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Bookreporter.com Newsletter August 1, 2003 This Week on Bookreporter.com Cooking With Nigella, SOUTHERN LIVING and the new Homer Hickam book TO THE NINES by Janet Evanovich Suspense/Thriller Spotlight: New Excerpt from THE SINNER and A Video of Christopher Reich Talking About THE DEVIL'S BANKER PRESUMPTION OF DEATH by Perri O'Shaughnessy FEAR ITSELF by Walter Mosley Authors' Summer Reading Lists This Week's Book Reviews and Features Poll: Which Author Should Be Our September Author of the Month Question of the Week Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading On The Book Report Network Bookreporter.com Past Reviews Past Poll: Do you know what Chick Lit is? What book that is out right now do you think has the best looking cover? Cooking With Nigella, SOUTHERN LIVING and the new Homer Hickam book When the weather is warm, I try to cook and eat healthy. Last week I pulled Nigella Lawson's latest cookbook FOREVER SUMMER from the shelf and made four recipes --- Broiled Tuna with Wasabi Butter (the butter also was great on steaks), Butterflied Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary, Lemon Rice and Soba Noodles with Sesame Seeds. I paired them with flatbread recipes I got from the BOBBY FLAY'S BOY MEETS GRILL cookbook(which is still a favorite). Each dinner blended flavors in a new way and was a winner. This weekend I am going to try a new Nigella recipe with a cold salad of green tea noodles and cucumbers. I have a passion for writing about the South and its culture and charms, especially when it is witty and sharp. Last weekend I read SOUTHERN LIVING by Ad Hudler, which is due out at the end of August. Some of you may remember Ad's book HOUSEHUSBAND, which came out last year. Fans will not be disappointed with this new book. In fact, I love SOUTHERN LIVING even more. Here's the plot --- three women come together, to hilarious effect, in a comedy about Southern manners. Whether you have lived in the South, visited there, or just love Southern writing, this book is worth checking out. You can read an excerpt by clicking on the link below. By the way, I know a book is good when I am telling anecdotes from it throughout the following week. As promised, here is a look at another Fall title. This week I read THE KEEPER'S SON by Homer Hickam, who many of you know as the author of ROCKET BOYS, THE COALWOOD WAY and SKY OF STONE. My oldest son is a lighthouse aficionado (for a trip next week he has plotted out a route to visit 32 lighthouses in New England) so any title that references a lighthouse gets special attention in this house. The story takes place on the fictitious Killakeet Island located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which for generations has been the responsibility of the Thurlow family. The Thurlows consider themselves the guardians of the island and the light. But tragedy comes to the family when the wife of the keeper dies at childbirth, and two years later, the baby boy, Jacob, is mysteriously lost at sea due to an error of judgment by Josh, his older brother. After that, nothing is the same, not for the family, Killakeet, or Josh who joins the Coast Guard and is sent to the Bering Sea. I am enjoying the writing, the pacing and the plot. Will be in stores in October. The top clickthrough in our newsletter last week was about Chick Lit, so we are plotting more about this for the weeks to come. For now lots to share this week, so keep reading. Have a great weekend. I spent a lovely evening last weekend swinging in my hammock reading with a light from the house pointed toward my book. Hoping to try that again this weekend. Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com) TO THE NINES by Janet Evanovich TO THE NINES by Janet Evanovich (Mystery) Reviewed by Maggie Harding Stephanie Plum, queen of the bounty hunters, is back! In the latest installment of this popular series, Stephanie's cousin Vinnie has posted bail on Samuel Singh, an illegal immigrant. When Mr. Singh turns up missing, Stephanie is on the case. What she uncovers, however, is far more sinister than anyone imagines and leads to a group of killers who gives new meaning to the word "hunter." Read our review of TO THE NINES, as well as an excerpt. Suspense/Thriller Spotlight: New Excerpt from THE SINNER and A Video of Christopher Reich Talking About THE DEVIL'S BANKER Tess Gerritsen: THE SINNER will be out in hardcover on August 19th and THE APPRENTICE is now out in paperback. New This Week: A 3rd excerpt of THE SINNER Fast Facts About Tess Gerritsen In Case You Missed Last Week: -Read reader comments about THE SINNER -Read our second excerpt of THE SINNER Christopher Reich: THE DEVIL'S BANKER will be out in hardcover on August 26th and THE FIRST BILLION is now out in paperback. New This Week: -A video of Christopher Reich talking about THE DEVIL'S BANKER -Joe Hartlaub's Review of THE FIRST BILLION -Read about Christopher Reich's backlist -Read Fast Facts about Christopher Reich In Case You Missed Last Week: -Our Advance Readers Are Announced Read our Suspense/Thriller feature here. PRESUMPTION OF DEATH by Perri O'Shaughnessy PRESUMPTION OF DEATH by Perri O'Shaughnessy (Suspense) Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum A series of fires brings the entire O'Shaughnessy crew together to solve the arsons amidst murder and mayhem, while