Joan Baez
It seems to me that those songs that have been any good, I have nothing much to do with the writing of them. The words have just crawled down my sleeve and come out on the page.
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March 25, 2016
We closed the office early today in observance of Good Friday, thus our newsletter is arriving in your mailboxes earlier than usual. I hope this does not interfere too much with your regular reading habits! I hear from many of you that you have rituals for reading us on Friday night or Saturday morning. Apologies for tugging you from your comfort zones!
I also need time to shop for pre-dyed eggs (which were a huge hit last year) and jellybeans (the black ones are my favorites). Yet another amaryllis bloomed (see the photo above), and it’s in a perfect Easter pink! It’s also time to walk into the attic to hunt down Easter decorations, with a vow to practice the same restraint that I practiced at Christmas. The concept: Hold each item in your hand and think, “Will I want to put this away in April?” It’s amazing how many bunnies will be left behind with this mantra in practice. Move over, Marie Kondo! I think I have a whole new franchise idea for holiday decorating. Oh, but wait, it’s only one line of questioning. Maybe I can invent a few more to say to the decorations left behind in the attic.
J. R. R. TolkienThe wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out. AttributionJ. R. R. Tolkien
Editorial Content for Fool Me OnceBookContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
FOOL ME ONCE is quite a book. Just when you think that Harlan Coben may have lost his touch, he turns things around and upside down, demonstrating not only that he still has it but that he never lost it. Fool me once, indeed. It is aptly named and a heck of a book, quite possibly one of his best. Read More TeaserFormer special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe --- who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband --- and herself. PromoFormer special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe --- who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband --- and herself. About the Book#1 New York Times bestseller Harlan Coben delivers his next impossible-to-put-down thriller. Audiobook available, narrated by January LaVoy Editorial Content for At the Edge of the OrchardContributorsReviewer (text)Jana Siciliano
Tracy Chevalier has a special talent for combining events from real life with fictional characters who represent the peanut gallery for that historical figure --- men and women whose lives were touched by the iconic figure’s work in both good and bad ways. Read More TeaserIt's 1838, and James and Sadie Goodenough have settled where their wagon got stuck --- in the muddy, stagnant swamps of northwest Ohio. They and their five children work relentlessly to tame their patch of land, buying saplings from a local tree man known as John Appleseed so they can cultivate the 50 apple trees required to stake their claim on the property. But the orchard they plant sows the seeds of a long battle. Fifteen years later, their youngest child, Robert, is wandering through Gold Rush California. Restless and haunted by the broken family he left behind, he has made his way alone across the country. But when Robert’s past makes an unexpected appearance, he must decide whether to strike out again or stake his own claim to a home at last. PromoIt's 1838, and James and Sadie Goodenough have settled where their wagon got stuck --- in the muddy, stagnant swamps of northwest Ohio. They and their five children work relentlessly to tame their patch of land, buying saplings from a local tree man known as John Appleseed so they can cultivate the 50 apple trees required to stake their claim on the property. But the orchard they plant sows the seeds of a long battle. Fifteen years later, their youngest child, Robert, is wandering through Gold Rush California. Restless and haunted by the broken family he left behind, he has made his way alone across the country. But when Robert’s past makes an unexpected appearance, he must decide whether to strike out again or stake his own claim to a home at last. About the BookFrom internationally bestselling author Tracy Chevalier, a riveting drama of a pioneer family on the American frontier 1838: James and Sadie Goodenough have settled where their wagon got stuck --- in the muddy, stagnant swamps of northwest Ohio. They and their five children work relentlessly to tame their patch of land, buying saplings from a local tree man known as John Appleseed so they can cultivate the 50 apple trees required to stake their claim on the property. But the orchard they plant sows the seeds of a long battle. James loves the apples, reminders of an easier life back in Connecticut; while Sadie prefers the applejack they make, an alcoholic refuge from brutal frontier life. Audiobook available, narrated by Mark Bramhall, Hillary Huber, Kirby Heyborne and Cassandra Morris Editorial Content for Treachery at Lancaster Gate: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt NovelContributorsReviewer (text)Ray Palen
