Trailer Tuesday: ‘The Backyard Parables’ by Margaret Roach

Posted on 15 January 2013 by Brooke, Editorial Intern

Margaret Roach‘s The Backyard Parables is both a spiritual and scientific field guide for the modern gardener. The book gives reader a glimpse of her spiritual practices, but also includes many practical tips for gardeners.

Says our reviewer:

Roach, former editorial director for Martha Stewart, followed a passion, cultivated it devoutly and turned it into a career. She doesn’t need to discuss the how-to of mindfulness; her life is the best example of the way love and attention will make things bloom.

Check out the book trailer narrated by the author herself:

What do you think about Roach’s blending of memoir and gardening manual? What are you reading this week?

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What to read after ‘Wild’

Posted on 14 January 2013 by Kate, Associate Editor

Wild by Cheryl StrayedCheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild, about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after the death of her mother and the dissolution of her marriage, was one of 2012′s biggest and best books. Even Oprah thought so—she made it her first pick when she relaunched her book club. With its clear-eyed portrayal of Strayed’s all-consuming sorrow and loneliness, and the incredible story of her (some might say foolhardy) determination to seek answers in an unforgiving landscape, Wild was our readers’ #4 book of the year (and #2 on the BookPage editors’ own Best of 2012 list).

Strayed’s memoir encompasses so many different themes—grief, adventure, the healing power of nature, the journey to forgiveness and growth, discovering a community of like-minded misfits—that each reader takes away something different. If you’re longing for something in a similar vein, try one of the following:

Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail CaldwellLet’s Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell
Like Wild, Let’s Take the Long Way Home is a heartbreaking but beautifully told memoir of living through loss. When Gail Caldwell met Caroline Knapp, the two formed a quick, deep bond over such shared experiences as the joys and frustrations of writing, long walks with their beloved dogs and their self-destructive, alcoholic pasts. Knapp was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002 and died a few short months later; Caldwell’s grief over the loss of her friend knocked her flat. Her book is a powerful testament to a close friendship and the person she has become in its wake.

Claiming Ground by Laura BellClaiming Ground by Laura Bell
Laura Bell’s life has taken many unexpected turns. After graduating college in the ’70s, she had a hard time figuring out who, or what, she wanted to be. So she turned to what she knew to be real and true—her love of animals and the land—and moved to Wyoming to become a sheepherder. It was not an easy job, especially for a young woman, but she learned to face her failures and celebrate her strengths, all the while reveling in the harsh splendor of the Western landscape. Over the years, she turned to different jobs (forest ranger, masseuse) and different people for companionship, surviving divorce and agonizing loss along the way. Inspiring in the best way, Bell’s memoir chronicles a lifetime of learning how to be herself.

Townie by Andre Dubus IIITownie by Andre Dubus III
The working-class neighborhoods of Lowell, Massachusetts, are no place for a young boy to admit to any weakness. In such an environment, Andre Dubus III grew up poor and, by age 11, the child of an acrimonious divorce. After years of enduring taunts and violence against his family, he fought back, transforming himself into a strong, vicious boxer and brawler. Eventually, he turned to writing as a way to lift himself out of misery and the dead-end life he was living, and also to untangle his relationship with his father after a serious injury. Light reading it is not, but readers who loved Wild for its unflinching look at Strayed’s sad and troubled family will appreciate the portrait of love and loneliness that Dubus paints in Townie.

Fire Season by Philip ConnorsFire Season by Philip Connors
Philip Connors has spent many summers as a fire lookout in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico, a job that allows him to attune himself deeply to the natural world around him. Though the work is not as physically demanding as hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, it requires long hours of solitude and the close, thorough observation of the forest. With nothing but the sights and sounds of the woods to distract him, Connors can achieve a sort of meditative peace that lends itself well to the daily practice of writing. When he observes that natural fires (caused by lightning strikes) are often beneficial, even necessary, to the survival of the forest’s ecosystem, readers will realize that the truths he uncovers on the mountain may have meaning in their own lives as well.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill BrysonA Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
If you’re looking for a lighter take on the experience of long-distance hiking, Bill Bryson’s modern classic A Walk in the Woods is essential reading. Like Strayed, Bryson is not exactly prepared for the rigors of the journey when he sets out to hike the Appalachian Trail, and his bumbling efforts and dry humor make for an irresistible combination. Along the way, he learns about the history and allure of the AT and meets a number of curious characters—including his traveling companion, a cranky, monosyllabic and somewhat rundown friend from his high school days.

Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather LendeTake Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende
Heather Lende, columnist for the Anchorage Daily News, has been compared to writers such as Anne Lamott and Annie Dillard for her gentle but deep-seated spirituality and her love of the natural world—in this case, the mountainous beauty of her Alaska home. In this collection of essays and observations, Lende writes with grace and humor about challenges and triumphs both personal and communal, and captures the spirit of community that infuses her small town. Like Strayed, Lende struggles with big questions, and finds inspiration in the beautiful but unforgiving landscape around her.

Looking for more great book suggestions? Check out the rest of our “what to read next” posts, or share your own recommendations in the comments.

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Monday contest: Four short story gems

Posted on 14 January 2013 by Trisha, Managing Editor

A couple of months back I posted about how 2012 was an amazing year for the short story and its many fans. If you’re someone who can’t get enough short fiction, this week’s contest is for you!  We’re giving away three of the best story collections of 2012 (Stay Awake by Dan Chaon, Happiness Is a Chemical in the Brain by Lucia Perillo and Hush Hush by Steven Barthleme) . . . and one of our favorite story collections of 2013 so far, Yoko Ogawa’s Revenge. It’s not even out until January 26, but here’s your sneak peek: Our reviewer says its full of “grace and sorrow,” with touches of magical realism that truly delight.

insomniac reading

TO ENTER: In the comments, tell us the name of your favorite short story collection of all time.

CONTEST DETAILS: One winner will be chosen by random.org from among entries received by 5 pm CST on Friday, January 18. The winner will receive one copy each of Stay Awake by Dan Chaon, Happiness Is a Chemical in the Brain by Lucia Perillo, Hush Hush by Steven Barthleme and Revenge by Yoko Ogawa. Prizes must be shipped to a North American address, and Rhode Island residents are not eligible. (Full contest rules here.) Good luck!

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ETA: Congratulations to our winner, Kate! Her favorite short story collection is Brief Encounters with Che Guevara by Ben Fountain. (Good choice, Kate!)

Thanks to all who entered! Contest is now closed.

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What to read after ‘The Light Between Oceans’

Posted on 11 January 2013 by Trisha, Managing Editor

Our readers chose M.L. Stedman’s August debut, The Light Between Oceans, as their #2 book of 2012. We understand why. Set just after World War I, it’s the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife, Tom and Isabel Sherbourne, who, after several failed attempts to have a child of their own, claim a baby that washes up on the island’s shore. Stedman combines a complicated moral dilemma and an exotic Australian setting to create a compelling narrative—a story that is more interested in exploring “why” and “who” than “right” and “wrong.” It’s the sort of novel to inspire debate in your heart—or in your book club!

If you’re one of the readers who voted for The Light Between Oceans and are looking for something to read next, here are some ideas.

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan. Like Oceans, this is one of our favorite 2012 debuts, and like Oceans, it is a psychologically acute look at a very thorny moral dilemma. Dozens of survivors of a 1912 steamer sinking are adrift in one tiny boat. Who will survive—and what will they have to do to achieve that goal?

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. When the Sherbournes decide to adopt the child they find as their own, that one action drastically affects the residents of their small town. In Tom Franklin’s atmospheric third novel, another missing girl sets the residents of a rural Mississippi town buzzing, bringing back memories of a similar case 20 years earlier and forcing two former friends to work together to uncover the culprit. It’s a haunting story of secrets, regret and friendship.

The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville. If the vivid descriptions of Australia captured your imagination, this Booker Prize shortlisted novel about the country’s colorful beginnings would be a good book to try next. Following the unlikely friendship between British explorer Daniel Rooke and a young aboriginal girl, it’s based on a real-life story.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. This debut novel was a word-of-mouth hit when it was published in the summer of 2005, and it also deals with a morally complicated situation: Dr. David Henry’s decision to put one of his twin daughters in an asylum. After all, it’s 1964, and children with Down syndrome are not considered able to be productive members of society. To spare his wife pain, he tells her that the child died at birth—but the wounds linger, haunting the family, even as the twins grow up unaware of each other’s existence.

