Books on the Nightstand

The Concord Free Press and their wonderful publishing program; Re-reading, do you do it? Do you have time to do it?; Michael sheepishly admits that he still hasn't read Waiting for Sunrise, the new novel from William Boyd, and Ann recommends Trapeze by Simon Mawer No, Really - It's Free! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/new_header.jpg) Concord Free Press (http://www.concordfreepress.com/) is a wonderful publisher that has just published its seventh book, Round Mountain (http://www.concordfreepress.com/roundmountain/) by Castle Freeman, Jr. Here's the catch, (don't worry, it's a good catch) the book is free. As in zero dollars. Concord Free Press publishes 3,000 copies of a book, then gives them all away, via their web site and independent bookstores. All they ask in return is that the reader makes a charitable donation of some sort (size and recipient is left up to the giver). The reader should also log their donation on the Press' site, and then pass the book on so more people can read it and donate on its behalf. It's a wonderful idea that is working very well. To date, their 7 titles have raised nearly $300,000 worldwide. So, check the list of stores (http://www.concordfreepress.com/find-a-bookstore/) that carry their books and see if one is near you. If not request a copy of Round Mountain here (http://www.concordfreepress.com/round-mountain-request-form). Revisiting Re-reading (7:17) Our Goodreads Group's "What do you want us to talk/write about?" (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/66653-what-do-you-want-us-to-talk-write-about) thread comes to the rescue again. Tawny started a discussion there about re-reading, which books she has re-read and which she wants to. Surprisingly, it's a topic we spoke about in the very first episode (http://booksonthenightstand.com/2008/03/testing-podcast.html) of BOTNS, but, frankly, both Ann and I are too afraid to listen to it to hear what we said. Suffice to say, with our reading schedules, we rarely have time to re-read, though Ann has recently read two books a second time: The Sense of an Ending (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12280827-the-sense-of-an-ending) and Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7948230-crooked-letter-crooked-letter). If we were to re-read more than we do, we'd love to re-experience To Kill a Mockingbird (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird), The Chocolate War (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17162.The_Chocolate_War), The Great Gatsby (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4671.The_Great_Gatsby) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5470.1984). So, what are your thoughts on re-reading? Do you have the time? Do you make the time? Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (15:15) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sunrise-197x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/trapeze-200x300.jpg) No, I still haven't read William Boyd's new book Waiting for Sunrise (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12345981-waiting-for-sunrise). I will get to it soon, but I didn't want to wait any longer to tell you about this book which is the story a British actor in Vienna in 1913. He's looking for psychological help but ends up in an affair that nearly ruins his life. Ann raves about Trapeze (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13000865-trapeze) by Simon Mawer. It's the story of nineteen-year-old Marian Sutro who is trained to operate covertly in occupied Europe during World War II.

Announcing our Booktopia:Santa Cruz author lineup, book snobbery, The Man Who Planted Trees, and a new novel from Toni Morrison. (Apologies for the less-than-stellar sound this week. Our recording conditions were less than optimal.) Booktopia Past and Future: (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/bookshop.jpg)We're finally back, recovered from the glory that was Booktopia Vermont. Thank you to all BOTNS listeners who joined us in a magical, bookish weekend. Extra-special thanks to our lovely authors, whom I now all count as friends. Today we announce our author lineup for Booktopia:Santa Cruz (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/santa-cruz-ca/), happening in October. This event is sold out, but you can sign up for the waiting list (http://www.planetreg.com/E92818165128). Our Booktopia partner Bookshop Santa Cruz (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/)is offering BOTNS listeners the opportunity to receive 10% off and free shipping when you order our Booktopia authors' most recent books, through this special page on their website (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/booktopia-santa-cruz). If you are attending Booktopia:Santa Cruz, please use this to order any books that you know you will want to buy that weekend. You can specify that they be held for you at the store. In this way, the store will be sure to have enough copies on hand. If you are NOT attending Booktopia, you may order your books and ask for them to be held for Booktopia weekend. At that time, we will have the authors sign the books, and then they will be shipped to you.   * Lynne Cox (http://www.lynnecox.org/), author of South with the Sun (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/search/apachesolr_search?family_id_filter=3031974) * Ann Packer author of Swim Back to Me (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/55051) * Tayari Jones (http://www.tayarijones.com/), author of Silver Sparrow (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/111885) * Adam Johnson (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/36615.Adam_Johnson), author of The Orphan Master's Son (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/97153) * Tupelo Hassman (http://tupelohassman.com/), author of Girlchild (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/137931) * Cara Black (http://www.carablack.com/), author of Murder at the Lanterne Rouge (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/book/9781616950613) * Sarah McCoy (http://sarahmccoy.com/), author of The Baker's Daughter (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/198782) * Preeminent audiobook narrators Grover Gardner (http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/gvpages/gardner.shtml) (Robert Caro's The Passage of Power (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/199387)) and Simon Vance (http://simonvance.com/) (Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/199384)) * Matthew Dicks (http://matthewdicks.com/), author of Memoirs of An Imaginary Friend (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/node/199341)(available in August).   Book Snobbery:   (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1300842729l/10818853.jpg)If you've been watching any media whatsoever, you've probably heard about the phenomenon that is Fifty Shades of Grey (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10818853-fifty-shades-of-grey) by EL James.  Millions of readers have discovered these sexually-charged novels, and many women point to the series as having sparked their love of reading. Meanwhile, some have criticized the novels or even had them pulled from library shelves (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/florida-library-removes-fifty-shades-of-grey-erotic-trilogy-from-shelves/). I was honored to stand next to EL James at her Connecticut event, and I witnessed for myself the hundreds of women who said that they hadn't read a book in many years prior to Fifty Shades of Grey. This led Michael and me to ponder "book snobbery," and to make a new vow: don't judge a book until you've read it, and don't judge a person for what they read.  Care to join us in our vow?

