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Bookreporter.com Newsletter	April 18, 2003
This Week on Bookreporter.com High Fashion Leads to Books SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane Suspense/Thriller Feature ALL HE EVER WANTED by Anita Shreve DIRTY WORK: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods BETWEEN SISTERS by Kristin Hannah This Week's Book Reviews Poll: Are You A Book Snob? Question of the Week Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading	On The Book Report Network Bookreporter.com Past Reviews Past Poll: Which of the following April releases are you looking forward to reading? What book is on the top of your reading pile?
High Fashion Leads to Books I have a personal story about a book getting a lot of buzz this week --- THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. It's the story of the junior assistant to a very powerful editor-in-chief at a fashion magazine, and her tale of woe as she works for a rather demanding boss. For those of you who do not know the author worked at Vogue as an assistant to Anna Wintour so the entire title is a thinly veiled look at Wintour, Vogue and Conde Nast. I read this book, and just howled. You see, I spent one day in this very job for the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue prior to Wintour, Grace Mirabella. I was the backup assistant to an extremely high-wired senior assistant who spent the entire day seemingly in a panic about what might go wrong next. I remember leaving at the end of the day and saying to her, "this job is going to kill you." She looked up at me and said, "But think where it can lead." For the record there have been many books written about the atmosphere of Conde Nast, but none really capture it as well as this, albeit with a touch of hyperbole. I spent two years in the fashion department at Mademoiselle and I remember being asked to messenger a pair of shoes to the Hamptons in a limo. I remember standing outside the car wondering whether to seatbelt them, place them on the floor or place them in the trunk. It was one of my more humorous work memories. I left the fashion department after I spent 3 weeks doing customs forms for shoes and accessories for a shoot in the Caribbean. When the photos came back there was not an accessory or a shoe to be seen. The editor thought barefoot was better. I thought my talents were better used elsewhere. And I never looked back. Coming to theatres this week is the movie version of one of my favorite kids' books --- HOLES. We have a feature about this on Kidsreads.com that any of you with young reader friends will want to check out. I am heading to the Outer Banks this next week for Spring Break. I cannot wait. The books are packed; the rest will follow as I run out the door. On my stack: THE DA VINCI CODE (everyone who has read it has told me to "save it for vacation" as it's "the best book;" THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT, a book we will be reviewing next week that has a lot of Bookreporter.com history behind it; LAUGHING ALLEGRA, an upcoming memoir by Anne Ford about her daughter with learning disabilities; THE DOGS OF BABEL (which is being talked about as a terrific summer book); the new Mary Higgins Clark book, THE SECOND TIME AROUND; EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (I have one with the turquoise cover, as it's my favorite color) and LAKE HOUSE, the upcoming James Patterson title. I also am packing a new book light that I am going to be test driving in the car. It's called a LightWedge, and it can be found online at LightWedge.com. What I love is that there is no glare so I can read while my husband drives. Hmmmm...thinking about this, I probably can grab an extra book or two this week. More about my test drive from North Carolina next week where I will take some time to write the newsletter. Have a great week. Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com) Read more about Holes here.
SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane (Suspense) Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels has arrived at Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He and his partner set out to find an escaped patient who is also a murderess, as a hurricane bears down upon them --- but nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems. Read a review of SHUTTER ISLAND here and an excerpt.
Suspense/Thriller Feature William Lashner, author of FATAL FLAW (in stores May 9th) New This Week: -See the author's new website, WilliamLashner.com. Be sure to check out the FAQ and Pulp Fiction features. In case you missed last week: -Lisa Scottoline inteviews Lashner -Lashner's Replies to a Reader Question -Read our third excerpt from FATAL FLAW -Our review of BITTER TRUTH by William Lashner (Now in paperback) Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub Philadelphia lawyer Victor Carl is hired by a young woman named Caroline Shaw, who wants him to prove that her sister's recent suicide was, in fact, murder before Caroline suffers a similar fate. It is a case that propels Carl out of the courtroom and into a murky world of wealth, bloody family legacies and dark secrets. D.W. Buffa, author of STAR WITNESS, due in stores New This Week: -Advance reader comments about STAR WITNESS In Case You Missed Last Week: -D.W. Buffa Trivia -D.W. Buffa's Recurring Characters -Praise for D.W. Buffa -The third of three excerpts of STAR WITNESS Read the Suspense/Thriller Feature here.
ALL HE EVER WANTED by Anita Shreve ALL HE EVER WANTED by Anita Shreve (Fiction) Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara A man who is escaping from a hotel fire sees a woman standing beneath a lamppost. He approaches her, which sets in motion a series of events that changes his life forever. Years later, he reflects back on his obsession with this mysterious woman --- their courtship, their marriage and the unforgivable act that ripped their family apart. Read a review of ALL HE EVER WANTED and an excerpt
DIRTY WORK: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods DIRTY WORK: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Mystery) Reviewed by Maggie Harding Cop-turned-lawyer Stone Barrington sets out to prove that the husband of Heiress Elena Marks is being unfaithful to her, before she begins divorce proceedings. But when the undercover work Stone sets up turns dirty and catastrophic, leaving the philandering husband dead and the mystery woman gone without a trace, Stone must clear his own good name and find a killer hiding among New York's high society. Read a review of DIRTY WORK and an excerpt.
