Many Rooms, Many Doors, One Leads to Narnia

Take a look at the very exciting film trailer for the extremely popular parable 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' which comes to life on cinema screens on December 9.

This is our book choice for January 2006.

New Book by Anne Rice

The big news in the media about Anne Rice is her switch from writing about vampires to writing about Jesus the Christ. Her latest book is called, "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt," and is written from the point of view of a seven year old Jesus. Click on Newsweek published October 31, to read about the major changes in Anne Rice's life

Meet the Writers

Meet the writers Christine Vanchella and Rebecca Frier on November 15 at Waycross College from 12:15PM to 1:15PM. These are the ladies I mentioned in a previous post. They have written a mystery novel called Ring of Lies under the pen name of Sophia Hollis. The setting of the novel is naturally southeast Georgia.

News! News!

Book Selection for January 2006

It's official. We have decided on Lynn's book choice for January. Our first selection for 2006 will be The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia) by C. S. Lewis. We need to think about a non-fiction selection for February then perhaps we will discuss The Known World by Edward P. Jones in March.

Welcome

We had a wonderful meeting as usual last night and Linda brought her friend Elinora from Blackshear. Elinora is a fan of Jan Karon's Mitford series and an avid quilter. Welcome, we were delighted to meet you and enjoy your company.

Condolences

Our thoughts are with Shelly and her family at this time. Her Mom passed away in Ohio.

Best Sellers

This is no surprise. According to USA Today, Oprah's selection for her book club, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, is the number 1 best selling book in the nation. This is supposed to be Frey's very honest memoir about his struggle to overcome his drug addiction.

Top Five Best Sellers

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
Northern Lights by Nora Roberts
London Bridges by James Patterson
The Colorado Kid by Stephen King

Secrets Revealed on Oprah

Be sure to watch the Oprah Show today when she interviews Jeannette Walls, writer of A Glass Castle.

New Novel

Rebecca Frier and Christine Vanchella have recently published a novel called, Ring of Lies. The pen name they used is Sophia Hollis. Christine Vanchella is a psychologist and freelance writer who has written many non-fiction pieces. Rebecca Frier is a college professor who has worked as a newspaper reporter and columnist. You can purchase the book from the publisher's site or from major online booksellers.

According to text in my email from Christine's husband the story is about LaDon Jones as she faces a trial for the murder of her son-in-law:

"She¹s been in predicaments before, always managing to come out on top, but she¹s not so sure this time. Samantha Peterson, LaDon¹s cool, intellectual daughter, struggles to put distance between herself and her mother, as well as the rural community in which she was raised. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself at the center of the trial. What she can salvage will depend on her testimony. With the trial forcing a melding of past and present, the story asks, will they break the Ring of Lies?"

Update: Most Borrowed Books in US libraries

Top Five Books as listed on Library Journal

New on the fiction list for the week of October 1, 2005 is Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich. True Believer moved into the fourth spot. The Broker now ranks number 6. Moving into the top five on the Non-fiction list is The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.

Fiction

1. 4th of July, James Patterson
2. The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd
3. Lifeguard, James Patterson and Andrew Gross
4. True Believer, Nicholas Sparks
5. Eleven on Top, Janet Evanovich


Non-Fiction


1. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, Stephen J. Dubner
2. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell
3. French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, Mireille Guiliano
4. 1776, David McCullough
5. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell

Janice Meredith Karon

Our book this month is At home In Mitford by Jan Karon. Click on the author's name and you will be directed to her website. You will read that this book, the first in the Mitford series, won an American Booksellers Book of the Year (ABBY) award in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Take a look at the reading guide. The very first question is about the role that Barnabas plays in Father Tim's life, the characters that wear down his spirits and how Father Tim comes to terms with these characters.

The Glass Castle has been nominated!

Our November selection, The Glass Castle, is one of five books in the Biography/Memoir category that have been nominated for a Quill Award. The books eligible for nomination had to be published in their original format in North America between August 1, 2004, and July 31, 2005, and marketed in the United States

The Quills say they are the first national book awards program where the readers, and not the critics, decide which books are the best of the best. Readers cast their ballot online, between August and September, and now The Quills Awards ceremony will be aired on NBC on October 22, 2005.

Here are the top five nominated in the Biography/Memoir category:

Chronicles: Volume One
Bob Dylan
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Jeannette Walls (Click on the author's name to read an interesting interview)
His Excellency: George Washington
Joseph J. Ellis
Magical Thinking: True Stories
Augusten Burroughs
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare
Stephen Greenblatt

Make sure to check the Quills website for all the books that won in all categories.