I’ve announced the May Short Story Read-along, To Do by Jennifer Egan. We’d love your participation. Head on over, read the story, and then see if you can write a story in “list” format. The best way to share your story is to post it on your own blog, tumblr, or in a Google Doc, and put the link in the comments of the read-along post. If your story is very short, you can post it in the comments, but be aware that much of the formatting will be lost.

We’ve made it easy for you to ask us all of your burning questions. We loved doing the live podcast Q&As at recent Booktopia events, so we’d love to make it a more regular feature. If you have a question for either or both of us, we’ll try to answer it on the podcast. Ask about our jobs, the podcast, request a book recommendation, or ask us about anything you like. If we can answer, we will. Depending on the volume of questions, we’ll either do a Q&A episode or integrate the answers into regular episodes. Thanks to Book Fight for giving us the idea (I’m a huge fan of their “Writers Ask” episodes).

To ask your question, just click on the BOTNS Q&A form: http://bit.ly/BOTNSQA

Looking for Friends (in all the wrong places):

Claire Messud was recently interviewed by Publishers Weekly about her novel, The Woman Upstairs. In the article, the interviewer asked Messud, “I wouldn’t want to be friends with Nora, would you? Her outlook is almost unbearably grim.” Messud’s answer is terrific, and started a conversation on blog posts and social media about “unlikeable characters.” Michael and I share our thoughts about these complicated characters. Some of the other books that we mention during this conversation: The Corrections, Gone Girl, Finn, Lolita (audio read by Jeremy Irons), Tampa, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving We’d love to hear your thoughts, too.

Two Books One book we can’t wait for you to read

Michael talks about Anthony Marra’s A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, a novel about a man who saves the daughter of his neighbor from abduction by Chechen authorities. Beuatifully written and emotionally compelling, it spans the whole of 2 Chechen civil wars. Michael has coined a new term for this type of book: “clutch-worthy” — the kind of book that after you finish, you clutch the book to your chest.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to postpone my segment 3 recommendation because I do feel strongly that this book is important and you should think about reading it. Anthony Marra is touring (he’ll be in Corte Madeiera and Santa Cruz in June), and many bookstores have signed copies. Check with your local bookstore. It is also the May pick for Powell’s Indiespensible — I know many of you are members, but even if you’re not, as of now it appears to still be available to order.

May is Short Story Month

Ann’s been reading a short story a day, all year. That was too much for me to commit to, so I’m just doing it for the month of May, which is Short Story Month. I’ve collected all of the books I’m pulling the stories from onto one shelf in Goodreads, though of course, I’ll read other things that catch my eye, including the May Short Story Read-Along.

One of the books I talk about, I Don’t Know the Author or the Title, But It’s Red and It Has Three Zombie Stories In It by Kelly Link, is only available through Harvard Book Store, as far as I can tell. Ann recently read Flying Lessons by Kelly Link recently in her writing class at Grub Street in Boston, and now wants to read everything Kelly has ever written. Ann also recommends the New Yorker Fiction podcast  as a great way to hear stories, followed by a discussion of the work.

Follow @annkingman on Twitter for short story recommendations throughout the month. Follow my month of reading on the Books on the Nightstand Facebook page.

Books Into Movies, Movies on to Books (11:10)

The movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby (in theaters May 10) is getting people talking, especially about the movie-tie-in edition of the book, which has star Leonardo DiCaprio on the cover. Many people dislike movie-tie-in covers in general (and some stores won’t even carry them), but we think that anything that gets people to read a book is worthwhile.

Other book/movie news:

• The first trailer for Mister Pip has been released and it looks like they’ve really translated the feel of the book onto the screen.
• World War Z, the movie, comes out June 21. While it looks like a heck of a lot of fun, I’m not sure it will accurately capture the tone of Max Brooks’ novel. However, a new edition of the audiobook has just been released, and now features narrators like Martin Scorcese, Mark Hamill, Alfred Molina, Henry Rollins and Nathan Fillion, to name just a few. You can see the full cast list at the end of the description on the audio’s Goodreads’ page.

And Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (25:49)

Ann calls The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud “one of the best novels she’s read in 2013.” It’s the story of Nora, an elementary school teacher who forms an intense attachment to the family of one of her students.

I recommend David Sedaris’ new book Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, especially on audio. It’s a wonderful collection, hilarious, yes, but also incredibly moving at times.

Daniel J. Hale is the Executive Vice President of the Mystery Writers of America, the premier organization for authors and fans of mystery and crime fiction. I spoke with Dan about the history of the Edgars, what they represent, and what they mean to the winners. I had a great time talking with Dan, and I hope you enjoy the interview. If you receive this by email, the link to listen is at the bottom of the email.

The complete list of Edgar nominees is here: http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html. You’ll recognize several of the nominees, I think, including Booktopia Vermont 2013 author Chris Pavone’s The Expats. It’s no secret that Michael and I are rooting for him.

As I mentioned, I will be reading and blogging all five of the Short Story nominees. That blog post will go live on Friday, May 3rd, and you can access it by clicking the “Project Short Story” tab at the top of this page.

As always, we ask our guests to recommend two books that they can’t wait for us to read. Dan’s suggestions: The Charm School by Nelson DeMille and Watchers by Dan Koontz. Both great choices, and Watchers is a personal favorite of mine as well.

Michael and I will be back next week with a regular episode. Happy reading!

Ann and I are always bemoaning all of the books we want to read, books that are piled on our nightstands or bookshelves. If we had unlimited reading time, these are the books we would pick up right now. We thought it would be fun to give you a quick overview of all of those. You’ll likely hear more about some of these as we get to them in the upcoming weeks and months.

On Michael’s Nightstand

• A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
• The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper
• The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma
• The Massive, Vol. 1: Black Pacific by Brian Wood
• Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand
• A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
• Nebula Awards Showcase 2013 edited by Catherine Asaro
• Brick by Brick by David C. Robertson

On Ann’s Nightstand

• The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne
• The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner
• All That Is by James Salter
• Life After Life by Jill McCorkle
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
• The Good House by Ann Leary
• After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey
• Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler
• Walking with Jack by Don J. Snyder
• Tampa by Alissa Nutting

We hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into our TBR lists!

It’s our final two author talks from Booktopia Santa Cruz, finishing up with Cara Black, author of Murder Below Montparnasse, the latest Aimee Leduc mystery, and Matthew Dicks, the author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, which will be out in paperback on May 7.

