The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I just finished reading The Thirteenth Tale, well I didn’t actually read it, I listened to it. And that leads me to ask if you think listening to an unabridged version of the book is the same as reading it? It’s the same story, the same words… I think it’s the same but I know some people don’t think so.

The book was about an author, Vida Winter. A much beloved, very reclusive author in England, she had sold millions of books, every book she wrote was a best seller. Every time she published a new book, there were interviews with the press to promote the book and each time she gave new information about her childhood, before she was famous. No one knew the truth and that made everyone even more anxious to know the story behind Vida Winter. In the book, she is near the end of her life and contacts a bookseller’s daughter, who has written a few obscure literary biographies, to write the truth. Margaret Lea comes to visit and stays, day after day hearing the story of Miss Winter’s life. This is the life you will read about in the book. Like most life stories, it starts slowly but as it continute it becomes more interesting and more surprising. The title comes from a volume of short stories Miss Winter publishes early in her career. The title is Thirteen Tales, but there are only twelve stories in the book, the thirteenth tale is Miss Winter’s own story. I liked this book a lot, I liked the story and the characters but what I enjoyed most was the language of the story, the way it washs over you and makes you want to hear more.

Karen – Fort Mill                                                     ISBN 0743298020

New Titles

I don’t have much of a list of new titles coming out in December.  It’s going to be a quiet month in the publishing biz I guess.  Greg Iles has True Evil coming out in December, plus Next by Michael Crichton and Treasure of Khan: a Dirk Pitt novel by Clive Cussler are about the only titles I saw that looked interesting.

January is going to be a big month for new books. 

William Bernhardt has Capitol Threat, Barbara Taylor Bradford - Ravenscar Dynasty
Lilian Jackson Braun’s latest “cat” book is The Cat who had 60 Whiskers.   Jeffrey Deaver newest title is More Twisted.  On the lighter side is Janet Evanovich’s Plum Lovin’.   Then there is Linda Fairstein with Bad Blood, Lisa Gardner with Hide and J.A. Jance has written a follow-up to Edge of Evil called Web of Evil.   W.E.B. Griffin has written Hunters: a presidential agent novel, John Lescroart latest book is Suspect and Richard North Patterson new book is Exile.   The last three I want to tell you about are 
Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman, Stalemate by Iris Johansen and White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz

Home to Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

Ave Marie MacDhesney barely returns from her daughter’s wedding in Italy when her husband collapses at work and is rushed to the hospital and into surgery. Taking care of Jack, directing Sound of Music for the town’s theatre group and visitors for Christmas all keep her almost too busy to worry. Unforgettable characters return from the other books by Trigiani, set in the hills of Virginia. Small town humor, worldwide travel and close friendship are all featured in newest addition to this popular series. A pleasant addition to the books are recipes for almost everything the characters eat.

Karen – Fort Mill                                                      ISBN 1400060087