Feb 7, 2013
Hello
Just in time for Valentine's Day, this issue of BookBrowse Highlights is stuffed with books to adore including a feature on love stories by first time authors, a roundup of soon to release movies based on books, recommendations from our member-reviewers, readalike suggestions, and an interview with The South Austin Spiritual Book Club.
Davina,
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Readers Recommend
Each month we give away books to members to read and review (or discuss). Members who choose to take part tend to receive a free book about every three months. Here are their opinions on three recently published book: 
Indiscretion
by Charles Dubow Publisher: William Morrow Publication Date: 02/05/2013 Novel, 352 pages Number of reader reviews: 24 Readers' consensus: 
BookBrowse Members Say "This is what reading is all about for me -- an absorbing story, beautifully written, with characters that seem so real I know I will miss them when I am done." - Beth (USA) "Anyone interested in life in the Hamptons would enjoy this book but it also has a much wider appeal. Other settings include Manhattan, Paris and Rome." - Roni S. (Pittsburgh, PA) "Indiscretion kept me wanting more and terrified of where it was going to take me. I was thrilled by the fact that I thought I knew where the book was taking me but then didn't." - Sarah N. (Corte Madera, CA) "The well developed characters and their desires, self-destructive and otherwise, is a timeless tale. A thoughtful and insightful tragedy that was also a real page turner." - Bink W. (Sopchoppy, FL) "The book is a great read for hopeless romantics and those that ponder what we do while we are here in this universe. Great for a book group--so much to discuss." - Laurence O. (Phoenix, AZ) These are 5 of the 24 reader reviews for this book Read all the Reviews Buy at Amazon |
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Readers Recommend
 The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War by Daniel Stashower
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Publication Date: 01/29/2013 History, True Crime 368 pages Number of reader reviews: 23 Readers' consensus: BookBrowse Members Say "This book was a fascinating and compelling read. Although I know that Lincoln made it safely to Washington for his first inauguration, this book kept me on the edge of my seat with the unfolding details of the Baltimore assassination plot and the attempts to insure the safety of the president-elect. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Lincoln, American history, and detective stories." - Barbara E. (Rockville, MD) "It's fascinating! I cannot wait to give this book to my history buff father-in-law. And maybe buy copies for my husband and my dad while I'm at it. And my mom, and...." - Erin J. (Milwaukie, OR) "Just like a modern-day thriller, Pinkerton's tireless efforts to stop this terrible plot of 1861 will leave readers at the edge of their seat." - David M. (Glendale, CA) "This book would be a good one for book clubs, because there is a lot to discuss. Not only would there be discussion on Abe Lincoln and the conspiracy, but also about Allan Pinkerton & Kate Warne." - Diane D. (Blairstown, NJ) These are 4 of the 23 reader reviews for this book Read all the Reviews Buy at Amazon
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Readers Recommend
 The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler
Publisher: St. Martin's Press Publication Date: 01/29/2013 Historical Fiction, 384 pages Number of reader reviews: 23 Readers' consensus: BookBrowse Members Say
"I have read lots of novels about people experiencing the Holocaust and WW II. However, this is the first novel I have read that addresses the emptiness that comes from having lived through that kind of pervasive fear and death and how a person can forge a life after." - Elizabeth M. (Syracuse, New York).
"The Imposter Bride is a strong and engaging novel. The character development is deep and rich. I love to become invested in a story and Richler's expert telling made it easy. It would make an excellent book club choice." - Rosanne S. (Franklin Square, New York).
"The author has a beautiful way of making the characters come alive, and an interesting way of exploring relationships. A very satisfying read." - Donna W. (Wauwatosa, WI).
"I dog eared many pages and highlighted several passages. MS. Richler has given us a book filled with heart and wisdom and yet rings boldly the sound of reality. This is a book I plan to present to both my book clubs." - Duane F. (Cape Girardeau, MO).
