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ReadingGroupGuides.com Newsletter |
December 2012 |
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Quick Links to Features on ReadingGroupGuides.com
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Here Come the Holidays! |
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I am so not ready for the holidays this year. And from what I hear from my friends, I am not alone. One friend told me her tree has been standing in the corner of her living room for a week with the box of decorations next to it. Others have told me that they have barely made lists, let alone checked them twice. While we stopped doing holiday cards years ago, many friends are calling to tell me not to expect a card from them this year. Even with an early Thanksgiving, I feel like the holiday has crept up on me this year. I think the storms in October and November also contributed to my being behind my game.
Luckily my sons are older now, and thus the “rip ‘n tear” of Christmas morning has taken on a more mature tone. I do admit that I love looking at the pictures of my friend’s young children on Facebook. Their wide-eyed wonder is such fun to see. And it brings back wonderful memories of our toy-filled holidays of the past. These days it’s electronics and books…lots and lots of books. Hope that your holiday plans allow you time to enjoy and savor the moments instead of just madly dashing around. I have to admit that this year I have adapted an attitude that what happens will happen…and what does not will be replaced by new traditions.
Now onward to our update.
In November’s ReadingGroupGuides.com Registered Book Clubs newsletter, which only goes to our Registered Book Groups, we announced a very special contest for Jane Green’s Another Piece of My Heart, which will be available in paperback on February 12th. We’re now pleased to open up this contest to ALL of our readers. We’re giving away Another Piece of My Heart to 250 book groups (up to 20 copies each), provided that they agree to discuss the book at their February or March meeting; email friends and tell them about the book; and post comments or feedback about the book and/or their discussion on Jane Green’s Facebook page, their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or blogs. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, January 7th at noon ET. If you already entered this giveaway as a Registered Book Group, please do not enter again.
Another Piece of My Heart introduces readers to Andi, who has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man; 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.
And if you would like to register your book group to be eligible for early opportunities like this again, please register your group here.
The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith is this month’s featured title in our “What Are You Reading?” contest. This memoir, which was one of my Bookreporter.com Bets On selections when it released in hardcover in February, details Claire’s experience finding out, at the age of 14, that both her parents have cancer. The memoir has a truly unique perspective --- it is written using the five stages of grief as lenses for the story --- and its beautiful writing shows how Claire moves from hurt to healing. On a personal note, I am very lucky that my parents are still with us. Reading The Rules of Inheritance, I found myself thinking about how I would have reacted at each of the various ages where Claire was confronted with illness and death. We’re giving away 12 copies of the paperback, which releases on December 24th, to three groups each. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, January 7th at noon ET.
Last month, we gave you the chance to win 12 copies of The Paris Wife by Paula McLain for your book club. Click here to see the three winning groups and what they read for their November discussions.
This is the time of year when “Best Of” lists are everywhere. While we could compile one for ReadingGroupGuides.com, we prefer to hear what YOU have to say about this topic. What are your favorite books of 2012 that you read with your group? Share your picks (you can name up to three) between now and January 31st by filling out the form found here. Please share this link with the members of your group as we want as many people to weigh in as possible. We’ll give you the results in February.
This month, we’re featuring a guide for The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, which is Oprah’s 2.0 Book Club’s current selection. In 1923, 15-year-old Hattie Shepherd, hoping for a chance at a better life, flees Georgia and settles in Philadelphia with her twin babies. Instead, she watches helplessly as they succumb to an illness that a few pennies might have prevented. Hattie gives birth to nine more children whom she raises with grit and mettle and not an ounce of the tenderness they crave, fearing a show of tenderness would inadequately prepare them for the calamitous difficulty they are sure to face in their lives. True to Hattie’s expectations, the Shepherd children confront desolation, poverty, and the coldness and cruelty of their time. Click here for the guide.
For this month’s poll, we're asking if your book group does anything special to celebrate the holidays. Click here to participate.
