We are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the paperback release of Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay --- a haunting novel that offers a compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode --- with a special contest. Two-hundred readers will have the opportunity to each win one finished copy of Sarah’s Key, which is now available in stores, for their group.
More about Sarah's Key:
A haunting novel --- and New York Times bestselling phenomenon --- that book clubs nationwide can’t stop talking about... and can’t forget...
Paris, July 1942: Before 10-year-old Sarah is arrested in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, she locks her younger brother in a cupboard, thinking she will be back quickly.
Paris, May 2002: Journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article for the Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary and stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Please also note that Sarah’s Key the movie is now being shot by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Hugo Films) in Paris and its suburbs. The film, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, will be released in 2010.
Click here to read all the contest details. Click here for the reading group guide.
We are celebrating the upcoming release of The Postmistress by Sarah Blake --- an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury --- with a special contest. One-hundred readers will have the opportunity to each win an advance copy of The Postmistress, which will be available in stores on February 9, 2010, for their group.
More about The Postmistress:
It is 1940. Iris James is the postmistress and spinster of Franklin, Massachusetts, a small town on Cape Cod. She firmly believes that her job is to deliver and keep people’s secrets, to pass along the news of love and sorrow that letters carry. Yet one day Iris does the unthinkable: she slips a letter into her pocket. And then she does something even worse --- she reads the letter, then doesn’t deliver it.
Click here to read all the contest details. Click here for the reading group guide.
In a Perfect World is critically acclaimed writer Laura Kasischke’s new novel of marriage, motherhood, and the choices we make when we have no choices left. Kasischke tells the story of Jiselle, a young flight attendant who has settled into a fairy tale life with her new family. But as a mysterious new illness spreads rapidly throughout the country, she begins to realize that her marriage, her stepchildren and their perfect world are all in terrible danger...
Every year the Rowan family --- from 86-year-old Great Grandma Nora, to the eight-year-old twins --- all gather at their house in rural Maine for the Christmas holidays. It’s usually a fun time for all, but this year, things are going to be very, very different. One Week in December is a compelling holiday-themed novel fans of authors Beth Kendrick and Elizabeth Robinson will adore.
Honeymooners Viktor and Liesel Landaurer pour all of their hopes for the future into their stunning new home, a masterpiece built by modernist architect Rainer von Abt. But as history intervenes, the radiant honesty and idealism of 1930 quickly evaporate beneath the storm clouds of World War II. When Nazi troops enter the country, the family must leave behind their old life and attempt to escape to America before Viktor's Jewish roots draw Nazi attention, and before the family itself dissolves.
An inspirational gem of a book about three generations of women who find solace in the comfort of their kitchens when hard times hit. It's Tender at the Bone meets Tuesdays With Morrie.
“Delicious. Delectable. Truthful, funny, and poignant. Like a great recipe, Suzan Colón’s Cherries in Winter is a keeper and a treat to share with those you love.”
--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Big Stone Gap and Very Valentine
“Suzan Colón’s Cherries in Winter is a celebration of true wealth: love that sustains us through life’s difficulties, and good food --- especially in the form of recipes passed down through generations --- that fortifies our bodies and souls.”
--Giulia Melucci, author of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti
Now Available in Paperback:
In 2005, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King began to write what would become a 200-page journal for his son in case he did not make it home from the war in Iraq. He was killed by a roadside bomb on October 14, 2006. His son, Jordan, was seven months old. A Journal for Jordan is a mother’s letter to her son about the father he lost --- including an honest account of her search for answers about Charles’s death.
Through the biography of this businessman and the story of his unusual and fabulously successful company, prominent Holocaust historian Götz Aly and Der Spiegel’s Michael Sontheimer recount the fascinating history of the first branded condoms in Germany and the sexual culture that allowed them to thrive, the heretofore undocumented machinations by which the Nazis robbed German-Jewish families of their businesses, and the tragedy of a man whose great love for the adopted country that first allowed him to succeed was betrayed by its government and his fellow citizens.
For November we have three very special opportunities for Registered Book Groups. Our featured titles this month are Rainwater by Sandra Brown, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah. Groups who have registered with us by Monday, November 16th have the chance to win author chats and/or free books. If your group is not registered, click here to register.
