Joni and I went to the Larkspur Library (sponsored by Book Passage) last night to see Katie Hafner. She is promoting her new memoir, Mother Daughter Me. I, of course, bought the book there and had Katie sign it. It looks to be fascinating, and I will get it up near the top of the queue - soon.
I don't usually do this, but let me quote the blurb about Katie on the book jacket. She has a darn interesting background.
Katie Hafner is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, where she writes on healthcare and technology. She has also worked at Newsweek and BusinessWeek, and has written for The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Wired, The New Republic, The Huffington Post, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She is the author of five previous books covering a diverse set of topics, including the origins of the Internet, computer hackers, German reunification, and the pianist Glenn Gould. She lives in San Francisco.
Whew, that's a lot of stuff. And she is every bit as engaging as her bio would indicate. The book deals with a 6-month period in 2009 when she lived with her mother and 16-year old daughter. Now that doesn't necessarily seem all that interesting, does it? Well, guess again. Katie's childhood with her mother is The Glass Castle-like. Does that pique your curiosity? It should.
My wife is like Mikey (remember him from the Life Cereal commercials?) when it comes to authors reading from their books. She doesn't like any of them. Except for last night. Katie read 3 very different sections from her book. The writing is excellent, and the subject matter is mesmerizing. Joni wants to read Katie's book just from listening to those 3 excerpts. That's a 1st for her. Nice job, Katie.
I obviously can't recommend the book yet because I haven't read it. But I have a very strong feeling that I will be telling all of you to get a copy of Mother Daughter Me.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Week 9 - It's Back to 25 Recs
Are you kidding me? I thought I was done with 25 in a week. But you guys keep coming up with highly-rated recommendations. So, here's the next 25, with 2 new recommenders: Joe Bolin and Cathy Schmidt, both avid readers.
Cynthia Copeland, Good Riddance, illustrated memoir of divorce - Estella's Revenge
J. Courtney Sullivan, The Engagement, love & marriage - Booking Mama
Abigail Haas, Dangerous Girls - All the Books I Can Read
Kendare Blake, Anna Dressed in Blood (#1), horror - Estella's Revenge
Kendare Blake, Girl of Nightmare (#2), horror - Estella's Revenge
Richelle Mead, The Golden Lilly, vampires & Magic - Tangled in Pages
Suzanne Hayes/Loretta Nyhan, I'll Be Seeing You, historical fiction - Bookfan
JoJo Moyes, Me Before You - Amused by Books
Myra McEntire, Timepiece, YA - To Be Continued
Fowler DeWitt/Rodolfo Montalvo, The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School,
mystery & humor, 7-10 year olds - Booking Mama
Janice/John Spina, Louey the Lazy Elephant, illustrated - Sarah Mazor of Mazorbooks
Jason Mott, The Returned, contemporary fiction & fantasy - Under My Apple Tree
John Searles, Help for the Haunted, creepy - Bibliophile by the Sea
Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver, YA romance - Tangled in Pages
Robert Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power (4th of 5), biography
- Rhapsody in Books
Uma Krishnaswani/Abigail Halpin, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything (#2), middle grades -
Booking Mama
Jesmyn Ward, Men We Reaped - Silver's Reviews
Ann Downer, Wild Animal Neighbors: Sharing Our Urban World, animal & nature lovers,
YA/adults - Bibliophile by the Sea
Floyd Cooper, Max and the Tag-Along Moon, picture book, young readers - Rhapsody in
Books
Richelle Mead, Frostbite (#2, Vampire Academy) - All the Books I Can Read
Jess McConkey, The Widows of Braxton County, murder mystery, 1890 & 2012 - Silver's
Reviews
Tom Burford, Apples of North America: 193 Exceptional Varieties for Gardeners,
Growers and Cooks, reference - Bibliophile by the Sea
Sara Farizon, If You Could Be Mine, YA - Diary of an Eccentric
James L. Swanson, Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, non-fiction - Cathy
Schmidt, reader
Barbara O'Conner, The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, 8-9 year olds - Joe Bolin,
reader
The bloggers who have the most entries this week are Booking Mama and Bibliophile by the Sea with 3 each. You readers will obviously agree with the recommendations of some bloggers more than others. Hopefully, some of these recommendations/recommenders will resonate with you. As always, happy reading.
Cynthia Copeland, Good Riddance, illustrated memoir of divorce - Estella's Revenge
J. Courtney Sullivan, The Engagement, love & marriage - Booking Mama
Abigail Haas, Dangerous Girls - All the Books I Can Read
Kendare Blake, Anna Dressed in Blood (#1), horror - Estella's Revenge
Kendare Blake, Girl of Nightmare (#2), horror - Estella's Revenge
Richelle Mead, The Golden Lilly, vampires & Magic - Tangled in Pages
Suzanne Hayes/Loretta Nyhan, I'll Be Seeing You, historical fiction - Bookfan
JoJo Moyes, Me Before You - Amused by Books
Myra McEntire, Timepiece, YA - To Be Continued
Fowler DeWitt/Rodolfo Montalvo, The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School,
mystery & humor, 7-10 year olds - Booking Mama
Janice/John Spina, Louey the Lazy Elephant, illustrated - Sarah Mazor of Mazorbooks
Jason Mott, The Returned, contemporary fiction & fantasy - Under My Apple Tree
John Searles, Help for the Haunted, creepy - Bibliophile by the Sea
Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver, YA romance - Tangled in Pages
Robert Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power (4th of 5), biography
- Rhapsody in Books
Uma Krishnaswani/Abigail Halpin, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything (#2), middle grades -
Booking Mama
Jesmyn Ward, Men We Reaped - Silver's Reviews
Ann Downer, Wild Animal Neighbors: Sharing Our Urban World, animal & nature lovers,
YA/adults - Bibliophile by the Sea
Floyd Cooper, Max and the Tag-Along Moon, picture book, young readers - Rhapsody in
Books
Richelle Mead, Frostbite (#2, Vampire Academy) - All the Books I Can Read
Jess McConkey, The Widows of Braxton County, murder mystery, 1890 & 2012 - Silver's
Reviews
Tom Burford, Apples of North America: 193 Exceptional Varieties for Gardeners,
Growers and Cooks, reference - Bibliophile by the Sea
Sara Farizon, If You Could Be Mine, YA - Diary of an Eccentric
James L. Swanson, Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, non-fiction - Cathy
Schmidt, reader
Barbara O'Conner, The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, 8-9 year olds - Joe Bolin,
reader
The bloggers who have the most entries this week are Booking Mama and Bibliophile by the Sea with 3 each. You readers will obviously agree with the recommendations of some bloggers more than others. Hopefully, some of these recommendations/recommenders will resonate with you. As always, happy reading.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
New List of Local Authors - Still Love 'em!