These are 4 of the 23 reader reviews for this book
Read all the Reviews
Buy at Amazon
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Featured Review
Below is part of BookBrowse's review of Villa Triste. Read the review in full here  Villa Triste by Lucretia Grindle Paperback (Jan 2013), 640 pages. Publisher: Grand Central Publishing ISBN 9781455505371 BookBrowse Rating:  Critics' Consensus: Review: Lucretia Grindle's latest novel, Villa Triste, is an engaging blend of historical fiction and present day murder mystery. In alternating chapters she provides detailed insight into life during WWII Italy while at the same time drawing her readers into a satisfyingly complex detective procedural. The opening chapters are narrated by Catarina Commaccio, a young woman on the verge of marrying Lodo, an Italian Navy officer, on September 8, 1943 - the day the King of Italy surrenders to the Allies (see " Beyond the Book"). A nurse, Catarina is an eyewitness to the impact of war on the civilian population of Florence as the Allies and Axis powers fight to control the territory. She is gradually drawn into helping the Italian Partisans in their battle against the Germans and Benito Mussolini's Fascists. A second storyline is set in modern-day Florence as Inspector Alessandro Pallioti investigates the bizarre murders of octogenarian Resistance heroes. During the course of his inquiry he stumbles on Catarina's diary and begins to see connections between his case and events that took place in decades past. Both plots are exceptionally entertaining. The parallel stories weave together nicely, and each is intricate and equally engrossing; indeed, I was absorbed by the book from start to finish regardless of which plotline I was following. Grindle's characters, past and present, are also brilliant creations - detailed and full of life, without a flat character to be found anywhere in the novel. The principals almost became real to me, completely maintaining my interest in their lives and actions throughout. The author's writing really shines, though, in the historical fiction sections; she vividly portrays life in a city gradually being transformed by war:
Winding through the Oltrarno, I passed groups, whole families and little crowds, pulling cars and pushing wheelbarrows laden with God-knows-what. Overnight we had turned into a city of burrowers and hiders - victims of requisition fever. Even Papa had been infected. The night before...he announced that he was having the mechanic come to take the wheels off the car. It would be put up on blocks in the shed. Common wisdom said that if you wished to keep your car at all, this was the only way to do it...Personally I thought the Germans might find an entire city of wheelless cars somewhat suspicious. It also occurred to me that if Lodo was still alive and somehow managed to appear at the appointed time and hour, I would probably have to walk to my wedding. The author has an unusual point of view regarding Italy's occupiers. At one point she has Catarina write: We told ourselves that most of the German soldiers probably loved this war and Adolf Hitler no more than we did and were just decent men trying to serve their country. She is surprisingly sympathetic to the Germans while condemning both the Italian Fascists and the Allies (whose indiscriminate bombing campaigns killed thousands of Italian civilians).
... continued Above is part of BookBrowse's review of Villa Triste. Read the review & back-story in full Reviewed by Kim Kovacs
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Beyond The Book
At BookBrowse, we don't just review books, we go 'beyond the book' to explore interesting aspects relating to the story.
Here is a recent "Beyond the Book" feature for Clare Vanderpool's
Navigating Early.
Stories In The Sky: The Myths of Ursa Major
Since the beginning of time, people have been looking up at the stars, connecting the fiery dots and telling stories about the images they create in the sky. Even in modern times, we are taught to see the man with a belt and a sword, the regal chair, a big dipper and a little one; once you've located at least an approximate location, Orion, Cassiopeia's Chair, the Big and Little Dipper, are fairly easy to identify, although it takes practice and real imagination to see a dragon, a swan, a crab, an archer or the many other constellations.
The Big Dipper is most likely the most famous and easily recognizable. Officially, the Big Dipper is not a constellation but rather part of the constellation known as Ursa Major, which means Big Bear in Latin. Often though the Big Dipper and Ursa Major are referred to interchangeably. Try as I might, I cannot see a big bear in the sky, but there are a number of cultures that base their theories on a big and little bear, telling stories to explain how they came to be. One fanciful theory, referred to in Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Volume Three, states that the choice of a bear may have come from the belief that the only creature that would brave the icy landscape of the North was a bear. The Greeks told the story of unfaithful Zeus who changed one of his lovers, the nymph Callisto, into a bear to hide her from his wife, Hera. Arcas, Callisto's son, came across the bear one day when he was hunting. To keep him from killing his own mother, Zeus turned him into another bear and sent them both up to the sky. Together, they became the Big and Little Bear-Ursa Major and Ursa Minor... Continue ReadingThis is part of BookBrowse's back-story to Navigating Early. Read the review and back-story in fullBy Sharry Wright
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Blog: Debut Love Stories
Valentine's Day is almost upon us, and what better time for a good old fashioned love story. But what to recommend?
