WHAT TO GIVE/WHAT TO GET
Need ideas for holiday gift-giving (and getting)? Check out these "reader perfect" suggestions in 13 categories. There's something for everyone on your list. Let the shopping begin!

BASKET OF HOLIDAY CHEER
The holiday season is upon us! At Bookreporter.com it's time for us to share the spirit of the season with our Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest. As you begin your holiday shopping, we want to remind you that books make affordable, personal and wonderful gifts for EVERYONE on your list --- and are a nice way to treat yourself as well!

From November 7th through January 5th we will spotlight a different title or collection of titles, and readers will have the chance to win one of five holiday baskets filled with winter-themed items as well as two copies of the featured book(s). Why two? One is to keep, of course, and one is for someone on your holiday gift list. We will also include festive wrapping paper to make the gift-giving hassle-free.

» Click here for all the contest details.

SANTA CLAWED: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery, by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown (Mystery)
New York Times bestselling authors Rita Mae Brown and her feline partner, Sneaky Pie Brown, are back for the holidays in a new mystery featuring Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, the sleuthing cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and corgi Tee Tucker. Can they save the season from a killjoy who has decided to gift the festive little town…with murder? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

John Lutz
Award-winning thriller author John Lutz began writing in 1966 and has since gone on to publish over 40 novels and 200 short stories. His latest work of fiction, NIGHT KILLS, marks the return of homicide detective Frank Quinn, who was featured in the previous works DARKER THAN NIGHT and IN FOR THE KILL. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Lutz elaborates on the dynamic his protagonist shares with two recurring secondary characters and describes his fascination behind what motivates ordinarily cautious people to take unreasonable risks. He also shares details about his writing process and discusses some of his current projects, including a stand-alone caper story and a fourth Quinn novel to be released in 2009.

» Read the interview and the review.

Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

About Ted Dekker and Erin Healy TedDekker.com ErinHealy.com Author Bibliography Critical Praise About the Book: KISS

We have 20 advance reading copies of KISS by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. A description can be found by clicking the link below. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, November 28th.

KISS by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy (Suspense)
On Sale January 7, 2009
After a car accident puts Shauna McAllister in a coma and wipes out six months of her memory, she returns to her childhood home to recover, but her arrival is fraught with confusion. Her estranged father, a senator bidding on the White House, and her abusive stepmother blame Shauna for the tragedy, which has left her beloved brother severely brain damaged. » Read More

For more on Ted Dekker and Erin Healy and past featured authors, see our
Suspense/Thriller promotion.

Marie Bostwick

About Marie Bostwick MarieBostwick.com Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of A SINGLE THREAD About the Book: A SINGLE THREAD Read an excerpt from A SINGLE THREAD

A SINGLE THREAD by Marie Bostwick (Fiction)
On Sale Now
A SINGLE THREAD is a sometimes humorous and always touching story that features the strong, first person voice and lyrical style, small town values and the quilting imagery readers of Marie Bostwick’s historical novels have come to love. » Read More

For more on Marie Bostwick and past featured authors, see our
Women's Fiction promotion.

BAT-MANGA!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan, by Chip Kidd
Forty years after appearing as a yearlong serial comic, Japanese stories starring Batman and Robin have been brought back to the States. Straddling a fine line between campy fun and exuberant superheroics, BAT-MANGA! has a new, modern design and a broader appeal than you might expect. Reviewed by John Hogan.

BOURBON ISLAND 1730 by Appollo and Lewis Trondheim
A team of ornithologists tries to catalog bird species on an island off the coast of Madagascar, but instead they get caught up in a surprising pirate tale. Perhaps most surprising is the clever use of animal protagonists. Reviewed by John Hogan.

BOOKS INTO MOVIES

This November brings one of the most exciting Books into Movies lineups of the year, with three highly anticipated films that promise to live up to every bit of the intense hype surrounding them.

November 7th marks the release of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an incredibly moving (and, well, insanely depressing) adaptation of John Boyne’s award-winning bestseller about the Holocaust, told from the innocent eyes of a Nazi officer's young son. Keep the tissues handy --- the surprise ending will leave you sobbing long after you leave the theater.

Already causing quite a stir on the film festival circuit before its November 12th drop date is Slumdog Millionaire, by director Danny Boyle of Trainspotting, The Beach and 28 Days Later fame. Part Dickensian drama, part romance and part life-affirming fantasy, this indie release follows an 18-year-old orphan as he recalls the experiences that took him from the slums of Mumbai to being just one question away from winning India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” --- all for the love of a girl.

