Meet the Author  

Susan Gregg Gilmore on the Civil Rights Movement and The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove

Someone asked me recently if I had any trepidation about taking on the Civil Rights Movement in The Improper Life of Bezillia Grove. The question was inevitable. But I wasn’t really prepared to answer it. Relationships were undeniably complicated in the 1960s American South, where society remained neatly ordered by class, status, and skin color. There’s no doubt about that. And Bezellia definitely pushed those once well-defined boundaries. There’s no doubt about that either.

» read the article   » 104 comments
 

Notes from the Night Editor Vanessa Mobley Interviews Author Taylor Plimpton

“Here in New York, a good night never ends. We will not let it. Though the hour is late, we are more awake than we have ever been in our lives, we are wild-eyed and grinning and dancing around like fools, and the music is thumping and the lights are flashing and the whole place is pulsating like a massive beating heart, and we do not want to go home, we do not want to go to sleep. Above all, we do not want to miss anything….”

» read the article   » 3 comments
 

Author of Keeper Andrea Gillies on Being a Carer of Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease

When I was a carer of someone with Alzheimer’s disease, my mother-in-law Nancy, I thought the fact that I’m a natural consumer of printed word, a gobbler of books and print information, would help me with my new role. I went out looking for guidance. Perhaps it was bad luck, but the books I found in my local bookshop were of the kind that reassure a carer that all will be well with the right approach: that, in effect, the happiness or otherwise of the person with dementia comes down to the right kind of handling.

» read the article   » 43 comments
 

Charles Martin on The Mountain Between Us

Both a tender and page-turning read, The Mountain Between Us will reaffirm your belief in the power of love to sustain us. Watch Charles Martin discuss his novel, his use of narrative devices, and his belief in the power of hope. Members of our Read It Forward community on Facebook are raving about Charles and his novel, including Kathy who says, “I have read every one of Charles Martin’s books and honestly can say they are my ALL-TIME favorites! He is my all-time favorite author!”

» read the article   » 13 comments
 

Goodreads Readers Rave about The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha

Hundreds of Goodreads readers are raving about this dramatic, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting novel. Check out all these 5-star reviews and 4-star reviews! Watch the book trailer and enjoy an in-depth interview in which Naseem Rakha discusses The Crying Tree, a book that Colleen on Goodreads calls “without a doubt the most powerful book I read this year. This deeply moving family drama pulled me in from the first page – I just couldn’t put it down.”

» read the article   » 0 comments
 

Author and Playwright Brooke Berman on Love

I loved being single. But I didn’t know it at the time. During the ten years between serious relationships (aka my thirties), I thought I wanted a boyfriend. I yearned for a partner in crime, a sexy love interest, a soul mate. When I took the brave and valuable risk of loving and the love didn’t turn into a committed monogamous relationship, the sole lesson to learn was: “He’s just not that into you.” I didn’t buy it; I still don’t. I believe that the purpose of love is to transform us, to help us become more patient and more generous, and ultimately to bring us closer to our most authentic selves.

» read the article   » 12 comments
 

Best Mother’s Day Gift Ever? A Chat with Carol Burnett

We all have our favorite skits from The Carol Burnett Show. That famous Tarzan yell. The “Went With the Wind” skit. The way she tugged her ear at the end of every show. What’s yours? Post a comment to enter for your chance to win the best Mother’s Day gift ever: A short phone conversation with Carol about her new memoir. Other lucky runners-up will win autographed copies of This Time Together.

» read the article   » 42 comments
 

Bryan Batt, Sal from Mad Men, on Writing His “Momoir”

My magical, charming, Steel Magnolia/Auntie Mame of a mom is the reason for this “momoir.” Let’s just say I am one of the lucky ones – I knew at an early age that I was loved unconditionally by an always coifed, perfumed, and gracious southern belle. Her loveliness was neither fake nor saccharine like that of many cartoonish impostors, but real and grounded, and she epitomizes grace under fire. She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother is a tribute to the woman who taught me that there is great beauty in great strength, and although I’m still learning, she taught me to be a man.

» read the article   » 16 comments
 

Meet Eve Brown-Waite, author of First Comes Love, then Comes Malaria

Learn how a Peace Corps poster boy won author Eve Brown-Waite’s heart and how a third-world adventure changed her life. There’s laughter, there’s tears, there’s adventure and plenty of food for thought. There’s also the possibility of having the author talk to your book club either in person, by phone, or by webcast.

What reviews are saying about First Comes Love, then Comes Malaria :

“A laugh-out-loud debut about humanitarian work . . . . As revealing as it is entertaining.” —Kirkus Reviews

“With an appealing, down-to-earth voice, Brown-Waite chronicles her adventures abroad in an accessible, humorous tone sure to appeal to armchair travelers.”—Booklist

» read the article   » 2 comments
 

Marc Morrone, Martha Stewart’s Pet Expert, on Springtime with Your Pets

Marc Morrone offers great advice for keeping your pets happy and healthy in springtime.

Tell us about how you and your pets are welcoming spring! Add your comment below to enter for your chance to win a signed copy of A Man for All Species. Five lucky winners will also receive their choice of one of Marc’s other books: Ask the Bird Keeper, Ask the Dog Keeper, Ask the Cat Keeper, or Ask the Fish Keeper. Winners chosen at random. Quantities limited. No purchase necessary.

» read the article   » 12 comments
ReaditForward.com
Suggestions? Requests? Feedback? Email us at readitforward@randomhouse.com or contact us on Twitter: @ReadItForward