According to Jane by Marilyn Brant: Jane Austen fans will relish According to Jane, as the ghost of Jane Austen takes up residence in brainy Ellie Barnett’s mind. Follow Ellie’s adventures in pride, prejudice and the pursuit of the perfect guy.
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell: With the mob, the government and death itself descending on the hospital, Dr. Peter Brown has to buy time and do whatever it takes to keep his patients, himself, and his last shot at redemption alive. To get through the next eight hours --- and somehow beat the reaper.
Better Because of You by Ginny Hutchinson and Cathy Haffner: Authors Ginny Hutchinson and Cathy Haffner share true-to-life stories that can help you do small things each day to make a big difference in your life.
The Book of Fathers by Miklós Vámos: For 300 years, a battered journal is passed down the Csillag family line, in which each generation’s firstborn son records his life. Known as The Book of Fathers, the journal bears witness to holocaust and wedding feast alike.
Cherries in Winter: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times by Suzan Colón: An inspirational gem of a book about three generations of women who find solace in the comfort of their kitchens when hard times hit. It's Tender at the Bone meets Tuesdays With Morrie.
Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem: The acclaimed author of The Fortress of Solitude returns with a roar with this gorgeous, searing portrayal of Manhattanites wrapped in their own delusions, desires and lies.
The Concubine’s Daughter by Pai Kit Fai: An epic, heartwrenching story of a mother and daughter’s journey to their destiny.
Divine Inspirations: Words of God’s Love and Grace by Cindy A. Warren: This book is a series of love letters spoken from God that expresses the inseparable love that God truly has for all of His creation.
Dutch by Teri Woods: James Bernard Jr., a.k.a. Dutch, has become the most dangerous criminal in New Jersey. Feared by all, and completely fearless, Dutch and his dangerous clique take over the lucrative heroin business of a local African drug lord.
Evenings at the Argentine Club by Julia Amante: Victor and Jaqueline Torres imagined moving to the U.S. would bring happiness and prosperity --- instead they found a world of frustration.
Far From Home by Anne DeGrace: The story of a lost teenager who finds herself in a diner in the middle of nowhere, Far From Home is superb introduction for U.S readers to a talented writer who has already made a splash in her native Canada.
Feelin' the Vibe by Candice Dow: Clark Winston now has to make the most important decision of her life --- choose the man who broke her heart or the one who fixed it.
Fromms: How Julius Fromm's Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis by Götz Aly and Michael Sontheimer: A fascinating story of sex, business and family, Fromms adds a striking new dimension to our understanding of this dark period in German history.
Generosity: An Enchantment by Richard Powers: From the National Book Award–winning author of The Echo Maker, a playful and provocative novel about the discovery of the happiness gene.
The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir by Katrina Kenison: An intimate memoir of a family in transition --- boys becoming teenagers, careers ending and new ones opening up, an attempt to find a deeper sense of place, and a slower pace, in a small New England town.
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer: The Glass Room is a stunning, detailed portrait of a family struggling to control the fallout of their passions and betrayals as World War II approaches.
Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom: A book about a life’s purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man’s journey, but it is everyone’s story.
Impossible Motherhood: Testimony of an Abortion Addict by Irene Vilar: A courageous and extraordinary memoir of one woman’s journey through family trauma and self-mutilation, and her determined struggle to prevail into motherhood.
In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke: In a Perfect World is critically acclaimed writer Laura Kasischke’s new novel of marriage, motherhood and the choices we make when we have no choices left.
The Jewel of His Heart: Heart of the West, Book 2 by Maggie Brendan: Juliana Brady is alone in an 1890s Montana mining town, with few prospects for making a living. But she is determined not to be dependent on the charity of others.
A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy: A Journal for Jordan is a mother’s letter to her son about the father --- a U.S. soldier in Iraq --- he lost while still an infant.
The Ladies' Gallery: A Memoir of Family Secrets by Irene Vilar: A razor-sharp memoir about the allure of suicide for three generations of women in one Puerto Rican family and the frightening family secrets that have haunted a grandmother, mother and daughter in their search for self.
