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New Release: Gracelin O’Malley Trilogy by Ann Moore

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We here at Open Road are so excited to be publishing—in ebook form for the first time—Gracelin O’Malley, Leaving Ireland, and‘Til Morning Light, which make upthe classic Gracelin O’Malley trilogy from Ann Moore

Ann Moore brings to life the haunting beauty of 19th-century Ireland and its tumultuous, heartbreaking history in Gracelin O’Malley. Set against the rise of the Irish rebellion, with a cast of unforgettable characters led by the indomitable eponymous heroine, Gracelin O’Malley weaves a spellbinding story of courage, hope, and passion.

In Leaving Ireland, Gracelin O’Malley leaves her beloved homeland for a new life in America. Thissweeping novel of the Irish immigrant experience in 1840s America brings a long-ago world to vibrant life and continues a remarkable heroine’s bold, dramatic journey through extraordinary times.

In the thrilling final novel of Ann Moore’s acclaimed historical trilogy, Gracelin O’Malley arrives in 1850s San Francisco, the City of Gold. Dickensian in scope, with a full cast of riveting characters, Ann Moore’s ’Til Morning Light is the stunning conclusion to the enthralling story of Gracelin O’Malley.

The first novel, Gracelin O’Malley, originally published in 2001, was nominated as a Romantic Times Best Historical Novel and received astonishing reviews, as did the other novels in the trilogy!

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Praise for Gracelin O’Malley:

“An epic saga that sweeps you into the life of a remarkable woman.” —Romantic Times

“Lyrical, pitch-perfect prose . . . Historical fiction at its finest.” —Publishers Weekly 

“Vivid historical detail.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Truly great fiction . . . a grand historical novel . . . full of triumph, full of tragedy, full of hope and strength of spirit.” —The Historical Novels Review 

 


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Praise for Leaving Ireland:

“Gripping . . . as absorbing and accomplished as her first [Gracelin O’Malley].” —Publishers Weekly 

 “Moore blends romance and adventure. . . . Strong and likable characters and a well-paced story will make readers look forward to Gracelin’s next appearance.” —Booklist

 “A deep action-packed historical novel that leaves the audience with a full five senses feeling for the 1840s.” —Midwest Book Review 

 

 


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Praise for ’Til Morning Light:

“Readers who have been following the story of Gracelin O’Malley will be thrilled with the concluding volume in Moore’s trilogy.” —Booklist

“Gracelin is a model of strength and wisdom, a light unto herself, and I’m entirely smitten.” —Historical Novel Society


Keep Calm and Enjoy Reading My Pleasures Trilogy by Irene Cao

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Open Road is proud to present the international bestselling series The Italian Pleasures Trilogy by Irene Cao, on sale as a collection on September 30, 2014! Here are what just a couple of reviewers had to say about the first book in the trilogy, I Watch You:  

              “A journey of rediscovery of the seI Watch Younses, of pleasure.” —Vanity Fair (Italy)

“[A] s­ensual romantic feast. . . . I relished the lagoon city of Venice as a character in itself. All the senses are explored as we are invited to taste, touch and feel our way to enjoyment, to live life to the full and mix delicious anticipation with surprise and immersion in erotic hedonism.” —Fresh Fiction

Irene Cao is a true talent, with a degree in classics and a PhD in Archaeology. Learn all about how she came to write what she calls her “Pleasures Trilogy” and how she took inspiration from classic film and her beautiful home: Italy!


Hi, everyone. I’m Irene! Let me introduce you to my world . . . 

First of all, I’ve got to say that writing is not something you decide to do, but a mysterious Irene Caodesire that grows inside your soul, from your inner self. I have always written, but the idea of writing a novel goes back to 2007. Actually, the original idea was not for an erotic novel, but a story of love and healing, with a girl who made a long journey in an unknown land and at the same time a journey inside of herself—discovering, along the way, the incredible power of love. It’s from the ashes of this first attempt that my trilogy was born.

I like to call it the “Pleasures Trilogy,” ’cause its main purpose—and I hope my readers get this— is to tell everyone how wonderful life is and how funny destiny can be. You can perfectly see it following the story of Elena and Leonardo, and the challenges they have to face.

The three books are set in three different Italian locations that are part of my life and my heart: Venice, Rome, and Stromboli. Beyond eroticism, which is the most important ingredient of the story, I wanted to convey the breadth of Italy’s pleasures: food, art, culture, and romance.

The main characters are Elena, a young art restorer, Leonardo, who is a world-renowned chef with a devilish temperament, and Filippo, a brilliant architect. Through the three books, the reader will discover how this love triangle evolves and who will win Elena’s heart, and, at the very end, that we cannot fight fate!

I don’t know whether an “Italian style” for erotic novels really exists. When I began to write the trilogy, page after page, I found my own style and I tried to develop it in the most personal way throughout the story. I deeply hope I reached my purpose: to highlight the importance of senses and all the love I have for Italy, my beautiful country. 

For some scenes I admit I took inspiration from some very famous Italian movies, such as La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini—especially for I Feel You, set in Rome. For I Watch You, I acknowledge the touch of Senso by Luchino Visconti, while I associate I Want You with Stromboli,directed by Roberto Rossellini, the movie during which the director and actress Ingrid Bergman fell in love.

This trilogy is for readers, women and men, who are willing to get excited, have fun, and open their hearts to new scenarios and stories. And, of course, there are no age restrictions: I’d like to think my readers are 18 to 90 years old!

So keep calm and enjoy reading!

Irene

5 Halloween Books You Haven't Read Yet

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Want to read something truly frightening? A real scary story combines moral ambiguity with something just familiar enough that you can’t help wonder, “Could this happen to me?”

Read on for five novels that our editors have called “some of the scariest books you’ve never heard of."

 

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1. Crawlspace by Herbert Lieberman

A childless couple takes a young drifter into their home, an act of charity that comes to anger their small town. The suspense builds until its truly shocking conclusion. The most frequent comment readers make? “I had no idea where the author was going with the story!”

 

 

 

 


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2. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

After moving to the small New England village of Cornwall Coombe, a painter and his family are increasingly disturbed by local customs. The lyrical writing elevates this novel above typical horror and is credited as the inspiration for contemporary authors including Stephen King.

 

 

 

 


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3. Copycat by Gillian White

A suburban tale of friendship gone sour, this psychological thriller about the bond between two neighbors, by bestselling UK author Gillian White, is tautly written and filled with suspense. From the beginning, the reader knows one of the women has been murdered, but White’s tale keeps its secret to the end.

 

 

 

 


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4. Voice of our Shadow by Jonathan Carroll

The antiquated quietness of Vienna is the backdrop to Jonathan Carroll’s story about a man whose part in his brother’s death comes to haunt him in truly terrifying ways. Touted by Neil Gaiman, and the winner of several awards, Carroll’s literary take on modern ghosts is as beautiful as it is chilling.

 

 

 

 


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5. Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand

The gothic facade of a Washington, D.C., college plays the background in this engrossing thriller about a college student who is seduced by two new mysterious friends into a world of ancient traditions. Unlike anything you’ve ever read, this novel will stay with you for a long time.

Sukkot Stories for Young Readers

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After the day of solemnity that is Yom Kippur, families with small children can hardly wait to begin celebrating one of the most joyous festivals of the Jewish year: Sukkot. This year’s holiday will begin at sunset on October 8 and end at nightfall on October 15. Constructing a sukkah with your child is a momentous occasion, one that will undoubtedly sparkle in your little one’s memory for years to come.

Every sukkah is comprised of three basic structural features: three and a half walls, coverings for those walls, and a sechach (an assortment of raw vegetable matter that forms the roof, often layers of bamboo shoots or tree branches). Additionally, since the sukkah will likely be your family’s dining room for the next week, tables, chairs, lighting, and decorations are ideal for the coziest rooms. These days, the majority of the materials needed to construct a sukkah can be found at your local home improvement store, which can turn into a family activity in itself! But for those with a busier schedule, or who are a bit hesitant to jump in head first, a number of assembly kits are available for purchase online.

 Celebrate Sukkah with one of our Childrens titles!

