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In this episode: How we deal with maps in books, what airplane travelers are reading, a wonderful middle-grade novel, and a retelling of the story of Achilles.

A quick Booktopia update: Santa Cruz has just one spot open, and Oxford, MS has just 15 spots open as of 3/6. We expect to announce Oxford authors by mid-March, at which point we know that Booktopia:Oxford will sell out. So don’t wait to register! For more information and to sign up for any of the Booktopia events, please visit http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com. Also, if you have already registered for one of the Booktopia events, don’t forget to submit your entry for our “Living in Booktopia” souvenir book. You should have gotten an email with details. If not, please email us.

To flip or not to flip?:

Carol in our Goodreads group wrote in with a topic suggestion:

I’ve just begin the Fire & Ice series by George RR Martin. I know I’m in for an epic so I’m trying to read carefully so that I don’t lose track of the characters and locations. Which got me thinking of a discussion topic…..
These sorts of books often offer a map, genealogy charts and the like. They are helpful but then I find myself checking them too often, which disrupts my reading. Do you look at them or do you just dive into the book?

When I saw that woman on the plane next to me was reading A Feast for Crows, and madly flipping back and forth between the text and the maps, I knew we had to discuss this. While I don’t typically look at maps while I’m actually reading the text, I do like to see them before and after I’ve read the book to get a sense of the layout. I recently read an advanced readers copy of a book that is due out in June, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I read it in galley form, and then later the author blogged about the map that had been created to represent the world in the book. Looking at the map made me appreciate the scope of the world that the author had created.

At the end of this segment, Michael teases about the big George R.R. Martin gift book that will be coming out this fall, Maps of Ice and Fire. We’re sure you’ll be hearing much more about that in the future.

Peeking over the shoulders of airport travelers (08:51):

Michael and I had some fun snooping on our fellow travelers’ airplane reading. Author Dominique Browning recently wrote a New York Times article called “Learning to Love Airport Lit,” where Browning realized that the best books for airplane reading are those with strong narrative drive . Our non-scientific research shows that most travelers we saw chose books that fit that profile:

Clive Cussler

The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry

Dead Sleep, Greg Iles

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel

Defending Jacob by Bill Landay

Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag

Live Wire by Harlan Coben

Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Two Books we Can’t Wait for you to Read (15:49)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a middle-grade novel that can (and should) be read by teens and adults as well. It’s the story of Auggie, a young boy who was born with a severe facial deformity. Auggie is a bright and funny kid, and after being homeschooled for his entire life, he’s about to start fifth grade in a private school. The experiences that Auggie has make us think about people with differences and how we treat others. It’s an amazing novel that really made me think about the importance of being a bit kinder than necessary.

Michael talks about The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Michael and I both loved this book, and as soon as we read it, we invited Madeline to join us at Booktopia:Manchester. We are so eager to meet her in Vermont! Miller has given us a brilliant version of the legend of Achilles, telling the story from the point of view of Patroclus, Achilles’ friend and companion. After reading this book, Michael rushed out to buy the new translation of The Iliad by Stephen Mitchell.

Madeline is about to embark on an extensive tour for her book, so even if you’re not attending Booktopia Manchester, you may have a chance to meet her.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:46 — 4.5MB)

We’re off to sales conference so it’s a short episode with your calls about your favorite book stores.

Elizabeth from Houston called to recommend Brazos Bookstore, a store that’s been serving its community since 1974. Be sure to check out the Staff Picks section of their website. There’s a ton of great books on there!

Barbara lives in Wyoming and doesn’t have many bookstores around her, but every time she visits Washington DC, she walks a mile to the Metro station and travels into the city to spend the day at Politics & Prose. That’s devotion!

An anonymous caller raved about Three Lives & Co. in New York’s Greenwich Village, a small store with a devoted following, and one that I am lucky enough to have visited.

We hope you don’t mind the short episode. After all, we’re away at sales conference learning about all of the wonderful books coming out this Fall and Holiday Season. And I can already tell you there are some great things to look forward to!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:28 — 13.5MB)

Apologies to Stephen King; the publishing industry goes Downton Abbey crazy; and we share our love for Stay Awake by Dan Chaon and King Peggy by Peggielene Bartels.