The Lady Queen by Nancy Goldstone: The riveting history of a beautiful queen, a shocking murder, a papal trial --- and a reign as triumphant as any in the Middle Ages.
Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh: Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, 12 years ago, and did not look back. Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience.
Life After Genius by M. Ann Jacoby: Life After Genius follows the remarkable journey of a young man who must discover that the heart may know what the head hasn't yet learned.
The Longest Trip Home: A Memoir by John Grogan: The funny and poignant memoir of faith, family and identity from John Grogan --- the #1 international bestselling author of the beloved Marley & Me.
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer.
Lying with the Dead by Michael Mewshaw: Narrated by three very different siblings --- dutiful but tough Candy, sweet but disturbed Maury, and successful but despondent Quinn --- Lying with the Dead is a moving and darkly humorous story of three adult children and their aging, embittered mother.
Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato: A fiercely funny and touching debut novel about a young girl trying to find out the truth behind her sister’s death.
Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich: Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich began as a journal they kept after their five-year-old daughter Elena was diagnosed with brain cancer and given just 165 days to live.
One Week in December by Holly Chamberlin: One Week in December is a compelling holiday-themed novel fans of authors Beth Kendrick and Elizabeth Robinson will adore.
The Palace of Strange Girls by Sallie Day: Over a holiday week, the Singletons must struggle to find their place in the shifting world of promenade amusements, illicit sex and stilted afternoon teas in this touching and evocative novel.
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake: The Postmistress is a tale of three unforgettable women, of lost innocence, of what happens to love when those we cherish leave us.
Rainwater by Sandra Brown: From acclaimed bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a powerfully moving novel celebrating the gifts, generosity and foresight of a great bygone generation.
The Return by Victoria Hislop: Family betrayals, forbidden love and historical turmoil converge between a family's heartwrenching struggle during the Spanish Civil War and a young woman traveling in present-day Granada.
The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan: More historically and biblically accurate than The Da Vinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher draws readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades.
Shadow Baby by Alison McGhee: In Alison McGhee's stunning novel Shadow Baby, 11-year-old Clara struggles to piece together her family history, while her mother refuses to talk about those people lost to her daughter.
Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick: A hauntingly beautiful novel about Vincent van Gogh and his relationship with a mysterious young woman named Rachel and the passion they shared, in a debut novel from art historian Sheramy Bundrick.
The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey: 1944: When a young woman is asked to "courier" a German scientist who is working on the atomic bomb out of enemy territory, the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo: When Gabriella discovers a journal that begins as a new mother's letters to her baby girl, but is lost --- the final entry leaves one question unanswered: the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?
Thin is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel: The true story of one woman’s quest to exorcise her bad body-image demons, to uncover the truths behind what put them there and to learn how to truly love herself.
Thirsty by Tracey Bateman: Recovering alcoholic Nina Parker wants to start fresh in her Ozark hometown, but a gruesome murder, her shattered family and a 250-year-old stranger’s obsession have her torn between surrendering to darkness --- and salvation.
Transgression: A Novel of Love and War by James W. Nichol: A beautifully written World War II romance and mystery that follows Adele, a young French woman who falls in love with a German soldier and is cast out of her village as a “horizontal traitor” at the end of the war.
Where Grace Abides: The Riverhaven Years by BJ Hoff : Readers loved Rachel’s Secret, the first book in The Riverhaven Years, and are eagerly awaiting the continuing story of Rachel and Jeremiah Gant.
White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner: “White Picket Fences is a beautiful yet haunting portrayal of what lies beneath a seemingly perfect suburban family.” --Mary E. DeMuth, author of Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn
Windfall by Penny Vincenzi: Windfall is full of the signatures that make Vincenzi’s novels irresistible to devoted fans and newcomers alike: a sharp eye for detail, an assortment of loveable and despicable characters, and a titillating, suspenseful plot.
The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah: International bestseller Sophie Hannah is back with a new thriller, again exploring the pleasures and conflicts of young motherhood against the backdrop of a terrifying crime.
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.
Win a Copy of SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay for Your Group
Win a Copy of THE POSTMISTRESS by Sarah Black for Your Group