This week we present two more of the talks from our BooktopiaVT Celebration of Authors: Sara J. Henry, author of Learning to Swim, and Richard Mason, author of History of a Pleasure Seeker. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/henry-232x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mason-234x300.jpg) Congratulations to Sara J. Henry, whose novel Learning to Swim (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8736390-learning-to-swim) won two awards last week: the Mary Higgins Clark Award (http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html#clark) and the Agatha Award for Best First Novel (http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html). Sara lovingly relates the story of her childhood spent in a room full of books and a typewriter; the perfect breeding ground for a writer! Richard Mason had such a great time in Vermont that he asked if he could join us in Oxford as well. The fact that he was such a big hit made it an easy decision for us. Oxford attendees, prepare to be charmed and entertained! During his talk Richard spoke about writing, longhand, History of a Pleasure Seeker (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11100559-history-of-a-pleasure-seeker), and the interactive app he has created for his novel.

We've just returned from Booktopia Vermont, a weekend filled with readers, authors, and wonderful bookish conversation! Here we present the talks given by Bill Landay, author of Defending Jacob, and Leslie Maitland, author of Crossing the Borders of Time. Live from Booktopia! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Landay-288x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/maitland-225x300.jpg) We are pleased to present the talks given by Bill Landay and Leslie Maitland at this past weekend's Booktopia event in Vermont. There were many interesting discussions about Defending Jacob (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11367726-defending-jacob), and the motivations of the characters, discussions that were somewhat hard to have since not everyone in the room had read the book yet! Bill spoke about his background and how the debate about nature versus nurture sparked the creation of his book. Leslie Maitland's Crossing the Borders of Time (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13129879-crossing-the-borders-of-time) was just released last week and is already garnering raves from readers and authors. Leslie's description of her mother's tale of lost love had many Booktopians in tears. This is sure to become a classic story of WWII survival and a love that can span decades.