An Open Letter to Stephen King

For many years I thought Stephen King was not an author I would enjoy. Of course I’ve heard the raves and accolades, but something kept me from picking up one of his books. I’m thrilled to say that I finally now know what all of you Stephen King fans have been raving about. I listened to the audio of 11/22/63. It was an amazing audio production of a stellar book. The story was captivating, enthralling and kept me listening for all 31 hours. Mr. King, I’m sorry I ever doubted you were an author I would love!

The Books of Downton Abbey (5:30)

The second season of Downton Abbey just finished here in the States, and it has been hugely popular. Bookstores everywhere have created DA displays, using some official books and some books that take place in the same period. This is by no means a comprehensive list (in fact, please add your suggestions to the comments below!), but here are some of the most commonly displayed books:

• Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon
• The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes
• The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton
• What the Butler Winked At by Eric Horne
• The Decline and the Fall of the British Aristocracy by David Cannadine
• Parade’s End by Ford Maddox Ford
• A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd
• The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
• Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (14:43)

Dan Chaon, author of the amazing novel Await Your Reply, is back with a new collection of short stories called Stay Awake. These stories haunted me in every sense of the word; they are filled with horrors of the human condition and the supernatural world. Ann’s book for this week is the true story of an American secretary who receives a phone call informing her that she has been named the new king of her ancestral village in Ghana. In King Peggy by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman, Peggy soon realizes that even a small village on the coast of Africa can be rife with corruption, and she’s expected to clean it up.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:11 — 16.8MB)

This week, a few announcements and then a special interview with Juliet Grames, Senior Editor at Soho Press, who describes her 10-book crime fiction read-along project.

A few announcments:

After last week’s podcast where I mentioned the 2 Knit Lit Chicks podcast, we got notes and emails from other Books on the Nightstand listeners who are also knitters. In an effort not to let our yarn take over the blog and forums, I’ve set up a Books on the Nightstand Ravelry group. Head over there if you want to chat about knitting and reading with other friends of Books on the Nightstand.

Michael and I want to meet more of you! So as an experiment, we are going to have a BOTNS meetup at a bookstore author event! If you are anywhere near Madison, CT, please come hang out with us. Debut author Chris Pavone will be appearing at RJ Julia Booksellers to promote his new novel, The Expats. Michael and I both enjoyed it (you’ll be hearing more about it very soon), and we thought this would be a great event to share with you. The event starts at 7pm, and we’ll meet in the RJ Julia cafe at 6pm to socialize with any BOTNS’ers that can join us. Details are on our Facebook page, and you can RSVP to us there or drop us an email to let us know you are coming. The event is free to attend, but you will also need to register at RJ Julia so they know how many people to expect.

Hopefully, these meetups will be something that we can do in other parts of New England, too. Let us know if it’s something that interests you.

A Crime Novel Read-along (06:05)

Today we feature an interview with Soho Press Senior Editor Juliet Grames, who is embarking on a year-long reading project to educate herself about the origins and influences of crime fiction. As part of that project, Juliet is launching a 10-book read-along for 2012, and we are going to join in.

You should listen to the podcast to hear Juliet talk about the project — her enthusiasm is what got us so excited — but here are the details:

Each month Juliet will choose one book to be read. On one of the following Tuesdays, she’ll write a blog post talking about some interesting back-story that goes along with that novel. Then a few weeks later, on a specified date, we’ll all have a discussion about the book via comments on the blog. At that time, Juliet will also announce the next book. As soon as we have a real URL, we’ll post it, but it will be linked from the Soho Press website.

The first book is Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue, which is actually a short story. We’ll discuss the book on the Soho press blog on March 20th. We’ll post reminders and the specific blog URLs at Books on the Nightstand and also on our Facebook and Goodreads pages. We’ll also set up a folder in our Goodreads group where we can talk about the books as we read them. We’ll also announce each month’s book on the podcast. You can find the story in any number of anthologies, and online to read free through Project Gutenberg. I think I will check out the Librivox audio recording.

During Juliet’s interview, she also mentioned The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, and  The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis.

Two books Juliet can’t wait for us to read (26:00):

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge by Cara Black, will be out on March 2nd. Each of Cara’s Aimee LeDuc mysteries are set in a different neighborhood in Paris. This one involves Knights Templar and a hidden Chinatown — no way I can resist that. For those completists out there (like me), the first book in this series is Murder in the Marais.

