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

Listen to Judith Ryan Hendricks Discuss The Laws of Harmony Now!

Here's tonight's show for those who missed the live broadcast. It was a great discussion, listen in now and thank you to Judith for joining us!

Our Book Club Girl on Air Show with Judith Hendricks is Tuesday Night!

Just a reminder that tomorrow at 7 pm EST on Book Club Girl on Air we'll be talking to Judith Ryan Hendricks about her new book, The Laws of Harmony! Set your reminder for the show here and tune in to listen and ask questions live at 7! If you can't make the live show, but have questions for Judi, please send them to me at book club girl AT gmail DOT com. For more ideas, check out the reading group guide here. You can always listen to the show after it airs here. Talk to you tomorrow night!

Book Club Girl on Air Welcomes Judith Ryan Hendricks Discussing The Laws of Harmony

I'm pleased to announce the first book club show for March 2009 -- Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of Bread Alone and The Baker's Apprentice will join us to discuss her new novel The Laws of Harmony on Tuesday, March 10th at 7 pm EST. In The Laws of Harmony, Hendricks tells the story of Sunny Cooper, who has been running since she was eighteen—from the New Mexican commune where she grew up . . . and from the haunting memory of the freak accident that took the life of her younger sister. Now, at thirty-two, Sunny voices radio spots in Albuquerque while struggling to hold on to a floundering relationship. But when a second tragic accident—and the devastating truths that come to light in its aftermath—turns her world upside down, Sunny runs again.

In the town of Harmony on San Miguel Island, she takes a new job, learns to ride a motorcycle, and makes some surprising new friends. But the past is never far behind. A startling discovery—along with an emotional and revelatory reunion with her estranged mother—is forcing Sunny to step out from the shadows of yesterday to embrace an uncertain future.

Browse inside the book here, and set your reminder for the show with Hendricks here.

The first 15 people to comment below that they'd like to participate in the show with Judith Hendricks will win a copy of The Laws of Harmony AND a pashmina to wrap around themselves while reading the book!

And don't forget, our show with Elizabeth Noble is tomorrow night, February 17th at 7 pm EST. Listen live and participate in the show here.

Guest Post Live from ALA!

I'm so pleased to have this live (ish) report from the Mid-Winter American Library Association conference held in Denver over the last few days. This comes from Carrie Kania, Publisher of Harper Perennial. I'm sorry to have missed what sounds like a great event. And in these troubled times, as is pointed out, libraries are more important than ever, especially to book groups!

Greetings from a snowy Denver, our host city for the Mid-Winter ALA conference.

Our crack library team puts together one heck of a show at the Harper booth - tons of authors meeting librarians, advance readers editions of books "coming to a library near you," and lots of water (we're in Denver, after all, you're advised to drink plenty of water). And if you're thinking it's all work and no play - you haven't lived until you watch readers clutch armfuls of books to share with their hometown readers or meet Nancy Pearl, famed Seattle librarian, gifted author, radio star. "She's a rockstar" I overheard one librarian exclaim.

I had lots of discussions about what we can do to help support our local libraries and all of their amazing community outreach. Did you know that many libraries host book club events? Lectures and writing workshops? Some are expanding their literary magazine selections (n+1, The Believer, A Public Space, Open City, Paris Review - all important magazines publishing some of the most exciting writing happening today) and increasing the number of debut novels offered. A library is a great opportunity to try a new genre (when was the last time you read a classic noir novel or re-read that beloved novel from your childhood - Judy Blume anyone?). Movie nights, childrens programming, how-to-get-published seminars - have you visited your local library lately?

A special thanks goes out to all of our lovely authors who graciously visited our booth and signed copies of their Harper Perennial books, including Judith Hendricks (Laws of Harmony), Simon Van Booy (Love Begins in Winter), Lydia Peelle (Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing), Eli Gottlieb (Now You See Him), Janis Hallowell (The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn and She Was), Catherine O'Connell (Well Bred and Dead and Well Read and Dead) and Michael Craven (Body Copy). How wonderful it is to watch the connection between author and reader.

We love our librarian friends!