November 23, 2016

Whew! It’s been a whirlwind last few days. The Miami Book Fair was just fabulous; from 10:00am to 5:00pm on both Saturday and Sunday, I moved from one terrific author event to the next. My sister-in-law, Kate, and her daughter Kelley joined me on Saturday, and it was their first time at a book fair. I loved sharing the experience with them and wish we had snagged a photo of the three of us.

This was the first time that we put together a program specifically for book groups at the Miami Book Fair, and I was so pleased to see 60(!) people in the audience at 10am on Saturday morning. I chatted about more than 30 books from fall --- and sneaked in a couple coming in early 2017 that should be noted as well. I also talked about our Book Group Checkup feature, which many in the audience thought would be great for their groups! As the fair had more than 600 authors in attendance, I went through the schedule and created a list of the sessions that I thought would be of interest to book groups. I heard from a number of readers throughout the weekend that they were following my schedule --- and loving the author talks that they heard and contemplating those books for their group discussions.

I also was lucky enough to have Gayle Forman as my author guest at this event, and we had a wonderful chat about her book, LEAVE ME. Gayle and I had had dinner together back in January at Winter Institute when she was first talking to booksellers about LEAVE ME, and it was lovely to catch up with her at the end of her tour and hear about the reactions from readers who related to her story. Ann Hood, author of THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST, came to the presentation, and she worked on a knitting project in between taking notes on books that she wants to read.

After that program, I raced upstairs to a talk that Armando Lucas Correa was giving about THE GERMAN GIRL, which I had selected as a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection last week. He had a wonderful slide presentation and video, which brought the story even more alive for me. From there I wandered out to see Adam Haslett discuss IMAGINE ME GONE and Margot Livesey share thoughts about MERCURY.

I circled back to see Gayle again where she was on a panel with Maria Semple, who chatted about TODAY WILL BE DIFFERENT (she read the terrific opener to that one), and Emily Giffin got readers on the page about her bookish history, including her latest, FIRST COMES LOVE. Since Kate and Kelley live in Florida, I thought they needed a dose of the humor from Dave Barry, and yes, he got them laughing as he shared stories that were quintessentially Floridian. I got a chance to say hi to one of our longtime readers, Miriam, and we did a very quick catchup. Then Art Spiegelman was interviewed about his latest work, SI LEWEN’S PARADE: An Artist’s Odyssey, by his editor, Charles Kochman. The presentation of the story behind the art in the book and why they remastered this 1957 work was just brilliant. I felt like I was at a very smart art lecture instead of a book talk!

On Sunday, I met up with Cristina Vasquez, another of our longtime readers (you can see her with me above), and in between panels, we caught up about our lives. It's been five years since I was at the Fair! I zipped over to a panel where Calvin Reid from Publishers Weekly was interviewing Gene Luen Yang, who is the current National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature (you can see the two of them above). Gene is passionate about his Reading Without Walls initiative, which encourages young readers to read outside their comfort zones in three ways: 1) Read a book about a character who doesn’t look like you or live like you; 2) read a book about a topic you don’t know much about; and 3) read a book in a format that you don’t normally read for fun. That might be a chapter book, a graphic novel, a book in verse, a picture book or a hybrid book. These ideas also will work for adults.

I then slipped into the end of a panel that featured Amor Towles (A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW), Affinity Konar (MISCHLING) and Nathan Hill (THE NIX). Having read SWEETBITTER by Stephanie Danler, it was fun to hear her talk about her tales behind the writing and how she wanted to tell this coming-of-age tale realistically. Tim Murphy was passionate about sharing passages from CHRISTODORA, and Jacqueline Woodson brilliantly spoke about the Brooklyn in which she grew up, contrasting it with what she knows today. Second chances and change were explored by the next three authors with Jennifer Haigh, who brilliantly read from HEAT AND LIGHT; Jane Hamilton, who was wickedly funny talking about THE EXCELLENT LOMBARDS; and Joyce Maynard, who talked about one of my Bets On titles, UNDER THE INFLUENCE. When Joyce read the opening chapter, it reminded me why I loved it so much.

