November 2012

David McCullough was on "60 Minutes" Sunday night, and during part of his commentary, he spoke about how many children do not know history today. I realize how much I have forgotten, or know only from facts in history books. Over the last week I read The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin, which will be published on January 15th. It is historical fiction about the life of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I knew about Lindbergh’s famous flight and the kidnapping, but little more. Thus, this became a fascinating look at a man through the eyes of his wife and who I now see as less of a hero than I previously thought. It, like all good historical fiction, has prompted me to want to read more about the Lindberghs, and I have a reading list compiled. We will have more on this book in the months to come. (By the way, my husband and son, the latter of whom was a History major, both were surprised I did not know the “real” Lindbergh.)

Also, we are working on a list that will include all historical fiction guides that we have on the site listed by timeframe. That way, if your group enjoys a certain time period, you can see all books available during that time. We also think this will be great for schools that use our book lists for discussions and classroom materials.

In October’s ReadingGroupGuides.com Registered Book Clubs newsletter, which only goes to our Registered Book Groups (see more on this later in the newsletter), we announced a very special contest for Kristin Hannah’s Home Front, which will be available in paperback on January 8th. We’re now pleased to open up this contest to ALL of our readers. We’re giving away Home Front to 250 book groups (up to 20 copies each), provided that they agree to discuss the book at their January or February meeting; email friends and tell them about the book; and post comments or feedback about the book and/or their discussion on Kristin Hannah’s Facebook page, the blog on KristinHannah.com, their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or blogs. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, November 20th at noon ET. If you already entered this giveaway as a Registered Book Group, please do not enter again.

In Home Front, Michael and Jolene Zarkades must face the pressures of day-to-day life while their 12-year marriage crumbles around them. This isn’t helped when Jolene is deployed into a dangerous war zone. She hates being away from her family, but understands the responsibilities she has toward her country. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his worst fear and fight for what is important to his family. I loved this book and remember its characters and their stories in rich detail. A poignant book for us to be talking about on what has been designated as the “Federal Monday” celebration of Veterans Day.

We are celebrating the forthcoming release of Above All Things by Tanis Rideout with a special contest. When George Mallory leaves England to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1924, he leaves his young wife, Ruth, behind. Ruth and the rest of the country wait in anticipation, hoping that his successful expedition will reclaim some of England’s lost glory. 50 readers will have the opportunity to win a copy of the book for their group. I have long stood in awe of those who climb tall mountains like Everest, and love reading about these climbs, thus I am 100 pages into this book and thoroughly enjoying it. The details to be taken into account to be part of this adventure always intrigue me, and looking at this in 1924 instead of 2012 shows that the power of the mountain has not changed. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, December 5th at noon ET.

It’s no secret to readers of this site how much I loved The Paris Wife by Paula McLain when it released in hardcover. So I’m thrilled to announce that the book, which will be available in paperback on November 27th, is the new featured title in our “What Are You Reading?” contest. Hadley Richardson meets Ernest Hemingway, and they fall madly in love and get married in a whirlwind romance. Soon they move to Paris to join the other members of the “Lost Generation.” However, the fast-paced world of Jazz Age Paris causes them strife. As Hadley struggles to hold onto herself and Ernest struggles to find his voice as an author, one can’t help but wonder if they can save everything they’ve fought so hard for. We’re giving away 12 copies of the paperback to three groups each. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, December 5th at noon ET. If members of your group already read The Paris Wife and you happen to be one of the winners, we encourage you to pass along your copies to people who haven’t read it yet. They’ll thank you for it!

Is your book group registered with us? If so, we have another contest for you! We will be giving away Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green to 350 registered book groups. Andi spent most of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at 37 years old, she found him in Ethan, a divorced father of two daughters. Andi is excited about being a mother to her husband’s children and embraces them as her own. However, Ethan’s daughter Emily views Andi as an obstacle to her father’s love and is willing to do whatever it takes to break her down. Can Andi deal with this challenge to her perfect life? Groups that have registered with us by Monday, November 26th at noon ET will have the chance to win up to 20 copies of the book for their group and share their feedback on it. If your group is not registered, click here to register.