The New York Times takes on young adult fiction; Some cool links for those of you who are fascinated by book jacket design, and The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.  Literary Debate in the New York Times We've been fascinated by the New York Times website feature "Room for Debate (http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate)," especially when they tackle literary topics. One topic was book blurbs (http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/06/riveting-the-quandary-of-the-book-blurb), and recently they took on the topic "The Power of Young Adult Fiction (http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-young-adult-fiction)." There was a hue and cry from the blogosphere when columnist Joel Stein wrote a rather inflammatory editorial called "Adults Should Read Adult Books (www.nytimes.com/.../2012/...adult.../adults-should-read-adult-books)." We love the idea of different voices debating literary topics (of course we do!) so we wanted to share this section with you, even if some of the entries infuriate us.   Covering Book Covers     We've decided to do another show about book jackets, because we know that you are all fascinated by the topic. Also, many things have come to our attention recently that are worth sharing. First, Chip Kidd, famed book designer, did a TED talk (http://www.ted.com/talks/chip_kidd_designing_books_is_no_laughing_matter_ok_it_is.html) that has been highly praised. If you have ever wondered how a book jacket is created, and what happens in the mind of the designer, don't miss this 20 minute video. It's highly entertaining, and will make you look at books in a whole new way. For more on Chip's work, see if you can track down a copy of Book One: Work, 1986-2006 (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/154666.Book_One). At the same time, Michael found a tumblr site called New Cover, (http://newcover.tumblr.com/) where graphic artist Matt Roeser redesigns book jackets after he's read the books. His designs are terrific, and we are eager to follow Matt's career as a book jacket designer. Lastly, one of our favorite author friends Matthew Dicks wrote a blog post showing some of the early ideas for the jacket of his new book, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. Matt shows the UK cover, the US cover, and two covers that were rejected. I've started reading Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, and so I have some sense of what the book is about. That sense colors my opinion of the four book jackets, though I understand where the ideas of the jackets came from. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13101889-memoirs-of-an-imaginary-friend) is already out in the UK (published under the name Matthew Green), and will be published in the US this summer.   Two Books we can't wait for you to read:   (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1334000909l/13581132.jpg)      (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327940389l/59980.jpg) I loved The Language of Flowers (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581132-the-language-of-flowers) by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, and I'm very excited that it is now in paperback. This story of a young woman who has "aged out" of the foster care system is a poignant and compelling novel that has made me keenly aware of what happens to foster children once they reach the age of 18. Author Vanessa Diffenbaugh is committed to shining a spotlight on this problem, and her novel does this in a way that is never preachy and is wholly entertaining. I think this is a great selection for book clubs, as there is much to discuss. Michael starts his segment with a challenge to me: he wants me to read Batman: Year One (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59980.Batman) by Frank Miller, which has just been re-released in a deluxe edition. It looks at the beginning of Batman and what happens when Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham after training to become Batman.

What is the American Literary Canon, how can it be measured, and has it changed in the last 60+ years? Why and how to read William Faulkner and which of his books we're planning on starting with. Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton is out in paperback now, and Jim Lynch, author of Border Songs, is out with a new book, Truth Like the Sun. Booktopia Swag: We now have three official Booktopia Souvenir items ready for purchase! (Click the name of any item to be taken to the page for purchasing) The Living in Booktopia (http://www.northshire.com/siteinfo/bookinfo/875647/0/) book, which is being printed on Northshire Espresso Book Machine, is finished and came out wonderfully! Thanks to everyone who contributed their vision of Booktopia. NOTE: even if you are attending Booktopia in Manchester, and plan to buy the book then, we urge you to pre-order it and indicate that it should be held for pickup. We want to make sure we have enough! Also available: official Booktopia T-Shirts (http://www.zazzle.com/booktopia_2012_souvenir_shirt_tshirt-235973907839844821) and Tote Bags (http://www.zazzle.com/booktopia_2012_tote_bag-149457200344090017), via our Zazzle Store (http://www.zazzle.com/booksonthenightstand). (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Living-in-Booktopia-front-cover-294x300.jpg) The Changing Literary Canon? A recent blog post (http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/03/26/mla-rankings/) about the evolution of the American Literary Canon got Ann and I talking about exactly how you can go about measuring an author's popularity in academic circles. The author of this post ranked authors by the number of scholarly papers written about them, which places Henry James in the top spot, followed closely by William Faulkner and T.S. Eliot. What are your thoughts on this list and the author's methodology for ranking? Faulknerpalooza (10:35) BOTNS listener Hope posted, on Facebook, a link to an article called How to Read William Faulkner (http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/Faulkner-101-How-to-Read-William-Faulkner). In it, the author explains how Faulkner wrote, what he expected of his readers, and why, for him, character development took precedence over plot. It's an extremely engaging article and one that got Ann and me excited to read (or re-read) Faulkner in time for Booktopia Oxford. We both, independently, decided to start with As I Lay Dying (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77013.As_I_Lay_Dying), but we're encouraging everyone attending or anyone who wants to take part, to read any Faulkner that interests them. Discussions will occur on our Goodreads Group (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/119468) and, of course, in Oxford! For more information on the Faulkners of Mississippi, check out Every Day by the Sun (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10775556-every-day-by-the-sun), a memoir by William Faulkner's niece Dean Faulkner Wells. Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (20:52) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bbb-194x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/truth-like-sun-214x300.jpg) Blood, Bones and Butter (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11709512-blood-bones-butter), by Gabrielle Hamilton is a book I loved last year (http://booksonthenightstand.com/2011/02/botns-117-who-will-buy-margaret-atwoods-cheese-sandwich.html). It's out in paperback now - with a new chapter bringing the story up to date - and was just named Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year in the Indies Choice Awards (http://news.bookweb.org/news/winners-2012-indies-choice-and-eb-white-read-aloud-awards-announced). Ann has been a fan of Jim Lynch's previous books, and his new novel, Truth Like the Sun (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13147843-truth-like-the-sun) is no exception. Set in Seattle, the story takes place both in 1962, during the World's Fair, and in 2001, when a young reporter decides to get to the truth behind Roger Morgan,

