Books on the Nightstand

A listener asks us about the Kobo; we discuss the J.K. Rowling pseudonym controversy; and we recommend William Shakespeare's Star Wars and A Marker to Measure Drift. A Question About the Kobo Tina H. sent in a question about my recent mention of the Kobo. I've only used the Kobo app (http://www.kobobooks.com/ipad) on my iPad, and have enjoyed the experience. It was very easy for me to order an e-book from my local independent book store. (Kobo is the only e-reader/e-book that you can purchase through independent book stores - though not all carry it.) Ann recently got a Kobo Aura HD (http://www.kobo.com/koboaurahd), one of the newer, e-ink devices that features a reading light around the screen, rather than being backlit. She loves it for many reasons which she discusses on the podcast. Does the Name on the Jacket Matter? (11:55)(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/JKR-Cuckoo-207x300.jpg) The literary world was all abuzz when it was leaked that bestselling author J. K. Rowling wrote a book called The Cuckoo's Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. People claimed that this was the perfect example of the difficulty for unknown authors to get any attention. Some folks were convinced it was a publicity stunt. Regardless of the reasons it happened or the larger problems it may be indicative of, this situation raises some interesting questions: how much does the name of the author matter? can we ever come to a book without any preconceived notions? and would doing so change the read? (note: that cover to the right, is one that I created, purely for fun!)   And Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (23:19) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/WS-SW-200x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/marker-176x300.jpg) The literary nerd  and sci-fi geek in me was thrilled by William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher. Yup, it's the entire first Star Wars movie, re-told in iambic pentameter, complete with in-jokes, an R2-D2 who soliloquies as asides to the audience, and wonderful illustrations throughout. Ann was spellbound by A Marker to Measure Drift by Alexander Maksik (on sale in the US July 30). It's the story of Jacqueline, living in a cave on an island in the Aegean Sea. Over the course of a dinner, she relates her story to a woman she barely knows. This is a book filled with beautiful writing, but not one can say too much about ahead of time.

This week we bring you three short author talks from Booktopia Bellingham, WA. Special thanks to our partner Village Books (http://villagebooks.com/). If you'd like to order copies of any of these authors' books (or anything else, for that matter), Village Books will be happy to take care of you. Also, trying something new this week with the audio podcast: in some audio players (Instacast for sure, iTunes on your computer (and maybe on your phone), you should see chapters -- these chapters will help you jump right to a segment that interests you, and you should see images of the author and book jacket. If this works, it might be something we can do for all future episodes to help make navigating more easy for you. Let us know if you like it or hate it. Ru Freeman (02:57) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/freemanbook-300x240.jpg)   Ru Freeman (rufreeman.com)is the author of On Sal Mal Lane (http://www.villagebooks.com/book/9781555976422), a novel set in Sri Lanka during the civil war, and A Disobedient Girl (http://www.villagebooks.com/book/9781439101964), about a young servant girl.   Peter Clines (13:20)   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/clinesbook-300x274.jpg)   Peter Clines (https://plus.google.com/102914093579453519052/posts) is the author of Ex-Heroes (http://www.villagebooks.com/book/v/9780804136570), Ex-Patriots (http://www.villagebooks.com/book/v/9780804136594), and the newly-released Ex-Communication (http://www.villagebooks.com/book/v/9780385346825), all part of the Superheroes vs. Zombie series.   Rhonda Riley (18:52)   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rileybook-300x261.jpg)   Rhonda Riley (http://rhondariley.wordpress.com/)is the author of The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope (http://www.villagebooks.com/book/v/9780062099440), a book that is difficult to describe and a love story like no other I've read.

