For complete show notes and more information on the titles discussed, please visit us at our blog: http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For show notes, please visit us at http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes and more information on the titles discussed, please visit us at our blog: http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please see http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please see http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please visit our blog at http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please visit our blog at http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please seehttp://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please seehttp://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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For complete show notes, please seehttp://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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If last week's podcast was about literary confessions, this week's is about true confessions: I only read one book for the Beowulf on the Beach Reading Challenge. I finished Moby Dick last week. Damn, that book nearly sent me down with the Pequod. I'm glad that I read it, and I know I wouldn't have picked it up if it hadn't been for the reading challenge. I guess that's the whole point! Tanya posted on our Goodreads group that she read 4 books for the challenge. Way to go, Tanya! Ann admits to not even cracking open War and Peace (not that she ever promised to...), and to only making it 8 segments into the DailyLit version of The Moonstone. However, she swears 2010 will be a War and Peace year! How did all of you do on the challenge? Leave your comments here, on our voicemail line or on Goodreads or Facebook. We'd love to know!                                     Mark Bertils, one of the earliest BOTNS fans and supporters sent us an audio message posing an interesting question: What do you recommend to someone who only reads one book a year - someone who likely hasn't read a book since the last one you recommended to them? Ann and I broke our recommendations up into three categories: Literary Fiction (Bridge of Sighs, The Road, Any Human Heart), Fiction (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) and Non-Fiction (The Devil in the White City, anything by Jon Krakauer or Bill Bryson, The Lost City of Z, Born to Run). Mark was also kind enough to also send us an answer to his own question and he recommends The Black Swan, a book about dealing with the unpredictable events in life.                                    In a nice bit of serendipity, Ann and I both chose books about writers for the last segment's Two Books We Can't Wait to Read. They're also both second books by authors whose first books we loved. Ann recommends Beg, Borrow, Steal, Michael Greenberg's memoir about being a writer in New York, trying to make ends meet. I'm currently reading The Cry of the Sloth, by Sam Savage, an epistolary novel about Andrew Whittaker, put-upon literary journal editor, landlord and aspiring novelist. Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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We start this week's podcast with a new segment we're calling Nightstand Newsbites. Occasionally we'll tell you about interesting book related stories we've heard about, and link to the full stories online. Here are the four we talked about this time:    *Britain's most avid reader, 91, has borrowed 25,000 library books - Telegraph    *Students offered scholarships from fictional crimefighter, Jack Reacher | Books | guardian.co.uk    *Reading cuts stress levels by 68% | Health news | Marie Claire    *Roald Dahl proves a man of a great many letters for his biographer - TelegraphAnn pays tribute to Frank McCourt, who recently passed away, by remembering his wonderful memoir Angela's Ashes. I admit to never having read the book, but will track down the unabridged audio book read by Mr. McCourt.I continue the memoir theme by discussing two of the most powerful and moving memoirs I've ever read. Love in the Driest Season is the story of journalist Neely Tucker and his wife Vita. While in Africa they cared for, and came to love, an orphaned girl named Chipo. This book is the story of their struggle against societal taboos that believe foreigners should not be allowed to adopt Zimbabwean children.The Bear's Embrace, by Patricia Van Tighem, is the story of the author and her husband, who are attacked by a bear while hiking in the Canadian Rockies in 1983. They both survive, but Patricia's road to recovery was particularly difficult. Sadly, while researching the show notes (and after recording this episode), I discovered that Patricia committed suicide in 2005.Segment three is a little different this week, as Ann and I each tell you about a book we can't wait to read. The weekly schedule means we'd need to have a new book that we've read and loved, every week. Neither Ann nor I read that quickly! So, we'll occasionally tell you about a book we're hearing a lot about; a book we want to read, but haven't gotten to yet. This time around I discuss Big Machine by Victor LaValle, an author the Wall Street Journal says is being compared to Ralph Ellison and Thomas Pynchon. Ann tells us about a book called Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment, a book Ann found interesting long before Oprah discovered it. Jill Ciment is a favorite author of many of the Random House reps, including me!Finally, thanks to Chris, Nora and Karen for calling in and singing our Voice Mail number. We hope you enjoy their renditions as much as we did! Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.comPlease visit us there.