After a fun day of building the sukkah, what better way to break in the new addition to the backyard than by spending some quality time reading? With the Festival of Sukkot fast approaching, tie in the themes of the joyous celebration with some of our children’s titles:

The Remarkable Journey of Josh’s Kippah by Barbara Elissa

A Bar Mitzvah boy’s kippah falls off his head and journeys around the world before finding its way back home. Follow the madcap adventure of Josh’s kippah from his Bar Mitzvah in New York to a sukkah in Israel and a Hanukkah party in Argentina, with many stops in between. Young readers get a glimpse at Jewish holiday celebrations all over the world, and can have fun tracing the kippah’s route. A map of the kippah’s journey is included.

Sammy Spider’s First Sukkot by Sylvia A. Rouss

Inside, outside, upside down! Where is Sammy Spider now? Swinging on an apple, from the roof of the Shapiro family sukkah, he is learning about the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. Sammy watches as Josh and his parents build and decorate the little hut. Then as a special treat, Sammy even gets to sleep there under the stars!

A Watermelon in the Sukkah by Sylvia A. Rouss

All the children in Miss Sharon’s class have brought their favorite fruits to decorate the sukkah. But when Michael brings a watermelon, the class must find a way to hang it!

Bubbe Isabella and the Sukkot Cake by Kelly Terwilliger

In this charming folktale, Bubbe Isabella builds a sukkah to celebrate the harvest holiday. She bakes a special cake and hopes to share it with her animal friends—only to find that they prefer to eat the fruits and vegetables that decorate the sukkah—and finally the sukkah itself! You’ll be surprised what finally happens to the cake.

The Vanishing Gourds by Susan Axe-Bronk

When Sara’s gourds—decorations for the family sukkah—start mysteriously disappearing, the hunt for the culprits is on. The family of squirrels who is to blame pays the family back for the missing gourds in a surprising way.

Why Fairy Tales Should Be Written For, and Read By, Adults

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In honor of the ebook release of five dark fairy tale anthologies, edited by award-winning Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, we invite you to take a sneak peek.

In the first pages of the introduction to Silver Birch, Blood Moon, the editors tell us why fairy tales are actually meant for adults . . .

An Excerpt from the Introduction to Silver Birch, Blood Moon

By Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow

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Silver Birch, Blood Moon is a collection of adult fairy tales: traditional stories spun, woven and stitched into enchanting new shapes by twenty-one contemporary writers. You’ll find “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Frog Prince,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and other such classic fairy tales within these pages—but here, Beauty lives on a sugar plantation, the Frog Prince lounges in an English garden, and Gretel moves between foster homes; here, there is no guarantee of a happy ending or of a timely rescue; here, appearances can deceive and transformations are not forever.

There are two common misconceptions modern readers often have about fairy tales: first, that they are stories about fairies, which is not necessarily the case. Although some fairy tales actually do contain such enchanting otherworldly creatures, many of these tales do not; rather, they are tales about mortal men and women in a world invested with magic. (The misnomer comes from the French conte de fées, a name given to a literary style popular at the court of Louis XIV.) A more appropriate term for these stories might be “wonder tales” or “magical tales”—or “fantasy,” as we call an entire genre of fiction today. Fairy tales from all around the world share common imagery, plots and themes, generally concerning the nature of illusion and the process of transformation, recounting dark journeys and perilous quests which mirror (as the great mythologist Joseph Campbell has reminded us) the journey each of us embarks upon from birth to death. Like poetry, fairy tales speak to us in a richly symbolic language, distilling the essence of the human experience into words of deceptive simplicity. The imagery found in fairy tales is rooted in the ancient oral folk tradition, giving these stories a mythic power and resonance few art forms can match.

The second common misconception is that fairy tales are—and always have been—stories meant for children. Not only was this not the case prior to our own century, but the whole notion of childhood as a time of simple innocence, separate from our adult lives, is a relatively recent development in human history. In ages past, magical tales from the oral folk tradition were told to audiences of all ages—while literary fairy tales (like the original “Beauty and the Beast” by Marie-Jeanne L’Héritier de Villandon, or the early, sexually explicit version of “Sleeping Beauty” by Giovanni Straparola) were written for audiences of aristocratic, educated adults. Advances in printing technology resulted in a publishing boom in the nineteenth century—a time when the idea of childhood became romanticized by the English upper classes (in stark contrast to the lives actually lived by all but a small number of privileged children). It was during this time that Victorian publishers created the separate field of children’s literature. Magical tales drawn from folklore, and from literary publications of centuries past, were adapted by these publishers in editions aimed at a young audience. True to the values of the day, such adaptations were duly stripped of the moral complexity, sensuality or downright bawdiness characteristic of older fairy tales. 

It is unfortunate that these Victorian children’s stories are the fairy tales most of us know today—or versions even further watered down in Little Golden Book editions and Walt Disney cartoons. Today, many readers don’t know that the tales have ever been otherwise. They think that Cinderella has always sat meekly in the cinders, awaiting a rich prince; that the story of the Little Mermaid has always had a happy, romantic ending; that Snow White’s murderous rival has always been a wicked stepparent; or that Sleeping Beauty has always been awakened by a chaste, respectful kiss.

Delicious Fall Cookbooks on Sale

October is Depression Awareness Month

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Depression is an all-encompassing illness that can make every day an incredible challenge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in 10 Americans admit to struggling with depression. Once treated, depression can become a navigable part of life, rather than an overwhelming burden. The key is finding the courage to ask for help. 

National Depression Screening Day, held this year on October 9, offers individuals the chance to be evaluated by a medical professional for depression. Since its first year, the program has expanded to reach more than 85,000 people at 3,000 locations across the nation. Click here to find a screening center near you or take an online mental health screening.

This week, we would like to share some messages of optimism, understanding, and growth from the well-known and beloved Chicken Soup for the Soul series. A battle with depression, while arduous and exhausting, need not be fought alone.  

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On Honesty and Denialwhen faced with a challenge look for a way not a way out

 “Find your voice by telling the truth, first to yourself, then others.” —Life Lessons for Loving the Way You Live

On Taking the Step to Make a Change

“Life is always here, right now, with its myriad possibilities in every moment. If we can just once make that decision, I’m going to try something different, we will open up pathways within us in which creativity can flourish, unexpected connections can be made, and new possibilities explored.” —Michael Murphy, Life Lessons for Loving the Way You Live (Life Lesson #6)

“When faced with a challenge, look for a way, not a way out.” —David L. Weatherford, Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul

On Recovering

“Despite the miracle in my life, recovery remains a day-to-day process. It began with the supernatural power to forgive and it continues with a grateful and ever repentant heart. Miracles do happen. Seekers do get healed. Lives can be forever changed. Recovery is not just a road, it is also a reason.” —Rev. Ed Donnally, Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul

I take one day at a time, enjoy the rain and the sun, endure the ice and the freezing winds—and feel peace.” —Ann Best, Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul

On Forgiving Yourself

“When I learned how to feel compassion for myself, I learned how to feel compassion for everyone. Compassion has allowed me to feel a oneness with all of life—and this has empowered me as a woman, an artist, and a human being.” —Virginia Whiting Walden,Life Lessons for Loving the Way You Live

Ofind your voice by telling the truth, first to yourself, then othersn Loving Yourself

“I had to fight for my own life, the life that I counted as unworthy. All the unconditional love that I had given to [my daughter] I now had to give to me. It is hard to love difficult people; how much harder it is when we become the most difficult of all.” —Julie Orlando, Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul

“We all deserve to be treated with kindness and compassion when we give our best.” —Jane Middelton-Moz, Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul

On Positivity

“No matter what happens in our lives . . . we can still sing.” —Jennifer M. Reinsch,Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul

I found a reason to hope again. I learned that dreams are never destroyed by circumstances; dreams are born in the heart and mind, and only there can they ever die. Because while the difficult takes time, the impossible just takes a little longer.” —Art E. Berg,Chicken Soup for Unlocking the Secret to Living Your Dreams

“If I could wish for my life to be perfect, it would be tempting, but I would have to decline, for life would no longer teach me anything.”—Allyson Jones, Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul

 On Overcoming the Disease

“Our lives are testimonials to our choices. Each moment is the point of power. Each moment, we can continue to choose what we have already chosen or we can choose to choose again. A life filled with abundance—inside and out—is ours for the taking.” —Chellie C. Campbell,Life Lessons for Loving the Way You Live

 “Experience is a hard teacher, because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” —Vernon Saunders’s Law, Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul

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Book Club Guide and Recommendations Series: October Sale

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Best Picks for Book Club Discussions: The Southern Novel

Welcome to our series on book clubs! At the beginning of every month, we’ll present our top recommendations for your club. We love nothing more than book talk. So tune in, and read on!

