Book Club Girl - Book Group Recommendations, Reading Group Guides, Audio Book Club Podcasts

Announcing March is Maisie Month - Celebrate the Maisie Dobbs Series by Jacqueline Winspear with #Maisie Twitter Guest Chats & Series Read-Along this Month!

As many of you came aboard our I'm Mad for Maisie Maisie Dobbs Read Along last winter, I wanted to make sure to let you know that this year, the month of March, in celebration of the newest book in the series which is set to be published on March 27th, has been declared Maisie Month! Join in the celebration of this beloved historical mystery series by tuning in to weekly #Maisie Twitter chats featuring fans of the series and Jacqueline Winspear herself or participating in a read along of the entire series.

THE TWITTER CHATS
Follow the #Maisie hashtag to participate in any of the following chats, featuring these special guests.

Thursday, March 8th, 1 pm ET
Author of the Book Lust series and NPR Commentator Nancy Pearl (@Nancy_Pearl)

Friday, March 16th, 3 pm ET
VP and Executive Editor of Harper Books Jennifer Barth (@jbarthharper), joined by me @bookclubgirl
 
Friday, March 23rd, 3 pm ET
Founder and President of Book Passage Elaine Petrocelli (@bookpassage)

Friday, March 30th, 3 pm ET
New York Times bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs series, Jacqueline Winspear (guest-tweeting as @harperbooks) -

THE READ ALONG
If you'd like to join participating book bloggers in reading along in the Maisie Dobbs series, you can catch reviews and discussions of each book in the series according to the following timeline. If you posted about these books in our read along last year, facebook and tweet out those reviews using the hashtag #Maisie!

Week of March 5th: The first six books in the Maisie Dobbs series
Week of March 12th: The Mapping of Love and Death
Week of March 19th: A Lesson in Secrets (you may recall last April's Book Club Girl on Air discussion on this book and the entire series up to that point)
Week of March 26th: Elegy for Eddie (On Sale March 27th!)

The full blog tour and schedule can be found at TLC Book Tours.

Whether you are a devoted Maisie fan or are just discovering the series for the first time, join in by visiting Jacqueline Winspear's Facebook page, reading her blog at MaisieDobbs.com, commenting on posted blog reviews during the read-along, and reviewing the books in the series on your own blog and/or Goodreads page.

I look forward to celebrating Maisie Month with you!

Listen to Tonight's Show with Jacqueline Winspear Discussing Maisie Dobbs Now!

If you missed tonight's live broadcast, you can listen in to our discussion of all things Maisie Dobbs with Jacqueline Winspear now. We had a fascinating discussion with Jacqueline about her inspiration for the series, the history of England between the world wars and so much more. And we even got a little glimpse of what's to come for Maisie! So listen in now. Thanks so much to Jacqueline for joining us and to everyone who asked questions during the show!

Listen to internet radio with Book Club Girl on Blog Talk Radio

I'm Mad for Maisie Read-Along Continues with Among the Mad, Plus a Giveaway of The Mapping of Love & Death

I think that Among the Mad may have been my favorite Maisie Dobbs book yet - I just loved it, and I know I heard similar things from other read-along participants as well. This novel had everything we've come to expect from Jacqueline Winspear's acclaimed series - compelling character development, an intriguing case and thought-provoking historical and psychological detail and it was so suspenseful. I found myself reading far into the night to discover the perpetrator at the mystery's core - and even then, there were additional people to blame.

Among the Mad - from Jacqueline Winpear's website

Christmas Eve, 1931. On the way to see a client, Maisie Dobbs witnesses a man commit suicide on a busy London street. The following day, the Prime Minister's office receives a letter threatening a massive loss of life if certain demands are not met—and the writer mentions Maisie by name. Tapped by Scotland Yard's elite Special Branch to be a special adviser on the case, Maisie is soon involved in a race against time to find a man who proves he has the knowledge and will to inflict destruction on thousands of innocent people.

In Among the Mad, Jacqueline Winspear combines a heart-stopping story with a rich evocation of a fascinating period to create her most compelling and satisfying novel yet.