We’d also love to hear how your group celebrates the holidays. Please email [email protected] with the subject line “Book Group Holiday Celebration” to share anything special that your group is doing. A few weeks ago, I heard from Sheila, who told us us that “The Northampton Seniors most often have lunch after our discussion. In December we will celebrate the Holidays at a special restaurant. On Friday, December 21st we will have lunch at the famous Buck Hotel in Feasterville, PA. We hope all 16 members will be able to attend. Some in our group have been together 8-9 years, our luncheons are like family.” We’d love to hear your stories.
And while we’re on the subject… Are you stuck on what to give your family and friends for the holidays? Thinking about presents that YOU would want for yourself? Then you must check out Bookreporter.com’s What to Give, What to Get Guide with suggestions for everyone on your holiday list! Our selections cover a wide variety of genres, including thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction, romances, memoirs and biographies.
Also on Bookreporter.com, we continue to receive some wonderful essays from the authors who are participating in this year’s Author Holiday Blogs. They include David Abrams, Nelson DeMille, Juliette Fay, Karen Kingsbury, Karen Robards, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Will Schwalbe and Lee Woodruff. Still to come are Lisa Genova, Eric Van Lustbader, Mark Sullivan, Charles Todd, Cindy Woodsmall and many more!
Our Holiday Cheer contests wrap up this week on Bookreporter.com, but be on the lookout Friday for our end-of-the-year giveaway, featuring ALL of my Bookreporter.com Bets On selections from this year!
With the holidays quickly approaching, our contributor Amy Alessio has assembled a collection of holiday cookbooks to help you plan your menu. From cakes and cookies, to the meaty main courses, our Holiday Cookbooks bookshelf has you covered for all types of parties and special occasions this season. Click here to peruse the shelves and start cooking! By the way, I have been cookbook shopping with Amy, which is just so much fun. Watching her get excited in the stacks at Powell’s when we were in Portland a couple of years ago was a complete and total blast. Her cookbook collection is legendary, thus we have some authority curating this bookshelf for us. Also, she does programming about Vintage Cookbooks in the Chicago area that you can read more about here. She’s in hot demand!
We have something that will be of interest to those of you who own an iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Richard Mason has taken his book History of a Pleasure Seeker, which was one of my Bookreporter.com Bets On selections earlier this year, and created what he has coined as an eLume for it. With this special edition, readers can read the book --- or at any moment get the book read to them by none other than Dan Stevens of "Downton Abbey" fame. You can hear the music that is referenced in the text, music that definitely enhances your reading experience; click to see more photos; and learn more about the history that infuses this novel. It takes the book and makes it a far more robust experience. You can read more about the eLume here. This would be a great way to enhance your book group discussion.
Finally, we would like to remind you that the Teenreads.com 2012 YA Readers Survey will be up until Tuesday, January 1st. We’d love you to share this with teens who you know as we are very interested in what they are thinking about YA books today. 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.
Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, or whatever holiday greeting you ascribe to.
See you next year! We’re looking forward to 2013!
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
PS. When you use the links below to purchase books, you also support ReadingGroupGuides.com as we have affiliate arrangements with each of them. Please consider this when shopping for books online!
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Special Contest: A VERY Special Opportunity for 250 Book Groups! --- Win a Copy of ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART by Jane Green for Your Entire Group |
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We currently are offering a very special opportunity to our readers. 250 book clubs have the chance to win a copy of Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green --- which releases in paperback on February 12th --- for each member of their group (up to 20), provided that they agree to discuss the book at their February or March meeting; email friends and tell them about the book; and post comments or feedback about the book and/or their discussion on Jane Green’s Facebook page, their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or blogs. The deadline for entries is Monday, January 7th at noon ET.
More about Another Piece of My Heart:
Andi 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.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
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Click here to read all the contest details.
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ReadingGroupGuides.com’s “What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature: Win 12 Copies of THE RULES OF INHERITANCE by Claire Bidwell Smith for Your Group |
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Let us know what your group is reading in December, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith, a powerful memoir about a young woman who loses her family but finds herself in the process. We have 12 copies of the book, which will be available in paperback on December 24th, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Monday, January 7th at noon ET.
