The Sunday Salon... Week in review, Mystery Award Winners, and a Book that's Sure to be a Hit with Reading Groups!

Grab a cup of joe and relax... It's Sunday! A day to sit back, collect your thoughts and reflect on the week you just had... I've been in prison the better part of the week, getting through what seemed to be endless days with my sanity intact, Piper Kerman and the group of women that make up Piper's circle of friends in Orange is the New Black. (Review coming soon...) I've shared some time with 2 larger than life women, Violet and Sally, while their lives go horribly out of control in This One is Mine by Maria Semple. And if all that weren't enough, I floated down the Mississippi with a keen eye and Abe Lincoln at the ready hunting Vampires in Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. Imagine Anne Rice writing as Mark Twain and you’ve got an idea of what to expect when reading Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. I actually listened to the audiobook on my iPod and I can’t tell you how great this story was! With all the mashups these days with Zombies and Sea Monsters, Vampires fit right in, but Seth creates such an amazing combination of history with old world vampires, that I was transfixed by the story. These are not the vampires of Stephanie Meyers’ “Twilight” series, these are the kind of vampires Anne Rice wrote about! You may be saying to yourself, "Vampires and Abe Lincoln?", but believe me it really works, AND there's still time to enter the giveaway I'm having for the unabridged audiobook of Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter, which ends May 15th... Of course all that Vampire Hunting, prison food and drama can make a girl hungry, so I sat down with Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali and made some Baked Penne & Mushrooms, which by the way is out of this world delicious! I Love reviewing cookbooks, and Lidia's newest cookbook, Lidia Cooks From The Heart of Italy is a wonderful collection of food, recipes, places and people. She really takes us into the little out of the way places, introduces us to the locals and teaches us how to cook some amazing regional fare. Read my review for Lidia Cooks From The Heart of Italy, and enjoy the recipe for that baked Penne while you're there too!

OK all you mystery lovers, the votes are in and the winners have been announced! Nothing like sinking your teeth into a great mystery, and The Edgar Awards, presented by The Mystery Writers of America, honors the best in mystery! Today I thought we'd look at two of those winners, which were announced April 29th, and a book that caught my eye this week in the blogosphere...

The Edgar for Best Novel goes to The Last Child by John Hart. I have a copy of this on my nightstand waiting to be cracked open. This is what the Publisher writes about the novel, Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss,until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he’d been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is---confident in a way that he can never fully explain... Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.... Then a second child goes missing . . . Undeterred by Hunt’s threats or his mother’s pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit. The Last Child has gotten great reviews, and there was a lot of buzz prior to the awards. I can't wait to start reading it myself! You can read the first chapter at John Hart's website. *This Book is Kindle Ready!

The Edgar for Best First Novel by an American Writer goes to In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff. I hadn't heard much about In the Shadow of Gotham prior to its nomination for The Edgar, but that's one of the benefits to being nominated for a literary award- exposure! This book also was nominated for an Agatha Award, which honors "traditional mysteries". I think this is going to be a getting a lot of buzz now, not just because of its winning The Edgar, but for what looks like a great series set in a great time period! In The Shadow of Gotham is the first book in a series featuring Detective Simon Ziele and criminologist Alistair Sinclair. The next book in the series, A Curtain Falls, is due out next month, and already the third book in the series, An Oath of Silence, is planned for release next year. If you love the setting of NYC at the turn of the century this series will strike the right chord, because all the stories take place around then. Here's what the Publisher writes about In The Shadow of Gotham, It is November of 1905... Detective Simon Ziele loses his fiancée in the wreck of the General Slocum steamship disaster and shortly thereafter heads to Westchester County to escape the violence of the city. But just a few months into his tenure, he catches the worst homicide of his career: a young woman is brutally murdered in her own bedroom in the middle of a winter afternoon. A day's investigating leads him to Columbia University's noted criminologist, Alistair Sinclair, and one of his subjects, Michael Fromley, who has a history of violent behavior and brutal fantasies. But what would lead him to target Sarah Wingate, a notable mathematics grad student at Columbia? Is it really Michael behind the murder, or is someone else copying his signatures? This is what Simon Ziele must discover, with the help of the brilliant but self-interested Alistair Sinclair, before the killer strikes again. You can read an excerpt Chapter one of In The Shadow of Gotham at the website of Stephanie Pintoff. *This Book is Kindle Ready!