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The rumors are true! Books on the Nightstand is now a weekly podcast! Thanks to all of you who took our poll and asked for more BOTNS, not less. We listened and we're delivering.However, if we're going to keep up a grueling weekly schedule, we're going to need your help. Use our new voicemail number (209.867.READ) to call us with a question, a book recommendation or a comment. Put the number in your cell phone and call us from a bookstore or library to tell us about that great new book you just saw. You can also share your thoughts via e-mail: comments@booksonthenightstand.com.Summer often means road trips and Ann has found a perfect one for booklovers to start planning for. The 2009 National Book Festival takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on September 26. There are 71 amazing authors attending and Ann and Michael really wish they could make it. If you do go, take pictures, post them to Flickr and tag them "botns" so we can feel like we're there.If your summer plans do include a road trip, be sure to get yourself a copy of The Little Road Trip Handbook. It's filled with fun facts, helpful tips, music to play, books to read. It's a fantastic little book that's fun to read on its own. Author Erin McHugh gave Michael her personal playlist; the one she plays at her book signings. Michael created an iMix on iTunes, so check out this great list of songs, by searching iMixes for The Little Road Trip Handbook! Ann and Michael also mention a few books, both fiction and non, that feature road trips.  Michael urges us "not to judge a book by its category." He raves about When You Reach Me, which happens to be a young adult novel. It's a book that can be enjoyed by adults and teens alike, and it features a wonderful protagonist named Miranda, who is never without her copy of A Wrinkle in Time. We all know Ann is a fan of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Finally, the sequel is out here in America, and, believe it or not, Ann thinks this one is "even better!"Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.comPlease visit us there.

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It's finally here. Our long-promised and long-awaited audiobooks episode. We turn the podcast over to you, our listeners and we really want to thank everyone who called in and left us a message:Heidi Estrin who writes the great Book of Life podcast asks the question: does listening to an  audiobook count as reading the book?Carla Thompson, one of our Goodfriends from Goodreads describes herself as a "blind audio reader and... a book junkie." Narrators are very important to Carla as are detail-filled and fast-paced stories.Tanya shares several of her favorite audios and raves about all of the narrators.Melissa Klug also loved the narrator of The Thirteenth Tale, an audio Tanya recommendedHeather Elia, from the Colgate Bookstore, called in with two older titles that still entertain.Stanley Hadsell, manager and buyer at Market Block Books recommended The Graveyard Book to me a few months ago. I loved it so much and I'm glad he called in with that recommendation!Julie from Minneapolis recommends Barbara Kingsolver reading her own book Prodigal Summer.Hope from Australia buys her audios from Audible.com and raves about the versions of several wonderful books she's found there. [Note: We're unsure if those same versions will be available in other countries] Other ways online to get your audios are Emusic.com and Librivox.org.Ann and I throw in our two cents throughout and recommend several of our favorites along the way.This call-in format worked so well, we're opening it up to another topic, one suggested by Melissa on Goodreads: Is there a book that you hated when it was assigned in school, but loved when you read it later in life? Call our voicemail line at (206) 350-2068 to share your story. NOTE: Michael misremembered... John Irving does not read The World According to Garp. Sorry if he got anyone's hopes up!Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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Ann's back and gives us her impression of Book Expo America, where she saw several educational panels (and was even part of one!). Social Media, blogs and vlogs were the talk of the show as booksellers and publishers were educated by some of the best in these endeavors, including Chris Brogan, author of the forthcoming Trust Agents, and Gary Vaynerchuk, author of the forthcoming Crush It!In segment two, we talk about great books for your summer vacation plans (when you're not reading classics for the Beowulf on the Beach Reading Challenge, of course!). We've already talked about most of our recent faves, so we go back a little further. Michael recommends The Alienist by Caleb Carr, a thrilling, gruesome historical mystery, first published fifteen years ago, and ripe for rediscovery! Michael also raves about His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik, the first book in the Temeraire series which re-imagines the Napoleonic Wars as fought by pilots on dragons. This series has a wonderful Patrick O'Brian feel about it, and is perfect for anyone who wants a little fantasy with their history. Ann Recommends The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin, the perfect summer novel, which examines the meaning of family and the stories that make up a person's past. Set at a remote fishing camp in Maine, this is a book that you will want to read in the hammock with a cool glass of lemonade in your hand. Ann also loves The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken, a love story starring a lonely, curmudgeonly librarian and the tallest boy in the world. One of Ann's favorite books ever, the story of these two misfits who find each other is a smart, funny and poignant choice for a summer novel.As always, we finish with two books we can't wait for you to read. Ann tells us about Trouble by Kate Christensen, an edgy summer read that some have compared to a darker Thelma and Louise, and Michael describes Fragment as "Jurassic Park meets The Ruins." For more information on Fragment, check out the author's website, which features concept sketches, field journal art from the characters and 3 creepy short videos.Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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It's a short podcast this week. I'm just back from Book Expo America (BEA) in New York. Ann stayed in the NY/CT area for a few appointments and is not home yet. So I'm doing the podcast all by myself (yikes). BEA was an exhausting blur, but an amazingly fun one! There are a ton of great books coming throughout the rest of 2009. We got the scoop on many that we're looking forward to reading and telling you about. For Father's Day, I recommend three books (in addition to Ann's Lee Child recommendation from last time): a work of narrative history about Napoleon's march toward Russia and the disease that felled his troops; a biography of Leroy "Satchel" Paige that also goes beyond Satchel's life to examine the integration of the Negro League into the Major League; and a book of sports trivia, stats and tips from the folks at ESPN. NOTE: While editing the podcast, I realized I said "typhoid" several times, instead of "typhus." They're not the same, but the similar words caused me to misremember which disease Napoleon's army actually faced... apologies!  Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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Thanks so much to all of you who have taken our listener survey! Your responses show that nearly an equal number (around 30%) of you only listen to the podcast, or only read the blog, or do both. It's been very interesting to see and we know there are some good reasons ("I read the blog at work, but can't listen to the podcast at work" was a very common one). If you haven't taken the listener survey yet, you can do so at the blog. We'll leave it up until May 25th and we'll announce the winner of the prize pack in early June!Michael is very excited about a book called Beowulf on the Beach, but was embarrassed to find that he's only read 4 of the 50 classics recommended by the author Jack Murnighan. This is not your usual "read the great books" plea. It's funny, it's witty, it's snarky, it tells you what chapters you can skip! Michael has decided this summer to read 4 classics he's never read before and has created a reading challenge so you can all join in! We're also giving away five signed copies of the book! Ann can't quite commit to the whole reading challenge, but may try to read War and Peace, in its amazing new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.Visit the blog to learn more about the Beowulf on the Beach Reading Challenge and Giveaway! In segment three, Michael tells us about In the Land of Invented Languages which chronicles the attempts of several... interesting people to create their own language. Be sure to check out the website for The Klingon Language Institute and the author's own website for the book. Ann raves about Gone Tomorrow, the latest novel in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. Men want to be like Jack Reacher; women want to be with him. This is the 13th Reacher novel and Ann thinks it's one of his best! Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.comPlease visit us there!