On the literary fiction side, Juliet recommends The Detour by  Andromeda Romano-Lax. It is set in 1938 on the back roads of  northern Italy, and it’s the story of a young German man who is sent by the Fuhrer to appropriate a piece of art for the Nazis. Instead, he finds himself on a different kind of adventure.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:50 — 17.1MB)

A mish-mash of things we want to tell you about. Connecting with a stranger over the shared love of an obscure book. Raves for Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, and History of a Pleasure Seeker by Booktopia VT author Richard Mason

Odds and Ends

Segment one this week is a cornucopia of bookish news:

• Check out this line of bookmark greeting cards: In My Book, with lovely illustrated fronts that can be detached and used as bookmarks, has been around for over ten years. They are new to me, but not a new line of cards as I mistakenly say in the podcast. They’re very cool and you can probably buy them at a store near you!
• Many folks attending Booktopia have started a The Sense of an Ending  read-along. They’ll read the book now, then discuss it at the Booktopia events (so far we have attendees for VT and MS reading along). We’ve decided to expand the event into a sort of “One Podcast, One Book” and we encourage you all to read the book and share your thoughts at our Goodreads group! (For more info on the three Booktopia events, click here.)
• Last week I told you about Quiet by Susan Cain, who will be joining us at Booktopia VT. Since being published, Quiet has been anything but. It’s been getting tons of attention and Susan is scheduled to appear on The Colbert Report on 2/16. Set your DVRs!
• A recent article in The Guardian alerted Ann to The Library Book, a very cool sounding collection of “famous writers on libraries real or imagined, past and future; why libraries matter and to whom.” It’s a book that’s only available in the UK, as far as we can tell, but we’re sure hoping it will published in the States so we can check it out as well!
• Some folks are using The BOTNS 12 in ’12 Reading Challenge as a way to visit 12 bookstores they’ve always meant to see in person. In that vein, we’d love for everyone to call our voicemail line (209.867.7323) and briefly describe your favorite bricks-and-mortar (i.e. physical) bookstore.

Kindred Spirits (12:00)

Ann has been geting back into knitting, and recently discovered 2 Knit Lit Chicks, a podcast that is half about knitting and half about books. When Barb, one of the women on the podcast, recommended The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost, Ann actually cheered out loud. It was that exciting moment when you find out that someone else shares your love of a less-than-well-known book. For me, it happened recently when someone friended me on a social networking site and his favorite book listed was Pfitz by Andrew Crumey, a book I sadly thought I was the only person in the world to have read.

In the comments below we’d love to hear what obscure book would make an instant connection between you and another fan.

And Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (21:44)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo is an intimate, revealing and heartbreaking look into the lives of the residents of Annawadi, a small slum on the edge of Mumbai’s international airport. I feel quite certain saying this is a book that will garner widespread attention and will win awards.

Set in 1907, History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason, follows Piet Barol a young tutor brought into the home of a bourgeois Amsterdam family. It’s a book that Ann lost herself in and she’s thrilled that the author will be continuing Piet’s story in future books. For more on Richard Mason, check out this great interview.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:06 — 15.0MB)

McDonalds giving away books with Happy Meals; Is it OK to make fun of tragedy? And we can’t wait for you to read Quiet by Susan Cain and The Ice Balloon by Alex Wilkinson.

A very happy meal (maybe)

McDonalds recently announced that it would be including books with children’s Happy Meals in the United Kingdom. This has generated quite a bit of controversy. Michael and I examine our feelings about it which, frankly, are conflicted. The fact that 1 in 3 children in the UK does not own a book is a staggering reality that makes me believe that this program may be OK. Still, I wrestle with the idea of connecting books and junk food.

Should tragedy be funny? (05:21)

A recent New York Times Book Review by Christopher R. Beha about Adam Johnson’s The Orphan Master’s Son [WARNING: major spoilers included in Beha's review] has raised the question: is it ever OK to deal with tragic events through the use of humor? The novel, set in North Korea with Kim Jong-Il as a character, does have some humorous elements within, but overall it is not a comic novel.  As I was thinking about the review and Beha’s viewpoint, I happened upon a blog post on The Book Smugglers that questions a young adult book that contains a Nazi joke.  Shalom Auslander’s new novel, Hope: A Tragedy, centers on a farmhouse where Anne Frank lives in the attic as a squatter. My friend Kalen begins her Goodreads review in this way: “I don’t even know where to start reviewing this book. It is so very, very wrong and hysterically funny.”  What do you think? Is there a certain period of time that should pass before tragedy is written about in a way that veers from the serious? Are some subjects untouchable?