After months of teaser trailers, magazine articles, movie-poster sightings and Internet buzz, fans of the wildly popular series by Stephenie Meyer only need to wait until the 21st before Edward and Bella come to life on the big screen in Twilight. This paranormal teen romance about a 16-year-old girl who falls in love with a vampire will surely draw in record-breaking crowds of all ages in Harry Potter-like proportions.

And let’s not forget about two DVD releases on the 18th, which will have teens smiling from ear to ear: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, adapted from Ann Brashares’s FOREVER IN BLUE: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood, and The Clique, a direct-to-DVD film based on Lisi Harrison’s bestselling series about five girls who belong to The Pretty Committee, the most popular clique at Octavian Country Day School.

» Click here for more details about November’s films.

NEW IN PAPERBACK

NIGHT KILLS by John Lutz (Psychological Thriller)
A former NYPD detective is hunting for a madman: someone is shooting young women in the heart, defiling their bodies and only leaving their torsos to be found. No one knows the true motives behind this rampage of cold-blooded murders…or how much more terrifying it’s going to get. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and excerpted.

A SINGLE THREAD by Marie Bostwick (Fiction)
It’s a long way from Fort Worth, Texas, to New Bern, Connecticut, yet it only takes a day in the charming Yankee town to make Evelyn Dixon realize she has found her new home. The abrupt end of her marriage was Evelyn’s wake-up call to get busy chasing her dream of opening a quilt shop. Finding a storefront is easy enough; starting a new life isn’t. Little does Evelyn imagine it will bring a trio like Abigail Burgess, her niece Liza and Margot Matthews through her door. Reviewed by Jennifer McCord and excerpted.

JUST AFTER SUNSET: Stories, by Stephen King (Fiction/Short Stories)
Gather around the campfire and prepare to lose all track of time and place, as you become immersed in these 13 gripping tales from Stephen King, who has published his first short story collection since EVERYTHING’S EVENTUAL six years ago. With this winning combination of suspense, horror, magical realism, ghost stories and more, “13” appears to be our lucky number. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon and excerpted.

DIVINE JUSTICE by David Baldacci (Thriller)
Two bodies are discovered at the same time that former covert agent Oliver Stone goes missing. His friends, self-named the Camel Club, won’t sit still until they find him. Nor will agent John Knox. The stakes are too high for some people to let Stone remain at large. With time running out, it will be a battle to see who ends up on top. Reviewed by Kate Ayers and excerpted.

A MERCY by Toni Morrison (Fiction)
Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison probes deep into the ugly history of American slavery in A MERCY. This brief and devastating novel offers a glimpse into her powerful literary style and keen insights into issues of race, violence, sex, history, identity and community while also demonstrating her brilliance and maturity as a writer. Reviewed by Norah Piehl and excerpted.

HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- and How It Can Renew America, by Thomas L. Friedman (Current Affairs)
What a timely book! Following an election in which the future of the planet was hotly debated, the market is ripe for this accessible yet information-packed treatise on the perilous state of the environment, how we got here and how we must proceed if we are to avoid catastrophe. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.

THE WORDY SHIPMATES by Sarah Vowell (History)
Sarah Vowell brings her trademark wit and snark to the tale of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. THE WORDY SHIPMATES is her exploration of the Puritans and their journey to America to become the people of John Winthrop’s “city upon a hill” --- a shining example, a “city that cannot be hid.” Reviewed by Jonathan Snowden.

ENDER IN EXILE by Orson Scott Card (Science Fiction)
What happened during the years between ENDER’S GAME and SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD? What did Ender go through from the ages of 12 through 35? Taking place 3,000 years before he finally receives his chance at redemption in SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, this is the long-lost story of Ender. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.

THE SEALED LETTER by Emma Donoghue (Fiction)
Scandalous charges, shocking countercharges, stained dresses, sealed letters --- this is the stuff of 20th-century sex scandals like the Clinton/Lewinsky affair, right? Not so, proves Emma Donoghue in THE SEALED LETTER, a novel set in the Victorian era, centered on a highly publicized divorce case that ruined lives and riveted an entire country. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

LEATHER MAIDEN by Joe R. Lansdale (Thriller)
Gulf War veteran and Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist Cason Statler returns home to the small east Texas town of Camp Rapture following a scandalous affair. He takes a job at the local paper and stumbles across his predecessor’s notes on a cold case murder file. The further he digs into the case, the more certain he is that the unsolved crime is connected to a series of eerie, inexplicable events that have recently occurred in town. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

GIANTS: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, by John Stauffer (History)
With the hindsight that makes for history filled out and fully viewed, we can make linkages that, in their time, might not have been apparent or apropos. Such is the case with GIANTS, the linkage between two great men whose contemporaneous lives filled the stage with action, philosophy and legacy, but who, in their lifetimes, were neither close friends nor fellow travelers. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

- Visit the publisher’s official website, www.TwelveBooks.com.

