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ReadingGroupGuides.com Newsletter |
June 2008
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Hot Weather, Hot Books and Bring on the Discussion....
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Here in New York we are experiencing a heat wave that has the pavement melting. Literally. I know I wanted warm weather, but I think I wished a tad too hard. Next time I will wish in moderation.
Last week I moderated a panel for New York City librarians that I blogged about today. Something came up there about the kinds of books people read --- and how this may influence a group's discussion choices --- that struck a chord with me. Take a look at what I had to say here. And then answer this month's poll here. I would love to hear what you have to say on the topic of whether you read books to think, to learn or to feel. Ponder that one.
I love our lineup this month. MANY of the books that we are featuring are ones that I closed and thought --- hmmm...that would make for a great discussion. It's interesting how many of these books stayed with me. I loved looking down the page as it brought back some wonderful memories of books I loved. One I wanted to give special notice to was The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty. This story of how a young woman's innocent mistake changed her life haunted me. It's a terrific selection for a mother/daughter book group discussion. Even if it's just with you and your daughter!
Last month I was in Coral Gables and on Grand Cayman doing book group events with my friends at Books & Books. I did a couple of blog posts about this adventure, and we also have a blog post from Kristy Kiernan, an author who I met at the Florida event. On Grand Cayman Lisa See was the author guest, and it was such a treat to get to spend time with her instead of doing one of the quick hellos that we usually do at various industry events. We look forward to having her blog with us soon. I am loving the blog since it gives us a chance to bring you new content five days a week. Later in this newsletter we will give you links to the recent blog posts so you can explore them.
For June we have two special opportunities for you to win free books and a chance to chat with their authors. Our featured titles this month are The Art of Keeping Secrets by Patti Callahan Henry and Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea. Read on for more details. For those of you in New Jersey, I am planning to attend an event on Monday evening at the Ocean County Library in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, where Patti will be speaking. Talk about a beach book --- Patti knows how to write women's fiction that craves being read on the beach.
Also, with summer we want you to think about doing a One-Book Book Club. We know many book clubs do not meet in the summer. Also, many of us vacation places where we gather with different friends this time of year. Sooooo why not try a One-Book Book Club, where you read something with a group of friends who are gathering for just one time. We have some ideas on how this might work in a blog post, which you can read here.
Fun bonus news this month. First, on Bookreporter.com, we are hosting a special contest celebrating the release of Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West by Shannon McKenna Schmidt (our ReadingGroupGuides.com Contributing Editor, who manages our blog) and Joni Rendon, who has been a longtime friend of the company. Readers who answer a question correctly by reading an excerpt from the book automatically will be entered to win. This book is an ideal companion for someone who wants to learn more about the places favorite novelists have made their own. Click here to find out more about the book and read all the contest details. I am having a lot of fun seeing this book come out, as a few years ago I introduced Joni to Shannon when they both were freelancing. Watching their friendship --- and their writing partnership --- grow has been a wonderful experience.
We also have two other contests on Bookreporter.com that you will want to note. The first is our 15-week Beach Bag Contest. The first few contests have ended, but there are many more weeks for you to enjoy. Stuck on what to get dad for Father's Day? We have 18 suggestions here!
Here's to some great reading....and time swinging in a hammock or floating in a pool.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
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UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri
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In eight finely crafted stories, Jhumpa Lahiri explores the expectations, allegiances and conflicts that both create and fray the ties between generations. The Bengali-American families she depicts struggle with doubts and uncertainties, emotional upheavals in their personal lives, and feelings of displacement in the face of cultural and social shifts and changes. As she traces these journeys, both external and internal, Lahiri brilliantly illuminates the emotional landscape tread by parents, children, spouses and lovers of every culture and generation.
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Click here to read the guide for Unaccustomed Earth.
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Now Available in Paperback: THE REST OF HER LIFE by Laura Moriarty
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Leigh is the mother of high-achieving, popular high school senior Kara. In a moment of carelessness, Kara makes a mistake that ends in tragedy --- the effects of which not only divide Leigh’s family, but polarize the entire community. We see the story from Leigh’s perspective, as she grapples the hard reality of what her daughter has done and the devastating consequences her actions have on the family of another teenage girl in town, all while struggling to protect Kara in the face of rising public outcry.
The Rest of Her Life was the #1 August 2007 Book Sense pick when it released in hardcover.
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Click here to read the guide for The Rest of Her Life.