they all re-evaluate the directions their lives will take in the future. Read our review of PRESUMPTION OF DEATH and an excerpt here. FEAR ITSELF by Walter Mosley FEAR ITSELF by Walter Mosley (Thriller) Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub An attractive and influential woman tricks Fearless Jones and his best friend, bookstore owner Paris Minton, into searching for her missing nephew, who is wanted for murder. Paris soon learns that the case is filled with twists and turns and dead ends like he never imagined. Click here to read our review of FEAR ITSELF and an excerpt. Authors' Summer Reading Lists Ever wondered what authors are reading this summer? We asked, and more than 60 authors responded by telling us about the titles on their summer reading lists. See what your favorite authors are reading, and then browse the lists of a few authors you have never heard of. After all, they are readers --- just like you --- and you may find a new favorite from their suggestions. Stuck on what to read this summer? See what your favorite authors are reading! This Week's Book Reviews and Features BANGKOK 8 by John Burdett (Thriller) Reviewed by Bob Rhubart Bangkok detective and devout Buddhist Sonchai Jitpleecheep is determined to find out who is responsible for the deaths of his partner and a marine sergeant, each the victim of deadly snakebites. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND ME by Kathleen DeMarco (Fiction) Reviewed by Melissa A. Martin Josie and Carla are different in a number of ways, but they do have at least one thing in common: an intense desire to succeed. When Carla moves to Hollywood to start her life anew, she learns a stunning secret about her family and begins working side by side with Josie. Let the fireworks begin! LUCIA, LUCIA by Adriana Trigiani (Fiction) Reviewed by Melissa Morgan Lucia Sartori is the beautiful 25-year-old daughter of a prosperous Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. While engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Lucia meets a handsome stranger who promises a life of uptown luxury --- and she is forced to choose between duty to her family and her own dreams. INVISIBLE EDEN: A Story of Love and Murder on Cape Cod by Maria Flook (Nonfiction) Reviewed by Judy Gigstad In January 2002, fashion writer Crista Worthington was found stabbed to death on the floor of her cottage in Truro, Massachusetts. Maria Flook, herself a resident of Truro, focuses on Crista's tumultuous life and follows the first year of the murder investigation with the help of the district attorney in charge. THE COLOUR by Rose Tremain (Fiction) Reviewed by Colleen Quinn During the mid-nineteenth-century gold rush in New Zealand, newlyweds Joseph and Harriet Blackstone emigrate from England, along with Joseph's mother, Lilian, in search of new beginnings and prosperity. But Joseph's discovery of gold threatens to put an end to his marriage and any hope for a happy existence. I DO (BUT I DON'T) by Cara Lockwood (Paperback Fiction) Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton Despite her wild and unruly curly hair, wedding planner Lauren Crandell is highly organized and extremely neat. But when two weddings in one day go completely wrong, and firefighter Nick Corona comes to the rescue twice, Lauren soon realizes that there are a few important details in her own life she hasn't been tending to since her divorce. THE END OF AN ERROR by Mameve Medwed (Fiction) Reviewed by Bethanne Kelly Patrick Lee Emery's quiet, stable life in Maine as a married mother of three is quietly rocked when she publishes a memoir of her flamboyant grandmother --- but it's her own past that causes a wipeout when she follows her feelings back in time to another country, another man, and the possibility of another life. SCAREDY CAT by Mark Billingham (Mystery) Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub Two sets of brutal murders share striking similarities, and Detective Inspector Tom Thorne comes to the frightening conclusion that the killings are linked and that there are two serial killers on the loose. GENE SARAZEN AND SHELL'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOLF by Al Barkow with Mary Ann Sarazen (Sports) Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman Shell's Wonderful World of Golf was a groundbreaking television show back in 1962, covering 18 holes of golf with some of the best players in the world, and doing so in color and on location around the world. Writer and associate producer Al Barkow provides readers with fascinating details of this historic, precedent-setting program. Read this week's reviews and features here. Poll: Which Author Should Be Our September Author of the Month Which of the following authors would you like to see profiled on AuthorsOnTheWeb.com as our September Author of the Month? Mitch Albom (THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN) David Baldacci (SPLIT SECOND) John Grisham (BLEACHERS) Jerry B. Jenkins (SOON) Iris Johansen (FATAL TIDE) Answer the Poll here. Question of the Week Here's our question of the week: If you could write like one author, who would it be and why? 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. One lucky reader will win TREASON by Ann Coulter. Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on August 8th. 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.