I posed the question to our Facebook followers, specifying that we weren't interested in books starring gushing regency heroines or bare chested cowboys but instead wished to seek out quieter stories that explore love and relationships. Within a couple of hours we had over 100 recommendations - far too many to include here, so we've chosen to focus just on some of the debuts, and will return to this topic again in the future.... Read blog
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Blog: Books Into Movies
If you're wondering what films based on books will release in early 2013 (Jan-April), BookBrowse has the answer!... Read blog
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Blog: The Birth of a Reader (and Writer)
 John Shors is the internationally bestselling novelist of six books, including the just published Temple of a Thousand Faces, centered on the legendary temple of Angkor Wat. In an exclusive blog post for BookBrowse he talks about how his TV-free childhood turned him into a reader, and then a writer. Read blog
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Book Club Chat
An Interview with the South
Austin Spiritual Book Group 
Could you please tell us a bit about the South Austin Spiritual Book Group?
Stephanie: We are usually 15-25 in attendance unless we have a guest author leading our discussion, at which time attendance has been as many as 50. We are about 2/3 female and 1/3 male now - the men keep getting more numerous. Ages range from about 35 to 80. We always sit in a circle, and the discussion leader rotates every month, while the moderator stays constant. We can always count on one another to speak our minds. This group has had excellent participation from the start. Almost everyone shares at meetings, even the introverts.
That's amazing!
Stephanie: Even if some people don't read the book, they come for the fellowship of like-minded folks. All are welcome and I think people sense that acceptance.
It sounds like you have created a safe and dynamic environment within your group. Is there something in particular that makes your group special in your mind?
Stephanie: One thing is that we only read one or two subgenres of nonfiction - spiritual nonfiction, self-help, and inspirational.
How did you come together as a spiritual book group? This seems very unique.
Stephanie: Our spirituality is about openness. We tend to be independent thinkers and drop-outs from various belief systems. When we began, the store put up signage about our meetings and I put calendar listings in our city newspaper. I think the store still mentions us on their website. We had a blog for a while, a Meetup page for six months, and then a couple of years ago we initialized a Facebook page. Regulars invite like-minded friends - the growth feels organic.
Continue Reading...
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Win
Truth in Advertising
by John Kenney
Publication Date: Jan 2013
Enter the Giveaway
Past Winners
From the Jacket
"F. Scott Fitzgerald said that there are no second acts in American lives. I have no idea what that means but I believe that in quoting him I appear far more intelligent than I am. I don't know about second acts, but I do think we get second chances, fifth chances, eighteenth chances. Every day we get a fresh chance to live the way we want."
Finbar Dolan is lost and lonely. Except he doesn't know it. Despite escaping his blue-collar Boston upbringing to carve out a mildly successful career at a Madison Avenue ad agency, he's a bit of a mess and closing in on forty. He's recently called off a wedding. Now, a few days before Christmas, he's forced to cancel a long-postponed vacation in order to write, produce, and edit a Super Bowl commercial for his diaper account in record time.
Fortunately, it gets worse. Fin learns that his longestranged and once-abusive father has fallen ill. And that neither of his brothers or his sister intend to visit. It's a wake-up call for Fin to reevaluate the choices he's made, admit that he's falling for his coworker Phoebe, question the importance of diapers in his life, and finally tell the truth about his past.
Truth in Advertising is debut novelist John Kenney's wickedly funny, honest, at times sardonic, and ultimately moving story about the absurdity of corporate life, the complications of love, and the meaning of family.