Is your group looking to read some new fiction this month? If so, we strongly recommend Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver and Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan (we know that many groups loved reading Atonement).

Flight Behavior tells the story of Dellarobia Turnbow, a restless farm wife who gave up her dreams for the future when she became pregnant at 17. After 10 years of dissatisfaction, she has taken up an affair with a younger man. On her way to meet him, she sees a forested valley filled with a lake of fire. Dellarobia takes this as a cautionary miracle, but everyone else --- from city journalists to scientists to rural farmers --- has a different opinion. Can Dellarobia face the confrontation that is coming to her? Click here for the guide.

“Sweet Tooth” is the code name of the MI5 operation in which Serena Frome becomes involved in 1972. She is incredibly intelligent, an avid reader, and extremely beautiful --- the perfect candidate to infiltrate the literary circle of up-and-coming writer Tom Haley. At first she merely falls for his fiction, but then she begins falling for the man himself. Can she conceal her undercover life? Click here for the guide. In our One to Watch contest on Bookreporter.com, we’re giving 50 readers the chance to win a copy of the book and share their comments on it. Click here for all the details of this contest, which ends on Thursday, November 15th at noon ET.

This month’s new and recommended nonfiction book is Oddly Normal. Three years ago, John Schwartz’s son, Joe, came out as gay to his classmates in a tirade against homophobic attitudes. His revelation was greeted with confusion and dismay, and three hours later Joe took an overdose of pills. Luckily, the suicide attempt failed, but John and his wife, Jeanne, were angry and frustrated when Joe’s school said there was nothing they could do to help Joe through his struggle. Oddly Normal is the author’s attempt to open eyes and address his family’s personal struggle in a world that is quickly changing its attitudes towards homosexuality, but not nearly quickly enough. Click here for the guide.

For this month’s poll, we’d like to know who makes up the members of your book group. Click here to participate.

NEW FEATURE: Recently we started an ongoing Facebook Chat about Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, run by Alina Berganovsky on our staff. The book was recently adapted for the stage in Seattle, so we thought this would be the perfect time to revisit this outstanding debut novel. We’re also posting on our Facebook page Jamie’s replies to questions we asked him about the theatrical production. For those of you who aren’t on Facebook, we will be sharing highlights of all our coverage on the ReadingGroupGuides.com Blog. Please jump out to our Facebook page to comment away. We started this last week, and we know many of you, like us, were without power, so it’s not too late to chime in now. Next month’s title will be the aforementioned The Paris Wife. We love this chance to get groups to weigh in on the books that have been HUGE hits with our book groups in past years. We look forward to expanding this feature in the months ahead.

For those who are living in the South Florida area, Miami Book Fair International, one of the premiere book and author events of the year, is now taking place at Miami Dade College through November 18th, with a Street Fair from November 16th-18th. Authors of interest to book groups like Junot Diaz, Emma Donoghue, Eloisa James, Adam Johnson and many, many more will be in attendance. You can see the list of authors who are attending here. Read more about the Fair here, and click here for the full schedule of events. It’s just a brilliant celebration of authors, books and reading…and one you will not want to miss.

Just a reminder that our 2012 YA Readers Survey will be open through Friday, November 30th. We’re curious as to what spurs people to read, buy and enjoy YA books, and we’d love to get a profile of YA readers. It will take about 25 minutes to finish the survey, but those who do complete it are entered to win one of 450(!) young adult titles that we will be giving away when the survey closes, with thanks to our publisher friends who contributed them. May we also ask you to share this with other YA readers, both adults and teens who you know?

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Know that we all give great thanks for you --- we appreciate you!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

 

We currently are offering a very special opportunity to our readers. 250 book clubs have the chance to win a hardcover copy of Home Front by Kristin Hannah --- which releases in paperback on January 8th --- for each member of their group (up to 20), provided that they agree to discuss the book at their January or February meeting; email friends and tell them about the book; and post comments or feedback about the book and/or their discussion on Kristin Hannah’s Facebook page, the blog on KristinHannah.com, their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or blogs. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, November 20th at noon ET. If you already entered this giveaway as a Registered Book Group, please do not enter again.

