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May 1, 2009

Last weekend I stayed at the W Hotel in Westwood when I was in town for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Every time I called downstairs, whoever was at the front desk would answer and say, “What’s your wish?” And every time it would just make me start laughing. I would think, WHAT should I ask for? A wakeup call sounds so very trite, though it did start with a W! They are all into W words at the hotel --- parking is “wheels,” and everything else is labeled --- “when,” “where,” “what” and “why.” When the boys were in pre-school they would have a letter of the week to study. If only the W had been around then for “W week.”

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Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2009

Each Spring, Mystery Writers of America present the Edgar® Awards, widely acknowledged to be the most prestigious awards in the genre. These awards recognize the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television in the past year.

April 2009

We had a sneak peek at summer these past few days, as temperatures in the Northeast soared into the 90s. I was contemplating pulling my hammock out of winter storage before the temperatures finally returned to a seasonal 55-degree range. I guess there are a few more weeks of spring left after all. Either way, it’s nice to finally pack away my winter clothes!

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Agatha Awards 2008

Established in 1989, Malice Domestic is an annual convention in metropolitan Washington, DC, saluting "mysteries of manners", books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The Agatha Awards honor the "traditional mystery" -- loosely defined as mysteries which contain no explicit sex nor excessive gore or violence; and feature an amateur detective (usually), a confined setting, and characters who know one another.

April 24, 2009

Ever had a night when it's easier to just keeping typing on the couch rather than move? I am writing this note on Thursday night when I SHOULD be packing for LA as I am flying out early Friday morning to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Instead, I am writing the newsletter opener. When I leave town, I worry that I will not have power, a battery that works or an Internet connection, and thus the newsletter will not get done. This from a woman who travels with a backup battery and a Verizon air card. Okay, okay, I always am overprepared.

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Los Angeles Times Book Prize 2008

On April 24th, 2009 the winners of the 29th Annual Los Angeles Times Book Prize were announced at a ceremony held during the L. A. Times Festival of Books. The Prize was established in 1980 and includes a $1,000 cash award.

Pulitzer Prize Winners in Letters and Drama 2009

On April 20, the winners of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize were announced at Columbia University in New York. The recipients were selected from over 2,400 entries by 102 jurors, and will be awarded a $10,000 prize and certificate at a luncheon to be held on May 28th at Columbia's Low Library.

Outside of a formal book club setting, would you enjoy the experience of meeting with people to discuss books you recently have read?

April 17, 2009, 427 voters

April 17, 2009 - April 30, 2009

Send us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. To make sure other readers will be able to find the book, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). The Word of Mouth archives can be searched using the "Search" feature at the top right of the page.

Which books that you recently have read (name up to three) would you like to discuss with others?

April 17, 2009