Two books we can’t wait for you read (13:20)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain is a work of nonfiction that we think will appeal to many of our Books on the Nightstand listeners. The book looks at how extroversion as “the norm” is a fairly recent phenomenon, and how introverts are often “forced” to work with others and in ways that are do not always play to the strengths of the introvert. The book looks at the brain science behind each personality trait, and examines the societal expectations and valuation of introverts and extroverts. Even though many of us share traits of both extroverts and introverts, it’s a fascinating book that has made Michael look at the world a little differently. (Susan blogged about last year’s Books on the Nightstand retreat, even before we knew that her book would be published by Crown, one of the Random House imprints. We’re thrilled that Susan will be joining us at Booktopia:Manchester).

Full confessions: I have not yet read The Ice Balloon by Alex Wilkinson, but many, many of my colleagues have and it’s killing me that I haven’t gotten to it yet. But based on other books that our Books on the Nightstand listeners have read and loved, I didn’t want to wait to tell you about this book. It’s the story of Swedish explorer S.A. Andreé, who in 1897 tried to discover the North Pole by flying over it in a hydrogen balloon. Andreé and his fellow aeronauts were not successful, and they seemingly disappeared into thin air. Wilkinson tells the story of what happened, based on diaries and unexposed films that were found 33 years after the fatal voyage, when their bodies were finally discovered.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:48 — 11.4MB)

Deadlines approaching for World Book Night and The International Readers Book Awards. The Alex Awards honoring adult books perfect for teens. We share our love of Defending Jacob by William Landay and Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward.

Books Around the World

January 31 and February 1 are two dates to circle on your calendar. February 1 is the deadline to sign up to be a volunteer book-giver for World Book Night. I’ve already signed up and Ann is narrowing down the selection of which book she’d like to pass out. Join us!

January 31 is the deadline to nominate books for the shortlist of The International Readers Book Awards, put on by our friends Simon and Gav at The Readers podcast. If a book was published somewhere in the world in 2011, it’s eligible, so nominate your favorites!

The Alex Awards (5:38)

The American Library Association just awarded The Alex Award to ten adult books that have “special appeal to young adults.” It’s a wonderful list that includes a few of our favorites:

• Big Girl Small, by Rachel DeWoskin
• In Zanesville, by Jo Ann Beard
• The Lover’s Dictionary, by David Levithan
• The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens, by Brooke Hauser
• The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
• Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
• Robopocalypse, by Daniel H. Wilson
• Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
• The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures, by Caroline Preston
• The Talk-Funny Girl, by Roland Merullo

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (9:12)

Defending Jacob by William Landay is the story of a lawyer dealing with a murder in his town; a murder for which his own fourteen-year-old son Jacob has been accused. This is a book that I read in huge gulps, turning pages frantically until the end, when my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. We’re thrilled that Bill Landay will be joining us in Manchester for Booktopia VT.

Ann was thrilled to see Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward on the list of Alex Award recipients. It also won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction. It’s a book she read last year, but hadn’t had a chance to talk about yet. Set in a fictional Mississippi town in the ten days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, this novel follows Esch, a fourteen-year-old who has just found out she’s pregnant, and her family. Poetic, literary, and many-layered, it’s a book that you don’t want to miss.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:28 — 15.2MB)

Should you trust author blurbs? What are your thoughts on destroying a book for the sake of art? We share our love of The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker and The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss.

The Value of a Blurb

Betsy in our Goodreads Group asked whether or not she should trust author blurbs. Do the authors actually read the books then write those recommendations? The short answer is yes. In our opinion, and from what we’ve seen on the “inside,” we think you can trust the majority of blurbs. When you should most pay attention is when an author you love blurbs a book. That should definitely make you check out that book!

You Did WHAT to a Book?! (6:56)

On our Facebook wall, author Elizabeth Stuckey-French posted a message about using books as the raw materials for art projects. The book lover in her can’t bear the thought of books, even old ones, being destroyed for any reason. Ann and I can certainly see her point, but we had to admit that we’ve done things like this many times. In our defense, we also handmake books, so that has to balance the scales a bit, right? Whether you need inspiration for “evil” (mutilating helpless books) or “good” (creating beautiful new tomes), here are some books of inspiration and instruction:

• The Repurposed Library by Lisa Occhipinti
• Playing With Books by Jason Thompson
• Uncovered by Thomas Allen
• Handmade Books by Lark Studio Series
• How to Make Books by Esther K. Smith

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (16:12)

Ann has been waiting several months to tell you all about The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker (on sale January 31). It’s the story of a young woman who travels to Burma in search of the truth behind her father’s disappearance and the possible love affair he had with a woman there. It’s perfect for book groups. (Because Ann read the book so long ago, she mixed up the main character’s name when describing the book. It’s Julia.)

