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Every month, one subscriber to the Bookreporter.com newsletter wins 5 free hardcover books! This month's selection includes SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane, THE SECOND TIME AROUND by Mary Higgins Clark, ARMAGEDDON by Tim LaHaye and Jerry D Jenkins, A COLD HEART by Jonathan Kellerman, GOOD FAITH by Jane Smiley. (See the complete contest rules.)
Click here to SUBSCRIBE to the
Bookreporter.com Newsletter!
Also check out our other newsletters on ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.
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| Vacation Reading... |
| The best thing about this week of vacation on the Outer Banks --- time to read books. The worst part --- the slow Internet dialup, which has made even reading email an adventure.
On the drive down I used the LightWedge reading light that I mentioned last week to read the new Mary Higgins Clark book. What a perfect book to unwind with --- pure suspense page turning! The light worked well, and the best part is there was no glare so I could read in the passenger seat while my husband drove. I knew it was a hit when my thirteen-year-old kept snatching it to read HIS book, and has repeatedly told me that he is getting his own when we get back!
Next up I read THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT. This is a book with a lot of Bookreporter.com history that I was inspired to pick up after reading this week's review by Jesse Kornbluth. I also remembered how one of our first staffers Sean Doorly was just blown away by it when we were serializing it. I felt the same way. Beth Harmon will stay with me for a long time. And I found myself wanting to play chess all week.
THE DA VINCI CODE has been getting a lot of buzz and after reading it, I can see why. Yesterday I huddled on the beach wrapped in a towel to stay warm in the wind and was unable to put this one down even when I was chattering. I carried it into the movie theater last night when we saw Holes and read until the lights went out. Today I vowed not to leave the house till I finished the last page. It's so well done with both an intricate plot and tons of tangents in the art world and Catholicism to explore. For all of you who have read it and want to talk about it, please note that we will be adding a reading guide for it next month.
In the world of book-related television and movie programming, don't miss A Painted House on Sunday night on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. This is one of my favorite Grisham books, and when I saw Grisham speak last month he mentioned how pleased he was with the end result.
As previously mentioned, we saw Holes the other night. It truly reflected the book and the action moved from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.
Last Sunday night I watched Ice Bound, and was once again reminded what a great book this was. Monday night there was a great special about Seabiscuit. As many of you know a new movie based on this book will be out in July. Based on the amount of mail we get about this book each week we will be planning a special feature around this closer to its release date.
We are not doing a full update this week....we added so many reviews last week that we are sure there is tons more reading to be done.
Happy reading and enjoy the week.
--- Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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| A PAINTED HOUSE by John Grisham - Hallmark Hall of Fame Special on April 27th |
A PAINTED HOUSE by John Grisham (Fiction)
Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
In a departure from his well-known legal thrillers John Grisham crafts a tale of small town American life in rural Arkansas in the '50s. Seven-year-old Luke Chandler has never kept a secret or told a single lie in his young life until September of 1952, when two groups of migrant workers --- and two very dangerous men --- come through the Arkansas Delta to work on the Chandler cotton farm.
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Read a review of A PAINTED HOUSE and an excerpt.
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| 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 interviews 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
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Read the Suspense/Thriller Feature here.
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| THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT by Walter Tevis |
THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT by Walter Tevis (Fiction)
Reviewed by Jesse Kornbluth
At 8, Beth Harmon is a loser: friendless, an orphan, not beautiful. Then she discovers chess. She's not just good at it --- she's a prodigy. For the first time, she feels as if she's in control of her life. But on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher and her sense of isolation returns. Alone, unloved, how can she beat the Russian champion? As our reviewer says, "THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT is 'Rocky' for smart people."
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Read a review of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT and an excerpt.
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| New In Paperback |
If you're looking for some enjoyable (and easy-to-carry) reads, then this month's roundup of 44 New in Paperback titles is sure to please you. We're featuring EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (which is available with 10 different brightly colored covers) and a title that was one of last year's favorite books among our readers, THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER. In addition there are titles by such bestselling authors as Barbara Kingsolver, Steven Pressfield, Mary Higgins Clark, Nelson DeMille and Jonathan Kellerman.
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Read our list of New in Paperback titles here.
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| Re-View Last Week's Book Reviews |
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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.
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Read this week's reviews and features here.
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| 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."
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Answer the Poll here.
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| 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.)
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Answer the Question of the Week.
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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)
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