THE PRICE OF BUTCHER’S MEAT: A Dalziel and Pascoe Mystery, by Reginald Hill (Mystery)
After a close encounter with a bomb, Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel recuperates at the Avalon Clinic in the quaint seaside resort of Sandytown. But soon he begins to suspect that those outside the convalescent home have just as many problems as the residents. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

SOUTH OF HELL by P. J. Parrish (Mystery)
With one phone call from a man he barely recalls meeting years ago, South Florida detective Louis Kincaid heads to the Michigan town of his college days to reopen a disturbing cold case and finds himself confronting his own painful past secrets --- secrets that risk his future with the woman he loves, detective Joe Frye. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

John Lutz

About John Lutz Author Interview –– November 14, 2008 JohnLutzOnline.com Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of NIGHT KILLS About the Book: NIGHT KILLS Read an excerpt from NIGHT KILLS

NIGHT KILLS by John Lutz (Psychological Thriller)
On Sale Now
New York Times bestselling author John Lutz returns with a gruesome, page turning psychological thriller. A former NYPD detective is hunting for a madman: someone is shooting young women in the heart, defiling their bodies, and only leaving their torsos to be found. No one knows the true motives behind a rampage of cold-blooded murders… or how much more terrifying it’s going to get. » Read More

For more on John Lutz and past featured authors, see our
Suspense/Thriller promotion.

Remembering Michael Crichton
On November 4, 2008, Michael Crichton --- a medical doctor turned novelist who is best known as the author of JURASSIC PARK and the creator of NBC's “ER” --- passed away unexpectedly after a long and private battle with cancer. Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub pays tribute to this modern-day Renaissance man, who left behind an impressive legacy in the literary, film, television and computer gaming worlds.

» Click here to read Joe Hartlaub’s tribute to Michael Crichton.

Spotlight on Art Spiegelman, Author of BREAKDOWNS

Always known for pushing limits and testing boundaries with his work, legendary comics artist Art Spiegelman accomplished something risky, innovative and, for the most part, unwanted in 1978: he collected and published six years' worth of experimental, autobiographical comics in a large-format album called BREAKDOWNS. In the wake of its re-release by Pantheon, Bookreporter.com's John Hogan penned this feature story about a conversation he had with Spiegelman, who discusses why --- at the age of 30 --- he felt the need to take on such a project and recalls the initial challenges he faced in getting the work published. He also shares his thoughts on the growing popularity and success of comics, and muses on the impact this retrospective has had on both his own work and the medium. » Read More

M. J. Rose
In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, international bestselling author M. J. Rose recalls the specific event during a family vacation in Vienna that inspired the plot of her latest work of fiction, THE MEMORIST, and explains the role that music --- including the work of Beethoven, who is a central figure in the novel --- has played in her writing process. She also shares some of the favorite books she has read recently, discusses details about where the Phoenix Foundation series is headed and reveals which of her 10 novels is her favorite.

» Read the interview and the review.

Katherine Neville
Katherine Neville's latest work of fiction, THE FIRE, resumes the story she began 20 years ago in her critically acclaimed, bestselling debut novel, THE EIGHT, involving a magical chess set wielding dangerous powers that once belonged to the legendary emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charlemagne. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Donna Volkenannt, Neville explains why this sequel took two decades to write and describes her purpose --- despite her lack of knowledge on the subject --- in utilizing the game of chess as a multifaceted conceit in these two books. She also discusses the best way to go about researching the locations where her novels are set, reveals which real-life historical figure she'd most like to converse with over a meal, and shares details about her next project involving painters in the 1600s.

» Read the interview and the review.

Carla Neggers
New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers has written over 50 novels, including TEMPTING FATE, THE WIDOW, THE ANGEL and the newly released COLD PURSUIT. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Amie Taylor, Neggers describes how the idea for this latest work arose from the main characters instead of the plot and explains how her atmospheric home in Vermont inspired the story's New England setting. She also discusses how her parents instilled in her both a sense of wanderlust and the need to tell stories, shares her personal writing philosophy and reveals details about her next book, THE MIST, set for publication in June 2009.

» Read the interview and the review.

