Last weekend's American Library Association Midwinter Conference was a great experience. The Friday evening kickoff event with Geraldine Brooks and Mary Doria Russell got the show off to a great start. Brooks spoke eloquently about the influence that her travels had on PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, which was inspired by something that happened to her in Sarajevo, and the effect that her training as a journalist has had on her novel writing. Russell was outrageously funny talking about librarians as those who fed her habit for books and reading over the years and made her into the reader she is today, corrupting her into the world of books like they were pushing drugs upon her.

After the event I spent some time chatting with Russell sharing a story that I remembered. When we first started Bookreporter.com we had a chat room on AOL where there was a discussion of her book, THE SPARROW, going on a couple of times a week with readers who could not spend enough time chatting about it. We had great fun reminiscing this moment, and she loved hearing about the excitement that THE SPARROW had brought to readers.

I enjoyed walking the aisles of the exhibit hall seeing what people were talking about and picking up books that I had previously read about. One was WITH THE LIGHT: Volume 1 by Keiko Tobe, a book about a young child with autism that is written in manga style. I had heard raves about this for its visual appeal and deft handling of the subject matter. When I got home Monday night I found myself too tired to move, so I settled in with this book. It took me a few moments to familiarize myself with reading manga (which is read back to front), but I quickly found myself in the groove and enjoying it. My older son picked it up when I stopped to answer some email, and I watched him get just as intrigued by it. The story came to light with the sophisticated art and tight prose. Very impressive. For those of you who would like to try this format, WITH THE LIGHT is a good book to pick up.

The ALA Conference is where the big children's book prizes (including the Newbery and the Caldecott) are announced --- with great fanfare. It was exciting to be in town when those happened, though I was moderating a panel as they were announced and thus missed the complete frenzy that accompanies this moment! You can see more about the winners later in this newsletter.

My plans for touring Philly were rather dashed by some inclement weather and a far more hectic schedule than I planned. I did get a chance to grab the soft pretzel that many of you suggested, I downed a cheese steak, I dined at both Fork and Osteria, and I saved the other ideas in a file for "next time." I had hoped to duck into a museum or two on Monday before I left, completely missing that the museums are not open on Monday! Luckily Philly is close enough that I can get down there for a quick day or weekend trip as time allows.  

We are launching three new features this week. I have had the opportunity to meet each of these authors, and for two of them I have followed their work from the first manuscript, so this is a very special week for us. We lead off with Michele Martinez, whose new suspense novel, NOTORIOUS, hits stores on February 26th. In this gripping story, Melanie Vargas, Martinez's prosecutor protagonist, finds herself witnessing a murder of a lawyer she knows well and becomes involved in a very deadly case. While I have been following Martinez for four books now, this one clearly shows a new maturation for her as an author. We have 20 copies of NOTORIOUS to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, February 1st.

Our second new featured Suspense/Thriller author is Andrew Britton, author of THE INVISIBLE. In this third installment of the Ryan Kealey series, Britton delivers another fast-action adventure and plunges readers into today’s shadowy, fever-pitched battle between terrorism and intelligence as a covert counterterrorism operative risks everything. I love the way Britton writes and gets me into the action. For the record, he's an author to watch now as he has the chops to become a household name. And I see the movie every time I read one of his books. We have 20 copies of THE INVISIBLE to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, February 1st.

Our new featured One to Watch author is Therese Fowler, whose debut novel, SOUVENIR, is a wonderful book about the transforming power of love. I had the pleasure of meeting Therese last weekend in Philly, and it was great fun to chat up this book with librarians who were waiting on line to meet her. We have 10 copies of SOUVENIR to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, January 25th.

This week, we share advance reader comments about Kevin O'Brien's thriller, ONE LAST SCREAM, as well as a new excerpt. Readers loved this one, so be sure to check out what they had to say. Also, Steve Berry, author of THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL, responded to our advance readers' questions this week. You can view his responses here.

We are excited to share the Edgar Award Nominees for the 2008 Awards, which were announced earlier today. We saw some of our favorites on there, which was just lovely. Take a look and get some mystery reading planned, so you can judge these for yourself before the awards are announced on May 1st!

Next Friday we will kick off our Valentine's Day Contest --- a chance to win one of five baskets stocked with books and love-inspired treats --- so be sure to check back with us for that.

This weekend take some time to reflect on the man behind Monday's holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His courage and leadership did so much for this country, yet there is still much work to be done to promote racial harmony and peace. Do something to be a part of that this weekend.

I have NO travel plans for the weekend, an idea that excites me as this is the first weekend I will be home in four weeks. In between unpacking suitcases and boxes from two trips ago, I look forward to reading and relaxing. Both my boys have birthdays in the next week, so there will be some manic cake baking and decorating in my future. Hmmm...wonder if they BOTH still want marble cake with chocolate frosting, or if I can sell someone on something like...CHEESECAKE! I hold no conviction that I can pull this off, but a girl can dream. Have a great week...here's to finding something great to read.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

PLUM LUCKY: A Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novel by Janet Evanovich (Mystery)
PLUM LUCKY is a "Between-the-Numbers" holiday treat celebrating St. Patrick's Day, complete with little men in green, a racehorse, Atlantic City casinos and the mysterious Diesel, who pops in and out of Stephanie Plum's already overloaded romantic life. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read an excerpt from PLUM LUCKY.

