Bookreporter.com Blog

Bookreporter.com Facebook Roundup for the Week of December 28

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:39:00 +0000

A heartfelt thanks from all of us to all of you!

Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP was our first ever Book of the Year, and it looks and sounds like many of you agree!

Enjoy our annual list of staff favorites from all of us at the Bookreporter.com team. A lot of diversity! Also, enjoy our review team's favorites! And, lastly, a collection of all our author interviews from 2009.

Carol was recently quote in a USA Today decade retrospective on the book biz by Bob Minzesheimer.

Win ALL of Carol's 'Bets On' picks from 2009! Five winners will receive copies of her 12 favorites from the past year.

Stephen King's top 10 from 2009.

A great interview with Janice Y.K. Lee, author of THE PIANO TEACHER. Congrats to her on all the novel's recent success!

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Week of December 14th

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Ho ho ho! Here's our latest roundup of our Facebook posts throughout the week. Always a lively discussion or two happening. You can join in here! Thanks to all those who have joined thus far. Hard to believe how we've grown during the year. Happy holidays to all!

This Best Of list has compiled all the 2009 Best Books lists from around the world. Enjoy!

A heartfelt letter to Santa that will make all book lovers think...

Those jokesters at The Onion are at it again...

Seriously, $9,000 for a toothpick used by Dickens? Really?

The Guardian always seems to have a fresh spin on books. How about the best books nobody seemed to read this past decade?

Greg Mortenson (THREE CUPS OF TEA and STONES INTO SCHOOLS) headlines this weekend's BookTV lineup.

Controversy is brewing about the film rights to Stieg Larsson's international bestseller THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.

Penguin shares some clips about its novels' film adaptations.
Happy Holidays from HarperCollins!

Amy Bloom is offering one of the stories from her upcoming collection for 99 cents on Amazon as an e-book download.

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Week of December 7th

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:20:00 +0000

The decision by HarperCollins, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster to delay the release of e-book titles touched off a flurry of discussion on our Facebook page. This is an increasingly controversial topic for industry folks and readers alike. Catch up with the Wall Street Journal article here.

Check out IndieBound's 'Indie Next List' picks for December for some great titles. We'll have the January list soon.

Here's the weekend lineup for BookTV.

The Guardian gives us the best, and worst, books of the decade.

TIME Magazine's awesome, awesome 'Best of 2009' lists has everything from gadgets to scandals, and, of course, books! Handy drop down menu in the upper left.

A few years back Tom Clancy re-branded himself with a series of massively successful video games, now another big-time author is following his lead.

Penguin Classics on Air, a half-hour radio series devoted to some of the more than 1,500 Penguin Classics titles, debuted on Thursday (December 10) with a show about the continued fascination, and sales, of Jane Austen. Tune in on Sirius #117 or XM #162 every Monday at 3 PM (ET) or Thursday at 11:30 PM (ET).

Readers and retailers alike can't wait for Stieg Larsson's third (and final?) novel Blomqvist/Salander mystery, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, and have begun seeking it out overseas.

The NYT gave us its best crime books of the year earlier in the week.

PILLARS OF THE EARTH, the beloved medieval epic by Ken Follett, is currently filming in Hungary for a TV miniseries to air in June 2010. Ridley Scott is directing and Follett has given his blessing to the script.

Cormac McCarthy's typewriter auctioned for a little more than expected...

Acclaimed children's author Jon Scieszka offered up his favorite books for kids this season...

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Week of November 30th

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Here's a roundup of all the content from our Bookreporter.com Facebook page. We update the page all day, every day with interesting nuggets from the world of books. Thanks to all who comment and it's always fun to see the discussion threads. Not on Facebook, or a fan of the site? You can change that here.

Greg Mortenson has started making the rounds for STONES INTO SCHOOLS, his follow-up to the his inspiring bestseller THREE CUPS OF TEA. He started his media tour with a podcast on the Diane Rehm show, which you can stream here.

National Book Award winner Sherman Alexie (2007, Young Adult prize for THE ABSOLUTE TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN) took a decisive, controversial stance on e-readers on a recent segment of The Colbert Report.