 Today's topics include parents footing the bill for self-publishing, fiction making us want to learn more, and two books we can't wait for you to read: I am an Executioner, a short story collection from Rajesh Parameswarn, and a "big idea" book, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhig. (http://farm1.staticflickr.com/101/272096502_3e89074bc1_m_d.jpg) In segment one, we analyze this front page article from The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/us/young-writers-find-a-devoted-publisher-thanks-mom-and-dad.html), about parents who pay to have their children's books self-published. It's not a completely black and white issue, but Michael and I definitely have our opinions. Fiction into Non- (7:13) As you all know, I loved Adam Johnson's The Orphan Master's Son (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11529868-the-orphan-master-s-son), and it made me incredibly intrigued about North Korea. This obsession caused me to buy Escape from Camp 14 (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11797365-escape-from-camp-14) by Blaine Harden, about a man who was born in a North Korean labor camp and managed to escape to South Korea. I love when fiction makes me want to learn more about a specific topic. The Mists of Avalon by Marian Zimmer Bradley led me down a path of Arthurian literature, both legend and criticism. Michael felt this with The Last Town on Earth (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76336.The_Last_Town_on_Earth) by Thomas Mullen, which made him want to pick up Flu (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/763331.Flu)by Gina Kolata.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2728527-the-guernsey-literary-and-potato-peel-pie-society) by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer made him Google about Guernsey. Nonfiction can have this effect, too, as in Blind Descent (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6913830-blind-descent) by James Tabor, or The Devil in the White City (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996.The_Devil_in_the_White_City) by Erik Larson. Is it this curiosity that makes the difference between avid readers and those who don't read much for pleasure? Whatever it is, I am planning on soon learning more about Joan of Arc, inspired by The Maid (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9052304-the-maid) by Kimberly Cutter, a novel of Joan of Arc, and The Maid and the Queen (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11797366-the-maid-and-the-queen) by Nancy Goldstone, a nonfiction account of Joan of Arc and Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily. Tell us your experience: has there been a novel (or work of nonfiction) that has caused you to want to learn more about a particular topic? Two books we can't wait for you to read: (17:43)   (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320940732l/12364183.jpg)   (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333050608l/12609433.jpg) I am an Executioner (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12364183-i-am-an-executioner) by Rajesh Parmeswaran, is a book that I always describe as "a book where the writing makes my brain tingle." It's a very dark collection of stories that are simply brilliant. One story is told from the perspective of a tiger in a zoo who is in love with his zookeeper. My favorite story is the title story, mainly because of how Parameswaran plays with language. I can't really compare the collection to other story collections, but I love it as much as Aimee Bender's The Girl int he Flammable Skirt (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7850.The_Girl_in_the_Flammable_Skirt) or Karen Russell's St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47085.St_Lucy_s_Home_for_Girls_Raised_by_Wolves). Michael tells us about The Power of Habit (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12609433-the-power-of-habit)by Charles Duhig, which he is listening to on audio. It's a "big idea" book, like Quiet (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet), or The Tipping Point (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2612.The_Tipping_Point),