Short Story Salon

I recently attended a Short Story Salon hosted by Vanessa, one of our BOTNS listeners in Boston. Seven of us got together and each person brought a short story to read aloud.  It was so much fun; I can’t wait to do it again.  For more details, including a list of the stories that everyone read, see “My week in short stories #13.“ My favorite story was Horton Hatches the Egg which, yes, is a short story. I chose to read Donald Barthelme’s “The School.” If any of you are in the Providence, RI area and want to give it a try, let me know. This evening was inspired in part by Four Stories, an occasional reading series in Boston where four authors read from their work.

Author Stalking

Over on our Goodreads group, Cathy asked for tips and strategies for keeping up with a favorite author. Michael and I brainstormed and came up with a few ideas:

• Check publisher web pages. Many publishers will allow you to sign up for email alerts if an author has a new book, or for information about specific authors and categories. Not every publisher offers this, but do check and see if your favorite authors’ publishers do.
• AuthorTtwitter feeds
• Author Facebook pages
• Author websites – you can subscribe to RSS feeds (try Feedly in place of my dear departed Google Reader)
• Google alerts for your favorite author’s name
• Authors’ Goodreads pages
• Librarything Local to find out which authors will be doing events near your location. There is an app called Readar to get this information on your iPhone.
• Sign up for your local bookstores’ email newsletters for information about new books and events
• Don’t be afraid to reach out to authors through their Facebook page or twitter feed if you have a question about their work.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read

We both bring your attention to some of our old favorites this week.

Michael can’t believe that he hasn’t previously recommended Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, her first novel. It’s dark and creepy, maybe even darker than Gone Girl. It’s the story of Camille, a reporter who is sent back to the small town where she grew up to investigate the murder of two teenage girls.

The Famished Road by Ben Okri won the Booker prize in 1991. I was reminded of this book when Chinua Achebe died last week and Emily Gatlin wrote a post for Bookriot about African literature. It’s a magical realist novel based in an African myth, with stunning imagery, told from the point of view of a young boy who is a spirit child living in the real world.

Next week we’ll have the final two author talks from Booktopia Santa Cruz, then we’ll be back with a special episode on April 23rd that we think you’ll enjoy.

First the Fun

Square Books in Oxford, MS (which was just named 2013 Publishers’ Weekly Bookseller of the Year!! YAAAYYY!!) is hosting Camp Square Books, May 21-24, with four authors, bus tours, meals and books! Ann and I are sorry we can’t attend, but maybe you can!

For only the second time, Book Expo America is opening registration to non-industry folks. Dubbed “Power Readers,” the average everyday book lover (that’s you!) can attend for only $49. Publishers’ booths, authors signing, free books and book-related goodies, BEA is a book-lovers dream.

A reminder that Two Books I Can’t Wait For You to Read, Volume 2 is now available for purchase. It’s the perfect book to get (and give) if you just can’t get enough book recommendations!

Then the Game (x:xx)

The 2013 Tournament of Books just concluded and we are simply thrilled that Adam Johnson’s The Orphan Master’s Son was the winner! Ann and I both enjoyed reading the judges essays on their decisions, and the commentary by the tournament creators. So many of our favorite books were in contention and it was an entertaining process from beginning to end. In 2014, we promise to feature the Tournament of Books earlier, so you’ll all be reminded to follow along.

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (21:29)

The Rime of the Modern Mariner is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Nick Hayes. It recasts Coleridge’s poem as an ecological fable for today. The illustrations, done in shades of blue and black, are simply stunning! (This link has some interior images)

While reading Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala, Ann felt like her body was in a vise. This memoir of the author’s experience surviving a tsunami that killed her parents, her husband and her children, and surviving the inexplicable grief that followed.

A reminder that April is National Poetry Month and Ann and I, not poetry enthusiasts (yet!), are committing to read each day’s Poem of the Day, emailed out by Knopf. Follow this link to see the poems emailed out for April 1. To sign up yourself, click here and select the “Knopf Poetry” newsletter.

Two Books I Can’t Wait For You to Read, Volume Two is ready to order! Click here to place your order. Please order it via Northshire’s website even if you will be at the store for Booktopia VT (simply check the box that says “I would like to pick this order up at the store”). That way we’re sure to have enough.

For your listening pleasure this week, we have the Booktopia Santa Cruz talks given by Tupelo Hassman, author of Girlchild, and Simon Vance, the “Golden Voice” of audiobook narration.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview author Kevin Smokler, who came up with the brilliant idea of revisiting 50 classic works of literature and finding practical reasons why those classics are relevant to us as adults. I hope you enjoy the interview, despite the terrible audio quality. Someday someone will invent a way to record a telephone call that doesn’t sound like two tin cans connected by string.

I mentioned i the intro to the podcast that I’d link here to Kevin’s book tour, but it wasn’t quite ready when the episode went live. Please check the comments below for his schedule. If you have the chance to see Kevin when he’s on his book tour, please say hello from Books on the Nightstand!

Two books Kevin can’t wait for us to read:

The War for Late Night by Bill Carter, about the politics and culture of late night television. Kevin says that he has no interest in late night television, but he found the book thrilling. He’d recommend it for anyone who likes entertainment and how things come into being.

Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff. Kevin describes this book as “part autobiography, part memoir, part love letter and part stern slap on the butt,” for Detroit.

Two books we can’t wait to tease you with

Michael and I are just back from our sales conference, where we heard about new books that will be published in the late summer and fall. Guys, there are so many great books coming out! We challenged each other to choose just one book to tease you with. I hope you don’t mind…

Michael talks about the new book from Marihsa Pessl, who you may know from her previous novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Pessl’s new novel is called Night Film. The main character is a disgraced investigative journalist who is drawn into reinvestigating the story of a famously-reclusive film director. Night Film will be published on August 20, 2013.

I haven’t been able to stop talking about Alex by Pierre Lemaitre, which will be published by Quercus/Maclehose Press, an independent publisher in the UK that is launching a US office.  Alex will be one of their first titles to be published here. If you are a fan of Stieg Larsson, you are in for a real treat. And if you found Larsson to be a bit slow going at the start, you will not have that problem with Alex. When we meet Alex, she is being kidnapped, but from there the book takes a turn like no thriller I’ve ever read. It is out now in the UK, and will be out in September here in the US.

The VIDA Count 2012 (09:38)

VIDA, an organization for women in the literary arts, has released its third annual report on gender bias in several major publications. They looked at the number of books authored by men and women, the number of male and female book reviewers, and the number of bylines (published articles).  According to the report, in the general media there appear to be more reviews of books written by men, and there appears to be more male book reviewers. But if you listen to the discussion that Michael and I have on the podcast, it’s really more complicated. We speculate about some of the reasons that may be behind this perceived bias, and while we don’t come up with an answer, I think we had a great time discussing.