Great, great, great little article about authors 'owning their territories.' Some great authors who are linked to the regions they write about. Just a fun, quick read.

Mary Karr's memoir LIT was chosen as one of the New York Times best 10 books of 2009, which is impressive as they only select 5 fiction, 5 nonfiction. We're featuring an interview with Mary on Bookreporter.com, which you can check out here.

Speaking of 'Best Of' lists, they're coming out fast furious, and sparking some GREAT dicussions on the Facebook page. Here are some to check out, with plenty more on the way as the year ends.
* Amazon editor and reader picks
* The NYT book reviewers' top 10s
* The NYT 100 notable books
* Toronto Globe Mail's Top 100
As always, we'd love to hear what you think about the lists: Did your favorites make? Any they missed? Bad choices? Good choices?

Living legend Cormac McCarthy is auctioning off the typewriter he's used for more than 40 years, written millions of words on, and novels including NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE ROAD, ALL THE PRETTY HORSES, and so on. The replacement? The same model for $11.

Neil Gaiman and David Sedaris were on NPR earlier this week talking audiobooks, and they would know. Their adaptations are the best.

So what really killed Jane Austen?

After the success of JULIE & JULIA, Julie Powell returns to the kitchen with CLEAVING. Check out this fun article and even funnier video of Julie from USA Today.

We posted this last week, but it bears mentioning again because it's such a cool feature. Penguin has enlisted its roster of authors to name the titles they want to give and what they hope to get. Some great choices, among them our own Shannon McKenna Schmidt, whose title NOVEL DESTINATIONS: LITERARY LANDMARKS FROM JANE AUSTEN'S BATH TO ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S KEY WEST (co-authored with Jodi Rendon) was one of Sue Monk Kidd's selections!

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Week of November 23rd

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Carol was quoted in USA TODAY's article about Oprah Winfrey's big announcement.

The London Times newspaper has published its Top 100 Books of the Decade.

Publishers Weekly just released its Best of 2009 list. Any of your favorites make the list? Any surprises? Omissions?

A host of Penguin authors are sharing what titles they're giving this holiday season, and which they hope to unwrap.

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Week of November 16th

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:34:00 +0000

O Mag: "Sophie Hannah's THE WRONG MOTHER...is one of the season's most absorbing reads." Your book club can win a live Skype cast and copies of THE WRONG MOTHER through our ReadingGroupGuides.com registered book club promotion. Register your group for a chance to win.

Enter the Barnes and Noble Inspiration Sweepstakes for your chance to win a $100 online gift certificate!

James Patterson discussed his new Alex Cross thriller, I, ALEX, recently on the Today show.

Katherine Fergason, manager and children's buyer at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven, Mass., offers 8 great reasons to get your holiday shopping done early.

Booklist recently reviewed Philip Roth's latest, THE HUMBLING.

"Does the future of book reading lie in dedicated devices like the Kindle, or in more versatile gadgets like mobile phones?" Read the article here.

Green Apple Books & Music in San Francisco, CA is donating 100 percent of the profits from sales of Sarah Palin's GOING ROGUE: AN AMERICAN LIFE to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.

Winners of the 2009 National Book Awards announced last night at the National Book Foundation's 60th National Book Awards Ceremony/ Benefit Dinner.
Fiction: Colum McCann, LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN
Nonfiction: T.J. Stiles, THE FIRST TYCOON: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
Poetry: Keith Waldrop, TRANSCENDENTAL STUDIES: A Trilogy
Young People's Literature: Phillip Hoose, CLAUDETTE COLVIN: Twice Toward Justice

Books-A-Million just opened its first store in the Northeast in Cherry Hill, N.J., roughly 20 miles from Philadelphia.

Bookreporter.com just launched its holiday author blog featuring a different author every day. Read old and new posts here.

The London Times newspaper has published its Top 100 Books of the Decade.

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Week of November 9th

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:17:00 +0000

NPR's Morning Edition recently talked to Sapphire, author of PUSH: A Novel, about her technique of teaching illiterate students. The movie "Precious," based on the book, is now playing in select cities.