More about The Rules of Inheritance:
In this astonishing debut, Claire Bidwell Smith, an only child, is just 14 years old when both of her charismatic parents are diagnosed with cancer. What follows is a coming-of-age story that is both heartbreaking and exhilarating. As Claire hurtles towards loss, she throws herself at anything she thinks might help her cope with the weight of this harsh reality: boys, alcohol, traveling, and the anonymity of cities like New York and Los Angeles. By the time she is 25 years old, they are both gone, and Claire is very much alone in the world.
Claire's story is less of a tragic tale and more of a remarkable lesson on how to overcome some of life's greatest hardships. Written with suspense and style, and bursting with love and adventure, The Rules of Inheritance vividly captures the deep grief and surprising light of a young woman forging ahead on a journey of loss that humbled, strengthened and ultimately healed her.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
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Click here to read all the contest details.
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Share Your Group's Favorite Books of 2012! |
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This is the time of year when “Best Of” lists are everywhere. While we could compile one for ReadingGroupGuides.com, we prefer to hear what YOU have to say about this topic. What was your favorite book that your group read in 2012? We know it’s difficult for many of you to pick just one title, so feel free to select up to three. All you have to do is fill out the form on this page by Thursday, January 31st, and we’ll share the results in February. Please spread the word about this special opportunity to the members of your group as we want as many people to weigh in as possible.
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Click here to share your group’s 2012 picks.
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THE TWELVE TRIBES OF HATTIE by Ayana Mathis |
In 1923, 15-year-old Hattie Shepherd, hoping for a chance at a better life, flees Georgia and settles in Philadelphia with her twin babies. Instead, she watches helplessly as they succumb to an illness that a few pennies might have prevented. Hattie gives birth to nine more children whom she raises with grit and mettle and not an ounce of the tenderness they crave, fearing a show of tenderness would inadequately prepare them for the calamitous difficulty they are sure to face in their lives. True to Hattie’s expectations, the Shepherd children confront desolation, poverty, and the coldness and cruelty of their time.
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Click here for the reading group guide.
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Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature |
At Bookreporter.com, we are celebrating the holidays in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, on select days this holiday season, we’ve been spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it. You have to visit the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter the contest. If you think you will forget to check the site, no worries: we also send a special newsletter to announce the day's title.
The final Holiday Cheer contest of the year will be announced on Thursday, December 13th at noon ET.
This year’s featured titles are:
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Afraid to Die: A Selena Alvarez / Regan Pescoli Novel by Lisa Jackson
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Angels at the Table: A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas Story by Debbie Macomber
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Beach Season by Lisa Jackson, Cathy Lamb, Holly Chamberlin and Rosalind Noonan
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Better Than Chocolate: Life in Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts
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Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick's Iconic Images of the Kennedys by Kitty Kelley
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The Christmas Plains by Joseph Bottum
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The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes and Matthew Sturgis
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How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren
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Merry Ex-Mas: Life in Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts
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The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
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Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
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To Heaven and Back: A Doctor's Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again: A True Story by Mary C. Neal, M.D.
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Unspoken by Lisa Jackson
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You Don't Want to Know by Lisa Jackson
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ZooBorns: The Next Generation: Newer, Cuter, More Exotic Animals from the World's Zoos and Aquariums by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland
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Click here to read more about this year's featured Holiday Cheer titles.
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What to Give, What to Get: “Reader Perfect” Suggestions for Holiday Giving and Getting |
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Bookreporter.com knows that readers crave ideas for gift-giving --- and getting --- at the holidays. With this in mind, we're offering a What to Give, What to Get Guide with suggestions for everyone on your holiday list! Our selections cover a wide variety of genres, including thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction, romances, memoirs and biographies. And while you're looking for gifts for others, may we suggest you jot down notes for books YOU want?
This year’s featured titles include:
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Click here to see this year’s "What to Give, What to Get" Holiday Gift Guide.