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We start today's episode by talking about some celebrities that influence the book-buying public. Oprah is an obvious one. For our UK listeners, Richard and Judy are often responsible for books selling hundreds of thousands of copies (and they've just put up their list of summer reads). But there's one other person who's been helping books sell. A recent New York Times interview with President Obama included the fact that he's been reading Joseph O'Neill's Netherland (also one of Ann's favorites), and sales picked up right away. The publisher even rushed the paperback to stores - it now goes on sale May 7, 2009. So, tell us, does a famous person recommending a book mean more than a friend, a colleague, or, dare we say it, a trusted blogger/podcaster? Merry, from our Goodreads group, suggested an episode on plague/pandemic books and now seemed the perfect time to do it. When the news is particularly bad, many of us turn to books for more information or for entertainment. We have chosen several non-fiction books and one novel dealing with the flu and other diseases. If you want more book recommendations, check out the Plague Books Group on Goodreads. (Thanks to Lee for telling us about the group!) In segment three, Ann tells us about Born to Run, a book about long-distance runners of northern Mexico. She only planned to dip into the book, but just couldn't stop reading. Michael recommends Dark Places, the new novel from Gillian Flynn, author of Sharp Objects. If you like your books dark and your protagonists damaged, this book is for you. Michael also reminds us about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society, which is now out in paperback. Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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In honor of our One Year Birthday, we've created a survey that we're asking all of our readers and listeners to take. The blog readers have inundated us with responses... let's see if all of you podcast listeners can beat their number! Take Our Listener Survey Here! Ann thanks her daughters for actually giving her books for her birthday and we remind you that books make great gifts for any holiday or special occasion, not just Christmas! In honor of Earth Day, we pick a few books about the natural world including a classic, a history of the Beaufort wind scale, a novel about Thoreau, and the new book from Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence. The green rating site Ann mentions is Good Guide. In segment three, Ann raves about Colson Whitehead's new novel, Sag Harbor, which is set during the 80's in an African-American community in the Long Island resort town. Then Michael finally gets to tell you about The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, one of the most enjoyable novels he's read in a long time, featuring Flavia DeLuce, an 11-year-old with a predilection for poisons. Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com

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It's our birthday! One year ago we launched Books on the Nightstand and we start today's episode by reflecting on the past year. As we look to the future, we'd love your input! Leave comments at our blog, on our voicemail line (206.350.2068), or at our Goodreads or Facebook groups. Next, we offer a look at some of the best books coming out this Summer (May - August). Many of these are titles you'll hear much more about on future episodes, so we'll keep it short here. This time around our usual third segment becomes "Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read - And We Can't Wait to Finish." Our reading preparation for sales conference has kept us both from finishing books we're loving. Ann tells us about the new novel from Anne Michaels of Fugitive Pieces fame and Michael talks about Red Orchestra, the story of a group of German citizens who resisted the Nazis. Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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In this episode,we begin with a deep dark secret: we don't really "get" poetry. For full episode details, please visit the Books on the Nightstand blog.