After that, I channeled my fashion background as I listened to Tommy Hilfiger talk about his latest book, AMERICAN DREAMER. He spoke about managing his brand --- and what works and does not for it. It was very interesting to hear the philosophy that he has applied through the years. By the way, his collection will never have black in it. Susan Faludi spoke about her complicated relationship with her dad, who in his 70s decided to have gender reassignment surgery, as he/she recognized the conflicts that were making him feel unfulfilled as a man. Her book about this is called IN THE DARKROOM.

I wrapped the day listening to Colson Whitehead sharing the genesis of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, a book that he conceptualized years ago but waited to explore the story until he felt he was ready to tackle it artistically. From there, I jumped into a cab with Jane Hamilton and chatted with her on the drive to the airport like we were old friends. After a slightly delayed flight and an equally bumpy landing, I was back home relishing the memories of the weekend. I also harbored regrets about all the programming that I did not get to see and the photos that I failed to take, but such is the way of book festivals!

Onward to this week’s update….

As we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, this week marks the release of two books --- one fiction, the other nonfiction --- about Queen Victoria. The fiction title is Daisy Goodwin’s latest novel, VICTORIA, which we’re currently featuring in our New Release Spotlight. Daisy is the creator and writer of the Masterpiece presentation “Victoria,” a PBS miniseries that will premiere on January 15th. The nonfiction work is VICTORIA: THE QUEEN: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird, which we gave away copies of in this year’s Fall Preview contests.

Reviewer Katherine B. Weissman calls VICTORIA “an absolute dream of a read --- charming, shrewd and well-paced... The novel is strongest when the queen’s nascent feminism is allowed to emerge.” Amy Gwiazdowski had this to say in her review of VICTORIA: THE QUEEN: “Julia Baird does an excellent job of introducing us not just to Queen Victoria, but to Victoria herself, with all her faults and feats.”

We are giving you the chance to win Daisy Goodwin’s novel, along with THE PRINCESS DIARIST by Carrie Fisher, in our current Word of Mouth contest. All you have to do is submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, December 2nd at noon ET. I am looking forward to listening to THE PRINCESS DIARIST on audio --- part of my ongoing trend of listening to memoirs on audio.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon returns with his latest novel, MOONGLOW. In 1989, Chabon traveled to visit his terminally ill grandfather. Tongue loosened by painkillers, memory stirred by the onset of old age, his grandfather told stories that the younger man had never heard before, uncovering fragments of a history long buried and forgotten. That dreamlike week of revelations forms the basis for MOONGLOW, which unfolds as the deathbed confession of a man the narrator refers to only as “my grandfather.”

Norah Piehl has our review and says, “In the end, no one but Chabon will ever really know where history and memory end and fiction and metaphor begin in these pages. But at some point it ceases to matter, as those questions are outweighed by the value of these stories, which are so beautifully told.”

Bestselling author Wally Lamb introduced baby boomer Felix Funicello in WISHIN' AND HOPIN'. His new novel, I'LL TAKE YOU THERE, delves into Felix’s life, as he runs a Monday night movie club in what was once a vaudeville theater. One evening, while setting up a film in the projectionist booth, he’s confronted by the ghost of Lois Weber, a trailblazing motion picture director from Hollywood’s silent film era. Lois invites Felix to revisit --- and in some cases relive --- scenes from his past as they are projected onto the cinema’s big screen. In these magical movies, the medium of film becomes the lens for Felix to reflect on the women who profoundly impacted his life.

Reviewer Jane Krebs says, “The prologue for I’LL TAKE YOU THERE, Wally Lamb’s sixth novel, invites readers to an easy trip along the Geezerdom parkway. The central character, Felix Funicello, was introduced in Lamb’s previous book, WISHIN’ AND HOPIN’, but he seamlessly brings us up to date.”

You can win the audio versions of MOONGLOW and I’LL TAKE YOU THERE in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Thursday, December 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve finished listening to, and you’ll have a chance to win both audio titles.