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Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cookbooks Bookshelf |
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It's that time of year! With the holidays quickly approaching, Bookreporter.com contributor Amy Alessio assembled a collection of holiday cookbooks to help you plan your menu!
From cakes and cookies, to the meaty main courses, this bookshelf has you covered for all types of parties and special occasions this season. Featuring classic cookbooks like Betty Crocker's Cooky Book to newly released books like Pippa Middleton's Celebrate, our Holiday Cookbooks collection will help you treat your friends and loved ones to delicious treats at each course!
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Click here to check out our Holiday Cookbooks Bookshelf.
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Bookreporter.com’s Paperback Spotlight and Contest: CITY OF DARK MAGIC by Magnus Flyte |
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We are celebrating the release of City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, December 13th at noon ET.
City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte (Urban Fantasy/Thriller)
Once a city of enormous wealth and culture, Prague was home to emperors, alchemists, astronomers, and, as it’s whispered, hell portals. When music student Sarah Weston lands a summer job at Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven’s manuscripts, she has no idea how dangerous her life is about to become. Prague is a threshold, Sarah is warned, and it is steeped in blood.
Soon after Sarah arrives, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor, who was working at the castle, may not have committed suicide after all. Could his cryptic notes be warnings? As Sarah parses his clues about Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” she manages to get arrested, to have tantric sex in a public fountain, and to discover a time-warping drug. She also catches the attention of a four-hundred-year-old dwarf, the handsome Prince Max, and a powerful U.S. senator with secrets she will do anything to hide.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to see the book trailer.
-Click here to read Magnus Flyte's bio.
-Click here to visit Magnus Flyte's official website.
-Connect with Magnus Flyte on Facebook and Twitter.
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Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight and enter the contest.
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December’s New in Paperback Roundups on Bookreporter.com |
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December’s New in Paperback roundups include the following highlights for book groups:
The Darlings by Cristina Alger
Since he married Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling, attorney Paul Ross has grown accustomed to all the luxuries of Park Avenue. But a tragic event is about to catapult the Darling family into the middle of a massive financial investigation and a red-hot scandal. Suddenly, Paul must decide where his loyalties really lie.
Invisible by Carla Buckley
Dana and Julie were bonded by sisterhood and separated by a devastating secret. When Dana returns to Black Bear, Minnesota, some people remember her as a troublemaker while others remember her as the one who got away. Dana comes back for her sister's funeral, but stays to help Peyton, her teenaged niece. What she finds in her old hometown will blow open a Pandora's box of tightly-held secrets, and put everyone she loves in jeopardy.
The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman
Lamont Williams is a paroled felon looking to turn his life around. Adam Zignelik is a struggling professor, his life falling apart around him. The worlds surrounding these two men collide through the vast forces of history.
Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith
Working with the full cooperation of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith have accessed a wealth of previously untapped materials, including hundreds of unpublished family correspondences. The authors shed new light on many unexplored aspects of Van Gogh’s inner world: his deep immersion in literature and art; his erratic and tumultuous romantic life; and his bouts of depression and mental illness.
-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of December 3rd, December 10th, December 17th and December 24th.
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Teenreads.com’s 2012 YA Readers Survey |
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Teenreads.com’s 2012 YA Readers Survey asks you what you think about books and authors --- as well as your thoughts about a whole lot more happening in pop media culture! Your responses will help us shape our editorial features: we really value your feedback.
This survey is for everyone who loves reading YA who is over 10 years old and is living in the U.S. (many of the questions are so U.S.-based that those residing elsewhere would not be able to reply). So make sure you spread the word to your friends, family and any adults who read YA! If you are under 13, there will be a form your parents must complete in order to be eligible to win a prize.
And, to reward your efforts, by completing this survey you are eligible to enter a contest to win one of 450 FREE books. We assume it will take between 20-30 minutes to complete the questions. Please allow the appropriate amount of time to complete this survey. We had a group of teens test out the survey for us, and they told us that it was fun to fill out and they actually learned more ways to find great YA! We did our last survey in 2009, and the input we received was invaluable. With your help, this year's survey will be even better than last time!