More about Home Front:
Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life --- children, careers, bills, chores --- even as their 12-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own --- for everything that matters to his family.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
 

Let us know what your group is reading in November, and you’ll be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is The Paris Wife, Paula McLain’s bestselling novel that captures the love affair between Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Hadley. We have 12 copies of the book, which will be available in paperback on November 27th, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, December 5th at noon ET.

More about The Paris Wife:
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet 28-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness --- until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group --- the fabled “Lost Generation” --- that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage --- a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
 

Dellarobia Turnbow is a restless farm wife who gave up her own plans when she accidentally became pregnant at 17. Now, after a decade of domestic disharmony on a failing farm, she has settled for permanent disappointment but seeks momentary escape through an obsessive flirtation with a younger man. As she hikes up a mountain road behind her house to a secret tryst, she encounters a shocking sight: a silent, forested valley filled with what looks like a lake of fire. She can only understand it as a cautionary miracle, but it sparks a raft of other explanations from scientists, religious leaders, and the media. The bewildering emergency draws rural farmers into unexpected acquaintance with urbane journalists, opportunists, sightseers, and a striking biologist with his own stake in the outcome. As the community lines up to judge the woman and her miracle, Dellarobia confronts her family, her church, her town, and a larger world, in a flight toward truth that could undo all she has ever believed.
 

Cambridge student Serena Frome’s beauty and intelligence make her the ideal recruit for MI5. The year is 1972. The Cold War is far from over. England’s legendary intelligence agency is determined to manipulate the cultural conversation by funding writers whose politics align with those of the government. The operation is code named “Sweet Tooth.” Serena, a compulsive reader of novels, is the perfect candidate to infiltrate the literary circle of a promising young writer named Tom Haley. At first, she loves his stories. Then she begins to love the man. How long can she conceal her undercover life? To answer that question, Serena must abandon the first rule of espionage: trust no one.

-Click here to see our One to Watch feature for Sweet Tooth on Bookreporter.com.
 

Three years ago, John Schwartz, a national correspondent at The New York Times, got the call that every parent hopes never to receive: his 13-year-old son, Joe, was in the hospital following a failed suicide attempt. After mustering the courage to come out to his classmates, Joe’s disclosure --- delivered in a tirade about homophobic attitudes --- was greeted with dismay and confusion by his fellow students. Hours later, he took an overdose of pills. Additionally, John and his wife, Jeanne, found that their son’s school was unable to address Joe’s special needs. Angry and frustrated, they initiated their own search for services and groups that could help Joe understand that he wasn’t alone. Oddly Normal is Schwartz’s very personal attempt to address his family’s own struggles within a culture that is changing fast, but not fast enough, to help gay kids like Joe.
 

For November, we have a very special opportunity for Registered Book Groups. Our featured title this month is Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green, and we will be giving away copies to 350 groups who agree to read and discuss the book in February or March. Groups that have registered with us by Monday, November 26th at noon ET will have the chance to win. If your group is not registered with ReadingGroupGuides.com, click here to register.

More about Another Piece of My Heart:
Andi is a woman who has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at 37, she's finally found him. Ethan --- divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia --- is a devoted father and even better husband. Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emily’s eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her father’s love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family and motherhood --- leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives and in their hearts.
 

Miami Book Fair International
November 11-18, 2012
Street Fair: November 16-18
The Center for Literature and Theater @ Miami Dade College

Enjoy the 29th edition of the nation’s finest and largest literary gathering presented by the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College.

Come see hundreds of great authors like Sandra Cisneros, who will be talking about her partnership with renowned artist Ester Hernandez to produce the illustrated fable Have You Seen Marie?, on Tuesday, November 13th at 8:00pm; Robert A. Caro, who will be discussing his latest bestseller, The Passage of Power, on Thursday, November 15th at 6:30pm; and Emma Donoghue, who will chat about her new collection of stories, Astray, on Friday, November 16th at 6:30pm. Click here to see the complete list of authors who will be in attendance.