This week: BookVibe, Other People podcast, a literary trip to Russia, short stories from Connie Willis, and Lottie Moggach's Kiss Me First. Two Recommendations (that aren't books): We recently received an email from the staff at BookVibe (http://www.bookvibe.com) telling us about their new service. I tend to be skeptical of "book discovery sites"--it's a space that many want to try and get into right now, and I'm not sure an algorithm is ever going to do it for me. But BookVibe is a cool site that Michael and I have been having fun playing with. BookVibe parses the people you follow and twitter, and delivers a list of books that those people have been talking about. It's pretty -- the book jackets take center stage -- and super easy to use. There are other features that are fun, but mostly, it's a great way to see what books people are talking about. Check it out! I also want to recommend a podcast that is new to me -- specifically, one episode of a podcast (I'm sure the others are great, too, but I haven't yet listened). Other People podcast with Brad Listi, Episode #188 (http://otherpeoplepod.com/archives/2187) features an interview with Ecco Books editor Lee Boudreaux. (https://twitter.com/BoudreauxLee) Lee is an editor that Michael and I both follow closely; she has edited some of our favorite books, including Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12450053-the-song-of-achilles), Rhonda Riley's The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818218-the-enchanted-life-of-adam-hope), and most recently, Alissa Nutting's Tampa (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225311-tampa). This interview is a great look inside publishing. If you are curious about how books get into bookstores, get buzz, and other insights into publishing, give a listen.   A Literary Trip to Russia: (09:12) I spent a lovely four-day weekend reading books set in Russia.  I knew at the outset that I would not finish all of them, but my mission was to read a good sample of each. This project was inspired by Elliott Holt's book, You Are One of Them (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158564-you-are-one-of-them), which I loved, and which made me want to read more books set during various parts of Russian history. The books I read (or read part of): The Age of Ice (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130312-the-age-of-ice) by J. M. Sidorova - a fantastic historic epic with a bit of magic and a lot of gorgeous prose. And maps! And lists of characters! I talk quite a bit about this book on the actual podcast, so if it sounds like something you'd like, you might want to listen to me prattle on about it. Stalin's Barber (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15893756-stalin-s-barber)by Paul M. Levitt - The story of a man who becomes barber to Stalin (and to a number of Stalin impersonators). Fascinating history and absurdist political intrigue. The House of Special Purpose (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15798438-the-house-of-special-purpose) by John Boyne - Yay, Imperial Russia! I do love the period. the story of Georgy, a young man who was plucked from his village and taken to live at the Winter Palace. John Boyne (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7195.John_Boyne) is a favorite author of mine, and I'll read anything he writes. Put it in Imperial Russia and I'm sold. And just to round it out, the first two books in a Young Adult fantasy trilogy that is inspired by Imperial Russia (but really has nothing to do with the actual Russia0: Shadow and Bone (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194157-shadow-and-bone) and Siege and Storm (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061955-siege-and-storm) by Leigh Bardugo. These are so much fun, even if you're technically not a young adult.   Two Books we Can't Wait for you to Read (24:25)   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372038076l/16085458.jpg)   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356120056l/16085482.jpg)

 This week, we discuss the Penguin Random House merger, reading books out loud to our kids, and new books from Maggie O'Farrell and Philipp Meyer.   It's Penguin Random House, not Random Penguin   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/penguinrh-223x300.jpg) It's official: the merger between two of the world's largest book publisher, Penguin Books and Random House, was completed on July 1st. If you follow book publishing news at all, you will likely see many posts and news articles about the merger. The merger was first announced in October of last year, and we have had several questions about what that means, both for us and for the industry. Since Michael and I are both employees of this new company, we thought it important to let you know about it, but from the book reader's perspective, you probably won't see any differences. There will be no changes to Books on the Nightstand: this blog and podcast has always been an independent project and that will not change. If we find ourselves reading more Penguin books, it will only because it will (hopefully!) be easier to get our hands on them. As for any changes in the rest of publishing because of the merger, it's far too early to know, and any change takes time. For now, it's business as usual.   Reading Aloud to Children   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362370522l/16171211.jpg)Asa from Sweden, a children's librarian, emailed us to ask for a segment on books suitable for reading aloud with children. Michael decided to take this on, as he struggles with reading longer books to his son and hasn't yet found the right book. I confess that I was a read-aloud failure with my kids: they preferred the silliness of my husband, but really they wanted to read their own books, not listen to one with the whole family. In addition to this great list of read aloud chapter books from Goodread (http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/328.Best_Read_Aloud_Chapter_Books)s, we mention the following titles as possiblities: * Tashi (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2038020.Tashi) books * The Phantom Tollbooth (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/378.The_Phantom_Tollbooth) * The Hobbit (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5907.The_Hobbit) * Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.Harry_Potter_and_the_Sorcerer_s_Stone) * The BFG (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6319.The_BFG) by Roald Dahl * Charlotte's Web (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24178.Charlotte_s_Web) There's a brand new edition of The Read Aloud Handbook (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16171211-the-read-aloud-handbook) by Jim Trelease, a great resource for finding books and methods for reading aloud to children. We'd love to hear about your experiences reading aloud to your kids -- and if you have suggestions for specific books, we'd love to hear those, as well.   Two books we can't wait for you to read:   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361254899l/16071765.jpg)  (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365993687l/17268888.jpg)   I've been a fan of Maggie O'Farrell since I read The Vanishing Act of Esme Lenox (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250729.The_Vanishing_Act_of_Esme_Lennox) and The Hand that First Held Mine (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6939939-the-hand-that-first-held-mine). Her newest book, Instructions for a Heatwave, tells of a family that comes together when the father disappears. The children are grown and well into their own lives, but they come back to London to support their mother and try to find their father.  I loved the portrayal of the grown children who revert back to their childhood issues and personalities as soon as they step foot into the family home. Michael's pick for this week is the audiobook of The Son (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17268888-the-son-cd) by Philipp Meyer, read by Will Patton, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Shepherd and Clifton Collins.  The book is dark and brutal,

