ReadingGroupGuides.com

About Us

Founder/President: Carol Fitzgerald
Editorial
Contributing Editor: Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Editorial Coordinator: Marisa Emralino
Promotion and Advertising
Advertising/Promotion Associate: Alex Kassl
Design and Production
Web Producer: Victoria Kariolic
Web Producer: Jennifer Bustance
Assistant Producer: Greg Fitzgerald
Marketing
Marketing Director: Wiley Saichek
Marketing Associate: Nicole Bruce

Carol Fitzgerald
Founder/President

As a child, I read before the sun came up. Today I still remember many of those books like old friends. In the early Seventies, I read A TRACE OF FOOTPRINTS by Ruth Wolff, a book I wanted to read again. It is out-of-print, but one of our readers found me a copy at some point, and after I re-read it I placed it on my bookshelf where I love seeing it along with my current favorite titles. The pleasure of finding a great book like this is why I love running The Book Report Network so much.

My house is filled with books. My older son Gregory, who is a freshman in college, thought this past summer was terrific not just because he was out of high school, but because for the first time in four years he had no required summer reading and thus he could meander his way through whatever he felt like reading. His interests include ocean liners, shipwrecks and lighthouses, which keep him reading a fair share of nonfiction as well as fiction. He has quite a library of books in his room and it's fun watching what books get carted to his dorm apartment. He's been working with us for the past four years doing production work and he also weighed in on our Teenreads.com Ultimate Reading List.

My son Cory (age 13) never goes anywhere without a book. He's sure to take one when we gets into the car, even for a short trip to the grocery store. In fact, he most often gets in the car twice; the second time he has the book that he forgot the first time. His current favorite authors include Anthony Horowitz, Garth Nix and Eoin Colfer. He has been known to greet me at the door with a list of books that I need to get for him and he has done blurbs for publishers for a couple of the books that he particularly loves. He has interviewed a couple of authors with me and prides himself on his book collection, which now fills four bookcases and trading books with friends. He takes special bookish joy in turning his reluctant reader friends onto books that he thinks they will enjoy. He proves to me day after day that there are GREAT books out there for boy readers.

My husband Tom can sit on a couch reading a book for an entire day and feel no guilt. In addition to thrillers he reads expedition and history titles. He's broadened his reading horizons as our shelves boast a pretty wide range of titles these days.

My reading taste spans a pretty wide range. I love suspense-thriller writers as well as a number of literary fiction and women's fiction authors. I love well-written memoirs. As I look at my shelves it's pretty cool to see how many of the authors whose work is there I now count as friends. There is something wonderful about reading a just-done manuscript or an early reader copy of an author whose work I really love. I also love reading reader comments at Word of Mouth --- there's always a great idea there on what to read.

Before logging onto the Internet for the first time in 1995, I spent 17 years at Mademoiselle magazine in Promotion and Marketing. I relish the online medium for its immediacy --- and for the ability it gives me to work anywhere, anytime, so long as I can log on. Any bets on where I am writing this?

I am enormously proud of the network of sites we have launched that includes www.bookreporter.com, www.readinggroupguides.com, www.faithfulreader.com, www.teenreads.com, www.kidsreads.com and www.authorsontheweb.com.

I would love to hear what you enjoy about The Book Report Network and what you would like to see more of. Feel free to drop me a note anytime. I appreciate the feedback from our readers --- it's some of the best reading that I do.

Editorial

Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Contributing Editor

Shannon McKenna Schmidt is the co-author of Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West (www.noveldestinations.com), which will be available in May 2008. Her writing has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, New Jersey Monthly, Arrive, Pages, and on Bookreporter.com, and she is a regular contributor to Shelf Awareness (shelf-awareness.com) and ReadingGroupGuides.com. Shannon lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, and has been a member of a book club for 12 years.

Marisa Emralino
Editorial Coordinator

I've always been a firm believer in the idea that you can tell the most about people through the littlest details of their personalities. For example, I'm addicted to cooking shows, but I'm a terror in the kitchen. I have an incredibly selective memory, so that I'd be able to tell you what I had for lunch on the first day of kindergarten (PB&J sandwich, a box of apple juice, and a Twinkie that the boy sitting next to me sat on), but I probably won't recall what I did yesterday. I like eating ice cream with a baby's spoon because it makes me feel taller than I really am, and sleeping with my head buried underneath the pillows and my feet sticking out of the sheets. I dislike most puns, and people who spit on the street. I drink more than three cups of tea a day (both caf and decaf), and if weather permitted, I would wear flip-flops all year long. So, what have we learned about me? Absolutely nothing. Remind me to toss this "littlest details" theory out the window.

