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ReadingGroupGuides.com Newsletter |
November 2009 |
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Quick Links to Features on ReadingGroupGuides.com
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Giving Thanks....
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As I write this note, I am making lists and making piles. I leave tomorrow for the Miami Book Fair International, the fifth time I have attended this wonderful multi-day booklover's dream event. More than 350 authors will gather there to talk books this week and through the weekend. Nirvana. I travel a lot, which the Sagittarian in me just LOVES, and have made lists of what I need for day trips, short trips and long trips that I click down when packing. But somehow, the night before I still find myself up way later than I planned, adding things to my itinerary, making notes on places and people I want to see in whatever city I am headed to, winding yarn for projects to knit while traveling, deciding what books to take with me, making last-minute notes for the staff in New York, and plotting little details to make my hotel room comfortable and my trip just a bit more special.
Speaking of the staff in New York...there is a team of terrific people who work with me to bring you ReadingGroupGuides.com each month, while I am the "front person" who many of you know. One of those players was Alex Kassl, our Advertising/Promotion Associate, who left us last Friday for a new job at the New-York Historical Society. Alex joined us when he got out of school a little more than two years ago, becoming a part of the intrepid team that brings you ReadingGroupGuides.com. We all are going to miss him. Cheer cheer Alex, who left behind with us the most complete set of notes that I have ever seen! For that, I am very, very grateful.
That said, I am happy to introduce you to Stephen Bedford, who slipped into Alex's big shoes, and desk chair, yesterday. Stephen previously worked as the marketing manager of Bookworm of Edwards, a bookstore in Edwards, Colorado, that I visited on one of my trips out west in the summer of 2006, though we did not meet at the time. What made me interested in Stephen when I saw his resume is that he used ReadingGroupGuides.com and our other websites as references as he worked with more than 70 book clubs facilitated by Bookworm of Edwards. That and his hands-on bookselling expertise will help us to enhance the advice and ideas we bring to you on the site each month. So, here's to a very warm welcome to Stephen.
One of the authors I am looking forward to meeting in Miami is Jamie Ford, whose book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is now available in paperback. It was one of my Bets On selections at Bookreporter.com this year. The story, which takes place in Seattle, explores the relationship between Chinese and Japanese immigrants, as well as the segregation they faced in America and between their own cultures.
If you are going to be in Miami for the Fair, drop me a note. I definitely will be there for part of Jamie Ford's presentation, though I need to slip out at the end to catch another session where David Small, the author of Stitches, is being interviewed. I happily can meet up before Jamie's talk starts. One of the tough parts about big author weekends like this is trying to get to see EVERYONE you want to see.
Another book slated to become a Bets On pick for me this week is Rainwater by Sandra Brown. Many of you may know Sandra for her suspense/thriller titles. Rainwater is a depature from this as she instead has penned a historical novel. I read this one my last day at the beach, and as I sat in a beach chair in North Carolina, I was swept away to Texas during the Depression. It's just a beautiful story, and you can read about Sandra's inspiration for it in our Bookreporter.com interview with her here. Later this month, our registered book groups will have the chance to enter to win an opportunity to speak with Sandra to discuss Rainwater. Is your group registered? If not, click here.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay celebrates its one-year anniversary in paperback with a special contest where 200 readers can win a finished copy of the book, and it's also one of our Registered Book Club contest selections for November. Join us in celebrating by entering to win up to 12 copies for your group.
We are excited to announce our first Facebook contest! Twenty-five readers have a chance to win a copy of Janice Y. K. Lee's The Piano Teacher and have it delivered on Tuesday, November 17th --- the day the paperback edition goes on sale. Set in Hong Kong during the outbreak of World War II, and its aftermath 10 years later, The Piano Teacher alternates between the lives of two vastly different women whose destinies are linked by the events of the war. Enter to win by Sunday, November 15th at 11:59PM EST. Click here for details. Please note that we are announcing this first Facebook contest here, but going forward, these opportunities only will be announced on Facebook.
I am a firm believer in making every day count. Holidays are not just special occasions. They can happen every day. Our contest book this month, Notes Left Behind, will make you think about this. As Brooke and Keith Desserich share in this poignant book, their six-year-old daughter Elena was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer and died just nine months later. As Elena lost her voice and the ability to walk, she communicated through writing and drawing. Unbenownst to her parents, she was writing notes and leaving them around the house tucking them in between books in the bookcase, the holiday ornament boxes and other places where they would later find them as they moved through their everyday lives.
