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July 2011

When I get together with friends, one of my favorite questions is “What are you reading?” Over the holiday weekend, close neighbors came in for a barbecue. Dale shared that she now has a Kindle; she had just finished Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford and is currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. She was chatting about these books with the same enthusiasm that I did when I read them when they first came out. It reminded me that readers all find books at their own pace, and good books will continue to be found long after their publication date!

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Interview: Margaret Leroy, author of The Soldier's Wife

Jul 1, 2011

Author Margaret Leroy's latest work, THE SOLDIER'S WIFE, is a story of love and fear that takes place on the island of Guernsey --- off the coast of Normandy --- as World War II draws near. When the Occupation turns brutal, Vivienne de la Mare, who is wrapped up in a love affair, must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

If you could have only ONE of the following served at your book group meetings, what would you pick?

July 1, 2011, 435 voters

Winston Churchill

Eating words has never given me indigestion.

Attribution

Winston Churchill

Frida Kahlo

The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.
 

Attribution

Frida Kahlo
June 28, 2011

Ann Patchett: How to Love a Dog

Posted by Stephen
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Bestselling author Ann Patchett lets readers into her private life with this special essay about the relationship with her dog, Rose. Patchett's latest novel, State of Wonder, is in stores now!

Editorial content for Heart of Evil

Teaser

Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends…and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.

About the Book

Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends…and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.

Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare—often inexplicable—intuition. Among the "Krewe of Hunters" is an old ï ¬ ‚ ame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own.

The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried—even in death.…

Editorial content for The Bells

Book

Teaser

Born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps, Moses Froben and his deaf and mute mother ring the beautiful church bells each day.

Promo

Born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps, Moses Froben and his deaf and mute mother ring the beautiful church bells each day.

About the Book

Born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps, Moses Froben and his deaf and mute mother ring the beautiful church bells each day. The townspeople assume Moses is also deaf, but shaped by the glorious music of the bells, he actually possesses a singular sense of hearing that makes him privy to any number of sins --- and puts him in grave danger. Moses finds refuge in a monastery's choir and becomes its star singer, but he falls under the power of a man who will do anything to preserve Moses' angelic voice forever.

In this letter to his son, Moses recounts his life as a novice monk, the power and beauty of the music he loves, and a story of forbidden love.

Editorial content for The Soldier's Wife

Teaser

A novel full of grand passion and intensity, The Soldier's Wife asks "What would you do for your family?" "What should you do for a stranger?" and "What would you do for love?"

Promo

A novel full of grand passion and intensity, THE SOLDIER'S WIFE asks "What would you do for your family?" "What should you do for a stranger?" and "What would you do for love?"

About the Book

A novel full of grand passion and intensity, THE SOLDIER'S WIFE asks "What would you do for your family?" "What should you do for a stranger?" and "What would you do for love?"

As World War II draws closer and closer to Guernsey, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting. What she does not expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home. As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne. Food and resources grow scant, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week. Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship --- and her family --- safe. But when she becomes aware of the full brutality of the Occupation, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE © Copyright 2011 by Margaret Leroy. Reprinted with permission by Voice. All rights reserved.

Editorial content for Sunset Bridge

Teaser

Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she's formed with her tenants. Wanda, wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. And Maggie, Wanda's daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy's own.

Promo

Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she's formed with her tenants.

About the Book

Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she's formed with her tenants. Wanda, wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. And Maggie, Wanda's daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy's own.

The new man in Tracy's life hasn't mentioned love or commitment --- and Tracy has just discovered she's pregnant. Janya longs to be a mother --- and suddenly has two young siblings in her care. Maggie helps out at Wanda's Wonderful Pies...but is the kitchen big enough for both Gray women? And Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected....

As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key. Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.