One book that I think could be relevant to this discussion, Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, talks about how sometimes women don’t put themselves forward. One of the questions I have in relation to this VIDA discussion is how many books are published by women each year? How many are submitted? Does the bias begin at that level, rather than at the reviewer level?.

I thought it only fair to look at our numbers here at Books on the Nightstand. We never discuss if the books we feature are written by male and female, so if there is a bias, it is an unconscious bias. I did a non-scientific count of the final 6 months of 2012 — I did a manual count, and I counted every book listed in our index whether it was a book we talked about or whether it was recommended by a listener call-in. Our numbers: we talked about 135 books written by men (54%), and 114 written by women (46%). I’m sure there is a substantial margin of error, but Michael and I feel pretty comfortable with them. Michael also points to the most popular books on Goodreads in 2012, most of which were written by women. But, the fact that book-related social media is used primarily by women, means that those numbers are skewed too.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read (26:20)

I can’t describe how much I love The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore. It’s the story of three women in Indiana who in the 1960s were dubbed “The Supremes” by Earl, the owner of the diner where the three hang out. We meet them forty years later when they are gathered in celebration of Earl’s life after he passes away. Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean, along with Odette’s mother Dora, are characters that you won’t want to leave, and that you won’t forget after the book has ended. This is a feel-good book that just made me happy. Check it out.

Michael takes on a nonfiction book this week: Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss. Michael (our Michael, not the author) compares it to Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, because the inconvenient truth is that heavily processed convenience food is not healthy. While many already know this on an intellectual level, this book goes into great detail about the lengths that the major food corporations use salt, sugar and fat to make us crave and buy more. This is not a dry, statistics-heavy book; it’s entertaining, filled with stories of people who once worked within the food corporations, and it’s incredibly readable. This book made Michael angry and it may want you want to take action.

Back in November, we asked for your thoughts on short stories. Now that we’re into the third month of Project Short Story, we thought it was a good time to hear what you all had to say.

Emily from Ohio, wasn’t a short story fan until a member of her book club wore her down. Emily recommends So Long by Lucia Berlin, any collection by Nadine Gordimer, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, and the story Brokeback Mountain by E. Annie Proulx.

Like Ann, Jana from Seattle is also obsessed with short stories. The first short story she read and loved was by Ray Bradbury (but which one Jana?!), and just recently bought Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl. She also recommends the Selected Shorts program, available via podcast. It’s a show that I know Ann has listened to, and I just loaded some episodes onto my iPod.

Louise from Denmark loves short stories and recommends Diving Belles by Lucy Wood and  Doctor Olaf Van Schuler’s Brain by Kerstin Menger-Andreson. She’s looking forward to While the Women are Sleeping by Javier Marias and some collections by Barry Hannah and Eudora Welty, which she bought during Booktopia Oxford.

Mary from Indiana felt like short stories end too quickly, but after a rave recommendation from the folks at Literary Disco, she picked up the Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction and is now a fan!

Megan from Boston is not personally a fan of short stories, but as a librarian and a teacher, she found them incredibly helpful for teaching and analyzing fiction with high school students. One in particular was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. which you can read for free here.

Reed called in to comment on the  ability of short stories to resonate for a long period of time, especially considering their relative brevity. He points to “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson as perfect examples. (Click on those two titles to read the full text of the stories.)

Robin from New Jersey called in to suggest that we all come up with our own lists fitting certain categories modeled after the “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue” rhyme. Check out the thread I’ve started on Goodreads to create your own rhyme and fill it with short stories!

Finally, Tina called in, but didn’t want her voicemail played on the air. Like me, she reads slowly and sees short stories as way to feel like she’s getting a lot read. She recommends The Plot Thickens, an anthology of mystery stories, and also loves stories written by one of the masters of the form, Mark Twain.

Create your own Booktopia!

A few weeks ago we received a voicemail from some friends who had met at Booktopia Oxford last year. They were calling from Jackson, Mississippi, home of their “Unofficial Booktopia” gathering. We were jealous, but thrilled that we helped to create new friendships, and thrilled that they had planned this get-together, complete with read-along (A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano, a novel about Flannery O’Connor). Thanks, ladies, for thinking of us during your weekend!

We want to encourage all of you to use our Goodreads group to connect with other BOTNS readers and listeners in your area. We currently have several local threads, including people from Boston, Seattle/Tacoma, Portland, Chicago, Lower Mainland BC, Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia. If your city is not there, feel free to start a post. We recommend a first meeting in conjunction with an author event at a local bookstore, or other literary gathering.

Choosing books for your book club (06:46)

A few weeks ago I spoke on a panel at The Big Book Club Getaway. My topic was “How to choose good books for your book club.” Since I had done a lot of prep and had pages of notes, I thought I’d share some of the ideas here.

1. Know your book club. What do you *really* discuss? Is it the book itself — the writing, structure, use of language, stye? Or do you discuss the material around the book? For instance, much of my book group’s discussion about Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone was about the food and history of Ethiopia beyond the details that the author included in the novel.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read (25:03)

   

Two Books I Can’t Wait For You to Read, Volume 2 – Don’t forget to submit your recommendation for two books you love, to be printed in a new volume in April. Your recommendations don’t have to be long (in fact, you are limited to 475 characters for each blurb), and can be completely conversational; they don’t need to read like a New York Times review. You have until March 3 to submit and you can do so here.

One million downloads!

On January 31, Books on the Nightstand marked a huge milestone: we surpassed 1 million downloads!! Thank you to all who helped us to get there.

Literary Kickstarters (03:00)

This week I received an awesome t-shirt from Litographs, as a reward for helping to fund the company via Kickstarter. It reminded me that there is a whole universe of literary people and companies and organizations out there who are trying to get their projects off the ground.

Currently looking for funding is Aw Yeah Comics, a line of comics for all ages put together by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani

Fireside Magazine is crowdfunding its second year of publication. It’s an online literary magazine that crosses genre boundaries — their tagline is: “Many Genres. No Limits. Just Good Stories.” Two authors involved that intrigue me: Chuck Wendig, author of Blackbirds, and Ken Liu, who wrote that story that I chose for January Project Short Story Read-along, The Paper Menagerie.

