Hi readers,

Welcome to READ IT FORWARD! This month, we”re heading into an election-obsessed Fall with smart, thought-provoking reads that invite you to delve deeper into the issues of the season. We”ve also included some inspiring biography and memoir, a few tales of suspense and intrigue, and books that are just sheer fun.

As always, we have reading recommendations, discussion guides, book group recipes, author chats, book group profiles, creative ideas for your group, and fabulous “ Read It First” advance copy giveaways.

Read on and enjoy!

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What could be better than learning about great new reads? Getting FREE ADVANCE COPIES OF GREAT NEW READS!

Email us to request a book— see links below. The first 200 readers to write in will receive the book of their choice. One book request per email address, please. No purchase necessary. While supplies last.  


In 2002, Jim Sciutto began filing in-depth reports on the Middle East for ABC News. Now, after nearly 100 assignments in Muslim countries, Sciutto brings back this disturbing truth: the Al-Qaeda–inspired view of an evil America bent on destroying Islam has moved from the fringes to the mainstream. Today, a surprising number of America’s enemies are not wild-eyed fanatics, but moderates—often middle-class and well educated, young, and motivated by political convictions more than religious belief.

Creative Idea for Your Book Group
As you begin reading, watch for newspaper and magazine articles that mention Muslim enemies of the United States. Collect clips before your meeting, paying close attention to how they portray those who are “against us.” Bring these portraits to your group to discuss how they compare to the portraits in Sciutto’s book.

To request a copy of AGAINST US, EMAIL US HERE and include your mailing address.




At the dawn of the twentieth century, humanity was facing global disaster. Mass starvation, long predicted for the fast-growing population, was about to become a reality. A call went out to the world’s scientists to find a solution. This is the story of the two enormously gifted, fatally flawed men who found one. Together they discovered a way to make bread out of air, built city-sized factories, controlled world markets, and saved millions of lives. Their invention continues to feed us today; without it, more than two billion people would starve.

Creative Idea for Your Book Group
It’ s a rare book that appeals as much to men as to women, and this is one of them. Invite the male readers in your life to join your book group discussion. You’ll be surprised at the way having these special guests will transform your experience!

To request a copy of ALCHEMY OF AIR, EMAIL US HERE and include your mailing address.





Gary Berntsen, longtime CIA operative and the field commander who cornered Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, writing with award-winning novelist Ralph Pezzullo, offers in this edge-of-your-seat thriller a terrifying vision of where the next threat to America may come from. When a highly placed Iranian intelligence operative walks into a U.S. embassy claiming to possess explosive information, counterterrorism officer Matt Freed is dispatched to interview him and is warned of an impending attack on the United States that could kill millions. But is the man’s story precious truth or calculated fiction?

Creative Idea for Your Book Group
Even if you haven’ t read much Ian Fleming or John le Carré , you most likely have seen a James Bond movie or The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. How do political thrillers popular in the Cold War era compare to those today? What can their portrayal of the dangers we face tell us about ourselves?

To request a copy of THE WALK-IN, EMAIL US HERE and include your mailing address.

BOOK GROUP OF THE MONTH



CLICK HERE and tell us about your BEST or WORST book group discussion (lots of juicy details, please!) and you could be featured in an upcoming issue of READ IT FORWARD. Book groups profiled receive a “Book Group in a Box” full of great Crown reads.

We were charmed by this clever profile and impressed with the wide range of this book group’s reading.

The Olney-Brookeville Book Club

“Our book club isn’t a novel idea. We’ve been together for more than Three Junes even longer than A Thousand Splendid Suns. I believe that The Secret to our longevity may be to Eat, Pray, Love.

EAT: Our meetings rotate through the homes of our members and we’ve enjoyed wonderful fare. I’ ve often thought, I Don’t Know How She Does It!
PRAY: A microcosm of the world, our little group has supported each other through several family tragedies, a life-changing illness and the death of a beloved founding member. A Circle of Friends, we have genuinely become like The Three Musketeers, “all for one and one for all.”
LOVE: That isn’t to say that we’re a quiet bunch! We’re not Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. We’ re a diverse lot and we like Having Our Say. Sometimes it’s A Fine Balance between voicing an idea and hurting someone’s feelings, but no one has been Wicked and I’ve never heard anyone mutter, “She’d look better with White Teeth,” or “You’re Wearing That?

There may be one more reason for our stability. One more reason our little club won’t just disappear Into Thin Air. We’ve been collecting $5 per member per meeting for years now. We’ve established a tidy little bank account and we have big plans. Maybe we’ll spend A Year in Provence! Maybe we’ll travel Round Ireland with a Fridge, or visit The Samurai’s Garden. No matter where we go, The Good Journey is the one taken with friends.”

(Yes, all of the titles listed here have been club selections of the Olney-Brookeville Book Club!)