Written with authority, grace and wisdom, THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE is Julie Buxbaum’s first novel. Ending her relationship and unhappy at work, attorney Emily Haxby begins to feel her life unravel. In this book, which releases on January 29th, Buxbaum tells the story of how the young heroine decides to regain control and face the fears that have long haunted her.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE.
-Click here to read Julie Buxbaum’s bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE.
-Visit the book's official website, www.TheOppositeOfLove.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE:
When successful twenty-nine-year-old Manhattan attorney Emily Haxby ends her happy relationship just as her boyfriend is on the verge of proposing, she can’t explain to even her closest friends why she did it. As the holiday season looms and Emily contemplates whether she made a huge mistake, the rest of her world begins to unravel. How this brave, original young heroine finally decides to take control of her life and face the fears that have long haunted her is the great achievement of Julie Buxbaum’s marvelous first novel.

New York Times bestselling author Beverly Barton has written over 50 contemporary romance novels. Her new thriller, THE MURDER GAME, will be available in stores on February 5th. In this terrifying follow-up to THE DYING GAME, private investigator Griffin Powell and FBI agent Nicole Baxter team up again to stop a serial killer playing a very dangerous game.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE MURDER GAME.
-Click here to read fast facts about Beverly Barton.
-Click here to read Beverly Barton’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.BeverlyBarton.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE MURDER GAME:
The game is simple. He is the Hunter. They are the Prey. He gives them a chance to escape. To run. To hide. To outsmart him. But eventually, he catches them. And that’s when the game gets really terrifying...

Private investigator Griffin Powell and FBI agent Nicole Baxter know a lot about serial killers --- they took one down together. But this new killer is as sadistic as they’ve ever seen. He likes his little games, and he especially likes forcing Nic and Griff to play along.

BLEEDING KANSAS by Sara Paretsky (Fiction)
Set in the college and farming community of Lawrence, Kansas, this is a book unlike any of Sara Paretsky’s previous efforts featuring private investigator V.I. Warshawski. It is nonetheless a thoughtful and provocative novel that will cause readers to examine many of their own thoughts and views on contemporary issues of American life. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

-Click here to read an excerpt from BLEEDING KANSAS.
 
BLASPHEMY by Douglas Preston (Thriller)
Isabella, the world’s biggest supercollider, is hidden deep in an Arizona mountain. The most expensive machine ever built will probe what happened at the very moment of creation: the Big Bang itself. The scientific team operating Isabella is joined by an undercover CIA operative --- all of whom come up against angry members of the religious right. They also come into direct contact with a higher power that may or may not be God. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
 
SHADOW MUSIC by Julie Garwood (Historical Romance)
Returning to the Scotland of old, where passion blooms amid fierce clan rivalry, Julie Garwood tells the story of Colm MacHugh, a handsome warrior with Herculean strength, and a beautiful princess named Gabrielle. Keeper of a secret so spectacularly powerful it could plunge the entire highland kingdom into chaos, Gabrielle’s newfound passion for Colm could prove fatal. Reviewed by Hillary Wagy.

THE BOOK OF OLD HOUSES: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery by Sarah Graves (Mystery)
In this 11th installment of the enjoyable Home Repair is Homicide Mystery series, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree continues to (try to) fix up her big old Maine house, but she has more problems than that. A gun-toting friend of the murdered bookseller who had Jake's mysterious old book appears to be bent on murderous revenge. Jake is having a formal party for someone who hates her. And, oh yes, there happens to be a claw-foot tub precariously perched in her staircase. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

AMERICAN CREATION: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph J. Ellis (History)
The last quarter of the 18th century remains the most politically creative era in American history, when a dedicated and determined group of men undertook a bold experiment in political ideals. It was a time of triumphs; yet, as Joseph J. Ellis makes clear, it was also a time of tragedies --- all of which contributed to the shaping of our burgeoning nation. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE PAINTER OF BATTLES by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (Fiction)
Acclaimed author Arturo Pérez-Reverte has earned a distinguished reputation as a master of the literary thriller with his international bestsellers THE CLUB DUMAS and THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH. Now, in this haunting new work about the failure of objectivity in a world of constant war, no one comes out unscathed. Reviewed by Max Falkowitz.
 
BLUE HEAVEN by C. J. Box (Thriller)
A 12-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of North Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder. These assailants know exactly who William and Annie are, and they know exactly where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her children’s fate. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU: Growing Up Haunted by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Memoir)
Jennifer Finney Boylan’s second memoir (following the bestseller SHE'S NOT THERE) is the witty and intriguing story of the haunted house she lived in as a teenager. But on a deeper level, I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU is an exploration of loss, family and identity. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
 
VIENNA BLOOD by Frank Tallis (Mystery)
In the grip of a Siberian winter in 1902, a serial killer in Vienna embarks upon a bizarre campaign of murder. Vicious mutilation, a penchant for arcane symbols and a seemingly random choice of victim are his most distinctive peculiarities. Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt summons a young disciple of Freud --- his friend Dr. Max Liebermann --- to assist him with the case. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.