On Folly Beach by Karen White... This will be Karen White's 13th novel. She characterized On Folly Beach as "grit lit", or part of her Southern women's fiction writing. There already is plenty of buzz about On Folly Beach and it's not even released yet! BUT, this coming tuesday, May 4th, it will be available at your local bookstore. This is what the Publisher wrote about On Folly Beach... Folly Beach, South Carolina, has survived despite hurricanes and war. But it's the personal battles of Folly Beach's residents that have left the most scars, and why a young widow has been beckoned there to heal her own... To most people, Folly Beach is simply the last barrier island before reaching the great Atlantic. To some, it's a sanctuary for lost souls, which is why Emmy Hamilton's mother encourages her to buy the local book store, Folly's Finds, hoping it will distract Emmy from the loss of her husband. Emmy is at first resistant. So much has already changed. But after finding love letters and an image of a beautiful bottle tree in a box of used books from Folly's Finds, she decides to take the plunge. But the seller insists on one condition: Emmy must allow Lulu, the late owner's difficult sister, to continue selling her bottle trees from its back yard. For the most part Emmy ignores Lulu as she sifts through the love letters, wanting to learn more. But the more she discovers about the letters, the more she understands Lulu. As details of a possible murder and a mysterious disappearance during WWII are revealed, the two women discover that circumstances beyond their control, sixty years apart, have brought them together, here on Folly Beach. And it is here that their war-ravaged hearts can find hope for a second chance... On Folly Beach is also being recommended by Reading Group Choices. You can read an excerpt of Chapter One of On Folly Beach at Karen White's website!

So, did I peak your interest with something? Make you hungry for Italian? Let me know what you cracked the spine on this week! And stop by during the week, for some great giveaways, and a review or two on some great books I read recently... Happy reading, Suzanne

The Sunday Salon... Week in review, Books now in Paperback, and The Orange Prize for Fiction nominees!

I've got a cup of Joe next to me and a good book lined up for today, because it's another rainy day in western Connecticut. The week was beautiful though, and I had my head in a book and my ears in headphones ( listening to Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith)! I finished The Cradle by Patrick Somerville this week and really enjoyed it. Some books just surprise you, and this one is one of them. Patrick Somerville did a nice job of making a simple story into a more meaningful one with his talented writing abilities. I've also a giveaway going on for The Cradle, so make sure you enter! Speaking of giveaways, this coming week will wrap up giveaways for Glorious by Bernice McFadden, Forbidden Passion by Rita Heron, and Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze...

In the paperback department, there are some great books that have just been released! One of my favorite reads last year was The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips, a "dazzling novel of intrigue, passion and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge." Read my full review of The Devlin Diaries from June 29th, but trust me, if you are a historical fiction fan, this is a book you will definitely enjoy! Stephanie Meyer's Sci-Fi thriller for adults, The Host, is now available in paperback too! "The Earth, in the not-too-distant future, has been taken over by alien “souls,” parasitic worm-like beings that wish to experience life as humans. Some years after the occupation, only a few scattered human resistors remain..." In non-fiction, just out is The Girls From Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship by Jeffrey Zazlow (on my TBR list!), and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda janzen, which I enjoyed and reviewed last December, "They say "you can always go home", and that's exactly what Rhoda Janzen does in mennonite in a little black dress. After a hysterectomy, a husband who left her for a guy named Bob at the age of "over 40", and a horrible car accident, Rhoda was having a bad stretch of luck! But instead of Rhoda crying in her pillow at night, she picks herself up and off she goes- back to her loving family who have more than few endearing quirks." Here is the LINK to the full review.

April 29th marks the date for The Edgar Awards, which is presented by The Mystery Writers of America and honors the best in mystery! Fiction and non-fiction! There is a link to the whole list of nominees at TheEdgars.com. A few of the novels up for an award are The Last Child by John Hart, which is on my nightstand right now, A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn, and The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf. There are 53 nominees in 11 categories though, so follow the link to see all the titles.

This week the short list for The Orange Prize was announced, and I thought we'd take a closer look at a few of those books today...