 

1) I know this was my favorite so far of the series - how did you feel overall about Among the Mad?

2) My favorite line in the novel was this one, delivered by Maisie to Stratton after the explosion on Christmas Eve: "Forgetting has never been of concern to me, Inspector. It's the remembering that gives me pause." Did you have a favorite, or how did you feel about this line?

3) Perhaps I missed something, but was anyone else surprised to find out, when Stratton is talking to Maisie about why she's needed on this particular case, that she has helped train detectives? "Your contribution to the training of our women detectives [at the Yard] has not gone unnoticed." Does anyone remember this from one of the earlier books?

4) It seemed to me that with MacFarlane (perhaps more so than with Stratton), Maisie may have met her match. I loved the scene where he called her on her habit of mirroring another person's movements to make them more comfortable and likely to talk. It was nice to see someone figuring out her tricks - so that she has to raise her game. What did you think of MacFarlane?

5) I was glad that Priscilla was more a part of this novel, and glad to see that Maisie is expanding her social world and putting herself out there, even socializing with the detectives at the Yard. Do you think we'll see a more social Maisie in future books?

6) The subplot surrounding Billy Beale and his wife is heartbreaking. It was interesting to see how the treatment of Mrs. Beale mirrored that of the asylum inmates who were injured by the war. I was glad that Maisie was able to help -- lord knows what would happen to most women of Mrs. Beale's station without the intervention of someone like Maisie -- and I hope that we see some hopeful resolution there soon.

We are moving ever closer to the newest book in the series, A Lesson in Secrets, which just went on sale this past week! We'll discuss the next book, The Mapping of Love and Death, which just won the Bruce Alexander Award, on Monday, April 11th. And I hope that everyone saw last week's announcement of our Book Club Girl on Air show with Jacqueline Winspear on Tuesday, April 26th at 7 pm ET. I can't wait to talk to her, with all of you, about this series we've delved into these past months.

I have 5 copies of The Mapping of Love and Death to give away to the first 5 people who comment that they still need it for our discussion on 4/11. I can't wait to hear what everyone thought of Among the Mad!

 

Maisie Dobbs Read-Along: A Lessons in Secrets is Now On Sale and Jacqueline Winspear Joins Book Club Girl on Air on April 26th!

Maisie Dobbs read-along participants and Maisie Dobbs fans everywhere are rejoicing with this week's release of the 8th book in the series about Jacqueline Winspear's intrepid psychologist and investigator. A Lesson in Secrets is now on sale and in this newest installment in the compelling series, Maisie is working undercover for the British Secret Service as a professor at Cambridge University. And I'm also thrilled to announce that Jacqueline Winspear will join me on Book Club Girl on Air on Tuesday, April 26th at 7 pm ET to discuss Lesson as well as the entire Maisie Dobbs series!

In the summer of 1932, Maisie Dobbs' career takes an exciting new turn when she accepts an undercover assignment directed by Scotland Yard's Special Branch and the Secret Service. Posing as a junior lecturer, she is sent to a private college in Cambridge to monitor any activities "not in the interests of His Majesty's government."

When the college's controversial pacifist founder and principal, Greville Liddicote, is murdered, Maisie is directed to stand back as Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane and Detective Chief Inspector Richard Stratton spearhead the investigation. She soon discovers, however, that the circumstances of Liddicote's death appear inextricably linked to the suspicious comings and goings of faculty and students under her surveillance.

To unravel this web, Maisie must overcome a reluctant Secret Service, discover shameful hidden truths about Britain's conduct during the Great War, and face off against the rising powers of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei—the Nazi Party—in Britain.

As the storm clouds of World War II gather on the horizon, this pivotal chapter in the life of Maisie Dobbs foreshadows new challenges and powerful enemies facing the psychologist and investigator—and will engage new readers and loyal fans of this "outstanding" series (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review).

I'm nearing the end of book #6 in the series, Among the Mad, so have to wait before I can read Lesson, but it will happen in the next few weeks because on Tuesday, April 26th, Jacqueline Winspear will join us on Book Club Girl on Air to discuss A Lesson in Secrets and all things Maisie Dobbs! This is not only a fitting culmination to our read-along, but also a great opportunity for old and new Maisie fans to come together to discuss the series with the author herself.

