Book Club Girl

We're Mankato Bound to Celebrate Betsy-Tacy!

Or should I say, Deep Valley bound? My sister arrived this evening, my bags are packed and we're heading to the airport in the morning to fly to Minneapolis. We'll spend a couple of hours upon arriving in Minneapolis touring Maud Hart Lovelace's homes there, with a stop to see the house that Mary Richards lived in in Mary Tyler Moore and to see the MTM statue (remember to bring hat to throw up in the air). Then we'll drive the 1 1/2 or so hours to Mankato, childhood home of Lovelace and the setting for the Betsy-Tacy Convention! The convention kicks off with Ice Cream at Heinz's Ice Cream Parlor tomorrow night. I think we'll try the Imperial and see if we can finish it (definitely Game Off this weekend). I will also attempt my first vlog on this trip so stay tuned!

My Book Club Met Last Night with Local Author Will Allison!

    
And you can read all about it on the New York Times Local blog! In addition to the terrific discussion we had of Allison's novel What You Have Left (again, refer to first link), we also voted on the book for next month's meeting.

The choices I presented as host were:
Kelly Corrigan's The Middle Place (listen to my radio interview with Corrigan)
Kate Atkinson's Case Histories
Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Janelle Brown's All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kittredge

After our requisite two rounds of voting (you get two votes in the first round, one in the second where we vote on the top two vote getters from the first round), Kate Atkinson came out the winner. I'm really pleased as I've long wanted to read her, this will be my first Atkinson novel.

Here are some links for our discussion:
Kate Atkinson's website
Case Histories Reading Group Guide

Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends Forever On Sale Today -- And I've Got Two Copies to Give Away!

That's right -- I have two copies of book club favorite Jennifer Weiner's brand-new novel Best Friends Forever, to give away -- one for you and one for YOUR BFF! The premise of Weiner's new novel sounds so great --

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That's what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they're both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school's scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents' house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She's just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you're the only one who can help."

Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It's about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together. (from the Simon and Schuster website)

Plus the cover just screams "take me to the beach and read me!" Look for Jennifer Weiner on tour near you, follow her on Twitter, and check out the reading group guide to Best Friends Forever.

To enter to win two copies of Best Friends Forever, tell me about the BFF with whom you'll share your second copy!

Happy Bastille Day!

To celebrate, I'm giving away 14 copies of Vanina Marsot's french novel Foreign Tongue on Twitter. Check it out to the right....

Book Club Girl on Air Welcomes Frances de Pontes Peebles to Discuss Her Novel The Seamstress

I'm so pleased to announce that for our first show in August (and the next one after the July 22nd show with Garth Stein) we are welcoming Frances de Pontes Peebles to discuss her novel The Seamstress.

As seamstresses, the young sisters Emília and Luzia dos Santos know how to cut, how to mend, and how to conceal. These are useful skills in the lawless backcountry of Brazil, where ruthless land barons called "colonels" feud with bands of outlaw cangaceiros, trapping innocent residents in the cross fire. Emília, whose knowledge of the world comes from fashion magazines and romance novels, dreams of falling in love with a gentleman and escaping to a big city. Luzia also longs to escape their little town, where residents view her with suspicion and pity. Scarred by a childhood accident that left her with a deformed arm, the quick-tempered Luzia finds her escape in sewing and in secret prayers to the saints she believes once saved her life.

But when Luzia is abducted by a group of cangaceiros led by the infamous Hawk, the sisters' quiet lives diverge in ways they never imagined. Emília stumbles into marriage with Degas Coelho, the son of a doctor whose wealth is rivaled only by his political power.She moves to the sprawling seaside city of Recife, where the glamour of her new life is soon overshadowed by heartache and loneliness. Luzia, forced to trek through scrubland and endure a nomadic existence, proves her determination to survive and begins to see  the cangaceiros as comrades, not criminals.

In Recife, Emília must hide any connection to her increasingly notorious sister. As she learns to navigate the treacherous waters of Brazilian high society, Emília sees the country split apart after a bitter presidential election. Political feuds extend to the countryside, where Luzia and the Hawk are forced to make unexpected alliances and endure betrayals that threaten to break the cangaceiros apart. But Luzia will overcome time and distance to entrust her sister with a great secret—one Emília vows to keep. And when Luzia's life is threatened, Emília will risk everything to save her.

An enthralling novel of love and courage, loyalty and adventure, that brings to life a faraway time and place, The Seamstress is impeccably drawn, rich in depth and vision, and heralds the arrival of a supremely talented new writer.

Read this Q&A with de Pontes Peebles and check out the reading group guide to The Seamstress. I think this is going to be a wonderful discussion and hope that you can join us on August 6th at 2 pm EST for the show. The first 10 people to comment that they'd like to participate in the show will receive a free copy of The Seamstress to read in preparation. Be sure to set your reminder for the show on 8/6 at 2 pm EST as well.

Listen to the Book Club Girl on Air Show with Liz Rosenberg Now!