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Why do we buy a book that we really want to read, and then keep it on the shelf, unread, sometimes for years? We ask ourselves that question in segment one.Then, in celebration of February's Open That Bottle night. But instead of opening a bottle (of wine), we are opening books that we have saved for some special occasion. The occasion is now. Ann finally reads Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees, and Michael dives into The Book Thief, asking himself why he waited so long to read this fantastic book. Speaking of The Book Thief, there's a great video of the author, Marcus Zusak, from a Good Morning America appearance. We can't embed the video in this post, but if you click on the video image, below, it will take you to the link where you can watch it. As always, we have two books we can't wait for you to read: The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys and The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf. Both are great reads, and we hope you enjoy them!

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It's housekeeping time! We open the show with a few items unrelated to the main content of today's podcast. First, thank you to all who have left reviews of Books on the Nightstand on iTunes. It truly does help us to get more listeners, and we love the feedback. We are asking, no, begging, you to call our voicemail line at (206) 350-2068. We want to hear your voices! You may leave a comment or question, tell us about a book you love, or recommend an audio book for our upcoming episode about audio books. We also remind listeners that we post additional text content on the Books on the Nightstand blog in between podcast episodes, so do visit us often. In our first "real" segment, we talk about where to find books that are out of print or otherwise hard to find. If the book is in print, your local bookseller can probably order it for you. If it's out of print, libraries and used bookstores are good places to start. We are also seeing more "general" new bookstores begin to carry used books, so your local store might have just the book you are looking for. In segment 2, we highlight some books that we love that may be hard to find. All of these are worth hunting down, so keep a look out. Our "2 Books We Can't Wait for you to Read" segment features: The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl, recommended by Michael. You can listen to author interviews, audiobook excerpts, and see if Pearl is touring to a bookstore near you at www.matthewpearl.com. I love the gallery, where you can see some very cool old photos of Dickens and others of the time. And I rave about The Lost City of Z by David Grann, a tale of the ill-fated Fawcett expedition down the Amazon in 1925. I'm particularly fascinated by the maps and photo gallery at David Grann's website.

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We begin the podcast with a look at different ways to keep track of what you've read and what you want to read. Do you have a million scraps of paper or do you write everything down neatly in a notebook? Do you use one of the online library sites (like Goodreads or Library Thing) or do you keep everything in a Word or Excel document? Let us know in the comments or over at our Goodreads Group. In segment two, we respond to a listener's request and discuss some books that made us laugh (not a bad thing to look for in a book these days!). They are also books that would make for great reading group discussions. As usual, we end with two books we can't wait for you to read. Ann discusses Pictures at an Exhibition by Sara Houghteling, a novel based on true stories of spies and art during World War II. Michael discusses Shannon, Frank Delaney's new novel set in Ireland just after the 1921 Treaty with Britain.

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Today's podcast is a bit of a mishmash. We are both in the middle of a heavy schedule of bookstore meetings, to help booksellers decide what books to carry this summer. In segment 1, we tell you a little bit about that process.Then we each talk about a book that was outside of our normal reading categories, and that we loved. Surely you have at least one or two of those, right? Please tell us about them in the comments (or better yet, call our voicemail line and leave a message that we can play on the show. Just call (206) 350-2068 and wait for the beep). Michael tells us about Ice Time by Jay Atkinson, a story of high-school hockey. (We also learn that Michael was really good at kickball!) And Ann can't say enough about Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, a fantastic time-travel series that combines history, fantasy, and a hunky red-headed heroes who wears a kilt. Do be sure to check out author Diana Gabaldon's website, especially if you want a sneak peak at the graphic novel that Diana is working on. Lastly, as always: 2 Books We Can't Wait for your to Read. My choice, The Book of Dead Philosophers, is also a bit out of my typical reading categories, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Michael finally gets to tell you about Hands of My Father, a book that he has been talking about incessantly since he read it. Do us all a favor and read it, so that he can move on to another obsession, please (you know I'm just kidding, right, Michael?).

