Book Circle Online: Books

Chrys Phillips talks about the first book in the Magic Haven Saga, Vengeful Kiss. We discuss attending and getting to meet fans at Wonder Con, and what's next in the series. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down and talks to Chrys Phillips about her novel, Vengeful Kiss (Magic Haven Saga: Book 1). Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes Bio: Australian born, writer Chrys Phillips is currently writing her fiction series the Magic Haven Saga. Aside from her creating her novel series, Chrys is also working with top notch entertainment firms to adapt optioned screenplays into novels. This shows the distinct [...] The post Chrys Phillips | Magic Haven Saga | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

NIGHT FILM follows a broken journalist's investigation into the haunted life and death of Ashley Cordova, the mad director's beautiful daughter. It begins as a mystery with overtones of dream-like horror. It flickers and dims and deepens into a study of people who burn too brightly, burning up the souls around them until their aftermath is a legacy of ashes. It's about art that goes too far and the fanatical religious passion such art can trigger in those strangelengs who are attuned to its frequency. It's about the nature and function of fantasy, the damage done to the ties that bind by those who [...] The post Night Film by Marisha Pessl | Book Discussion appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Joe Kelly (Man of Action) talks about deconstructing crime story archetypes in his new graphic novel, Bang!Tango. Vinnie, former-gangster is rehearsing for a tango competition and the femme fatal character is a transgender woman who convinces him to help her rob a mob boss. Joe also discusses his Superman comic, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way, which has been called the greatest Superman story of all time, and his animated series, Ben 10. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down and talks to Joe Kelly about his graphic novel, Bang!Tango. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes [...] The post Joe Kelly | Bang!Tango | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

In Katie Gilmartin's novel, Blackmail, My Love, we follow Josephine as she searches for the truth behind her brother's disappearance. She buys a suit, cuts her hair short, and renames herself Joe as she navigates through the subtle nuances of queer life in San Francisco in the 1950s. "I got a broom and dustpan from a closet down the hall, swept up the remaining shards, fishing out the acorns but not the earrings or the hair, and slid it all into the container. I dumped the whiskey, cloudy from my blood, down the drain, and poured myself one last finger." - Katie Gilmartin, Blackmail [...] The post Katie Gilmartin | Blackmail, My Love | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

In Reeling Through Life, Tara Ison explores how movies have, for better or worse, shaped the many aspects of her life. Films are didactic and entertaining, but more than that, they shape our identities. They offer glimpses into other realties and offer up ways-of-being that inform how we operate in the world. Reeling Through Life is equal parts memoir and film study. In 10 insightful and humorous essays, Tara talks about 115 films and their continuing impact on her life. "And I'm eleven years old again, fearing invisibility, hoping to be heard. Seeking the distinction and complexity of dysfunction and dark secrets. Hoping to [...] The post Tara Ison | Reeling Through Life | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Alexandra Fuller (best known for her memoir, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood) writes about her marriage and its slow unravel in her new memoir, Leaving Before the Rains Come. She describes her husband as “the perfect rescuer” who would save her from the chaos of her family and their life in Africa, and juxtaposes him with stories of her father who declared “boring” to be the worst possible sin. Leaving Before the Rains Come is written with wit and candor; it’s a raw exploration of one’s self that is both unabashed and elegant. “Long after the divorce was final [...] The post Alexandra Fuller| Leaving Before the Rains Come | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Jon Krakauer's international bestseller, Into the Wild, and Sean Penn's inspirational film of the same name skyrocketed Chris McCandless (aka Alexander Supertramp) to global fame after he hitchhiked to Alaska and walked into the wilderness alone in 1992. In The Wild Truth, Chris's sister, Carine, tells her own story, while filling in the blanks of her brother's journey. Together they witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Carine speaks candidly about the deeper reality of life in the McCandless family, and reveals how she learned that real redemption can only come from [...] The post Carine McCandless | The Wild Truth | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Why is your brother-in-law concerned about the Estate Tax? Why do millionaire news reporters get everything wrong? Why are blood-sucking teachers bankrupting America? Jimmy Dore, the comedy darling of America’s Progressive Left, answers all these questions and more! In this laugh-out-loud collection of essays that are both street-smart and informed, Jimmy sets out to discover what’s wrong. Crackling with caustic wit and insight, no aspect of American life is safe from Jimmy’s hilarious scrutiny. He gets to the heart of the issues: why Republicans should support gay marriage or why the President shouldn’t have Secret Security until the country has gun control, bringing clarity [...] The post Jimmy Dore | Your Country Is Just Not That Into You | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Doyin Richards’ adventures in fatherhood have been documented on his blog, Daddy Doin’ Work. With this book, he answers questions about fatherhood that many women want to know in his no-nonsense, entertaining style. He urges new mothers to enter the minds of new dads, thereby changing their perception of what should be expected from a modern father. "Dads who teach their kids to be who they are, love themselves, be kind to others - while offering affection in the process - will increase the likelihood of raising happy, healthy, successful children." - Doyin Richards, Daddy Doin' Work In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down [...] The post Doyin Richards | Daddy Doin’ Work | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