For those who weren't able to tune in live last Wednesday to participate in the Book Club Girl on Air show with Liz Rosenberg discussing her novel Home Repair, you can listen to it now by clicking on the player below. Enjoy!

The Best of the National Book Awards Fiction - Find a New Award Winning Book Every Day!

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the National Book Awards has launched a daily book blog that will highlight every single one of the 77 winners of the fiction award since the awards began. The blog began today and features Nelson Algren's The Man with the Golden Arm. Each post will include information on that day’s winning book and author and original posts by contemporary authors, bloggers, and editors, as well as that year’s judges and the winners of other literary awards. Follow the blog and on September 21st, you will have an opportunity to vote for the best novel out of all the 77 books featured and to win two tickets to attend the National Book Award Ceremony on November 18th in New York City! I'm going to add the blog to my sidebar, this is a great resource for choosing your next book club book.

Rebecca Wells Returns with The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder On Sale Today!

It's been four years since Rebecca Wells, author of the bestselling book club classic Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, published a new book. Her last book, Ya-Yas in Bloom, looked at the Ya-Yas in their younger days. Now Wells forges all new territory and brings us a new character sure to rival the immortal Vivi Abbot Walker -- Calla Lily Ponder.

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder is the sweet, sexy, funny journey of Calla Lily's life set in Wells's expanding fictional Louisiana landscape. In the small river town of La Luna, Calla bursts into being, a force of nature as luminous as the flower she is named for. Under the loving light of the Moon Lady, the feminine force that will guide and protect her throughout her life, Calla enjoys a blissful childhood—until it is cut short. Her mother, M'Dear, a woman of rapture and love, teaches Calla compassion, and passes on to her the art of healing through the humble womanly art of "fixing hair." At her mother's side, Calla further learns that this same touch of hands on the human body can quiet her own soul. It is also on the banks of the La Luna River that Calla encounters sweet, succulent first love, with a boy named Tuck.

But when Tuck leaves Calla with a broken heart, she transforms hurt into inspiration and heads for the wild and colorful city of New Orleans to study at L'Académie de Beauté de Crescent. In that extravagant big river city, she finds her destiny—and comes to understand fully the power of her "healing hands" to change lives and soothe pain, including her own. When Tuck reappears years later, he presents her with an offer that is colored by the memories of lost love. But who knows how Calla Lily, a "daughter of the Moon Lady," will respond?

I just love this video where Rebecca, in talking about the novel, talks about how the events, be they illnesses, loss or something else entirely, that knock us down in life are the very things that make us who we are

A tale of family and friendship, tragedy and triumph, loss and love, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder gives readers an unforgettable new heroine to treasure and features the warmth, humor, soul, and wonder that have made Wells a cherished writer for so many book clubs. Be sure to check out Rebecca Wells' new website, the reading group guide, and this Interview with Rebecca. Friend her on Facebook as well!

To celebrate this brand new Rebecca Wells novel, I have 5 copies to give away. Comment on which Wells novel your book group (or you on your own) read and how it affected you. I'll choose 5 random winners from all comments received by midnight, Friday, July 10th. Tweet this giveaway and you'll get two entries into the drawing (please post a link to your tweet as a separate comment).

Reminder! Our Book Club Girl on Air Show with Liz Rosenberg is this Wednesday, July 8th!

Just a reminder that this Wednesday, July 8th is our Book Club Girl on Air show with Liz Rosenberg on which we'll be discussing her novel Home Repair. Set your reminder for the show Wednesday at 7pm EST and return to that same link to listen live on Wednesday.

If you can't make the live broadcast, please feel free to send any questions you may have for Liz (have already heard from one reader!), before 5pm on Tues, to make sure I have them in time, to bookclubgirl AT gmail DOT com. Be sure to watch the video where Liz talks about Home Repair, before the show.

Looking forward to talking to everyone on Wednesday night!

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope you're all celebrating in style wherever you are. We celebrated a neighbor's 40th birthday yesterday and we celebrate America's birthday today. For us that means going to the circus that comes to town each year and then we're off to another party in a friend's backyard/garden. Today I recommend one of my favorite novels about summer, that I read one summer vacation at the Jersey Shore -- Richard Ford's Independence Day. I love this book, and read it and The Sportswriter in quick succession that vacation (tho you should read The Sportswriter first...).

In Independence Day, Ford tells the story of Frank Bascombe, who, in the aftermath of his divorce and the ruin of his career, has entered an "Existence Period," selling real estate in Haddam, New Jersey, and mastering the high-wire act of normalcy. But over one Fourth of July weekend, Frank is called into sudden, bewildering engagement with life.

Independence Day is a moving, peerlessly funny odyssey through America and through the layered consciousness of one of its most compelling literary incarnations, conducted by a novelist of astonishing empathy and perception.