I have 10 copies of A Lesson in Secrets to give away to the first 10 people who comment that they can participate in the show on April 26th. Set your reminder for the show and return to the same link to participate and listen live on the 26th of April.

Browse inside A Lesson in Secrets, as well as the book that precedes it, which is now in paperback, The Mapping of Love and Death, and look for Winspear on tour near you. And don't forget that we're discussing Among the Mad here on Monday, March 28th!

The Maisie Dobbs Read-Along Continues with An Incomplete Revenge - Plus a Giveaway of Among the Mad!

I am so enjoying our Maisie Dobbs Read-Along! As we head ever closer to the newest book published in the series, I'm already wondering what I will read when it's over! But more on that later. We have just finished reading An Incomplete Revenge, the 5th book in Jacqueline Winspear's series and I'm eager to discuss it.

In this latest installment, Maisie is called upon by James Compton - the son of Lord and Lady Compton, to investigate on his behalf for a potential business deal he has brewing. The story of the investigation is intertwined with the long-forseen death of her wartime love Simon Lynch, who finally succumbs to his war injuries.

An Incomplete Revenge (from Jacqueline Winspear's website)

With the country in the grip of economic malaise, Maisie Dobbs is relieved to accept an apparently straightforward assignment to investigate a potential land purchase. Her inquiries take her to a picturesque village in Kent during the hop-picking season, but beneath its pastoral surface she finds evidence that something is amiss. Mysterious fires erupt in the village with alarming regularity, and a series of petty crimes suggest a darker criminal element at work. A peculiar secrecy shrouds the village, and ultimately Maisie must draw on her finely-honed skills of detection to solve one of her most intriguing cases yet.

1. In this novel, we learn more about Maisie's heritage, as we discover that her grandmother on her mother's side was a Gypsy. What did you think of this revelation, how it played into the story and how it affects Maisie as a person?

2. As An Incomplete Revenge opens, Maisie has taken on a new pursuit, weaving. I thought that this hobby nicely echoed the work she does as an investigator, with her case maps connecting the threads and patterns of events and motivations. Winspear uses the weaving theme to describe her relationship with Maurice as well, when she refers to the "serious rent in the fabric" of their relationship. I hope we see Maisie weaving again in future novels. What did you think of her striking out in this creative new way?

3. I really enjoyed the character of Beattie Drummond. She's a rougher version of Maisie in a way, a young woman who is literally scrambling to get out of her hamlet to have a career. What did you think of Beattie, and of how she and Maisie interacted?

4. In nearly all of the novels so far there is both the immediate crime to be investigated as well as another crime from the past that has an impact on present events. In this novel, that past crime seems to be the most horrific yet -- an innocent family murdered by their entire town. I found it very hard to take this in, but of course fear and hatred fueled by a mob mentality has done far worse (and with WWII just on the horizon of Maisie's world, more horror of this kind is yet to come). What did you think of the reality of what truly happened to the van Maarten family?

5. Sadly, it is in An Incomplete Revenge that Maisie lays to rest her beloved Simon, who, after living for so many years unaware of his surroundings and unable to do anything for himself, finally fully succumbs to his war injuries. But with his death, we see an opening for Maisie to begin to live her life. What did you think of Simon's passing, his mother's reaching out to Maisie and how Maisie handles it all?

6. In addition to weaving, we also see Maisie dance in this novel, and it ends with her dancing alone in her apartment. What do you think Winspear is trying to tell us about Maisie through her dancing?

7. I enjoyed the Cockney slang as well as other new words I learned while reading An Incomplete Revenge and plan to use my nous (common sense) to remember to pack a bottle of Vimto (a purple soft drink) the next time I go to play some conkers (a game in which each player swings a horse chestnut on a string to try to break one held by an opponent), and hope that my gammy (lame) leg doesn't slow me down and that I don't get a birching (beating with a branch). What words or phrases were new to you?