From Depression-era Virginia to Civil Rights-era Atlanta to contemporary Cajun country, Southern novels give readers an opportunity to immerse themselves in a unique, vibrant culture. Grab your sweet tea—or your bourbon—and sit back: Whether you’re looking for tragedy or comedy (or a little of both), we’ve gathered a wide assortment of Southern lit for your book club this month, all on sale from $1.99.

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Sweet as Cane, Salty as Tearsby Ken Wheaton

The most contemporary of the novels on our list, this fast-paced book tells the story of a middle-aged Southerner returning home to Cajun Louisiana (from NYC, no less) for the first time in decades. It’ll take you from laughter to tears at a moment’s notice, and will inspire great book club chats about the pull of family, social media (this Southern family posts way too much on Facebook), and the idea of starting over in the middle of your life.

 



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Lancelotby Walker Percy

Walker Percy is one of the great Southern writers of the last century, and Lancelot is one of his most thought-provoking works: Fed up with the excesses of the 1970s, Lancelot Andrews Lamar, a liberal lawyer and distinguished member of the New Orleans gentry, is determined to stop the modern world’s ethical collapse. His quest begins with his wife—an actress who he suspects has been cheating on him for years. Though he initially plans only to gather proof of her infidelity, Lancelot quickly descends into a fog of obsession. Mesmerizing and unforgettable, Lancelot is a masterful story of one man’s collision with the follies of modern culture, and a provocative look at the nature of good and evil—sure to inspire your book club to contemplate some of the bigger questions literature can ask.

 

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A Tidewater Morningby William Styron

William Styron’s (Sophie’s Choice, Lie Down in Darkness) A Tidewater Morning features three novellas centered around budding novelist Paul Whitehurst’s coming of age during the Great Depression and Second World War. They convey the writer’s struggle to cope with his mother’s terminal cancer, his view of the strained racial relations in the pre-war American South, and his anxiety as a marine preparing to land on the beaches of Okinawa. Each novella weaves together the transformative experiences of Whitehurst’s early life with Styron’s signature deep historical insight, underscoring how the significance of the past informs the present.

 

 

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The Gay Placeby Billy Lee Brammer

Set deep in the heart of Texas, The Gay Place has been called “the best novel about American politics in our time.” It consists of three interlocking novels—The Flea Circus, Room Enough to Caper,and Country Pleasures—each with a different protagonist. Unifying the stories is Texas governor Arthur Fenstemaker, a canny master politician modeled on Lyndon B. Johnson, for whom the author served as a press aide. The governor uses any means necessary to do what needs to be done, while the other characters struggle with their conflicts of marriage and family, love and lust. Originally published in 1961, The Gay Place withstands the test of time—the themes of power, money, and family are eternally resonant. At once a political novel and a character study, Billy Lee Brammer’s classic stands among the best novels about the Lone Star state.


 

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Meridianby Alice Walker

This is a must-read for any book club that enjoyed The Color Purple. As she approaches the end of her teen years, Meridian Hill has already married, divorced, and given birth to a son. She’s looking for a second chance, and at a small college outside Atlanta, Georgia, in the early 1960s, Meridian discovers the civil rights movement. So fully does the cause guide her life that she’s willing to sacrifice virtually anything—even her own happiness—to help transform the conditions of a people whose subjugation she shares. Meridian draws from Walker’s own experiences working alongside some of the heroes of the civil rights movement, and the novel stands as a shrewd and affecting document of the dissolution of the Jim Crow South.

 


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Prince Edwardby Dennis McFarland

During the summer of 1959, Virginia’s Prince Edward County is consumed by resistance against, and support for, the desegregation of schools mandated by Brown v. Board of Education. Benjamin Rome, the 10-year-old son of a chicken farmer in one of the county’s small townships, struggles to comprehend the furor, even as he understands the immorality of racial prejudice. He spends the summer working with his friend Burghardt, a black farmhand. While the elders focus on closing the schools, Ben grows closer to his pregnant sister, Lainie, and his troubled older brother, Al, while also coming to recognize the painful and inherent limitations of his friendship with Burghardt. This is a striking portrait of the social upheaval in the American South on the eve of the civil rights movement.

 

 

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The Condor Passesby Shirley Ann Grau

The Condor Passes is Grau’s riveting story of one man’s rise to power in New Orleans—and the mystery, joy, sorrow, love, and death that shape his extraordinary life. Like many people in turn-of-the-20th-century New Orleans, Thomas Henry Oliver came to the city to escape a dull life—in his case, a childhood in the backwoods of the Midwest. But few New Orleans immigrants find as much prosperity as Oliver does amongst the city’s lively streets. By the time he’s 95, Oliver has amassed an enormous fortune built from brothels and speakeasies. But as his wealth grows, so does his family’s desire to control it. After a series of strokes, Oliver must choose an inheritor, even though his two entitled daughters and ambitious adopted son don’t always seem worthy of his legacy. The Condor Passes is a simmering dynastic saga of three generations colliding in their battle to control an empire.


 

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Kinflicksby Lisa Alther

Growing up in Tennessee in a family of privilege, Ginny Babcock’s world is seemingly idyllic. Her father, the Major, runs the local plant—and, thus, the town—and her mother works on beloved home movies, or “kinflicks,” as her children call them, documenting the quintessential moments of her children growing up. But her mother’s camera isn’t there to capture Ginny’s growing rebellion against her prim Southern upbringing. From her backseat exploits as a popular high schooler, to her late night adventures at the moonshine joint with a greaser boyfriend, to her passionate days with a lover at the militant feminist commune in Vermont, Ginny throws herself into the moment—until, finally, she must return home and look after her ailing mother. Funny, wise, and filled with unforgettable characters, Kinflicks is a captivating novel that draws on the human fallout of turbulent times.

 

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Close to Homeby Barbara Hall

From the creator of Joan of Arcadia, Judging Amy, and one of our new favorite shows, Madam Secretary, another contemporary pick about a small town with too many dark secrets. When you enter the town of Fawley, Virginia, you take a step back to a simpler time. Danny Crane brings his new wife, Lydia, to his hometown to make their life together, and Lydia finds Fawley much different from the privileged environment in which she was raised—but behind the small-town charm, there exists a tradition of suspicion and anger, of hostility toward outsiders and fear of change of any kind. Even more disturbing is her realization that Danny, too, is not what he had seemed—he has a darkness borne of distrust and deception, and of secrets too closely kept. Filled with the heat generated by passions too long suppressed and secrets too long kept buried, Close to Home is both a sensual and a literary gem.

 

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Texas Summerby Terry Southern

This is an evocative, poignant coming-of-age novel set in rural Texas in the 1930s. Thirteen-year-old Harold Stevens grows up during a pivotal summer in the red-dirt backcountry of West Texas. With his friend C.K. Crow, the black field hand who works for Harold’s father, he shoots deer and quail, fishes for catfish, mends fences, grows and learns about marijuana, and tests his emerging manhood against bullies, bulls, and the irresistible charms of his horse-riding older cousin. But danger waits on the fringe of this innocent time. When C.K.’s brother, Big Nail, appears after escaping from a chain gang, an inevitable and violent confrontation between the brothers is set in motion—a confrontation that will mark the end of Harold’s childhood. This inside view of Southern’s roots in Alvarado, Texas, where pastoral innocence belied an undercurrent of racism and violence, brings this novel of a boy’s transition to maturity vividly alive.

 

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Splendoraby Edward Swift

The new librarian in the tiny town of Splendora, Texas, has a big secret. A stunning and stylish femme fatale named Miss Jessie Gatewood has arrived in the dusty hamlet of Splendora. Miss Jessie is the new town librarian—but she has much bigger plans than just shelving books. She intends to give the town and its people a much-needed makeover. But even as she is influencing the fashion sense of the local ladies—and winning the heart of the lovesick Brother Leggett, Splendora’s Baptist minister—a surprising plan for vengeance occupies the fabulous Miss Gatewood’s mind. In Edward Swift’s provocative, hilarious first novel, a small town is turned upside down by a new arrival—and a shocking return.



Art in Fiction: 10 Novels That Take You Beyond The Goldfinch

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On Sale for $1.99 Each

If you loved The Goldfinch, and you’re looking to read more books that bring art and artists into their fictional worlds, look no further. From classic to contemporary literature, earnest to satirical, one of these novels will surely speak to you—and your inner Fabritius.

