Skip Navigation

Nola Theiss

Nola Theiss was a high school teacher, owned her own business, was elected Mayor of Sanibel, FL, and is now Executive Director of Human Trafficking Awareness Partnerships, Inc. She has written reviews for local newspapers and the KLIATT Journal for over 10 years.

Oxygen by Carol Cassella

Oxygen by Carol Cassella

Thu, Jan 01, 2009

Carol Cassella, a freelance medical writer and a practicing anesthesiologist, grounds her haunting debut novel Oxygen in the life-or-death scenarios of the modern medical field. Marie Heaton’s successful anesthesiology practice is derailed when a child dies under the mask. Faced with a major lawsuit, she must turn to a former lover for moral support.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Wed, Oct 08, 2008

Sarah Addison Allen lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.

The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam

The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam

Wed, Oct 15, 2008

Somaly Mam is the cofounder of AFESIP (Acting for Women in Distressing Situations) in Europe and The Somaly Mam Foundation in the United States, whose goal is to save and socially reintegrate victims of sexual slavery in Southeast Asia. She was named Glamour's Woman of the Year in 2006. She lives in Cambodia and France.

The Lace Reader by Brunomia Barry

The Lace Reader by Brunomia Barry

Wed, Oct 15, 2008

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Brunonia Barry studied literature and creative writing at Green Mountain College in Vermont and at the University of New Hampshire. She has created Brain Teaser puzzles for Smart Games and lives in Salem, Massachusetts, with her husband and their beloved golden retriever, Byzantium.

What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

Tue, Oct 21, 2008

Catherine O’Flynn was born in Birmingham, England, in 1970, where she grew up in and around her parents’ candy store. She has been a teacher, Web editor, and mystery customer—and this, her first novel, draws on her experience of working in record stores. After spending several years in Barcelona, she now lives in Birmingham.

Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg

Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg

Sun, Oct 26, 2008

A native New Yorker, Michael Greenberg is a columnist for the Times Literary Supplement (London), where his wide-ranging essays have been appearing since 2003. His fiction, criticism, and travel pieces have been published widely. He lives in New York with his wife and nine-year-old son

Telex From Cuba by Rachel Kushner

Telex From Cuba by Rachel Kushner

Fri, Mar 27, 2009

Rachel Kushner was an editor at Grand Street and Bomb and now coedits Soft Targets. A frequent contributor to Artforum, she has a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MFA from Columbia University. She lives in Los Angeles.

A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson

A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson

Fri, Mar 27, 2009

Eva Ibbotson lives in Newcastle upon Tyne and has four grown-up children. She has written ten other books for children, which have been translated into many languages. She has won several major awards for her work, and two major movies based on her books are currently in development.

Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon

Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon

Fri, Mar 27, 2009

A native of Connecticut, Jennifer McMahon lives in Vermont with her partner, Drea, and their daughter, Zella.

Nathan Hale by M. William Phelps

Nathan Hale by M. William Phelps

Fri, Mar 27, 2009

Investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the author of Murder in the Heartland, Perfect Poison, Every Move You Make, Lethal Guardian, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. He has appeared on dozens of national radio and television programs, including Court TV, The Discovery Channel, Good Morning America, Geraldo at Large and Montel Williams, and has consulted for the Showtime cable television series Dexter. He lives in a small Connecticut farming community with his wife and children.

13 Things that Don't Make Sense by Michael Brooks

13 Things that Don't Make Sense by Michael Brooks

Fri, Mar 27, 2009

Michael Brooks, who holds a PhD in quantum physics, is an editor at New Scientist. His writing has appeared in the Guardian, Independent, Observer, Times Higher Educational Supplement, and even Playboy. He is a regular speaker and debate chair at the Science Festival in Brighton, UK.

The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Maryatt

The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Maryatt

Captain Frederick Maryatt was a Victorian writer known primarily for his sea adventures, a genre in which he was a pioneer.

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

Stewart O’Nan is the author of eleven novels, most recently Last Night at the Lobster, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a story collection, and two works of nonfiction.

Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir

Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir

'Halima Bashir was born into the remote western deserts of Sudan in the region of South Darfur, to the fiercely independent Zaghawa tribe. She went on to study medicine, and at age twenty-four she returned to her tribe and began practicing as their first ever qualified doctor, until Janjaweed Arab militias began savagely assaulting the Zaghawa, invariably with the backing of the Sudan army and air force. She now lives in England with her husband and young son where she continues to speak out about the violence in the Sudan.

Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became the best selling novelist in history. She wrote 79 crime mysteries and collections, and saw her work translated into more languages than Shakespeare.

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton

M.C. Beaton, who writes popular historical romances under her real name, Marion Chesney, has written 20 Agatha Raisin mysteries.

Black Wave by John and Jean Silverwood

Black Wave by John and Jean Silverwood

Fri, Jan 23, 2009

John and Jean Silverwood live with their family in California.

Goldengrove by Francine Prose

Goldengrove by Francine Prose

Fri, Jan 23, 2009

Francine Prose is the author of fifteen books of fiction, including A Changed Man and Blue Angel, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the nonfiction New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. Her latest novel, Goldengrove, was published in September 2008. She is the president of PEN American Center. She lives in New York City.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Sat, Feb 21, 2009

Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of the multiple-award-winning novel Speak, widely considered to be one of the most important books for young adults published in recent years, as well as Catalyst, Prom, and Twisted. In 2008, Ms. Anderson received the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to the field of adolescent literature. She lives in northern New York State with her husband.

The School on Heart's Content Road by Carolyn Chute

The School on Heart's Content Road by Carolyn Chute

Sat, Feb 21, 2009

Carolyn Chute is the author of The Beans of Egypt, Maine; Letourneau’s Used Auto Parts; Snow Man; and Merry Men, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. She has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Thorton Wilder Fellowship. She currently lives in Maine with her husband.

Serena by Ron Rash

Serena by Ron Rash

Sat, Feb 21, 2009

Ron Rash is the author of three prize-winning novels – One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight – thee collections of poems and two collections of stories. A recipient of the O. Henry Prize, he holds the John Parris Chair in Appalachian Studies at Western Carolina University.

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Thu, Apr 30, 2009

HELEN FROST is the author of Keesha’s House, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and, most recently, The Braid, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book. She has lived and taught in Alaska, and now lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

McMafia: A Journey through the Global Criminal Underworld by Misha Glenny

McMafia: A Journey through the Global Criminal Underworld by Misha Glenny

Thu, Apr 30, 2009

Misha Glenny was educated at Bristol University in England and Charles University in Prague. He is also the author of The Rebirth of History, The Fall of Yugoslavia (which won the Overseas Press Club Award in 1993 for Best Book on Foreign Affairs), and The Balkans, 1804–1999. During the early 1990s he was the central Europe correspondent for the BBC World Service, and in 1993 he won a Sony Award for his coverage of Yugoslavia. He has contributed to most major U.S. and European newspapers and current affairs magazines and is regularly consulted by U.S. and European governments on Balkan issues. Misha Glenny lives in London.

Oil! by Upton Sinclair

Oil! by Upton Sinclair

Sat, Apr 18, 2009

Upton Sinclair (1878-1968), novelist and journalist, is best known for his novel about the Chicago meatpacking industry, The Jungle. A paperback edition of his I, Candidate for Governor is available from California. Jules Tygiel is the author of The Great Los Angeles Swindle: Oil, Stocks, and Scandal during the Roaring Twenties (paperback California, 1996) and The Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy. He is Professor of History at San Francisco State University.

Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos

Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos

Sat, Apr 25, 2009

STEPHANIE KALLOS spent twenty years in the theater as an actress and teacher, and her short fiction has been nominated for both a Raymond Carver Award and a Pushcart Prize. She is the author of the highly-acclaimed novel, Broken for You, which won the 2005 Pacific Northwest Bookseller Association Award and was selected by Sue Monk Kidd for Today's Book Club, later becoming a national bestseller.

