Books on the Nightstand

Reading successes and failures in 2012, our favorite books of 2012, and two books we wish we had read. Successes and Failures My 12 in '12 Reading Challenge was a great success for many people, just not me. Of the 36 books I hoped to read, I read 15. Ann's goal of learning to appreciate William Faulkner was a resounding success. And, last year we picked three books we wished we had read in 2011 - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (me), Ready Player One (Ann), and The Family Fang (both of us). Ann read The Family Fang, but neither of us got to the other books on our lists. Our Favorite Books of 2012 (7:20) Despite Ann and I each ending up with 11 books we loved this year, we managed to cut our lists to 5 each. (Ann still manages to mention most of her 11 anyway!) Ann's Top Five Six The Dog Stars by Peter Heller The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe Wild by Cheryl Strayed Wonder by R.J. Palacio Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/orphan-194x300.jpg)  (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/achilles-198x300.jpg)  (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/wonder.jpg) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/defending-198x300.jpg)  (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/dogstars-198x300.jpg)  (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/gonegirl-198x300.jpg) Michael's Top Five Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman Defending Jacob by William Landay The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker plus, we each mentioned other books that made our long list, including Dear Life by Alice Munro and Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. Two Books We Wish We Had Read in 2012 (25:20) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/light-between-198x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/end-of-your-life-209x300.jpg) And finally, we end the year with our biggest literary regrets, each choosing the "book that got away," for now. Ann chose The Light Between Oceans (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13158800-the-light-between-oceans) by M.L. Stedman, a novel of a childless couple in a lighthouse in Australia whose wish for a child is mysteriously granted. And I chose The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe, a title that needs no introduction, and one that I will read soon! Thanks for a wonderful year everyone, and especially to Rob Webb, who created our Book Index, and to Linda Johnson, who keeps it updated. We have the best listeners in the world!

We explore the new category of New Adult, and give you 12 ways to break out of your reading slump. Plus, we recommend The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, and Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel. Congratulations to Melissa R. who won our giveaway of Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman! What the Heck is New Adult? A recent writing contest by St. Martins gave the name "New Adult" to a genre of stories featuring protagonists in their late teens and early twenties. Here are our questions: do we need a new category for this type of story? should these books have their own section in a bookstore? A few books that might fall into this category are Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close and Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan. The blog NA Alley (http://naalley.blogspot.com/) has a list of recommended New Adult books (http://naalley.blogspot.com/p/recommended-na-reads.html). We'd love to hear what all of you think about this categorization of books and what titles you think might fit. How to Break a Reading Slump (9:10) There are many reasons you might end up in a reading slump, including finishing a book you love so much that books that follow it pale by comparison. (Ann is currently reading On Sal Mal Lane by Ru Freeman and she knows the next book she reads will have a lot to live up to!) Whatever the reason, we hope these 12 suggestions can break you out of your slump! Reread a favorite book  Sometimes revisiting characters and settings that you love will let you fall back into the reading habit. Switch genres  If you’re a mystery fan, try reading some fantasy. If you love fiction, try a book of narrative nonfiction. After all, we get tired of eating the same thing day after day; the same happens with reading. Find a book that is hugely popular  Blockbuster bestsellers usually have a strong element of story telling that an capture even some of the most reluctant readers. It might capture you, too. Shop your own shelves  If you’re an avid book lover, chances are that you have at least a few books that you’ve purchased but haven’t yet read. If you’re anything like us, you have piles of them. Buried in one of those stacks is a book that may just get you out of your reading slump! Don’t read -- listen  Take an audiobook with you to the grocery store, or listen while cleaning the house, walking the dog, gardening … a well-chosen audiobook with a great narrator will sweep you up into the story. Let someone else tell you what to read  Put your reading fate into someone else’s hands. Before asking for a recommendation, promise yourself that you will take the suggestion. Then seek out a bookseller, librarian, or book-loving friend to tell you what to read next. Read with a friend  Have an impromptu book club! Choose a friend and a book, and commit to reading together. The knowledge that your friend is also reading the same book may keep you going, and you can look forward to a fun discussion after. Go for the quick fix -- read some short stories or essays  Short pieces work really well as “palate cleansers.” Reading a short story may be just what you need before moving on to another big novel or work of nonfiction. Try YA  Young adult novels tend to be more tightly written and action-packed than many adult novels, and so may be more likely to keep you engrossed in the story. There are young adult novels in every genre, so if you love mystery, pick up a mystery YA. Peruse the Reviews  Make it a project: read book reviews until you find something that grabs you. The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, reviews on Goodreads are all great places to see what people are saying about the newer books that are out in stores. Seek out fan fiction  If your slump is caused by the end of a beloved series, chance are that someone is writing fan fiction with the same characters in the same world. Some fan fiction is good, others not so much,