What's your reading speed? The Hunger Games in print on screen, and recommendations for The O'Briens by Peter Behrens and Deep Zone by James M. Tabor. Two Booktopia updates: Manchester Packets with the full schedule should be going out to all registered attendees within the next few days, so watch for those. All registered Oxford attendees, plus those on the waiting list, should have received an email announcing the authors. For those who can't make it, but want to read along, you can see the full list here (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/oxford-ms/). What's Your Speed? A recent app on the Staples (http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/technology-research-centers/ereaders/speed-reader/) website lets you gauge your reading speed. I've always claimed I was a slow reader and now I have proof! My number was somewhere around 260 words per minute and Ann's was 487. It's hardly a scientific test, after all its sole purpose seems to be to sell you e-readers, but it's a fun exercise. Feel free to share your speed in the comments below! Craving The Hunger Games (7:10)   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/hg-book-200x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/hg-movie-202x300.jpg) Hunger Games mania has gripped the nation! Ann took her daughter and friends to see the movie opening night (thereby contributing to the movie's $155 million weekend). Like most adaptations, Ann still thinks the book was better, but definitely thought the movie was pretty darn good. Lots of stores and websites are creating lists of books to read once you've devoured The Hunger Games (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games). Here's one such list (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-lists/books-hunger-games) that seems to be good and diverse. Ann also mentions Battle Royale (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57891.Battle_Royale) by Koushun Takami (a book for adults, or very mature teens), and recommends Feed (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/169756.Feed) by M.T. Anderson and Divergent (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8306857-divergent) by Veronica Roth. Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (16:28)   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/deep-zone-197x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/obriens-202x300.jpg) Some of you may remember that I loved Blind Descent (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6913830-blind-descent), a non-fiction look at extreme caving. Now, James Tabor, the author of that book, has returned with The Deep Zone (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12752235-the-deep-zone), a thriller that follows a young woman as she leads an expedition into a super-cave in Mexico to find a cure for a virus threatening to turn into a pandemic. I haven't read it yet, but it's something I'm saving for summer vacation. Ann recommends The O'Briens (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12599429-the-o-briens) by Peter Behrens, a sequel to The Law of Dreams (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/147146.The_Law_of_Dreams), one of the first books ever written about on Books on the Nightstand. In The O'Briens, we follow a family of Irish immigrants during  the first half of the twentieth century as they make their way from Canada to California.

I guess we could call this BOTNS: The Booktopia Edition. We explain to our new listeners what Booktopia is, talk about how those of you aren't attending a physical event can take part, and then talk about 8 books we can't wait for you to read--those wr...

What's an imprint? What female authors aren't as popular as they should be? And trust us, you should read The Expats by Chris Pavone and Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Northshire Bookstore has set up a special page (http://www.northshire.com/nightstand2012.php) for Books on the Nightstand listeners. On it you can order the most recent book from each of the Booktopia Vermont authors. If you're attending Booktopia, order your books ahead of time and have them held for you, or shipped to you ahead of time. If you aren't able to attend the weekend, you can still order a book, have it signed by the authors, then shipped to you after the event. Plus, Northshire is offering 10% off these eight titles, and free shipping on your entire order! What's an Imprint? Within larger publishing companies, books are often published under imprints. For instance, Vintage is the paperback imprint of Knopf and Tor Books is the science fiction imprint for Macmillan. Hogarth Books (http://www.hogarthbooks.com/) is just about to launch in the UK and the US. Named in honor of the Hogarth Press (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogarth_Press), Hogarth books will publish "contemporary, voice-driven, character-rich" works of fiction. To celebrate, Hogarth Books has given us five limited edition sets of advanced reader's copies of their inaugural list. To be entered into the random drawing to win, just tell us, in the comments below, what you would name your own imprint and what kinds of books you would publish. To get a glimpse of the set of books and descriptions of all 4 titles, visit this page (http://read-it-forward.crownpublishing.com/2012/03/08/celebrate-the-relaunch-of-virginia-woolfs-hogarth-press/?ref=email_crn_rif_030612-RIF) on the Read It Forward blog (a blog you should be reading anyway!). (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Hogarth-logo-colour-300x125.jpg) An Underappreciated Road Trip (8:18) David called our voicemail line with a request. Given the recent article (http://www.vidaweb.org/the-2011-count#) on Vidaweb.org on the disparity of reviews/coverage of female authors vs. male, David has decided that, on an upcoming road trip, he'd like to listen to audio books written by female authors who have yet to get the notoriety they deserve. A few that came to mind for us were Edith Pearlman recent winner of the NBCC Fiction Award for Binocular Vision (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9142881-binocular-vision), Joy Williams author of the amazing novel Breaking and Entering (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/834582.Breaking_and_Entering), Mary Doria Russell (The Sparrow (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/334176.The_Sparrow) and Doc (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8911226-doc) among others) and Donna Woolfolk Cross, specifically for her novel Pope Joan (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27252.Pope_Joan). We'd love to know who you would recommend. Call our voicemail line (209.867.7323) and we'll collect your responses into a show in mid-April. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/expats-197x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/wild-201x300.jpg) Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (16:29) The Expats (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12617758-the-expats) by Chris Pavone is a book that I can't tell you much about, for fear of giving something away. Here's what I can tell you: Kate Moore and her husband Dexter have just moved to Luxembourg for Dexter's new job. What he doesn't know is that Kate's old job was as a CIA spy, and it may not be completely behind her, whether she wants it to be or not.(Click here (http://www.chrispavone.com/news/) to see where Chris' book tour will take him) Ann found Wild (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12262741-wild) by Chreyl Strayed to be a wonderful book about the author's loss of her mother and her own recreation hiking solo along the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail. This may sound like "just" a memoir,