The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn Chute

The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn Chute

Sat, Apr 25, 2009

Carolyn Chute is the author of The Beans of Egypt, Maine; Letourneau’s Used Auto Parts; Snow Man; and Merry Men, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. She has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Thorton Wilder Fellowship. She currently lives in Maine with her husband.

The Visible World by Mark Slouka

The Visible World by Mark Slouka

Mon, Jun 01, 2009

Mark Slouka is the child of Czech immigrants himself, and draws on his personal experience and the inevitable intrusions of the past on the present. He is the author of the novel God’s Fool, named a Best Book of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, the short story collection Lost Lake, a New York Times Notable Book in 1998, and the nonfiction work War of the Worlds. Three of his essays have been selected for inclusion in The Best American Essays, and his short story “The Woodcarvers Tale” won the National Magazine Award for fiction. He is a contributing editor at Harper’s Magazine, and is currently the director for the writing program at the University of Chicago.

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

Mon, Jun 01, 2009

Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.

I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass

I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass

Sun, May 24, 2009

Julia Glass is the author of Three Junes, which one the National Book Award for Fiction, and The Whole World Over. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Her short fiction has won several prizes, including the Tobias Wolff Award and the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society Medal for the Best Novella. She lives with her family in Massachusetts.

Sima's Undergarments for Women by Ilana Stanger-Ross

Sima's Undergarments for Women by Ilana Stanger-Ross

Mon, Jun 01, 2009

lana Stanger-Ross grew up in Brooklyn. She holds an undergraduate degree from Barnard College and an MFA from Temple University. She is currently a student midwife on the University of British Columbia faculty of medicine. She has received several prizes for her fiction, including a Timothy Findley Fellowship, and her work has been published in Bellevue Literary Review, Lilith magazine, The Globe and Mail, and The Walrus magazine, among others.

The Kinds of Friends We Used to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell

The Kinds of Friends We Used to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Mon, Jun 01, 2009

Frances O'Roark Dowell is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Dovey Coe, Where I'd Like to Be, The Secret Language of Girls, Chicken Boy, Phineas L. MacGuire...Erupts!,and Phineas L. MacGuire...Gets Slimed! A veteran Army brat, she spenther formative years moving hither and yonder, and is a former resident of Fort Hood, Texas, just like Elvis Presley/ She lives with her husband and two sons in Durham, North Carolina.

The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester

The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester

Mon, Jun 01, 2009

Simon Winchester's many books include The Professor and the Madman, The Map That Changed the World, Krakatoa, and A Crack in the Edge of the World. Each of these has been a New York Times bestseller and has appeared on numerous best and notable lists. Mr. Winchester was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by HM The Queen in 2006. He lives in western Massachusetts.

Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino
A Perfectly Good Family by Lionel Shriver

A Perfectly Good Family by Lionel Shriver

Tue, Jun 30, 2009

Lionel Shriver's novels include The Post-Birthday World, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and A Perfectly Good Family. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. She lives in London.

A Partisan's Daughter by Louis De Bernieres

A Partisan's Daughter by Louis De Bernieres

Tue, Jun 30, 2009

Louis de Bernières has been awarded the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book Eurasia Region in 1991 and 1992, and for Best Book in 1995. He was selected by Granta as one of the twenty Best of Young British Novelists in 1993, and lives in Norfolk, East Anglia.

Secret Order by Bob Clyman

Secret Order by Bob Clyman

Tue, Jun 30, 2009

Bob Clyman’s plays have been performed off-Broadway and in such theatres as the Denver Center Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Colony Studio Theatre (Los Angeles), Missouri Rep and Mill Mountain Theatre (Roanoke, Virginia), in addition to touring in Scotland.

Tropical Secrets by Margarita Engle

Tropical Secrets by Margarita Engle

Tue, Jun 30, 2009

Other audiobooks by Margarita Engle include The Poet Slave of Cuba and The Surrender Tree.

The Mercy Papers by Robin Romm

The Mercy Papers by Robin Romm

Tue, Jun 30, 2009

Robin Romm is the author of the critically acclaimed short story collection, The Mother Garden, which was a finalist for the 2008 PEN USA Fiction Award. Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, she currently lives in Berkeley, California, and New Mexico, where she is assistant professor of creative writing and literature at the College of Santa Fe.