Indiegogo is similar to Kickstarter, and over there Graywolf Press is looking for funds to build a new website. Graywolf Press is a nonprofit press, and they publish great books including a book I’ve recently read and loved, On Sal Mal Lane by Ru Freeman, which comes out in May and which I’ll be talking about on a future podcast.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read (14:00)

Michael loves loves loves The Dinner by Herman Koch. It has been a sensation in Europe and has finally been released here. Some people are comparing it to Gone Girl, and there are some elements that compare, but it’s truly uinque. The entire book takes place over the course of one dinner. It’s a book that unfolds slowly, with flashbacks, so that you slowly piece together the story. Beyond that, Michael doesn’t want to say anything in fear of spoiling your discovery. Michael suggests that you read the book without looking at the flap copy or reviews.

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs is a thriller that is a true page-turner. Jack, our narrator, is a “ghostman” — someone in the criminal world who helps people disappear. Jack is called upon by a former boss to clean up a casino robbery that has gone terribly wrong. New York Times Book Reviewer Michiko Kakutani describes Jack as a descendant of Lee Child‘s Jack Reacher and Richard Stark‘s Parker. It’s filled with details about how to be a criminal, so I feel well-prepared for my next career.

Reminder! Don’t forget to tell us about your “Two Books I Can’t Wait For You to Read!” Click here to submit your recommendations to be published in our book in April.

Ann and I will be back next week with a regular episode.

We really should have called this episode “Nine authors we can’t wait for you to read.” This week, we talk about the books and authors that will be part of Booktopia Vermont, in the hopes that you will want to read these books, even if you’re not attending Booktopia. Our friends at Northshire Bookstore have made it easy for you to order the books and even to have them signed. Just click through to the special page. Be sure to use the coupon code listed there for 20% off these Booktopia books, plus free shipping. Make sure to note at checkout if you want the books held to be signed. We’ll have the authors sign your books at Booktopia (April 12-15, 2013) and then Northshire will ship them to you.

Nichole Bernier – The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. – When Kate loses her friend in a tragic accident, she finds that Elizabeth has left her journals to Kate, saying that Kate will know what to do with them. A novel of friendship, motherhood and secrets, there is a lot to talk about.

Amy Brill – The Movement of Stars – 1854 Nantucket, Hannah wants nothing more than to study astronomy and discover a comet. Amy’s book will be on sale April 18, but you can preorder copies to be signed at Booktopia and the book will be sent to you.

Jon Clinch – The Thief of Auschwitz – Jon was a guest at our first Booktopia weekend for his books Finn and Kings of the Earth. The Thief of Auschwitz is a very different book, but equally powerful. The story of a family during the Holocaust, it’s an approachable read that allows us to read about the horros of the Holocaust through a slightly softened lens.

Sara J. Henry – A Cold and Lonely Place – Sara was at Booktopia 2012 for Learning to Swim, and she returns to Booktopia 2013 with her second book that features journalist Troy Chance. A man that Troy knows is found drowned under the ice on Saranac Lake during Winter Carnival.

Paula McLain – The Paris Wife – A novel of Hemingway’s first wife, filled with descriptions of Paris and Chicago. This has given Michael a new appreciation for Hemingway.

Chris Pavone – The Expats – Kate and Dexter Moore relocate to Luxembourg for Dexter’s job. Kate, formerly a CIA agent, has some trouble settling into the domestic life of an unemployed expat, until she gets mixed up in a web of deceit.

Will Schwalbe – The End of Your Life Book Club – A book about books, a book about the power of books to bring people together, in the case the author and his mother Marianne as they struggle with Marianne’s battle with pancreatic cancer.

Elizabeth Kelly – Apologize, Apologize and the upcoming The Last Summer of the Camperdowns – The Last Summer of the Camperdowns will be out in June, but you can read Apologize, Apologize right now. Both of Elizabeth’s books feature dysfunctional families and great writing.

Steve Yarbrough – The End of California is Steve’s most recent novel, and  The Realm of Last Chances will be out in August 2013. If you’re a fan of Richard Russo or Richard Ford, I think you’ll also be a fan of Yarbrough’s.

Updates and Reminders

Project Short Story – Ann has kept to her schedule of reading a new short story every day and she is loving it. I wish I had jumped on the bandwagon at the beginning of the year, but Ann informed me that May is National Short Story Month, so I think I have a challenge for May! You still have a couple of days to read The Paper Menagerie, the Readalong Story for January. Ann will announce the February story within the next week or so.

Two Books I Can’t Wait For You to Read, Volume 2 – Don’t forget to submit your recommendation for two books you love, to be printed in a new volume in April. Your recommendations don’t have to be long (in fact, you are limited to 475 characters for each blurb), and can be completely conversational; they don’t need to read like a New York Times review. You have until March 3 to submit and you can do so here.

Libraries Without Books (9:14)

Elizabeth from our Goodreads Group shared a link to an article about a county in Texas that will be opening the first physical book-less public library this fall. All books will be available electronically. Ann and I discuss whether this should still be called a library (I say no, she says yes), how the functions of libraries are changing, what’s to happen to the books that aren’t available for e-lending, and how will librarians display books? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (21:03)

At the very end of last year, Ann read Where’d You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple, an epistolary novel that she found funny, sad, and poignant all at the same time. It also was just named to The Alex Awards list of ten adult books that would appeal to teens, along with Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, Girlchild, Tell the Wolves I’m Home, and My Friend Dahmer, among others.

Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman, was recently released in hardcover. It’s a novel about a shocking crime in a small Minnesota plains town, and the effect it has on the townspeople, especially the new pastor’s young pregnant wife, and the father of the perpetrator. I found it fascinating and uniquely told.

 Library photo courtesy of CCAC North Library via Flickr

Reminder! Don’t forget to tell us about your “Two Books I Can’t Wait For You to Read!” Click here to submit your recommendations to be published in our book in April.

Ann and I will be back next week with a regular episode.

Two Books you Can’t Wait for Us to Read:

Hey, we’re publishing a book, and we want you to be part of it! For the past two years, we’ve published “souvenir” books for Booktopia, asking Booktopia attendees to contribute. The books were printed on our Booktopia partner bookstores’ Espresso Book Machines, and everybody loved them.

This year, we’re opening up the project to all Books on the Nightstand friends, and it’s not tied directly into Booktopia. The concept is simple: tell us two books you can’t wait for us to read (new, old, in print or out of print), with a short (few sentence) explanation about why you recommend them. Sadly, we can’t pay you, but you should also know that this is not a money-making venture. We will make just a few dollars from each copy sold, and all proceeds will go back into the actual expenses of keeping Books on the Nightstand going — web and podcast hosting costs, and possibly new microphones. More importantly, we can’t wait to see what books you recommend. I refer back to my 2011 edition all the time. We’ll put an index in the back in checklist form, so you can check off all of your fellow BOTNS listeners’ recommendations.