BLOGGERS WANTED

Have you blogged about a Crown, Shaye Areheart Books, Harmony Books, Clarkson Potter, or Three Rivers Press title? CLICK HERE to see which of your favorite books we publish.

If you have reviewed one of our books, EMAIL US HERE and include a link to your review post. Your blog may be featured in an upcoming issue of READ IT FORWARD!

Thank you, bloggers, for your enthusiastic reviews of great Crown reads!

Stephanie’ s Written Word on NEFERTITI
Medieval Bookworm on NEFERTITI
Mel, a Dramatic Mommy on THE GRIFT
Knit Six on MASON DIXON KNITTING
Booking Mama on OUTTAKES FROM A MARRIAGE
Fuzzy History on LADY MACBETH
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Books on the Nightstand on INFECTED

And thanks to those of you who continue to spread the word about READ IT FORWARD!

The Literate Housewife Review
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FAN FAVORITES



AGENT ZIGZAG
“A review cannot possibly convey the sheer fun of this story…or the fascinating moral complexities.”
New York Times Book Review


In 1941, while spying for Germany, Eddie Chapman was parachuted into Britain with a revolver, a wireless, and a cyanide pill. His mission was to blow up a factory. Instead, he became one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Based on recently declassified files, Agent Zigzag tells the full story for the first time. It’s a gripping tale of loyalty, love, and treachery, offering a unique glimpse into the psychology of espionage, with its thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.

BLOGGER REVIEWS
Powell’ s Books
LibraryThing




SWITCHING TIME
“Vivid...loaded with fascinating details...a richly rewarding read.”
—Colin Ross, author of Multiple Personality Disorder and The Osiris Complex


While treating her for physical pain and depression, Dr. Richard Baer discovers that Karen Overhill spent a childhood grappling with horror so unimaginable, that it’s only by “switching time” with alternate selves, that Karen has been able to function since childhood. Realizing his patient represents an extreme case of multiple personality disorder, Baer faces the task of creating a therapy that will make Karen whole again. Switching Time is the first complete account of such therapy to be told from the perspective of the treating physician, a stunningly devoted healer who worked for decades so that Karen could one day live as a single human being.

CLICK HERE to download the discussion guide.

BLOGGER REVIEWS
Loyola University Chicago Libraries
Just About Books




LAST NIGHT I DREAMED OF PEACE
Last Night I Dreamed of Peace is a book to be read by all.”
Chicago Tribune


Brutally honest and rich in detail, this posthumously discovered diary of a 27-year-old Vietcong woman doctor, saved from destruction by an American soldier, gives us fresh insight into the lives of those fighting on the other side. It is a story of the struggle for one’ s ideals amid the despair and grief of war, but most of all, it is a story of hope in the most dire of circumstances from the perspective of our historic enemy.  

Visit www.ThuyTram.com for film clips, discussion guides, photos, maps, and historical background that will give you everything you need for a lively and satisfying discussion of this amazing personal history.

BLOGGER REVIEWS
Life Wordsmith
Dear Kitty. Some blog




TAKING CARE OF YOUR GIRLS
CELEBRATE BREAST CANCER MONTH THIS OCTOBER

Does a training bra help your breasts grow? Are they always going to be pointy and uneven? Is it safe to use antiperspirants and cell phones?

Questions like these are a big part of growing up and finding reliable information can be a challenge—for girls and their moms too. In Taking Care of Your Girls, Dr. Marisa Weiss and her 18-year-old daughter, Isabel, offer answers to the questions girls have about their breasts. Dr. Weiss shares the knowledge she’ s gained as a woman, a mother, and a doctor and Isabel provides a girl's-eye view. This guide provides a safe place for girls and their mothers to find answers to all their questions about breast health and development.

CLICK HERE to learn more about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.


RECIPES FOR YOUR BOOK GROUP


Christina Arokiasamy weaves evocative stories of cooking at her mother’s side with real-world practical advice gleaned not only from working in professional kitchens but also from tackling the nightly task of getting a home-cooked dinner on the table for her family of four using American ingredients. She shows how easy it is to build layers of complex flavor to create 100 tempting Southeast Asian–inspired recipes, including the Malaysia Market Noodles recipe below!

FREE RECIPE!

CLICK HERE for the easy and delicious recipe for Malaysia Market Noodles.

 

MEET THE AUTHOR



Novelist, screenwriter, fugitive lawyer, code monkey…and author of Rapture of the Geeks. When AI Outsmarts IQ. Don’t miss Richard Dooling’s brilliant, humorous, and thought-provoking account of the brave-new world in which computers surpass humans in intelligence. Richard is part man, part beast, part novelist, part screenwriter, part lawyer and law school professor, part computer programming hobbyist, part word, book, and film lover. He is also quite generous: he’s happy to answer questions if you are an aspiring writer seeking advice about how to find an agent or how to get published.

RICHARD DOOLING
Visit Richard at www.RichardDooling.com.