Since the time I posted the list of local authors (on March 21 of this year) that I know (or, at least, have read), I have come across a bunch more. It has become necessary (sorry for the formality of the wording) to do a new roster. So, I give you the updated list of local authors that I am in contact with (for you English teachers and others with high sensibilities, I do NOT apologize for ending the sentence with a preposition!). I happily have to say that the list swelled, in part, due to last Sunday's Litquake event.
Adair, Marina
Alexander, Cassie
Ballou, Mardi
Barrett, Elisabeth
Black, Cara
Blackwell, Juliet
Butler, Katy
Clayton, Meg Waite
Dart, Julie
DePaul, Virna
Eisler, Barry
Emil, Paul
Franklin-Willis, Amy
Steve Gore
Guzeman, Tracy
Hafner, Katie
Haynes, Jasmine
Jayne, Hannah
Kirschman, Ellen
LaPlante, Alice
Lakin, Rita
Bette Golden & J.J. Lamb
Lamott, Ann
Lavigne, Michael
Lukas, Michael David
Michel, Debbie
Petrocelli, Bill
Raffel, Keith
Senft, Adina
Siegel, Sheldon
Silverberry, A.R.
Sloan, Robin
Sporleder, Steve
Swan, Joan
Sweet, Victoria
Talbert, Clint
Waters, Rayme
Wecker, Helene
As before, if I left anybody out, my bad. And let's keep this list growing. There is nothing more satisfying for me than to discover a new local author - especially when I like their books!
Adair, Marina
Alexander, Cassie
Ballou, Mardi
Barrett, Elisabeth
Black, Cara
Blackwell, Juliet
Butler, Katy
Clayton, Meg Waite
Dart, Julie
DePaul, Virna
Eisler, Barry
Emil, Paul
Franklin-Willis, Amy
Steve Gore
Guzeman, Tracy
Hafner, Katie
Haynes, Jasmine
Jayne, Hannah
Kirschman, Ellen
LaPlante, Alice
Lakin, Rita
Bette Golden & J.J. Lamb
Lamott, Ann
Lavigne, Michael
Lukas, Michael David
Michel, Debbie
Petrocelli, Bill
Raffel, Keith
Senft, Adina
Siegel, Sheldon
Silverberry, A.R.
Sloan, Robin
Sporleder, Steve
Swan, Joan
Sweet, Victoria
Talbert, Clint
Waters, Rayme
Wecker, Helene
As before, if I left anybody out, my bad. And let's keep this list growing. There is nothing more satisfying for me than to discover a new local author - especially when I like their books!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Litquake Palo Alto 2013 - A Great Event!
This past Sunday, I attended the 2nd annual Litquake at the JCC, Palo Alto. I was there last year, but it was much more extensive this time. The basic format was a variety of panel discussions from 3:00-4:00, 4:15-5:15, and 5:30-6:30, followed by a meet and greet on the 4th floor roof of one of their buildings on campus. You had a choice of 4 seminars to choose from for each hour. Here's what I attended:
3:00-4:00 - Thrilling Tales with Jewish Characters. This was the most fun for me because I know 3 of the 4 authors that were part of the panel discussion - Sheldon Siegel, Michael Lavigne, and Keith Raffel (in fact, Michael's Not Me is in my Fiction for the Non-Fiction Reader, Volume III). In case anybody is keeping score, among those 3, I have read all 14 of their books.
4:15-5:15 - Emerging Authors, Presented by the Peninsula Parlour. Tracy Guzeman was the only one of the 4 authors from this group that I had previously met, and that was 7 or 8 months ago. She had told me then that her 1st book was coming out in August of 2013. And she was right. Later in the event, I had a chance to meet and talk to both Tracy and Amy Franklin-Willis. I bought their books, had them signed, and will put them in an exalted position in my TBR (to be read) pile.
5:30-6:30 - In Conversation with Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, and Andrew Sean Greer. I enjoyed it, although it wasn't what I expected. Since they're friends, it was more casual than I thought it would be. They both have a good sense of humor, so it was entertaining. Just not as substantive as I wanted it to be (since when did I turn into someone who wants substance, you ask?).
Then we went upstairs for the social hour (and a half). That was way fun. I had a chance to talk to Sheldon (and his lovely wife, Linda) and Keith. That was also where I got to meet Amy, see Tracy again, and talk at length to both of them. I also said hello to Ellen Sussman, who's got 2 (of 4) books that I've read. The only disappointment is that I missed Helene Wecker, who wrote The Golem and the Jinni. I got to meet her at a book signing a couple of months ago at Rakestraw in Danville, but I would have liked to say hello to her.
Just one little anecdote from the "after party." A woman came up to me and said that Sheldon sent her over. Her name is Ellen Kirschman. She is a retired 30-year police and public safety psychologist who has written 3 non-fiction books about her work. Well, she just published her 1st novel, and Sheldon told her, correctly(!) that I love to support local authors. So, she gave me her card, and I told her I would buy her book (which I just did) and let her know when I have read it and blogged about it. An author coming up to me! Are you serious?!
That's it. A great event that I definitely will get to every year. Below, I've got a few pictures (like you couldn't see that for yourself).
3:00-4:00 - Thrilling Tales with Jewish Characters. This was the most fun for me because I know 3 of the 4 authors that were part of the panel discussion - Sheldon Siegel, Michael Lavigne, and Keith Raffel (in fact, Michael's Not Me is in my Fiction for the Non-Fiction Reader, Volume III). In case anybody is keeping score, among those 3, I have read all 14 of their books.