The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver. Though this novel, Shriver’s acclaimed follow-up to We Need to Talk About Kevin, is set in modern times, its thought-provoking structure should please fans of The Light Between Oceans. It’s the story of Irina, who is presented with a choice on a night out in London: does she betray her partner of several years and kiss another man? From that moment, the novel is divided into two realities: one where Irina leaves staid Lawrence and embarks on a relationship with a charismatic snooker player, and one where she does not. Which is the better choice? It’s up to the reader to decide.

Faith by Jennifer Haigh. Is there a more morally complex issue than the sexual abuse scandal that continues to rock the Catholic church? Haigh’s sensitive, beautifully written fourth novel explores the fallout of this issue from a side not often seen: That of the accused abuser, Art, part of the close-knit McGann clan. Like Stedman, Haigh presents her characters without judgment, proving to the reader that nothing is black and white.

Readers, got any recs for fans of The Light Between Oceans? Find more “What to read next” posts here.

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Recipe of the week: Pancetta, white bean and swiss chard pot pies

Posted on 10 January 2013 by Cat, Assistant Editor

Deb Perelman’s The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook doesn’t claim easy, speedy recipes. It does, however, promise to-die-for dishes from an “obsessive” cook who “will fine-tune, twiddle and tweak until it’s just right, then share her culinary insights and inspirations with you.”

It’s our Top Pick in Cookbooks for January, and it’s worth the effort for enthusiastic foodies.

Pancetta, white bean and swiss chard pot pies

Over the years, we’ve had a lot of dinner parties. I’ve made mussels and fries and red pepper soup; I’ve made meatballs and spaghetti repeatedly; brisket and noodles were on repeat until I got the kinks ironed out of the recipe in this chapter, and there was this one time when I decided to make nothing but delicate flatbreads for dinner. It was a terrible idea. Don’t do this unless you want to spend three days making doughs and mincing vegetables, only to have everyone leave hungry.

I’m pretty sure if you asked my friends what the very best thing I’ve ever served them was, they’d still go on about chicken pot pies I made from an Ina Garten recipe all those years ago. People, it turns out, go berserk for comfort food— especially comfort food with a flaky pastry lid—doubly so on a rainy night. I liked them too, but the chicken—which often ends up getting cooked twice—has always been my least favorite part. What I do like is the buttery velouté that forms the sauce, and it was from there that I decided to make a pot pie I’d choose over chicken, peas, and carrots any night of the week.

You really have to try this for a dinner party, especially if your guests were expecting something fancy. The crust and stews can be made up to 24 hours in advance, and need only to be baked to come to the table; this means that you could spend that time getting cute, or at least making pudding for dessert. And if people are expecting the same old same old beneath the lid, this will be a good surprise—the lid is so flaky, it’s closer to a croissant than a pie crust, and the pancetta, beans, and greens make a perfect stew, one you’d enjoy even without a bronzed crust. But, you know, it helps.

yield: serves 4

Continue reading →

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What to read after ‘The Fault in Our Stars’

Posted on 10 January 2013 by Cat, Assistant Editor

John Green’s affecting The Fault in Our Stars has received almost non-stop attention since in publication in January of 2012—and even way before. It was a bestseller on Amazon and Barnes & Noble six months before publication, and its popularity has yet to lose momentum. It was a BookPage Best Children’s Book of 2012, #5 on the Readers’ Choice list of the Best Books of 2012 and called “damn near genius” by Time magazine.

Green’s fourth book stars a 16-year-old girl named Hazel with stage-4 thyroid cancer and depression. At a support group, she meets a boy named Augustus, who has lost a leg to osteosarcoma. And so their love story begins as they explore the possibility of a relationship amid the unlucky world of the sick and dying. They dare to be witty, clever and courageous in the face of what could be insurmountable grief.

Loved The Fault in Our Stars? Check out these suggestions for what to read next.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
The sharp edge of The Fault in Our Stars comes from how tragically young Hazel and Augustus are, and the notion of facing death in adolescence. In Walker’s debut, 11-year-old Julia’s coming-of-age coincides with the cusp of catastrophe, as she bears witness to the terrifying deceleration of the Earth. What kind of “growing up” is there at the end of the world?