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This Proud Heartby Pearl S. Buck

This Proud Heart narrates the experience of a gifted sculptor and her struggle to reconcile her absorbing career with society’s domestic expectations. Susan is talented, loving, and equipped with a strong moral sense, but the intensity of her artistic calling comes at a price, isolating her from other people—at times, even from her own family. When her husband dies and she remarries, she finds herself once again comparing the sacrifice of solitude to that of commitment. With a heroine who is naturalistic yet compellingly larger than life, This Proud Heart is incomparable in its sympathetic study of character.

 



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Men and Angelsby Mary Gordon

When Anne Foster’s husband accepts a yearlong teaching job in France, she decides to resume her own career in art history, which includes cataloging the work of a compelling and long-neglected painter, Caroline Watson. To care for her children, Anne employs the pious Laura Post. Though the young woman is well-liked by the children, she rubs Anne the wrong way. Should Anne be more compassionate, or should she behave more like Watson—the willful artist and unapologetically bad mother she’s so fascinated by? As the discord mounts between Anne and Laura, the need for answers sharpens. Men and Angels is a riveting and refreshingly unsentimental inquiry into motherhood and sacrifice.


 

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A Married Womanby Manju Kapur

An only child raised to become a dutiful wife, Astha is filled with unnamed longings and untapped potential. In the privacy of her middle-class Indian home, she dreams of the lover who will touch her soul. But her future was mapped out long ago: betrothal to a man with impeccable credentials, with motherhood to follow.

At first, Astha’s arranged union with handsome, worldly Hemant brings her great joy and passion. But even after bearing him a son and daughter, she remains unfulfilled. Her search for meaning takes her into a world of art and activism . . . and a relationship that could bring her the love and freedom she desires. But at what cost to her marriage and family?


 

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In the Night Caféby Joyce Johnson

Joyce Johnson brings to life a mythic bohemian world where art is everything and life is as full of intensity and risk as the bold sweep of a painter’s brush across a canvas. In the vibrant downtown Manhattan art world of the 1960s, a series of love affairs has left Joanna Gold, a young photographer, feeling numbed. Then, at a party, a painter named Tom Murphy walks up to her. “Why do you hang back?” he asks.

Rather than another brief collision, their relationship is the profound and ecstatic love each had longed to find. But it’s undermined by Tom’s harrowing past—his fatherless childhood, his wartime experiences, and most of all, the loss of the two children he left behind in Florida, along with the powerful red, white, and black paintings he will never set eyes on again. Tom, both tender and volatile, draws Joanna into the unwinnable struggle against the forces that drive him toward death.

 

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Love Creepsby Amanda Filipacchi

At 32 years old, Lynn Gallagher is one of the five most influential contemporary-art gallery owners in Manhattan. Too bad her face is dead. Not so, says Lynn’s assistant, but that is how it feels when she compares it to her stalker’s face. Alan Morton may be a plump, goofy-looking accountant, but his face glows with life when he peers at Lynn through her gallery window. The difference is that Alan wants something—her—very badly, while Lynn wants nothing at all. So she decides to stalk.

The object of her obsession—French attorney Roland Dupont—is chosen at random in a Chelsea bakery. Alan, jealous of Lynn’s newfound hobby, befriends Roland to find out what she sees in him. When Roland learns that he acquired his stalker by happenstance, he decides that he might be interested in Lynn. Soon all three are brazenly pursuing each other across the city—from adult education classes in the art of beading to meetings of Stalker’s Anonymous—as they try to figure out what it is that they truly want.

 

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The Art Fairby David Lipsky

This is a poignant and painfully funny novel about the New York art world. Joan Freeley had it all: the perfect family, the best art dealer in Manhattan, and the admiration of famous friends. Then Joan’s life got downgraded. A brutal divorce led to paintings too bitter to sell and a stagnant career. Unable to see her suffer alone, Joan’s teenage son Richard leaves his father and older brother in Los Angeles and moves in with her. Richard devotes himself to returning his mother to her former glory. But as the years go by, Richard has to ask: Who wants Joan Freeley’s resurrection more—him or her? And when will his own life start?


 

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Modern Artby Evelyn Toynton

Inspired by the lives of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, this is a novel of betrayal and longing, renunciation and self-discovery: the age-old conflicts of love and art.

Belle Prokoff is the last of a famous generation of painters. She is also the widow of Clay Madden, who revolutionized American art, became a near-mythic figure, and died in a drunken car crash. Belle has protected her husband’s memory in the decades since his death. She has also persevered with her painting while the art scene fawns over her, not for her own work but for the valuable Madden canvases she clings to.

Now, a biographer is snooping around in her past, working on a sensational book about Madden’s life, and she is forced to make her peace with the people and events that have haunted her for decades. Modern Art is not just Belle’s story. It is the story of all those still living in Madden’s shadow.

 

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The Beginner’s Book of Dreamsby Elizabeth Benedict

This celebrated coming-of-age novel moves from Manhattan during the early days of Mad Men to the swinging, chaotic 1970s. A sensitive girl becomes a special young woman when her best friend’s family opens her eyes to art.

Esme Singer takes better care of her beautiful, alcoholic mother than her mother does of her. A former fashion model, her mother attracts a series of husbands and boyfriends as Esme watches in fascination. Esme’s father comes and goes, forever riding the wave of the latest get-rich-quick scheme. As Esme becomes a teenager, she turns to her friend Leah’s cultured, exotic family for inspiration and solace—especially Leah’s father, a well-known photographer who encourages Esme to cultivate her gifts. Might art—and a favorite teacher—become the answer to some of her troubles?

 

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Cannibals and Missionariesby Mary McCarthy

En route to Iran, a plane is captured by Middle Eastern terrorists intent on holding hostage the committee of politicians, religious leaders, and activists on a mission to investigate alleged human rights violations by the shah. But the kidnappers soon discover that there is a greater treasure onboard. Among the passengers are prominent art collectors with access to some of the world’s most valuable paintings—priceless works that could fund global terrorist activities for decades.

After the captured plane sets down in a remote Dutch farming collective by the sea, events go rapidly and frighteningly awry. As negotiations with government agencies stall, concerns over rare artwork threaten to trump the regard for human life, and both captors and captives will face bitter truths about their conflicting values, manners, and ideologies as the ticking clock races inexorably toward an explosive endgame.

 

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The Rose Rabbiby Daniel Stern

Wolf Walker is that noblest of creatures: the unrealized artist. He is also ethical advisor to the Lester & French Advertising Agency—a professional conscience. After reading an alarming entry in his wife’s diary on his 40th birthday, Wolf sets out to reclaim his sense of identity. His resulting midlife crisis is both surreal and hilarious, poignant and imaginative. The Rose Rabbi is a fable about the relation between morals, art, and life, from one of America’s best writers of fiction.

October Ebooks for $1.99

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What genre have you been into lately? The selection of October ebooks, specially priced at $1.99, includes something for everyone. Whether you’re a reader of fiction, mystery, military history, or romance—or are looking to try something new—you’re in the right place. Browse below and click on each cover to learn more.

 

 Peony

Peony: A Novel of China by Pearl S. Buck

In 1850s China, a young girl, Peony, is sold to work as a bondmaid for a rich Jewish family in Kaifeng. When Peony and the family’s son, David, grow up and fall in love with one another, they face strong opposition from every side. A coming-of-age story by a Nobel Prize–winning author, Peony explores love, identity, and colliding traditions. Buy Peony: A Novel of China from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

 Gaudy Night

Gaudy Nightby Dorothy L. Sayers

Gentleman detective Lord Peter Wimsey once saved Harriet Vane’s life, and he has been asking her to marry him ever since. But now Harriet faces an even more pressing issue—threats made against her life at her Oxford college reunion. In danger once again, Harriet calls on Lord Peter for help. Buy Gaudy Night from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

           

Atomic Accidents 

Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disastersby James Mahaffey

Nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. Every incident has lead to new facets in understanding about the mighty atom—and Mahaffey puts forth what the future should be for this final frontier of science that still holds so much promise. Buy Atomic Accidents from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

 

The Hot Rock: A Dortmunder Novelby Donald E. Westlake

Fresh out of prison, John Dortmunder plans a heist to recover a stolen emerald—a high-stakes theft that could very well instigate a war. Buy The Hot Rock from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

  

A Night to Remember

 

A Night to Rememberby Walter Lord

Over the course of two hours and 40 minutes, the maiden voyage of the Titanic became one of history’s worst maritime accidents. Based on interviews with 63 survivors, Lord’s moment-by-moment account is among the finest books written about one of the 20th century’s bleakest nights. Buy A Night to Remember from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

Montalbano's First Case

 

Montalbano’s First Caseby Andrea Camilleri

Montalbano’s First Case details our hero’s early years as a deputy inspector. Devoted readers are sure to find the scenes and sensations—not to mention the dose of spine-chilling suspense—that they have come to expect from Andrea Camilleri.