BETWEEN SISTERS by Kristin Hannah BETWEEN SISTERS by Kristin Hannah (Fiction) Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman-Nicol As Claire Cavenaugh's wedding day approaches, she prepares to face her harsh, judgmental older sister and their self-absorbed mother. It is the first time they have been together in more than two decades. Over the course of a summer, these three women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were --- a family. Read a review of BETWEEN SISTERS and an excerpt.
This Week's Book Reviews THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA by Lauren Weisberger (Fiction) Reviewed by Carlie Kraft Disillusioned whining is at its best in this tale of a wannabe writer who gets in over her head in New York, working for a demanding, unrelenting fashion magazine editor. TWELVE TIMES BLESSED by Jacquelyn Mitchard (Fiction) Reviewed by Rob Cline True Dickinson, a widow for eight years, realizes there is an empty space in her life that friends and family cannot fill. But when a young man rescues her from a snow-filled ditch, True comes face-to-face with the opportunity to let love back into her life. Also, be sure to see our Author Talk with Jacquelyn Mitchard where she talks about various themes that reappear in her books and their significance, as well as the kinds of stories she is still hoping to write. THE SECOND TIME AROUND by Mary Higgins Clark (Suspense) Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum The latest from Mary Higgins Clark is a medical thriller that revolves around a cure for cancer, the embezzlement of millions of dollars and the mystery that surrounds the disappearance of the man who said he made the discovery. AFTER: How America Confronted the September 12 Era by Steven Brill (Current Events) Reviewed by Ron Kaplan Award-winning journalist Steven Brill reports in painstaking detail the efforts made by New Yorkers and others to cope with the devastating effects of the September 11th terrorist attacks. THE QUILTER'S LEGACY by Jennifer Chiaverini (Fiction) Reviewed by Roz Shea When precious heirloom quilts hand-stitched by her mother turn up missing from the attic of Elm Creek Manor, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson resolves to find them. Sylvia's quest leads her to unexpected places and, as revelations surface about her mother, Sylvia reflects on who her mother was and mourns the woman she never knew. GUARDING THE MOON: A Mother's First Year by Francesca Lia Block (Memoir/Parenting) Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman Acclaimed author Francesca Lia Block writes a beautiful and powerful chronicle of the joys and elation, as well as the fears and anxieties, she faced during her first year of motherhood. INTO AFRICA: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone by Martin Dugard (History) Reviewed by Robert Finn Martin Dugard recounts the adventurous saga of the great explorer, Dr. David Livingstone, and Henry Morton Stanley, the intrepid journalist who tracked Livingstone down in the heart of Africa. LAST MAN OUT: The Story of the Springhill Mine Disaster by Melissa Fay Greene (History) Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds Melissa Fay Greene has written a harrowing portrait of the people who survived a 1958 mine accident, despite being trapped under 13,000 feet of coal and earth, in addition to a telling analysis of the social background of the times. SOMETIMES THE MAGIC WORKS: Lessons from the Writing Life by Terry Brooks (Nonfiction) Reviewed by Judy Gigstad Bestselling author Terry Brooks shares his secrets for creating unusual, memorable fiction and tells stories from his personal experiences in publishing. GOOD FAITH by Jane Smiley (Fiction) Reviewed by Kathy Weissman A man who sells houses is tempted by easy money and sex with somebody else's wife in this latest novel from Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley. ALISON'S AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR MANUAL by Brad Barkley (Fiction) Reviewed by David Exum A widow in her mid-thirties, Alison has resolved to get on with her life and move back home --- just as soon as she renovates a nearly ruined 1976 Corvette that is rusting in the garage. The problem is that she doesn't know the first thing about cars, and the fact that the townspeople are bewildered by a woman working with automotive parts doesn't help matters. POWER FAILURE: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron by Mimi Swartz, with Sherron Watkins (Business/Current Affairs) Reviewed by Melissa Brown With assistance from whistle-blower Sherron Watkins, Mimi Swartz explores the entire history of the Enron Corporation, from its inception in 1985, to its meteoric rise in the late 1990's, to its ultimate demise in 2001. Read this week's reviews and features here.
Poll: Are You A Book Snob? Are you a "reading snob"? Tell us which best describes your reading behavior. I limit my reading to "quality" books. I read both "quality" books and "page turners." I shy away from titles that are "heavy." My shelves are filled with books for "light" reading, but lately I want books that are more "quality." Answer the Poll here.
Question of the Week Here's our question of the week: What book(s) are you most proud to have on your bookshelf? (Please do not mention more than five titles.) Answer the Question of the Week.
Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't. Five lucky readers will win a copy BETWEEN SISTERS by Kristin Hannah. Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.
As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online (see the link on the upper right) or change your preferences below. Those of you who wish to send mail to the general mailbox at Bookreporter.com, please write to: Mail@bookreporter.com. If you would like to reach me, please write Carol@bookreporter.com. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us. Quick observation --- we have noticed that many of you have been changing your Internet providers in the past month. If you do, please be sure to "take us along" by signing up for the newsletter in your new name! Happy reading....and don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend. --- Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com) Back to top.