In this episode: How we deal with maps in books, what airplane travelers are reading, a wonderful middle-grade novel, and a retelling of the story of Achilles. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/6855180927_24a755b707_m.jpg) A quick Booktopia update: Santa Cruz (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/santa-cruz-ca/) has just one spot open, and Oxford, MS (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/oxford-ms/) has just 15 spots open as of 3/6. We expect to announce Oxford authors by mid-March, at which point we know that Booktopia:Oxford will sell out. So don't wait to register! For more information and to sign up for any of the Booktopia events, please visit http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/). Also, if you have already registered for one of the Booktopia events, don't forget to submit your entry for our "Living in Booktopia" souvenir book. You should have gotten an email with details. If not, please email us (mailto:comments@booksonthenightstand.com). To flip or not to flip?: Carol in our Goodreads group wrote in with a topic suggestion: I've just begin the Fire & Ice series by George RR Martin. I know I'm in for an epic so I'm trying to read carefully so that I don't lose track of the characters and locations. Which got me thinking of a discussion topic..... These sorts of books often offer a map, genealogy charts and the like. They are helpful but then I find myself checking them too often, which disrupts my reading. Do you look at them or do you just dive into the book? When I saw that woman on the plane next to me was reading A Feast for Crows (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13497.A_Feast_for_Crows), and madly flipping back and forth between the text and the maps, I knew we had to discuss this. While I don't typically look at maps while I'm actually reading the text, I do like to see them before and after I've read the book to get a sense of the layout. I recently read an advanced readers copy of a book that is due out in June, Shadow and Bone (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194157-shadow-and-bone) by Leigh Bardugo. I read it in galley form, and then later the author blogged about the map that had been created (http://www.leighbardugo.com/ravkamap/) to represent the world in the book. Looking at the map made me appreciate the scope of the world that the author had created. At the end of this segment, Michael teases about the big George R.R. Martin gift book that will be coming out this fall, Maps of Ice and Fire. We're sure you'll be hearing much more about that in the future.   Peeking over the shoulders of airport travelers (08:51): Michael and I had some fun snooping on our fellow travelers' airplane reading. Author Dominique Browning recently wrote a New York Times article called "Learning to Love Airport Lit (http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/travel/high-brow-lit-for-high-fliers-not-me.html?pagewanted=all)," where Browning realized that the best books for airplane reading are those with strong narrative drive . Our non-scientific research shows that most travelers we saw chose books that fit that profile: Clive Cussler (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18411.Clive_Cussler) The Jefferson Key (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10503124-the-jefferson-key) by Steve Berry Dead Sleep (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43996.Dead_Sleep), Greg Iles The Land of Painted Caves (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8318666-the-land-of-painted-caves) by Jean Auel Defending Jacob (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11367726-defending-jacob) by Bill Landay Deeper Than the Dead (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1747182.Deeper_Than_the_Dead) by Tami Hoag Live Wire (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8437667-live-wire) by Harlan Coben Killing Lincoln (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10587120-killing-lincoln) by Bill O'Reilly Steve Jobs

We're off to sales conference so it's a short episode with your calls about your favorite book stores. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Brazos-300x225.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pp-300x225.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/3lives-300x185.jpg)      Elizabeth from Houston called to recommend Brazos Bookstore (http://www.brazosbookstore.com/), a store that's been serving its community since 1974. Be sure to check out the Staff Picks (http://www.brazosbookstore.com/staff-picks) section of their website. There's a ton of great books on there! Barbara lives in Wyoming and doesn't have many bookstores around her, but every time she visits Washington DC, she walks a mile to the Metro station and travels into the city to spend the day at Politics & Prose (http://www.politics-prose.com/). That's devotion! An anonymous caller raved about Three Lives & Co. (http://threelives.com/) in New York's Greenwich Village, a small store with a devoted following, and one that I am lucky enough to have visited. We hope you don't mind the short episode. After all, we're away at sales conference learning about all of the wonderful books coming out this Fall and Holiday Season. And I can already tell you there are some great things to look forward to!  