James Villas
James Villas, the former food and wine editor of Town & Country magazine as well as the author of several cookbooks, recently published his first work of fiction, DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Lourdes Orive, Villas explains his personal connection with the South Carolina coast, where the story takes place, and discusses the real-life inspirations behind its characters and settings. He also elaborates on the importance of food in his work, creates the perfect menu for a Southern meal over which book clubs can discuss the novel, and shares details about what he is working on next.

» Read the interview and the review.

Alex Kava
EXPOSED, the sixth installment in bestselling author Alex Kava's series featuring FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell, finds its protagonist tracking a serial murderer --- whose weapon of choice is a deadly virus --- all the while quarantined inside a government biosafety containment hospital. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Kava describes the real-life people and events that inspired elements of the book's plot, and explains how her experiences in previous careers impact her ability to write novels. She also shares details about her creative process --- including writing and research schedules, test readers and remedies for writer’s block --- and discusses her current projects, which include a work of nonfiction and the next book in the series.

» Read the interview and the review.

Beverly Barton
Bookreporter.com's Donna Volkenannt recently spoke with Beverly Barton, the award-winning and bestselling author of over 60 novels, including the newly-released romantic suspense COLD HEARTED. In this interview, Barton explains how the "steel magnolias" in her life acted as inspiration for the book's strong female protagonist, and elaborates on the story's themes of family and loyalty. She also discusses the difficulties of writing from a villain's point of view, lists some of her favorite books and authors, and shares details about future projects, including the 2009 release of her next book, SILENT KILLER.

» Read the interview and the review.

John Grogan
Journalist John Grogan is best known for his debut work of nonfiction, MARLEY & ME, an international bestseller that will soon make its way to the big screen in a film adaptation starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. His latest book, THE LONGEST TRIP HOME, is a coming-of-age memoir about growing up in the 1960s and his struggle to find himself despite his family's conflicting values. In this Author Talk, Grogan explains why he chose to explore this particular aspect of his upbringing and discusses the difficulties of portraying people and events honestly while still respecting the privacy of those who have played roles in his life. He also describes how his parents' "pack rat" tendencies helped him recapture memories that spanned a 40-year period, elaborates on the universal appeal of his writing and muses on how life has changed since the unexpected success of MARLEY & ME.

» Read the Author Talk and the review.

Christopher Fowler
Mystery and thriller writer Christopher Fowler's latest release, THE VICTORIA VANISHES, is the sixth installment in a series featuring two elderly detectives in London's Peculiar Crimes Unit, Arthur Bryant and John May. In this Author Talk, Fowler provides a bit of background information about the series, including how his protagonists got their names and the real-life inspiration behind the unusual police division where they work. He also discusses his fascination with London's underbelly, shares details about his writing process and names some of the writers who have influenced his work.

» Read the Author Talk and the review.

M. C. Beaton

About M. C. Beaton Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of A SPOONFUL OF POISON About the Book: A SPOONFUL OF POISON Read an excerpt from A SPOONFUL OF POISON Reader Comments about A SPOONFUL OF POISON

A SPOONFUL OF POISON by M. C. Beaton (Mystery)
On Sale Now
When Agatha Raisin goes to the remote hamlet of Comfrey Magna to politely turn down a public relations job, she encounters the stunning green eyes of handsome widower George Selby, and promptly agrees to do whatever PR work the village needs. But as events in Agatha’s new adventure A SPOONFUL OF POISON unfold, the rural festival Agatha is promoting soon takes a deadly turn, and Agatha must investigate the toxic spiking of some local preserves. » Read More

For more on M. C. Beaton and past featured authors, see our
Mystery Mayhem promotion.

Christopher Fowler

About Christopher Fowler Author Talk –– October 31, 2008 ChristopherFowler.co.uk Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of THE VICTORIA VANISHES About the Book: THE VICTORIA VANISHES Read an excerpt from THE VICTORIA VANISHES Reader Comments about THE VICTORIA VANISHES

THE VICTORIA VANISHES by Christopher Fowler (Mystery)
On Sale Now
It’s a case tailor-made for the Peculiar Crimes Unit. A lonely hearts killer is targeting middle-aged women at some of England’s most well-known pubs --- including one torn down eighty years ago. What’s more, Arthur Bryant happened to see one of the victims only moments before her death at the pub that doesn’t exist. Indeed, this case is littered with clues that defy everything the veteran detectives know about the habits of serial killers, the methodology of crime, and the odds of making an arrest. Now, with the public on the verge of panic and their superiors determined to shut the PCU down for good, Detectives Bryant and May must rise to the occasion in defense of two great English traditions --- the pub and the Peculiar Crimes Unit. » Read More

For more on Christopher Fowler and past featured authors, see our
Mystery Mayhem promotion.