Guest Post from Sally Gunning, Author of Historical "Satucket Novels" The Widow's War and Bound

Today's guest post comes from Sally Gunning, author of The Widow's War and Bound, which was recently released in paperback. In her "Satucket novels," as Geraldine Brooks has dubbed them, Gunning writes about 18th century Massachusetts. In The Widow's War she wrote about the widow Lyddie Berry, a whaler's wife living in Cape Cod and in Bound she tells the story of Alice Cole, an indentured servant. I identify with Gunning below, when she talks of her fascination with indentured servitude. From the time I learned of this type of slavery in elementary school, I have long been interested in learning more about it and how it worked in 18th century America. A friend of mine recently contacted me to see if Gunning could speak to her book group as they had just read The Widow's War and I thought I'd ask her to write something for all of you, about the background to her most recent novel. The paperback edition of Bound includes several interesting new materials, including the original court documents that inspired the novel: arrest warrants, witness depositions, the jury verdict, and more. Read on to learn how Gunning came to write Bound. Be sure to check out the Bound reading guide, and if you are interested in inviting Sally Gunning to speak to your reading group by phone, email her at bookmail AT comcast DOT net. Be sure to visit her website for more information as well.

Many book clubs ask me what compelled me to write the story of Alice Cole.  In the course of some historical research that took me through a number of seventeenth and eighteenth century Cape Cod wills I discovered that slavery was widely practiced and little acknowledged in this part of the country.  My there’s-a-book light bulb went off; I felt that this particular part of New England’s history deserved to see the light of day.  But as I discussed the subject with my brother he said, “All the slaves weren’t black, you know,” reminding me of a related subject that had long interested me and greatly influenced the make-up of New England: indentured servitude.  I also remembered that I’d come across an intriguing story of an indentured servant in researching my previous historical novel, The Widow’s War.

Diarist Benjamin Bangs of Harwich (formerly Satucket, now Brewster) made the following notation in his diary in 1764, referencing a former indentured servant who had given birth to an illegitimate child while alone, and the child died.  In that era a single woman in such circumstance was almost always charged with infanticide, the assumption being that she would have killed the child to hide the crime of fornication.  The diary passage reads:

[July] 10: Tuesday: wind SW: hot: I went in my chaise with my wife to Bass ponds  visited Mrs Kelly and dind then went to see :Hannah: the black girl we brought up: who has had a bastard child alone at tom Ralphs: the [grand] jury brot in that the child died for want help  she is in fitts and weak and almost dead  an object of pity  the sheriff Stone has put a guard over her and intends to put her in goal if she lives  She lies lamenting her folly when sencible.

Several things intrigued me about this passage: first, of course, was the fact of the pending infanticide charge, but second, the fact that Bangs refers to this indentured servant as “the black girl we brought up,” as if she were almost a member of his family, even going to visit to her in her time of distress.  The literature on indentured servitude is filled with tales of abusive masters, but Benjamin Bangs was clearly of another type.

Even though Hannah was not one of the “white slaves” (Bangs alternately refers to her as “Indian Hannah” or “Black Hannah”) I decided to see what I could find out about her, and was fortunate to be able to locate the files for the case of “Hannah Nutup, a spinster from Yarmouth” in the archives of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.  The record contained three depositions from the women who arrived at the scene, each almost identical to the one by Sarah Burgess, Hannah’s arrest warrant, grand jury indictment, and trial jury verdict.

In reading the record of Hannah’s trial I knew that this was a story I wished to tell.  But as I began to talk to various people about indentured servitude I discovered that  although they all knew plenty about the exploitation and enslavement of Africans and Indians, few were familiar with the “white slaves.”  I decided I might best illuminate this unknown part of our history by creating as my main character a young white girl who came into service the same way so many of them had: she was bound out by her father in order to help pay for the family’s costly passage to America, a legal practice as long as the child had reached seven years of age.

So Alice Cole was born, and although her life converges with Hannah’s in some of its details, it sometimes diverges dramatically, and in at least one instance to Alice’s greater advantage: her path crosses that of someone the readers of my previous historical novel will recognize: the widow Lyddie Berry.

Book Club Girl on Air Welcomes New York Times Bestselling Author Garth Stein!

I am THRILLED to announced that on Wednesday, July 22nd, I'll be joined on air by Garth Stein to discuss his bestselling novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain. I can't wait for this show. Art of Racing in the Rain is a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope—a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it. This book has touched so many hearts, I think it's going to be a fantastic conversation.

 I know many of you are fans of the book already and hope you'll be able to join us on July 22nd at 7 pm EST. For those who have yet to meet Enzo, I also have 10 copies of the book to give away. The first 10 people to comment that they'd like to participate in the live broadcast on the 22nd (by online chat or by phone) will win!

Set your reminder for the show with Garth Stein and share it with a friend! Be sure to visit Garth Stein's website and check out the reading group guide and interviews with Garth -- you can even submit a photo of your own dog!

And Speaking of Film Adaptations of Book Club Favorites - The Trailer for The Time Traveler's Wife

Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife has been a reading group favorite since it was first published and the book is once again on the New York Times bestseller list, in anticipation of the release of the film adaptation of the novel. Let's hope this movie is better received than the film in my last post. And hey, it opens on my wedding anniversary!

