Last-minute gift suggestion--books!

This is the final list I’m going to post of great books to give this holiday season. You can't give more enchantment for less. The Fiction Writers Co-Op—53 authors of distinguished, award-winning, and best-selling fiction—recommend: 

Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland. "Here's a warning: Mistress of the Sun is dangerously seductive. It's one of those books that will grab you and hold you captive till the last page is turned." —Calgary Herald  http://amzn.to/mistressofthesun 

Stay by Allie Larkin. "Larkin makes writing look easy. Stay has everything...humor, heart -and, endearingly, buckets of dog slobber." —The Miami Herald http://allielarkinwrites.com/ 

Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch. Robert Goolrick calls it "eloquent and moving, written with precision and clarity to stave off loss — the loss of history, of art, of humanity." O Magazine's lead pick for summer reading, and a Washington Post Best Novel of 2010.    http://www.jonclinch.com/

My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher. "... rendered with humor and heart." -- People "... a laugh-and-cry novel whose plot includes equal portions of heartache and hope." -- The Chicago Tribune    http://juliannabaggott.com/ 

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow.  Chosen by Barbara Kingsolver for the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, "Durrow's powerful novel is poised to find a place among classic stories of the American experience." --Miami Herald.  A Washington Post Best Novel of 2010!

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici  by C.W. GortnerPower. Passion. Poison: History's most notorious queen tells us her side of the story. "Fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory will devour this!" - BookList. http://www.cwgortner.com/

Souvenir by Therese Fowler.  An IndieBound selection and book club favorite, this novel about family, fate, regret and redemption is "truly impossible to put down."--Booklist.  USA TODAY says it's "Compelling...the characters are likable, troubled, and human, and are well worth following on their journey." http://www.theresefowler.com/

After You by Julie Buxbaum.  Jodi Picoult says of this novel about love and friendship: "Buxbaum writes with honesty and grace about the things we know about our friends and the things we wish we didn't. After You highlights—beautifully and compellingly—the truth that sometimes we have to lose the people closest to us to find ourselves." http://www.juliebuxbaum.com/

Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice Jacquelyn Mitchard author,The Deep End of the Ocean, says of this novel about what really makes a family: "I was exhausted and singing the blues the hour I began Carleen Brice's new novel, Children of the Waters. Five hours later, I'd finished this fresh, free-rein novel about mothers' secrets and children's sorrows and was shouting 'Hurray!'" www.carleenbrice.com

Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell, the story of Claude Monet in his young struggling years which led to the birth of impressionism and his great love for his model and wife , the tragic Camille.  The Boston Globe said, "an enthralling story, beautifully told" and Bookpage added, "A vivid portrait of Monet's remarkable career." www.stephaniecowell.com

Remedies by Kate Ledger.  Remedies explores the complicated nature of pain, in the nerves of the body and the longing of the heart.... "an immediately gripping, expertly woven tale of pain and healing. Ledger is a brilliant writer; the book is dazzling, but more importantly, it is moving."--Elin Hilderbrand   http://tiny.cc/ofni9

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay “What a gorgeous paradox of a book:  a deep, thoughtful exploration of a young mother’s first year of widowhood that is as much a page-turner as any thriller" says bestselling author Marisa de los Santos. Publishers Weekly deemed it "a wise and inspirational debut." http://juliettefay.com/

Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum.  In the stirring tradition of The Secret Life of Bees and the Poisonwood Bible, Amaryllis in Blueberry is "spellbinding...A perfect melding of family saga, murder mystery and a meditation on faith, loyalty and love."--Susan Wiggs, New York Times Bestselling author    www.christinameldrum.com

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman  - a New York Times bestseller. “Exemplifying Southern storytelling at its best…”  (Starred review) from Library Journal http://bethhoffman.net/

More Bookish Gift Ideas!

Consider giving a book this holiday season. You can't give more enchantment for less. The Fiction Writers Co-Op—53 authors of distinguished, award-winning, and best-selling fiction—recommend:

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate. "Senate handles the hefty topics of loss and remembrances with lightness and respect and in so doing, redefines comfort food." --Publishers Weekly  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439107238

Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook. "Bestseller Cook [Must Love Dogs, Life's a Beach] charms again with this lively warm-hearted look at changing courses mid-life." --People Magazine http://ClaireCook.com/

The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri. "This hopeful, comforting novel is a testament to the power of taking chances and starting fresh, and a reminder that life can bring joy after sorrow."--Miami Herald

All the Numbers by Judy Merrill Larsen.  "Larsen depicts a mother's year of grief and recovery with a sure and honest voice."--Booklist  http://www.judymerrilllarsen.com/buy.htm

Spin by Catherine McKenzie. "The tag line is: ‘How far would you go to get what you always wanted?’ and Kate Sandford, protagonist of Catherine McKenzie's first novel, Spin, goes so far she makes you cringe. … Where A Million Little Pieces … was tortured and powerful, Spin is more about entertainment and fun. … Full of pop-culture allusions, some really funny ones. … Spin is a compelling, fast-paced read.” – The Globe and Mail