James Villas

About James Villas Author Interview –– October 10, 2008 Author Bibliography Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY About the Book: DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY Read an excerpt from DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY Reader Comments about DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY by James Villas (Fiction)
On Sale Now
Ella Dubose is a Southern lady of a certain age --- an age at which memories of youth can rush in at every turn and overwhelm the present. But while Ella’s two younger children are concerned for her health and want to limit her independence, Ella --- elegant, unconventional, and unrepentantly willful --- has very different ideas. And she’s not about to be controlled by anyone, not when there are tasks she needs to complete and loose ends that must be tied. » Read More

For more on James Villas and past featured authors, see our
Southern Writers promotion.

Carla Neggers

About Carla Neggers Author Interview –– October 31, 2008 CarlaNeggers.com Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of COLD PURSUIT About the Book: COLD PURSUIT Read an excerpt from COLD PURSUIT

COLD PURSUIT by Carla Neggers (Romantic Suspense)
On Sale Now
A number of prominent figures have been killed under mysterious circumstances in the past year. All unconnected. But when an esteemed U.S. ambassador is slain in a questionable hit-and-run in Washington, D.C. and his stepdaughter vanishes mere hours later in the mountains of northern New England, suspicions are raised by a Secret Service agent and a recovering Special Forces soldier in COLD PURSUIT, the newest novel by New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers. » Read More

For more on Carla Neggers and past featured authors, see our
Romantic Suspense promotion.

Beverly Barton

About Beverly Barton Author Interview –– October 3, 2008 BeverlyBarton.com Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of COLD HEARTED About the Book: COLD HEARTED Read an excerpt from COLD HEARTED Beverly Barton Answers Readers' Questions Reader Comments about COLD HEARTED

COLD HEARTED by Beverly Barton (Romantic Suspense)
On Sale Now
A Black Widow is killing the men in her life and walking away with the cash. As an investigator closes in on her, they find themselves in a cat and mouse game where anyone may be the next victim --- even him. » Read More

For more on Beverly Barton and past featured authors, see our
Romantic Suspense promotion.

M. J. Rose

About M. J. Rose Author Interview –– October 31, 2008 MJRose.com Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of THE MEMORIST About the Book: THE MEMORIST Read an excerpt from THE MEMORIST

THE MEMORIST by M. J. Rose (Suspense)
On Sale Now
She is paralyzed by the past. He was robbed of the future.

The dreads are back. As a child, Meers Logan was haunted by memories of another time and place, always accompanied by the faint strains of elusive music. Now the hand of the past has reached out again. An envelope addressed to her and delivered to the Phoenix Foundation --- an institute dedicated to the recovery of past life memories --- contains a childhood drawing of an elaborate box that Meers recognizes... and a sheet from an auction catalogue identifying the object she spent years imagining as an eighteenth century gaming box » Read More

For more on M. J. Rose and past featured authors, see our
Suspense/Thriller promotion.

Katherine Neville

About Katherine Neville KatherineNeville.com Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of THE FIRE About the Book: THE FIRE Read an excerpt from THE FIRE Reader Comments about THE FIRE

THE FIRE by Katherine Neville (Suspense)
On Sale Now
Katherine Neville’s groundbreaking novel, THE EIGHT, dazzled audiences more than twenty years ago and set the literary stage for the epic thriller. A quest for a mystical chess service that once belonged to Charlemagne, it spans two centuries and three continents, and intertwines historic and modern plots, archaeological treasure hunts, esoteric riddles, and puzzles encrypted with clues from the ancient past. Now the electrifying global adventure continues, in Neville’s long anticipated sequel: THE FIRE » Read More

For more on Katherine Neville and past featured authors, see our
Suspense/Thriller promotion.

Alex Kava

About Alex Kava Author Interview –– October 3, 2008 AlexKava.com Author Bibliography Critical Praise Winners of the ARC Mailing Read a review of EXPOSED About the Book: EXPOSED Read an excerpt from EXPOSED Reader Comments about EXPOSED

EXPOSED by Alex Kava (Thriller)
On Sale Now
Agent Maggie O'Dell and Assistant Director Cunningham believe they're responding to a threat made at Quantico. Instead they walk into a trap. Before they realize it, they’ve both been exposed to a killer who can strike at anyone, anytime and no one can predict who might be next…until it’s too late. » Read More

For more on Alex Kava and past featured authors, see our
Suspense/Thriller promotion.