Reviews:
"The protagonist, Finbar Dolan, is Don Draper stripped of all his glamour, success and pomade. What Fin, a midlevel copywriter, does have on Don is a sense of humor... Framed around a surprisingly sweet romance, as well as Fin's eventual confrontation with his painful family history, this debut offers a pleasing lightness-to-heart ratio." - New York Times
"In this Nick Hornby-esque fiction debut, midlife crisis and family tragedy force a 39-year-old ad man to reevaluate his priorities." - O Magazine
"A comic tour de force; fans of Nick Hornby and Jonathan Tropper will have a new author to watch for." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. With wry humor, always on point, Kenney guides us through the maze of work, family, love (elusive) and friendship (a lifesaver). This is an outstanding debut." - Kirkus Reviews
5 people will each win a hardcover copy of
Truth in Advertising. This giveaway is open to residents of the USA only, unless you are a BookBrowse member, in which case you are eligible to win wherever you might live. Enter the giveaway here |
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Now Discussing
Please join us
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The Plum Tree
Coming Soon
Quiet opens March 7
When Women Were Birds opens March 12 Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald opens March 26 The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat opens April 9
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Featured Reading List:
1920s & '30s
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Author Interviews
Krys Lee, author of Drifting House
Laura A. Schlitz, author of Splendors & Glooms
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Wordplay
Solve this clue "I I T Lap O T G" and be entered to win the book of your choice from a wide selection Enter NowAll winners are contacted by email. View list |
Answer to the Last Wordplay
I T S F, W It If the shoe fits, wear it Meaning: If an assessment of you is correct, then you must accept it, even if it's unflattering Background: Records of the expression "if the cloak fits" are found in 16th century English writing. For example, in Of the Lawes of Ecclesiasticall Polite (1593), Anglian priest Richard Hooker writes, "Which cloake sitteth no lesse fit on the backe of their cause, than of the Anabaptists." In 1705, Daniel Defoe published a poem. ... continued
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News
Feb 06 2013:
Amazon will launch its own currency in May with the debut of "Amazon Coins" (each coin is worth one cent), which Kindle Fire customers can spend in the Amazon Appstore. The online retailer said it plans to distribute "tens of millions of dollars' worth of free Amazon Coins" and also "make it quick...(more)
Jan 30 2013:
Hilary Mantel has won the Costa Book of the Year award for "Bring Up the Bodies," the first time an author has received that prize and the Man Booker Prize for the same novel.
Mantel won the Man Booker Prize for "Wolf Hall" in 2009 and again in 2012 for "Bring Up the Bodies", so the...(more)
Jan 30 2013:
In a statement accompanying its fourth quarter and full year results for 2012, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos summed up where he sees the future of book retailing heading - especially for his company. "We're now seeing the transition we've been expecting," said Bezos. "After 5 years, eBooks is a...(more)
Jan 29 2013:
Amazon is reportedly readying an advertising push for displays on Kindle e-readers after pitching a range of products to marketers in Seattle.
The Financial Times has reported that personalised advertisements will appear on its websites and Kindle devices along with other linked...(more)
Jan 29 2013:
The American Library Association's annual awards have been announced.
The Newbery medal went to Katherine Applegate for The One and Only Ivan and The Randolph Caldecott went to Jon Klassen for This is Not My Hat.
The full and very extensive list of winners can...(more)
Jan 28 2013:
Barnes & Noble has announced that it will likely close about a third of its 689 retail stores over the next decade. According to Mitchell Klipper, CEO of B&N's retail group, the slimmed down chain represents "a good business model," as currently only about 20 stores operate as a loss. The closures...(more)
Jan 28 2013:
Happy Birthday to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" - published 200 years ago...(more)
Jan 25 2013:
Macmillan has announced that it will begin its first e-book library lending program by the end of the first quarter. It will offer libraries over 1,200 backlist e-books from its Minotaur Books imprint via Baker & Taylor, OverDrive and 3M. All books will be priced the same, $25. Once purchased by a...(more)
Read these news stories, and many others, in full
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