4:15-5:15 - Emerging Authors, Presented by the Peninsula Parlour. Tracy Guzeman was the only one of the 4 authors from this group that I had previously met, and that was 7 or 8 months ago. She had told me then that her 1st book was coming out in August of 2013. And she was right. Later in the event, I had a chance to meet and talk to both Tracy and Amy Franklin-Willis. I bought their books, had them signed, and will put them in an exalted position in my TBR (to be read) pile.
5:30-6:30 - In Conversation with Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, and Andrew Sean Greer. I enjoyed it, although it wasn't what I expected. Since they're friends, it was more casual than I thought it would be. They both have a good sense of humor, so it was entertaining. Just not as substantive as I wanted it to be (since when did I turn into someone who wants substance, you ask?).
Then we went upstairs for the social hour (and a half). That was way fun. I had a chance to talk to Sheldon (and his lovely wife, Linda) and Keith. That was also where I got to meet Amy, see Tracy again, and talk at length to both of them. I also said hello to Ellen Sussman, who's got 2 (of 4) books that I've read. The only disappointment is that I missed Helene Wecker, who wrote The Golem and the Jinni. I got to meet her at a book signing a couple of months ago at Rakestraw in Danville, but I would have liked to say hello to her.
Just one little anecdote from the "after party." A woman came up to me and said that Sheldon sent her over. Her name is Ellen Kirschman. She is a retired 30-year police and public safety psychologist who has written 3 non-fiction books about her work. Well, she just published her 1st novel, and Sheldon told her, correctly(!) that I love to support local authors. So, she gave me her card, and I told her I would buy her book (which I just did) and let her know when I have read it and blogged about it. An author coming up to me! Are you serious?!
That's it. A great event that I definitely will get to every year. Below, I've got a few pictures (like you couldn't see that for yourself).
Amy Franklin-Willis and Tracy Guzeman, in the middle
Sheldon Siegel and Ellen Kirschman
Ellen Sussman
Tracy Guzeman
Coming Attractions: Litquake San Francisco 2013 is taking place from October 11-19. It's been going on, in some form, since 1999. I haven't been there yet but plan on going this year.
P.S. Met Waite Clayton, the NY Times Bestselling Author, said that she couldn't make Litquake Palo Alto this year but will definitely be there next year. She will definitely enhance the event.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Round 8 of Recommendations
I guess I spoke a little too quickly last week. It's true that I don't have 25 - but I do have 22 - in just 1 week! Remember that I'm only listing books that have been highly rated. For those who rate on a 5- star system, that means 4.5 or 5. And for those who rate on a 10-star system, it's a 9 or 10. These are obviously books that people REALLY LIKED A LOT! So here's the next batch. And all of the recommenders are bloggers unless I specify otherwise (aren't you glad you know that?).
Sarah Maas, Crown of Midnight (#2, Throne of Glass series), YA mature fantasy - book'd
out
JoJo Mayes, The Girl You Left Behind, historical/contemporary fiction - Amused by Books
& Rhapsody in Books
Shannon Hale, Austenland, geared to Jane Austen fans, humor and fantasy - Diary of an
Eccentric
Mia March, Finding Colin Firth, contemporary fiction - Bookfan
Keith Houston, Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other
Typographical Marks, history of punctuation - Quirky Bookworm
Ella Berthold & Susan Elderkin, The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness:
751 Books to Cure What Ails You, novels as cures - Quirky Bookworm
Jennifer Armentrout, Obsidian (#1), aliens - Tangled in Pages
Joline Petersheim, The Outcast - Tales of Whimsy
Julie Kagawa, The Eternity Cure, sequel - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Anne Pfeffer, Girls Love Travis Walker - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Dawna Raver, Colour Wielders - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Brigid Kemmerer, Storm - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Matt Haig, The Humans, science fiction - Under My Apple Tree
A.J. Paquette, Paradox, futuristic, action-packed - Ryan, on-line 12-year old reader
Jonathan Litton & Thomas Flintham, Mesmerizing Math, math made fun for 7-10 year
olds - Rhapsody in Books
Kathi Appelt, The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, 8 and up - Booking Mama
Robert Munsch & Sheila McGraw, Love You Forever, picture book for new parents -
Carole P. Roman, author
Erika Robuck, Call Me Zelda, historical fiction - BermudaOnion
Kat Zhang, What's Left of Me (#1, The Hybrid Chronicles), YA - Tangled in Pages
Charles Graeber, The Good Nurse, true crime - BermudaOnion
Samantha Shannon, The Bone Season, paranormal/dystopian - book'd out
Marie Lavender, Upon Your Return, historical romance - Johnnie-Marie Howard -
Amazon reviewer
There you have it. Hope you find something to read from this group. See you next week.
Sarah Maas, Crown of Midnight (#2, Throne of Glass series), YA mature fantasy - book'd
out
JoJo Mayes, The Girl You Left Behind, historical/contemporary fiction - Amused by Books
& Rhapsody in Books
Shannon Hale, Austenland, geared to Jane Austen fans, humor and fantasy - Diary of an
Eccentric
Mia March, Finding Colin Firth, contemporary fiction - Bookfan
Keith Houston, Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other
Typographical Marks, history of punctuation - Quirky Bookworm
Ella Berthold & Susan Elderkin, The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness:
751 Books to Cure What Ails You, novels as cures - Quirky Bookworm
Jennifer Armentrout, Obsidian (#1), aliens - Tangled in Pages
Joline Petersheim, The Outcast - Tales of Whimsy
Julie Kagawa, The Eternity Cure, sequel - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Anne Pfeffer, Girls Love Travis Walker - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Dawna Raver, Colour Wielders - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Brigid Kemmerer, Storm - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Matt Haig, The Humans, science fiction - Under My Apple Tree
A.J. Paquette, Paradox, futuristic, action-packed - Ryan, on-line 12-year old reader
Jonathan Litton & Thomas Flintham, Mesmerizing Math, math made fun for 7-10 year
olds - Rhapsody in Books
Kathi Appelt, The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, 8 and up - Booking Mama
Robert Munsch & Sheila McGraw, Love You Forever, picture book for new parents -
Carole P. Roman, author
Erika Robuck, Call Me Zelda, historical fiction - BermudaOnion
Kat Zhang, What's Left of Me (#1, The Hybrid Chronicles), YA - Tangled in Pages
Charles Graeber, The Good Nurse, true crime - BermudaOnion
Samantha Shannon, The Bone Season, paranormal/dystopian - book'd out
Marie Lavender, Upon Your Return, historical romance - Johnnie-Marie Howard -
Amazon reviewer
There you have it. Hope you find something to read from this group. See you next week.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Village House of Books - A Stellar Opening!