Mixed feelings about not finishing a book; why we plan our summer reading; and recommendations for Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and Life After Life by Jill McCorkle Abandoning Books Karen R. asked if we keep track of the books we read, especially the books we don’t finish. She’s worried about re-starting a book that she previously tried and didn’t like. Ann recently switched to keeping track of her books in a physical notebook and will mark unfinished books as DNF (Did Not Finish). I’m still using Goodreads because I’m addicted to the ease of entering and marking the books with an app. If I don’t finish a book, I just delete it from my “currently reading” shelf. We both have to read a lot of excerpts of books for work; we don’t count those, even though they’d probably add up to a couple of “whole” books! This all comes back to the feeling some people have that they must finish any book they start. That’s a personal opinion, of course, but we feel very strongly that there are too many good books out there for you to slog through something you’re not enjoying. Two articles (WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323469804578525354146879558.html) and Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/22/change-your-life-abandon-books)) recently discussed this subject and came up with some interesting perspectives. Why Do We Plan Our Summer Reading? (7:56)(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/safety.jpg) Even if you don’t have the summer off, chances are, you still plan out your summer reading more than any other time of the year. Why? Vacations, long hours of daylight, lack of new TV shows, whatever the reasons, Ann and I have each chosen a few books that are on our Summer Must Read Lists: Great Expectations for me and Crossing to Safety (for both of us). Ann has also re-committed to the Classics Impossible Facebook Group which is currently reading Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady, and will finally get to Lonesome Dove this summer. She’s still reading a short story every day, including forthcoming collections from Lorrie Moore (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11746.Lorrie_Moore) and Aimee Bender (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5285.Aimee_Bender). What are your summer reading plans, if you have any? Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (16:22) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/LAL-Atkinson.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/LAL-mccorkle.jpg) Though I am late to the party, I am thrilled to recommend Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I began by listening to the audio which was simply wonderful as narrated by Fenella Woolgar. After getting out of my car, I immediately went inside and had to buy the eBook, because I had to keep going. I read the middle part and then finished it on audio. However you decide to read this book, print or audio, I think you’ll find something unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. (Goodreads discussion thread here (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1383545-life-after-life-by-kate-atkinson---spoilers-allowed)) Ann also recommends Life After Life, but this time it’s the novel by Jill McCorkle. Jill’s first novel in seventeen years, Life After Life centers on Joanna Lamb, a hospice worker at an assisted living home in North Carolina. It’s a book that Ann loved; its first few chapters almost read like short stories that then come together into a beautiful, heartfelt novel.

