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Spring Cookbooks 2016

Spring is arguably the best season of the year. For those of us in the northeast, it's a sign of warmer days ahead, frequent rain showers that bring May flowers, and no longer eating soup or stew for every single meal (although we wouldn't blame you if you still wanted to)! Along with one of the best seasons comes a slew of brand new cookbooks, and this year's batch is sure to get your mouth watering and your tongues wagging.

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Harvey Mackay

A great accomplishment shouldn't be the end of the road, just the starting point for the next leap forward.

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Harvey Mackay

Sue Mengers

Stars are rare creatures, and not everyone can be one. But there isn't anyone on earth --- not you, not me, not the girl next door --- who wouldn't like to be a movie star holding up that gold statuette on Academy Award night.

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Sue Mengers

H.E. Luccock

No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.

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H.E. Luccock

February 26, 2016

My friend Beverley reminded me this week that February is one of the longest and most depressing months of the year. The sky is more gray than blue, and the weather is unpredictable. Making plans is not easy, and it feels like we are trapped in a slog to get to spring that's going to take forever.

My days have been brightened by looking ahead at spring books as we make our editorial plans for the websites. We also are making plans for our ReadingGroupGuides.com's 5th Annual Book Group Speed Dating Event at BookExpo America (BEA), which this year is scheduled for Chicago on Friday, May 13th. Representatives from more than a dozen publishers will be in attendance to share selections and book group news from their publishing houses in a speed-dating format designed to give booksellers, librarians, book group leaders and bloggers an inside look at what book groups will want to know for fall and winter. Galley giveaways and ideas for enhancing book group discussions will be part of this event. Advance signup is required by Tuesday, May 3rd at noon ET. Seating will be assigned. Fill out this form to sign up. Please note: You must be registered to attend BookExpo America in order to attend this session. If you are not, click here to register.

Editorial Content for Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Pauline Finch

Speaking of human mortality, there are far more Mr. Spock fans alive now who first encountered the most memorable character from “Star Trek” in syndication than who viewed him on the original black-and-white television series that debuted 50 years ago. Read More

Teaser

Thanks to the “Star Trek” TV and movie franchise, Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner grew to know each other more than most friends could ever imagine. Over the course of half a century, they saw each other through personal and professional highs and lows. In LEONARD, Shatner tells the story of a man who was his friend for five decades, recounting anecdotes and untold stories of their lives on and off set, as well as gathering stories from others who knew Nimoy well, to present a full picture of a rich life.

Promo

Thanks to the “Star Trek” TV and movie franchise, Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner grew to know each other more than most friends could ever imagine. Over the course of half a century, they saw each other through personal and professional highs and lows. In LEONARD, Shatner tells the story of a man who was his friend for five decades, recounting anecdotes and untold stories of their lives on and off set, as well as gathering stories from others who knew Nimoy well, to present a full picture of a rich life.

About the Book

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner first crossed paths as actors on the set of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." Little did they know that their next roles, in a new science-fiction television series, would shape their lives in ways no one could have anticipated. In 79 television episodes and six feature films, they grew to know each other more than most friends could ever imagine.

Over the course of half a century, Shatner and Nimoy saw each other through personal and professional highs and lows. In this powerfully emotional book, Shatner tells the story of a man who was his friend for five decades, recounting anecdotes and untold stories of their lives on and off set, as well as gathering stories from others who knew Nimoy well, to present a full picture of a rich life.

As much a biography of Nimoy as a story of their friendship, LEONARD is a uniquely heartfelt book written by one legendary actor in celebration of another.

Audiobook available, narrated by William Shatner

Editorial Content for Scandalous Behavior: A Stone Barrington Novel

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Judy Gigstad

With the ink barely dry on FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Stuart Woods has penned a new volume in his Stone Barrington series, SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOR. The non-stop action in Stone’s trip to Rome with a dalliance in Paris, coupled with intrigue from Italian mobsters, has left him exhausted. Before flying home to New York, he accepts an invitation from Dame Felicity Devonshire to vacation at her country estate.  Read More

Teaser

After a series of nonstop adventures, Stone Barrington is eager for some peace and quiet in a rustic British setting. But no sooner does he land in England than he’s beset by an outrageous demand from a beautiful lady, and an offer he can’t refuse. Unfortunately, Stone quickly learns that his new acquisition comes with some undesired strings attached --- namely, a deadly mystery involving the complex relationships of the local gentry, and a relentless adversary who raises the stakes with every encounter.