Buy Montalbano’s First Case from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

Armageddon 

 

Armageddonby Leon Uris

Sent to oversee the rebuilding of Berlin, O’Sullivan is exposed to the horrific truths of the Holocaust, a shattered and defeated society, and the new threat of Soviet power as the Iron Curtain begins to shadow the city. Armageddon is one of the great fictional portrayals of Europe in the earliest days of the Cold War. Buy Armageddon from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

Not in Your Lifetime 

Not in Your Lifetime: The Defining Book on the J.F.K. Assassinationby Anthony Summers

The CIA is withholding more than a thousand documents regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, for reasons of “national security,” until 2017. Why? Updated with the latest evidence, Not in Your Lifetime is Pulitzer Prize–finalist Anthony Summers’s essential, acclaimed account of President Kennedy’s assassination. Buy Not in Your Lifetime from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

  

 Crazy Horse and Custer

Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriorsby Stephen E. Ambrose

On the banks of Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory on June 25, 1876, Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Sioux, battled General George Armstrong Custer, leader of the United States 7th Cavalry. Their parallel lives would pave the way, in a manner unknown to either, for an inevitable clash between two nations fighting for possession of the open prairie. Buy Crazy Horse and Custer from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

Six Days of the Condor

 

Six Days of the Condorby James Grady

Ronald Malcolm—codename Condor—is a member of the Literary Historical Society, whose members comb mystery novels for clues that might unlock real life diplomatic questions for the CIA. When gunmen massacre the entire Society, save Condor, he goes on the run. Now, he’s the only person who can root out the corruption at the highest levels of the CIA. Buy Six Days of the Condor from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore,Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

 Jubilee Trail

Jubilee Trailby Gwen Bristow

One look, and Garnet Cameron finds herself smitten with rugged trader Oliver Hale. Captivated by the promise of life on the prairie, Garnet sets out west from New Orleans with Oliver and her friend Florinda. Together, this unlikely trio travels the Jubilee Trail to California, finding danger, love, and excitement along the way—until the revelation of a terrible secret threatens to destroy all that they have endeavored to build. Buy Jubilee Trail from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

Calico Palace


Calico Palaceby Gwen Bristow

In this thrilling historical fiction novel, two young women meet in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. Kendra and Marny encounter ambitious settlers, sailors, miners, ranchers, and mysterious drifters, men who will offer them love or friendship or will break their hearts. Yet their lives stay centered on the Calico Palace, the little gambling operation in a tent in Shiny Gulch that becomes the most opulent gambling house in California. Buy Calico Palace from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

The Jerusalem Diamond

 

The Jerusalem Diamond by Noah Gordon

As Nebuchadnezzar’s hordes approach Jerusalem, sacred objects are hidden, including a great yellow diamond from the breastplate of the High Priest—which three of the world’s great religions struggle to attain. A chronicle of ancient Judaism and modern Israel, The Jerusalem Diamond is at once an exciting adventure, a passionate love story, and an absorbing voyage through history. Buy The Jerusalem Diamond from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

Cashelmara

Cashelmaraby Susan Howatch

When Edward de Salis travels to America after the death of his first wife, he is astonished to find himself falling in love with Marguerite, a young woman many years his junior. Full of hope for the future, he returns to his Irish estate, Cashelmara. But in 19th-century Ireland—a country racked by poverty and famine—his family eventually becomes trapped in a sinister spiral of violence that Edward could never have foreseen. Buy Cashelmara from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

           

 

If Chaos Reigns 

If Chaos Reignsby Flint Whitlock

Award-winning military historian Flint Whitlock offers the first history of the D-Day invasion that concentrates exclusively on the activities of the American, British, and Canadian airborne forces that descended upon Normandy in the dark, pre-dawn hours of June 6, 1944. First-person accounts by veterans who were there—from paratroopers to glidermen to the pilots who flew them into the battle, as well as the commanders—make for compelling, “you-are-there” reading. Buy If Chaos Reigns from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

Some Came Running

 

 Some Came Runningby James Jones

A stirring portrait of small-town life in the American Midwest at a time when our country and its people were striving to find their place in the new postwar world, Some Came Running is a masterpiece whose brutal honesty is as shocking now as on the day it was first published. Buy Some Came Running from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

  

The Wolf's Hour

 

The Wolf’s Hourby Robert R. McCammon

Michael Gallatin is a British spy with a peculiar talent: the ability to transform himself into a wolf. A mysterious German plan called the Iron Fist threatens the D-Day invasion, and the Nazi in charge is the spy who betrayed Michael’s lover. The werewolf goes to France for king and country, hoping for a chance at bloody vengeance. Buy The Wolf’s Hour from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

 

Chicken Soup for the Veteran's Soul 

Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soulby Chicken Soup for the Soul

Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul will inspire and touch veterans and their families, and allow others to appreciate the freedom for which they fought. The compelling collection of the true-life experiences of extraordinary men and women in every branch of service offers a glimpse of timeless history, revealing moments of compassion, bravery, respect, and reverence. Buy Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

Brave Men

 

Brave Men, Dark Waters: The Untold Story of the Navy SEALsby Orr Kelly

Author Orr Kelly offers a rich and riveting history of the SEALs, covering their remarkable triumphs while not shying away from the scandals and controversies. An extraordinary portrait of extraordinary fighting men, Brave Men, Dark Waters shines a brilliant light into the darkest shadows of war, which is where the SEALs have operated for decades with awesome and deadly efficiency. Buy Brave Men, Dark Waters from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com,Google Play, or Kobo.

 

 

The Dawns Early Light

 

The Dawn’s Early Lightby Walter Lord

Walter Lord chronicles the turning points of the War of 1812, which inspired the writing of “The Star Spangled Banner” and led to the Era of Good Feeling that all but erased partisan politics in America for almost a decade. It was in 1812 that America found its identity, and first assumed its place on the world stage. Buy The Dawn’s Early Light from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

 

  

Solo Faces

 

 

Solo Facesby James Salter

Vernon Rand is a charismatic figure whose great love—whose life, in fact—is climbing. He soon learns that the most perilous moments are, for him, the moments when he feels truly alive. One of the great novels of the outdoors, Solo Faces is as thrilling, beautiful, and immediate as the Alpine peaks that have enthralled climbers for centuries. Buy Solo Faces from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play, or Kobo.

The Unsolved Murder of Lord Erroll

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The most exciting tHappy Valleyhing about an unsolved mystery is that it presents the opportunity for us to solve an elusive, spellbinding case. As readers, we get to shift positions from passive spectators to active problem solvers, and the effects are thrilling. Such is the case with the killing of Lord Erroll, the British Earl at the center of the notorious “Happy Valley” murder. The homicide of Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll, provided the central story for James Fox’s White Mischief, in which the author uses letters, facts, and anecdotes to retell the Earl’s story and come one step closer to uncovering the identity of the killer in a crime that was committed over 70 years ago, yet continues to fascinate readers today. Lord Erroll

Just one of a large group of English expatriates living in Kenya, Jossyln Hay settled in Africa’s “Happy Valley,” home to the hedonistic, self-indulgent Brits who lived luxuriously, spent frivolously, and indulged in drugs, alcohol, and sex excessively. Hay seemed to have found the latter most enticing, having been married multiple times and placing himself at the center of a deadly affair. After spending the night with the very beautiful, very married Lady Diana Broughton, Lord Erroll was found dead, shot in his car at a crossroads in Nairobi. But that’s where the story becomes murky, as there were no eyewitnesses to the murder and the weapon was never found. Many assumed Diana’s husband to be the killer, but he was acquitted during the trial, and a year latWhite Mischiefer inexplicably committed suicide. The more details of the story come to light, the less it seems to make sense. Today, multiple news sources claim to have solved the murder, yet more often than not, each source winds up pinpointing a different culprit. The evidence just doesn’t match up . . . and maybe it never will. 