We'll be discussing Among the Mad, the 6th Maisie Dobbs novel, on Monday, March 28th. If you still need a copy of the book, I have three to give away to the first three people who tell me that they still need it! My thanks to Picador for the giveaway copies.

The Mapping of Love and Death, the 7th novel in the series is on sale in paperback now (and we'll discuss it here on April 11th.) A Lesson in Secrets, the 8th and newest novel in the series is on sale on March 22nd. We'll be discussing that on April 25th and we'll be welcoming Jacqueline Winspear to Book Club Girl on Air the following night, April 26th to discuss all things Maisie Dobbs!

To stay updated on all events, be sure to follow along on Facebook. And check out Jacqueline Winspear's tour for A Lesson in Secrets to see if she'll be in a town near you!

I'm Mad for Maisie! Join My Maisie Dobbs Read-Along!

It's true, I am mad for Maisie! I read the first book in Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series last month and now I have set myself the challenge of reading through the entire series in time for the paperback release of The Mapping of Love and Death in February and the release of the newest Maisie Dobbs mystery, A Lesson in Secrets, in March. But rather than calling it a challenge (because honestly, who can even think about a challenge right now?) I'm inviting everyone to join my Maisie Dobbs Read-Along and join me to read one, two, or if you want, all of her books!

 

I'll be posting questions for each book according to the schedule below and encourage new and old fans to join in the conversation. We'll invite Jacqueline herself to join us on Book Club Girl on Air in April to talk all things Maisie and we'll have contests and prizes along the way (check out the one just for signing up below!)

For those who haven't yet met Maisie, you're in for a treat. Winspear has created an amazing character in Maisie Dobbs, who is a female investigator living and working in London in the 1920s and 30s, and whose stories and cases find their roots in World War I. Visit Jacqueline Winspear's website for more on the world of Maisie Dobbs and for a cast of continuing characters.

About Maisie Dobbs - The First Maisie Dobbs Novel

The daughter of a struggling greengrocer, Maisie Dobbs is only 13 when she's sent to work in the house of the wealthy Lady Rowan Compton. A voracious reader who longs to learn, she is discovered late one night reading in the library. Fearing dismissal, Maisie is shocked when she discovers that her thirst for education is to be supported by Lady Rowan and a family friend, Dr. Maurice Blanche. But The Great War intervenes in Maisie's plans, and soon after commencement of her studies at Girton College, Cambridge, Maisie enlists for nursing service overseas.

Years later, in 1929, having apprenticed to the renowned Maurice Blanche, a man revered for his work with Scotland Yard, Maisie sets up her own business. Her first assignment, a seemingly tedious inquiry involving a case of suspected infidelity, takes her not only on the trail of a killer, but back to the war she had tried so hard to forget.

The read-along will officially kick off on January 1st and run through the publication of the paperback of the most recent Maisie Dobbs novel, The Mapping of Love and Death (on sale 2/22), as well as the new Maisie Dobbs hardcover, A Lesson in Secrets (on sale 3/22). We'll end the read-along in April with a Book Club Girl on Air Show with Jacqueline to discuss all the books!

Here's the schedule of when I'll post questions to discuss for each of the books.
January 14th - Maisie Dobbs
January 31st - Birds of a Feather
February 14th - Pardonable Lies  
February 22nd - Paperback edition of The Mapping of Love and Death goes on sale
February 28th - Messenger of Truth
March 14th - An Incomplete Revenge 
March 22nd - Hardcover of A Lesson in Secrets goes on sale
March 28th- Among the Mad
April 11th- The Mapping of Love and Death
April 25th - A Lesson in Secrets

Look for updates along the way here, on Twitter (#maisiedobbs) and on the Jacqueline Winspear page on Facebook.

The first 10 people who sign up for the read-along will get this beautiful Lesson in Secrets notebook! (the Lessons in Secrets bellyband comes off)

Write a post saying you're signing up, grab the tile above and then link to your post using the Mr. Linky below. (If you don't have a blog, announce it on your Facebook and link to your status update). Then tweet about your reading using the hashtag #maisiedobbs.