The Victorian Era is an intriguing time period in which to set a historical mystery series, and there is no better tour guide to lead you through it than the great Anne Perry. To categorize her novels as historical mysteries does not do them justice. There are equal parts political, psychological and sociological elements at play in all her work. Read More TeaserWhen an explosion in London kills two policemen and seriously injures three more, many believe that anarchists are the culprits. But Thomas Pitt knows the city’s radical groups well enough to suspect that someone with decidedly more personal motives lit the deadly fuse. As he investigates the source of the fatal blast, Pitt is stunned to discover that the bombing was a calculated strike against the ranks of law enforcement. But still more shocking revelations await. As he pursues each increasingly threatening lead, Pitt finds himself impeded at every turn by the barriers put in place to protect the rich and powerful. PromoWhen an explosion in London kills two policemen and seriously injures three more, many believe that anarchists are the culprits. But Thomas Pitt knows the city’s radical groups well enough to suspect that someone with decidedly more personal motives lit the deadly fuse. As he investigates the source of the fatal blast, Pitt is stunned to discover that the bombing was a calculated strike against the ranks of law enforcement. But still more shocking revelations await. As he pursues each increasingly threatening lead, Pitt finds himself impeded at every turn by the barriers put in place to protect the rich and powerful. About the BookGripping and provocative, the latest Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry peers unflinchingly into the corrupt affairs of Victorian society on the brink of the century’s turn. The world is poised for social and political change, but England holds tight to its traditions, classes and prejudices. When an explosion in London kills two policemen and seriously injures three more, many believe that anarchists are the culprits. But Thomas Pitt, commander of Special Branch, knows the city’s radical groups well enough to suspect that someone with decidedly more personal motives lit the deadly fuse. As he investigates the source of the fatal blast, Pitt is stunned to discover that the bombing was a calculated strike against the ranks of law enforcement. But still more shocking revelations await, as Pitt’s inquiries lead him to a member of Parliament hoping for a lucrative business deal, a high-ranking police officer with secrets to keep, and an aristocratic opium addict seeking murderous revenge. As he pursues each increasingly threatening lead, Pitt finds himself impeded at every turn by the barriers put in place to protect the rich and powerful --- barriers that, as they start to crumble, threaten to bury him alive. Audiobook available, narrated by Jenny Sterlin Editorial Content for Switched On: A Memoir of Brain Change and Emotional AwakeningContributorsReviewer (text)Barbara Bamberger Scott
John Elder Robison established himself as a significant spokesperson for autism with his bestselling LOOK ME IN THE EYE. Now he recounts how, with an experimental therapy, he began to look people in the eye, seeing more there than he ever imagined. Read More TeaserIn 2007, John Elder Robison wrote the international bestseller LOOK ME IN THE EYE, a memoir about growing up with Asperger’s syndrome. Amid the blaze of publicity that followed, he received a unique invitation: Would John like to take part in a study led by one of the world’s foremost neuroscientists, who would use an experimental new brain therapy known as TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, in an effort to understand and then address the issues at the heart of autism? SWITCHED ON is the extraordinary story of what happened next. PromoIn 2007, John Elder Robison wrote the international bestseller LOOK ME IN THE EYE, a memoir about growing up with Asperger’s syndrome. Amid the blaze of publicity that followed, he received a unique invitation: Would John like to take part in a study led by one of the world’s foremost neuroscientists, who would use an experimental new brain therapy known as TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, in an effort to understand and then address the issues at the heart of autism? SWITCHED ON is the extraordinary story of what happened next. About the BookAn extraordinary memoir about the cutting-edge brain therapy that dramatically changed the life and mind of John Elder Robison, the New York Times bestselling author of LOOK ME IN THE EYE Imagine spending the first 40 years of your life in darkness, blind to the emotions and social signals of other people. Then imagine that someone suddenly switches the lights on. It has long been assumed that people living with autism are born with the diminished ability to read the emotions of others, even as they feel emotion deeply. But what if we’ve been wrong all this time? What if that “missing” emotional insight was there all along, locked away and inaccessible in the mind? Audiobook available, narrated by John Elder Robison Editorial Content for High DiveBookContributorsReviewer (text)Norah Piehl
At a time when news reports and political debates call up constant reminders of terrorist threats posed by militant jihadist groups like ISIS, it can be easy to forget that just 30 years ago, there was a lot of terrorist activity arising in a very different part of the world: northern Ireland. Read More TeaserIn the fall of 1984, the Grand Hotel in the seaside town of Brighton, England, became ground zero for the attempted assassination of Margaret Thatcher. Nimbly weaving together fact and fiction, comedy and tragedy, Jonathan Lee vividly reimagines those fateful days from the perspectives of three unforgettable characters --- a young IRA bomb maker, the deputy hotel manager, and his teenage daughter --- whose lives will be changed forever by the Prime Minister’s visit. PromoIn the fall of 1984, the Grand Hotel in the seaside town of Brighton, England, became ground