We may never truly know why Lord Erroll was murdered, or by whom, but I propose to you, eager reader, to take a look at James Fox’s White Mischief and deduce your best conclusion. Who knows? You could be the one to finally crack the case.

Click here to check out more unsolved murders and true crimes of passion.

Fall TV Forecast: Cloudy with a Chance of Murder

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Along with pumpkin-spiced pastries, beautiful foliage, and the much-beloved sweater weather, Autumn also brings a new batch of television prospects hoping to be the next big thing. The 2014 fall television season offers dozens of new titles across multiple networks. One particularly interesting (though unsurprising) trend in this year’s lineup is the multitude of crime and thriller dramas. Of course, we here at Open Road Media are ecstatic about the prospect of new thrillers on television, as they serve as the perfect companion to some of our favorite mystery novels. Below, you’ll find a few exciting new dramas matched with the perfect Open Road Media title to accompany it.

Excited about the show How to Get Away with Murder?

Then read this:

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Bad Lawyerby Stephen Solomite

Television’s hit-maker is back with another expected winner—Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, serves up a new series about an ambitious, seductive criminal defense lawyer and professor, Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), and the students in her rigorous criminal defense class. All successful, brilliant, and cunning, every student in Keating’s class is vying to be a part of her legal team, but by semester’s end, there can only be four. As with any Rhimes-produced series, the show promises treachery, suspense, and seduction. And if juicy courtroom dramas are your thing, then you’ll love Stephen Solomita’s Bad Lawyer, too. Top New York defense attorney Sid Kaplan was as affluent and ambitious as could be, until a personal heartbreak wrecked his world, sending him into a spiral of substance abuse. Now, in order to reclaim his authority as a top attorney, Kaplan takes a case defending a woman who may (or may not) have very blatantly killed her husband—a case that could make or break his entire career.

Excited about the show Gracepoint?

Then read this: 

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A Child is Missingby David Stout

This chilling 10-part series focuses on the shocking murder of a 12-year-old boy that rocks the infrastructure of a picturesque coastal town, and the frantic media frenzy that follows. When two veteran detectives (Anna Gunn and David Tennant) take on the case, they soon learn that nearly everyone in this seemingly perfect town is also a seemingly perfect suspect. It’s up to us as an audience to configure the clues and point to the perpetrator, for what will most likely be a thrilling, breathless conclusion. And don’t think about asking anyone in the cast for clues—they’re all in the dark about who the killer is, too. Like this fall’s Gracepoint, David Stout’s A Child Is Missing creates a compelling, mystifying story of a town’s reaction to the disappearance of a young boy, and a citizen’s search for answers. Both Gracepoint and A Child Is Missing are comprised of a cast of complex, interesting characters, and the way in which a community, as a whole, copes with tragedy . . . and murder.

 

Excited about the show Stalker?

Then read this:

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The Third Victim by Collin Wilcox

You know a crime series will deliver the thrills when it comes from the screenwriter of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Kevin Williamson’s Stalker takes the horror of his silver-screen hits and brings it to living rooms across America in the new psychological thriller about two LAPD detectives looking for one of the most maniacal, cruel stalkers the city has ever seen. Notorious butt-kicker Maggie Q stars as an ambitious detective who will stop at nothing to bring down California’s most ruthless villains. Collin Wilcox’s The Third Victim tells the tale of a woman who must escape the grasp of a sadistic serial killer who trails his victims for days before ending their lives. In order to protect both herself and her son, the stalker’s “third victim” will do whatever it takes . . . potentially changing her status from “victim” to “heroine” in the process.

 

Celebrate LGBT History Month with Open Road

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October is LGBT History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community. Each day this month, the civil rights organization Equality Forum will honor a notable LGBT icon on their website www.lgbthistorymonth.com and will encourage schools to participate and host their own celebrations. This year’s featured icons are a diverse group that includes Frank Ocean, Billie Holiday, Lord Byron and Marc Jacobs.

As Open Road Media proudly publishes a wealth of LGBT Fiction, Biography/Memoir, History, and Young Adult Fiction, we’re pleased to offer a selection of our titles for $2.99 or less throughout the month of October, which you can find here.

Organizations such as GSA Network are offering resources to educators and GSA has even compiled a downloadable guide to teaching LGBT History in the classroom which can be found here.

The Stonewall Riots are seen as inaugurating the modern Gay Rights movement, so to kick off LGBT History Month, we’re sharing our Remembering Stonewall video below.



Halloween Treats: $1.99 Ebook Sale

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Now that school is back in session, parents across the country find themselves occupied with planning the trick-or-treat route, crafting the perfect kids costume, and avoiding the mass quantities of candy in the grocery store. But Halloween doesn’t have to be reduced to binging on sugar. Reading can be just as much a part of the spooky celebration as anything else! Delight your young reader with a bevy of scary stories on sale for $1.99 each through October 31!

It's all Treats with these sweet deals!

The Little Vampire by Angela Sommer-BodenburgThe Little Vampire by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg

Tony loves reading creepy stories about vampires. One night, he finds a real vampire sitting on his windowsill. Luckily the little vampire turns out to be friendly. Thus begin the adventures of Tony, Rudolph, Anna the Toothless, Gruesome Gregory, and Nightwatchman McRookery.

 

Oddkins: A Fable for AllAges by Dean KoontzOddkins: A Fable for All Ages by Dean Koontz

Toymaker Isaac Bodkins created the Oddkins, a group of living toys, for very special children who face difficulties in life and need true friends. Only now, the toys themselves are the ones who need help. Frightening as it may be, the Oddkins must go on a journey to find Colleen Shannon, Mr. Bodkins’s chosen successor as a life-giving toymaker and the only person who can save them. The stormy night is perilous and the Oddkins face a danger that threatens not only their magic . . . but the magic in us all.

 
Casebusters: Beward the Pirate Ghost by Joan Lowery NixonBeware the Pirate Ghost by Joan Lowery Nixon

Sean and Brian Quinn have never liked Lester Hopper. The 7-year-old is spoiled rotten, and looks down on every kid he knows—even the ones who are taller than him! But one night, Lester disappears and a ransom note warns the Hoppers not to contact the police. The Casebusters are going to need to solve their most serious mystery yet—a possible kidnapping.

  Witch Twins and the Ghost of Glenn by Adele Griffin 

Witch Twins and the Ghost of Glenn Bly by Adele Griffin

Claire and Luna Bundkin are thrilled when they find out their grandparents have been invited to an all-seniors golf tournament in Scotland, and they want the twins to come along. The girls can’t wait to set eyes on a real Scottish castle, with horses, armor, and tea at four o’clock. But this castle offers one amenity they weren’t expecting—a ghost!

Z is for Zombie by Merrily KutnerZ Is for Zombie by Merrily Kutner

Children looking for goosebumps and chills will get them in this A to Z, just right for Halloween or anytime. Rich, spooky paintings help set the stage for a frightfully good time.

 

 

Danger Guys: Hollywood Halloween by Tony AbbottDanger Guys: Hollywood Halloween by Tony Abbott

It’s Halloween, and best friends Noodle and Zeek have decided to make a horror movie in honor of the holiday. To show the boys how real films are made, Zeek’s family takes them to Paragon, the oldest studio in Hollywood. During the tour, a huge lightning storm separates Noodle and Zeek from the rest of the group. With some luck and a lot of movie drama, the Danger Guys show Paragon Studio what real heroes look like.

Read for Reflection this Yom Kippur

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Yom Kippur is not only a time for atonement and penitence, but also an opportunity for reflection on what it means to be Jewish. As a people with a four-thousand-year-old history of persecution, tragedy, and hope, Jewish history is not only important to the Jewish people, but is a vital part of global history. The following books by Max I. Dimont are a great reflection on Jewish history and its impact on the world.


THE INDESTRUCTIBLE JEWS

A captivating account of the four-thousand-year-old history of a people that spans the globe and continues to influence every country in which they live. From the simple faith of a small tribe to one of the world’s biggest religions, the history is traced through countless expulsions and migrations. Max I. Dimont asks if the tragic suffering of the Jews is the reason for their survival while other nations and races vanished into obscurity. This is a book about a people’s survival and hope for the future, the perfect read for Jews and non-Jews who want a readable history of the Jewish religion and people.