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The YA genre often gets slammed for featuring topics that are deemed too raw and too real for young readers. But teen novels are at their best when sensitively exploring tough issues, such as in Thirteen Reasons Why, the unflinching story of a teen girl’s suicide and the seven cassette tapes she leaves behind to explain her actions. The listener is a boy named Clay, who had a crush on Hannah, and whose odyssey through the tapes reveals bitter truths about ourselves and our actions’ unintended consequences. Not an easy read, but undeniably powerful.

Gold by Chris Cleave
Gold received lots of attention when it came out last July—it was the much anticipated new novel from the author of Little Bee, and it was also the book to coincide with the 2012 Summer Olympics. And while the competition between friends and Olympic cyclists Kate and Zoe is fierce, the strand that binds them is Kate’s 9-year-old daughter Sophie, who goes to great lengths to hide the toll that leukemia is taking on her little body. Gold is as much about cycling and competition as it is about the sacrifices made for family.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
The “impossible love” story is a song older than Romeo & Juliet, and there are millions of great ones to choose from. In this novel, a white woman and an African-American man are not only in love in 1968, but they both suffer from disabilities: Lynnie has developmental disabilities that leave her with limited speech, and Homan is deaf and mute. Lynnie is also pregnant with Homan’s child, and together, they escape from the deplorable conditions of the Pennsylvania State School of the Incurable and Feebleminded. When Lynnie is caught, Homan flees, and an epic, emotional tale of longing and hope continues for the next 30 years.

The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier
Brockmeier’s look at human suffering has a magical realism twist: One Friday night, every person’s wounds begin to shine, emitting a strange, shimmering light. Six novella-length chapters starring six strangers, linked by a private journal of love notes written by a husband to his wife, explore the phenomenon. The result is a novel of immense beauty, as Brockmeier slowly reveals the quiet intimacies of a happy marriage, as well as the bonds and shared pain between the six strangers.

Every Day by David Levithan
Young love is love at its fiercest and blindest, and the story of A, the genderless teen consciousness who inhabits a different teenager’s body every day, and the girl A falls for, is one of the most unique young loves I’ve ever read. Can a love between a bodiless soul and a real human possibly work? The reader will dare to hope.

Readers: What books would you recommend for fans of The Fault in Our Stars?

ALSO ON THE BOOK CASE
What to read after Gone Girl.
What to read after Defending Jacob.

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What we’re reading Wednesday: ‘Tenth of December’ by George Saunders

Posted on 9 January 2013 by Cat, Assistant Editor

Tenth of December by George Saunders
Random House • $26 • ISBN 9780812993806
Pubbed January 8, 2013

The year has just begun, and right out of the starting gate, the New York Times is calling George Saunders’ new collection of short stories “the best book you’ll read this year.” Saunders is often considered a “writer’s writer,” but it’s possible that Tenth of December may do for Saunders what This Is How You Lose Her did for Junot Díaz—excite a brand new audience and bring him brand new recognition as one of the most brilliant writers of our age.

I started to get excited about the collection back in December when I picked up a copy of The Best American Short Stories 2012, which features titular story “Tenth of December,” published in The New Yorker. Editor Tom Perrotta enjoyed the “poignant and very funny” story for the “vague kinship” he felt for the character Wallace, the young, lonely schoolboy who encounters a dying man on a frozen lake.

And then I got even more excited when I started giggling over the style sheet used in-house by the book’s editors and production team (how else will you know how to edit “thrashfest”?).

Read on for an excerpt from “Tenth of December.”

The pale boy with unfortunate Prince Valiant bangs and cub-like mannerisms hulked to the mudroom closet and requisitioned Dad’s white coat. Then requisitioned the boots he’d spray-painted white. Painting the pellet gun white had been a no. That was a gift from Aunt Chloe. Every time she came over he had to haul it out so she could make a big stink about the woodgrain.

Today’s assignation: walk to the pond, ascertain beaver dam. Likely he would be detained. By that species that lived among the old rock wall. They were small but, upon emerging, assumed certain proportions. And gave chase. This was just their methodology. His aplomb threw them loops. He knew that. And reveled it. He would turn, level the pellet gun, intone: Are you aware of the usage of this human implement?

Blam!