In Case You Missed it, Movie Adaptation of Jodi Picoult's Book Group Favorite My Sister's Keeper Opened Yesterday

I'm feeling a bit remiss that I neglected to post the trailer for My Sister's Keeper, by far the most popular Jodi Picoult novel read by your book clubs, until today. The film opened yesterday, so send the husband and kids to Transformers or Up (though you should also see Up, it's WONDERFUL) and go see My Sister's Keeper with your book club. Then chat it out to see if you think the movie did the book justice. Good lord, this trailer just made me cry:

Week 3 Update of the Game On! Diet Plus Welcome To and My Tips For the 11! Bloggers Starting the Game Next Week!

I'm almost at the end of week 3 of the Game On! Diet challenge! I will admit, before last evening, I was starting to feel a bit weary, the big weight drop from the initial week didn't exactly repeat itself, and I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the food preparation. But after last night's coaching call with authors Krista and Az, and hearing from one player in particular about how much the Game has changed her life, I have a newfound energy to finish off this week and go strong into the final week! Plus, last night on CBS News, this fantastic piece ran about my husband's Boot Campers who are playing the Game! (cannot believe he didn't get bumped by all the celebrity news...) AND, I lost another pound when I woke up this morning!

And not only that, but the knowledge that next week I'll be joined in the Game by ELEVEN fellow fabulous book bloggers, who will be starting the game just as I'm finishing it (but I'll be back!) is just phenomenal. The players we welcome next week are:

Julie at Booking Mama
Dawn at She Is Too Fond of Books
Jill at Fizzy Thoughts
Jill at Rhapsody in Books
Denise at M. Denise C
Candace at Beth Fish Reads
Jennifer at Find Your Next Book Here
Ti at Book Chatter and Other Stuff
Amy at My Friend Amy
Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelf
Kathy at The Brain Lair

I can't wait to read everyone's posts and tweets and to cheer them on. (Follow the hashtag #gameondiet on Twitter). As these new participants gear up I wanted to offer some tips that have really helped me play the Game.

1) Read the food chapter first and plan out what you think you're going to eat for the first week - this will help a lot. You can see what we ate the first week (more or less) here.
2) From that menu, make a shopping list (there's a suggested one in there too) and get everything this weekend.
3) On Sunday, cook whatever you can from that menu ahead of time -- cook up a some brown rice, grill chicken, chop cucumbers and celery and put them into baggies in the fridge
4) Look at your first week ahead of time in terms of family commitments and your schedule and identify when you will take your meal off and your day off, also try to identify the time each day that you'll exercise
5) Plan that first day's meal times -- when you'll eat breakfast, and then the next 4 meals, spacing them no less than 2 hours and no more than 4 hours apart

On tonight's call Krista and Az each outlined what each of their typical days on the Game look like, so if it's helpful for you, here's Book Club Girl's Typical Day on the Game:

7:30-8       Wake up, weigh myself and drink 1-2 glasses of water right away with my vitamins

8-8:30       Meal 1: Egg whites cooked with onion and spinach, feta, wheat toast w/olive oil + coffee 
hint: chop the onions and separate the eggs the night before to save time

11-11:30    20 Mins of Exercise in my office, doing this routine, or a combo of abs and working 
with exercise bands (if I miss the am time frame, I work out in the aft or evening)

12-12:30    Meal 2: lunch of salad with grilled chicken, broccoli, cucumbers, onions, pepper, 
other veggies, a little dash of balsamic/oil dressing and a piece of fruit (or potato)

4:00          Meal 3: snack of two low-fat cheese sticks, 6 cashews and a banana

7-8:00       Meal 4: Dinner with the family, grilled chicken or fish, veggies, red potato

10-11        Meal 5: Lowfat Ricotta cheese dessert with vanilla, maple syrup and 1/2 c of partially  
thawed frozen fruit (I looove this, very desserty) plus some cashews (I eat these separately as I don't like nuts in my desserts ;))

And of course, I drink a lot of water throughout the day and munch and cucumbers and celery when I'm feeling peckish. I actually keep forgetting and running out of time to eat my 100 calories of anything! (but have bought those 100 calorie cookie packs for those occasions).

New Game On-ers, I'm here for you, send questions my way, can't wait to welcome you!

Listen to Last Night's Show with Marisa de los Santos Now!

Listen to the great show we had last night with Marisa de los Santos, discussing her book Belong to Me, now! Thanks to Marisa for joining us and to everyone who called in!

I'm Accepting the Everything Austen Challenge!

Perhaps it's the new resolve brought on by the Game On! Diet, but I'm ready to sign up for another challenge -- this one set forth by Stephanie of Stephanie's Written Word--The Everything Austen Challenge. This is my first blog challenge, and I think it's fitting that I do one posted by the person who helped me so much in putting together the Book Blogger Panel at BEA. I love Stephanie and I love this challenge! How to participate? Well, check out the introductory post over on Stephanie's Written Word but the basic gist of it is that you commit to watching or reading six Austen themed movies, tv shows or books between July 1st and January 1, 2010. So, to that end, here are the six Austen themed things I'm going to do!