This week I sit down with Steve Leveen, the CEO of what might be my favorite store: Levenger (http://www.levenger.com/). (https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/425547286/IMG_7165.JPG) To me, the Levenger catalog is the equivalent of the old Sears Christmas Wish Book (request your own copy (https://www.levenger.com/users/CatalogRequest.aspx)). It's filled with tools for readers and writers: bookcases, book rests, book marks, literary games, iPad and ereader cases, fountain pens, cool notebooks.... Michael is a fan, too, and I know that many of our listeners are customers as well. And so it was a real honor for me to be able to talk with Steve about the company and the products that Levenger offers. (It was also a great excuse to shop!). Steve and I spoke about all kinds of things -- from Levenger's beginnings, to the "golden age of books," to Steve's vision for bringing the paper notebook into the future, to the concept that Steve calls "high bandwidth reading." Because we were recording in the middle of the Boston Levenger store, the background noise may be a bit distracting, but I hope you'll find our conversation as interesting as I did. Of course I also asked Steve to recommend two books he can't wait for us to read. I found his selections particularly intriguing:   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320462831l/828165.jpg)    (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311281857l/11107244.jpg) Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour, which is L'Amour's memoir. L'Amour left school at 15 and learned most of what he knew on his own, from books and from people he met in his travels. I had always thought that this memoir was for fans of L'Amour's westerns, but I think I was wrong. I may be picking this one up soon. The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence has Declined by Steven Pinker. Steve Leveen describes it as an incredibly uplifting book that shows that the scientific and historical data makes the case that our world has actually become more peaceful and less violent.  A special offer from Levenger for BOTNS listeners (38:12) (http://www.levimage.com/image/Press/gettysburg/RB1455_banner.jpg) After my conversation with Steve, I spoke with Mim Harrison, editor of Levenger Press (http://www.levenger.com/Reading-17/Books-238.aspx). Mim told me about Long Remembered: Lincoln and His Five Versions of the Gettysburg Address (http://www.levenger.com/Reading-17/Books-238/Long-Remembered-Lincoln-and-His-Five-Versions-of-8320.aspx), which Levenger published in partnership with the Library of Congress. It's a gorgeous book -- cloth bound, heavily illustrated with photos of Lincoln's documents, maps, and other papers from the time. The commentary is by Douglas L. Wilson, one of the advisors on the film Lincoln. Levenger has offered Books on the Nightstand listeners a special offer on this book: reduced pricing, $49.00 (instead of $69), Tuesday, December 4 through Monday, December 24th. Enter promotion code BOTNS at checkout. May not be combined with any other offer or applied to previous or pending purchases.

This week, we're playing "What would you give?" and "What do you want?" with our BOTNS 2012 Holiday Gift Guide.   We're not going to list our choices here in the show notes, because we really want you to see *all* of our choices. But if you're looking to send us a gift, you'll get lots of ideas from listening to this week's episode! Also, you'll get to hear me being mean to Michael. I guess I'm off his Christmas list.   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/2012giftguidethumb.jpg)   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339554952l/13554713.jpg) One thing you don't want to miss: a chance to win a copy of Philip Pullman's Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm. Just tell us below (in the comments) what book you are hoping to receive this holiday season. (It doesn't have to be a book from our Gift Guide!) We'll choose one winner at random on December 10th, and our friends from Penguin will send a copy off to you.    

This week we bring you the audiobook session from Booktopia Santa Cruz, which featured award-winning narrators Grover Gardner (http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/gvpages/gardner.shtml) and Simon Vance (http://simonvance.com/), along with audiobook producer Tanya Perez (http://twitter.com/dogearedcopy). (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/grover-300x225.jpg)   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/simon-197x300.jpg) Due to lots going on at work, busy-ness with the BOTNS 2012 Holiday Gift Guide (coming on Friday!), and general Thanksgiving craziness, there are no show notes this week. Sorry everyone! We'll be back to our usual format next week.