To participate, simply fill out this short web form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YYS3QXQ. Please have your entry in no later than March 3rd.

Click here to submit your recommendations

If you are interesting in purchasing either of the earlier volumes, they are available from the Northshire Bookstore website.

Should you resist the lure of the new? (4:30)

This week, we discuss the value in reading newly-published books versus books that have “stood the test of time.”  The books that we feature in most podcast episodes in the segment called “Two books we can’t wait for you to read” are often newly- or not-yet published books. We have done that deliberately, since we know that many readers like to hear about books early on and it’s an area of our expertise. But we recognize that there is value also in talking about books that aren’t just recently published. There are many books that were published years ago that people are still talking about, like Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. So we’ve decided that we will mix it up a bit more. We will still talk mostly about new books in our third podcast segment, but we’ll also be telling you about books that we’ve loved that were published  months, years, or even decades ago. Please tell us your thoughts — do publication dates matter when you choose your next book?

Two books we can’t wait for you to read (13:35)

Michael found The Dewey Decimal System by Nathan Larson in a bookstore, and knew right away that it was perfect for him. Set in a New York City that has undergone a terrible event, our nameless main character, nicknamed Dewey Decimal, chooses to live in the New York Public library. When Dewey Decimal is hired to assassinate someone, he begins to question all that he believes. This book reminded Michael of the early works of Jonathan Lethem, such as Gun with Occasional Music.

As for me, I’m not sure where Daniel Woodrell has been all my life. I read The Death of Sweet Mister in an evening, the last evening of 2012, and it was the perfect book with which to end the year. It has everything I love in a novel: great writing, darkness, violence, and heart.  Woodrell’s use of words is magical. This book is not for everyone –did I mention that it’s dark and violent?–but if you are a fan of Cormac McCarthy or Donald Ray Pollack, you owe it to yourself to discover Daniel Woodrell. Set in the Ozarks in the 1950s, Shug is an overweight 13-year-old boy who lives with his mother and her husband Red. Shug is often used by Red to commit crimes, but the rest of the time Shug spends trying to figure out the world and keep his mother safe. Don’t miss this one if it sounds like a book you’d enjoy.

Project Short Story

Ann recently launched Project Short Story, a year-long celebration of short fiction. We’re announcing it on the podcast because we want everyone to know about it, but most of the PSS content going forward will be here on the blog and not on the podcast. Be sure you are signed up for mailing list so you’ll get notified when new blog entries are posted.

The first monthly read-along for Project Short Story is “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu, which was announced on Monday.

New Resolutions for a New Year (4:55)

This year Ann and I have each made a few Reading Resolutions. I hope to read 78 books this year (13 more than I read in 2012). Plus, I’ve identified 13 books I’ve been meaning to read, but still haven’t, most of which are titles I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never read.

In addition to committing to reading one short story every day, Ann has put Ready Player One by Ernie Cline and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry on her “must read in 2013″ list.

Eric, over at our Goodreads group, has suggested a reading challenge that he’s calling simply ALL. Pick a favorite author and read everything they’ve ever written. Given our respective love of Ian McEwan and William Boyd, Ann and I surprisingly haven’t read everything by them. Which author would you choose? What are your reading challenges for 2013?

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (14:53)

At the end of last year, Ann read a lot of books, some of which would likely have ended up on her best of 2012 list, if she hadn’t already picked that list for the podcast! One of those was Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, a story that connects a small Italian village in 1962, and a Hollywood studio today.

I was blown away by George Saunders’ newest collection of stories, Tenth of December, which is just out in hardcover. Saunders is a writer who is considered by many to be a master of short stories, and you need only read this collection, the title story in particular, to find that out for yourself.

 photo by simplyla, via flickr

Michael and I will be back next week with a regular episode, including details of Project Short Story!

Successes and Failures

My 12 in ’12 Reading Challenge was a great success for many people, just not me. Of the 36 books I hoped to read, I read 15. Ann’s goal of learning to appreciate William Faulkner was a resounding success. And, last year we picked three books we wished we had read in 2011 – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (me), Ready Player One (Ann), and The Family Fang (both of us). Ann read The Family Fang, but neither of us got to the other books on our lists.

Our Favorite Books of 2012 (7:20)

Despite Ann and I each ending up with 11 books we loved this year, we managed to cut our lists to 5 each. (Ann still manages to mention most of her 11 anyway!)

Ann’s Top Five Six

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Michael’s Top Five

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman
Defending Jacob by William Landay
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

plus, we each mentioned other books that made our long list, including Dear Life by Alice Munro and Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

Two Books We Wish We Had Read in 2012 (25:20)

And finally, we end the year with our biggest literary regrets, each choosing the “book that got away,” for now. Ann chose The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman, a novel of a childless couple in a lighthouse in Australia whose wish for a child is mysteriously granted. And I chose The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe, a title that needs no introduction, and one that I will read soon!

Thanks for a wonderful year everyone, and especially to Rob Webb, who created our Book Index, and to Linda Johnson, who keeps it updated. We have the best listeners in the world!

Congratulations to Melissa R. who won our giveaway of Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman!

What the Heck is New Adult?

A recent writing contest by St. Martins gave the name “New Adult” to a genre of stories featuring protagonists in their late teens and early twenties. Here are our questions: do we need a new category for this type of story? should these books have their own section in a bookstore? A few books that might fall into this category are Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close and Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan. The blog NA Alley has a list of recommended New Adult books. We’d love to hear what all of you think about this categorization of books and what titles you think might fit.

How to Break a Reading Slump (9:10)

There are many reasons you might end up in a reading slump, including finishing a book you love so much that books that follow it pale by comparison. (Ann is currently reading On Sal Mal Lane by Ru Freeman and she knows the next book she reads will have a lot to live up to!) Whatever the reason, we hope these 12 suggestions can break you out of your slump!

Reread a favorite book  Sometimes revisiting characters and settings that you love will let you fall back into the reading habit.

Switch genres  If you’re a mystery fan, try reading some fantasy. If you love fiction, try a book of narrative nonfiction. After all, we get tired of eating the same thing day after day; the same happens with reading.

Find a book that is hugely popular  Blockbuster bestsellers usually have a strong element of story telling that an capture even some of the most reluctant readers. It might capture you, too.