Read Laurie Viera Rigler's Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict (the sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict which I loved, just listen to my interview with Rigler)

Watch Lost in Austen-- I never read the book, but watching the trailer on Stephanie's blog made me realize I've really missed something, can't wait

Re-watch Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow with my daughter - I absolutely love this movie (Jeremy Northam as "My Mr. Knightley!") and have been wanting to share it with my 14 yo ever since we watched Shakespeare in Love together

Read Mansfield Park -- it's the only Austen novel I've not read, or not read in its entirety, though I've read the others multiple times

Read Darcy's Story -- because seriously, we can't get enough of him

Watch The Jane Austen Book Club -- loved the book, missed the movie and have been interested to see how it was adapted

OK, that's it, I'll keep you posted as to my progress, and if I've inspired you, you can sign up to fill yourself full of Austen (and win fabulous prizes!) over at  Stephanie's Written Word!

Tell Me about Authors Who Have Visited Your Book Club and You'll Be Entered to Win a Book Club Girl Bag of Books!

So this month my book group has chosen, quite by chance, a book by a local author. We're considering inviting him to join us for our discussion, but before we do, I wanted to hear from all of you about what works well, and what doesn't, when you invite an author to your book group. I'm used to interviewing authors with on the radio show, but the idea of having someone actually visit our group is obviously much different. Who's had an author visit in person, and if you have, how did you do it? My instinct is to have the group meet first for about 30 minutes and get ourselves somewhat organized and then have him join us after that. Does that make sense to those of you who have hosted an author? There's a bit of added pressure in that I'm the one hosting next month, so I'll also need the house to be really clean. :)

Please send in your stories/comments about having an author visit in person, or on the phone. As incentive, I'll randomly choose one person from all the comments received by midnight Friday, June 26th to win a Book Club Girl totebag of these great hardcover summer reads:

Perfection
by Julie Metz
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
by Katherine Howe
The Lace Makers of Glenmara
by Heather Barbieri
Dismantled
by Jennifer McMahon

Our Book Club Girl on Air Show with Marisa de los Santos is Tuesday Night!

Just a reminder that our show with Marisa de los Santos, where we'll discuss her new novel in paperback Belong to Me, is tomorrow night, Tuesday, June 23rd at 7 pm EST! Set your reminder for the show the link above and return to that same link to listen live on Tuesday night. You can call and ask Marisa questions directly at (347) 945-6149. Remember to turn your computer volume down when you're on the air. You can also participate by sending questions in to the chat room, just be sure to register at Blog Talk Radio ahead of time, so you're ready to go at 7 pm. If you can't participate live, but have questions you'd like to ask, please email them to me at bookclubgirl AT gmail DOT com or post them here. Be sure to check out the reading group guide ahead of time as well. Can't wait to talk to you all tomorrow night!

Twitter LitChat Focuses on Great Book Group Reads, in 140 Characters or Fewer

For those who missed it, today's #litchat conversation on Twitter discussed book groups and what books make for good discussion. Some great points were made and several titles were recommended, from current bestsellers like The Help to older titles like The Sparrow and to historical fiction like Anita Diamant's The Red Tent. The book group I was in at the time had an absolutely wonderful discussion about The Red Tent--though not all of us loved it--and I've found that historical fiction often generates some of the best conversations in my current book group: Pope Joan, The Other Boleyn Girl and Year of Wonders in particular.

Another great idea, proposed by twitterer ErinHere is for clubs to pick two linked books to read over two months like Great Expectations with Mister Pip. In that vein, RebeccaWoodhead recommended reading Jane Eyre along with Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea, the latter being the story of Rochester's wife, the so-called "madwoman in the attic." If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it, it's a wonderful literary imagining of the story before Jane Eyre that really makes you think about all your assumptions about men, women and passion. Other great literary pairings include A Christmas Carol and Mr. Timothy and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Wicked.

Check out the litchat stream (or search Twitter by "#litchat") to see all that was discussed. If you're not on Twitter, you'll see what wonderful conversations are happening there. And if you're already on Twitter, you may find some smart new book people to follow!

Book Club Girl is Still Getting Her Game On - and Has Lost 6 lbs!

I wanted to give all who are interested an update on my first week (or week and 3 days now) on the Game On! Diet. Well, so far so good, the first week went pretty well. There was a fair amount of food preparation but eating so much fresh food felt really great, as did getting 7 hours of sleep every night. I managed to squeeze in 20 minutes of exercise on six days (I'm in love with this HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Routine). On some days when I couldn't work out, I made up for it by power walking to the train, or into town or home from the train.

There were moments of temptation, to be sure, but the team aspect really kept me honest. I sat at the Carlyle hotel having tea with an author with scones and CLOTTED CREAM in front of me, but was able to abstain because I kept thinking of my teammate and how I couldn't let her down. By Saturday am I had actually lost 6 lbs! That night was my "meal off" when I could eat whatever I wanted for dinner and I went a tad overboard with mussels, chicken and a lovely brownie for dessert. Then on Sunday, my "day off," we had a big family party after my daughter's christening and between the wine, the cream puffs and the brownies, well, let's just say that when I weighed in on Monday am, I had gained back 3 of those 6 pounds! Yikes. I do love brownies.