Promo

After a series of nonstop adventures, Stone Barrington is eager for some peace and quiet in a rustic British setting. But no sooner does he land in England than he’s beset by an outrageous demand from a beautiful lady, and an offer he can’t refuse. Unfortunately, Stone quickly learns that his new acquisition comes with some undesired strings attached --- namely, a deadly mystery involving the complex relationships of the local gentry, and a relentless adversary who raises the stakes with every encounter.

About the Book

Stone Barrington is back, in fine form, in the newest thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.
 
After a series of nonstop adventures, Stone Barrington is eager for some peace and quiet in a rustic British setting. But no sooner does he land in England than he’s beset by an outrageous demand from a beautiful lady, and an offer he can’t refuse.

Unfortunately, Stone quickly learns that his new acquisition comes with some undesired strings attached --- namely, a deadly mystery involving the complex relationships of the local gentry, and a relentless adversary who raises the stakes with every encounter. Stone’s restful country vacation is looking like yet another troublesome situation, but with his tireless aplomb --- and the help of a few friends --- he is more than up to the challenge.

Audiobook available, narrated by Tony Roberts

Editorial Content for Reasons to Stay Alive

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Norah Piehl

I’ve loved Matt Haig’s novels for adults and kids for close to a decade now. His books are invariably funny and wise, offering a unique outlook on the world and its foibles. They also can be quite emotionally affecting; I remember finishing his last book, THE HUMANS, while on a transatlantic flight. Read More

Teaser

Everyone’s lives are touched by mental illness: if we do not suffer from it ourselves, then we have a friend or loved one who does. Matt Haig’s frankness about his experiences is both inspiring to those who feel daunted by depression and illuminating to those who are mystified by it. Above all, his humor and encouragement never let us lose sight of hope. Speaking as his present self to his former self in the depths of depression, Matt is adamant that the oldest cliché is the truest --- there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Promo

Everyone’s lives are touched by mental illness: if we do not suffer from it ourselves, then we have a friend or loved one who does. Matt Haig’s frankness about his experiences is both inspiring to those who feel daunted by depression and illuminating to those who are mystified by it. Above all, his humor and encouragement never let us lose sight of hope. Speaking as his present self to his former self in the depths of depression, Matt is adamant that the oldest cliché is the truest --- there is light at the end of the tunnel.

About the Book

One of Entertainment Weekly‘s 25 most anticipated books of 2016 --- Matt Haig’s accessible and life-affirming memoir of his struggle with depression, and how his triumph over the illness taught him to live
 
Like nearly one in five people, Matt Haig suffers from depression. REASONS TO STAY ALIVE is Matt’s inspiring account of how, minute by minute and day by day, he overcame the disease with the help of reading, writing, and the love of his parents and his girlfriend (and now-wife), Andrea. And eventually, he learned to appreciate life all the more for it.
 
Everyone’s lives are touched by mental illness: if we do not suffer from it ourselves, then we have a friend or loved one who does. Matt’s frankness about his experiences is both inspiring to those who feel daunted by depression and illuminating to those who are mystified by it. Above all, his humor and encouragement never let us lose sight of hope. Speaking as his present self to his former self in the depths of depression, Matt is adamant that the oldest cliché is the truest --- there is light at the end of the tunnel. He teaches us to celebrate the small joys and moments of peace that life brings, and reminds us that there are always reasons to stay alive.

Editorial Content for The Narrow Door: A Memoir of Friendship

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Jesse Kornbluth for HeadButler.com

“The best book about friendship I’ve ever read.” That’s what I wrote, some years ago, about LET'S TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME, Gail Caldwell’s memoir of her friendship with Caroline Knapp. Two writers, private in the important ways, both triumphantly sober --- and then Caroline was diagnosed with cancer and died, seven weeks later, at 42. Caldwell’s writing is restrained, but no matter. Her book rips your heart out. Read More

Teaser

Paul Lisicky creates a compelling collage of scenes and images drawn from two long-term relationships --- one with a female novelist and the other with his ex-husband, a poet. The contours of these relationships shift constantly. Denise and Paul, stretched by the demands of their writing lives, drift apart, and Paul's romance begins to falter. And the world around them is frail: environmental catastrophes like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural disasters like the earthquake in Haiti and local disturbances make an unsettling backdrop to the pressing concerns of Denise's cancer diagnosis and Paul's impending breakup.