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THE OTHER by David Guterson
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From the author of the bestselling Snow Falling on Cedars comes a dazzling new novel. When John William Barry engineers his own disappearance, retreating to a primitive camp high in the mountains, his childhood friend Neil Countryman is his only contact with the outside world. When John William’s long strange odyssey comes to a tragic end, Neil must deal with the meaning of his friend’s life and its profound impact on his own.
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Click here to read the guide for The Other.
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Now Available in Paperback: THE WEDDING OFFICER by Anthony Capella
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In the luscious tradition of Chocolat and Corelli's Mandolin, acclaimed novelist Anthony Capella brings us a tale of war-torn Europe --- and the sumptuous cuisine that sparked renewed hope, as well as an unexpected romance, for a young Italian widow and a British Army captain.
Captain James Gould arrives in wartime Naples assigned to discourage marriages between British soldiers and their gorgeous Italian girlfriends. But the innocent young officer is soon distracted by an intoxicating young widow who knows her way around a kitchen...
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Click here to read the guide for The Wedding Officer.
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THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS YES by Monica Ferrell
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Matthew Acciaccatura begins his freshman year at NYU in the fall of 1995 with one goal in mind: to become cool. A former high school outcast, used to lumbering the hallways alone in oversize turtlenecks, Matt seems an unlikely candidate for such a transformation. Yet by dint of effort he lands the coveted position of promoter at one of the hottest clubs in New York in the heyday of rave music and Ecstasy.
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Click here to read the guide for The Answer is Always Yes.
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Now Available in Paperback: GHOSTWALK by Rebecca Stott
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A Cambridge historian, Elizabeth Vogelsang, is found drowned, clutching a glass prism in her hand. The book she was writing about Isaac Newton’s involvement with alchemy remains unfinished.
When Lydia Brooke, at the request of her ex-lover, the historian’s son, steps in to finish the book, she soon discovers that the shadow of violence that has fallen across present-day Cambridge --- which escalates to a series of murders --- may have its origins in the troubling evidence that Elizabeth’s research has unearthed.
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Click here to read the guide for Ghostwalk.
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Now Available in Paperback: ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE by Barbara Kingsolver
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Barbara Kingsolver takes readers through the seasons, chronicling the joys and challenges of eating only foods that she, her husband and two daughters grew in their backyard or purchased from neighboring farms. Part memoir, part cookbook and part exposé of the American food industry, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is one family's inspiring story of discovering the truth behind the adage "you are what you eat" and a valuable resource for anyone looking to do the same.
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Click here to read the guide for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
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QUEEN OF THE ROAD by Doreen Orion
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Doreen and Tim are married psychiatrists with a twist: She’s a self-proclaimed Long Island princess, grouchy couch potato and shoe addict. He's an affable, though driven, outdoorsman. When Tim suggests “chucking it all” to travel cross-country in a converted bus, Doreen asks, “Why can’t you be like a normal husband in a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?” But she soon shocks them both, agreeing to set forth with their 60-pound dog, two querulous cats --- and no agenda --- in a 340-square-foot bus.
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Click here to read the guide for Queen of the Road.
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Registered Book Club Offers
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For June we have TWO very special opportunities for Registered Book Groups. Our featured titles this month are The Art of Keeping Secrets by Patti Callahan Henry and Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea. Groups who have registered with us by Monday, June 16th have the chance to win author chats and free books. If your group is not registered, and you are interested in future monthly contests, click here to register.
The Art of Keeping Secrets by Patti Callahan Henry --- Author Chat and Book Giveaway: 10 groups will have the opportunity to chat with Patti Callahan Henry and receive 12 copies of the book.
More About The Art of Keeping Secrets:
Two years after her husband is killed in a solo plane crash, Annabelle Murphy takes comfort in raising her children and spending time with close friends. And just when she thinks she has gotten past the worst of the grieving process, Annabelle receives startling news. The wreckage of her husband’s plane has been found, and Annabelle learns that her husband wasn’t alone. A woman was in the plane with him when it crashed. A shocked Annabelle suffers a crisis of faith and determines to find out who the mystery woman was.
Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea --- Author Chat and Book Giveaway: 10 groups will have the opportunity to chat with Rajaa Alsanea and receive 12 copies of the book.
More About Girls of Riyadh:
When Rajaa Alsanea boldly chose to open up the hidden world of Saudi women --- their private lives and their conflicts with the traditions of their culture --- she caused a sensation across the Arab world. Now in English, Alsanea’s tale of the personal struggles of four young upper-class women offers Westerners an unprecedented glimpse into a society often veiled from view. Living in restrictive Riyadh but traveling all over the globe, these modern Saudi women literally and figuratively shed traditional garb as they search for love, fulfillment, and their place somewhere in between Western society and their Islamic home.