But I still lost my goal for the week -- your goal is to lose (a very safe) 1% of your weight each week, so my total score for the week was 766.8 out of a possible 850 points. I did have one penalty for the week, as I snuck in an extra glass of wine (my whole family was here!) so that lost me 25 points. My teammate was even more rocking, scoring 826. So far we're kicking our opponents' butts! We had another really helpful call with the authors on Thursday night that helped us with some questions about the eating and point system.

Monday and Tuesday I was back on track and those 3 pounds that snuck back on over the weekend fell off by the time I weighed myself this morning. And... drumroll, I've lost two and a half inches off my waist! One treat in particular that has been sustaining me is my favorite late night snack/meal #5 for the day, Kevin's Vanilla Strawberry Almost Ice Cream Treat. Some days I've needed to snack on the cucumber slices and others haven't needed them at all.

Many of you have asked me for more information about the book and how the game is played, since it's not on sale until 6/30 and I keep blathering (twittering) on about it, so I wanted to make sure everyone knows that you can read the entire book online right now for free! So check it out and start thinking about who you'd like to play the game with!

Top 10 Paperbacks to Give Dad This Father's Day

Father's Day is this Sunday, June 21st, have you bought Dad (or the husband) a gift yet? If not, there are some great books out there to choose from, and in paperback too so he won't stress about how much you've spent! Here's my list of 10 recommendations, serve one up with breakfast in bed made by the kids (unlike mom, dad won't worry about what a mess the kitchen is so said preparation won't dampen his mood).

Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba...and Then Lost it to the Revolution by T.J. English -- feed his Godfather obsession 
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin -- he'll be amazed by what one man can accomplish
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by John Meecham -- who doesn't love a Pulitzer Prize winner?
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein -- he'll cry but still be reading a book about racing, with a dog too!
The Reagan Diaries edited by Douglas Brinkley -- fill out his library with this essential tome
The Wall Street Guide to Power Travel -- keep him traveling with ease, even in a recession
Born to Explore How to be a Backyard Adventurer by Richard Wiese-- outdoor activities he can do with the kids, or on a guys weekend away
For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb and the Murder that Shocked Jazz Age Chicago by Simon Baatz -- pair it with Hitchcock's Rope for the perfect Leopold and Loeb combo gift
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris -- make him laugh out loud
The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes -- a new examination that sheds much light on what's happening today

Book Club Girl on Air Welcomes Liz Rosenberg, Author of Home Repair

We'll have two Book Club Girl on Air Shows in July, after of course, our next show on June 23rd when we'll be joined by Marisa de los Santos who will be discussing her bestselling novel now in paperback, Belong to Me.

For our first show in July--on Wednesday July 8th at 7 pm EST--I'm thrilled to welcome Liz Rosenberg, author of the new novel, Home Repair. In this poignant, lovely, funny and uplifting novel, Rosenberg tells the story of Eve, whose beloved Ivan died thirteen years ago in an automobile accident. Her charming, boyish Chuck has taken a different exit out of her life: hopping into his car in the middle of a garage sale with no forewarning and departing their formerly happy upstate New York home for points unknown. Now Eve's a boat adrift, subsisting on a heartbreak diet of rue, disappointment, and woe--left alone to care for Ivan's brilliant teenaged son, Marcus, and Chuck's precocious, pragmatic nine-year-old daughter, Noni, while contending with Charlotte, her acerbic mother, who's come north to "help" but hinders instead. But life ultimately must go on, with its highs and lows, its traumas and holidays, and well-meaning, if eccentric, friends. A house and a heart in disrepair are painful burdens for a passionate woman who's still in her prime. And while learning to cope with the large and small tragedies that each passing day brings, Eve might end up discovering that she's gained much more than she's lost. This novel of love, family, and survival is an unforgettable introduction to a lyrical, wise, and wonderfully vibrant new literary voice.

I can't wait to talk to Liz, who prior to this novel, has written books for young readers as well as poetry. The first 10 people to comment on this post that they'd like to participate as well will receive a free copy of Home Repair. Set your reminder for the show on July 8th.

In the meantime, browse inside Home Repair and catch up with Rosenberg when she's on tour this summer to promote her book!

Guest Post on Bonk by Mary Roach from Minneapolis' Books & Bars

This month's guest post from Jeff Kamin of Minneapolis' Books & Bars book club once again includes video. Read on for their discussion of Bonk by Mary Roach. And if you missed it, be sure to check out last month's post on Pride, Prejudice and Zombies.

118 people were in attendance as Books & Bars convered Mary Roach's Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex on 6/9. With twenty people over fire code capacity we had our largest crowd (sneaking in) according to the Bryant-Lake Bowl servers.

