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

Listen to Deborah Johnson Discuss The Air Between Us Now

Reminder! Our Book Club Girl on Air Show with Deborah Johnson is Today!

Reminder, our show with Deborah Johnson, where we'll discuss her novel The Air Between Us, is today at 2 pm EST. Listen and participate live to the show, held in conjunction with Books-A-Million, here! Call in at 347-934-6149, or type your questions in the chat section. Be sure to register on the site first if you want to use the chat.

Announcing My Next Book Club Girl on Air Show with Marisa de los Santos, author of Belong To Me

I'm thrilled to announce that our next Book Club Girl on Air show will be with Marisa de los Santos, author of the New York Times bestsellers Love Walked In and Belong to Me. Marisa's first novel, Love Walked In, was launched onto the bestseller list in large part because of its adoption by book groups and her latest, Belong to Me, is fast becoming a book club favorite in paperback. In this compelling novel, de los Santos illuminates the leaps of faith and twists of fate from which our human connections are made as she examines the lives of Cornelia Brown, who is newly transplanted to the suburbs, her seemingly perfect neighbor Piper and her feisty and her charismatic new friend Lake. As their stories unfold, the women become entangled in a web of trust, betrayal, love, and loss that teaches them what it means for one human being to belong to another.

Browse inside Belong to Me and check out the reading group guide.

Marisa will join us on Tuesday, June 23rd at 7 pm EST, set your reminder for the show here. The first 15 people who comment that they'd like to participate in the show live on the 23rd will receive a free copy of Belong to Me to read before the show!

And don't forget that this Wednesday June 3rd on an afternoon edition of Book Club Girl on Air, we'll be joined by Deborah Johnson, who will discuss her debut novel, The Air Between Us.

Book Club Girl On Air and Books a Million Welcome Deborah Johnson, Author of The Air Between Us!

I'm thrilled to announce the next Book Club Girl on Air show in collaboration with Books-a-Million bookstores. In honor of their pick of Deborah Johnson's novel, The Air Between Us, as their June literary book club pick, we'll be inviting all of BAM's customers, as well as all of you, to participate in a book club conversation with Johnson on Wednesday, June 3rd at 2 pm EST.

Revere, Mississippi, with its population of "20,000 and sinking," is not unlike most Southern towns in the 1960s. Blacks live on one side of town and whites on the other. The two rarely mix. Or so everyone believes. But the truth is brought to the forefront when Critter, who is only ten, black and barely tall enough to see over the dashboard, drives Billy Ray—wounded in a suspicious hunting accident—to the segregated Doctor's Hospital. Dr. Cooper Connelly, the town's most high-profile resident, assures Billy Ray's family he'll be fine. He dies, however, and most people assume it is just a typical hunting accident—until the sheriff orders an investigation.

Suddenly the connections between white and black are revealed to be deeper than anyone expects, which makes the town's struggle with integration that much more complicated and consuming. Dr. Connelly takes an unexpectedly progressive view toward integration; the esteemed Dr. Reese Jackson, who is so prominent that even Ebony has profiled him, tries to stay above the fray. At times, it seems the town's only distraction is the racially ambiguous Madame Melba, a fortune-teller and "voyeur" with a past.

Booklist said of The Air Between Us: "this heartwarming novel will strike a chord with fans of Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees." You can browse inside the book here and check out the reading group guide here.

Set your reminder for the show with Deborah Johnson on 6/3 here! You can call in live and ask her your questions directly at 347-945-6149 or type them in via chat and we'll ask them. Be sure to register at Blog Talk Radio prior to the show to make sure you can participate in the chat right away. Can't wait to talk to all of you!

Winners of The Air Between Us Announced!

I have been delinquent in rewarding giveaways, I know, and Jodi Picoult winners will be announced asap. Here are the winners of The Air Between Us by Deborah Johnson!

Serena
Darby
Nicole
Kathy
Megan V
Gwendolyn
Seaside Book Worm
Kori
Stephanie
Deb

 

Acclaimed Debut Novel about the South Gets a Helping Hand from a Bookstore in Maine

Just out in paperback this past week is Deborah Johnson's acclaimed debut novel, The Air Between Us. I just learned about this book, and after reading more about it, I can't wait to start it. Revere, Mississippi, with its population of "20,000 and sinking," is not unlike most Southern towns in the 1960s. Blacks live on one side of town and whites on the other. The two rarely mix. Or so everyone believes. But the truth is brought to the forefront when Critter, who is only ten, black and barely tall enough to see over the dashboard, drives Billy Ray—wounded in a suspicious hunting accident—to the segregated Doctor's Hospital. Dr. Cooper Connelly, the town's most high-profile resident, assures Billy Ray's family he'll be fine. He dies, however, and most people assume it is just a typical hunting accident—until the sheriff orders an investigation.

Suddenly the connections between white and black are revealed to be deeper than anyone expects, which makes the town's struggle with integration that much more complicated and consuming. Dr. Connelly takes an unexpectedly progressive view toward integration; the esteemed Dr. Reese Jackson, who is so prominent that even Ebony has profiled him, tries to stay above the fray. At times, it seems the town's only distraction is the racially ambiguous Madame Melba, a fortune-teller and "voyeur" with a past.

Booklist said "this heartwarming novel will strike a chord with fans of Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees." For the paperback publication, a contest was held in which booksellers were asked to send in reading group questions for the book. The store that sent in the best questions had them published in the back of the paperback. Interestingly, Brunswick Bookland in Brunswick, Maine was the winning store and you can see their great questions about this book set in the South here. You can browse inside the book here.

I've got ten copies of The Air Between Us to give away, simply post a comment about why you'd like to read the book and you'll be entered to win. I'll pick ten winners randomly from all entries received by midnight Wednesday April 1st.