The survey will close on Tuesday, January 1st at 11:59 PM ET.
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Click here for more information and to take the 2012 YA Readers Survey.
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Contests Running on Other Sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com |
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We have a number of contests currently running on our other sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com. Please take a look at them below, and enter for your chance to win some fabulous books!
Bookreporter.com
The Kasmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas
In our One to Watch contest, we have 50 copies of The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas, which will be in stores January 10th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. The deadline for entries is Thursday, December 20th at noon ET.
City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte
In our Paperback Spotlight, we are celebrating the release of City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Thursday, December 13th at noon ET.
Word of Mouth
Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from November 30th to December 14th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of The Black Box by Michael Connelly, Invisible by Carla Buckley, and Shiver by Karen Robards.
20SomethingReads.com
Holiday Bundle of Cheer
At 20SomethingReads.com, we're bringing you our Holiday Bundle of Cheer Contest and Feature. As our gift to you, we are giving five readers a chance to win five amazing books, along with some incredibly festive goodies. Be sure to enter the contest before Friday, December 14th at noon ET for your chance to win!
Teenreads.com
Holiday Bundle of Cheer
At Teenreads.com, we have brought back our Holiday Bundle of Cheer Contest and Feature. As our gift to you, we are giving five readers a chance to win seven amazing books, along with some incredibly festive goodies. Be sure to enter the contest before Friday, December 14th at noon ET for your chance to win!
Word of Mouth
Send us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. This contest period, one teen reader will be randomly chosen to win a copy of The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, January 2nd at noon ET.
FaithfulReader.com
Cross Roads by Wm. Paul Young
We are celebrating the release of Cross Roads by Wm. Paul Young (author of the mega-bestseller The Shack) with a special contest that will give 100 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Monday, January 14th at noon ET.
The Matchmakers of Butternut Creek by Jane Myers Perrine
We are celebrating the release of The Matchmakers of Butternut Creek by Jane Myers Perrine with a special contest that will give 10 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Thursday, January 3rd at noon ET.
A Heartbeat Away by Harry Kraus
We are celebrating the release of A Heartbeat Away by Harry Kraus with a special contest that will give 20 readers the opportunity to win the book. In addition, one of these winners will be awarded a Harry's Gift Box from Harry & David that includes Royal Riviera pears, white extra-sharp cheddar cheese, hickory-smoked summer sausage, olive oil crackers and mixed nuts. The deadline for entries is Thursday, December 13th at noon ET.
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New Guides Now Available |
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The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Becoming Shamus by Elizabeth Curtisse: A dog recounts his family’s coming of age in this heartwarming and humorous tale of friendship and family.
Breaking and Entering by Eileen Pollack: Set against the backdrop of the Oklahoma City bombings, Breaking and Entering is a timely, gripping novel about the deep divisions that still exist in America today.
Endless Life by Surinder Deol: Endless Life is one woman’s journey in search of love and meaning across two continents.
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis: In a sweeping tale that moves forward and backward in time across 60 years in Georgia and Philadelphia, Ayana Mathis’s extraordinary first novel tells the story of an unforgettable family --- and an indomitable woman --- caught in a singular moment in American history.
Please note that this title, for which we already had the guide when it appeared in hardcover, is now available in paperback:
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain: Set during the period of Ernest Hemingway's most prolific time, The Paris Wife brilliantly captures the voice and heart of Hadley Hemingway as she struggles with her roles as a woman --- wife, lover, muse, friend, and mother --- and tries to find her place in the intoxicating and tumultuous world of Paris in the 1920s.
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This Month’s Poll |
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Does your group do anything special to celebrate the holidays?
Yes
No
No, but this is a good idea.
I am not in a book group.
Note: If your group does anything special for the holidays that you would like to share with readers, please let us know what you do by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Book Group Holiday Celebration.”
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Click here to answer our poll.
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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:
www.Bookreporter.com, www.20SomethingReads.com, www.Teenreads.com, www.Kidsreads.com, www.GraphicNovelReporter.com, www.FaithfulReader.com and www.AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107
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