While we often focus on the BIG moments in life --- holidays and milestones --- this book reminds us that it's important to remember that each day there is a reason to celebrate. Elena was wise beyond her years and left quite a legacy of love. We have a wonderful blog piece from her parents here. And there are many more terrific blog pieces this month. Do check them out. Grab a beverage of your choice and scroll through them here if you have not been keeping up with us day-to-day.
Last Friday night, I was in Charlotte, NC, for an event for school librarians. At dinner, I sat with The Fillbach Brothers, Matt and Shawn, who are graphic artists. They hail from Montana and by their own admission have great cowboy style. Made me wish I wore my teal cowboy boots. As typical, when bookish folks gather, we talked...books. They both are huge Cormac McCarthy fans, so the conversation turned to the release of the movie The Road coming out on November 25th, which is based on Cormac McCarthy's bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The Road is the epic post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father and his young son across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth. Check out the film trailer here. Between the conversation with them and the librarian beside me, they were having a book group discussion at the table. Fun night.
Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to be introducing some remarkable book clubs ---- ones that have been meeting for at least 20 years. We've asked members to share their insight on how they've been able to keep the momentum going and what recommendations they have for other groups that would like to make it to the two-decade mark --- and beyond. From our ReadingGroupGuides.com Reader Survey conducted last spring, we know that MANY of your groups have been around for less than two years, thus tips from these groups may prove helpful!
We are featuring a new book club interview with “The Ladies Sunday Book Club” in Seattle, WA. Recently, the 22-member group celebrated its 11-year anniversary. Brenda D. Vasser discusses some of the activities that the book club members organize to spice up their meetings, which include book-themed games and crafts.
This month's poll talks about charity work. We know that many of you have been inspired by Three Cups of Tea and other books. Drop Shannon a note at [email protected] if your book club has been involved with charity work.
And as this is a month where we give thanks, I am going to stop and give thanks for all of you. We love our readers. Thank you for making this gig so much fun for me. Happy Thanksgiving. Grab that wishbone and tug.
As the pumpkins and turkeys exit stage right, here come the holidays. Starting Friday on Bookreporter.com, we will bring your our annual Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest and What to Give/What to Get feature. Enjoy!
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
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Special Contest: Win a Copy of SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay for Your Group
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We are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the paperback release of Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay --- a haunting novel that offers a compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode --- with a special contest. Two-hundred readers will have the opportunity to each win one finished copy of Sarah’s Key, which is now available in stores, for their group. Enter between now and Monday, November 30th by filling out the form found here.
More About Sarah's Key:
A haunting novel --- and New York Times bestselling phenomenon --- that book clubs nationwide can’t stop talking about... and can’t forget...
Paris, July 1942: Before 10-year-old Sarah is arrested in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, she locks her younger brother in a cupboard, thinking she will be back quickly.
Paris, May 2002: Journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article for the Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary and stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Please also note that Sarah’s Key the movie is now being shot by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Hugo Films) in Paris and its suburbs. The film, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, will be released in 2010.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
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Click here to read all the contest details.
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Special Contest: Win a Copy of THE POSTMISTRESS by Sarah Blake for Your Group
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We are celebrating the upcoming release of The Postmistress by Sarah Blake --- an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury --- with a special contest. One-hundred readers will have the opportunity to each win an advance copy of The Postmistress, which will be available in stores on February 9, 2010, for their group. Enter between now and Monday, November 30th by filling out the form found here.
More About The Postmistress:
It is 1940. Iris James is the postmistress and spinster of Franklin, Massachusetts, a small town on Cape Cod. She firmly believes that her job is to deliver and keep people’s secrets, to pass along the news of love and sorrow that letters carry. Yet one day Iris does the unthinkable: she slips a letter into her pocket. And then she does something even worse --- she reads the letter, then doesn’t deliver it.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
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Click here to read all the contest details.
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IN A PERFECT WORLD by Laura Kasischke
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In a Perfect World is critically acclaimed writer Laura Kasischke’s new novel of marriage, motherhood, and the choices we make when we have no choices left. Kasischke tells the story of Jiselle, a young flight attendant who has settled into a fairy tale life with her new family. But as a mysterious new illness spreads rapidly throughout the country, she begins to realize that her marriage, her stepchildren and their perfect world are all in terrible danger...
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Click here to read the guide for In a Perfect World.
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ONE WEEK IN DECEMBER by Holly Chamberlin
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Every year the Rowan family --- from 86-year-old Great Grandma Nora, to the eight-year-old twins --- all gather at their house in rural Maine for the Christmas holidays. It’s usually a fun time for all, but this year, things are going to be very, very different. One Week in December is a compelling holiday-themed novel fans of authors Beth Kendrick and Elizabeth Robinson will adore.