In discussing the book, I allowed (encouraged) double entrendres and sexual innuendos but warned you could get a shouted "BONK!" from the audience if you used one in your comments. It was a lot of fun with a seemingly still taboo topic for some people. A majority of the converstaion was devoted to masturbation, perhaps not surprisingly, in our group of mostly singles.

Overall we enjoyed Bonk, though we felt it a little unfocused and slight on some of its topics. It may be hard to believe but we were ready for a more in-depth and serious take on the subject matters of sexuality and science. We usually do only one non-fiction book a year in our club. Non-fiction serves as a jumping off point for discussions, which end up being less about the book/author and more about the topics presented. Not always a bad thing, in fact they're usually heated and informative debates, but after an informal poll we'll continue reading mainly fiction.

Take a few minutes to see the video for the funny payoffs toward the end.

Next month we discuss Atmostpheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen.

Thanks for reading,
Jeff Kamin, moderator/director/writer
www.mustacherobots.wordpress.com
Find Jeff on Facebook
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Bestselling Book Club Favorite Garth Stein's Art of Racing in the Rain is On Sale in Paperback Today!

I know that a great many of you are already fans of The Art of Racing in the Rain and that some of you even got to meet author Garth Stein in the past year as he has criscrossed the country promoting his amazing novel. Well today the novel is finally available in paperback and Garth will once again set out on an extensive tour to promote it! The book has already become a reading group favorite, and now that it's in paperback, I think it will become a book club staple. For those of you who have yet to experience the sheer page-turning joy of reading this book, here's a description in a nutshell: it is a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope—a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it. Intriguing, no? Browse inside the book here to see for yourself what everyone is talking about.

Check out Garth's brand-new website which is full of great info and fun stuff. You can download Enzoisms to print on t-shirts and pick up tile ads to put on your blog, facebook or wherever to show and spread the Enzo love with the online buzz kit. There are wonderful resources for book groups including reading group questions, videos, an author interview and more. Sign up for the newsletter and follow and friend Garth on Twitter and Facebook here.

In celebration of Enzo's on-sale day, I have ten copies of the paperback to give away. Here's how you can enter to win:
1) Download an Enzo tile ad from the website and put it on your blog or facebook page (send me a link in the comments)
2) Tweet: "The Art of Racing in the Rain by @garthstein is On Sale in Paperback Today!" with a link back to www.garthstein.com
3) Do both things and get two entries into the random drawing!

The drawing will take place from all entries received by midnight Friday the 12th! Stay tuned for more news on Art...including an upcoming Book Club Girl on Air show with Garth!

Book Club Girl is Getting Her Game On!

What, you may ask, does that mean? Well, today is day one of the Game On! Diet challenge that I've embarked upon with some of my coworkers. Now, I couldn't decide whether or not this was something I should post here since it's not technically book club related, but it is book related, and it is about me (the "girl" in Book Club Girl), so hope you'll indulge me. These posts won't take over the blog but this is a big deal for me, and it would seem really odd for me to be posting every day and not mention it occasionally.

The Game On! Diet is the brainchild of Krista Vernoff, head writer and executive producer of tv's Grey's Anatomy and Az Ferguson, winner of the Body-for-Life Challenge. When Krista returned to work after having her baby, she called on Az to help her lose the baby weight. He made her a workout regimen and eating plan that she, well, didn't follow at all. So Az went back to the drawing board. Knowing that Krista had a VERY competitive nature, he decided to present her with a healthy lifestyle plan in the form of a game, that she could play with a team, and that she could play to win. This appealed to her very much. Rather than the focus being on losing weight, the focus is on winning points, a far more tantalizing prospect. So how do you earn points? You can earn a maximum of 100 points a day for doing the following:

1) Eating 5 balanced meals a day, every 2-4 hours -- 6 points per meal
2) Exercising for at least 20 minutes a day -- 20 points
3) Sleeping for a minimum of 7 hours per night -- 15 points
4) Drinking 3 liters of water a day -- 10 points
5) Adopting a healthy new habit that you practice every day -- 10 points
6) Dropping one unhealthy habit -- 10 points
7) Communicating with your team members every day -- 5 points

You earn penalties (points lost!) for:
1) stepping on the scale more than once a day
2) unsanctioned snacking (you can have as much celery and cucumber as you want throughout the day, plus 100 free calories of whatever once a day, no other snacking)
3) Colluding with the opposing team to get them to break a rule
4) Drinking alcohol (see exception below)
5) changing the healthy or unhealthy habit during the course of the game (you have to pick those and stick to them).

It's not about total deprivation as you get:
1) One day off a week, when you don't have to follow any of the rules
2) One meal off a week when you can eat what you want and have one unit of alcohol
3) each day you can have 100 calories of anything as a bonus treat

If you don't lose at least 1% of your weight each week, you lose your alcohol privilege for the duration of the game. The game runs for 4 weeks. Because the book is written by a tv writer, it's funny and extremely approachable, not all diet scary. (no clues as to the fate of George and Izzie on Grey's however ;()

Our points are handed in once a week and tallied with our teammates. The winning team will get to do something to the losing team that we have yet to determine. I am so excited to play this, and having teammates who I'm beholden to will help to keep me honest.