They were Netherworlders. Or Nethers. They had a strange bond with him. Sometimes for whole days he would just nurse their wounds. Occasionally, for a joke, he would shoot one in the butt as it fled. Who henceforth would limp for the rest of its days. Which could be as long as an additional nine million years.

Safe inside the rock wall, the shot one would go, Guys, look at my butt.

As a group, all would look at Gzeemon’s butt, exchanging sullen glances of: Gzeemon shall indeed be limping for the next nine million years, poor bloke.

Because yes: Nethers tended to talk like that guy in Mary Poppins.

What are you reading today?

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What to read after ‘Defending Jacob’

Posted on 8 January 2013 by Eliza, Associate Editor

It’s been nearly a year since Defending Jacob, William Landay’s third novel, was published—but this chilling psychological thriller doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. After months on the New York Times bestseller list, it recently came in at a whopping #3 on our Readers’ Choice list of the Best Books of 2012. (There’s also a movie in the works from Warner Brothers.)

Like John Grisham and Scott Turow, Landay is a former attorney who turned to writing crime fiction. Also like those superstars, he is adept at crafting an irresistibly suspenseful tale. Defending Jacob is about an assistant D.A. in an affluent suburban Massachusetts town whose life is completely turned upside down when his 14-year-old son is accused of murder. So what does he do next? The father sets out to defend his own son in court.

If you are one of the many readers who got hooked on Defending Jacob, I hope you’ll enjoy these suggestions for what to read next.

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton. Novels like Defending Jacob are so compelling, in part, because they make us think about how life can irrevocably change in a single moment. In Lupton’s second novel (after 2011′s Sister), that moment is the outbreak of a fire at an elementary school—where Grace’s son is enrolled as a student and her teenage daughter works as a teaching assistant. Was it arson? And how are Grace’s children involved? Like Defending Jacob, this is a family-centered thriller that focuses on the great lengths a parent will go to protect his or her child.

Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomon. It may initially seem that a thriller and a massive nonfiction book have little in common—but in fact they address similar themes. How does a child grow up to commit criminal acts? How do parents react to major unforeseen life events? How do they move on after these events, if such a thing is even possible? For one chapter in his book, Solomon interviewed (and spent hundreds of hours with) the parents of Dylan Klebold, one of the perpetrators of the Columbine massacre. This chapter is incredibly thought-provoking and sobering and would make an appropriate supplement to Defending Jacob—especially in light of the tragedy in Newtown, CT. (Solomon has written thoughtfully about that event, as well.)

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. Bohjalian’s 1997 book about a midwife accused of murder (by performing an emergency c-section) is one of my favorite courtroom novels of recent memory, pitting doctors against midwives and townspeople against one another—all the while raising plenty of ethical dilemmas. Like Defending Jacob, this novel takes place in a small community and shows what it’s like for a family after a criminal accusation.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. Defending Jacob begs comparison to Shriver’s 2003 Orange Prize-winning novel, in which a teenager commits a grotesque act of violence against his classmates. As you read descriptions of parental anguish and the violent actions of a disturbed boy, you will want to cover your eyes. For better or worse—this book may give you nightmares—you will be unable to stop reading thanks to Shriver’s clever plotting.

The Good Father by Noah Hawley. This is another natural pick for readers who enjoyed Defending Jacob. In both novels, the narrator is a father who is unable to believe that his son committed murder—though in this case, the son is an adult, and the victim is a prominent presidential candidate. Why did the son do what he did? Could his parents have prevented the act of violence? A harrowing (and heart-breaking) story.

Readers: What books would you recommend for fans of Defending Jacob?

Did you miss Defending Jacob? The mass market paperback ($7.99!) comes out on February 26.

ALSO ON THE BOOK CASE: See what to read after Gone Girl.

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Trailer Tuesday: ‘Magical Journey’ by Katrina Kenison

Posted on 8 January 2013 by Brooke, Editorial Intern

Faced with the absence of her grown sons and the heartbreaking loss of a close friend, Katrina Kenison turned to introspection and yoga in order to heal. She records her results in Magical Journey, chronicling her path to discover the joy of living in the present moment.

“I can either run away from my loneliness, or I can practice tolerating myself as I am,” she says, choosing to embrace the latter.