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We always have a lot of fun blogging, and recording the podcast, but what truly makes our day is when you leave comments, or join in on a discussion at Goodreads or Facebook. So we thought we'd take this episode to formally participate. Because while we love giving you recommendations of books to read, we like to hear recommendations as well. And I think that many of you would enjoy sharing recommendations amongst yourselves.So, here's how to join in: Call our voicemail line and leave a book recommendation or other message. You can leave a message up to 5 minutes in length. We're hoping to put together another show of listener recommendations, since many of you seemed to like it (I loved it!). Just call (206) 350-2068 and wait for the beep. Don't worry about how you sound! Michael and I are just now getting used to hearing our own voices... We'd love it if you would join our Goodreads group. Goodreads is free to join. In addition to our discussion group, you can also use Goodreads to catalog your library, leave book reviews, and join in other discussions with book lovers. If you're on Facebook (150 million are, including my mother), we have a Books on the Nightstand page. There's a discussion board there that I would love to see get more action. Best of all, if you become a "fan" of our page (OK, I hate that term, but that's what Facebook calls it), and you have a photo in your profile, we'll get to put a face to the people on the other end of the recording equipment! In segment 2, we tell you about two book recommendations that we received that we just couldn't ignore -- Doctor Olaf Van Schuler's Brain by Kirsten Menger-Anderson, and Remainder by Tom McCarthy . Do you have a friend, colleague, or other trusted source that you know will suggest great books to read? Tell us about it in the comments. Lastly, two books we can't wait for you to read. Michael recommends In Lincoln's Hands as a way to get a head start on the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration that is coming in February. And this episode, I really truly mean it when I say that I cannot wait for you to read my selection, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. It's on sale February 3rd. For full information, please see our blog at http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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Today we start with a conversation about the many year-end best-of lists that have come out recently. How much attention do you pay to them and do they make you want to run out and buy more books? Next, we offer a glimpse into the first four months of 2009, which are filled with books we're excited about. Many of these are titles you'll hear much more about on future episodes, so we're keeping it short here... just whetting your appetite! [A note about the title links below: usually we link to LibraryThing, where you can get general info to take to your local bookstore. Since some of these books don't come out for four months, we've decided to link to the publishers' websites instead. We'll return to our normal format next time.] Lastly, we present our usual "Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read." Michael helps you keep your "eat healthy" resoultion by talking about Whole Grains for Busy People by Lorna Sass. Ann tells us about Elsewhere USA by Dalton Conley, which looks at how the cultures of work and home life have changed over the last several decades. Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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Today, we talk about the love triangle of the 21st century: do you read the book, or the e-book? Michael and I share just a few of our true feelings about the Sony Reader and the e-book platform.Next, we talk about science fiction -- a category that Ann doesn't read very often. Still, a book that could be categorized as science fiction is one of Ann's favorite books of all time, and she tells you about it. The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell is also a literary novel, so even those readers who think they don't like science fiction should give it a try. Michael, who is a science fiction reader at least occasionally, tells us about of one his favorites, Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein -- also a book that can be enjoyed by anyone.. Lastly, we present our usual "Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read." Ann talks about Life Class by Pat Barker, which will be published in paperback on January 6th. Michael talks about Firmin by Sam Savage..

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We're still polishing off the Thanksgiving leftovers, so this episode is a little bit like our refrigerators -- a little of this, a little of that...First, we answer the most often-asked question related to our jobs: "Do you have to read all of those books?" In the second segment, we tell you what books we hope to find under our Christmas trees this holiday season, as well as some books we'd want to find there if we didn't already own them. If we didn't have them, we'd both want every book in our 2008 Holiday Gift Guide (wouldn't you?), but we picked out some favorites nonetheless. Oh, and Ann wants someone to pick out a great graphic novel for her (no superheroes, please). The books that we don't yet have we are hoping to unwrap in a few weeks -- we'll let you know. Lastly, we present our usual "Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read." Ann discusses The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller, which will be published in paperback on January 6th. Michael talks about Colum McCann's This Side of Brightness -- it was published in 1998 but Michael wants you to read it now so that you can look forward to the summer 09 publication of McCann's new novel.For full details, please visit our blog at http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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It's all about book groups in this episode. We begin by talking a bit about our jobs, something the folks over at our Goodreads group have been asking for. We'll cover a little about our jobs at the beginning of the next few episodes. This time around it's the presentations we give to book groups. Talking about books to fellow book lovers... how great is that? In the second segment, we give you several titles we think would be good for any book group whether it's made up of all women, all men or a mix. In addition to the four main books, we also mention six books we've discussed before: Any Human Heart Miracle in the Andes Water for Elephants The Road Fraction of the Whole Anything by Ian McEwan Lastly, we present our usual "Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read." Ann discusses Blindspot, a fun, historical-fiction romp from two very well-respected academics. Michael geeks out over Fables, a long-running comic book, which has just released a pivotal trade paperback collection.