Apologies to Stephen King; the publishing industry goes Downton Abbey crazy; and we share our love for Stay Awake by Dan Chaon and King Peggy by Peggielene Bartels. An Open Letter to Stephen King For many years I thought Stephen King was not an author I would enjoy. Of course I've heard the raves and accolades, but something kept me from picking up one of his books. I'm thrilled to say that I finally now know what all of you Stephen King fans have been raving about. I listened to the audio of 11/22/63 (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13065605-11-22-63). It was an amazing audio production of a stellar book. The story was captivating, enthralling and kept me listening for all 31 hours. Mr. King, I'm sorry I ever doubted you were an author I would love! The Books of Downton Abbey (5:30) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/downton-abbey-display-300x225.jpg) The second season of Downton Abbey just finished here in the States, and it has been hugely popular. Bookstores everywhere have created DA displays, using some official books and some books that take place in the same period. This is by no means a comprehensive list (in fact, please add your suggestions to the comments below!), but here are some of the most commonly displayed books: * Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12926432-lady-almina-and-the-real-downton-abbey) by The Countess of Carnarvon * The World of Downton Abbey (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11489145-the-world-of-downton-abbey) by Jessica Fellowes * The Buccaneers (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/856190.The_Buccaneers) by Edith Wharton * What the Butler Winked At (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10611944-what-the-butler-winked-at) by Eric Horne * The Decline and the Fall of the British Aristocracy (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/750411.The_Decline_And_Fall_Of_The_British_Aristocracy) by David Cannadine * Parade's End (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/777824.Parade_s_End) by Ford Maddox Ford * A Bitter Truth (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10650911-a-bitter-truth) by Charles Todd * The House at Riverton (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1278752.The_House_At_Riverton) by Kate Morton * Birdsong (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6259.Birdsong) by Sebastian Faulks Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (14:43) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/stay-awake-198x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/king-peggy-197x300.jpg) Dan Chaon, author of the amazing novel Await Your Reply (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6251222-await-your-reply), is back with a new collection of short stories called Stay Awake (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11956929-stay-awake). These stories haunted me in every sense of the word; they are filled with horrors of the human condition and the supernatural world. Ann's book for this week is the true story of an American secretary who receives a phone call informing her that she has been named the new king of her ancestral village in Ghana. In King Peggy (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12775961-king-peggy) by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman, Peggy soon realizes that even a small village on the coast of Africa can be rife with corruption, and she's expected to clean it up.  

This week, a few announcements and then a special interview with Juliet Grames, Senior Editor at Soho Press, who describes her 10-book crime fiction read-along project.   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/detective1-300x213.jpg) A few announcments:   After last week's podcast where I mentioned the 2 Knit Lit Chicks podcast (http://2knitlitchicks.com/), we got notes and emails from other Books on the Nightstand listeners who are also knitters. In an effort not to let our yarn take over the blog and forums, I've set up a Books on the Nightstand Ravelry group (http://www.ravelry.com/groups/books-on-the-nightstand). Head over there if you want to chat about knitting and reading with other friends of Books on the Nightstand. Michael and I want to meet more of you! So as an experiment, we are going to have a BOTNS meetup at a bookstore author event! If you are anywhere near Madison, CT, please come hang out with us. Debut author Chris Pavone (http://www.chrispavone.com/) will be appearing at RJ Julia Booksellers (http://www.rjjulia.com/event/chris-pavone)to promote his new novel, The Expats (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12617758-the-expats). Michael and I both enjoyed it (you'll be hearing more about it very soon), and we thought this would be a great event to share with you. The event starts at 7pm, and we'll meet in the RJ Julia cafe at 6pm to socialize with any BOTNS'ers that can join us. Details are on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/events/234973646593931/), and you can RSVP to us there or drop us an email (mailto:comments@booksonthenightstand.com) to let us know you are coming. The event is free to attend, but you will also need to register at RJ Julia so they know how many people to expect. Hopefully, these meetups will be something that we can do in other parts of New England, too. Let us know if it's something that interests you.   A Crime Novel Read-along (06:05)   Today we feature an interview with Soho Press (http://www.sohopress.com/) Senior Editor Juliet Grames, who is embarking on a year-long reading project to educate herself about the origins and influences of crime fiction. As part of that project, Juliet is launching a 10-book read-along for 2012, and we are going to join in. You should listen to the podcast to hear Juliet talk about the project -- her enthusiasm is what got us so excited -- but here are the details: Each month Juliet will choose one book to be read. On one of the following Tuesdays, she'll write a blog post talking about some interesting back-story that goes along with that novel. Then a few weeks later, on a specified date, we'll all have a discussion about the book via comments on the blog. At that time, Juliet will also announce the next book. As soon as we have a real URL, we'll post it, but it will be linked from the Soho Press (http://www.sohopress.com) website. The first book is Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, which is actually a short story. We'll discuss the book on the Soho press blog on March 20th. We'll post reminders and the specific blog URLs at Books on the Nightstand and also on our Facebook and Goodreads pages. We'll also set up a folder in our Goodreads group where we can talk about the books as we read them. We'll also announce each month's book on the podcast. You can find the story in any number of anthologies, and online to read free through Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2147). I think I will check out the Librivox audio recording (http://librivox.org/the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue-by-edgar-allen-poe/). During Juliet's interview, she also mentioned The Big Sleep (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2052.The_Big_Sleep) by Raymond Chandler, and  The Boy in the Suitcase (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10776592-the-boy-in-the-suitcase) by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis.   Two books Juliet can't wait for us to read (26:00):  