Just out in stores now is The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss. It’s an utterly charming story of a love affair that spans a decade, and possibly a millennium. The story is told from the point of view of both the man and the woman, and is presented in a unique accordion fold package. You choose which story to read first. When you finish it, you flip the book over and read the other side. Plus, it’s packaged in a beautifully illustrated slipcase.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:31 — 16.4MB)

A reminder about our new monthly newsletter, and the book we’ll be publishing to celebrate this year’s Booktopia events. In honor of the Sundance Film Festival, we discuss books and short stories that have been or will be, made into movies. And finally, it’s one book, we both love: The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson.

Not Yet on the Nightstand

Our forthcoming monthly newsletter finally has a name: Not Yet on the Nightstand (thanks to Doug on our Facebook page for coming up with the title – even though Ann claims she came up with it first, but I have no memory of that!). The newsletter will take a quick look at manuscripts we have just read and loved, but that won’t be out for a few months, plus a calendar of exciting books coming out the following month.

(If signup form does not appear, please use this link to subscribe)

As we did last year, we will be creating a book to commemorate the Booktopia 2012 events.  Full details on how to submit will soon be sent to all registered attendees and authors. Sadly, the deadline for getting the book ready in time for the first event in April means that folks who wait to register for Oxford in June or Santa Cruz in October may be left out. Yet another reason to register soon!

Adaptations (9:26)

Sundance Film Festival starts soon, and will feature two movies based on books: Wuthering Heights and Lay the Favorite. Ann and her daughter recently watched the movie version of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which was disappointing to say the least. Two book-based movies we are looking forward to are Norwegian Wood and The Woman in Black.

Adaptations is a collection of 35 short stories that were turned into movies. I think it would make for an interesting book group discussion to read several of the stories and then watch the movies to see how they were expanded.

And Two One Book We Both Can’t Wait For You to Read (18:27)

It’s rare for Ann and I to read the same book, and our tastes are different enough that we don’t always agree when we do. But we both love The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson.

 The story follows Pak Jun Do, a boy raised by his father in an orphan work camp. In adulthood, he finds himself serving the North Korean government in several covert capacities until he finally ascends to a level that pits him against the Dear Leader himself, Kim Jong-il. The writing is wonderful and the research that went into the book creates a picture of a North Korea that has rarely been glimpsed.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:33 — 14.1MB)

Resolving to carve out more reading time. Who should be our Literary Ambassador and what should that job entail? Two books we can’t wait for you to read: Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal and The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson.

Step Away from the Screen

My amazingly wonderful wife surprised my with an iPad for Christmas. It’s fantastic and and I love it, but I’ve been spending a lot of time on it and my reading time has suffered. So I’ve made a resolution to unplug from all media two hours before bed. Ann has made a similar pledge: to change the hour between 7-8 am from time spent trolling Twitter and email to an hour spent reading. Don’t forget about our 12 in ’12 Reading Challenge. Folks are coming up with some great interpretations over at our Goodreads group!

A New Literary Ambassador (4:53)

Walter Dean Myers was just named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. That got us thinking: should there be a Literary Ambassador for adult books or reading in general? What would that position entail and who should fill it? I suggested John Grisham, but Ann made a compelling argument for Neil Gaiman. What do you say Neil? If chosen, will you serve?
As for the rest of you, let us know who you would nominate to this (as of now, non-existent) post.

And Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (12:35)

Over the holiday break, I read, and was moved by, Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal M.D. Lipsenthal’s life and work uniquely prepared him for his diagnosis of terminal esophageal cancer. This book is his a look at his philosophy of truly living every day you are alive.
Last episode, Ann and I both expressed regret over not having read The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson. Ann picked it up New Year’s Day and was very much surprised by it. It was not what she expected and she can’t wait to discuss it with others who have read it (yes, yes, I’ll get to it soon!)

photo by spykster, via flickr