremely methodical investigation, and Alex becomes increasingly impatient for them to finish. After all, it was so clearly a suicide. As new information is uncovered, troubling questions arise --- questions that begin to throw suspicion on Alex, Millicent and even Max. It seems each of them has secrets. And each has something to hide. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
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Click here to read our interview. |
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Bookreporter.com's Latest Bookshelf: Fall Cookbooks 2015
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As we move from the hot days of summer to the cool and crisp nights of fall, we begin to shake off the light fare we've been consuming (think: stone fruits, midday ice cream treats, freshly grilled corn) and look towards the cozier comfort foods (think: soups, stews, casseroles) to bulk us up in preparation for winter hibernation.
There's no shortage of restaurant and celebrity chef cookbooks on this year's Fall Cookbooks bookshelf. One of the highlights of the season is Bobby Flay's BRUNCH AT BOBBY'S, which is all about delectable twists on classic plates for one of the most coveted meals of the week. The very popular Yotam Ottolenghi of the wildly successful PLENTY, PLENTY MORE and JERUSALEM cookbooks has NOPI, a comprehensive collection of some of the finest recipes from his finest restaurant of the same name. There are a few cookbook newcomers like THE VIOLET BAKERY COOKBOOK, which hails from the tiny, California-inspired bakery nestled in the London suburbs, and LUCKY PEACH PRESENTS 101 EASY ASIAN RECIPES, which is the first true hardcover from the editors at David Chang's food publication, Lucky Peach.
Whether you're already clipping, highlighting and test-running recipes for the holidays, or you're just getting accustomed to your autumn palate, we know you're bound to love the recipes, tips and tricks contained within these pages.
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Click here to see our Fall Cookbooks 2015 bookshelf. |
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Bookreporter.com's Fall Preview Contests and Feature
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Fall is known as the biggest season of the year for books. The titles that release during this latter part of the year often become holiday gifts, and many are blockbusters. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we are spotlighting a number of outstanding books that we know people will be talking about in the days and months to come.
We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days in September and October, so you have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are 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 Tuesday, October 13th 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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More Reviews This Week
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THE SCAM: A Fox and O'Hare Novel by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (Mystery/Thriller)
Evan Trace is running a money-laundering operation through his casino in Macau. Some of his best customers are mobsters, dictators and global terrorists. Nicolas Fox and Kate O’Hare will have to go deep undercover as high-stakes gamblers, wagering millions of dollars --- and their lives --- in an attempt to topple Trace’s empire. Their only backup: a self-absorbed actor, a Somali pirate, and Kate’s father, an ex-soldier who believes a rocket launcher is the best way to solve every problem. What could possibly go wrong? Reviewed by Roz Shea.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
THE END GAME: A Brit in the FBI Novel by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (Thriller)
FBI agent Nicholas Drummond and his partner, Mike Caine, are deep into an investigation of COE --- Celebrants of the Earth --- a violent group known for widespread bombings of power grids and oil refineries across the country. COE has been infiltrated by a deep-cover counterterrorism agent named Vanessa Grace. A bomb-making expert, Vanessa must leave COE and join forces with Nicholas and Mike to stop the organization’s devious plan to assassinate the President. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
CORRIDORS OF THE NIGHT: A William Monk Novel by Anne Perry (Historical Mystery)
The monomaniacal Rand brothers are ruthless in their pursuit of a cure for what was then known as the fatal “white-blood disease.” In London’s Royal Naval Hospital annex, nurse Hester Monk is tending one of the brothers’ dying patients when she stumbles upon three terrified young children and learns that they’ve been secretly purchased and imprisoned by the Rands for experimental purposes. Before Hester can reveal the truth, she too becomes a prisoner; the brothers are too close to a miracle cure to allow their experiments to be exposed. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
THE KILLING LESSONS by Saul Black (Thriller)
When the two strangers turn up at Rowena Cooper's isolated farmhouse, she knows instantly that it's the end of everything. For the two haunted and driven men, it's just another stop on a long and bloody journey. For San Francisco homicide detective Valerie Hart, their trail of victims has brought her from obsession to the edge of physical and psychological destruction. But the murders at the Cooper farmhouse didn't quite go according to plan. There was a survivor, Rowena's 10-year-old daughter, who now holds the key to the killings. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
GIRL IN THE WOODS: A Memoir by Aspen Matis (Memoir)
On her second night of college, Aspen Matis was raped by a fellow student. Dealing with a problem that has sadly become all too common on college campuses around the country, she stumbled through her first semester --- a challenging time made even harder by the coldness of her college's "conflict mediation" process. Her desperation growing, she made a bold decision: She would seek healing in the freedom of the wild, on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail leading from Mexico to Canada. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE CONQUERING TIDE: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942-1944 by Ian W. Toll (History)
THE CONQUERING TIDE encompasses the heart of the Pacific War --- the period between mid-1942 and mid-1944 --- when parallel Allied counteroffensives north and south of the equator washed over Japan's far-flung island empire like a "conquering tide," concluding with Japan's irreversible strategic defeat in the Marianas. It was the largest, bloodiest, most costly, most technically innovative and logistically complicated amphibious war in history, and it fostered bitter interservice rivalries, leaving wounds that even victory could not heal. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
AFTER THE PARADE by Lori Ostlund (Fiction)
After 20 years under the Pygmalion-like direction of his older partner Walter, Aaron Englund at last decides it is time to stop letting life happen to him and to take control of his own fate. But soon after establishing himself in San Francisco, Aaron sees that real freedom will not come until he has made peace with his memories of Morton, Minnesota: a cramped town whose 400 souls form a constellation of Aaron’s childhood heartbreaks and hopes. Reviewed by Norah Piehl. |
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Our Latest Poll: Your Reading Speed
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How long does it typically take for you to read a book that’s between 350 and 400 pages?
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Less than a week
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1 week
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2 weeks
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3 weeks
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1 month
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More than a month
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Click here to vote in 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 about the books you've finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from September 25th to October 9th at noon ET, five lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE HEART GOES LAST by Margaret Atwood, THE LAST MIDWIFE by Sandra Dallas, and THE SECRET CHORD by Geraldine Brooks.
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 rules and guidelines, click here.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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Click here to enter the contest. |
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Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!
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Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from October 1st to November 2nd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of both Robert Galbraith’s CAREER OF EVIL: A Cormoran Strike Novel, read by Robert Glenister, and FIND A WAY, written and read by Diana Nyad.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, 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.
-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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