Borders recently announced the closing of 200 stores in its Waldenbooks Specialty Retail division, eliminating an estimated 1,500 jobs in the process.

The New York Times Book Review recently weighed in on Stephen King's weighty UNDER THE DOME.

Happy 10th Birthday to Spoonbill and Sugartown, a fine used and new bookstore in Brooklyn's Williamsburg area.

Check out the results of this survey conducted by New York magazine, which asked participants "whether information, and entertainment, want to be free." Some pretty interesting results.

Emily Giffin's bestselling SOMETHING BORROWED is getting the screen treatment. Luke Greenfield ("The Girl Next Door") is taking over the project, which will star Hillary Swank.

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Week of November 2nd

noreply@blogger.com (webmaster) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:22:00 +0000

Week of November 2nd

Next Monday, Oprah.com, CNN.com and Facebook will present a live Oprah's Book Club webcast for the current selection, SAY YOU'RE ONE OF THEM by Uwem Akpan. During the 90-minute event, readers will be able to submit questions for the author and may be featured during the live discussion. The proceedings will be streamed live simultaneously from CNN.com's video player on Oprah.com. The webcast will be on November 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

The New York Times says Anne C. Heller’s biography of Ayn Rand, AYN RAND AND THE WORLD SHE MADE, conveys the conviction and odd charisma of Rand, whose individualist message is still resonant for American conservatives.

Bookreporter.com posted The New York Times Best Seller Hardcover Fiction List and Paperback Trade Fiction List.

Simon & Schuster has started to sell individual e-chapters to its bestselling You series of titles written by Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz.

There was a terrific piece in the NYT on the book that Carol is calling The Book of the Year for 2009: THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett.

A group of Santas hit Grand Central, the Flatiron, and Union Square on Monday to promote Augusten Burroughs’s new memoir, YOU BETTER NOT CRY: STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS. The Santas handed out thousands of postcards, danced, took pictures, and appropriately flashed their message to onlookers everywhere. Burroughs then did a signing at the B&N in Union Square at 7 pm.

A link to an excerpt from KINDRED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb was posted.

Penguin's INVICTUS movie adaptation is already getting the buzz from the LA Times.

On Wednesday, NPR's Morning Edition talked to Sapphire, author of PUSH: A Novel about her technique of teaching illiterate students. The movie Precious, based on the book, opens in select theaters tomorrow.

Bookreporter.com Facebook Page Roundups for the Weeks of October 12th, 19th and 26th

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Fitzgerald) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +0000

Week of October 26th:

A Strange Coincidence: Michael Connelly comes across a real-life missing persons case while researching NINE DRAGONS, which is #3 on this week's New York Times Bestseller list.

Unbridled Books hosted a Twitter author event during which Masha Hamilton will field readers' questions about her new novel, 31 HOURS. You can read a transcript of the event here.

The "Today Show" has posted a great video about the book NOTES LEFT BEHIND, a diary of a child's cancer battle and the notes she left behind after she died.

Author John Irving shared a special note about his newest book, LAST NIGHT IN TWISTED RIVER.

Miami Book Fair News: One of our sites, GraphicNovelReporter.com, will be presenting "The School of Comics and Graphic Novels: Educational Sessions for Teachers, Librarians and Comics and Graphic Novel Creators." Registration is FREE. Find out more and sign up today!

Stephen King gave an exclusive UNDER THE DOME interview.

The Teenreads.com 2009 Reader Survey was the cover story in the October 26th edition of Publishers Weekly. Carol wrote the piece which addresses the results from readers under 18. The 77-question survey had 4,073 respondents!

Week of October 19th:

USA Today spotlighted Rhoda Jansen in its New Voices feature and posted a video of Josh Lieb of the "Daily Show" who has written a satirical fantasy for teens, I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President.

Barnes and Noble unveils the Nook 3G/Wi-Fi digital reader.

Michael Connelly's promotional NINE DRAGONS commercial was posted.

National Bookstore Day is set for Saturday, November 7th.

Looking for some bookish activities near you? Check out the list of Penguin author events.