As for my new habits (and they made habits a part of the game because studies have shown that true weight loss happens when there is a lifestyle change, rather than just a diet and exercise change). The unhealthy habit that I'm going to break is being on my blackberry or the computer in the evening hours from the time I get home until the kids are in bed. So from about 6:30-9:30 every night, my husband (who's also playing the game) and I are going to be focused on our family and not distracted by work (it's a tad embarassing that this is something we're not already doing). The healthy habit I'm adopting: three times a day I pump milk at work for my baby. Usually I do this while emailing, talking on the phone, working like a maniac. My healthy habit is going to be that during one of those times I will not be on email or the phone, and will sit at my desk and read, probably starting with short stories, for that 15-minute time period, making it a relaxing and enriching time, rather than a hectic, multitasking time. It's interesting that both of my habits involve turning off technology. I guess there will be a little less tweeting and blogging!

So how am I doing so far? Well, this morning I stepped on the scale and recorded my starting weight. I also measured my waist as even more than losing weight, I want to regain my pre-baby shape. I had a great breakfast of egg whites, spinach, onions and feta cheese with wheat toast and my next meal of the day will be two cheese sticks, 6 almonds, a plum and an apple. For lunch I brought a huge salad with grilled chicken. Check out the picture of all the food I brought to work, it seems like A LOT! You can learn more about the food portion of the game here, and basically, it's all about portions and balancing your protein with your carbs, and including healthy fat in each meal. I plan to do this Twenty & Plenty 20-minute workout in my office around midday. I've already talked with my teammate this am, after she power walked to work so I've earned my communication points for the day!

The days off and meals off make me feel like I really can do this -- I've already planned out a couple of the days off (my daughter's christening next week, the other's graduation the following week). And the meal off gives us even more flexibility if we end up out at a restaurant or just need a break (or, ahem, a drink). To prepare for the food part of the game, I planned out my menus for the week, shopped for it all on Friday at Costco, and made a lot of things yesterday so I don't get tripped up by preparations during the week.

I'll report back in about a week as to my progress. If you're interested in finding out more, you can listen to the great call we had with the authors last Thursday night here. About 30 of my husband's boot campers (he runs an exercise boot camp) are participating in our town, so we all spoke to the authors to get our various questions answered.

That is all, thanks for reading, wish me luck, and game on!

In Celebration of the Tonys - Read a Play for Book Club

In Sunday's New York Times, Dwight Garner wrote about sitting down to read the four plays nominated for best play this year, having seen none of the productions. His story reminded me of the joy I once had reading plays. I was an English major who concentrated in drama, so plays were the thing for me. I wrote my thesis on George Bernard Shaw, and first came to love Alan Ayckbourn (whose brilliant Norman Conquests just won best revival of a play!), Noel Coward, Peter Shaffer, Harold Pinter and others by reading them, not by watching productions of their plays. Reading those plays led me to wonderful worlds and on my first literary pilgrimage (to Ayckbourn's Stephen Joseph theater in Scarborough, England the year after I graduated from college). And just this week, I was heartened to hear from my reluctant reader daughter that she LOVES READING SHAKESPEARE.

So I'm not sure why I've never thought to suggest reading a play at book club, especially since there are so many to choose from, and, well not to put too fine a point on it, but they are quick to read! There would really be no excuse for not finishing. I plan to scour my shelves for some good options. In the meantime, of the four examined by Garner, I think that God of Carnage (winner of Best Play tonight), in its examination of two disfunctional marriages whose fissures are revealed when the couples are brought together by an altercation between their sons, would be a terrific book club choice. I plan to pick it up asap (well, right after I finally get my Norman Conquests tickets-still trying to figure out to explain to my husband why I need to see three plays in one day ;)).

Book Club Favorite Lisa See's Shanghai Girls On Sale Now

I feel remiss not mentioning this earlier, but Lisa See's newest novel, Shanghai Girls is now on sale. Her Snow Flower and the Secret Fan became a book club staple when it was published. She followed that with Peony in Love. Now, in Shanghai Girls, See tells the story of Pearl and May Chin, two well-off women living the life in 1937 Shanghai, who are both abruptly married off to men living in America after their father gambles away their family's wealth. Pearl and May are moved to Los Angeles where they face discrimination and Communist witch hunts, while finding themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules. The sisters are close and there for each other, but like sisters everywhere, they harbor resentments as well as a secret that could change everything. I loved Snow Flower and can't wait to read this one.

Read an excerpt of Shanghai Girls here, catch See on tour near you, and watch a great interview with her about the novel below.

Listen to Deborah Johnson Discuss The Air Between Us Now

Reminder! Our Book Club Girl on Air Show with Deborah Johnson is Today!

Reminder, our show with Deborah Johnson, where we'll discuss her novel The Air Between Us, is today at 2 pm EST. Listen and participate live to the show, held in conjunction with Books-A-Million, here! Call in at 347-934-6149, or type your questions in the chat section. Be sure to register on the site first if you want to use the chat.