It is winter in Area X, the mysterious wilderness that has defied explanation for thirty years, rebuffing expedition after expedition, refusing to reveal its secrets. As Area X expands, the agency tasked with investigating and overseeing it--the Southern Reach--has collapsed on itself in confusion. Now one last, desperate team crosses the border, determined to reach a remote island that may hold the answers they've been seeking. If they fail, the outer world is in peril. Meanwhile, Acceptance tunnels ever deeper into the circumstances surrounding the creation of Area X--what initiated this unnatural upheaval? Among the many who have tried, who has gotten close to [...] The post Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer | Book Discussion appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Thomas Page McBee attempts to answer the question, "What does it mean to be a man?" His new book focuses on the two men who most impacted his life, his father who abused him as a child and a mugger who almost killed him. He seeks to understand these examples of flawed manhood while grappling with the decision to transition from female to male. Man Alive is extraordinarily personal, while still telling the universal story of how we struggle to create ourselves. “Being human means being at the mercy of others. It’s uncomfortable at that knife’s edge, but you’ve still got a choice [...] The post Thomas Page McBee | Man Alive | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Gail Sheehy, author of the classic New York Times bestseller Passages returns with her inspiring memoir—a chronicle of her trials and triumphs as a groundbreaking journalist in the 1960s, to iconic guide for women and men seeking to have it all, to one of the premier political profilers of modern times. Gail Sheehy reveals the obstacles and opportunities encountered when she dared to blaze a trail in a “man’s world.” Daring also celebrates the beguiling love story between Gail and Clay Felker, the charismatic creator of New York magazine. Sheehy also recounts her audacious pursuit and intimate portraits of twentieth-century leaders such as Hillary [...] The post Gail Sheehy | Daring: My Passages | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

It is December 6, 1941. America stands at the brink of World War II. Last hopes for peace are shattered when Japanese squadrons bomb Pearl Harbor. Los Angeles has been a haven for loyal Japanese-Americans—but now, war fever and race hate grip the city and the Japanese internment begins. The hellish murder of a Japanese family summons three men and one woman. William H. Parker is a captain on the Los Angeles Police Department. He’s superbly gifted, corrosively ambitious, liquored-up, and consumed by dubious ideology. He is bitterly at odds with Sergeant Dudley Smith—Irish émigré, ex-IRA killer, fledgling war profiteer. Hideo Ashida is a [...] The post Perfidia by James Ellroy | Book Discussion appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Melissa Marr is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series, which has sold more than one million copies and is published in twenty-six countries. Her new thriller, Made For You, is a Southern Gothic story that follows Eva Tilling after after she wakes up in the hospital. She is being stalked by an obsessive killer, and survives a hit-and-run to discover she now has the ability to foresee the deaths of those around her. "I pick both items up and slip them into my purse. I’ve been going to the shooting range with my grandfather for years, so I feel [...] The post Melissa Marr | Made for You | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Returning to fiction, Ben Mezrich's novel Seven Wonders follows Jack Grady, a field anthropologist and 21st century Indiana Jones, embarks on a far-flung journey around the globe – from China to Peru; Egypt to Brazil – as he unravels the mystery that links the Seven Wonders of the World, represented by seven divided segments of a golden snake. Jack and his team, complete with intrepid grad students and a brilliant genetic botanist, discover a conspiracy to hide a road map to the Garden of Eden. Grounded in carefully researched historical fact, Seven Wonders marks the start of a multi-book series whose rights have already [...] The post Ben Mezrich | Seven Wonders | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

“Not being forced to see corpses is a privilege of the developed world.” - Caitlin Doughty, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes While most people want to avoid thinking about death, Caitlin Doughty, author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory made it her life's work. In this behind the scenes look at the funeral industry, Caitlin reveals the strange history and practices of the funeral industry, marveling at the bizarre and wonderful practices from different cultures. Caitlin argues that our fear of dying warps our culture and society, and she calls for better ways of dealing with death (and [...] The post Caitlin Doughty | Smoke Gets in Your Eyes | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

Lois Lowry's book, The Giver, introduces us to a seemingly perfect utopia. There is no pain or suffering, but with that, we learn that society has given up their right to make any personal choices for themselves. When Jonas turns 12, he is selected to be trained by The Giver and is forced to see the unpleasant truths that make up his society. In this edition, host Jeffrey Masters sits down and talks with Lois Lowry about her award-winning novel, The Giver. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes "The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness [...] The post Lois Lowry | The Giver | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

How far would a mother go to protect her child? This is the question that Leslie Lehr asks in her new novel, What a Mother Knows. When Michelle wakes up in the hospital after a near-fatal car crash that resulted in an extended coma, she finds her world has completely changed. On top of marital issues and a troubling lawsuit, she discovers that her daughter has been missing, and she begins her own investigation to try to get her back. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down and talks with Leslie Lehr about her book, What a Mother Knows. "Maybe she was still asleep [...] The post Leslie Lehr | What a Mother Knows | Author Interview appeared first on Book Circle Online.

David Cronenberg, the celebrated Canadian film director, lauded by The New York Times for creating “some of the best, most challenging, most unusual English-language films of the last twenty years,” and named a chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in France—turns his remarkable talent to the haunting, disturbing intersection of desire and decay in Consumed, his highly anticipated debut novel. In the book-filled, artfully messy Paris apartment of the famous French intellectuals Celestine and Aristide Arosteguy, an astonishing discovery is made—the grisly, butchered remains of Celestine, partially eaten. Her husband, sought by police for questioning, is nowhere to be found. Naomi [...] The post Consumed by David Cronenberg | Book Discussion appeared first on Book Circle Online.