Read our review of Kenison’s book at BookPage.com here and watch the inspirational book trailer:

What are your reactions to Kenison’s Magical Journey? Will you be reading the book or passing it to a friend?

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Monday Contest: The Wheel of Time’s grand finale

Posted on 7 January 2013 by Eliza, Associate Editor

The day that fans have been eagerly anticipating for more than 20 years arrives tomorrow with with the publication of A Memory of Light—the final entry in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series!

How will the Last Battle play out? Will Brandon Sanderson (who took over the series after Robert Jordan’s death) live up to your expectations? Find out in A Memory of Light, which is surely to become a classic in the canon of SF&F fiction.

In our excitement for this novel, we interviewed Harriet McDougal, Jordan’s widow and editor, about what it was like to work with Sanderson—and how it feels for the series to finally be over. Read her responses on BookPage.com.

And enter here to take home one of two copies of A Memory of Light!

TO ENTER: In the comments, tell us the name of your favorite series of all time.

CONTEST DETAILS: Two winners will be chosen by random.org from among entries received by 5 pm CST on Friday, January 11. The winners will each receive a copy of A Memory of Light. Prizes must be shipped to a North American address, and Rhode Island residents are not eligible. (Full contest rules here.) Good luck!

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ETA: Congratulations to our winners, Sheila and Allison!

Thanks to all who entered! Contest is now closed.

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Recipe of the week: Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta

Posted on 3 January 2013 by Cat, Assistant Editor

Weather is weird here in Nashville, and winter can fluctuate from a balmy 75 degrees to the upper 30s in a matter of days. No matter the temperature, though, once it hits January, I start craving a cozy soup to spill all over my books.

This one comes from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten:

Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta

Serves 6 to 8

Winter Minestrone

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What we’re reading Wednesday: ‘Falling to Earth’ by Kate Southwood

Posted on 2 January 2013 by Trisha, Managing Editor

Falling to Earth by Kate Southwood
Europa Editions • $16 • ISBN 9781609450915
on sale March 2013

The debut novel from Kate Southwood is set in the 1920s Midwest, and opens just as a devastating tornado strikes a small town. As the residents of Marah, Illinois, sort through the wreckage, it becomes clear that only one family has escaped the storm’s wrath. But the resulting hostility and anger focused on Paul Graves and his wife and children by their suffering neighbors may have even fiercer consequences.

Southwood’s prose is vibrant and clear, and Falling to Earth‘s thrilling opening immediately draws in the reader with its brutal depiction of the power of nature.

Running the length of his own mutilated street, Paul tries to look straight ahead at what he’s running toward. He can’t make any sense of the nightmare vision, but neither can he look away. The cloud has been capricious: the houses on one side of the street have been knocked into piles of sticks, the bricks blown out of the sidewalks and trees snatched out of the ground like hanks of hair. On the other side, the houses are still standing, some shoved over sideways or twisted. Their roofs are mostly gone and the first fires have been touched off by the snapped electrical lines and cookstoves lying in the wreckage. A few of the people he passes walk naked, crazed, calling out names. An arm rests in the crotch of a tree. Paul tries again to shut out the grotesques, running toward home, running through the searing of his lungs, desperately afraid of arriving.

What are you reading this week?

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20 most anticipated books of 2013: Part 1

Posted on 2 January 2013 by Eliza, Associate Editor

Happy 2013! Maybe you’ve already got lots of high-minded plans concerning diet and exercise—but as far as we’re concerned, the best resolution of all is to read more books. Lucky for you, 2013 is going to be a fabulous year for both fiction and nonfiction, whether your taste leans toward suspense, memoirs, history, literary novels . . .

Here are 2o books from the first three months of the year that BookPage editors are especially excited about. In the comments section, weigh in with your own personal picks!

(Note: Many of these books are also listed on our “Fiction forecast: early 2013” blog post—but we thought you’d appreciate a roundup that focuses on the very beginning of the year, nonfiction included.)

December 31, 2012

ME BEFORE YOU
By Jojo Moyes

British author Jojo Moyes has written her fair share of complicated relationships, but her 10th novel introduces her most intriguing couple yet: a former finance whiz and daredevil who was paralyzed after being hit by a car, and a former coffee shop clerk who becomes his caregiver. Me Before You is our Top Pick in Fiction for January. We liked it so much that we interviewed the author, too.