The Closing of the American Borders by Edward Alden

The Closing of the American Borders by Edward Alden

Sat, Aug 01, 2009

Edward Alden is the Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the former Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times. He has been a guest on numerous television and radio shows, including The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and The McLaughlin Group, as well as on NPR, the BBC, CNN, and MSNBC.

Happy Days by Laurent Graff

Happy Days by Laurent Graff

Sat, Aug 01, 2009

LAURENT GRAFF was born in 1968. Happy Days, his first novel to be published in English, was awarded the Prix Millepages. He lives on the outskirts of Paris.

Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis

Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis

Mon, Oct 26, 2009

Deborah Ellis won Canada’s Governor General’s Award in 2000 for her first book, Searching for X. She is also the author of several other books, including Parvana’s Journey, winner of the Jane Addams Award and the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award, given annually by the Ontario Arts Council and the Canadian Booksellers Association. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine

Tue, Sep 01, 2009

James A. Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, is a world-renowned scientist, doctor, and researcher. He lives in Oronoco, Minnesota.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Mon, Aug 31, 2009

Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) was described in the official Big Soviet Encyclopedia as a slanderer of Soviet reality. A medical doctor, he gave up his practice to pursue his writing. Stalin named Bulgakov the assistant director of the Moscow Arts Theater, where his actions were monitored. He died in disgrace.

Blood and Ice by Robert Masello

Blood and Ice by Robert Masello

Tue, Sep 01, 2009

Robert Masello is an award-winning journalist, a television writer, and the author of many other books, most recently the supernatural thrillers Vigil (which appeared on the USA Today bestseller list) and Bestiary. His articles and essays have appeared often in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, People, and Parade, and his nonfiction book, Robert’s Rules of Writing, has become a staple in many college classrooms. His produced television credits include such popular shows as Charmed, Sliders, and Early Edition. A longstanding member of the Writers Guild of America, he lives in Santa Monica, California.

Lulu in Marrakesh by Diane Johnson

Lulu in Marrakesh by Diane Johnson

Tue, Sep 01, 2009

Diane Johnson is the author of ten novels, most recently Le Mariage and Le Divorce, two books of essays, two biographies, and the screenplay for Stanley Kubrick’s classic film The Shining. She has been a finalist four times for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Awards.

Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner

Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner

Mon, Aug 31, 2009

Leslie Morgan Steiner is the editor of the highly acclaimed anthology Mommy Wars. She writes Two Cents on Working Motherhood for Mommy Track’d: The Working Mother’s Guide to Managed Chaos. She wrote the popular “On Balance” blog for washingtonpost.com from 2006-2008. Visit her at www.lesliemorgansteiner.com.

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman

Mon, Aug 31, 2009

Susan Jane Gilman is the author of Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress and Kiss My Tiara. She has written commentary for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Ms. magazine, among others, and her fiction and essays have received several literary awards. Though she has lived most recently in Geneva, Switzerland, and Washington, D.C., she remains, eternally, a child of New York.

The Predator State by James K. Galbraith

The Predator State by James K. Galbraith

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

JAMES K. GALBRAITH holds the Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., Chair in Government/Business Relations at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He holds degrees from Harvard and Yale. He studied economics as a Marshall scholar at King's College, Cambridge, and then served on the staff of the U.S. Congress, including as executive director of the Joint Economic Committee. He directs the University of Texas Inequality Project, an informal research group at the LBJ School, is a senior scholar of the Levy Economics Institute, and is chair of Economists for Peace and Security, a global professional association.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

ALICE HOFFMAN is the bestselling author of twenty-five acclaimed novels, including The Third Angel, The Ice Queen, Practical Magic, and Here on Earth, an Oprah Book Club selection. She has also written two books of short stories, and eight books for children and young adults. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and published in more than one hundred foreign editions. She divides her time between Boston and New York City.

Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn.

Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn.