Week of October 12th:

Mark T. Sullivan's award-winning, bestselling novels are available for free now in digital format, including files for iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, Kindle, Sony Reader, B&N Reader and a host of others. You can now download THE PURIFICATION CEREMONY, the first of six novels that will be available in the coming months.

John Grisham took the stage at the 2009 National Book Festival and talked about the early days of his career and the new world of publishing in the twenty-first century. Watch his speech here. You can also watch part 1 of a series of conversations with John Grisham about his first collection of short stories, FORD COUNTY.

THE BOX: UNCANNY STORIES by Richard Matheson is a collection of a dozen horror and suspense stories. The standout title story is now a major motion picture starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. The Box will hit theaters on Oct. 30th.

Looking for some reading material to help get you in the Halloween spirit? DRACULA THE UN-DEAD by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt was released this week.

USA Today posted a fiction book roundup.

Are you a fan of graphic novels? Follow GraphicNovelReporter.com on Twitter via @GNReporter!

The 2009 National Book Award finalists have been selected.

T en coolest indie bookstores in the U.S.; did your fave make the cut?

Week of September October 5th: Roundup Of Topics Mentioned on Bookreporter.com Facebook Page

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Fitzgerald) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Here is a roundup of some of the topics that were posted on the Bookreporter.com Facebook Page the week of October 5th:

Publisher Weekly interviewed John Connolly, whose new novel, THE GATES, was published by Atria on October 6.

USA Today says Margaret Atwood's THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD is a timely and gripping story and goes behind the scenes with Mitch Albom, the sports columnist turned best selling author of the inspiration books TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN, and HAVE A LITTLE FAITH.

Audrey Niffeneger also talked to USA Today about the success of THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE and her recently released second novel, HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY.

THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane was released this week in paperback.

Hilary Mantel has won the 2009 Booker Prize for her fictionalized account of William Cromwell's life, WOLF HALL.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that TNT has given a cast-contingent pilot order to "Rizzoli," a drama pilot based on Tess Gerritsen's Jane Rizzoli mystery novels. Written by Janet Tamaro ("Bones"), "Rizzoli" revolves around the crime-solving team of Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli.

Carol went to see Jeannette Walls at an event sponsored by the Clinton Bookshop. Here's a v ideo to give you background on her new book HALF BROKE HORSES, now in stores as well as an article in USA TODAY .

William Kamkwamba recounts his mission to overcome famine and poverty in his village by building a windmill, which he saw in a picture at a library book, in a terrific interview on "The Daily Show."

Frank McCourt was remembered at "An Evening of Reminiscence, Music, Poetry and Laughter," a memorial held in his honor at Symphony Space on Tuesday night. Also, New York City Schools chancellor Joel Klein’s announced that the Frank McCourt High School of Writing Journalism and Literature will open next fall on West 84th Street in Manhattan. Such a fitting honor for Frank!

USA Today posted a book roundup focused on memoirs and motherhood.

Yesterday, the "Today Show" celebrated Read for the Record Day, a campaign to bring preschool kids together to read the same picture book, with Eric Carle and his 40-year-old picture book classic, THE HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. Two nonprofit groups—Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation—run the event to promote reading among low-income preschoolers.

If you read and loved THE HELP, what book like it would you recommend to readers? Someone asked Carol that and she wants to see what your thoughts are. Here's what some readers had to say:

Kris: Personally I have not read another book of late like "The Help" which is probably why I loved it so much to begin with. However, readers who loved it should also read "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee if they haven't already.

Chris: I would recommend FOUR SPIRITS by Sena Jeter Naslund. Set in Birmingham in 1963 it has a similiarly young, white, protagonist, who witnesses the civil rights struggles going on in her city. Beautiful writing and a story you won't forget soon.

Melissa: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd --- you will fall in love with these Southern characters!!!

Mary Lou: I haven't read THE HELP but its on my list now for sure!!!!

Suzanne: My book group thought it was in the same vein as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. We all enjoyed this book very much and hope there is a sequel...we want to know what happened to all the characters.

Margo: BENEATH A MARBLE SKY by John Shors.

