July 2010

Reading: The Sport for Any Weather

We are celebrating the paperback release of Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger --- a supernatural story of twin sisters and their inheritance from an aunt they hardly knew --- with a special contest. 50 readers will have the opportunity to each win one copy of the book, which is in stores now, for their group. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, August 4th at noon ET.

More about Her Fearful Symmetry:
Julia and Valentina Poole are 20-year-old sisters with an intense attachment to each other. One morning the mailman delivers a thick envelope to their house in the suburbs of Chicago. Their English aunt Elspeth Noblin has died of cancer and left them her London apartment. There are two conditions for this inheritance: that they live in the flat for a year before they sell it and that their parents not enter it.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
 

One of the best-loved classics of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It has won the Pulitzer Prize, been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. It was also named the best novel of the 20th century by librarians across the country (Library Journal). HarperCollins is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the book's publication with this special hardcover edition.

-Click here to learn more about the book and its historic anniversary.
 

In this enchanting debut novel, Maggie Pouncey brings to life the unforgettable Flora Dempsey, the headstrong and quick-witted only child of Lewis Dempsey, a beloved former college president and famous literary critic in the league of Harold Bloom. At once comic and profound, Perfect Reader is a heady, uplifting story of loneliness and of the spur to growth that grief can be. Brimming with energy and with the elbow-patchy wisdom of her still-vivid father, Flora’s story will set her free to be the “perfect reader” --- not just of her father’s life but of her own as well.
 

From the New York Times bestselling author of City of Light comes a compelling, richly detailed tale of passion and intrigue set in New York City during the tumultuous early days of World War II. In this highly anticipated follow-up, she deftly captures the uncertainty and spirit, the dreams and hopes, of a nation at war. A sweeping tale of love and betrayal, intrigue and idealism, A Fierce Radiance is an ambitious and deeply engaging novel from an author of immense talent.
 

THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE by Julie Orringer

Eve has had it --- she's no "wicked stepmonster" in the making. She absolutely adores Ian, the new man in her life, and she's more than willing to open her heart to his kids. But nothing she does is right in their eyes, and she just can't take it anymore. You can choose your family --- but are you sure you want to? That’s the question Samantha Baker poses in The Other Mothers’ Club --- a fresh, funny and touching fictional look at stepmotherhood, an often-misrepresented aspect of female life.
 

England, 1766: After a long voyage from the East Indies, a ship docks in Bristol, England, and a rumor quickly spreads about its unusual cargo. In the final two crates is a pair of young elephants, in poor health but alive. The Elephant Keeper is a captivating tale of love and loyalty between one man and the two exotic animals that change the lives of everyone who encounters them.

For July we have a very special opportunity for Registered Book Groups. Our featured title this month is Broken by Travis Thrasher. Groups who have registered with us by Tuesday, July 20th have the chance to win author chats and/or free books. If your group is not registered, click here to register.

Broken by Travis Thrasher --- Author Chat and Book Giveaway: Fifteen groups will have the opportunity to chat with Travis Thrasher and receive up to 10 copies of the book.

More about Broken:
Laila had it all --- love, family and wealth --- but then her world falls apart and Laila finds herself living an empty, dangerous life as a call girl in Chicago. When she is threatened, Laila shoots and kills a client in self-defense, sending herself into a spiral of guilt and emptiness. Six months later, she is trying to move on, but she's haunted by the past. She hasn't told anyone about the man she killed, yet someone seems to know the haunting truth.
 