What is The Orange Prize for Fiction? It's one of the U.K.'s most prestigious awards, created in 1996 to celebrate, honor, and promote fiction written by women. The award itself is for the best novel of the year written by a woman in English, and the winner will receive $45,000 plus a limited edition bronze statue known as ‘The Bessie’. This years nominees must have first published their books in the U.K. between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010. The winner will be announced June 9th! Here's the shortlist...

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey

On the shortlist are a few books that have gotten a lot of buzz during the year already, most notably Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which won the Man Booker prize this year. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver was also a welcome treat for Kingsolver fans because it's the first novel of hers in 9 years! 2 novels were new to me, and 1 novel was also nominated for The Edgar...

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison... From the Publisher, "England, 31st August 1939: the world is on the brink of war. As Hitler prepares to invade Poland, thousands of children are evacuated from London to escape the impending Blitz. Torn from her mother, eight-year-old Anna Sands is relocated with other children to a large Yorkshire estate which has been opened up to evacuees by Thomas and Elizabeth Ashton, an enigmatic childless couple. Soon Anna gets drawn into their unravelling relationship, seeing things that are not meant for her eyes – and finding herself part-witness and part-accomplice to a love affair, with unforeseen consequences. A story of love, loss and complicated loyalties, combining a sweeping narrative with subtle psychological observation." This book was quietly published by a small independent press, Alma Books, (do I hear Tinker's?!) and was not reviewed by a single British national newspaper up until her nomination. What did the author think of that? "I was actually relieved," Alison says. "I had a slight terror of some poor reviewer with far too much to read picking it up and looking for a quick putdown. It's a very heartfelt book and if you don't tune into its emotional frequencies, it would be very easy for a cynic to write it off in a few dismissive lines." The Very Thought of You was also nominated for The Romantic Novel of The Year Award this year, although it did not make the shortlist, it's on my wish list!

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke... Back of the Book, Jay Porter is hardly the lawyer he set out to be. His most promising client is a low-rent call girl, and he runs his fledgling law practice out a dingy strip mall. But he’s long since made peace with his path to the American Dream, carefully tucking away his darkest sins: the guns, the FBI file, the trial that nearly destroyed him. Houston, Texas, 1981. It’s here that Jay believes he can make a fresh start. That is, until the night he impulsively saves a drowning woman’s life – and opens a Pandora’s Box. Her secrets put Jay in danger, ensnaring him in a murder investigation that could cost him his practice, his family, and even his life. But before he can get to the bottom of a tangled mystery that reaches into theupper echelons of Houston’s corporate powerbrokers, Jay must confront the demons of his past. This book was nominated for The Edgar Award for Best First Novel by An American Writer. It's gotten quite a bit of buzz, and for mystery/thriller fans this looks to be a great read.

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey... From the Publisher, "When George and Sabine Harwood arrive in Trinidad from England as young newlyweds, they have with them just a couple of suitcases and Sabine's prized green bicycle. Their intention is to stay for not more then three years, but George falls in love with the island. Sabine, however, is ill at ease with the racial segregation and unrest in her new home, and takes solace in the freedom of her green bicycle. George and Sabine become more entangled in their life on the island – in all its passion and betrayals – and Sabine's bicycle takes her places she wouldn't otherwise go. One day George make a discovery that forces him to realise that extent of the secrets between them, and is seized by an urgent, desperate need to prove his love for her – with tragic consequences. An unforgettable love story, brimming with passion and politics, set over fifty years in Trinidad – a place at times enchanting, and at times highly dangerous." I thought Monique Roffey's prose was enjoyable in the few excerpts I read. I haven't heard too much about this novel, but what little I have heard, people seems to like the book. Here's the link to an excerpt of The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, so you can see if you like the writing. Plus, Bookhugger.co.uk has an excerpt available for all the Orange Prize shortlisters!

So, what have you been reading this week?! Have you heard any buzz about the Orange Prize nominees? Do you pay attention to award winners? Hope you found something to peak your interest this week! A few things on the plate for next week... we'll talk about that great audiobook I was listening to this week (and a giveaway for it too!), and I'll be reviewing Lydia Cooks From The Heart of Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, and have a great recipe from that cookbook reprinted with special permission from the publisher (you won't find it anywhere else online!). And of course tomorrow is "Memoir Monday" and there's a great book I'm going to highlight that has a bit of crime,punishment AND a connection with Chick with Books!

Happy Reading! Suzanne