Rhonda: I read THE HELP on Carol's recommendation. I loved it, recommended to my sister, who loved it and we both are recommending it to everyone we know who will listen. Kris, I cannot think of anything I have read that is like this book. But,even though this is not the question there is a 1990 movie called "The Long Walk Home" with Sissy Spacek and Whoppi Goldberg that is a wonderful movie and similar in subject matter to THE HELP. Go rent it if you have not seen it. I will keep thinking about the question though and write again if I think of a similar book.

Dicksie: I've got it ordered. Really anxious after hearing and seeing so many rave reviews.

Tammye: THE HELP reminded me of GONE WITH THE WIND. Prissy was wonderful.

Jerri: THE SPACE BETWEEN US' explores the relationship between lady and maid in India.

Julie: RUSH HOME ROAD by Lori Lansens

Belinda: THE AIR BETWEEN US by Deborah Johnson

Suzanne: Loved THE HELP and recommend all future novels by Kathryn Stockett

Rhonda: I remember a book I read years ago. THE COLOR OF WATER by James McBride. It is non-fiction about the author's bi-racial family. An absolutely beautifully written memoir!

Janet: TWO RIVERS by T. Greenwood which came out early this year. Loved it as I did THE HELP.

Mary: THE HELP was one of those books that made you temporarily ignore your life and resent any interruptions. The last book I read like that was PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

Mary Lou: Interesting, I put in a request for this book with my local library, there are over 200 ahead of me in the list. Twice the waiting list for Ted Kennedy's memoir. This is a popular book!!! At this rate I'll be reading it next summer!

Veronica: LOVED THE HELP and agree with the SECRET LIFE OF BEES recommendation, but also wonder if someone who liked help wouldn't also like anything by Connie May Fowler, maybe WHEN WOMEN HAD WINGS.

Julie: I loved THE HELP so much. I am having trouble thinking of something similar, maybe FAMILY TREE by Barbara Delinsky?

Week of September 21st: Roundup Of Topics Mentioned on Bookreporter.com Facebook Page

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Fitzgerald) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Here is a roundup of some of the topics that were posted on the Bookreporter.com Facebook Page the week of September 21st:

AJ Jacobs, author of THE GUINEA PIG DIARIES, appeared on Fox News Channel on Fox & Friends where he talks abt outsourcing his life and living like George Washington.

From Garth Stein's newsletter: "Universal Studios has optioned THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN. Patrick Dempsey will produce/star as Denny Swift."

Voting is now available to choose The Best of the National Book Awards Fiction from the past sixty years.

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series was featured in USA Today.

The late Patrick Swayze's memoirs, entitled THE TIME OF MY LIFE, will be coming out on September 27th.

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Week of September 14th: Roundup Of Topics Mentioned on Bookreporter.com Facebook Page

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Fitzgerald) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:23:00 +0000

Here is a quick roundup of some of the topics that were posted on the Bookreporter.com Facebook Page this week, for those not on Facebook:

On Tuesday, we announced the winners of the 2009 New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) Books of the Year Awards.

On Wednesday, John Krakauer appeared on the Diane Rehm show on NPR to discuss his new book, WHERE MEN WIN GLORY.

On Tuesday, Dan Brown spoke to Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show about the "double-edged" sword of fame, and how it impacted his research for THE LOST SYMBOL.

Jonathan Karp, editor-in-chief and publisher of Twelve Books, discussed the experience of working with late Senator Edward M. Kennedy on his memoirs, TRUE COMPASS with Terry Gross on Fresh Air.

Janet Maslin published one of the first reviews of THE LOST SYMBOL in The New York Times on Sunday.

Parade Magazine had an interview with Dan Brown discussing life after THE DA VINCI CODE.

60 Minutes had a segment on the life of Ted Kennedy on Sunday where both his Editor Jonathan Karp and his son Patrick were interviewed.

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Carol Fitzgerald's Bookish Travel

Oct 2-4 Scottsdale
Fairmont Hotel with Lisa See, Anita Diamant and Debra Dean

Oct 15-18 Indianapolis:
Bouchercon Mystery Fan Convention

Nov 12-16 Miami
Miami Book Fair

Nov 19-22 Philadelphia
NCTE