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Click here to read the guide for One Week in December.
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THE GLASS ROOM by Simon Mawer
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Honeymooners Viktor and Liesel Landaurer pour all of their hopes for the future into their stunning new home, a masterpiece built by modernist architect Rainer von Abt. But as history intervenes, the radiant honesty and idealism of 1930 quickly evaporate beneath the storm clouds of World War II. When Nazi troops enter the country, the family must leave behind their old life and attempt to escape to America before Viktor's Jewish roots draw Nazi attention, and before the family itself dissolves.
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Click here to read the guide for The Glass Room.
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CHERRIES IN WINTER: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times, by Suzan Colón |
An inspirational gem of a book about three generations of women who find solace in the comfort of their kitchens when hard times hit. It's Tender at the Bone meets Tuesdays With Morrie.
“Delicious. Delectable. Truthful, funny, and poignant. Like a great recipe, Suzan Colón’s Cherries in Winter is a keeper and a treat to share with those you love.”
--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Big Stone Gap and Very Valentine
“Suzan Colón’s Cherries in Winter is a celebration of true wealth: love that sustains us through life’s difficulties, and good food --- especially in the form of recipes passed down through generations --- that fortifies our bodies and souls.”
--Giulia Melucci, author of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti
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Click here to read the guide for Cherries in Winter.
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Now Available in Paperback: A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN: A Story of Love and Honor, by Dana Canedy
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In 2005, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King began to write what would become a 200-page journal for his son in case he did not make it home from the war in Iraq. He was killed by a roadside bomb on October 14, 2006. His son, Jordan, was seven months old. A Journal for Jordan is a mother’s letter to her son about the father he lost --- including an honest account of her search for answers about Charles’s death.
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Click here to read the guide for A Journal for Jordan.
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FROMMS: How Julius Fromm's Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis, by Götz Aly and Michael Sontheimer
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Through the biography of this businessman and the story of his unusual and fabulously successful company, prominent Holocaust historian Götz Aly and Der Spiegel’s Michael Sontheimer recount the fascinating history of the first branded condoms in Germany and the sexual culture that allowed them to thrive, the heretofore undocumented machinations by which the Nazis robbed German-Jewish families of their businesses, and the tragedy of a man whose great love for the adopted country that first allowed him to succeed was betrayed by its government and his fellow citizens.
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Click here to read the guide for Fromms.
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Registered Book Club Promotions
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For November we have three very special opportunities for Registered Book Groups. Our featured titles this month are Rainwater by Sandra Brown, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah. Groups who have registered with us by Monday, November 16th have the chance to win author chats and/or free books. If your group is not registered, click here to register.
Rainwater by Sandra Brown --- Author Chat and Book Giveaway: Two groups will have the opportunity to chat with Sandra Brown and receive up to 12 copies of the book.
More About Rainwater:
From acclaimed bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a powerfully moving novel celebrating the gifts, generosity and foresight of a great bygone generation. Centered around an independent woman who runs a Texas boarding house during the Dust Bowl and a mysterious boarder, Rainwater tells a story that bears witness to a bittersweet truth: that love is worth whatever price one must pay for it.
This is a moving story that would appeal to readers of historical fiction, women’s fiction and any book clubs that love sweeping novels about moral consequences and the intrinsic value of family.
-Click here to see our Historical Fiction feature for Sandra Brown and Rainwater on Bookreporter.com.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay --- Author Chat and Book Giveaway: Four groups will have the opportunity to chat with Tatiana de Rosnay and receive up to 12 copies of the book.
More About Sarah's Key:
A haunting novel --- and New York Times bestselling phenomenon --- that book clubs nationwide can’t stop talking about... and can’t forget...
Paris, July 1942: Before 10-year-old Sarah is arrested in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, she locks her younger brother in a cupboard, thinking she will be back quickly.
Paris, May 2002: Journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article for the Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary and stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Please also note that Sarah’s Key the movie is now being shot by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Hugo Films) in Paris and its suburbs. The film, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, will be released in 2010.
The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah --- Author Chat and Book Giveaway: 15 groups will have the opportunity to chat with Sophie Hannah and receive up to 12 copies of the book. Please note that because the author is based in the United Kingdom, she will only be available for chat via Skype.
More About The Wrong Mother:
Sally Horning is watching the news with her husband when she hears a name she never thought she’d hear again --- Mark Bretherick. All the details are the same: where he lives, his wife Geraldine and daughter Lucy, his job. And the news is devastating: Geraldine and Lucy have been murdered. Except when they show the photo, it’s not the man Sally had an affair with. Sally realizes immediately that her own family is also in peril. Another riveting, brilliant and provocative book from a writer who is poised to become a household name in the U.S., The Wrong Mother promises to keep you turning pages late into the night.