Well, Village House of Books opened Saturday (did you figure that out from the title?). And it is FANTASTIC! We were actually there twice. The 1st time, we walked through, watched Cheryl and Steve interact with the customers (they exude a warmth that will bring people back over and over and over again), and spent a little time talking to them ourselves. Then we left. A while later, Joni said: "You know, you never took any pictures." Now, you would think with all of the author events I've been to, and all of the pictures I've taken and posted, that I would automatically think to do that. That would be a wrong assumption on your part. So, back we went. At the end of this post you will see the results of our 2nd visit. And to Cheryl and Steve's credit, they didn't say: "What are you doing back here, you pain the ____?" (insert your own body part)
More important than any of the above is that this is a wonderful bookstore. The way they've set up the displays for the books looks great (see below). The furniture looks like it was custom-made for this store. There are desks, cabinets, and even a little bed to climb on in the kids' section. The books, themselves, capture a bunch of different genres, including best-sellers, self-help, children's, art, and even metaphysical (much to Joni's delight). They also have some very cool gifts, like a combination cookbook and CD, as well as a small section for greeting cards. They've got jewelry, incense sticks, and dolls (Madeleine and dinosaurs). It's a small store with a ton of stuff - without looking cluttered. It's just so darn cool.
I do have one concern/complaint... Nope, just kidding. There's not a single thing I would change. It's a marvelous bookstore with great owners, an excellent selection of books, really neat (I'm running out of adjectives) furnishings, and the proverbial "and more." 2 other local bookstores, Recycle in Campbell and Books, Inc. in Palo Alto, have both expressed how happy they are to have another independent bookstore in the South Bay. Let me add my exuberant (found one!) 2 thumbs up to that. Get down there and see for yourself.
Village House of Books
Cheryl and Steve Hare, owners
326 Village Lane
Los Gatos, CA
(408) 354-6600
(855) 329-2090
villagehouseofbooks.com
villagehouseofbooks@yahoo.com
More important than any of the above is that this is a wonderful bookstore. The way they've set up the displays for the books looks great (see below). The furniture looks like it was custom-made for this store. There are desks, cabinets, and even a little bed to climb on in the kids' section. The books, themselves, capture a bunch of different genres, including best-sellers, self-help, children's, art, and even metaphysical (much to Joni's delight). They also have some very cool gifts, like a combination cookbook and CD, as well as a small section for greeting cards. They've got jewelry, incense sticks, and dolls (Madeleine and dinosaurs). It's a small store with a ton of stuff - without looking cluttered. It's just so darn cool.
I do have one concern/complaint... Nope, just kidding. There's not a single thing I would change. It's a marvelous bookstore with great owners, an excellent selection of books, really neat (I'm running out of adjectives) furnishings, and the proverbial "and more." 2 other local bookstores, Recycle in Campbell and Books, Inc. in Palo Alto, have both expressed how happy they are to have another independent bookstore in the South Bay. Let me add my exuberant (found one!) 2 thumbs up to that. Get down there and see for yourself.
Village House of Books
Cheryl and Steve Hare, owners
326 Village Lane
Los Gatos, CA
(408) 354-6600
(855) 329-2090
villagehouseofbooks.com
villagehouseofbooks@yahoo.com
(Take a look at who's standing behind the mesh cabinet door - and who doesn't know that she's in the picture!)
Thursday, August 15, 2013
It's Official - A New Bookstore Is Opening in the Bay Area
I got the word last night. Village House of Books, in Los Gatos, CA (right next door to San Jose) is opening for business this coming Saturday, the 17th. If you live in the Bay Area, please try and find time in the coming days to stop by. All we hear about is independent and big box bookstores closing. Well, Village House of Books is bucking the trend. We, finally, have an opening and not a closing. I know I'll be there on Saturday in the early afternoon to show my support. Hopefully, I'll see some of you there, too.
The address is 326 Village Lane, and the phone number is (408) 354-6600. It's located right off of highway 17 and the Highway 9/downtown Los Gatos exit. For those of you not familiar with the area, it's the last exit before you start to climb the hill on the way to Santa Cruz.
I know this gives my age away, but they said it best in the '50's and '60's. Be there or be square.
The address is 326 Village Lane, and the phone number is (408) 354-6600. It's located right off of highway 17 and the Highway 9/downtown Los Gatos exit. For those of you not familiar with the area, it's the last exit before you start to climb the hill on the way to Santa Cruz.
I know this gives my age away, but they said it best in the '50's and '60's. Be there or be square.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Top-Earning Authors of 2013 (aren't we still in 2013?), From Forbes, No Less
Forbes has come out with the top-earning authors of 2013. The most significant change at the top is that James Patterson (you all know what I think about his stuff!) has been knocked down to #2 from his usual perch at #1. Here are the top 16 and the amount of money they earned:
1. E.L. James (50 Shades trilogy) - $95M
2. James Patterson - $91M
3. Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games trilogy) - $55M
4. Bill O'Reilly - $28M
5. Danielle Steel - $26M
6. Jeff Kinney (of Wimpy Kid fame) - $24M
7. Janet Evanovich - $24M
8. Nora Roberts - $23M
9. Dan Brown - $22M
10. Stephen King - $20M
11. Dean Koontz - $20M
12. John Grisham (stopped reading his novels after he messed up the ending in The
Firm back in 1991)
13. David Baldacci - $15M
14. Rick Riordan (author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) - $14M
15. J.K. Rowling - $13M
16. George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) - $12M
I have to admit that this is the 1st time I have ever seen a list like this. Even though I'm really sorry that Patterson is there - and so high up - the rest seem deserving.