Promo

Paul Lisicky creates a compelling collage of scenes and images drawn from two long-term relationships --- one with a female novelist and the other with his ex-husband, a poet. The contours of these relationships shift constantly. Denise and Paul, stretched by the demands of their writing lives, drift apart, and Paul's romance begins to falter. And the world around them is frail: environmental catastrophes like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural disasters like the earthquake in Haiti and local disturbances make an unsettling backdrop to the pressing concerns of Denise's cancer diagnosis and Paul's impending breakup.

About the Book

In THE NARROW DOOR, Paul Lisicky creates a compelling collage of scenes and images drawn from two long-term relationships --- one with a woman novelist and the other with his ex-husband, a poet. The contours of these relationships shift constantly. Denise and Paul, stretched by the demands of their writing lives, drift apart, and Paul's romance begins to falter. And the world around them is frail: environmental catastrophes like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural disasters like the earthquake in Haiti and local disturbances make an unsettling backdrop to the pressing concerns of Denise's cancer diagnosis and Paul's impending breakup.

Lisicky's compassionate heart and resilience seem all the stronger in the face of such searing losses. His survival --- hard-won, unsentimental, authentic --- proves that in turning toward loss, we embrace life.

Editorial Content for Interior Darkness: Selected Stories

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Peter Straub is a modern Master of Horror, and perhaps only his sometime collaborator, Stephen King, can carry that mantle. INTERIOR DARKNESS gathers for the first time short stories of Straub's that span several decades. These tales were taken from the previous collections HOUSES WITHOUT DOORS, MAGIC TERROR and 5 STORIES, along with a few previously uncollected tales. Read More

Teaser

In INTERIOR DARKNESS, Peter Straub explores the deepest, shadow-filled corners of his imagination. His world is made up of damaged people --- from the righteous to the depraved, from the working class to the wealthy. No one and no place is safe from the darkness that he reveals. In “Blue Rose,” an adolescent sociopath inflicts secret violence on his younger brother; in “Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff,” a stern estate lawyer hires a pair of "Private Detectives Extraordinaire" to investigate and seek revenge on his unfaithful wife; and in “The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine,” a man and his much younger lover explore their decadent and increasingly sinister fantasies aboard a luxurious yacht on the remotest stretch of the Amazon River.

Promo

In INTERIOR DARKNESS, Peter Straub explores the deepest, shadow-filled corners of his imagination. His world is made up of damaged people --- from the righteous to the depraved, from the working class to the wealthy. No one and no place is safe from the darkness that he reveals. In “Blue Rose,” an adolescent sociopath inflicts secret violence on his younger brother; in “Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff,” a stern estate lawyer hires a pair of "Private Detectives Extraordinaire" to investigate and seek revenge on his unfaithful wife; and in “The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine,” a man and his much younger lover explore their decadent and increasingly sinister fantasies aboard a luxurious yacht on the remotest stretch of the Amazon River.

About the Book

Peter Straub, an American icon of horror, explores the deepest, shadow-filled corners of his imagination. Straub's world is made up of damaged people --- from the righteous to the depraved, from the working class to the wealthy.
 
No one and no place is safe from the darkness that he reveals. In “Blue Rose,” an adolescent sociopath inflicts secret violence on his younger brother; in “Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff,” a stern estate lawyer hires a pair of "Private Detectives Extraordinaire" to investigate and seek revenge on his unfaithful wife; and in “The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine,” a man and his much younger lover explore their decadent and increasingly sinister fantasies aboard a luxurious yacht on the remotest stretch of the Amazon River. INTERIOR DARKNESS is a thrilling and terrifying testament to Straub's unparalleled contribution to the world of horror.