Shop your own shelves  If you’re an avid book lover, chances are that you have at least a few books that you’ve purchased but haven’t yet read. If you’re anything like us, you have piles of them. Buried in one of those stacks is a book that may just get you out of your reading slump!

Don’t read — listen  Take an audiobook with you to the grocery store, or listen while cleaning the house, walking the dog, gardening … a well-chosen audiobook with a great narrator will sweep you up into the story.

Let someone else tell you what to read  Put your reading fate into someone else’s hands. Before asking for a recommendation, promise yourself that you will take the suggestion. Then seek out a bookseller, librarian, or book-loving friend to tell you what to read next.

Read with a friend  Have an impromptu book club! Choose a friend and a book, and commit to reading together. The knowledge that your friend is also reading the same book may keep you going, and you can look forward to a fun discussion after.

Go for the quick fix — read some short stories or essays  Short pieces work really well as “palate cleansers.” Reading a short story may be just what you need before moving on to another big novel or work of nonfiction.

Try YA  Young adult novels tend to be more tightly written and action-packed than many adult novels, and so may be more likely to keep you engrossed in the story. There are young adult novels in every genre, so if you love mystery, pick up a mystery YA.

Peruse the Reviews  Make it a project: read book reviews until you find something that grabs you. The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, reviews on Goodreads are all great places to see what people are saying about the newer books that are out in stores.

Seek out fan fiction  If your slump is caused by the end of a beloved series, chance are that someone is writing fan fiction with the same characters in the same world. Some fan fiction is good, others not so much, but it’s a fun way to stay in your favorite series just a little bit longer. Check here to see if your favorite books have fan fiction.

Step away from the books  Sometimes it’s OK to take a break from reading. Whether you attend to the details of your life, or spend your free time watching television or movies, a little distance can be a good thing. If you are truly a reader, you’ll get back to the books when you’re ready.

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (23:43)

Oprah has stolen Ann’s thunder. Several months ago Ann read The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, a book originally scheduled for January. Well, Oprah chose it for her Book Club, and the publisher secretly rushed it out a month early. In any case, it’s out now, and Ann loves this novel which follows one family and their experiences during the Great Migration.

Sailor Twain, written and illustrated by Mark Siegel, is an atmospheric graphic novel set on the Hudson River in 1887. Blending the lore of mermaids with the era of steamships, this tale tells the story of a lonely captain, the ship’s rakish owner and the sea creature whose beauty and song connect them.

To me, the Levenger catalog is the equivalent of the old Sears Christmas Wish Book (request your own copy). It’s filled with tools for readers and writers: bookcases, book rests, book marks, literary games, iPad and ereader cases, fountain pens, cool notebooks…. Michael is a fan, too, and I know that many of our listeners are customers as well. And so it was a real honor for me to be able to talk with Steve about the company and the products that Levenger offers. (It was also a great excuse to shop!). Steve and I spoke about all kinds of things — from Levenger’s beginnings, to the “golden age of books,” to Steve’s vision for bringing the paper notebook into the future, to the concept that Steve calls “high bandwidth reading.” Because we were recording in the middle of the Boston Levenger store, the background noise may be a bit distracting, but I hope you’ll find our conversation as interesting as I did.

Of course I also asked Steve to recommend two books he can’t wait for us to read. I found his selections particularly intriguing:

Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour, which is L’Amour’s memoir. L’Amour left school at 15 and learned most of what he knew on his own, from books and from people he met in his travels. I had always thought that this memoir was for fans of L’Amour’s westerns, but I think I was wrong. I may be picking this one up soon.

The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence has Declined by Steven Pinker. Steve Leveen describes it as an incredibly uplifting book that shows that the scientific and historical data makes the case that our world has actually become more peaceful and less violent.

 A special offer from Levenger for BOTNS listeners (38:12)

After my conversation with Steve, I spoke with Mim Harrison, editor of Levenger Press. Mim told me about Long Remembered: Lincoln and His Five Versions of the Gettysburg Address, which Levenger published in partnership with the Library of Congress. It’s a gorgeous book — cloth bound, heavily illustrated with photos of Lincoln’s documents, maps, and other papers from the time. The commentary is by Douglas L. Wilson, one of the advisors on the film Lincoln. Levenger has offered Books on the Nightstand listeners a special offer on this book: reduced pricing, $49.00 (instead of $69), Tuesday, December 4 through Monday, December 24th. Enter promotion code BOTNS at checkout. May not be combined with any other offer or applied to previous or pending purchases.

One thing you don’t want to miss: a chance to win a copy of Philip Pullman’s Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm. Just tell us below (in the comments) what book you are hoping to receive this holiday season. (It doesn’t have to be a book from our Gift Guide!) We’ll choose one winner at random on December 10th, and our friends from Penguin will send a copy off to you.

Due to lots going on at work, busy-ness with the BOTNS 2012 Holiday Gift Guide (coming on Friday!), and general Thanksgiving craziness, there are no show notes this week. Sorry everyone! We’ll be back to our usual format next week.

Things we’ve been meaning to tell you:

We discovered a new books podcast! Literary Disco is smart and funny and worth checking out. The sound quality is great, too! In the episode, I mention that Instacast is my favorite app to listen to on the iPhone, so do check it out if have an iDevice.

We have a thread on our Goodreads group about other book-related podcasts. There are recommendations there for other podcasts to listen to. If you’re new to BOTNS, please do explore our Goodreads group — a GoodReads account is free, and we have a lot of active book-lovers who take part and I’ve found it to be a great way to meet fellow booklovers.

Also, a little bit of housekeeping: we’ve had a few emails asking us to not spend so much time talking about Booktopia during the podcast — so we are going to put any Booktopia-specific information at the end of podcast episodes from here on out. We’ll continue to talk about our Booktopia books and authors, since we think those should appeal even to people who can’t join us in person. But the “nitty gritty” details pertaining the the actual weekends will be saved for the end. We will let you know at the beginning, though, so that you can listen through or fast-forward, as you wish.

Lastly, we are working on our annual BOTNS Holiday Gift Guide. It should go live on Black Friday.

Not too short, and not too long… (09:33)

In a recent post on The New Yorker’s Page-Turner blog, Ian McEwan wrote about the novella. It’s a form that I haven’t really thought much about, though there are several novellas that are among my favorite reads: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan and Walk for Mankind, a novella that leads off the latest Ann Packer collection, Swim Back to Me. Michael considers A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle to be a novella. Melville House publishes a series called The Art of the Novella, offering a mix of classics and other works by authors you may know. They are gorgeous, small-format paperbacks, and they are not too expensive. Some of the books in the series have additional online content available, which can be accessed by links and QR codes in the back.