1. E.L. James (50 Shades trilogy) - $95M
2. James Patterson - $91M
3. Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games trilogy) - $55M
4. Bill O'Reilly - $28M
5. Danielle Steel - $26M
6. Jeff Kinney (of Wimpy Kid fame) - $24M
7. Janet Evanovich - $24M
8. Nora Roberts - $23M
9. Dan Brown - $22M
10. Stephen King - $20M
11. Dean Koontz - $20M
12. John Grisham (stopped reading his novels after he messed up the ending in The
Firm back in 1991)
13. David Baldacci - $15M
14. Rick Riordan (author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) - $14M
15. J.K. Rowling - $13M
16. George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) - $12M
I have to admit that this is the 1st time I have ever seen a list like this. Even though I'm really sorry that Patterson is there - and so high up - the rest seem deserving.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
This Week's Recommendations (#7, if you're keeping track)
I only have 22 this week. I don't think I'm legally, morally, or ethically bound to post 25. Am I? Well, I finally got caught up, so I don't think I'll have 25 in a week any more. I also want to mention that if you see a book twice, it just means that more than one blogger raved about the book. That obviously gives the book even greater cachet.
Without further blather, here they are.
Teal Haviland, Inception, YA paranormal - The Book Reviewers and Authors Club
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1st Sherlock Holmes story - MY READER'S
Block
Saira Shah, The Mouse-Proof Kitchen - Bibliophile By the Sea
Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, spooky - Estella's Revenge
Christine Baker Kline, Orphan Train - Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Patrick Boyle, Scout Honor, true story about sex abuse in the Boy Scouts - Rose City
Reader
Craig Silvey, Jasper Jones - Persephone Nicholas, author
Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth, Persephone Nicholas, author
Kelly Creagh, Nevermore (book #1), YA paranormal - Tangled in Pages
Kelly Creagh, Enshadowed (book#2, Nevermore series), YA paranormal - Tangled in
Pages
Lenore and Daniel Jennewein, picture book - BermudaOnion
Ken Mochizuki, Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story, true story of Japanese
Schindler, children and all ages - Rhapsody in Books
Alison Reynolds, A Year with Marmalade, kids, illustrated - Bibliophile By the Sea
Mary Simses, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe, chick lit - BermudaOnion
Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures (#4, series), YA paranormal - Coffee and
a Book Chick
Carolyn Turgeon, The Fairest of Them All, fairy tale - BookHounds
Don Compton/Dave Ember/Bruce Foster, America's National Parks, pop-up book -
Booking Mama
Dorothea Benton Frank, The Last Original Wife, contemporary fiction - Bookfan
Nelika Mcdonald, The Vale Girl - book'd out
Debbie Macomber, Rose Harbor in Bloom, contemporary fiction - Bookfan
Erika Robuck, Call Me Zelda, historical/women's fiction - Booking Mama
Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy (#1 of 6, Vampire Academy series), YA paranormal -
All the Books I Can Read
Confession: Yes, I know I promised the next 2 mini-reviews in a "day or 3." Today is the 3rd day, and, no, I don't have them ready yet. Soon? Of course.
Without further blather, here they are.
Teal Haviland, Inception, YA paranormal - The Book Reviewers and Authors Club
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1st Sherlock Holmes story - MY READER'S
Block
Saira Shah, The Mouse-Proof Kitchen - Bibliophile By the Sea
Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, spooky - Estella's Revenge
Christine Baker Kline, Orphan Train - Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Patrick Boyle, Scout Honor, true story about sex abuse in the Boy Scouts - Rose City
Reader
Craig Silvey, Jasper Jones - Persephone Nicholas, author
Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth, Persephone Nicholas, author
Kelly Creagh, Nevermore (book #1), YA paranormal - Tangled in Pages
Kelly Creagh, Enshadowed (book#2, Nevermore series), YA paranormal - Tangled in
Pages
Lenore and Daniel Jennewein, picture book - BermudaOnion
Ken Mochizuki, Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story, true story of Japanese
Schindler, children and all ages - Rhapsody in Books
Alison Reynolds, A Year with Marmalade, kids, illustrated - Bibliophile By the Sea
Mary Simses, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe, chick lit - BermudaOnion
Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures (#4, series), YA paranormal - Coffee and
a Book Chick
Carolyn Turgeon, The Fairest of Them All, fairy tale - BookHounds
Don Compton/Dave Ember/Bruce Foster, America's National Parks, pop-up book -
Booking Mama
Dorothea Benton Frank, The Last Original Wife, contemporary fiction - Bookfan
Nelika Mcdonald, The Vale Girl - book'd out
Debbie Macomber, Rose Harbor in Bloom, contemporary fiction - Bookfan
Erika Robuck, Call Me Zelda, historical/women's fiction - Booking Mama
Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy (#1 of 6, Vampire Academy series), YA paranormal -
All the Books I Can Read
Confession: Yes, I know I promised the next 2 mini-reviews in a "day or 3." Today is the 3rd day, and, no, I don't have them ready yet. Soon? Of course.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
The 1st 2 of 4 Mini-Reviews
The 1st review is my most disappointing. When I read Michael Lavigne's Not Me, I was so impressed that I included it in Volume III of Fiction for the Non-Fiction Reader. It was very clever, well-written, and extremely entertaining. His latest, and 2nd, The Wanting, is only 1 of those 3. And the 1 is the problem. It's so well-written that he forgot to make it entertaining. I definitely commend him on writing beautifully. But I can't say that I enjoyed it. Even Steve, who recommended Not Me way back in early 2012, read part of The Wanting and gave up on it. If I didn't know Michael personally, I might have done the same thing. That, and the fact that I have to finish (almost) every book as if it's a homework assignment, kept me from following suit.
