Greetings!
Join us in person or online for some book club gatherings you won't soon forget. Experience the creativity, humor, romance, and sheer imagination of Mary Monroe, Katharine Ashe, Kelly O'Conner McNees, Gaelen Foley, Sarah Pekkanen, Stephanie Laurens, Eleanor Brown, Sarah MacLean, Heidi Durrow, Miranda Neville, Siobhan Fallon, Therese Fowler, Tanya Egan Gibson, Caroline Leavitt, Rebecca Rasmussen, and May Rodale. Join us for two evening events on Monday, June 6th, and Thursday, June 30th, and online at On the Bookcase!
Something for reading groups who like romance and/or science fiction books, plus read about new original fiction and more. It's all in this month's edition of the Reading Group Choices Newsletter.
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| Romance Readers' Tea! |
 Reading groups that read romance books know that a great historical novel provides an absolutely transporting experience. Between the pages, we might set out upon the high seas; find ourselves in France during the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars; be dancing a scandalous waltz in Regency England, or be whisked away to Gretna Green for a Scottish for the sake of love (and for the love of Scotland).
On Thursday, June 30, at 4 pm ET, Avon Books "transports" six beloved historical romance authors to Manhattan for a special readers' tea - and you are invited to participate, live or online! Avon is sponsoring a special gathering of its best-selling authors for reading groups who would like to engage with these talented writers in a discussion about the landscape and attractions of historical romance fiction.
To join the authors in person for tea, cake and conversation at a central Manhattan location, please email Jessie Edwards. Space is limited, and seats will be granted on a first come-first served basis. The event will also be broadcast over Livestream, so we invite readers from every part of the globe to pour themselves a cup of Earl Gray, treat themselves to a scone or a few petit fours, and get lost in the romance of it all.
Among the authors who will be there are:
Katharine Ashe, Captured by a Rogue Lord
Gaelen Foley, My Irresistible Earl
Stephanie Laurens, The Reckless Bride; Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue
Sarah MacLean, Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
Miranda Neville, The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton
Maya Rodale, A Tale of Two Lovers
'See you there!
Have tea, cake and conversation in New York with the authors!
Join the tea online on June 30th |
| NEW Features in On the Bookcase |
 Even the authors have no idea how this one will turn out! Eight authors, who call themselves the "Sisters of the Traveling Computers," have joined together to produce a progressive novel! They will complete the novel in installments in the On the Bookcase blog. What a hoot! The first installment is already up!
Read the first installment!
Also in this month's On the Bookcase, Kelly O'Conner McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, reveals her fascination with Alcott and her love of Little Women, and...
 In Author Squared, Sarah Pekkanen (Skipping A Beat and The Opposite of You) and Eleanor Brown (The Weird Sisters) chat about their writing process, chocolate, and airports! And Janet Fitch (White Oleander, Paint It Black) and Adrienne Sharp (The True Memoirs of Little K.) talk with each other about history, books, music, and the artist's struggle.
Join the conversation!
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| New Trade Paperback Originals |
 Once known for its pies, the little town in New Mexico has long since seen the days when tasty treats filled the counters. In Pie Town by J. Lynne Hinton, a diverse group of people that make up the town call each other family, and all help out taking care of a disabled boy. When a new priest arrives, the town is in for unforeseen changes. The priest's first assignment is the troubled young hitchhiker. Booklist writes "[A] feel-good story-one that will be enjoyed by readers of Jan Karon and Nicholas Sparks."
 From New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick, author of A Thread of Truth and A Thread So Thin, comes her beautiful new novel of sisterhood lost and found, Threading the Needle. The economic downturn has hit New Bern, Connecticut, and Tessa Woodruff's herbal apothecary shop, For the Love of Lavender, is suffering, and so is her marriage. Tessa and her husband leave Boston to return home to New Bern. To relieve some strain, Tessa signs up for a quilting class at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop, and to her surprise, rediscovers the power of sisterhood-along with the childhood friend, Madelyn, she thought she'd lost forever.
Enter for a chance to win a free copy!
 Talia Carner examines faith and what a woman gives up to follow the dogma of a religion in her novel, Jerusalem Maiden. Esther Kaminsky feels the pull of the art world but feels the pressure of her family and roles of women in a ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem at the end of the Ottoman Empire's rule. To whom must she be true - to God or to herself? Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean writes, "Talia Carner's story captivates at every level, heart and mind."