A new podcast discovery; we contemplate novellas; and we recommend Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan and The MIddlesteins by Jami Attenberg. Things we've been meaning to tell you: (http://www.literarydisco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bluebrownlitdisrec-e1330969532702.jpg) We discovered a new books podcast! Literary Disco (http://www.literarydisco.com/) is smart and funny and worth checking out. The sound quality is great, too! In the episode, I mention that Instacast (http://vemedio.com/products/instacast) is my favorite app to listen to on the iPhone, so do check it out if have an iDevice. We have a thread on our Goodreads group about other book-related podcasts (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1080187). There are recommendations there for other podcasts to listen to. If you're new to BOTNS, please do explore our Goodreads group (http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4862) -- a GoodReads account is free, and we have a lot of active book-lovers who take part and I've found it to be a great way to meet fellow booklovers. Also, a little bit of housekeeping: we've had a few emails asking us to not spend so much time talking about Booktopia during the podcast -- so we are going to put any Booktopia-specific information at the end of podcast episodes from here on out. We'll continue to talk about our Booktopia books and authors, since we think those should appeal even to people who can't join us in person. But the "nitty gritty" details pertaining the the actual weekends will be saved for the end. We will let you know at the beginning, though, so that you can listen through or fast-forward, as you wish. Lastly, we are working on our annual BOTNS Holiday Gift Guide. It should go live on Black Friday.   Not too short, and not too long... (09:33) In a recent post on The New Yorker's Page-Turner blog, Ian McEwan wrote about the novella (http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/10/some-notes-on-the-novella.html). It's a form that I haven't really thought much about, though there are several novellas that are among my favorite reads: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan and Walk for Mankind, a novella that leads off the latest Ann Packer collection, Swim Back to Me. Michael considers A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle to be a novella. Melville House (http://mhpbooks.com/) publishes a series called The Art of the Novella (http://mhpbooks.com/series/the-art-of-the-novella/), offering a mix of classics and other works by authors you may know. They are gorgeous, small-format paperbacks, and they are not too expensive. Some of the books in the series have additional online content available, which can be accessed by links and QR codes in the back. Thinking about the novella made me wonder if e-reading will make novellas (novellae?) more attractive to book buyers. Will we see more "e-shorts"? Will we start referring to word count instead of page length?   Two Books we can't wait for you to read: (19:46)   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345089845l/13538873.jpg)   (http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339727222l/13525938.jpg) (Must be yellow book-jacket week!) Michael's pick this week is Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538873-mr-penumbra-s-24-hour-bookstore) by Robin Sloan. It's a "quest" novel set in partially set in a bookstore where many of the volumes are mysterious old books borrowed by an assortment of odd characters.Our main character and his Google-programmer sidekick go on a journey to discover the mystery of these books. The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg is a book that seemed to come out of nowhere. I had never heard of it, and then suddenly it was everywhere.  It's a family story with a woman at the center who is obese. Her family is concerned, especially as her health worsens, but Edie doesn't seem to want to do anything about it. I love dysfunctional family stories,

What is NaNoWriMo? Ann's current obsession with short stories. And two recent short story collections we love: May We Shed These Human Bodies by Amber Sparks and The News from Spain by Joan Wickersham. Note:  These show notes were written while watching the Presidential Election results. Forgive their brevity and the possible occasional incoherence! BOTNS friend and wonderful author Richard Mason has announced that his eLuminated version of History of a Pleasure Seeker is now available for download, in both a free (excerpt) version (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/history-pleasure-seeker-volume/id562529412?mt=8) and a paid version (https://itunes.apple.com/app/history-pleasure-seeker-volume/id549147657?mt=8) that covers the first 200 pages of the book. Featuring professional narration, music, interactive images and more, this is not just an eBook! November is NaNoWriMo(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nanowrimo.jpg) November is National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org/), which means that starting on the first, up to 300,000 people worldwide started writing a novel. They've got until the end of the month to complete the first draft of a 50,000 word novel. Previous NaNoWriMos have produced the novels that became Water for Elephants, The Night Circus and Cinder. Short Story Obsession (10:31) Ann's been on a bit of a short story reading kick lately. A discussion with Ann Packer reminded (our) Ann that the stories in a collection are almost always written over a long period of time, and that has changed how she reads collections. The timing of this discussion is coincidentally perfect, because it is National Short Story Week (http://www.nationalshortstoryweek.org.uk/) in the UK. Their website is chock full of stories to read and listen to, lists of stories, and more. In 2013, we hope to create a year-long reading challenge focusing on a different short story each month. Much more to come on that Lastly, we'd love for you to call our voicemail line (209.867.7323) and leave a short message sharing your thoughts on short stories. Love 'em? Don't? Why? (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/may-we-shed-187x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/news-from-spain-201x300.jpg) Two Short Story Collections We Can't Wait For You to Read (19:21) I am absolutely loving May We Shed These Human Bodies by Amber Sparks, a collection that is perfect for fans of Karen Russell, Kevin Brockmeier and Aimee Bender. Ann recommends The News from Spain (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13330767-the-news-from-spain) by Joan Wickersham (http://joanwickersham.com/www.joanwickersham.com/Welcome.html). Subtitled "Seven Variations on a Love Story," this is a collection in which each story is called "The News from Spain," and is a collection that works even better as whole than as its individual stories.    