The story, in a nutshell, is that Roman Guttman, a Russian Jew and a well-known architect, is hit by a terrorist (Hamas) bus bomb in the town he lives in North of Tel Aviv. 9 people were killed, and he was one of 42 injured. Roman makes an ill-fated journey into Palestine to meet with the suicide bomber's family. Not too smart, eh? The story is told in 3 voices: Roman's, his 13-year old daughter, Anyusha (whose mother has long been dead), and Amir, the terrorist bomber, who says: "But I am confused that I am not in Paradise with my dark-eyed maidens and rivers of wine, at peace with the pleasure of Allah and his angels." Bummer, dude. I'm giving it a 2.5 out of 4 just because it's so well-written. For some of you, good writing might be enough. For me, not so much.
The 2nd review is Brad Taylor's Enemy of Mine. I don't know if you remember, but I read his 1st one, One Rough Man, back in late 2011. Jack gave it to me, and I really liked it. Then I read his 2nd one, All Necessary Force, a couple of months later and thought it was actually poorly written. I was really disappointed because after the 1st one, I had established an email relationship with Brad that I was really enjoying. He always responded within a couple of hours, unlike many authors, and I very much appreciated that. Well, after I read the 2nd one, I emailed to tell him that I had to give an honest, but less than favorable, review. He was a gentlemen about it, but it effectively ended our "relationship." Can't say as I blame him but, hopefully, can't blame me either.
Now here comes Brad's 3rd one. The good news is that it's better than #2. The bad news is that it's not as good as #1. I'm giving it a 2.5 but don't know if I'll read #4. Considering the writing is a bit confusing for me, the only redeeming value is the relationship between Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill, who came together in book #2. Here is a short synopsis of the book from the jacket (no, I didn't read the flap before I read the book):
A tentative peace between Israel and Palestine has been brokered by the United States. But the Taskforce - a clandestine team operating outside of U.S. law to protect the country from terrorism - gets wind of an assassination attempt on the American envoy sent to solidify the treaty. The Taskforce must devote every resource to saving his life - and preventing another bloody outbreak of violence.
Haven't we seen a bunch of books like this? The hero (in this case, the hero and the heroine) almost singlehandedly stops the bad guys and their assassin. It sounds like I'm not a fan of this subject matter. Au contraire. I'm just not a fan when it's not done well. Vince Flynn's (sigh) Mitch Rapp, Alex Berenson's John Wells, and Daniel Silva's (I'm reading his latest now) Gabriel Allon all stop terrorist plots on a regular basis. And Sheldon Siegel's 1st standalone, The Terrorist Next Door, has a Chicago detective that is stopping domestic terrorist plots. It can be done well. It's just not being done particularly well by Brad.
FUTURE PROGRAM NOTES: I will do another couple of mini-reviews in the next day or 3.
The story, in a nutshell, is that Roman Guttman, a Russian Jew and a well-known architect, is hit by a terrorist (Hamas) bus bomb in the town he lives in North of Tel Aviv. 9 people were killed, and he was one of 42 injured. Roman makes an ill-fated journey into Palestine to meet with the suicide bomber's family. Not too smart, eh? The story is told in 3 voices: Roman's, his 13-year old daughter, Anyusha (whose mother has long been dead), and Amir, the terrorist bomber, who says: "But I am confused that I am not in Paradise with my dark-eyed maidens and rivers of wine, at peace with the pleasure of Allah and his angels." Bummer, dude. I'm giving it a 2.5 out of 4 just because it's so well-written. For some of you, good writing might be enough. For me, not so much.
The 2nd review is Brad Taylor's Enemy of Mine. I don't know if you remember, but I read his 1st one, One Rough Man, back in late 2011. Jack gave it to me, and I really liked it. Then I read his 2nd one, All Necessary Force, a couple of months later and thought it was actually poorly written. I was really disappointed because after the 1st one, I had established an email relationship with Brad that I was really enjoying. He always responded within a couple of hours, unlike many authors, and I very much appreciated that. Well, after I read the 2nd one, I emailed to tell him that I had to give an honest, but less than favorable, review. He was a gentlemen about it, but it effectively ended our "relationship." Can't say as I blame him but, hopefully, can't blame me either.
Now here comes Brad's 3rd one. The good news is that it's better than #2. The bad news is that it's not as good as #1. I'm giving it a 2.5 but don't know if I'll read #4. Considering the writing is a bit confusing for me, the only redeeming value is the relationship between Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill, who came together in book #2. Here is a short synopsis of the book from the jacket (no, I didn't read the flap before I read the book):
A tentative peace between Israel and Palestine has been brokered by the United States. But the Taskforce - a clandestine team operating outside of U.S. law to protect the country from terrorism - gets wind of an assassination attempt on the American envoy sent to solidify the treaty. The Taskforce must devote every resource to saving his life - and preventing another bloody outbreak of violence.
Haven't we seen a bunch of books like this? The hero (in this case, the hero and the heroine) almost singlehandedly stops the bad guys and their assassin. It sounds like I'm not a fan of this subject matter. Au contraire. I'm just not a fan when it's not done well. Vince Flynn's (sigh) Mitch Rapp, Alex Berenson's John Wells, and Daniel Silva's (I'm reading his latest now) Gabriel Allon all stop terrorist plots on a regular basis. And Sheldon Siegel's 1st standalone, The Terrorist Next Door, has a Chicago detective that is stopping domestic terrorist plots. It can be done well. It's just not being done particularly well by Brad.
FUTURE PROGRAM NOTES: I will do another couple of mini-reviews in the next day or 3.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
QUESTION?
Do you read the flap of a book before you read the book itself? Or do you want to be surprised? (2 question marks but really only 1 question.)
I'll answer my own question 1st. I do NOT read the flap at least until I have finished the book - or not at all. I don't want to know anything that happens before it happens. I start on page one, and, unlike Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally, who read the end of every book 1st, I never read ahead (well, almost never - but NEVER the end).
What do you all do?
