We are celebrating the paperback release of Shanghai Girls by Lisa See --- a cross-cultural tale of two Chinese sisters sold into marriage in Los Angeles --- with a special contest. 10 readers will have the opportunity to each win one paperback copy of Shanghai Girls for their group. In addition, the winners will receive paperback copies of Lisa See’s previous bestsellers, Peony in Love and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
More about Shanghai Girls:
In 1937 Shanghai, sisters Pearl and May are beautiful, modern and carefree --- until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and is selling the girls as wives to men from the United States. Along their journey, they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices and confront a devastating, life-changing secret. But through it all, the two heroines of this astounding novel hold fast to who they are --- Shanghai girls.
Click here to read all the contest details. Click here for the reading group guide.
We are celebrating the paperback release of The Last Child by John Hart --- a pulse-pounding story of a boy who refuses to give up hope of finding his missing twin sister --- with a special contest. 200 readers will have the opportunity to each win one paperback copy of The Last Child, which will be in stores on March 9th, for their group.
More about The Last Child :
Johnny Merrimon, 13, had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny is still determined to find his sister until he uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it.
Click here to read all the contest details. Click here for the reading group guide.
The first in an epic two-book saga by beloved author Francine Rivers, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters over several generations. Near the turn of the 20th century, fiery Marta leaves Switzerland determined to find life on her own terms. Her journey takes her through Europe and finally lands her with children and husband in tow in the central valley of California.
What if the old maid of Amherst wasn’t an old maid at all? Her older brother, Austin, spoke of Emily as his “wild sister.” Jerome Charyn, continuing his exploration of American history through fiction, has written a startling novel about Emily Dickinson in her own voice, with all its characteristic modulations that he learned from her letters and poems. The poet dons a hundred veils, alternately playing wounded lover, penitent, and female devil.
Set in 1583 against a backdrop of religious-political intrigue and barbaric judicial reprisals, this debut centers on real-life Giordano Bruno, a former Italian monk excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church and hunted across Europe by the Inquisition for his belief in a heliocentric infinite universe.
Crime mystery and gothic saga, social study and chronicle of the late 1960s and early 1970s, a portrait of the psyche of young girls on the cusp of sexual awakening, The American Girl is a bewitching glimpse of the human capacity for survival and for self-inflicted wounds as two girls recreate the strange death of an American tourist years ago.
Ishawooa, Wyoming, is far from bucolic nowadays. The sheriff, Crane Carlson, needs no reminder of this but gets one anyway when he finds a kid not yet 20 murdered in a meth lab. His other troubles include a wife who’s going off the rails with bourbon and pot, and his own symptoms of the disease that killed his grandfather.
From the bestselling author of The Rossetti Letter comes a thrilling novel of intrigue, passion and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge, England, and two crimes suspiciously linked despite happening 300 years apart.
The Murano glassmakers of Venice are celebrated and revered, but now three are dead, killed for attempting to leave the city that both prized their work and kept them prisoner. For in this, the 17th century, the secret of their craft must, by law, never leave Venetian shores. Yet there is someone who keeps the secret while defying tradition. She is Sophia Fiolario, and she, too, is a glassmaker. Her crime is being a woman.
Angel’s Den by Jamie Carie: In 1808, Emma, the daughter of a prominent St. Louis family, believes she has met and married her dream man but discovers the opposite during a westward adventure.
Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll: Brannon Callahan is a search and rescue helicopter pilot for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, who finds herself embroiled in an international conspiracy after a plane crash.
Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze: Benjamin Brandt seemingly has it all until his family is tragically killed, with Benjamin vowing vengeance while reconsidering his own faith.
Once in a Blue Moon by Leanna Ellis: An unlikely duo explores the strange coincidences tying together a murder and lunar landing in a small Texas town.
The American Girl by Monika Fagerholm: A dark coming-of-age tale of two girls who become obsessed with an unsolved crime. Translated from Swedish.
Addition by Toni Jordan: Grace Lisa Vandenburg, the narrator of this pleasant neurotic-girl-meets-boy debut, is 35 years old and has been addicted to counting since she was eight, but begins rethinking her odd behavior after a chance encounter.
Angel’s Den by Jamie Carie: In 1808, Emma, the daughter of a prominent St. Louis family, believes she has met and married her dream man but discovers the opposite during a westward adventure.
Apologize, Apologize! by Elizabeth Kelly: Apologize, Apologize! takes us into the perversely charmed world of the Flanagans and their son, Collie, as he struggles to cope with people he has no choice but to love.
Blue Water by A. Manette Ansay: From the New York Times bestselling author comes an unforgettable story of two families united by tragedy --- and one woman's deeply emotional journey toward a choice she'd never thought possible.
Bone Fire by Mark Spragg: In this gripping Wyoming story, harsh truths and difficult consolations combine with moments of hilarity, surprise and beauty. No one writes more compellingly about the modern West than Mark Spragg, and in Bone Fire he is at the very height of his powers.
The Book of Spies by Gayle Lynds: A special forces officer teams up with a rare book curator to track down an elusive tome that holds power and reveals secrets to whomever possesses it.
