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Here's a look at what freshmen entering college this fall have been asked to read by their respective schools. Lots of nonfiction and memoirs, some fiction and even a few graphic novels. How many of these books has your group read? And which ones are you inspired to read?The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Texas Tech UniversityThe Ape and the Sushi Master by Frans de Waal - San Diego State UniversityAtlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - Fayetteville State University

Opening today in theaters is the movie version of Julie Powell's Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously. Are you planning to see it with your book club? Tell us all about it in the comments section.Here are some Julie & Julia resources:Book discussion guide

This afternoon at 2:00 p.m. our bibliophile friend Jennifer Hart, aka Book Club Girl, will be interviewing Frances de Pontes Peebles about her novel The Seamstress, which is set in 1930s Brazil and unfolds the story of two sisters whose lives take divergent paths.

In the ReadingGroupGuides.com 2009 Book Club Survey, respondents indicated they'd like to hear from debut scribes. Here is a round-up of 10 of the first-time novelists who have been guest bloggers at RGG.com.Julie Buxbaum: Cheating on Your Book Club

Carolyn Wall's debut novel, Sweeping Up Glass, is the story of Olivia Harker Cross, who becomes embroiled in a community conflict in Pope County, Kentucky, at the same time she's coming to terms with her own bitter family history.

Today's guest blogger, Frances de Pontes Peebles, goes behind the scenes of a writer's life and talks about some of the challenges of crafting a historical novel. The Seamstress, her debut novel, is the story of two sisters who follow separate paths in 1930s Brazil.

Today, ReadingGroupGuides.com contributor Heather Johnson takes us inside her book club's discussion of Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain, a story of family, love, loyalty and hope as told by canine narrator Enzo. Appropriately, a few dogs were present at the gathering.

Books open a door to the past, writes historical novelist Sharon Kay Penman in today's guest blog post. And what's more, they can help see us through difficult times, as they once did for her.

Suspense writer Mary Jane Clark knows that book clubs can have the best of both worlds: a page-turner that also has plenty of topics for discussion.

Teri Coyne, today's guest blogger, talks about the elements that, for her, would add up to the ideal book club gathering. It would center on a discussion of her debut novel, The Last Bridge, and include Oreos and sharing secrets. There would likely be some laughs, too, as Coyne is a former stand-up comedian.