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Click here to register your group.
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This Month's Book Club and Librarian Interviews
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This month we are sharing four new interviews with book clubs on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Linda Coakley is a member of The Book Worms in Cape Porpoise, ME. In this interview, Linda shares insight about her club, including the fact that she and her fellow members will arrange a time to visit the local bookstore to scope out new titles. She also mentions a few books that they enjoyed discussing and talks about the rewarding experience of chatting with a local author during one of their meetings.
Sheila DeChantal is the discussion leader for The Bookies in Brainerd, MN. In this interview, Sheila discusses the factors that have allowed the club to grow from its original three members to 14 over the last seven years. She also talks about the club’s annual "Prom Dress Picnic" and explains how a discussion about The Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King changed the group forever.
Susan Hahm is a member of Broads Who Read Books in Saratoga Springs, NY. In this interview, Susan emphasizes the importance of making sure that all members feel comfortable participating in the discussions and talks about how incorporating film screenings and field trips can enhance the group’s experience. She also shares an anecdote about a not-so-rewarding discussion with a local author.
Sandy McGrew is a member of The Connemara Book Group in Lawrenceville, GA. In this interview, Sandy talks about the importance of maintaining an aura of "respect and loyalty" when discussing a title, especially when members have different viewpoints and lifestyles. She also highlights the group’s favorite discussions and shares some amusing anecdotes, including one about a Gone With the Wind viewing party.
This month we are sharing a new interview with a librarian on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Jill Evans is the library advisor at the Whiston Library in Merseyside, UK, as well as the facilitator of its book club. In this interview, Jill talks about the titles that spurred memorable discussions and encourages other librarians to advertise their facilities’ book activities, since there are many patrons who want to interact with others about the books they are reading.
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New Guides Now Available
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The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
An Absolute Scandal by Penny Vincenzi
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver
The Answer is Always Yes by Monica Ferrell
The Art of Keeping Secrets by Patti Callahan Henry
Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen
Away by Amy Bloom
Banana Heart Summer by Merlinda Bobis
Beijing Coma by Ma Jian
Cost by Roxana Robinson
The Crimson Portrait by Jody Shields
Family Secrets: A Vengeance of Tears by R. A. Siracusa
Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea
Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him by Danielle Ganek
Nappily Faithful by Trisha R. Thomas
No Way to Peace by Tom Milton
North River by Pete Hamill
One in a Million by Kimberla Lawson Roby
The Other by David Guterson
Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own by Doreen Orion
The Rabbi's Daughter by Reva Mann
Second Chance by Jane Green
The Secret History of the American Empire: The Truth About Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and How to Change the World by John Perkins
Strawberry Fields by Marina Lewycka
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
The Two Kinds of Decay by Sarah Manguso
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
Lottery by Patricia Wood
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
The Office of Desire by Martha Moody
The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty
The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown
The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella
Uncommon Arrangements: Seven Marriages by Katie Roiphe
We have the following new guides for Christian book groups:
America the Beautiful: America Series, Book 1 by Laura Hayden
By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer
Summer Snow by Nicole Baart
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This Month's Poll and Tip
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Poll:
Think hard on this one and REALLY TRY to get it to one answer. Pondering the books that you like to read for book group discussion, which of these best describes why you read?
To feel
To learn
To think
Tip for May:
If your group is not meeting this summer, select a title that you all read and then email each other your comments about it. It will be a nice way to keep up with group reading even though you are not getting together.
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Click here to answer the poll.
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This Month's Contest Book: THE OTHER by David Guterson
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Win a copy of The Other by David Guterson for your reading group!
To be a group to win 20 free copies of this book, all you have to do is sign up for the ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter by July 1, 2008. If you are receiving this newsletter in your mailbox, you already are signed up!
More about The Other:
From the author of the bestselling Snow Falling on Cedars comes a dazzling new novel. When John William Barry engineers his own disappearance, retreating to a primitive camp high in the mountains, his childhood friend Neil Countryman is his only contact with the outside world. When John William’s long strange odyssey comes to a tragic end, Neil must deal with the meaning of his friend’s life and its profound impact on his own.
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Click here to read contest details and rules.
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Do you like what you see here, and want to forward it to a friend? Then click our link on the bottom of the page to do just that!
Happy reading. We'll see you next month.
Don't forget to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com:
Bookreporter.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107
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