 Set in the background of the War on Terror, Nafisa Haji's The Sweetness of Tears tells the story of Jo March and her quest to find identity in a world of conflicting faiths and cultures. Raised in an Evangelical Christian family, Jo realizes true spiritual devotion is a broken field riddled with doubt and that nothing is ever as it seems. Publishers Weekly writes "...A family story, and the many threads eventually cleave to illustrate how a complicated blend of race, religion, culture, and tradition can create peace rather than conflict."
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| More New Book Club Picks |
 In its starred review, Publishers Weekly writes of S. J. Parris' Prophecy, "Tudor England again proves to be fertile ground for an outstanding historical thriller, as shown by Parris's marvelous second novel featuring philosopher spy Giordano Bruno (after Heresy)... An admirable original sleuth and persuasive period detail bolster the taut plot." Could the killer of some of Queen Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting be someone within her court? Bruno must find the killer before the Queen's life is in danger.
 Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore is the story of Catherine Grace Cline and her dream to escape her tiny town of Ringgold, Georgia. Her dream comes true, and Catherine Grace moves to Atlanta, leaving her family and friends behind. But tragedy strikes, and she must move back to her sleepy town. Catherine Grace begins to wonder if her place in the world may actually be, against all odds, right where she began. "Susan Gregg Gilmore's debut novel, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, is storytelling at its best, entertaining and lively and full of surprise," writes Jill McCorkle, author of Carolina Moon.
 Elizabeth Bass (Miss You Most of All) creates an unforgettable story of friendship, compassion, and love that lies at the heart of every family in her new novel, Wherever Grace is Needed. When Grace Oliver leaves Portland for Austin, Texas, to help her father, Lou, recuperate from a car accident, she expects to stay just a few weeks. But now she sees a chance to get closer to her half-brothers and the home she's never forgotten. Grace not only gives solace and support, but learns to receive it. And though she came to Austin to reconnect with her past, she is drawn by degrees into surprising new connections.
Enter for a chance to win a free copy!
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| The Knitting Circle on The TV Screen |
 HBO Films has optioned the rights to The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. Deadline.com reported that Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) will star in and produce the project with her mother and producing partner Nancy Heigl.
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| Science Fiction Lovers |
A new British Library exhibition explores the history of science fiction in illustrations. See a few of them!
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| Your Own Discussible Choices |
Congratulations to Artie and The Troy Book Club for winning the random drawing for this month's Discussible Book Choice!
 "Many of our group traveled more than two hours from Troy, Michigan, to Battlecreek to meet with a book club group there. We were brought together by one our members who knew several of the Battlecreek members. There was an instant bond and warmth as we stepped into our hostess's home. Between wonderful food and wine, we got to know each other (for three hours), before we even started to talk about The Help. What a varied and unique discussion we had, since one of their friends who was raised and currently lives in Mississippi, was tele-conferenced into our discussion. What a truly wonderful way to discuss a book. We will do it again!! New friends were made - a great book was read!! (Love the newsletter! I pass it along to other members of our group.)"
Artie, The Troy Book Club, Monroe, MI
We enjoy hearing from book club members and sharing their choices with everyone. Please let us know about your group's discussible choices - you may win a book-related prize for every member of your reading group!
More Discussible Choices
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| Reading Group Choices 2011 Is Still Available! |
 The print edition, Reading Group Choices 2011: Selections for Lively Book Discussions, is still available! This is our 17th annual print edition, which once again includes reading recommendations of some of the publication industry's best authors. Reading Group Choices 2011 includes over 65 new titles for recommended reading and book group discussion. Titles by such reading group favorite authors as Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Syrie James, Barbara Kingsolver, Laura Lippman, Alexander McCall Smith, Anchee Min, and Ann Hood, as well as work from debut authors have been selected for inclusion. The guide also includes valuable resources available to reading groups and book clubs all over the world. To order copies of Reading Group Choices 2011 - or other annual editions from 2010, 2008, 2006, 2005, and 2004 - visit the store, email us, or call us toll-free at 1-866-643-6883. Purchase a Copy for Everyone in Your Group |
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Thanks for keeping the joy of reading alive,
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| Big Events for Reading Groups | |
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Two exciting events just for reading groups, and both of them this month! Get out the calendar and mark these down!
On Monday, June 6th, at 7:00 pm ET, Mary Monroe is itching to chat with you about her new novel, Mama Ruby, just released this week! She'll be there with you. Join her on the Reading Group Choices Facebook Event Page. See the article on the left for more details.
And on Thursday, June 30th, at 4 pm ET, Avon Books "transports" six beloved historical romance authors to Manhattan for a special readers' tea - and you are invited to participate, live or online! Look in the left-hand column for all the scoop!
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| Fresh Ideas for Discussion | |
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| More About Reading Group Choices |
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