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Maybe we were feeling a little lonely, I don't know. In any event, today's show is all about orphans in literature. Why are orphans so often the main characters in beloved novels? We've pondered this question for over a year, and we're happy to see that others have, too. Ann and Michael discuss, and then weigh in on some of their favorite novels featuring orphans. Also, we announce plans for a special project that we are rolling out on the blog beginning November 16th, and we give you a sneak preview of that project by discussing two books, The Oxford Project by Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom and The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford The Oxford Project is an incredible book that grabbed me the minute I heard about it. Take a look at the short video on our blog to see what I mean.Full details of the episode including books discussed is available at http://www.booksonthenightstand.com.

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While this is not a Halloween episode, we take advantage of the season to talk horror. The horror category has evolved from the types of books that we read as teenagers, and in fact many books that would be considered "horror" can now be found in the general fiction section at your local bookstore. We tell you about 5 books that can be considered "the new horror," including two that we've blogged about in the past. And as always, two new books that we can't wait for you to read. Michael tells you about The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames, while I go on about Doomed Queens by Kris Waldherr. Doomed Queens is a very visual book, and just listening to me talk about it does not give you a sense of the experience. Visit our blog at http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to view a short video to give you a taste of the tone and the artwork:

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Picking up on a topic Ann wrote about in a previous blog post, we're discussing books vs. movies. Are the books always better? Entertainment Weekly seems to think so! Next, we talk about four novels that either are, or will be, movies, including The Road and Revolutionary Road. Check out this New York Times article about the making of the movie version of The Road. Also, you can watch the trailer for Revolutionary Road here. Two other links on this topic: Vintage Books and Anchor Books Facebook Page - Vintage and Anchor have many movie-tie-ins out now and more coming out. Their Facebook page is a great way to keep up to date on all of them, plus all of the other great Vintage/Anchor titles. Roxanne Coady, owner of RJ Julia Booksellers has written a column with her take on three book-based-movies out this fall. As usual, we finish the episode with two books we can't wait for you to read, including The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti. Here's a video of Hannah, describing the book and its genesis.Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.comPlease visit us there.

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Today, we mark the annual arrival of Banned Books Week, which this year runs from September 27 - October 4. Read more about banned and challenged books at the American Library Association Banned Books Website. Then we tiptoe carefully into the kids' section of the bookstore. Don't worry -- these are books that adults will love as much as young readers. Listen as we tell you about a few of our favorites. City of Ember hits theaters on October 10th, and looks terrific. See the trailer here, but read the book before you see the entire movie: The 39 Clues Website, is an integral part of the hunt for the Cahill treasure. It will be very interesting to watch how the books and website work together as the series progresses. Are you a grownup who likes to read children's books? We look forward to hearing your opinions in the comments or at the Books on the Nightstand group at Good Reads And then, as always, two books that we can't wait for you to read. Trespass is new in paperback, and highly recommended for book group discussions. Michael tells us about American Lightning, a book of history and true crime that grabbed him from the first page. Please share your thoughts about this episode with us in the comments. We'd love for you to call in and leave a book recommendation, question, or comment by phone, our voicemail line is (206) 350-2932. We may play it on an upcoming podcast. Thanks!Full details of books discussed

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Today, it's all true, as we look at several works of nonfiction that are so good, we recommend them to people who normally read fiction. Which do you prefer, fiction or nonfiction? And why? And is there a specific type of nonfiction that you can't resist? Michael and Ann discuss this, and we look forward to hearing your opinions in the comments or at theBooks on the Nightstand group at Good Reads We've got a great lineup to books to tell you about, and then, as always, two books that we can't wait for you to read. Please share your thoughts about this episode with us in the comments. We'd love for you to call in and leave a book recommendation, question, or comment by phone, our voicemail line is (206) 350-2932. We may play it on an upcoming podcast. Thanks! Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com