In BORN A CRIME, Trevor Noah writes about his unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of "The Daily Show," which began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

According to reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott, “Noah makes the craziness, danger, deprivation and racial stratification of his younger days seem funny. Except when it wasn’t…. Noah’s book, more personal than polemic, shows him drawing his own personal power from his remarkably strong, nervy single mom.”

Other books we’re reviewing this week include CROSS THE LINE, James Patterson’s new Alex Cross thriller; BELLEVUE, David Oshinsky’s history of New York's iconic public hospital that also charts the turbulent rise of American medicine; and I LOVED HER IN THE MOVIES, film and television actor Robert Wagner’s memoir of the great female movie stars he has known.

The holidays are here, and that means friends, family, and more time to curl up with a good book --- and eat! We’re excited to bring you our Fall/Winter Cookbook bookshelf, curated by our very own Nicole Sherman. We have a wide variety of cookbook selections here, from the biggest names in the industry to the coziest recipes, food histories and everything in between. So whether you’re a pastry pro, a Noel novice, a kitchen klutz, or the most experienced holiday host, ’tis the season for cookbooks!

And speaking of the holidays, please keep in mind our Holiday Cheer series of 24-hour contests. This week, we gave away SNOWFALL ON HAVEN POINT by RaeAnne Thayne and THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT by Alexander Chee. Next week’s prizes will be THE ANGEL OF FOREST HILL: An Amish Christmas Romance by Cindy Woodsmall, THE EXPATRIATES by Janice Y. K. Lee, MARRY ME AT CHRISTMAS: A Fool's Gold Romance by Susan Mallery, and THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Melanie Benjamin. The first contest of the week will be up at noon ET on Monday, November 28th.

We’re still interested in hearing about your paperback preferences. Do you typically read trade paperbacks (the large-sized paperback books) or mass market paperbacks (which are smaller-sized and less expensive). Let us know by voting in our poll here!

News & Pop Culture:

Short holiday week and a weekend of travel mean that this section is shorter than usual.

Perhaps sensing the brevity theme going on, Sue wrote a short and sweet note: “Love these reports. Keep them coming.”

"This Is Us": It was terrific this week; love the "This Is Us" frames that you can adapt on Facebook to show off your own family.

Terrific diffuser: Picked up this lovely diffuser for a very reasonable price. This is the "to me/from me" shopping season, right?

I am off to create Thanksgiving dinner. As of now, the only thing readied is a cornbread for the stuffing that my husband baked on Monday in order to allow it enough time to dry out. Yes, I have a few hours of chopping and dicing ahead of me! My parents are joining us, along with Tom’s mom, and our neighbor, Diana. It promises to be one very fun day of food and football. Cory is headed home tonight; dinner will be takeout pizza. The weekend will have lots of chillaxing. I am looking forward to finishing watching "The Crown."

Our sincere wishes for a happy Thanksgiving to all of you! We are endlessly grateful to have you as readers, so we can do what we love so much.

On Saturday, I encourage you to “shop small” and think about shopping for the holidays at indie stores for your book presents. Many indie stores will be participating in “Indies First” programs this weekend; you can see a map of them here.

Read on, and have a great week --- and a half!

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

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

VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Anna Wilson-Jones
Early one morning, 18-year-old Alexandrina Victoria is roused from bed with the news that her uncle William IV has died and she is now Queen of England. The men who run the country have doubts about whether this sheltered young woman can rule the greatest nation in the world. But Victoria has very definite ideas about the kind of queen she wants to be. Everyone keeps saying she is destined to marry her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, but she found him dull and priggish when they met three years ago. She is quite happy being queen with the help of her prime minister, Lord Melbourne, who may be old enough to be her father but is the first person to take her seriously. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.

Read the book, then watch "Victoria," a new drama series airing on PBS beginning January 15th. Click here for more information about this Masterpiece Presentation, which Daisy Goodwin created and wrote.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.