Thinking about the novella made me wonder if e-reading will make novellas (novellae?) more attractive to book buyers. Will we see more “e-shorts”? Will we start referring to word count instead of page length?

Two Books we can’t wait for you to read: (19:46)

(Must be yellow book-jacket week!) Michael’s pick this week is Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. It’s a “quest” novel set in partially set in a bookstore where many of the volumes are mysterious old books borrowed by an assortment of odd characters.Our main character and his Google-programmer sidekick go on a journey to discover the mystery of these books.

The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg is a book that seemed to come out of nowhere. I had never heard of it, and then suddenly it was everywhere.  It’s a family story with a woman at the center who is obese. Her family is concerned, especially as her health worsens, but Edie doesn’t seem to want to do anything about it. I love dysfunctional family stories, and I devoured this one in under two days.

Note:  These show notes were written while watching the Presidential Election results. Forgive their brevity and the possible occasional incoherence!

BOTNS friend and wonderful author Richard Mason has announced that his eLuminated version of History of a Pleasure Seeker is now available for download, in both a free (excerpt) version and a paid version that covers the first 200 pages of the book. Featuring professional narration, music, interactive images and more, this is not just an eBook!

November is NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, which means that starting on the first, up to 300,000 people worldwide started writing a novel. They’ve got until the end of the month to complete the first draft of a 50,000 word novel. Previous NaNoWriMos have produced the novels that became Water for Elephants, The Night Circus and Cinder.

Short Story Obsession (10:31)

Ann’s been on a bit of a short story reading kick lately. A discussion with Ann Packer reminded (our) Ann that the stories in a collection are almost always written over a long period of time, and that has changed how she reads collections.

The timing of this discussion is coincidentally perfect, because it is National Short Story Week in the UK. Their website is chock full of stories to read and listen to, lists of stories, and more.

In 2013, we hope to create a year-long reading challenge focusing on a different short story each month. Much more to come on that

Lastly, we’d love for you to call our voicemail line (209.867.7323) and leave a short message sharing your thoughts on short stories. Love ‘em? Don’t? Why?

Two Short Story Collections We Can’t Wait For You to Read (19:21)

I am absolutely loving May We Shed These Human Bodies by Amber Sparks, a collection that is perfect for fans of Karen Russell, Kevin Brockmeier and Aimee Bender. Ann recommends The News from Spain by Joan Wickersham. Subtitled “Seven Variations on a Love Story,” this is a collection in which each story is called “The News from Spain,” and is a collection that works even better as whole than as its individual stories.

This episode was recorded (and show notes written) on Monday, October 28, 2012.

—————————-

Hurricane Sandy is wreaking havoc with our ability to record a new episode this week, so we’ve decided to try a little experiment. We know that many of you count on us to occupy part of your listening hours on Wednesdays, so we don’t want to leave you stranded. Therefore, we’d like to introduce you to Angry Robot Books through their podcast, The Angry Robot Podcast, hosted by Mur Lafferty. We’ve included their podcast episode #19 in full in our feed this week, so that you can listen without having to seek it out.

Angry Robot is a publisher that I have had the pleasure of working with directly for the past few years. They publish very interesting books that somewhat defy categorization, but might best fall under the umbrella of science fiction and fantasy. They’ve recently launched a Young Adult imprint called Strange Chemistry. Two of their titles, Blackwood by Gwenda Bond and Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, are books that I’ve wanted to talk about on BOTNS for awhile. In addition, many of you have been asking for more science fiction content.

This episode features an interview with Adam Christopher, author of Seven Wonders, and Chuck Wendig, who talks about Mockingbird, the sequel to Blackbirds which I mentioned above. Don’t worry, there are no spoilers! I really enjoyed Blackbirds, and after hearing Adam Christoper talk about Seven Wonders, I’m betting that Michael picks up a copy very soon.

We”ll be back with a regular episode next week!

Booktopia 2013

For those who haven’t heard the news yet (you are part of our Booktopia mailing list, right?), we will again be hosting three Booktopia events in 2013

April 12-14, 2013: Manchester, Vermont
in partnership with Northshire Bookstore
Registration opens 10/31/12 at 12 noon EST

June 7-9, 2013: Bellingham, Washington
in partnership with Village Books
Registration opens on or about 12/7/2012 

September 27-29, 2013: Petoskey, Michigan
in partnership with McLean and Eakin Booksellers
Registration opens on or about 3/27/2013

 Full details can be found at the Booktopia home page.

Q and A in CA

On Sunday morning of Booktopia Santa Cruz, Ann and I sat in front of an audience and answered any questions thrown at us. We got some great queries like how do we find the time to read for pleasure vs. work? what do we do in our day jobs? how long do we spend podcasting each week? how do we choose the authors for Booktopia? and what books did we discover at Bookshop Santa Cruz during the weekend? We even had some “guest answerers:” Ann’s husband Eric, plus authors Tupelo Hassman and Sarah McCoy.

Books mentioned: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, Building Stories by Chris Ware, Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, and  Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 by Paula M. Block. For a full list of the titles recommended during the Bookseller Speed Dating sessions, click here.

Finally, Lauren and Jason, each new to Booktopia, gave their thoughts on the weekend.

Ann and I are in the final crush of Booktopia Santa Cruz preparation, so I’m flying solo on the podcast this week, but I’ve got several new book recommendation sources for you to check out, all courtesy of independent booksellers around the country.

Podcast

The Book Pod – produced by McLean and Eakin Bookstore in Petoskey, MI, this podcast is in the form of a conversation between a man and a woman, (a format you should find familiar and comforting), and also features author interviews and sample tracks from audiobooks.

Radio Shows

Thacker Mountain Radio – Recorded on the stage at Off Square Books in Oxford, MS (a stage that recently hosted Booktopia!), this music and author reading show airs on Thursdays in the Spring and Fall. Information on how to listen can be found here.

The Chuckanut Radio Hour, hosted by Chuck Robinson, owner of Village Books in Bellingham, WA, is a variety show with author readings, comedy skits and more. The show is aired on a local radio station Saturdays at 6pm and Sundays at 9pm (pacific time).

Video Reviews

Market Block Books – Every week, Stanley, the store manager records a video where he passionately and engagingly talks about some of the new books in the store that week.

Harvard Book Store – Video reviews from various staff members, plus recordings of a few of the store’s author events.