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Today's show is just a little bit different. Michael is away, and Ann's going solo. Well, almost First, a word of thanks for your support. We are honored that you've chosen to read our blog and listen to our podcast, and we very much appreciate all of your comments and contributions.Next, we have some special guests! Five of you answered our request to call in with a book recommendation. Your messages are fantastic, and I can't wait for everyone to hear. Contributors to today's show:: Elaine McCarty recommending The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. You can find Elaine at Librarything.Amrita called in to tell us about The Custodian of Paradise by Wayne Johnston. Amrita's blog is at http://tinkutales.blogspot.com.Rebecca told us about Why We Hate Us by Dick Meyer. Read about more of Rebecca's reads at http://rjsbooklady.wordpress.comAmy Rea called in with a true favorite -- Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner, which she's read 4 times (!). Amy blogs at http://www.flyover-land.comChristine, my good friend and reading buddy, left a wonderful message with several of her favorites (too many to list, but thankfully most have been discussed previously here at Books on the Nightstand. Christine can be found at Goodreads. As always, something that we can't wait for you to read. Today, it's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. Don't miss this one! Full details of the book discussed are at our blog: http://www.booksonthenightstand.comPlease share your thoughts about this episode with us in the comments. If you were too shy to call in, or missed the initial call, please leave your book recommendation here in the comments. We truly enjoy hearing about books that you love! We'll also be talking about this topics over on the Books on the Nightstand group at Good Reads -- it's free to join; please come say hello!

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Today's show is all about mysteries. First, we solve a common mystery: is that book a mystery, or is it suspense? Next, we talk about three great mysteries that will keep you guessing: Black and White and Dead All Over by John Darnton is set in the newspaper world, and teams up a young cop with a rebellious reporter to find out who killed a high-powered editor. In Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, a newspaper reporter must return to her hometown to write about the murder of a young girl and the disappearance of another; meanwhile, she must face some demons from her past and dig up some family secrets. Mind's Eye is the first book in Hakan Nesser's series featuring Chief Inspector Van Veeteren. One morning, Janek Mitter wakes up surrounded by empty wine bottles, and finds his wife dead in the bathtub. Did he murder her? Van Veeteren is on the case ... Lastly, two new books we can't wait for you to read: Tethered by Amy MacKinnon, and Still Waters by Nigel McCrery. Listen in to hear why you should search out these new mysteries. Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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In Episode 10 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast: Do you judge a book by its cover? We ask: what makes you decide to buy a book? Leave a comment on our blog, or join our Books on the Nightstand group at Good Reads and let us know what propels you to pick up a book. We talk about the fascinating back-stories behind two new books that people are talking about: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. If we've piqued your interest: watch a fascinating video trailer for The Gargoyle. Author Andrew Davidson talks about the inspiration behind the book, his writing style, and gives you a peek into the book. If you're quick, head over to Readerville and enter her contest to win an advanced reading copy of the book -- she loved The Gargoyle so much that she bought a copy to keep, so she's giving away her ARC! The contest ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, August 1st EDT.Read an excerpt of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society at the NPR website. You can also read more about the book's backstory in this Contra Costa Times article. And lastly, two new books that we can't wait for you to read! Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com

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In Episode 9 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast: We battle the bumping microphone -- sorry, folks, those thumps are the microphone cord bouncing around. We tend to talk with our hands when we get excited, which makes the cord swing. I know the sound quality on this episode could be better. We're working on it. We do this podcast because we love books, but that doesn't make us audio experts. I hope the content of the show makes up for the less than professional audio. As for the show itself: We confess to a "book collecting sickness" -- but we need a better term for it. If you are linguistically gifted, help us out please. If not, send more bookshelves! We talk about our favorite cookbooks -- those books that never seem to get put away because they are used so often. Several of these cookbooks have related links that you can check out until you can get to the bookstore: Here's an interview with Bobby Flay from the Hartford Courant. It includes 2 recipes from the book(and annoying pop-up ads -- just a warning).Mark Bittman's blog, Bitten, at The New York Times website. Bookmark this one, it's a winner.The recipe for the turkey burgers are at the Everyday Food websiteWine Library TV, home of Gary Vaynerchuk, whose book 101 Wines Ann reviews in this episode. Warning, Gary's wine reviews can be addicting. He has thousands of followers that call themselves "Vayniacs" -- will you become one of them? And at the end of the episode, as usual, 2 new books we can't wait for you to read! Information on all titles discussed in this episode is at Books on the Nightstand. Please share your thoughts about this episode with us over there. Do you have a similar affliction? What are your favorite cookbooks? Let us know in the comments, or come chat with us at the Books on the Nightstand group at Good Reads.