October 30, 2012: Our hearts and thoughts go out to all of our listeners, friends and colleagues affected by Hurricane Sandy. Michael and I were both fortunate to come through the storm with just a little inconvenience. I hope that you all made it through safely and with limited damage, and that it's a quick recovery for those of you who did suffer loss and damages. This episode was recorded (and show notes written) on Monday, October 28, 2012. ---------------------------- Hurricane Sandy is wreaking havoc with our ability to record a new episode this week, so we've decided to try a little experiment. We know that many of you count on us to occupy part of your listening hours on Wednesdays, so we don't want to leave you stranded. Therefore, we'd like to introduce you to Angry Robot Books (http://angryrobotbooks.com/about-us/) through their podcast, The Angry Robot Podcast (http://angryrobotbooks.com/2012/10/angry-robot-podcast-19/), hosted by Mur Lafferty (http://www.murverse.com/). We've included their podcast episode #19 in full in our feed this week, so that you can listen without having to seek it out. (http://www.graspingforthewind.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/greyred_on_black_10cm_300dpi.jpg) Angry Robot is a publisher that I have had the pleasure of working with directly for the past few years. They publish very interesting books that somewhat defy categorization, but might best fall under the umbrella of science fiction and fantasy. They've recently launched a Young Adult imprint called Strange Chemistry (http://strangechemistrybooks.com/). Two of their titles, Blackwood by Gwenda Bond (http://www.gwendabond.com/) and Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig (http://terribleminds.com/), are books that I've wanted to talk about on BOTNS for awhile. In addition, many of you have been asking for more science fiction content. This episode features an interview with Adam Christopher, author of Seven Wonders, and Chuck Wendig, who talks about Mockingbird, the sequel to Blackbirds which I mentioned above. Don't worry, there are no spoilers! I really enjoyed Blackbirds, and after hearing Adam Christoper talk about Seven Wonders, I'm betting that Michael picks up a copy very soon. We''ll be back with a regular episode next week!

We answer questions and make a few announcements during the podcast we recorded live at Booktopia Santa Cruz. Booktopia 2013 (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Booktopia-2013-FINAL-logo1-300x138.jpg) For those who haven't heard the news yet (you are part of our Booktopia mailing list (http://booksonthenightstand.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8333a0f98c97441e276db0914&id=8e60f4559f), right?), we will again be hosting three Booktopia events in 2013 April 12-14, 2013: Manchester, Vermont in partnership with Northshire Bookstore (http://www.northshire.com/)Registration opens 10/31/12 at 12 noon EST June 7-9, 2013: Bellingham, Washington in partnership with Village Books (http://villagebooks.com/about-village-books)Registration opens on or about 12/7/2012  September 27-29, 2013: Petoskey, Michigan in partnership with McLean and Eakin Booksellers (http://www.mcleanandeakin.com/)Registration opens on or about 3/27/2013  Full details can be found at the Booktopia home page (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/). Q and A in CA (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Sunday-QA-300x199.jpg) On Sunday morning of Booktopia Santa Cruz, Ann and I sat in front of an audience and answered any questions thrown at us. We got some great queries like how do we find the time to read for pleasure vs. work? what do we do in our day jobs? how long do we spend podcasting each week? how do we choose the authors for Booktopia? and what books did we discover at Bookshop Santa Cruz (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/) during the weekend? We even had some "guest answerers:" Ann's husband Eric, plus authors Tupelo Hassman (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5074293.Tupelo_Hassman) and Sarah McCoy (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2770941.Sarah_McCoy). Books mentioned: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, Building Stories by Chris Ware, Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, and  Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 by Paula M. Block. For a full list of the titles recommended during the Bookseller Speed Dating sessions, click here (http://traffic.libsyn.com/booksonthenightstand/Bookshop_Santa_Cruz_Speed_Dating.pdf). Finally, Lauren and Jason, each new to Booktopia, gave their thoughts on the weekend.