zero for the attempted assassination of Margaret Thatcher. Nimbly weaving together fact and fiction, comedy and tragedy, Jonathan Lee vividly reimagines those fateful days from the perspectives of three unforgettable characters --- a young IRA bomb maker, the deputy hotel manager, and his teenage daughter --- whose lives will be changed forever by the Prime Minister’s visit. About the BookIn the fall of 1984, the Grand Hotel in the seaside town of Brighton, England, became ground zero for the attempted assassination of Margaret Thatcher. Nimbly weaving together fact and fiction, comedy and tragedy, here Jonathan Lee vividly reimagines those fateful days from the perspectives of three unforgettable characters --- a young IRA bomb maker, the deputy hotel manager and his teenage daughter --- whose lives will be changed forever by the Prime Minister’s visit. Editorial Content for No One KnowsBookContributorsReviewer (text)Kate Ayers
Regarding this page-turning thriller, I’ve heard comparisons to GONE GIRL and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, and there’s no argument here. Both of those novels are full of twists and turns, not to mention psychological suspense. With NO ONE KNOWS, J.T. Ellison proves that she is masterful at creating a powerful story of harrowing switchbacks. Read More TeaserThe day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life? PromoThe day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life? About the BookIn an obsessive mystery as thrilling as THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and THE HUSBAND'S SECRET, New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison will make you question every twist in her page-turning novel --- and wonder which of her vividly drawn characters you should trust. The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage --- they were happy, weren’t they? --- screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life? In NO ONE KNOWS, the New York Times bestselling co-author of the Nicholas Drummond series expertly peels back the layers of a complex woman who is hiding dark secrets beneath her unassuming exterior. This masterful thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty and Paula Hawkins will pull readers into a you’ll-never-guess merry-go-round of danger and deception. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops...no one knows. Audiobook available, narrated by Teri Schnaubelt and Nick Podehl Editorial Content for Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane EyreContributorsReviewer (text)Sarah Rachel Egelman
In the world of English literature, JANE EYRE is a giant. It is the wonderful and influential tale of a strong, smart and resilient orphan governess who comes to marry the guardian of her young charge. What makes it such a great and important novel is Charlotte Brontë’s twisting plot, her strange and powerful characters, and her use of ambiguity and moral shades. It has inspired other novelists and writers who have found much to plumb in Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester, Adele and the other figures. Read More TeaserA fixture in the literary canon, Charlotte Brontë is revered by readers all over the world. Her novels featuring unforgettable, strong heroines still resonate with millions today. Part of a remarkable family that produced three acclaimed female writers at a time in 19th-century Britain when few women wrote, and fewer were published, Brontë has become a great source of inspiration to writers, especially women, ever since. Now in READER, I MARRIED HIM, 20 of today’s most celebrated female authors have spun original stories, using the opening line from JANE EYRE as a springboard for their own flights of imagination. PromoA fixture in the literary canon, Charlotte Brontë is revered by readers all over the world. Her novels featuring unforgettable, strong heroines still resonate with millions today. Part of a remarkable family that produced three acclaimed female writers at a time in 19th-century Britain when few women wrote, and fewer were published, Brontë has become a great source of inspiration to writers, especially women, ever since. Now in READER, I MARRIED HIM, 20 of today’s most celebrated female authors have spun original stories, using the opening line from JANE EYRE as a springboard for their own flights of imagination. About the BookThis collection of original stories by today’s finest women writers --- including Tracy Chevalier, Francine Prose, Elizabeth McCracken, Tessa Hadley, Audrey Niffenegger and more --- takes inspiration from the opening line in Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel, JANE EYRE. A fixture in the literary canon, Charlotte Brontë is revered by readers all over the world. Her novels featuring unforgettable, strong heroines still resonate with millions today. And who could forget one of literature’s best-known lines: “Reader, I married him” from her classic novel JANE EYRE? Part of a remarkable family that produced three acclaimed female writers at a time in 19th-century Britain when few women wrote, and fewer were published, Brontë has become a great source of inspiration to writers, especially women, ever since. Now in READER, I MARRIED HIM, twenty of today’s most celebrated women authors have spun original stories, using the opening line from JANE EYRE as a springboard for their own flights of imagination. Unique, inventive and poignant, the stories in READER, I MARRIED HIM pay homage to the literary genius of Charlotte Brontë, and demonstrate once again that her extraordinary vision continues to inspire readers and writers. |