• THE ANGEL OF FOREST HILL: An Amish Christmas Romance by Cindy Woodsmall
• BROKEN PROMISE: Book One of the Promise Falls Trilogy by Linwood Barclay
• FAR FROM TRUE: A Promise Falls Novel by Linwood Barclay
• THE TWENTY-THREE: A Promise Falls Novel by Linwood Barclay
• THE CHRISTMAS TOWN by Donna VanLiere
• CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff
• CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE: The Tox Files, Book 1 by Ronie Kendig
• THE EXPATRIATES by Janice Y. K. Lee
• THE GERMAN GIRL by Armando Lucas Correa
• THE HEART OF HENRY QUANTUM by Pepper Harding
• JOHANNA’S CHRISTMAS: A Festive Coloring Book for Adults by Johanna Basford
• LIKE FAMILY written by Paolo Giordano, translated by Anne Milano Appel
• MARRY ME AT CHRISTMAS: A Fool's Gold Romance by Susan Mallery
• THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT by Alexander Chee
• SNOWFALL ON HAVEN POINT: A Haven Point Novel by RaeAnne Thayne
• SPEAKING AMERICAN: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide by Josh Katz
• THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Melanie Benjamin
• THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG: A Memoir by Carole Bayer Sager
• TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber
• THE WIDOWER'S WIFE by Cate Holahan

• THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST by Ann Hood
  Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners are selected, and each wins 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Our latest prize book is THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST by Ann Hood, an enthralling novel about love, loss, secrets, friendship and the healing power of literature --- not to mention the story of how joining a book group forever changes one woman’s life. Enter here by Wednesday, January 4th at noon ET.

• THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST by Ann Hood
• THE FORTRESS: A Love Story by Danielle Trussoni
• INHERITING EDITH by Zoe Fishman
• MEANTIME by Katharine Noel
• NO SHRED OF EVIDENCE: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd
• THE SELLOUT by Paul Beatty
• THE SLOW WALTZ OF TURTLES by Katherine Pancol
• SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult
• UNDER THE INFLUENCE by Joyce Maynard

Below are some notable titles releasing on November 29th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of November 28th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

THE AMERICAN MIRACLE: Divine Providence in the Rise of the Republic by Michael Medved (History)
In THE AMERICAN MIRACLE, Michael Medved reveals a record of improbabilities and amazements that demonstrate what the Founders always believed: that events unfolded according to a master plan, with destiny playing an unmistakable role in lifting the nation to greatness.

THE FATE OF THE TEARLING by Erika Johansen (Fantasy/Adventure)
As the suspenseful endgame begins in this thrilling conclusion to Erika Johansen's Tearling trilogy, the fate of Queen Kelsea --- and the Tearling itself --- will finally be revealed.

THE FLAME BEARER by Bernard Cornwell (Historical Fiction/Adventure)
Britain is in a state of uneasy peace. England’s greatest warrior, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, at last has the chance to take back the home his traitorous uncle stole from him so many years ago. Uhtred is determined that nothing, neither the new enemies nor the old foes who combine against him, will keep him from his birthright.

PRINCE LESTAT AND THE REALMS OF ATLANTIS: The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice (Paranormal Mystery/Thriller)
At the novel's center is the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt: hero, leader, inspirer, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of Lestat's undead body and soul.

THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING by Fannie Flagg (Fiction)
Elmwood Springs, Missouri, is a small town like any other, but something strange is happening at the cemetery. Still Meadows, as it’s called, is anything but still. Odd things begin to happen, and it starts the whole town talking.

WHEN ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GONE by Jayne Ann Krentz (Romantic Suspense)
When Charlotte Sawyer is unable to contact her stepsister, Jocelyn, to tell her that one of her closest friends was found dead, she discovers that Jocelyn has vanished. In a desperate effort to find her, Charlotte joins forces with Max Cutler. When her uneasy alliance with Max turns into a full-blown affair, Charlotte has no choice but to trust him with her life.

• I read only trade paperbacks.
• I read only mass market paperbacks.
• I read both trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks.
• I read neither trade paperbacks nor mass market paperbacks.
• Instead of reading paperbacks, I am now reading eBooks.

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.
 

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 November 1st to December 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Wally Lamb's I'LL TAKE YOU THERE, performed by George Guidall, and Michael Chabon's MOONGLOW, performed by George Newbern.

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.