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THE JEWS IN AMERICA

What does it mean to be Jewish? What does it mean to be Jewish in the United States? American Jews have inherited one of the world’s oldest cultures and are entrusted with the continued growth of the Jewish religion. Max I. Dimont questions whether or not this is the start of a wasteland of indifference or a humanistic rebirth to ensure the culture’s continued growth.

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APPOINTMENT IN JERUSALEM

Biblical historian Max I. Dimont recreates the drama surrounding Jesus’ predictions of his own fate. Who exactly was Jesus: the Christian messiah or a member of a Jewish sect? Dimont takes his knowledge of the bible to try and answer these questions. Appointment in Jerusalem is a fitting read as you reflect on your year.

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Terrifying Teen Titles for Halloween: $1.99 Each

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Terrifying Teen Titles for $1.99

Looking for some petrifying page-turners for the month of October? Take a look at a number of our YA horror and science fiction titles, on sale for $1.99 through the end of the month. This Halloween, sweet deals aren’t just for trick-or-treaters.

Driver’s Dead by Peter Lerangis

Nobody knows what happened the night Nguyen Trang drove off the cliff. But when Kirsten finds herself thrown into the mystery of Nguyen’s untimely demise, she begins to fear that driver’s ed isn’t the only thing that could get her killed.

The TwistedWindowby Lois Duncan

High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school, until Brad confides in her a horrible secret. Even as Tracy commits to a plan to help her vulnerable new friend, details emerge that suggest nothing is what it seems.

Scarecrow by Richie Tankersley Cusick

After crashing her car, Pamela Westbrook is rescued by the Whittakers, a family living on a remote farm in the Ozark hills. Pamela initially takes comfort in the farm’s quaint setting, but inexplicable behavior from the family’s youngest child quickly raises her suspicions. The ritual burning of the farm’s scarecrows seems sinister—and the Whittakers won’t let her leave.

Pretty Please by Diane Hoh

After a freak accident at a college party, a bruised and bandaged Johanna returns from the hospital to find the mirror in her dorm room shrouded in black. She realizes that this is much more than a college prank—maybe her injury wasn’t an accident at all. She's the object of someone’s obsession. Someone dangerous.

The Beguilers by Kate Thompson

Everyone in Rilka’s village knows about the beguilers: the golden-eyed, wailing creatures that come out after dark and lure people to their doom. Rilka astonishes her fellow villagers when she reveals that her “Great Intention”—her first act as an adult—is to capture a beguiler. During her dangerous quest to the cloud mountain, she discovers truths about the creatures—and herself—that will change her life and her village forever.

The Calling by Barbara Steiner

The Theater of the Dead is a gothic troupe whose members all pretend to be vampires. New member Miki is thrilled to finally belong to a family, especially when the gorgeous Davin is assigned to be her dance partner. But whenever she performs with the group, she can't help but feel that they are putting her under a spell. If she isn't careful, Miki may be in danger of losing her life—and her soul—to the Theater of the Dead.

 

Other Recommended Halloween Horrors:

 Other Recommended Halloween Horrors

The Poisoned House: A Ghost Story by Michael Ford

The Gravedigger’s Cottageby Chris Lynch

Deadly Offerby Caroline B. Cooney

Blood Rootsby Richie Tankersley Cusick

Monsterby Barbara Steiner and Diane Hoh

The Ghosts of Stone Hollowby Zilpha Keatley Snyder

 

Bullying Prevention Month: Ebooks for Young Readers

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To parents of young students, what’s now considered bullying probably seemed like a rite of passage growing up—a sometimes hurtful but ultimately inconsequential part of the school routine. At the time, labeling horsing around on the playground or spreading rumors in the hallway as bullying likely instigated an eye-roll or two, and accusations of an unnecessary over-dramatization of “kids just being kids.” Whether or not you agree that bullying has gotten worse since parents went through school, its conventions certainly have changed. The accessibility of the Internet expands the scope and intensity of the hurtful behavior, reaching into every nook and cranny of a student’s personal life and making escape from the onslaught of negative messages a nearly impossible feat. What’s more, digital bullies pull no punches when engaging in social harassment. The dehumanizing screen between keyboard warriors and their targets veils the immediate pain bullying behavior elicits. 

These days, bullying is more than just inappropriate physical contact or salacious gossip. Since October is Bullying Prevention Month, now is a perfect opportunity to have a conversation with your child about what qualifies as bullying and what to do if they feel they are being bullied. Though definitions of bullying vary by organization, most agree that a behavior qualifies as bullying if:

  • It hurts or harms another person physically or emotionally.
  • The targets have difficulty stopping the behavior directed at them, and struggle to defend themselves.
  • Many definitions include a statement about the “imbalance of power,” which is when the student doing the bullying has more “power,” physically, socially, or emotionally, such as having a higher social status, being physically larger, or being emotionally intimidating.

This month, we are showcasing titles that address bullying for children’s and YA readers alike:

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The Truth About Truman School by Dori H. Butler

This book deals heavily with the subject of cyberbullying and its effects on middle school students and gives insight into the mindset of those participating, while addressing issues of freedom of speech, social dynamics, and peer pressure.

 

 

 

 


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Oddkins by Dean Koontz

Blockbuster author Dean Koontz’s first novel for young readers, Oddkins is a beautifully illustrated and visually stunning story about a magical band of living toys who learn to overcome the fears we all face in the dark. The themes of good and evil in Oddkins are reminiscent of schoolyard bullies harassing younger or kinder children. 

 

 


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Super Schnoz and the Gates of Smell by Gary Urey

In the first book of this hilarious new series, Andy moves to a new school and is instantly picked on because of the size of his nose. But when his classmates discover how powerful his nose is, they decide he is more of a comic book hero than a nerd. 

 

 

 

 


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Speak Up, Tommy! by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, illustrated by Deborah Melmon

Tommy’s classmates tease him about his Israeli accent and the way he speaks English. But his knowledge of Hebrew makes him a hero when a policeman and his dog come to visit Tommy’s school.

 

 

 

 


The Dork Series by Carol Gorman

When Jerry Flack moves to a new town, he is ready to put his dork days behind him. But at Hawthorne Middle School, Jerry can’t manage to escape being branded a geek. From science club tournaments to student council elections to Shakespeare plays, Jerry is determined to best the bullies and show the school that dorks are cool, too! 

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Dork in Disguise by Carol Gorman

At his new school, Jerry is determined to start being a cool guy—but does this science nerd really have what it takes to be popular? 

 

 

 

 

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Dork on the Run by Carol Gorman

Can Jerry win the election for class president, running against the most popular boy around? 






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A Midsummer Night’s Dork by Carol Gorman

While preparing for his school’s Shakespeare fundraiser, Jerry goes head-to-head with the school bully.

 

 

 

 


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Inside Out by Ann M. Martin

Jonathan is 11 years old and just wants to have a normal life—for instance, a night when he isn’t awakened by screams, or a day when he’s not teased by other kids for having a disabled family member. But “normal” can’t always happen when your little brother is severely autistic.

 

 

 


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Slam Book by Ann M. Martin

About to start her freshman year of high school, Anna wants more than anything to be popular. At a family reunion, her cousin describes a secret “slam book”—a notebook kids use to write all kinds of comments about one another. Anna decides this may be her key to success, but it could have devastating consequences.

 

 

 


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Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

In Bette Greene’s award-winning debut novel, a young Jewish girl in the postwar South finds herself drawn to a German prisoner of war.

 

 

 

 


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The Drowning of Stephan Jones by Bette Greene

Based on true events, The Drowning of Stephan Jones tells the harrowing story of one small town’s brush with homophobia.

 

 

 

 


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Who the Man by Chris Lynch

Earl doesn’t want to be a bully. It’s not his fault that his body is as big as a football player’s! Thinking he knows what’s right from wrong—and using his fists to prove his point—earns him a week’s suspension from school. Earl thinks he’ll have a relaxing week, but things soon slip out of his control when his home life starts to fall apart. 

 

 

 


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Overnight by Adele Griffin

They’re called the Lucky Seven. The most popular girls in sixth grade, they are the envy of everyone else in the school, and Caitlin Donnelley is their queen. Gray is the shyest member of the group, the most fragile, and the easiest for the others to pick on. Last year, she was nearly ejected from the Seven, and since then nothing has been as important as clinging to her status in the group—not even her mother’s ongoing battle with cancer.