How we choose the next book to read? Does the news influence the books that you choose to read? New books from Ethan Rutherford and J. Courtney Sullivan. Listener question: how do we choose books to read? This week, we start with another listener question (have a question? Ask it here. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZvVSya--Ur1cM_251OfPiafFHpyidI5XLzkfRZE0Bg0/viewform)): Chanda in KY writes: "With SO many amazing books out there, how do you select which book to read next? If you enjoy a book, do you tend to read everything else out there by that author right away, or do you space it out and read other books in between? I used to "overindulge" on an author and read everything they had written in sequence, if I truly enjoyed their work, but lately I have found myself choosing to read books that are totally different from each other, i.e. I will read a memoir and then a historical novel and then a horror or sci-fi book. Just wondering your thoughts on this." Both Michael and I agree that there's not a real science to our book choices -- a lot depends on mood. And we both agree that it would be a luxury to serial-read an author's complete works, but not something in which we can often indulge. I will also pick books, or move them up the To Be Read pile, based on what people are talking about. For instance, this week on Twitter, people were talking about the fortchoming Tampa (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225311-tampa) by Alissa Nutting, and so I've moved it up on my reading list. Please let us know here, in the comments, how you choose your next book to read. If you are receiving this blog post by email, please click the link (http://booksonthenightstand.com/2013/06/botns-235.html)and comment on the blog, so that conversation can flow there. Thanks!   Books and the News: (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327120857l/1167751.jpg)There have been some stories in the news (http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2013/0611/NSA-revelations-trigger-a-spike-in-1984-sales) about how sales of 1984 (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1167751.1984) have increased, possibly due to the breaking story about the NSA surveillance of US telecommunications. While we can't quite understand why the news would bring someone to buy 1984, we're in favor of anything that makes people buy books. Another suggested read for those interested in the unfolding NSA story: The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping of America (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2699739-the-shadow-factory) by James Bamford The recent death of Iain Banks has made me want to read his work. I had heard his name for a very long time, but had no idea just how important he was to so many readers. This has made me want to pick up his work. Again via twitter, suggested places to start with Banks are The Wasp Factory (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/567678.The_Wasp_Factory)or The Crow Road (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12021.The_Crow_Road) (literary fiction written under the name Iain Banks) and Consider Phlebas (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8935689-consider-phlebas) (Book 1 in the Culture series, published under Ian M. Banks). Here in New England, we're also following the trial of mob-boss Whitey Bulger (http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/06/17/bulger/RKKURe5dGLHwccHJ2UqvlM/story.html). There are two books that have come out recently that cover his life and capture: * Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15798986-whitey) by Dick Lehr and Gerald O'Neill * Whitey Bulger: America's Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt that Brought Him to Justice (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16241144-whitey-bulger) by Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy and also two books written a few years ago by associates of Bulger: * Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Boston Irish Mob

This week we bring you the hilarious, entertaining and informative Booktopia Vermont talks from Chris Pavone, author of The Expats, and Sara J. Henry, author of A Cold and Lonely Place. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/expats.jpg)  (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/cold-lonely.jpg) Next week, Ann and I will be back with a regular episode. Until then enjoy these talks and happy reading!

It's our first installment of "Hosts on the Hot Seat," our Q&A segment where you Q and we A. We recommend The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope and Is This Tomorrow.

This week we bring you the wonderful Booktopia Vermont talks from Elizabeth Kelly and Jon Clinch. Elizabeth discussed her new book Last Summer of the Camperdowns, which is just landing in stores now/very soon. Jon, author most recently of The Thief of Auschwitz, read from a work in progress called Belzoni Dreams of Egypt, a book that sounds like a ton of fun, and one that I can't wait to read. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/camperdowns-197x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/thief-187x300.jpg) Next week, Ann and I will be back to answer some of the questions we've already received from you folks. If you've always wanted to ask us a question, be sure to click through to our easy form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZvVSya--Ur1cM_251OfPiafFHpyidI5XLzkfRZE0Bg0/viewform) and ask away!