A mish-mash of things we want to tell you about. Connecting with a stranger over the shared love of an obscure book. Raves for Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, and History of a Pleasure Seeker by Booktopia VT author Richard Mason Odds and Ends(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/inmybook-112x300.gif) Segment one this week is a cornucopia of bookish news: * Check out this line of bookmark greeting cards: In My Book (http://www.inmybook.com/index.php), with lovely illustrated fronts that can be detached and used as bookmarks, has been around for over ten years. They are new to me, but not a new line of cards as I mistakenly say in the podcast. They're very cool and you can probably buy them at a store (http://www.inmybook.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7&chapter=10) near you! * Many folks attending Booktopia have started a The Sense of an Ending (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11804738-the-sense-of-an-ending)  read-along. They'll read the book now, then discuss it at the Booktopia events (so far we have attendees for VT and MS reading along). We've decided to expand the event into a sort of "One Podcast, One Book" and we encourage you all to read the book and share your thoughts at our Goodreads group (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/111194)! (For more info on the three Booktopia events, click here (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/).) * Last week I told you about Quiet (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet) by Susan Cain, who will be joining us at Booktopia VT. Since being published, Quiet has been anything but. It's been getting tons of attention and Susan is scheduled to appear on The Colbert Report (http://www.colbertnation.com/) on 2/16. Set your DVRs!(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/library-book-184x300.jpg) * A recent article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/03/julian-barnes-defence-of-the-book) in The Guardian alerted Ann to The  (http://www.profilebooks.com/the-library-book-out-now/)Library Book (http://www.profilebooks.com/the-library-book-out-now/), a very cool sounding collection of "famous writers on libraries real or imagined, past and future; why libraries matter and to whom." It's a book that's only available in the UK, as far as we can tell, but we're sure hoping it will published in the States so we can check it out as well! * Some folks are using The BOTNS 12 in '12 Reading Challenge (http://booksonthenightstand.com/12-in-12-reading-challenge) as a way to visit 12 bookstores they've always meant to see in person. In that vein, we'd love for everyone to call our voicemail line (209.867.7323) and briefly describe your favorite bricks-and-mortar (i.e. physical) bookstore. Kindred Spirits (12:00) Ann has been geting back into knitting, and recently discovered 2 Knit Lit Chicks (http://2knitlitchicks.com/), a podcast that is half about knitting and half about books. When Barb, one of the women on the podcast, recommended The Sex Lives of Cannibals (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11077.The_Sex_Lives_of_Cannibals) by J. Maarten Troost, Ann actually cheered out loud. It was that exciting moment when you find out that someone else shares your love of a less-than-well-known book. For me, it happened recently when someone friended me on a social networking site and his favorite book listed was Pfitz (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1292596.Pfitz) by Andrew Crumey, a book I sadly thought I was the only person in the world to have read. In the comments below we'd love to hear what obscure book would make an instant connection between you and another fan. And Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (21:44) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/beautiful-forevers-201x300.jpg)     (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pleasure-seeker-180x300.jpg) Behind the Beautiful Forevers