 

 

 


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Through the Hidden Door by Rosemary Wells

Avoiding a group of bullies, Barney Pennimen and his friend Snowy discover a cave with an amazing secret. What they discover will test their beliefs—and everything they hold dear. This adventure story was the runner-up for an Edgar Award.

 

 

 

 


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EKHO by Marie D. Jones

Elvis Jones is tired of being picked on, taunted, and teased by the bullies at his elementary school, so he does what any smart, technologically brilliant 10-year-old would do: He creates EKHO, the Evil Kid Hunting Organization, a sophisticated network of kid spies and secret agents that utilize a variety of cool gadgets to stay one step ahead of the enemy—the bullies. 

 

 

The Daughters of Andre Norton

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I literally grew up reading Andre Norton’s works.

My father read science fiction, and I was never forbidden to read anything he had in the house, so one day I picked up a book called The Beast Master, because I loved animals, and I liked his science fiction books. Thus began a love affair with Andre’s work that continues to this day.

When I began to try to write myself, I wrote what would now be called “fan fiction.” I didn’t have a name for it; I didn’t know there were such things as science fiction conventions or fanzines. I didn’t know that people did what I was doing, which was to try and write stories of their own based in the worlds they loved from professional authors. All I knew was that Andre wasn’t writing books as fast as I could read them, so I had a try at writing some of my own. My early efforts were all based around her Galactic Patrol series; I loved all the alien races in them, especially the lizard Zacathans.

I am fairly certain that somewhere in the house I have every book she ever wrote, some in multiple copies. I read them until they fell apart, then I taped them back together and read them some more.

It was only after I got out of college that I discovered fandom, conventions, and fan fiction. But since Andre didn’t attend conventions very often, I never got a chance to meet her in person (although I sent her several fan letters as an adult, and even got a chance to contribute a story to her Witch World anthologies) until I had several books under my belt. I had written a book with her and Marion Zimmer Bradley, and our mutual agent Russell Galen suggested that she and I write a series together. By that point, I was a full-time professional, and now could take my work with me, so Larry and I went down to Florida and she and I began plotting out the Elvenbane series. I found her to be charming, clever, intelligent, and with a wicked sense of humor. And, as always, it was a delight to work with her.

The one enormous thing I think that I learned from her is that we always need to try to create that elusive sense of wonder everyone talks about when they discuss what is great about fantasy and science fiction. She had that in spades. I think it was a natural gift. 

And of course, as one of the few women in the field at the time I started reading, she was an enormous influence on my ability to decide, “Yeah, I can do this. I can write this stuff.”

Andre never married and never had children. She never needed to. Every woman who picked up one of her books and decided, “Yeah, I can do this. I can write this stuff,” is, and always will be, her daughter.

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10 Surprising Facts About The Stonewall Riots

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In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police forces raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. Stonewall was one of the only places in the city for gays and lesbians to convene with minimal threat. When the raid took place, patrons refused to cooperate and instead formed a crowd outside of the bar. Over the course of the next few days, riots took place on Christopher Street in response to the police raids and violence against gays. The Stonewall Riots marked the beginning of the gay rights movement.

 Want to learn more about Stonewall? Read Martin Duberman's firsthand account, on sale for $1.99 through October, along with other notable LGBT Books.

1. During the 1950s and 60s, it was illegal for gays to buy alcohol or dance together.
Because homosexuals were seen as “susceptible to blackmail,” the FBI and post office kept a list of addresses where mail considered homosexual was sent. Soon after, New York City passed laws against homosexuality in public. This included serving alcohol and dancing in gay bars.

2. By 1966, more than 100 men each week were being arrested through “entrapment” efforts.

Police raids by undercover cops were used to identify and arrest gay citizens during the 1960s. Undercover officers would find men in bars or parks and begin conversations. If the conversation led toward the possibility of homosexuality, the man was arrested for solicitation.

3. The Stonewall Inn became popular with homeless youths because for $3 they were given drinks and a place where they could be all night.

The Stonewall Inn claimed to be a “private club,” asking customers to sign in or be recognized by a bouncer. Many of the homeless, gay youths in Christopher Park would frequent the Stonewall Inn because the cover charge was affordable and granted a warm place to spend most of the night off the street.

4. During police raids, women had to be wearing three pieces of “female clothing” to prove they were not in drag.

When police raided gay bars, they would require identification cards from all patrons. Women were required to be wearing three pieces of feminine clothing or they would be arrested. Men in full drag were often arrested, along with anyone not carrying identification.

5. The Stonewall Inn was owned by the New York mafia, and the police were supposedly going after them for extortion.

Surprisingly, most of New York City’s gay establishments in the 1960s were owned by the mafia, due to the profitability of serving the shunned gay community, and the mafia’s willingness to partake in the illegal activities involved with operating a gay bar at that time. There is speculation that the owners of the Stonewall Inn were blackmailing wealthy, closeted customers, threatening to “out” them if they didn’t pay up. As the police couldn’t prove this, they raided the Stonewall Inn for not having a liquor license as a means of shutting down the extortion business, and the raid triggered the riots.

6. One woman’s call to action began the riots.

While the crowds were forming outside of the Stonewall Inn, police took a woman out in handcuffs. They hit her with a baton after she complained that the handcuffs were too tight and threw her into the paddy wagon. She yelled at the crowd, “Why don’t you guys do something?” This was the call to action for the crowd and they began rioting.

7. In addition to more aggressive tactics, rioters sang and danced in “Rockette-style” kicklines in response to the police raid.
As the tactical police force tried to break up the crowds on Christopher Street and push rioters back, the crowds did not retreat—instead, they began singing and dancing in kicklines, infuriating the police and causing the riots to escalate.

8. Coverage of the Stonewall Riots in the Village Voice sparked even more rioting as crowds protested the degrading reporting.

Days after the police raid of the Stonewall Inn, the Village Voice ran articles covering the riots using words and descriptions that angered the gay community. Crowds flooded Christopher Street once again, this time seeking revenge on the Village Voice. Protesters threatened to burn the newspaper’s offices and caused chaos in the street.

9. The riots prompted a nationwide establishment of gay rights groups and newspapers.
Although a handful of gay activist groups existed prior to the incident at the Stonewall Inn, the riots acted as a catalyst for the formation of gay rights groups and publications. A citywide newspaper called Gay began circulation soon after the riots, in response to the Village Voice’s refusal to print the word “gay” in advertisements. Groups such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance were formed to provide community, activism, and support networks.

10. Today’s gay pride parades originated with Stonewall.

On June 28, 1970, crowds formed on Christopher Street to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Christopher Street Liberation Day became the first gay pride celebration in the history of the United States and was the predecessor to the gay pride parades celebrated globally today.

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/exhibitions/sw25/case1.html

An Open Letter to Star Wars Reads Fans

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Dear Fan,

It’s here. You’ve finally made it. Stars Wars Reads Day III. Don’t be ashamed if tears well up in your eyes as you conveniently use the long, high-quality fur of your custom-made Wookie jumpsuit to brush them away one by one. You’ve earned this day.

For you, my dear friend, have done more than the typical fan. You haven’t just watched all the movies, or made origami Yodas, or memorized every single fact on this Buzzfeed quiz. No, you have done so much more: You have read, and read, and read some more. And now, the day has finally come for you to bask in the glory of all the books you’ve read while curled up in bed under the covers with your lightsaber light.

You are a veteran now, leading the way for a new generation. You have read Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy—three times, in fact. And you’ve read his Blackcollar Series, too.

When you were little, you wanted to visit Antarctica so you could survive the cold like Ethan Frome Fortune in The Icerigger Trilogy by Alan Dean Foster. And on your first day of school, you said you wanted to be an astronaut so you could explore new, habitable worlds like in The Orphans Trilogy by Sean Williams and Shane Dix. 

For a long time, college terrified you, not because you had to travel across the country and meet new people, but because of Elizabeth Hand’s Waking the Moon.

You have nightmares about Barbara Hambly’s “the Dark,” in addition to Darth Vader, and you care just as much about Patricia Wrede’s Princess Alethia and William Dietz’s Pik Lando as you do about Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. And to this day, you always think of New York City as an earthly form of Greg Bear’sHegira, and not the other way around.

So grab your Star Wars kitand be off to celebrate your day, noble warrior of the galaxies. And don’t forget to tell a friend to read!

May the force be with you. 

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Open Road Media

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