I'll answer my own question 1st. I do NOT read the flap at least until I have finished the book - or not at all. I don't want to know anything that happens before it happens. I start on page one, and, unlike Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally, who read the end of every book 1st, I never read ahead (well, almost never - but NEVER the end).
What do you all do?
Author Taylor Stevens Explains How Authors Get Royalties - Very Illuminating.
Taylor Stevens has written 3 books, starting with The Informationist (which I read several years ago and liked well enough). But, more importantly, she is sharing with her email followers how the publishing industry works and how authors make their money. This segment is about royalties. It's a bit long, but if you have always wondered how authors make money beyond advances, here is an explanation.
Royalties: According to the publisher-author contract, a percentage of every book sold belongs to the author in a form of profit sharing that was originally intended to leave a 50/50 split after all the publishing expenses are factored in. The percentage is laid out within the contract and it varies by format (hardback, trade, mass market, ebook, etc.) and tiered by quantity sold. Typically for a hardback book the tier starts at 10% of cover price (for a $23.00 book, this would be $2.30 per book to the author) and 7.5% for trade paperback (for a $14.00 book, this would be a little over $1.00 per book to the author).
Since the author has already been paid for the work, and that money is his/hers to keep regardless, the author won’t receive any more money from the publisher for this work until enough copies have sold so that the author’s portion earned through sales equals the money the publisher already paid in advance of royalties. This is called “earning out.”
If we assume that our previous hypothetical $20,000 advance was made for a hardback book with a cover price of $23.00, that book would need to sell just over 8,500 copies in order to earn out. [This is not factoring in sales from audio, ebook, or other sources, or the tier breakdown where the author would get more money after the first 5,000 copies—I’m trying to keep it simple.] For a relatively unknown author, 8,500 hardback copies is a LOT of books. Just saying.
Depending on the size of the advance, it’s possible for a book to sell incredibly well and still not earn out. Many books never earn out, and in those cases, the author will never receive more money from the publisher for that book. Once a book does earn out, royalties are accounted for and paid by the publisher typically twice per year. This is with the big six traditional publishers. Indie publishers and small presses may have different schedules, and Amazon also has a more frequent schedule.
Accounting for royalties does not begin for a book until the book’s publication date, and if the pub date falls, say, one month after the accounting period closed out, it could be a year before the first royalty check shows up. THE INFORMATIONIST was sold in July 2009 (contract signed in August), published in March 2011, and the first royalty check (which accounted for only 3 weeks of sales) arrived in September of 2011.
One of the things I find giggle-worthy is when people talk about publishing a book as a way to get rich. It does happen for a small percentage of authors, but even still, as you can see by the way the timeframes are so spread out, even for them book publishing is not get rich quick.
The subject of rights is kind of tedious, so, I’m going to skip a few weeks before approaching it.
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Wednesday, August 7, 2013
This Post Is Called (wait for it...) Recommendations List #6 (do you feel let down?)
Although I lost a day to last week's post (I'm 2 days behind again), at least I have a good excuse this time. In case you didn't pay attention, I posted a new review on Monday. Pretty slick, eh?
Okay, notice that #23 and #25 are the same author, Patrick Ness, recommended by 2 different bloggers. Evidently Ness writes very dark novels. But one of the bloggers actually called him a genius. If any of you reads one of his books, I would love to get your opinion.
Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea, historical fiction –
Stacy’s Books
Rod Stewart, Rod, autobiography – Booking Mama
Ken Ludwig, How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare –
Rhapsody in Books
Peter Bently, King Jack and the Dragon, picture book 2+ -
Quirky Bookworm
Karen Marie Moning, Dreamfever (book 4), fantasy – All the
Books I Can Read
Liza Klaussmann, Tigers in Red Weather, literary fiction –
Booking Mama
Paula Weston, Shadows, paranormal – Tangled in Pages
Wes Moore, Discovering Wes Moore, YA memoir – Bermudaonion
Rachel Caine, #1-Working Stiff, #2-Two Weeks’ Notice,
#3-Terminated, Revivalist
trilogy, paranormal and urban fantasy – book’d out
Henry Cole, Unspoken:
A Story from the Underground Railroad, historical picture book
(no words) – Rhapsody in Books
Susan Holoubed, Traces of Absence – book’d out
Time Home Entertainment/Discovery Channel, Sharkopedia, The
Complete Guide to
Everything Shark – Booking Mama
Jinx Schwartz, Just the Pits, #5, mystery – Evelyn Cullett
Michael Robotham, editor, If I tell You…I’ll Have to Kill
You, essays by Australian
crime writers – book’d out
Koethi Zan, The Never list, psychological thriller (debut) –
Booking Mama
Vivek Shraya, God Loves Hair – Bookish Ardour
Lauren Leto, Judging a Book by its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds
of
Readers Everywhere – Amused by Books
Cathy Lamb, If You Could See What I See, chicklit, romance,
contemporary fiction –
book’d out
Liane Moriarty, The Husband’s Secret, women’s fiction – Under
My Apple Tree
Lulu Harrison, Lulu in LA LA LAND, middle grade reader –
Booking Mama
Brigid Kemmerer, Storm (Elemental #1), paranormal – Feed
Your Fiction Addiction
Kara Weiss, Late Lights, novella – Under My Apple Tree
Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls, YA, dark fiction, fantasy –
Under My Apple Tree
Jon McGoran, Drift, thriller – Stacy’s Books
Patrick Ness, The Ask and the Answer, dystopia – Tangled in
Pages
Monday, August 5, 2013
Looking for Me - Beth Hoffman's 2nd (and, unfortunately, only other) Book
It's only been a little over a month and a half (50 days, to be exact) since I reviewed Beth's 1st book, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. Normally, I would wait awhile before I picked up a 2nd book from an author I had only read a couple of months earlier. HOWEVER, since I gave CeeCee a strong 4 (maybe even a 4.25) out of 4, I decided not to wait to read Looking for Me. And, not surprisingly, I'm very glad I made that decision. This is another really strong effort from Beth. Between the 2, I have to give CeeCee the edge. Don't be upset, Beth. Looking for Me is still a 4.