To get down to the basics, most of my spare time is spent listening to or watching music, eating, taking black and white pictures, and reading as if my life depended on it. Ironically, when I first learned how to read, I detested it. It wasn't until I picked up THE VELVETEEN RABBIT for a second-grade reading assignment that the bookworm in me finally emerged. I found this little story --- about a stuffed bunny who was loved so much by his owner that he became REAL --- so touching that it actually made me cry. I didn't understand until then that words had the power to stir emotions. At that moment, I decided two things: 1) that I would rotate my toys so that they'd all receive an equal amount of Marisa-loving, and 2) that this whole reading thing wasn't so bad after all.

About 15 years, a B.A. in English Literature, and buckets of tears later, my appetite for reading has grown immense, and quite random at times. Currently, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JOHN KEATS sits on my nightstand next to an ALICE IN WONDERLAND pop-up book; a collection of food essays keeps me company during subway rides, while a stack of literary fiction novels occupies the few and rare moments of office downtime. I'll also devour everything from historical fiction to biographies, from humor and pop culture commentaries to poetry and classics. And amidst all of this, I'm ready and waiting for my next good cry.

Promotion and Advertising

Alex Kassl
Advertising/Promotion Associate

In the center of my elementary school library, there was an array of mismatched armchairs and sofas where I could have sat with my pile of plastic-wrapped hardback of THE SOLAR SYSTEM or SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK and read forever. Only being allowed to borrow two books at one time, I always had difficulty deciding which books I would get to explore beyond the allotted period of “Library Time.”

When I was growing up, going to the bookstore was like going to a candy shop. Even today, I still feel this way. Within each set of pages lays an entire world and I could escape from everyday life, even if for only a few moments. Each page I turn brings upon the feeling of sweet satisfaction. Rainy days can be a real treat when I have a good book in my hand. There is nothing like reading THE SHINING while listening to the sleet rattling the windowpane. I can actually look forward to a long subway ride, road trip or flight because I know I’ll always have my reading with me. Books like Joan Didion’s SLOUCHING TOWARD BETHLEHEM and WE TELL OURSELVES STORIES IN ORDER TO LIVE have been most rewarding traveling companions.

My contentment with all of the wonderful books I have read is only dwarfed by the fact that there are so many books out there that I haven’t. When the opportunity to work with The Book Report Network arose, I saw it not only as an opportunity for professional development; I saw it as a chance to work with a variety of authors and the works they produce. As a result, even coming to work can be a trip to the candy shop.

Design and Production

Vicky Kariolic
Web Producer

When I was a child, neither my parents nor my teachers could understand how someone they saw as intelligent would refuse to read. I was shuffled into remedial reading classes for the first few years of my education. I enjoyed stories, but I hated reading.

All through my grade school years, the hardest thing anyone could get me to read was Nancy Drew, Beverly Cleary or Choose Your Own Adventure. In high school something changed. As a freshman, I was told to read GONE WITH THE WIND. I laughed. I, who hated reading, was going to read this giant super-long novel? I started out by skimming, and failed the first quiz. I sighed and read the chapters --- and was amazed that I couldn’t put it down! Sure that was a good story, but I wasn’t really compelled to read anything independently. Until sophomore year.

My high school handed out suggested reading lists for each grade level. In an attempt to get me to read, my parents pulled all the matching titles from their small collection and put them on a shelf in my room. One fateful day, I was really bored. I had gone through the shelf of books on many occasions, and this time I was determined to read something from it. A title caught my eye, THE HOBBIT. My father would only tell me it was an adventure story.

After I read the book and told my father how fantastic it was, he informed me that there was more. Excited, I asked him for the next book. THE LORD OF THE RINGS did not look as daunting as it did when I was younger. After initially accompanying my father to the neighborhood bookstore, I starting going there on my own.

One of the employees gave me a suggestion: ARROWS OF THE QUEEN by Mercedes Lackey. I ended up joining the fan club after reading this book, and as far as the world is concerned, the rest is history. I have gone through many series, and while I do enjoy stand-alones, I am rarely satisfied by them. I ended up at the bookstore I had frequented, working part-time...for 12 years. I only left to move to New York.