After the Fall by Kylie Ladd: In her page-turning fiction debut, neuropsychologist Kylie Ladd delivers a searing portrait of two marriages united and betrayed by friendship.
The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle: From Katrina Kittle, the critically acclaimed author of The Kindness of Strangers, comes a wry, engrossing and moving story of a veterinarian’s journey through the aftermath of divorce amidst a motley crew of beasts.
The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha: Family members ponder forgiveness as the execution date for the man who murdered their son approaches.
The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson: A poignant and magical story set in 18th-century England, The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson is the tale of two baby elephants and the young man who accidentally finds himself their guardian.
The Family Beach House by Holly Chamberlin: A quartet of siblings bickers over the family beach house after hearing the news that their father intends to remarry, and jeopardize their inheritance.
A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer: Penicillin operates as the source of romance, murder and melodrama in Lauren Belfer's evocative, ambitious WWII-era novel that follows a journalist during the drug’s inception.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: The worldwide bestseller introduces crusading journalist Mikael Blomqvist and hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth Salander in the first volume of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy.
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger: Following her breakout bestseller, The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger returns with a haunting tale about the complications of love, identity and sibling rivalry.
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer: A Jewish architecture student is forced to return to his native Hungary along with his girlfriend at the beginning of World War II.
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard: The unforgettable story of a mother and son forever changed during a long summer weekend when a mysterious man comes into their lives.
The Last War by Ana Menéndez: From the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the strange, shimmering streets of Istanbul, The Last War is a “seductive meditation” (O, The Oprah Magazine) on cruelty and violence, love and identity from Pushcart Prize-winning author Ana Menéndez.
Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr: Written with bestselling memoirist Mary Karr's relentless honesty, unflinching self-scrutiny, and irreverent, lacerating humor, Lit is a truly electrifying story of how to grow up.
Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin: Li Cunxin was taken from his home in rural China at a young age by the Chinese government and became an international ballet star before defecting to America.
Mozart’s Blood by Louise Marley: A talented musician goes to great lengths to conceal her romantic and spiritual ties to the legendary composer.
The Other Mothers’ Club by Samantha Baker: You can choose your family --- but are you sure you want to? That’s the question Samantha Baker poses in The Other Mothers’ Club --- a fresh, funny and touching fictional look at stepmotherhood, an often-misrepresented aspect of female life.
Perfect Reader by Maggie Pouncey: Flora Dempsey returns home to handle her father’s literary estate only to discover a cache of love poems to a mystery woman with her own sights on the estate.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives is a perceptive, funny and eye-opening debut novel of polygamy in modern-day Nigeria, perfect for fans of Half of a Yellow Sun or The 19th Wife.
So Cold the River by Michael Koryta: A struggling filmmaker accepts an offer to make a documentary of a wealthy industrialist in a small Indiana town that harbors many secrets.
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren: In this explosive memoir, Lauren recounts her route from NYU undergraduate to concubine in the royal court of Brunei.
The Sullivan Saga: Memories of an Overseas Childhood by M.H. Sullivan: The daughter of a State Department diplomat recounts her atypical childhood raised in parts of Asia and Africa.
To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition by Harper Lee: HarperCollins is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird with this special hardcover edition. Learn more about the book and its historic anniversary here.
Unfinished Business: One Man’s Extraordinary Year of Trying to Do the Right Things by Lee Kravitz: Tuesdays with Morrie meets Eat, Pray, Love in this inspiring memoir of one man’s midlife journey to attend to the loose ends in his life, and the unexpected rewards that follow.
What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman: A teenager moves in with his aunt, uncle and ravishing cousin after his parents commit suicide just hours apart following separate encounters with a neighbor.

Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

The Best of Times by Penny Vincenzi: Penny Vincenzi delivers another brilliantly crafted page-turner centered on one devastating moment that will change lives forever.
Border Songs by Jim Lynch: By the acclaimed author of The Highest Tide, a novel about a distinctive community straddling the largely invisible boundary between Washington state and British Columbia.
Good Things I Wish You by A. Manette Ansay: The acclaimed author of Vinegar Hill returns with a story of two unlikely romances --- one historical, the other modern-day --- separated by thousands of miles and well over a century.
In the Heart of the Canyon by Elisabeth Hyde: From the author of The Abortionist's Daughter comes a gripping novel about a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon that changes the lives of everyone on board.
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea: Filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, Into the Beautiful North is the story of an irresistible young woman's quest to find herself on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Night Counter by Alia Yunis: Shifting between the U.S. and the Middle East, first-time novelist Alia Yunis pieces together four generations of family secrets in this hilarious, heartwarming debut that creates a vibrant mosaic of modern Arab American life.
Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn: Secrets to Happiness is a big-hearted, knife-sharp, and hilariously entertaining story about the perils of love and friendship, sex and betrayal --- and a thoroughly modern take on our struggle to be happy.
Swimming by Nicola Keegan: A spectacular debut about the rise of an Olympic champion --- a
novel about competition, the hunger for victory, and a young girl with an unsinkable spirit.

The following guides are now available for Christian book groups:

Broken by Travis Thrasher: Laila was living a charmed life as part of Chicago’s social elite until some bad decisions put her on the streets, and in the center of a murder investigation.
Fatal Loyalty by Sue Duffy: The daughter of a prominent political activist tries to escape his large shadow, but just as her life returns to normal, an old foe reappears.
Finding Jeena by Miralee Ferrell: Jeena Gregory thinks she has it all after landing her dream job until persistent rumors cast her new employer in an unfavorable light, followed by a mysterious disappearance.
The Homecoming by Dan Walsh: A war veteran is invited on a USO tour but would prefer to spend time at home, especially after meeting his son’s new nanny.
A Love of Her Own: Heart of the West, Book 3 by Maggie Brendan: April McBride heads to the untamed wilds of the Montana frontier for a wedding, only to find her own love in the rough-and-tumble crowd.
Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson: A new page-turning novel from an award-winning author Melanie Dobson is packed with a fast-paced plot that skillfully weaves together history and suspense.