1st, let me give you a quick rundown of Looking for Me. Teddi Overman grows up in Kentucky and finds herself as a young girl with a passion for fixing beat-up furniture. In fact, while selling a restored piece at the end of the road leading to her house, she runs across a buyer that will change her life. She ultimately ends up working in an antique store in Charleston, South Carolina. After a number of years, and in a very roundabout way, she ends up owning the store. Now, normally, I wouldn't give away a plotline that turns up a good part of the way into a book. In this case, though, the drama centers on personal relationships, both with family as well as with friends, mentors, and even foes. It's the journey (I know from the Bachelor/Bachelorette that "journey" is a very overused word), not the destination, that matters here.
Now, what about some of those relationships (I'll get to family in a minute)? First, there's Mr. Palmer, who Teddi 1st sees at the end of the road in Kentucky and who she then works for in Charleston. Then there's Mr. Calhoun, who brokers a loan for her to buy her own shop. How about Sam, an attorney in town, who pays for whatever his mother swipes from Teddi's shop (in fact, take a look at page 79, in which Teddi's bookkeeper, Inez, introduces us to the word "Designamony"). And let's not forget Albert, a master restorer who Teddi works with at Mr. Palmer's shop and who then works for Teddi at her shop. Finally, there's Teddi's best friend, Olivia. Just like Leo Stein, in Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller, Olivia gets all of the funny lines.
All of these connections/relationships are right on. I loved them. But Teddi also has family that she grew up with in Kentucky. What about them? Here's what's very interesting to me. I connected less, emotionally, with her family than I did with her Charleston people. Teddi has quite a story to tell about growing up with her mother, father, brother, and grandmother ("grammy," which my son's kids call their other grandmother). In fact, her brother disappeared when he was 18, and Teddi was 23. And Teddi had a very complicated relationship with her mother. I was definitely interested in both of them (along with her father and grandmother, especially her grandmother) but not viscerally. I can't explain it. I have yet been able to figure out why I connect with some characters and not others. It just is what it is.
There's another element of the book that I really like. Teddi is a single woman who is in her mid-30's. She has a deep love for family, friends, and antique furniture. She doesn't need romance in order to have a fulfilling and fulfilled life. Does she find a man to love and to be loved by? Maybe she does and maybe she doesn't. The point is that the book succeeds without a love interest. Not every book that deals with emotions and relationships has to have romance to make it work. But, in many cases, it doesn't hurt, either!
Get a hold of this book - in print, digital, or audio format. You'll be thanking me that you did.
P.S. How cool is this book cover?
1st, let me give you a quick rundown of Looking for Me. Teddi Overman grows up in Kentucky and finds herself as a young girl with a passion for fixing beat-up furniture. In fact, while selling a restored piece at the end of the road leading to her house, she runs across a buyer that will change her life. She ultimately ends up working in an antique store in Charleston, South Carolina. After a number of years, and in a very roundabout way, she ends up owning the store. Now, normally, I wouldn't give away a plotline that turns up a good part of the way into a book. In this case, though, the drama centers on personal relationships, both with family as well as with friends, mentors, and even foes. It's the journey (I know from the Bachelor/Bachelorette that "journey" is a very overused word), not the destination, that matters here.
Now, what about some of those relationships (I'll get to family in a minute)? First, there's Mr. Palmer, who Teddi 1st sees at the end of the road in Kentucky and who she then works for in Charleston. Then there's Mr. Calhoun, who brokers a loan for her to buy her own shop. How about Sam, an attorney in town, who pays for whatever his mother swipes from Teddi's shop (in fact, take a look at page 79, in which Teddi's bookkeeper, Inez, introduces us to the word "Designamony"). And let's not forget Albert, a master restorer who Teddi works with at Mr. Palmer's shop and who then works for Teddi at her shop. Finally, there's Teddi's best friend, Olivia. Just like Leo Stein, in Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller, Olivia gets all of the funny lines.
All of these connections/relationships are right on. I loved them. But Teddi also has family that she grew up with in Kentucky. What about them? Here's what's very interesting to me. I connected less, emotionally, with her family than I did with her Charleston people. Teddi has quite a story to tell about growing up with her mother, father, brother, and grandmother ("grammy," which my son's kids call their other grandmother). In fact, her brother disappeared when he was 18, and Teddi was 23. And Teddi had a very complicated relationship with her mother. I was definitely interested in both of them (along with her father and grandmother, especially her grandmother) but not viscerally. I can't explain it. I have yet been able to figure out why I connect with some characters and not others. It just is what it is.
There's another element of the book that I really like. Teddi is a single woman who is in her mid-30's. She has a deep love for family, friends, and antique furniture. She doesn't need romance in order to have a fulfilling and fulfilled life. Does she find a man to love and to be loved by? Maybe she does and maybe she doesn't. The point is that the book succeeds without a love interest. Not every book that deals with emotions and relationships has to have romance to make it work. But, in many cases, it doesn't hurt, either!
Get a hold of this book - in print, digital, or audio format. You'll be thanking me that you did.
P.S. How cool is this book cover?
Friday, August 2, 2013
"6 Books for Boys Who Hate Reading"
Whitney Collins, on behalf of Barnes & Noble, listed 6 books that will get young boys, who don't like to read, reading. Along with a 1-word category, they are:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney - commiserating
George's Marvelous Medicine - Roald Dahl - naughty
Attack of the Giant Hampster - Dr. Roach - gross
Bunnicula - Deborah Howe - scary
Interrupting Chicken - David Ezra Stein - funny
On Board the Titanic: What it was Like When the Great Liner Sank - Shelley Tanaka - tragic
For a detailed description of why each book will appeal to young male readers, click on the link below.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney - commiserating
George's Marvelous Medicine - Roald Dahl - naughty
Attack of the Giant Hampster - Dr. Roach - gross
Bunnicula - Deborah Howe - scary
Interrupting Chicken - David Ezra Stein - funny
On Board the Titanic: What it was Like When the Great Liner Sank - Shelley Tanaka - tragic
For a detailed description of why each book will appeal to young male readers, click on the link below.
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