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We usually break our podcasts up into three "segments." For this episode, we deviate from our usual format and forgo segment one (where we usually discuss a general topic relating to books or reading, without getting into specific titles) and segment three (where we look ahead at two books due out soon). The end of every calendar year sees many newspapers, magazines, radio shows etc. choose their best books of the year. If we waited until December, our list would be way too long. Since we're halfway through the year, we thought we'd pick our faves for the year so far. Many of Michael's favorites for the year aren't out just yet, so he cheats a bit and chooses some books that came out last year but were released in paperback this year. And Ann narrows down her huge list of favorites and tells you about four, including one that is impossible to describe but is definitely worth your time.Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com

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Show Notes:Summer has struck hard here in New England, so in today's episode, we take a look at the concept of "Summer Reading."  We've been having a conversation about it over on the Books on the Nightstand Good Reads group.  There, our friend Stephen invented the phrase "mental popcorn," which is a perfect way to describe one style of summer reading.  What's your style? Then we talk about five books that we recommend for summer reading.  Some are newly published, others are old favorites, and all will keep you entertained during the long, hot days of summer. Lastly, as always, two new books that we can't wait for you to read. Thanks for listening.  Stay cool.  And if you're in the Southern Hemisphere ... send plane tickets and your address -- we'll be right over! Please visit the official Books on the Nightstand blog for more content -- http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

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In Episode 6 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast:We reveal how well-read we are (or aren't) thanks to a list of titles that's been circulating around the web. Just in case we aren't showering you with enough book recommendations, we feature four books about books. And, we discuss 3 books newly or nearly in stores: On Chesil Beach (in paperback) by Ian McEwan, Mexican High by Liza Munroy and Outstanding in the Field by Jim Denevan.Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com

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In Episode 5 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast:We discuss author events in general and specifically talk about a few of the big ones that we've attended recently. LibraryThing Local is a great place to see what's happening at bookstores and libraries in your area.There are so many great books we wanted to talk about this time that we've moved our usual recommendations to the main segment of the show. We'll tell you about 5 new or recently released books we love.And, finally, a plea for feedback. Let us know you're listening and let us know what you think:via the comments section here on the blogvia email: comments@booksonthenightstand.comvia phone on our listener comments line: 206-350-2932 Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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In Episode 4 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast: Ann discovers the world of Reading Challenges. Use some of these links to explore for yourself A Novel Challenge - A list of all reading challenges in the blogosphere. This a great place to start. A Novel Challenge Yahoo Group - Join this group to discuss reading challenges, track your own reading, and get updates on new challenges. Canadian Book Challenge - also contains fabulous lists of Canadian novels arranged by Province. And this one offers great prizes! Orbis Terrarum Challenge - for the internationally-minded; read 9 books, each by an author from a different nation What's in a Name Challenge - a clever challenge hosted by a very sophisticated 11 year old In the last episode, Michael issued his own challenge to Ann: read an entire graphic novel. Ann did, and talks about the experience. If you think you don't like graphic novels, our podcast may be enlightening. And we preview two new books that hit the shelves on May 13th: The Boat, by Nam Le and The Steel Wave, by Jeff Shaara. Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: www.booksonthenightstand.com Please visit us there.

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In Episode 3 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast:Michael tells us about his weekend at Comic-Con, and Ann makes a shocking confession.We discuss the bad rap given to short stories, and talk about our favorite story collections. If you think you don't like short stories, we dare you to give one of these a try!And we preview two new books that hit the shelves on May 6th: Skeletons at the Feast, by Chris Bohjalian and The Mysterious Montague, by Lee Montville. The story about Unaccustomed Earth debuting on the New York Times Bestseller list at #1 appeared on the New York Times' Paper Cuts blog on April 10. The essay about short stories that Michael referenced is from Michael Chabon's Maps and Legends.Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: http://www.booksonthenightstand.com -- please visit us there.

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In Episode 2 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast, we first discuss a recent essay in the New York Times Book Review, It's Not You, It's Your Books by Rachel Donadio.  Can you find true love if your significant other has bad taste in books? Then we spend a few minutes talking about some of our favorite authors.  Michael likes William Boyd and Jonathan Lethem; Ann's favorites are Ian McEwan and Valerie Martin.  Ann shows her cultural illiteracy by confusing John Lithgow with John Malkovich (it was Malkovich that starred in Mary Reilly, of course). In the last segment, we preview two books that have just been or will soon published in the next few weeks:  Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (on sale today) and Peace by Richard Bausch (on sale April 15th).Full details of the books discussed are at our blog: http://www.booksonthenightstand.com My Odeo Channel (odeo/94923040ca0e85ba) My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-147ce1d500edca3a97cb80e25a5de496}

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Introducing Books on the Nightstand -- who we are, and what we are all about.In this episode, we talk about the concept of "comfort reading", rereading beloved books, and Michael discovers the perfect read for "Pi Day."All information about the Books on the Nightstand podcast is available at on our blog at www.booksonthenightstand.com

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