The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen. "Both of Cohen’s previous novels (Town House and Inside Out Girl) are in development as films, and The Truth About Delilah Blue is sure to follow. She is clearly familiar with the cinema’s propulsive rhythms, and has an almost Hitchcockian sense of how to uncoil audience guts and play double dutch with them." --The Globe and Mail

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos.  "[W]hat happens when life throws us kinks and crumbles the plans we've so carefully laid out . . . There is poetry in her words and all around the world she has created."--Richmond Times-Dispatch


The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen, forthcoming from Crown Publishers, April 12th. "A magical debut, original and poignant, lovely and moving. I absolutely loved The Bird Sisters and will carry Milly and Twiss with me as if in a locket for a long, long time." --Jenna Blum, Bestselling Author of  Those Who Save Us. Visit http://www.thebirdsisters.com/ 

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin.  Diana Gabaldon says of this fictional biography of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, "This is magic!  Childhood, sensuality, love, sorrow and wonder, all bright and complex as the shifting patterns in a kaleidoscope." http://melaniebenjamin.com/books.php#buy

The Gift of Books-Part 2!

Give a book this holiday season. You can't give more enchantment for less. The Fiction Writers Co-Op—48 authors of distinguished, award-winning, and best-selling fiction recommend:

The Day the Falls Stood Still  by Cathy Marie Buchanan. "A wonderful love story…Buchanan weaves Niagara Falls’ history and her storytelling together masterfully.” − Elle http://tinyurl.com/2wmccyv

By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan. "Remarkably learned and heartbreaking romantic novel... Despite its medieval setting, the story has contemporary echoes... Hard to put down, beautifully executed, highly recommended." Minneapolis Star Tribune http://bit.ly/fzZoET 

Simply From Scratch by Alicia Bessette. "Fans of Cecelia Ahern’s PS, I Love You will find a lot to like here ... strong, richly detailed ... with a truly lovable heroine ... the spins and turns the story takes along the way are well worth the ride." —Library Journal http://tinyurl.com/26cmt6e

Give a book this holiday season!

I recently joined a facebook group of 48 authors of distinguished, award-winning, and best-selling fiction. I know, I know. What am I doing there? I don't quite know. Somehow they let me into their club, and I'm not about to correct their error.

Anyway, we've all banded together to urge readers to give a book to someone this holiday season. The group's motto: "You can't give more enchantment for less." So true! I know I haven't kept up with my virtual book club at all, but some of these titles make me want to resume in the new year with renewed vigor. Consider adding one of these titles to your to-be-read list or buying one for a dear friend for the holidays!
Dracula in Love by Karen Essex. "...the writing is so vivid, lusciously sexy and chillingly outrageous by turns..." - The Star Ledger

The Last Will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh. "This tender tale of sisterhood, self-discovery, and forgiveness will captivate fans of contemporary women’s fiction.”- Library Journal

The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers. "A powerful portrait of sisters growing up in the shadow of violence . . . A thought-provoking, heart-tugging debut." Boston Magazine

Over the next few weeks, I'll try to post more book suggestions from the group. Until then, happy holidays and happy reading!!

VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB: THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN

Does anyone else think the month of October flew by? I can’t believe we’re days away from Halloween already. Appropriately enough, October was Gothic Book Month for the Virtual Book Club, and I selected Kate Morton’s The Forgotten Garden, which came out in paperback this year and has received rave reviews.

The novel begins with Nell, a little girl placed aboard a ship sailing from England to Australia in 1913. When she arrives in Australia, she has no idea who she is or where she came from. Adopted by the harbormaster and his wife, the girl grows up happy and cared for until her father tells her the truth about her origins. This sets in motion a quest to find her true identity, a mystery that will echo across the years, culminating in her granddaughter Cassandra’s inheritance of a mysterious cottage with a forgotten garden. As Cassandra journeys to Cornwall, she uncovers secrets about a woman who once lived in the cottage known as “The Authoress:” the fairy tale writer Eliza Makepeace. The three women’s stories overlap and intertwine as the mystery of Nell's identity is slowly revealed.

The book definitely has traits of the Gothic mystery, although it steers clear of some of the more creepy elements of the form—ghosts and graveyards and such. There’s not a fainting heroine or Byronic hero in sight. But it does have a gloomy mansion, a wicked stepmother, a maze garden, and a few dark fairy tales woven throughout. While I enjoyed each of the women’s stories, Eliza’s was the most compelling for me, particularly as we got glimpses of her imagination through her fairy tales—they ended up being my favorite parts of the novel.

While I enjoyed The Forgotten Garden and was impressed by the research, ambition and passion that went into it, I wasn’t as compelled to finish it as I am with my favorite books. For one thing, the novel is long (550 pages), and the transitions between the three story lines and time periods got a little tedious at times. I’d find myself getting really into one storyline when suddenly I’d be hoisted out of that one and deposited into another, only to be switched again three or four pages later. While all the stories eventually fit together like a puzzle, the reading experience was a bit jarring.

Overall, I appreciated the novel and can say that Kate Morton is an extremely talented writer, one I’d be happy to try again, maybe with a smaller page-count next time! For anyone out there who has read the book, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Also, is anyone interested in doing Non-fiction November? Typically, I don’t read a lot of non-fiction so if you have any suggestions for fascinating NF reads, I’d love to hear them. Happy reading, and Happy Halloween!