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn are the first married couple to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism; they won for their coverage of China as New York Times correspondents. Mr. Kristof won a second Pulitzer for his op-ed columns in the Times. He has also served as bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo, and as associate managing editor. At the Times, Ms. WuDunn worked as a business editor and as a foreign correspondent in Tokyo and Beijing. They live near New York City.

Everything Matters by Ron Currie Jr.

Everything Matters by Ron Currie Jr.

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Ron Currie, Jr.took his place as one of America’s freshest young literary voices with his acclaimed debut collection, God Is Dead, which won the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award.

The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard

The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

Judy Shepard is co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which is dedicated to social justice, diversity awareness and education, and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Shepard speaks across the country on behalf of the foundation.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

KRISTIN CASHORE is a freelance educational writer who writes content for textbooks and teacher editions, as well as book reviews for The Horn Book Guide and other publications. Kristin received her master's degree in children's literature in 2003 from Simmons College, where she worked with Liza Ketchum and was named a Virginia Haviland Scholar. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

Richard Yates was born in 1926. The author of several acclaimed works of fiction, including Revolutionary Road, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness, Disturbing the Peace, and The Easter Parade, he was lauded during his lifetime as the foremost novelist of the post-war "age of anxiety". He died in 1992.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

Farahad Zama was born in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) on the eastern coast of India in 1966. After an (arranged) marriage, his career took him to London on a six-month business trip. His day job is working at an investment bank.

Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies

Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

Isabel Gillies, known for her television role as Detective Stabler's wife on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and for her cinematic debut in the film Metropolitan, graduated from New York University with a BFA in film. She lives in Manhattan with her second husband, her two sons, and her stepdaughter.

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson

Tue, Dec 01, 2009

The other novels in the Walt Longmire series are Another Man's Mocassins, Death without Company, Kindness Goes Unpunished and The Cold Dish.

The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel

The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel

Tue, Dec 22, 2009

EFREM SIGEL is the author of The Kermanshah Transfer, a novel, as well as five books of nonfiction and 19 short stories, a number of which have won prizes or earned Pushcart nominations.

One More Year by Sana Krasikov

One More Year by Sana Krasikov

Fri, Jan 01, 2010

Sana Krasikov was born in Ukraine and grew up in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia and in the United States. Her debut collection was named a finalist for the 2009 PEN/Hemingway Award and The New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award. It received a National Book Foundation's "5 under 35" Award and won the 2009 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. She is the recipient of an O. Henry Award, a Fulbright Scholarship, and a National Magazine Award nomination. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The Virginia Quarterly, Epoch, Zoetrope, A Public Space, and elsewhere.

American Passage by Vincent Cannato

American Passage by Vincent Cannato

Fri, Jan 01, 2010

Vincent J. Cannato teaches history at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is the author of The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages

White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages

Fri, Jan 01, 2010

Ellen Klages lives in San Francisco, California.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

Sarah Dessen grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating with highest honors in Creative Writing. She is the author of several novels, including Someone Like You, Just Listen and Along for the Ride. A motion picture based on her first two books, entitled How to Deal, was released in 2003. She lives in North Carolina.

The Invisible Mountain by Carolina De Robertis

The Invisible Mountain by Carolina De Robertis

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

Carolina De Robertis was raised in England, Switzerland, and California by Uruguayan parents. Her fiction, nonfiction, and literary translations have appeared in ColorLines, The Virginia Quarterly Review, and the Indiana Review, among others. She is the recipient of a 2008 Hedgebrook Residency for Women Authoring Change, and the translator of the Chilean novella Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra. She lives in Oakland, California, where she is at work on her second novel.

The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

Tue, Feb 02, 2010

Ben Mezrich has created his own highly addictive genre of nonfiction, chronicling the amazing stories of young geniuses making tons of money on the edge of impossibility, ethics, and morality. He is the author of eleven books, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions.

The Snakehead by Patrick Radden Keefe

The Snakehead by Patrick Radden Keefe

Mon, Feb 01, 2010

Patrick Radden Keefe is a writer who focuses on international security, immigration, espionage, and the globalization of crime. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and Slate, and the author of THE SNAKEHEAD: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream (Doubleday, July 2009), and CHATTER: Uncovering the Echelon Surveillance Network and the Secret World of Global Eavesdropping (Random House, 2005).

Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen

Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen

Mon, Mar 01, 2010

Bich Minh Nguyen [Bit Min Nwin] is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Stealing Buddha's Dinner.

The Dead Hand by David E. Hoffman

The Dead Hand by David E. Hoffman

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

David E. Hoffman is a contributing editor at the Washington Post, where he previously served as White House correspondent, Moscow bureau chief, and assistant managing editor for foreign news. He is the author of The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia.

Generosity by Richard Powers

Generosity by Richard Powers

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Richard Powers is the author of nine novels. The Echo Maker (FSG, 2006) won the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Powers has received a MacArthur Fellowship, a Lannan Literary Award, and the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Historical Fiction. He lives in Illinois.

Mud City by Deborah Ellis

Mud City by Deborah Ellis

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Deborah Ellis has spent extensive periods of time in refugee camps in Pakistan, working with refugees and researching her stories. She is the winner of the Governor General's Award in Canada, their equivalent of the Carnegie Medal.

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Tim Tharp lives in Oklahoma where he writes novels and teaches in the Humanities Department at Rose State College. In addition to earning a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and an M.F.A. from Brown University, Tim Tharp has been a factory hand, construction laborer, psychiatric aid, long-distance hitchhiker, and record store clerk. His first novel, Falling Dark (Milkweed Press), was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize. Knights of the Hill Country (Knopf Books for Young Readers) is his first novel for young adults and was named to the American Library Association's Best Books of 2007 list. The Spectacular Now was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award.

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

lice Munro grew up in Wingham, Ontario, Canada and attended the University of Western Ontario. She has published eleven collections of stories and two volumes of selected stories, as well as a novel. During her distinguished career she has been the recipient of many awards and prizes in Canada, the United States and England. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The Paris Review, and other publications, and her collections have been translated into thirteen languages.

A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein

A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Lauren Grodstein is the author of the short story collection The Best of Animals and a novel, Reproduction is the Flaw of Love. Her work has been translated into German, Italian, and French. She teaches creative writing at Rutgers University.

The Art of Making Money by Jason Kersten

The Art of Making Money by Jason Kersten

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Jason Kersten is the author of Journal of the Dead. A Story of Friendship and Murder in the New Mexico Desert was selected as a New York Times Notable Book of 2003. He has appeared as a guest and commentator on CNN, Fox News, TruTv, NPR, and numerous regional TV and radio shows. His works have been optioned for both film and television. In 1996, he earned a masters of science from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He lives in New York City

The Vagrants by Yiyun Lee

The Vagrants by Yiyun Lee

Sat, May 01, 2010

Yiyun Li is a winner of the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, and the Guardian First Book Award. She grew up in Beijing and attended Peking University. She came to the United States in 1996 to study medicine and started writing two years later. After receiving a master’s degree in immunology from the University of Iowa, she attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she received an MFA. The author of The Vagrants and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, Li was selected for a Whiting Writers’ Award and was named by Granta as one of best young American novelists under thirty-five. Li teaches at the University of California, Davis, and lives in Oakland, California, with her husband and their two sons.

Now or Never by Tim Flannery

Now or Never by Tim Flannery

Mon, Mar 01, 2010

Dr. Tim Flannery is an Australian environmentalist. He was named Australian of the Year in 2007 and is currently a University Professor. He is also the author of The Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change and many other publications.

The Curse of the Good Girl by Rachel Simmons

The Curse of the Good Girl by Rachel Simmons

Sat, May 01, 2010

Rachel Simmons is the author of the New York Times bestseller Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, and The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence. As an educator and coach, Rachel works internationally to develop strategies to address bullying and empower girls.

Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge

Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge

Sat, May 01, 2010

Eileen Goudge is a bestselling author whose novels include The Diary, Domestic Affairs, Woman in Red, One Last Dance, Garden of Lies, and Thorns of Truth. There are more than five million copies of her books in print worldwide. She lives in New York City.