There will be a number of intriguing panel discussions and conversations on literature, politics and more. They include “On the Book Beat: Meet the Reporters Who Cover the Book Business,” “Kurt Vonnegut: Life and Letters,” “So Spoke the Earth: Giving Haiti Voice,” and “On Tolkien’s The Hobbit.”

On Friday, November 16th, the Street Fair gets underway. The highlight is the Festival of Authors, with more than 350 authors reading and discussing their work. During Street Fair weekend, more than 250 publishers and booksellers exhibit and sell books, with special features like the antiquarians, who showcase signed first editions, original manuscripts and other collectibles.

In addition, our Kidsreads.com, Teenreads.com and GraphicNovelReporter.com websites are sponsors of a Day of Education for Teachers and Librarians called “Teacher Fun Day: Perfect Your Craft and Inspire Creativity --- A Full Day of Programming for Teachers, Librarians and Educators, which will be held on Thursday, November 15th from 10am-3pm. We have four speakers lined up: Chris Grabenstein, Matthew Reinhart, Scott Hutchins and Raina Telgemeier. You can read more about this event here.

-Click here for the full schedule of events.

 

The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay
I have been a longtime fan of Juliette Fay’s. Her previous books --- Shelter Me and Deep Down True --- were both Bets On selections, thus when The Shortest Way Home came across my desk, I was excited to read it.

Here, Sean Doran has spent 20 years overseas in the third world helping others. Tired of his work and in need of a break, he comes home to Belham, Massachusetts, where he sees that life for his elderly aunt, his sister and his nephew is in need of some of his attention. He assesses what is going on with the same methodical techniques he learned overseas, only to come to see that he too is in need of attention. He sees that he has been avoiding a lot of things in his own life, including dealing with the loss of his mom from Huntington’s Disease and his dad, who left his three young children with the aunt and went away. An old crush crosses paths with him, as well as a young woman who was a wallflower in high school who walks back into his life, and suddenly feelings of attachment start to creep up when he least expected them.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to see all the books we’re betting you’ll love.
 

November’s Book on Screen feature includes the following highlights:

Life of Pi
In Theaters November 21st
Based on Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2
In Theaters November 16th
Based on Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
The epic love story between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen concludes in this final installment of Stephenie Meyer's bestselling series. The birth of their daughter Renesmee attracts the attention of the Volturi, and the Cullens enlist the help of their fellow covens to defend their family.

Anna Karenina
Now in Theaters
Based on Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The time is 1874. Vibrant and beautiful, Anna Karenina has what any of her contemporaries would aspire to; she is the wife of Karenin, a high-ranking government official to whom she has borne a son, and her social standing in St. Petersburg could scarcely be higher. She journeys to Moscow after a letter from her philandering brother Oblonsky arrives, asking for Anna to come and help save his marriage to Dolly. En route, Anna makes the acquaintance of Countess Vronsky, who is then met at the train station by her son, the dashing cavalry officer Vronsky. When Anna is introduced to Vronsky, there is a mutual spark of instant attraction that cannot --- and will not --- be ignored.

Midnight’s Children
Now in Theaters
Based on Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, as India proclaims independence from Great Britain, two newborn babies are switched by a nurse in a Bombay hospital. Saleem Sinai, the illegitimate son of a poor woman, and Shiva, the offspring of a wealthy couple, are fated to live the destiny meant for each other. Their lives become mysteriously intertwined and are inextricably linked to India's whirlwind journey of triumphs and disasters.

The Amazing Spider-Man
Now on DVD
Based on Spider-Man comics
The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker, an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy, and together, they struggle with love, commitment and secrets.
 

Who is in your book group? Please check as many as apply.

Friends
People I met through my children
Family
Co-workers
Neighbors
Library patrons
Bookstore customers
Condo or co-op association
People from my place of worship
People I had not known previously
I am a member of an online book group.
I am not in a book group.
None of the above