After the success of last year's Hachette Reading Group Day, ReadingGroupGuides.com couldn't resist partnering with Hachette Book Group again to give readers the opportunity to meet some of their favorite authors and hear them speak about --- what else? --- books! Diana from Staten Island, NY was one of the lucky readers who attended the event on Saturday, September 7th, and was kind enough to answer a few questions about it. In this Q&A, Diana shares some of the highlights of the day, including her favorite panels and the authors who impressed her the most. She also talks about which book included in her swag bag she's most interested in reading --- and why she's lucky it's not Nicholas Dawidoff's football nonfiction, COLLISION LOW CROSSERS, which was immediately stolen by her husband!
Bookreporter.com: What did you think of the Hachette Reading Group Day?
Diana T.: The event was excellent and could be appreciated by any book lover. It was well organized, informative and we were presented with a wonderful mix of genres and authors.
BRC: Who joined you at the event? What were their comments about it?
DT: My sister attended it with me, and she enjoyed it as well as I did. When I mentioned it to members of my book club, they were sorry they missed it.
BRC: Was there one panel that stood out to you? If so, what was it, and why?
DT: For me the panel that stood out most was the literary nonfiction, mainly because that is something I usually don't read as often as the other categories. The four books and authors were very interesting and, although the speakers were the most low key, they made their topics come alive.
BRC: Was there one author that really stood out to you?
DT: For sheer entertainment value, it would be hard to beat Benjamin Percy, who could be a stand-up comedian. As authors, I found Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child informative and charming, as they explained their writing process.
BRC: Which authors were you already familiar with?
DT: I was familiar with Preston and Child, Lily Koppel, Kathleen Kent and Elin Hiderbrand. I was unaware that George Pelecanos had written for television shows I watched, so I was familiar with his style.
BRC: Did you get to speak with readers other than those in your group?
DT: At lunch, we had an informal round table discussion about book clubs, and we discussed the manner in which we chose our selections, some pitfalls we encountered and gave suggestions for upcoming choices.
BRC: What was in your “swag bag?”
DT: I received three Preston and Child books, including their upcoming novel WHITE FIRE, SUMMERLAND by Elin Hilderbrand, THE DOUBLE by George Pelecanos, THE OUTCASTS by Kathleen Kent, REALITY BOY by A.S. King, STRINGS ATTACHED by Joanne Lipman and COLLISION LOW CROSSERS, by Nicholas Dawidoff. Thank goodness, they were all in a nice cloth zippered bag, since I had to tote them to the bus! I also had the opportunity to purchase two other discounted books that caught my eye.
BRC: What book did you walk away wanting to read most?
DT: I was most interested in WHITE FIRE, but my husband immediately snatched up COLLISION LOW CROSSERS, a book about the Jets football team, and is already part way through it.
BRC: Would you attend this kind of an event again? And is there anything that would make it more special for you?
DT: Both my sister and I would certainly like to attend again, and we would publicize it among our friends more extensively. The $50 cost to enter was more than offset by the snacks and lunch, and especially the most generous bag of books. Even more important was the chance to meet the authors, hear them discuss their methods and topics and have the opportunity to ask them questions.