This week: May short-story read-along, a new Q&A feature, our thoughts on "unlikeable characters," and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I've announced the May Short Story Read-along, To Do by Jennifer Egan (http://booksonthenightstand.com/2013/05/may-short-story-read-along-and-an-invitation.html). We'd love your participation. Head on over, read the story, and then see if you can write a story in "list" format. The best way to share your story is to post it on your own blog, tumblr, or in a Google Doc, and put the link in the comments of the read-along post. If your story is very short, you can post it in the comments, but be aware that much of the formatting will be lost. We've made it easy for you to ask us all of your burning questions. We loved doing the live podcast Q&As at recent Booktopia events, so we'd love to make it a more regular feature. If you have a question for either or both of us, we'll try to answer it on the podcast. Ask about our jobs, the podcast, request a book recommendation, or ask us about anything you like. If we can answer, we will. Depending on the volume of questions, we'll either do a Q&A episode or integrate the answers into regular episodes. Thanks to Book Fight (http://bookfightpod.com/)for giving us the idea (I'm a huge fan of their "Writers Ask" episodes). To ask your question, just click on the BOTNS Q&A form: http://bit.ly/BOTNSQA (http://bit.ly/BOTNSQA)   Looking for Friends (in all the wrong places):   Claire Messud was recently interviewed by Publishers Weekly about her novel (http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/56848-an-unseemly-emotion-pw-talks-with-claire-messud.html), The Woman Upstairs. In the article, the interviewer asked Messud, "I wouldn’t want to be friends with Nora, would you? Her outlook is almost unbearably grim." Messud's answer is terrific, and started a conversation on blog posts and social media about "unlikeable characters." Michael and I share our thoughts about these complicated characters. Some of the other books that we mention during this conversation: The Corrections (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3805.The_Corrections), Gone Girl (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8442457-gone-girl), Finn (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102077.Finn), Lolita (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2029081.Lolita) (audio read by Jeremy Irons), Tampa (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225311-tampa), The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13604611-the-revised-fundamentals-of-caregiving) We'd love to hear your thoughts, too.   Two Books One book we can't wait for you to read   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348791561l/15797715.jpg) Michael talks about Anthony Marra's A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, a novel about a man who saves the daughter of his neighbor from abduction by Chechen authorities. Beuatifully written and emotionally compelling, it spans the whole of 2 Chechen civil wars. Michael has coined a new term for this type of book: "clutch-worthy" -- the kind of book that after you finish, you clutch the book to your chest. In the meantime, I've decided to postpone my segment 3 recommendation because I do feel strongly that this book is important and you should think about reading it. Anthony Marra is touring (he'll be in Corte Madeiera and Santa Cruz in June), and many bookstores have signed copies. Check with your local bookstore. It is also the May pick for Powell's Indiespensible (http://www.powells.com/indiespensable/) -- I know many of you are members, but even if you're not, as of now it appears to still be available to order.

This week, we're pleased to bring you the first two author talks from Booktopia Vermont. Paula McLain and Nichole Bernier were delightful and entertaining. Enjoy! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/paris-201x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/unfinished-194x300.jpg)

Michael's Short Story Month reading plan. What movies do to books, good and bad. Plus we recommend the new books from Claire Messud and David Sedaris. May is Short Story Month(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/zombie.jpg) Ann's been reading a short story a day, all year. That was too much for me to commit to, so I'm just doing it for the month of May, which is Short Story Month (http://www.pw.org/content/making_the_case_for_national_short_story_month?cmnt_all=1). I've collected all of the books I'm pulling the stories from onto one shelf in Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1021858-michael?shelf=short-story-month), though of course, I'll read other things that catch my eye, including the May Short Story Read-Along (http://booksonthenightstand.com/2013/05/may-short-story-read-along-and-an-invitation.html). One of the books I talk about, I Don't Know the Author or the Title, But It's Red and It Has Three Zombie Stories In It by Kelly Link, is only available through Harvard Book Store (http://shop.harvard.com/book/x4878), as far as I can tell. Ann recently read Flying Lessons (http://kellylink.net/stranger-things-happen/stranger-things-happen-sample-stories/flying-lessons) by Kelly Link recently in her writing class at Grub Street in Boston, and now wants to read everything Kelly has ever written. Ann also recommends the New Yorker Fiction podcast (http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/podcast)  as a great way to hear stories, followed by a discussion of the work. Follow @annkingman (https://twitter.com/annkingman) on Twitter for short story recommendations throughout the month. Follow my month of reading on the Books on the Nightstand Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BooksOnTheNightstand). Books Into Movies, Movies on to Books (11:10) The movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby (in theaters May 10) is getting people talking, especially about the movie-tie-in edition of the book (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/business/media/new-great-gatsby-book-carries-a-hollywood-look.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0), which has star Leonardo DiCaprio on the cover. Many people dislike movie-tie-in covers (http://theweek.com/article/index/243512/the-great-gatsby-and-7-other-hideous-movie-tie-in-book-covers) in general (and some stores won't even carry them), but we think that anything that gets people to read a book is worthwhile. Other book/movie news: * The first trailer for Mister Pip (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hugh-Laurie-Teaches-Dickens-International-Trailer-Mr-Pip-37284.html) has been released and it looks like they've really translated the feel of the book onto the screen. * World War Z (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EC7P5WdUko), the movie, comes out June 21. While it looks like a heck of a lot of fun, I'm not sure it will accurately capture the tone of Max Brooks' novel (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8908.World_War_Z). However, a new edition of the audiobook (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533709-world-war-z) has just been released, and now features narrators like Martin Scorcese, Mark Hamill, Alfred Molina, Henry Rollins and Nathan Fillion, to name just a few. You can see the full cast list at the end of the description on the audio's Goodreads' page (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533709-world-war-z). And Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (25:49)   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/woman-201x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/owls-264x300.jpg) Ann calls The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud "one of the best novels she's read in 2013." It's the story of Nora, an elementary school teacher who forms an intense attachment to the family of one of her students. I recommend David Sedaris' new book Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls, especially on audio. It's a wonderful collection, hilarious, yes, but also incredibly moving at times.