January 3, 2013

WHITE DOG FELL FROM THE SKY
By Eleanor Morse

Despite the Salvage the Bones rip-off cover art, this novel about Africa in the days of apartheid feels fresh and engaging. A South African refugee who escapes to Botswana and takes a job as a gardener (despite being a former medical student), and forms a bond with the white woman who hires him. Don’t miss our interview with author Eleanor Morse in the January issue of BookPage.

January 8, 2013

SHE MATTERS
By Susanna Sonnenberg

Susanna Sonnenberg’s previous memoir, Her Last Death, explored her tumultuous relationship with her provocative and ultimately destructive mother. She Matters—our Top Pick in Nonfiction for January—focuses on the more nurturing relationships in her life: her friends. Some friendships last a lifetime, some turn sour or fall apart, but each one leaves its mark, and in her clear-eyed, thoughtful book, Sonnenberg discovers why each one matters.

January 17, 2013

GOING CLEAR
By Lawrence Wright

Scientology has got to be one of the most fascinating (and mysterious) aspects of contemporary American culture, and Lawrence Wright, who won the Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, will investigate the religion in his newest book (the subtitle is “Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief”). Wright first investigated the church for a much-read article that appeared in The New Yorker.

January 24, 2013

DRINKING WITH MEN
By Rosie Schaap

If you’ve ever had a regular bar, or just wished you did, Rosie Schaap’s book is for you. In Drinking with Men, Schaap, who writes the “Drink” column in the New York Times, focuses each chapter on her experiences in a different bar, and expands on the lessons each one taught her about adulthood, camaraderie and community. Pour yourself a double and let Schapp’s writing amuse and enchant you.

January 29, 2013

FRESH OFF THE BOAT
By Eddie Huang

Rising food star Eddie Huang runs a popular Taiwanese street food joint in the East Village. In the profane and hilarious Fresh Off the Boat, he tells his story of defying the “model minority” stereotype while growing up in Orlando.

February 5, 2013

THE LOVE SONG OF JONNY VALENTINE
By Teddy Wayne

Wayne’s debut, Kapitoil, won the 2011 Whiting Writers’ Award. In his second novel, Wayne satirizes the fame machine. Told in the memorable voice of Jonny, an 11-year-old pop star, this coming-of-age tale is part Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, part A Mother’s Gift, and includes one of the most complicated portrayals of the mother-son relationship since Room. Look for a Q&A with the author in the February issue of BookPage.

SCHRODER
By Amity Gaige

This intriguing new novel promises to take on the issue of identity—the one we are born with, and the ones we make for ourselves—through the story of a German immigrant.

February 12, 2013

COOLIDGE
By Amity Shlaes

Learn more than you ever thought you could know about our 30th president, who served from 1923 until 1929. The author of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression argues that Coolidge was a great leader whom we should emulate today.

GHOSTMAN
By Roger Hobbs

Roger Hobbs wrote Ghostman—a thriller that unfolds after a heist-gone-wrong—while he was still a college student. As if this weren’t enough to intrigue you, the stylish writing and zippy pace will keep you hooked until the very last page.  Read an excerpt from the novel on The Book Case, and if you love thrillers, remember the name “Roger Hobbs.”

VAMPIRES IN THE LEMON GROVE
By Karen Russell

Russell’s imagination always astounds, and her second collection of short stories is full of the same hard-edged whimsy that marked St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

February 19, 2013

THE SECRETS OF HAPPY FAMILIES
By Bruce Feiler

Self-help books are a dime a dozen, but we found Bruce Feiler’s book about making your family happier to be especially illuminating. Is family dinner really that important? Why are mornings always so chaotic? How do you balance caring for children and elders at the same time? Find out the answers to these questions and many more in The Secrets of Happy Families.

February 26, 2013

BENEDICTION
By Kent Haruf

Haruf is a champion when it comes to chronicling the lives of everyday people with dignity and kindness. Here, he serves up a powerful tale of faith and community. (Read more.)

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU
By Domenica Ruta

Domenica Ruta’s debut memoir is about her chaotic childhood with a mother who both dealt and used drugs, who loved her—when she did not despise her—but was unable to protect her from very real dangers. Light reading it is not, but the sharp writing and dark humor make With or Without You a standout.