Born Guilty by Ari Roth

Born Guilty by Ari Roth

Tue, Jun 01, 2010

Based on actual interviews of children of Nazi parents, this dramatization of those interviews takes place in 1991 in Germany, Austria and London.

Love and Summer by William Trevor

Love and Summer by William Trevor

Tue, Jun 01, 2010

Born in Mitchelstown, County Cork, in 1928, William Trevor has published fourteen novels and twelve collections of short stories. He is a member of the Irish Academy of Letters and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has won many prizes including the Hawthornden Prize, the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Award, and the Whitbread Book of the Year Award. In 2002 he was knighted for his services to literature.

The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver

The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver

Tue, Jun 01, 2010

Lionel Shriver's novels include the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin, which won the 2005 Orange Prize. Earlier books include Double Fault, A Perfectly Good Family, and Checker and the Derailleurs. Her novels have been translated into twenty-five languages. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. She lives in London.

*The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky

*The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Thu, Jul 01, 2010

FYODOR MIKHAILOVICH DOSTOEVSKY (1821–1881) was born in Moscow, the son of a surgeon. Leaving the study of engineering for literature, he published Poor Folk in 1846. As a member of revolutionary circles in St. Petersburg, he was condemned to death in 1849. A last-minute reprieve sent him to Siberia for hard labor. Returning to St. Petersburg in 1859, he worked as a journalist and completed his masterpiece, Crime and Punishment, as well as other works, including The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov.

Small Wars by Sadie Jones

Small Wars by Sadie Jones

Thu, Jul 01, 2010

Sadie Jones's first novel, The Outcast, was published to wide critical acclaim and won the Costa First Novel Award in Great Britain. It was also a finalist for the prestigious Orange Prize, as well as a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction. Jones lives in London.

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

Thu, Jul 01, 2010

Award winning Canadian writer Steven Galloway is the author of three novels. The cellist of Sarajevo was heralded as "the work of an expert" by the Guardian, and has become an international bestseller with rights sold in 20 countries.

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert

Sun, Aug 01, 2010

Kate Walbert is the author of Where She Went, a New York Times Notable Book of 1998; The Gardens of Kyoto, winner of the Connecticut Book Award for fiction in 2002; and Our Kind, finalist for the National Book Award in 2004. Her short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and numerous other publications. She lives in New York City and Connecticut with her family.

Tuscan Rose by Belinda Alexandra

Tuscan Rose by Belinda Alexandra

Sun, Aug 01, 2010

Belinda Alexandra is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Australian father. She has lived in New York, California and Melbourne and has a Masters degree in Creative Writing and a BA in Asian Studies. She currently lives in Sydney and is studying French and ballroom dancing.

Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman

Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman

Sun, Aug 01, 2010

Ariel Dorfman, born in 1942 in Argentina, is a writer of novels, plays, poetry. He has also written about the impact of political repression and terrorism. His family spent the first years of his life in the US, returning to Chile in 1954. He was forced to leave Chile after the military coup of 1973 that overthrew the democratically elected president Savador Allende; he settled in the US to teach and write until the restoration of democracy in Chile in 1990. He lives part of the year in Chile and part of the year in the US. Death and the Maiden, perhaps his best known work, was written in 1990 and premiered on stage in London in 1991.

Imperfect Birds by Ann Lamott

Imperfect Birds by Ann Lamott

Wed, Sep 01, 2010

Anne Lamott is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Grace (Eventually), Plan B, Traveling Mercies, and Operating Instructions, as well as seven novels, including Rosie and Crooked Little Heart. She is a past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.

The Woman who Fell from the Sky by Jennifer Steil

The Woman who Fell from the Sky by Jennifer Steil

Wed, Sep 01, 2010

Before moving to Yemen in 2006, Jennifer Steil was a senior editor at The Week, which she helped to launch in 2001. Her work has appeared in Time, Life, and Good Housekeeping. She lives in Sana'a, Yemen, with her fiancé, Tim Torlot, the British Ambassador to Yemen and their daughter Theadora Celeste.