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Author Talk: Jennifer Senior, author of All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood

Mar 4, 2014

Jennifer Senior is a contributing editor at New York Magazine and author of ALL JOY AND NO FUN. Here, she talks to bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld about her new book and considering parenting from both a personal and sociological perspective.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Jonas Jonasson's international publishing sensation --- with over six million copies sold --- is about a reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an explosives expert with a fondness for vodka), who decides it's not too late to start over.

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Three Souls by Janie Chang

THREE SOULS is a captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman who watches her own funeral from above and learns she has been denied entry to the afterlife until she makes amends for her earthly mistakes under the guidance of her three souls --- yang, yin and hun.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

In 1961 New Bremen, Minnesota, all is quiet and serene. The Minnesota River flows through the countryside, the town barber knows everyone’s name, and folks dutifully attend church every Sunday. But that serenity is thrown into turmoil as a series of tragic deaths lead 13-year-old Frank Drum and his family on a hunt for terrible truths. But at what cost comes wisdom?

The Harem Midwife by Roberta Rich

Hannah and Isaac return in this opulent, riveting and suspenseful tale --- a continuation of Roberta Rich's thrilling debut THE MIDWIFE OF VENICE set in Medieval Constantinople.

Editorial Content for The Apple Orchard

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs brings readers into the lush abundance of Sonoma County, in a story of sisters, friendship and the invisible bonds of history that are woven like a spell around us.

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs brings readers into the lush abundance of Sonoma County, in a story of sisters, friendship and the invisible bonds of history that are woven like a spell around us.

About the Book

Tess Delaney makes a living returning stolen treasures to their rightful owners. She loves illuminating history, filling the spaces in people’s hearts with stories of their family legacies.

But Tess’s own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, and a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter.

Then Dominic Rossi arrives on the doorstep of the San Francisco shop Tess hopes to buy, and he tells her that the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. Tess has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a 100-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.

The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half sister she hadn’t heard of.

Isabel is everything Tess isn’t: all softness to Tess’s hard angles, warm and nurturing where Tess is tightly wound. But against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, with Isabel and Dominic by her side, Tess begins to discover a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet. A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep. 

Editorial Content for Arcadia

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From the remarkable author of THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON comes a new novel of ideals, idylls and the impact when utopia clashes with free will.

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From the remarkable author of THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON comes a new novel of ideals, idylls and the impact when utopia clashes with free will.

About the Book

In the fields of western New York State in the 1970s, a few dozen idealists set out to live off the land, founding what would become a commune centered on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. ARCADIA follows this romantic and tragic utopian dream from its hopeful start through its heyday and after.

Arcadia’s inhabitants include Handy, the charismatic leader; Astrid, a midwife; Abe, a master carpenter; Hannah, a baker and historian; and Abe and Hannah’s only child, Bit.

While Arcadia rises and falls, Bit, too, ages and changes. If he remains in love with the peaceful agrarian life in Arcadia and deeply attached to its residents, how can he become his own man? How will he make his way through life and the world outside of Arcadia where he must eventually live?

In ARCADIA, Groff establishes herself not only as one of the most gifted young fiction writers at work today but also as one of our most accomplished literary artists.

Editorial Content Driving Lessons

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From the author of BALANCING ACTS and SAVING RUTH comes the funny, heartwarming and utterly relatable story of three women, each facing her own transitional moment, and all grappling with the idea of motherhood…

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From the author of BALANCING ACTS and SAVING RUTH comes the funny, heartwarming and utterly relatable story of three women, each facing her own transitional moment, and all grappling with the idea of motherhood…

About the Book

An executive at a New York cosmetics firm, Sarah has had her fill of the interminable hustle of the big city. When her husband, Josh, is offered a new job in suburban Virginia, it feels like the perfect chance to shift gears.

While Josh quickly adapts to their new life, Sarah discovers that having time on her hands is a mixed blessing. Without her everyday urban struggles, who is she? And how can she explain to Josh, who assumes they are on the same page, her ambivalence about starting a family?

It doesn't help that the idea of getting behind the wheel --- an absolute necessity of her new life --- makes it hard for Sarah to breathe. It's been almost 20 years since she's driven, and just the thought of merging is enough to make her teeth chatter with anxiety. When she signs up for lessons, she begins to feel a bit more like her old self again, but she's still unsure of where she wants to go.

Then a crisis involving her best friend lands Sarah back in New York --- a trip to the past filled with unexpected truths about herself, her dear friend and her seemingly perfect sister-in-law…and an astonishing surprise that will help her see the way ahead.

Editorial Content for Far Gone

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To save her only brother, Andrea Finch must face down a criminal mastermind, the FBI and her own demons in this thrilling novel from the author of the bestselling Tracers series.

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To save her only brother, Andrea Finch must face down a criminal mastermind, the FBI and her own demons in this thrilling novel from the author of the bestselling Tracers series.

About the Book

Police detective Andrea Finch is a rising star in her department until a split-second decision derails her career. Disgraced and disillusioned, she’s on leave from her job when she gets an urgent call from her younger brother. She’d prefer to ignore his latest plea for cash, but this time instinct tells her something is very wrong. Andrea’s search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems.

FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a broader plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea’s brother, Jon finds that persuading the stubborn cop to help will be harder than cracking his toughest case.

Andrea must find a way to do what’s right while protecting her only sibling. As the clock ticks down on a deadly plot, Andrea and Jon race to confront a heartless killer who will stop at nothing to deliver a final, terrifying message.