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Click here to register your group.
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Become a Fan of ReadingGroupGuides.com on Facebook and Goodreads!
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ReadingGroupGuides.com has a fan page on Facebook where we now have 1,000 fans! Here we will feature our daily blogs and put out questions for discussion. We would love you to share pictures of your groups as well as comments on the books that we suggest. We look forward to seeing you as fans of ReadingGroupGuides.com on Facebook.
We have also created a group page for ReadingGroupGuides.com on Goodreads. Here we are building a virtual bookshelf of the titles we feature on the site. We are looking forward to further developing this page in the months to come.
-Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com's Facebook page.
-Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com's Goodreads page.
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New Guides Now Available
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The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Cherries in Winter: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times by Suzan Colón: An inspirational gem of a book about three generations of women who find solace in the comfort of their kitchens when hard times hit. It's Tender at the Bone meets Tuesdays With Morrie.
Far From Home by Anne DeGrace: The story of a lost teenager who finds herself in a diner in the middle of nowhere, Far From Home is superb introduction for U.S readers to a talented writer who has already made a splash in her native Canada.
Fromms: How Julius Caesar's Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis by Götz Aly and Michael Sontheimer: A fascinating story of sex, business and family, Fromms adds a striking new dimension to our understanding of this dark period in German history.
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer: The Glass Room is a stunning, detailed portrait of a family struggling to control the fallout of their passions and betrayals as World War II approaches.
In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke: In a Perfect World is critically acclaimed writer Laura Kasischke’s new novel of marriage, motherhood and the choices we make when we have no choices left.
A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy: A Journal for Jordan is a mother’s letter to her son about the father --- a U.S. soldier in Iraq --- he lost while still an infant.
The Lady Queen by Nancy Goldstone: The riveting history of a beautiful queen, a shocking murder, a papal trial --- and a reign as triumphant as any in the Middle Ages.
Life After Genius by M. Ann Jacoby: Life After Genius follows the remarkable journey of a young man who must discover that the heart may know what the head hasn't yet learned.
Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich: Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich began as a journal they kept after their five-year-old daughter Elena was diagnosed with brain cancer and given just 165 days to live.
One Week in December by Holly Chamberlin: One Week in December is a compelling holiday-themed novel fans of authors Beth Kendrick and Elizabeth Robinson will adore.
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake: The Postmistress is a tale of three unforgettable women, of lost innocence, of what happens to love when those we cherish leave us.
Rainwater by Sandra Brown: From acclaimed bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a powerfully moving novel celebrating the gifts, generosity and foresight of a great bygone generation.
Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo: When Gabriella discovers a journal that begins as a new mother's letters to her baby girl, but is lost --- the final entry leaves one question unanswered: the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?
The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah: International bestseller Sophie Hannah is back with a new thriller, again exploring the pleasures and conflicts of young motherhood against the backdrop of a terrifying crime.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Between Here and April by Deborah Copaken Kogan
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
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This Month’s Poll
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Has your group ever organized or taken part in charity-related activities?
Yes
No, but this is a good idea.
No, we do not do this.
I am not sure.
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Click here to answer the poll.
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This Month's Contest Book: NOTES LEFT BEHIND by Brooke and Keith Desserich
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Win a copy of Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich for your reading group!
To be a group to win 20 free copies of this book, all you have to do is sign up for the ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter by December 1, 2009. If you are receiving this newsletter in your mailbox, you already are signed up!
More About Notes Left Behind:
In Notes Left Behind parents Brooke and Keith Desserich share their harrowing story of love and loss. When their young daughter, Elena, is diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, she is given only 135 days to live. Throughout her treatments and the ups and downs of her battle, the Desserichs keep a journal of their private thoughts and feelings. This journal, which was originally meant just for the family, especially Elena's younger sister, has become a tribute to their extraordinary daughter. Elena, who lived past her original diagnosis but was ultimately unable to defeat the cancer, demonstrated incredible courage, strength and love. She is an inspiration to us all, and her story reminds us to cherish each and every moment.
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Click here to read contest details and rules.
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Do you like what you see here, and want to forward it to a friend? Then click our link on the bottom of the page to do just that!
Happy reading. We'll see you next month.
Don't forget to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com:
Bookreporter.com, GraphicNovelReporter.com, FaithfulReader.com, Teenreads.com, Kidsreads.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com and AuthorYellowPages.com.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107
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