The Bread of Angels: A Journey to Love and Faith by Stephanie Saldaña: This unforgettable memoir celebrates the beauty of faith, the necessity of self-discovery and the possibility of true love.
The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn: Award-winning author Deanna Raybourn crafts a classic gothic romance about a novelist who leaves behind a comfortable life in Scotland for adventure and inspiration in Rumania.
Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll: Brannon Callahan is a search and rescue helicopter pilot for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, who finds herself embroiled in an international conspiracy after a plane crash.
The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips: From the bestselling author of The Rossetti Letter comes a thrilling novel of intrigue, passion and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge, England.
A Distant Melody: Wings of Glory, Book One by Sarah Sundin: Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and instantly connect, setting in motion a relationship that unfolds through letters between Walt’s bomber base in England during World War II and Allie’s palatial mansion.
Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger: Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on the Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting --- a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love's power.
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken: With humor and warmth and unfailing generosity, McCracken considers the nature of love and grief after a devastating miscarriage.
Flyaway by Suzie Gilbert: A woman finds her life’s calling after volunteering at an animal shelter, and then turning her own home into a local wild bird rehabilitation center in this funny, fascinating memoir.
Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze: Benjamin Brandt seemingly has it all until his family is tragically killed, with Benjamin vowing vengeance while reconsidering his own faith.
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok: This inspiring debut centers on a young immigrant in America, a smart girl balancing schoolwork and factory labor, custom and desire, a girl who is forced at a young age to take responsibility for her family’s future, with decisions she may later regret.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen: A teenager moves in with her grandfather in hopes of learning more about her mysterious, estranged mother in this Southern-fried novel from the author of The Sugar Queen.
Good Things I Wish You by A. Manette Ansay: The acclaimed author of Vinegar Hill returns with a story of two unlikely romances --- one historical, the other modern-day --- separated by thousands of miles and well over a century.
Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers: The first in an epic two-book saga by beloved author Francine Rivers, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters over several generations.
Heresy by S. J. Parris: An excommunicated monk finds refuge in England until he becomes snared in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with grisly consequences.
Home in Carolina by Sherryl Woods: Annie Sullivan's homecoming to Serenity, South Carolina is bittersweet when she learns of a startling betrayal by her childhood friend that jeopardizes the family and lifestyle she once envisioned.
Honolulu by Alan Brennert: With passionate knowledge of people and places far off the tourist track, Honolulu is a spellbinding tale of four women in a new world, united by dreams, disappointment, sacrifices and friendship.
The Hungry Season by T. Greenwood: From the acclaimed author of Two Rivers comes The Hungry Season, a compelling and beautifully told story of hope, family and, above all, hunger --- for food, sex, love and success --- and for a way back to wholeness when a part of oneself has been lost forever.
If You Follow Me by Malena Watrous: Hoping to outpace her grief in the wake of her father's suicide, Marina has come to the small, rural Japanese town of Shika to teach English for a year, but soon discovers you can never really throw away your past…or anything else, for that matter.
The Last Child by John Hart: A North Carolina boy refuses to abandon the search for his twin, who’s been missing for than a year.
Laura Rider’s Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton: Laura and Charlie Rider reinvent their marriage through an illicit affair, which also gives Laura the perspective and material for the book she feels destined to write.
Legend of a Suicide by David Vann: In Legend of a Suicide, his heartbreaking semi-autobiographical debut story-collection, David Vann relates the story of a young man trying to come to terms with the guilt and pain of his father’s suicide.
The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian: A sort of Easy Rider meets The Notebook, this poignant, funny, vibrant and unforgettable novel is a story of two seniors who escape from their retirement home and embark upon a hilarious and touching end-of-life road trip.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave: The lives of an English traveler and a Nigerian girl collide in the aftermath of a horrible accident.
Listen by Rene Gutteridge: Nothing ever happens in the small town of Marlo…until the residents begin seeing their private conversations posted online for everyone to read.
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline: A journalist’s world is upended when the boy on a missing child flyer looks suspiciously like her adopted son.
The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason: Weaving together precisely drawn vignettes, fragments and myths, Mason presents a reinvention of Homer’s original that offers rich, sometimes contradictory aspects of the timeless characters who have fascinated humanity’s imagination for centuries.
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees: McNees deftly mixes fact and fiction as she imagines a love affair that would threaten Louisa’s writing career --- and inspire the story of Jo and Laurie in Little Women.
A Lost Wife’s Tale by Marion McGilvary: A woman reinvents herself as a housekeeper for a prominent, recently-divorced publisher in New York City, who is unaware of her dark past.
Lowboy by John Wray: A mother desperately searches for her schizophrenic son as he embarks to change the world and stop global warming.
Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright: A chance encounter with a stranger in an airplane sends Elyse Bearden into an emotional tailspin, and leaves her friends questioning their own relationships.
Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough by Lori Gottlieb: Suddenly finding herself 40 and single, Lori Gottlieb said the unthinkable in her March 2008 article in The Atlantic: Maybe she, and single women everywhere, needed to stop chasing the elusive Prince Charming and instead go for Mr. Good Enough.
Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato: Part murder mystery, part coming-of-age tale, this debut novel by playwright Victor Lodato is told in the funny, transfixing (and intriguingly unreliable) voice of 12-year-old Mathilda.
The Memory Thief by Rachel Keener: When Angel sets fire to her childhood home, it isn’t the end --- it’s the beginning as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
The Miracles of Prato by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz: At the height of the Italian Renaissance, Filippo Lippi is a Carmelite monk at the Convent Santa Margherita, who finds himself caught between spiritual and earthly pursuits.
Once in a Blue Moon by Leanna Ellis: An unlikely duo explores the strange coincidences tying together a murder and lunar landing in a small Texas town.
One Good Dog by Susan Wilson: A disgraced man recovers from an embarrassing crime with the help of a dog trying to escape the pit fighting arena.
The Patience Stone: “Sang-e Saboor” written by Atiq Rahimi, translated from the French by Polly McLean: Winner of the Prix Goncourt, The Patience Stone captures with great courage and spare, poetic prose, the reality of everyday life for an intelligent woman under the oppressive weight of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Postcards from a Dead Girl by Kirk Farber: Postcards from a Dead Girl is a touching, almost cinematic debut novel featuring the eccentric, slightly disturbed, and unique character Sid, who finds himself obsessed by the mysterious postcards that arrive in the mail from his missing ex-girlfriend.
The Promise of Morning: At Home in Beldon Grove, Book 2 by Ann Shorey: Ellie Craig grieves the loss of three infant children, and when long-hidden secrets are brought to light, she must find a way to contact the family of her long-lost father while her husband, Matthew, loses grasp of his church.
Scattered Petals: Texas Dreams, Book 2 by Amanda Cabot: Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston and heads for Texas, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks will leave her badly injured and her parents dead nor that she’ll begin the healing process with a handsome cowboy.
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister: Once a month, eight students --- including a new mother, a grieving lawyer, an Italian immigrant and a couple with a secret --- gather in Lillian’s restaurant for a cooking class to learn slow-food secrets while uncovering the recipes to heal themselves.
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda: This powerful debut explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity and love through the experiences of two families --- one Indian, one American.
The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin: The acclaimed author of The Courtier’s Secret takes readers into the secret, fascinating world of Murano glassmaking following the murder of three artisans.
The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn: Internationally acclaimed author Jerome Charyn blends fact with fiction in this inventive exploration into the lesser known facets of legendary poet Emily Dickinson’s life.
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See: In 1937 Shanghai, sisters Pearl and May are beautiful, modern and carefree --- until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and is selling the girls as wives to men from the United States.
Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina: When the corpse of journalist Paddy Meehan's ex-lover, journalist Terry Hewitt, turns up in the countryside near Port Glasgow, everything points to an IRA execution, but the motives are not as they appear.
The Spare Room by Helen Garner: In her first novel in 15 years, Helen Garner writes about the joys and limits of female friendship under the transforming pressure of illness.
Tales from the Zirzameen by Brian Hanson Appleton aka Rasool Aryadust: Tales from the Zirzameen is a nonfiction collection of short stories in chronological order about the author's experiences in Iran before, during and after the revolution in 1979.
Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo: Two friends learn a dirty little secret while competing in a craft fair, and that beauty, art and creativity can take many more forms than a canvas hanging in a gallery.
The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine: Overtones of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility underscore this story of an estranged wife bonding with her children in the seaside town of Westport, MA.
The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar: Filled with satisfying real characters and glowing with local color, The Weight of Heaven is a rare glimpse of a family and a country struggling under pressures beyond their control.
Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas: Bestselling author Sandra Dallas chronicles the aftermath of a devastating avalanche, and the toll it takes on the town and its citizens.
The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens: On the eve of their Silver Anniversary, Mary Gooch’s husband disappears. Mary begins a desperate search, and is forced to finally confront personal demons and secrets that have haunted her.
The Women by T.C. Boyle: Bestselling author T.C. Boyle examines the life of celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his relationships with a few very different women.
The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji: A Muslim-American student struggles with her family’s secrets and her cross-cultural identity while aspiring to become a journalist in this impressive debut.
The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey: A family's future is in the hands of one very brave young Irishwoman in this debut set between World War I and the growing violence of the Irish war of independence.
Whether your book club is just a few months old or has been around for a while, you might be in need of a Book Club Makeover from ReadingGroupGuides.com. After reading your emails --- and talking to book clubs across the country --- we see that book groups often can fall into a routine and need a bit of livening up. It’s ReadingGroupGuides.com to the rescue! We’ll select groups each month for makeovers, review the problems, and make suggestions. Interested in a Book Club Makeover for your group? Click here for details.
Contest
Win Copies for your Book Group
This month's prize: Love in Mid Air
by Kim Wright
Click here for more
Win Copies of Lisa See’s Bestsellers SHANGHAI GIRLS, PEONY IN LOVE and SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN for Your Group
Win a Copy of THE LAST CHILD by John Hart for Your Group