First Edition Clubs

Many stores now have these clubs where members will receive a book on average every month. The books are autographed first editions that the store has chosen for both literary and collectible merit. Lemuria Books, in Jackson, MS, was the first store I personally heard of that did this. Since then, many of the stores I work with have started FEC programs, including The Odyssey Bookshop, Harvard Book Store and R.J. Julia Booksellers.

For a First Edition Club on steroids, you need look no further the Powell’s Books Indiespensible program. Every six weeks Powell’s chooses a new book which they offer in an exclusive signed edition. Sometimes it’s a copy of the book in a specially-designed slipcase, sometimes it’s a unique printing of the book available only to Indiespensible members. Plus they throw in extras like a Q&A with the author, along with various other gifts (sometimes it’s food, a mug, a tote bag or a harmonica!)

Next week, we’ll be bringing you the live podcast we’re recording in Santa Cruz this coming Sunday. In that episode, we will be announcing the cities and dates for our 2013 Booktopia events. If you can’t wait until next Wednesday to find out, be sure you’re signed up for our Booktopia email list. Folks on that list will get an email on Sunday with all of the details!

Stacks of Books photo by Andrei.D40, via flickr

It’s our 200th episode! Thank you to all who have been with us from the beginning, and those of you who are more recent listeners.

To commemorate, we found a 200-year-old book that is worth talking about.

December 20, 1812 marked the publication of the first edition of Grimms’ Fairy Tales.

With so many television shows and movies based on fairy tales, it strikes us that the Brothers Grimm probably don’t get the credit they deserve. The cultural influence that these fairy tales have is immense. We talk about several books that are derived from fairy tales:

• Briar Rose, by Jane Yolen
• The Fables series (graphic novels) by Bill Willingham. The new original hardcover graphic novel is called Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland.
• For middle-grade readers, The Sisters Grimm (series) by Michael Buckley and Peter Ferguson. The first in the series is The Fairy-Tale Detectives.
• For young adults, Cinder by Marissa Meyer. The sequel, Scarlet, will be published in early 2013.
• Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Mirror, Mirror by Gregory McGuire
• The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

What are some books inspired by fairy tales that you’ve enjoyed? Please let us know in the comments — we’d love to have a great list available.

Lastly, in honor of our 200 episode, we have a short selection of bloopers. Have a few laughs at our expense — we do all the time!

Thanks again for listening, everyone!

Note: Russ Kick’s presentation at the Celebration of Authors at Booktopia Oxford, though wonderful, was too visually-based to effectively reproduce here. But don’t let that stop you from picking up his wonderful Graphic Canon, volume 2 of which was just released!

Ann and I are thrilled to have been invited to be part of the Random House Open House, taking place on November 2 at the Random House offices in NYC. We will be discussing our favorite books to give as gifts this holiday season. Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited!

Booktopia 2013 announcements coming soon! Be sure to sign up for our Booktopia email list so you’ll dates and destinations as soon as they are announced. If you are already signed up for this list (you should have received an email from us this week), then there’s no need to sign up again.

Michael Parker is the author of five novels including his most recent, The Watery Part of the World. In addition to discussing why he writes so often from a female perspective, Michael read a scene featuring a pivotal meeting between two characters.

Susan Gregg Gilmore has written two novels, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen and The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove, and 2013 will see the release of The Funeral Dress. As usual, Susan had the audience in stitches and we thank her for filling in for our ailing authors.

Booktopia Santa Cruz Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read

In this episode we talk about the five Booktopia Santa Cruz books we haven’t discussed on the podcast yet. Don’t forget to reacquaint yourselves with the titles we’ve already discussed (titles link to those previous episodes): Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks, The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy, and The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson. Speaking of Orphan Master, you owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful video review sent to us by BOTNS listener Caleb. Also, if you aren’t attending Booktopia Santa Cruz, remember that you can order books through Bookshop Santa Cruz’s website, have them signed that weekend, then mailed to you. The sooner, the better, so order right away!

Swim Back to Me by Ann Packer – An emotional collection of stories that begins with a novella set in California in the 80′s and ends with a story that revisits one of the characters from the novella.

Murder in the Marais and Murder at the Lanterne Rouge by Cara Black – These are books #1 and #12 (I misspoke in the podcast, calling it #13) in the Aimee Leduc mystery series set in Paris. Each book explores a mystery in a different Paris neighborhood.

South with the Sun by Lynne Cox – As a young girl, reading about Roald Amundsen inspired Lynne’s own love of the polar regions, a love which led her to become one of the most celebrated cold-water swimmers. In this book she explores both Amundsen’s life and her own.

Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman – This is a book that truly blew me away. Uncomfortable and unbearably sad at times, this story of young trailer park resident Rory Dawn Hendrix features writing unlike anything I’ve read before.

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones – “My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist.” From that stunner of a first sentence, Tayari Jones tells the tale of two young girls who meet, but only one of them knows they have the same father.

In addition to these eight wonderful authors, we are thrilled to be also welcoming celebrated audiobook narrators Grover Gardner and Simon Vance to Booktopia. Because their work is all about their voices and skilled narration, we hope to record their hour-long session at Booktopia, in addition to their talk on Saturday night, and play it as a future podcast episode.

Ann Goes Back to Eighth-Grade English Class

When Ann’s daughter was assigned To Kill a Mockingbird, and her town chose it as the community’s “One Read,” she took it as a sign that it was time to re-read this favorite classic. She’s very pleased to find that it’s as wonderful as she remembers! I took this opportunity to finally watch the movie, which I had never seen. The new 50th anniversary edition is wonderful; a beautifully crisp transfer of the film, plus the DVD is packed with extras.

What Kind of Reader Are You? (7:00)

A recent article (and its followup) on The Atlantic’s website, got Ann and me discussing what type of reader we are. We’re bits and pieces of several of their categories including The Multi-Tasker, The Sleepy Bedtime Reader and The All-the-Timer/Compulsive/Voracious/Anything Goes Reader. We’re definitely not the The Delayed Onset Reader #2, someone who only buys books for their decorative value. We’d love to hear what you think of these, or how you’d write your very own description.

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (13:52)

Though she’s a little sick of the current electoral season, Ann has been truly enjoying Don’t Know Much About the American Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis. It’s the perfect book for reading whenever you want entertaining and comprehensive overviews of our 44 commanders-in-chief.

The Baker’s Daughter by Booktopia Santa Cruz author Sarah McCoy is a beautiful story of two women, each on the cusp of major decisions in their lives, one in Nazi Germany and the other in contemporary Texas. I loved both story lines and the letters, from various characters, which expand the story wonderfully.