It's a short episode this week, but it's jam-packed with a ton of ways for to you satisfy your book recommendation needs. Ann and I are in the final crush of Booktopia Santa Cruz preparation, so I'm flying solo on the podcast this week, but I've got several new book recommendation sources for you to check out, all courtesy of independent booksellers around the country. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/books.jpg) Podcast The Book Pod - produced by McLean and Eakin Bookstore (http://www.mcleanandeakin.com/) in Petoskey, MI, this podcast is in the form of a conversation between a man and a woman, (a format you should find familiar and comforting), and also features author interviews and sample tracks from audiobooks. Radio Shows Thacker Mountain Radio - Recorded on the stage at Off Square Books (http://www.squarebooks.com/square-books) in Oxford, MS (a stage that recently hosted Booktopia!), this music and author reading show airs on Thursdays in the Spring and Fall. Information on how to listen can be found here (http://thackermountain.com/the-show/). The Chuckanut Radio Hour, hosted by Chuck Robinson, owner of Village Books (http://villagebooks.com/) in Bellingham, WA, is a variety show with author readings, comedy skits and more. The show is aired on a local radio station (http://www.sparkmuseum.org//listen) Saturdays at 6pm and Sundays at 9pm (pacific time). Video Reviews Market Block Books - Every week, Stanley, the store manager records a video where he passionately and engagingly talks about some of the new books in the store that week. Harvard Book Store - Video reviews from various staff members, plus recordings of a few of the store's author events. First Edition Clubs Many stores now have these clubs where members will receive a book on average every month. The books are autographed first editions that the store has chosen for both literary and collectible merit. Lemuria Books (http://www.lemuriabooks.com/index.php?show=fec), in Jackson, MS, was the first store I personally heard of that did this. Since then, many of the stores I work with have started FEC programs, including The Odyssey Bookshop (http://www.odysseybks.com/first-editions-club), Harvard Book Store (http://www.harvard.com/clubs_services/first_edition_club/) and R.J. Julia Booksellers (http://www.rjjulia.com/rj-julia-signed-first-edition-form). For a First Edition Club on steroids, you need look no further the Powell's Books Indiespensible (http://www.powells.com/indiespensable/) program. Every six weeks Powell's chooses a new book which they offer in an exclusive signed edition. Sometimes it's a copy of the book in a specially-designed slipcase, sometimes it's a unique printing of the book available only to Indiespensible members. Plus they throw in extras like a Q&A with the author, along with various other gifts (sometimes it's food, a mug, a tote bag or a harmonica!) Next week, we'll be bringing you the live podcast we're recording in Santa Cruz this coming Sunday. In that episode, we will be announcing the cities and dates for our 2013 Booktopia events. If you can't wait until next Wednesday to find out, be sure you're signed up for our Booktopia email list (http://eepurl.com/ee_AH). Folks on that list will get an email on Sunday with all of the details!   Stacks of Books photo by Andrei.D40 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/antekno/5687330321/in/photostream/), via flickr

Grimms' Fairy Tales is 200 years old, and for our 200th episode, we talk about books influenced by the Brothers Grimm. Oh, and bloopers, too. It's our 200th episode! Thank you to all who have been with us from the beginning, and those of you who are more recent listeners. To commemorate, we found a 200-year-old book that is worth talking about. December 20, 1812 marked the publication of the first edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales. With so many television shows and movies based on fairy tales, it strikes us that the Brothers Grimm probably don't get the credit they deserve. The cultural influence that these fairy tales have is immense. We talk about several books that are derived from fairy tales: * Briar Rose, by Jane Yolen * The Fables series (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21326.Fables_Vol_1) (graphic novels) by Bill Willingham. The new original hardcover graphic novel is called Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland. * For middle-grade readers, The Sisters Grimm (series) by Michael Buckley and Peter Ferguson. The first in the series is The Fairy-Tale Detectives. * For young adults, Cinder by Marissa Meyer. The sequel, Scarlet, will be published in early 2013. * Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18943.Confessions_of_an_Ugly_Stepsister) and Mirror, Mirror by Gregory McGuire * The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly What are some books inspired by fairy tales that you've enjoyed? Please let us know in the comments -- we'd love to have a great list available. Lastly, in honor of our 200 episode, we have a short selection of bloopers. Have a few laughs at our expense -- we do all the time! Thanks again for listening, everyone!