March 5, 2013

HER
By Christa Parravani

2013 seems to be a banner year for memoirs detailing painful experiences, and Christa Parravani’s stands out. It’s about the relationship between identical twins—and what happens when one sister dies. Look for an interview with the author in the March issue of BookPage.

HOW TO GET FILTHY RICH IN RISING ASIA
By Mohsin Hamid

Buzz is that this could be a breakout novel for Hamid, whose first two books garnered critical acclaim and prize nominations for their insight into relationships between East and West.

March 7, 2013

THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD
By Emily Rapp

Emily Rapp’s new memoir—about life after her son’s fatal diagnosis of Tay-Sachs disease—is heartbreaking beyond belief. It’s also unsentimental, poignant, intimate and memorable.

March 12, 2013

LEAN IN
By Sheryl Sandberg

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg expands on her popular TED talk about women in contemporary American life—encouraging women to “lean in” and take on new challenges in the workforce. Sandberg details her own experiences and the lessons she has learned in a warm, relatable style that is sure to inspire.

A TALE OF THE TIME BEING
By Ruth Ozeki

If you found a Hello Kitty lunchbox washed up on the shore, containing an old diary, would it change your life? The answer in Ozeki’s tale is emphatically YES. There’s much weirdness and wonder in store in this new novel from the author of My Year of Meats. Read an excerpt on The Book Case and look for an interview with Ozeki in the March issue of BookPage.

A THOUSAND PARDONS
By Jonathan Dee

Public apologies and the high-stakes scandals that inspire them are the subject of Dee’s latest. (Read more.)

Posted in fiction, nonfiction | Tagged , 26 Comments

Trailer Tuesday: ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes

Posted on 1 January 2013 by Brooke, Editorial Intern

Our January top pick in fiction is Jojo Moyes‘ Me Before You. In the novel, 27-year-old Louisa Clark is forced to take the first job she can find after she is laid off, becoming a caretaker/babysitter for a bitter and wealthy quadriplegic Will Traynor.

Though their relationship gets off to a rough start, Louisa comes to care for Will, whom she realizes cannot cope with the dependence his injury requires. Desperate to save Will’s life, Louisa finds that her own life is changed.

Read our review at BookPage.com and watch the reader-review-styled book trailer from Penguin for a glimpse of the impact of Moyes’ story:

Will you read Me Before You? What other novels are you reading?

Posted in fiction, Top Pick, Trailer Tuesday | Tagged , , , 1 Comment

Monday Contest: book clubs edition!

Posted on 31 December 2012 by Eliza, Associate Editor

January is always a popular time to decide on a book club’s reading selections, though every group does it differently. Some vote on the books. Others let every member have a pick. Some map out what they’re going to read for the whole year in advance. Others are more haphazard, deciding on a book only a couple weeks before the upcoming meeting.

No matter how your group decides what to read, I think these five paperback novels would appeal to a wide range of reading tastes:

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones is set at a country house at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s “filled with a kind of prickly menace and biting wit.” (Read more.)

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides is about a love triangle on a college campus. It borrows both title and conceit from the Victorian marriage plot novel. (Read more.)

The J.M. Barrie Ladies’ Swimming Society by debut author Barbara J. Zitwer “tells a stirring story of friendship and the power of connection.” (Read more.)

The Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks is a “dark, sobering novel” that explores the gritty reality of America’s underclass. (Read more.)

Heaven Should Fall by Rebecca Coleman is a haunting novel about the aftermath of a family tragedy. (Read more.)

Here’s how you can win all five (!) of these paperbacks:

TO ENTER: In the comments, tell us the name of your favorite book you’ve read in a book club. If you’re not in a book club, give us the name of a book that’s led to interesting discussion in your life.

CONTEST DETAILS: One winner will be chosen by random.org from among entries received by 5 pm CST on Friday, January 4. One winner will receive copies of the five books pictured in this post. Prize must be shipped to a North American address, and Rhode Island residents are not eligible. (Full contest rules here.) Happy New Year and good luck!

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ETA: Congratulations to our winner, Adrienne! Her favorite book she’s read in a book club is The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.

Thanks to all who entered! Contest is now closed.

Posted in book club discussions, contests, fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , 181 Comments