Blogs

Author On the Bookcase
Aine Greaney

I'm excited to welcome, Aine Greaney, author of Dance Lessons. Aine's novel tell the story of Ellen Boisvert who discovered her late husband, Fintan, was not an orphan at all -- his mother, Jo, is living in a lakeside village, the westside of Ireland. Ellen, a thirty-nine-year-old American prep school teacher, packs her bags and boards a plane to Ireland to reveal the secrets of Fintan's family.

Did anyone read Enid Blyton's books growing up? Some of her books included the Famous Five series (21 novels, based on four children and their dog), the Five Find-Outers and Dog series (15 novels, five children regularly outwit the local police) as well as the Secret Seven (15 novels, a society of seven children who solve various mysteries).

I loved her books! My British grandmother sent them over to me from England.

A new unpublished manuscript has been found. YAY!

Teaser Tuesday

"One of the deacons stood and said to the preacher's back, "She were beaten down by hate."
"By hate," someone agreed.
"Killed in the street."
The preacher turned to look at the man. 'That's the truth, Deacon Hull. Hate killed our sister. But the love she lived will triumph over the sin that took her away." -- p. 228. The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew (April 2011)

I think this will be a great reading group pick.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Author On the Bookcase
Claudia Sternbach

I'm excited to welcome Claudia Sternbach, author of Reading Lips: A Memoir  of Kisses. Claudia takes a unique platform to tell her story.  Kisses -- a father's kiss, first love kiss, best friend kiss -- tell the tale about small and, sometimes big, moments in one's life. This book is Claudia's life in her kisses.

Kiss and tell, Claudia! 

One Kiss is Never Enough
by Claudia Sternbach

It wasn't that I sat down one day and decided to write a book about kisses. I am not that clever.

Last weekend, I attended the AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) in Washington, DC. But, some people call it Awesome Writers' Party! It was a blast. Panels, workshops, readings -- all about writers and their craft. I had the honor of hanging with some great writers.

On Thursday, I had dinner with a fun and talented group of women writers.

Author On the Bookcase
Summer Wood

So pleased to welcome Summer Wood, author of Wrecker to On the Bookcase.

Teaser Tuesdays
The Lotus Eaters

I'm re-reading The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli to prepare for the Reading Group Choices panel on March 18 at the Virginia Festival of the Book. Tatjana, Carolyn Parkhurst (The Nobodies Album, Lost and Found, The Dogs of Babel), Myla Goldberg (The False Friend, Bee Season), and William Cobb (The Last Queen of the Gypsies) are the panelists.

Around the Bend
Exposure by Therese Fowler

Around the Bend is an On the Bookcase Feature bringing attention to upcoming reading group-appropriate titles.

I'm so excited! Random House sent me an ARC of Therese's new title, Exposure (May 2011). I met Therese at the Virginia Festival of Books (VABOOK) 3 or 4 years ago. (Time flies when you have having fun!) She was on the Reading Group Choices' panel. Therese is a great writer and a fun person. Her previous novels are Souvenir and Reunion - both excellent reading group picks. And, I get to see her next week in DC for the Association of Writers & Writing Progmans.  

Here's the scoop!

Publisher Summary

Amelia Wilkes’s strict father does not allow her to date, but that doesn’t stop the talented, winsome high school senior from carrying on a secret romance with her classmate Anthony Winter.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of The Printed Page and is being hosted by Rose City Reader during the month of January.

I received one big box of Advance Reader's Copies from Viking Books!

Around the Bend
Galore by Michael Crummey

Around the Bend is an On the Bookcase Feature bringing attention to upcoming reading group-appropriate titles.

Publisher Summary

When a whale beaches itself on the shore of the remote coastal town of Paradise Deep, the last thing any of the townspeople expect to find inside it is a man, silent and reeking of fish, but remarkably alive. The discovery of this mysterious person, soon christened Judah, sets the town scrambling for answers as its most prominent citizens weigh in on whether he is man or beast, blessing or curse, miracle or demon.

Though Judah is a shocking addition, the town of Paradise Deep is already full of unusual characters. King-me Sellers, self-appointed patriarch, has it in for an inscrutable woman known only as Devine’s Widow, with whom he has a decades-old feud.