It's the final two author talks from Booktopia Oxford, plus info on the Random House Open House in NYC, where Ann and I will speak, and a reminder to sign up for our Booktopia e-mail list as 2013 announcements should be coming soon! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/graphic-canon-2.jpg) Note: Russ Kick's presentation at the Celebration of Authors at Booktopia Oxford, though wonderful, was too visually-based to effectively reproduce here. But don't let that stop you from picking up his wonderful Graphic Canon, volume 2 (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13152641-the-graphic-canon-vol-2) of which was just released! Ann and I are thrilled to have been invited to be part of the Random House Open House (http://rhopenhouse.tumblr.com/), taking place on November 2 at the Random House offices in NYC. We will be discussing our favorite books to give as gifts this holiday season. Tickets (https://www.eventbrite.com/event/3789915740?ref=ebtnebtckt) are on sale now, and space is limited! Booktopia 2013 announcements coming soon! Be sure to sign up for our Booktopia email list (http://booksonthenightstand.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8333a0f98c97441e276db0914&id=8e60f4559f) so you'll dates and destinations as soon as they are announced. If you are already signed up for this list (you should have received an email from us this week), then there's no need to sign up again. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/watery-199x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bezellia-197x300.jpg) Michael Parker is the author of five novels including his most recent, The Watery Part of the World. In addition to discussing why he writes so often from a female perspective, Michael read a scene featuring a pivotal meeting between two characters. Susan Gregg Gilmore has written two novels, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen and The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove, and 2013 will see the release of The Funeral Dress. As usual, Susan had the audience in stitches and we thank her for filling in for our ailing authors.

In this show we focus on Booktopia Santa Cruz titles Swim Back to Me, Murder in the Marais, South with the Sun, Girlchild, and Silver Sparrow. Booktopia Santa Cruz Books We Can't Wait For You to Read In this episode we talk about the five Booktopia Santa Cruz books we haven't discussed on the podcast yet. Don't forget to reacquaint yourselves with the titles we've already discussed (titles link to those previous episodes): Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks, The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy, and The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson. Speaking of Orphan Master, you owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful video review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VITG8crD_VQ&feature=youtu.be) sent to us by BOTNS listener Caleb. Also, if you aren't attending Booktopia Santa Cruz, remember that you can order books through Bookshop Santa Cruz's website (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/booktopia-santa-cruz), have them signed that weekend, then mailed to you. The sooner, the better, so order right away! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/swim-back-195x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/marais-199x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/lanterne-200x300.jpg) Swim Back to Me by Ann Packer - An emotional collection of stories that begins with a novella set in California in the 80's and ends with a story that revisits one of the characters from the novella. Murder in the Marais and Murder at the Lanterne Rouge by Cara Black - These are books #1 and #12 (I misspoke in the podcast, calling it #13) in the Aimee Leduc mystery series set in Paris. Each book explores a mystery in a different Paris neighborhood. South with the Sun by Lynne Cox - As a young girl, reading about Roald Amundsen inspired Lynne's own love of the polar regions, a love which led her to become one of the most celebrated cold-water swimmers. In this book she explores both Amundsen's life and her own. Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman - This is a book that truly blew me away. Uncomfortable and unbearably sad at times, this story of young trailer park resident Rory Dawn Hendrix features writing unlike anything I've read before. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones - "My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist." From that stunner of a first sentence, Tayari Jones tells the tale of two young girls who meet, but only one of them knows they have the same father. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/south-with-186x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/girlchild-200x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/sparrow-199x300.jpg) In addition to these eight wonderful authors, we are thrilled to be also welcoming celebrated audiobook narrators Grover Gardner (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/277654.Grover_Gardner) and Simon Vance (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5602.Simon_Vance) to Booktopia. Because their work is all about their voices and skilled narration, we hope to record their hour-long session at Booktopia, in addition to their talk on Saturday night, and play it as a future podcast episode.