When I walked into the offices of The Book Report Network for the first time in January 2007, I was impressed by the shear volume of books that were in the office. It looked like a smorgasbord and I wanted to dig in. The friendly staff clinched it for me, and I couldn’t wait to become a part of it all. When I was hired, I was ecstatic. It combined the best of several things I love --- books, the Internet and friendly co-workers.

Jennifer L. Bustance
Web Producer

There are two things that I always carry with me: a book and a journal (though they should porbably be my wallet and my house keys). I enjoyed reading even before I learned to read, which is to say that I used to take my parents' books and sit with them in my lap, turning pages as I made up stories. In high school, I began to study drama, and thus my love of such writers as William Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller was born.

During my freshman year at Sarah Lawrence College, I was lucky enough to be bumped from a course on the theory of French Existentialism and instead had to take the only remaining class: The History of Avant-garde Literature. This class introduced me to some of my favorite books: Breton’s NADJA, Nabokov’s PALE FIRE and DeLillo’s WHITE NOISE. As my studies continued, I delved into the world of Russian nihilism and fell in love with CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, all the while continuing my study of dramatic literature and nurturing a passion for restoration comedy (Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST) and modern drama (Kushner’s ANGELS IN AMERICA, Auburn’s PROOF). Later, I was introduced to ULYSSES and have had a love-hate relationship with James Joyce ever since. All in all, I have always been an avid reader with a hunger for books in a number of genres: fiction, nonfiction, historical nonfiction, drama, sociology and anthropology. I can’t get enough. And now, I am so happy to be surrounded by that which I love.

I am presently splitting my time between The Book Report Network and the Columbia University School of the Arts. I am so pleased to be able to hone my skills as a Web Producer at one and my skills as a playwright at the other.

Greg Fitzgerald
Assistant Producer

I was six when The Book Report Network began in 1996, and I can say that I have been involved with the company in one way or another since the beginning. You see, my mom is Carol Fitzgerald, who co-founded the company. Growing up my life has been filled with books and conversations about the Company.

Early memories include floating in the pool looking at preliminary sketches of Kidsreads.com (quickly becoming illegible by the splashing of my two-year-old brother), a few weekends where our family room became a branch office of the Postal Service when my mom had to get an early mailing out (although I think that postal workers get fewer paper cuts) and then a few summers of working in the New York office. Most recently I have been working as an Assistant Producer on ReadingGroupGuides.com and I weighed in on the Teen Ultimate Reading List on Teenreads.com.

When I was younger, I was often the test audience for the latest kids’ series, from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials to John R. Erickson’s Hank the Cowdog. I became exposed early to many future classics, including reading early copies of the first two Harry Potter books just before it became a phenomenon.

Nowadays, my reading interests span many genres. I love suspense/thrillers and literary fiction, with too many favorites to list; I can devour any book on American or maritime history. I also have a tendency to gravitate towards the travel sections of bookstores and spend 15 minutes flipping through Lonely Planets and Rough Guides to offbeat destinations like Belize and Vietnam. And I’m one of the few kids in my AP literature classes who actually enjoyed reading all those 19th-century classics (with the definite exception of MOBY-DICK).

When I’m not reading, I have plenty else to do. I love photography, as our photo-covered refrigerator shows. I’m a huge lighthouse enthusiast and have seen almost 200 in America. I’m also an ocean liner nut, and I spend a lot of time (too much) in the garage trying to figure out why my beloved 1993 Range Rover does not look like the picture in the repair manual.

I’ve been truly lucky to grow up along with The Book Report. I’ve been exposed to so many great authors in ways I never could have otherwise, and I’ve been fortunate to get to meet many of them. Plus, my mom brings books home, and she never hesitates to hand me her credit card to buy more.

Marketing

Wiley Saichek
Marketing Director

Coming from a family of teachers, I grew up surrounded by books. Mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, fantasy and historical fiction quickly became --- and remain --- my favorite genres.

I became seriously interested in the book industry in the mid-1990s after a bookstore owner friend introduced me to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's books. After becoming a huge fan and initiating a correspondence with Yarbro, I began assisting with online publicity projects. This eventually led to online publicity jobs for novelists Suzy McKee Charnas and Tamara Thorne.

During all of this I stumbled across The Book Report Network. I volunteered for the company from 1998-2002, first as one of the chat hosts and later as a message board monitor.

The Book Report Network hired me in February 2002. As Marketing Director I help develop and oversee Internet Marketing campaigns for our author and publisher clients.

Wonderful colleagues, supportive family and friends and books. Who can ask for more?