It's Edgar Week! The 2013 Edgar Awards will be presented on May 2nd at the Edgars Banquet. In celebration, I speak this week with Daniel J. Hale, Executive Vice President of the Mystery Writers of America. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Copy-of-MWA.Logo_-300x300.jpg) Daniel J. Hale is the Executive Vice President of the Mystery Writers of America (http://www.mysterywriters.org/), the premier organization for authors and fans of mystery and crime fiction. I spoke with Dan about the history of the Edgars, what they represent, and what they mean to the winners. I had a great time talking with Dan, and I hope you enjoy the interview. If you receive this by email, the link to listen is at the bottom of the email. The complete list of Edgar nominees is here: http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html (http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html). You'll recognize several of the nominees, I think, including Booktopia Vermont 2013 author Chris Pavone's The Expats. It's no secret that Michael and I are rooting for him. As I mentioned, I will be reading and blogging all five of the Short Story nominees. That blog post will go live on Friday, May 3rd, and you can access it by clicking the "Project Short Story (http://booksonthenightstand.com/project-short-story)" tab at the top of this page. (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337601423l/353814.jpg)   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1308458930l/32423.jpg) As always, we ask our guests to recommend two books that they can't wait for us to read. Dan's suggestions: The Charm School by Nelson DeMille and Watchers by Dan Koontz. Both great choices, and Watchers is a personal favorite of mine as well. Michael and I will be back next week with a regular episode. Happy reading!

We review the stacks of books we wish we could read right now. Ann and I are always bemoaning all of the books we want to read, books that are piled on our nightstands or bookshelves. If we had unlimited reading time, these are the books we would pick up right now. We thought it would be fun to give you a quick overview of all of those. You'll likely hear more about some of these as we get to them in the upcoming weeks and months. On Michael's Nightstand (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/vital-198x300.jpg) * A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin * The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper * The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma * The Massive, Vol. 1: Black Pacific by Brian Wood * Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand * A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra * Nebula Awards Showcase 2013 edited by Catherine Asaro * Brick by Brick by David C. Robertson On Ann's Nightstand * The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/rapture-202x300.jpg) * The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner * All That Is by James Salter * Life After Life by Jill McCorkle * Life After Life by Kate Atkinson * The Good House by Ann Leary * After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey * Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler * Walking with Jack by Don J. Snyder * Tampa by Alissa Nutting We hope you've enjoyed this peek into our TBR lists!    

This week, we present the Booktopia Santa Cruz talks from Cara Black and Matthew Dicks. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/montparnasse-198x300.jpg)    (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/mem-imag-200x300.jpg) It's our final two author talks from Booktopia Santa Cruz, finishing up with Cara Black, author of Murder Below Montparnasse, the latest Aimee Leduc mystery, and Matthew Dicks, the author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, which will be out in paperback on May 7.