Revisiting To Kill a Mockingbird in print and on DVD. What kind of reader are you? We love Don't Know Much About the American Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis, and The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy. Ann Goes Back to Eighth-Grade English Class(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mockingbird-186x300.jpg) When Ann’s daughter was assigned To Kill a Mockingbird, and her town chose it as the community’s “One Read,” she took it as a sign that it was time to re-read this favorite classic. She's very pleased to find that it's as wonderful as she remembers! I took this opportunity to finally watch the movie, which I had never seen. The new 50th anniversary edition is wonderful; a beautifully crisp transfer of the film, plus the DVD is packed with extras. What Kind of Reader Are You? (7:00) A recent article (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/08/what-kind-book-reader-are-you-diagnostics-guide/56337/) (and its followup (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/08/many-more-types-book-readers-diagnostics-addendum/56425/)) on The Atlantic’s website, got Ann and me discussing what type of reader we are. We’re bits and pieces of several of their categories including The Multi-Tasker, The Sleepy Bedtime Reader and The All-the-Timer/Compulsive/Voracious/Anything Goes Reader. We’re definitely not the The Delayed Onset Reader #2, someone who only buys books for their decorative value. We’d love to hear what you think of these, or how you’d write your very own description. Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (13:52) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DKMA-american-pres-197x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/bakers-198x300.jpg) Though she’s a little sick of the current electoral season, Ann has been truly enjoying Don’t Know Much About the American Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis. It’s the perfect book for reading whenever you want entertaining and comprehensive overviews of our 44 commanders-in-chief. The Baker's Daughter by Booktopia Santa Cruz author Sarah McCoy is a beautiful story of two women, each on the cusp of major decisions in their lives, one in Nazi Germany and the other in contemporary Texas. I loved both story lines and the letters, from various characters, which expand the story wonderfully.

A book filled with recommendations from Indie Booksellers across the US. New technologies and devices changing the way we read. Recommendations for In Between Days by Andrew Porter and Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson. Read This! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/read-this-207x300.jpg) I just picked up a very cool little book called Read This! It's subtitled Handpicked Favorites from America's Indie Bookstores and is guaranteed to add to your "to be read" pile - something I most definitely do not need, but I bought it anyway. It puts us in mind of another wonderful book of recommendations: Two Books I Can't Wait For You to Read, the book we published last year, filled with favorite books of 2011 Books on the Nightstand Retreat authors and attendees. It's still available for order from Northshire Bookstore's print on demand machine. And, in vague, non-committal ways, we discuss Booktopia 2013 and the possibility of Two Books..., Vol. 2. New Developments in Reading (6:22) Recently, Kobo (http://www.kobo.com/) announced several new e-book devices, along with a partnership (http://bookweb.org/about/press/20120829.html) with the American Booksellers Association, meaning you'll soon be able to buy e-readers as well as e-books from many independent book stores. One of those new devices was a frontlit e-ink reader, meaning black and white print-like text, with a light surrounding the screen for nighttime reading. The timing on this is great since a recent study (http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/09/04/cant-sleep-it-could-be-your-ipad/) indicates reading on backlit devices (like an iPad or any other color tablet) may be interfering with your sleep. Amazon also announced new devices, and something called Whispersync for Voice (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000827761) in which an e-book and an audiobook, both purchased from Amazon, through the Kindle or the Kindle iOS and Android apps, will sync with each other. Wherever you leave off reading the e-book, is where the audio will start and vice-versa. We think this is a major development and one the we hope will grow to other e-book and audio platforms. In other news, the audio CDs of Tana French's amazing first book In the Woods, which I borrowed from the library, were scratched beyond repair. Of course the problems didn't kick in until I was already hooked on the story! Thankfully, Ann has a copy of the book she is lending me! Thanks Ann! Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (17:59) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/in-between-200x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/albert-198x300.jpg) Ann recommends In Between Days by Andrew Porter. The story of a family in crisis (several crises, actually), this novel was so real and visceral to Ann that it left her feeling uncomfortable, but at the same time she couldn't stop turning the pages. I listened to the audio of Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson and completely fell in love with this book. It tells the tale of Albert, a platypus, who escapes from the Adelaide Zoo and finds adventure on his quest to find "Old Australia," a fabled land of peace and freedom for animals. I imagine this is in the vein of Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5659.The_Wind_in_the_Willows), two books I sadly have not read.