Nicole Bruce
Marketing Associate

Nicole Bruce Photo

When I first told my mother I was going to work for a company called The Book Report Network, she laughed. "It sounds so official," she said. Then I laughed, reflecting on the irony.

The company name stirs up images of me as a third grader forgetting that the first book report of my life was due, scrambling to pull something creative together while the rest of the A- and B-lettered last names were called up to present, one by one. I managed to throw a brief synopsis paired with a doodled game (complete with torn fragments of paper as game pieces) and went up to the front of the classroom to meet my doom.

When my mother found out I hadn't told her about the book report that was due, she disciplined me with years upon years of book report punishment. My mother… is … a teacher. I never minded reading the books, or even writing the book reports. What paralyzed me were book report "performances." I was embarrassed to walk up to the front of the classroom with yet another beyond the typical bare-basics book report. As someone who just wanted to blend in, the attention certainly didn't help. People still remember my puppet shows, my hand-drawn constellation maps, and the televised report of Helen Keller's life story (of which my four-year-old brother was Alexander Graham Bell kneeling beside my six-year-old sister as the deceased Helen Keller).

So, when I think of reading, I think of when it first started. I'm THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, greedily absorbing words. FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER gave me the desire to sleep in a museum, and then when I did this twice as a Girl Scout, the blinding exit sign and spooky dinosaur bones kept me up all night. IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE fed my hunger for another book…and a cookie. HARRIET THE SPY challenged the way I observed my surroundings, typically from my maple tree post. NUMBER THE STARS left my heart pounding and took me places that made me grateful to be sitting where I was at the time. Roald Dahl's THE BFG made making certain noises funny and fun. THE CRICKET IN TIMES SQUARE led me in search of a cricket cage in Chinatown, which I found, but now I'm missing that smart cricket to keep me company. THE BORROWERS and THE LITTLES perpetually left me with strange dreams of me as a miniature being with a tail. MISS RUMPHIUS instilled my desire to live by the ocean as I grow old. Henry Reed, Ramona, Nancy Drew, and Scout from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD were rambunctious children with a passion for mystery in their hearts, which made it difficult to grow up. WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS inspired my first book cry. Words have an immeasurable weight. Oh, the things books carry….

Of course, many books for grown-ups (fiction, nonfiction, poetry --- anything goes) have changed my life, but it's safe to say that there's just nothing like a good book for kids to bring you back to where it all began. One of the reasons I'm so drawn to the Internet in the publishing world is the possibilities of getting more and more people to connect with books.

The Book Report Network provides me with the opportunity to work in publishing and help give a book a greater chance of finding more readers. I also don't know where else I could have a job where my manager thanks me for my work literally every day (thanks, Wiley).

The Book Report Network:

the book report network is an internet company comprised of 5 websites and 4 aol areas that provide a vast array of online opportunities for readers, writers and publishers. the book report network’s websites for readers provide original book content including author interviews, reviews and commentary; interactive elements such as polls, questions, and message boards; and reading group guides and other reader resources. Our newest site, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, offers website design services, website hosting, and various Internet marketing opportunities to authors and publishers. AuthorsOnTheWeb.com also features the AuthorsOnTheWeb Yellow Pages, a directory of author websites and online events.

Established in 1996 and headquartered in New York City, The Book Report Network has drawn enthusiastic approval and critical praise from publishers, authors, educators and librarians. With close to 500,000 unique users and more than 50,000 newsletter subscribers, these sites are recognized by publishers as the catalyst to efficiently and effectively reach audiences to promote books and authors, as well as generate book sales.

Our Websites:

Bookreporter.com
Our flagship website. Launched in August 1996, Bookreporter.com provides book reviews, interviews and excerpts on all the latest books as well as special features, polls, and contest about books, authors and reading.

Teenreads.com
Debuting in July 1997 Teenreads.com, is the younger version of Bookreporter.com, providing teens with an opportunity to read about the books that interest them the most and to share ideas and suggestions with their peers.

Kidsreads.com
Booker T. Worm brings his special brand of fun and reading advice to kids aged 6 to 12.

ReadingGroupGuides.com
ReadingGroupGuides.com is the first website built especially for reading groups, providing them with all they need to make their book club experience better than ever.

AuthorsOnTheWeb.com
AuthorsOnTheWeb.com promotes the author websites that the Company builds for authors as part of its web development division. AuthorsOnTheWeb.com is the only website with the sole purpose to spotlight and drive traffic to author websites. The editorial surround on this website is geared toward giving readers a deeper look at the authors that they are reading as well as the writing process.