Veronica Roth releases FOUR: A DIVERGENT COLLECTION

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Veronica Roth’s debut novel Divergent (2011) was an instant bestseller, immediately embraced by both teen readers and adults alike. Buzz of this new series spread quickly and the release of Insurgent in May 2012 solidified Veronica Roth as a new voice in Young Adult fiction; the book debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller’s list where the series has remained ever since. With massive critical and commercial appeal and unstoppable international buzz, the series skyrocketed in popularity. As fans geared up for the release of Veronica Roth’s highly-anticipated Allegiant in October 2013, SUMMIT Entertainment announced plans to make the popular series into a major motion picture much to delight of Veronica Roth’s loyal fan base. The DIVERGENT film starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Academy Award-winner Kate Winslet debuted on March 21, 2014, and grossed $56 million in its opening weekend. Wowing audiences across the country and enchanting fans of Roth’s action-packed series, the subsequent movies based on the books are set to release in coming years.

The DIVERGENT trilogy has become a major pop culture phenomenon and now fans have a chance to go back to the beginning with Tobias “Four” Eaton. With the release of FOUR: A DIVERGENT COLLECTION, readers and movie-goers can finally get inside of Four’s head and find out what makes him tick. FOUR is a collection of short stories set in Roth’s dystopian Chicago told from Tobias “Four” Eaton’s point of view. Each story gives readers a glimpse into Four’s past, his deepest thoughts and most profound moments, and the decisions of loyalty-and love- that he makes in the weeks after he meets Tris Prior. Also included are 3 exclusive scenes from DIVERGENT, except this time, they are told by Four.

Here, Veronica talks to us, during her integrated media tour in Boston, about her inspiration for DIVERGENT and how she was able to turn that small idea into a phenomenon.

 

Check out her interview here!

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Audio Books By Lisa Scottoline and daughter Francesca Serritella

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Join New York Times best-selling author LISA SCOTTOLINE and daughter, author/columnist Francesca Serritella, as they discuss their careers, recent works and the joy of audio books

Thanksgiving is the biggest travel holiday of the year with millions of Americans anticipating hours of unavoidable traffic, gridlock, and delays. Audio books are the perfect way to transform time that would otherwise be wasted into the most entertaining part of your trip!  Nearly all of today’s biggest books are available in audio. Read by polished actors, passionate authors, and even celebrities, these CD’s and digital downloads are the perfect way to sit back, relax, and make the time fly by on what would otherwise be an agonizingly wasteful commute. Authors Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella are no strangers to audio books.  All of Lisa’s novels have been released in audio format.  In fact, Lisa has even narrated four of them with her daughter, fellow writer and columnist, Francesca Serritella.

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The Aviators By Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle and Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight

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Groom’s rich narrative tells their intertwined stories—from broken homes to Medals of Honor (which all three would receive); barnstorming to the greatest raid of World War II; front-page triumph to anguished tragedy; and near death to ultimate survival—as all took to the sky, time and again, to become exemplars of the spirit of the “greatest generation.” He has crafted a narrative steeped in the romance of this epic era of flight, alive with adventure and suspense.

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From Winston Groom, the best-selling author of Forrest Gump, Shiloh 1862, and Vicksburg 1863, comes the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight and redefined heroism through their genius, daring, and uncommon courage, THE AVIATORS: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle and Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight.

 

The Boy on the Porch By Sharon Creech

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One day a young couple returns home to find a boy asleep on their porch. Though he does not seem to be able to speak, they find a mysterious note in his pocket—he’s been left by a parent unable to care for him for a while, who says that they’ll be back to get him soon. The couple decides to keep the boy–Jacob–until someone comes for him. He has a talent for the arts, and a love of painting and playing instruments and brings great joy to the couple.  Soon they become a family. But after a little while, the boy’s real father, a poor itinerant, comes for him and takes off for an address unknown. The couple is heartbroken and searches far and wide for the boy after he leaves, but they never find him. Missing him deeply, they decide to become foster parents, and welcome many kids into their home through the years, from whom they learn and grow and become beloved parents to.   This poignant book ends with the boy returned, on the porch again, now a college-aged kid, asleep and waiting for the couple to return.

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Four Seasons of Travel with Recollections by Alec Baldwin, Lisa Ling, Christopher Buckley, and More

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The National Geographic Travel Group offers a stunning new book on making the most of travel throughout the year: FOUR SEASONS OF TRAVEL: 400 of the World’s Best Destinations in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Spanning the globe with the best 100 places to see in each season, the book brings these destinations to life with vivid photographs and insider tips.

FOUR SEASONS OF TRAVEL also includes dozens of “Best in the World” lists, including the best vineyards to visit in springtime, the top whale and dolphin watching opportunities, the most show-stopping outdoor music venues, the best Oktoberfests outside Munich and the tastiest ice creameries in the world. Special contributors also suggest favorite destinations and getaways: Cokie Roberts recommends Washington, DC, in autumn for the Library of Congress National Book Festival, baseballer R. A. Dickey endorses a sunny winter getaway to Eleuthera in the Bahamas, and actor Alec Baldwin shares his passion for London at Christmas time.

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DIARY OF A STAGE MOTHER’S DAUGHTER BY MELISSA FRANCIS

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The life of a child star in the 1980s appeared to be charmed. However, in her memoir, DIARY OF A STAGE MOTHER’S DAUGHTER (now in paperback) Melissa tells the startling tale of a family under the care of a highly neurotic and dangerously competitive “tiger mother.” While Melissa thrived under pressure, her older sister — who had tried her hand at acting and shrank from the limelight — was often ignored by their mother in a shadow of neglect and disappointment.

It wasn’t until after Melissa had graduated from Harvard University, found love, and married that her sister’s personal problems culminated in a life-and-death crisis. When Melissa realized the role her mother continued to play in her sister’s downward spiral, she resolved to end the manic, abusive cycle once and for all.

What makes the book so compelling aren’t just the behind-the-scenes details but the spirited conclusion.”

—Entertainment Weekly

“A quick but heartbreaking guide for how not to raise children.”              —USA Today

“One of those intimate, heartbreaking, doubled-edged stories that is hard to read, impossible to put down.”                                                                                                  – Kirkus Reviews                                                                                                                                 

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The Duck Commander Devotional By Alan Robertson

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Loyal fans of the Duck Dynasty® family will relish this collection of inspirational messages for each day of the year. From patriarch Phil and matriarch Kay to their four sons (Willie, Jase, Jep, and Alan) and their beautiful wives and children (and Uncle Si, of course), the entire Robertson clan contributes to this encouraging guide. You’ll also hear from Martin and Godwin, the only two non-family members who are regulars on the show.

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Each devotional contains a brief message, a passage from Scripture, and a prayer. Not only are the messages motivational, but they are also laced with the characters’ trademark wit and humor. An ideal companion for Duck Dynasty fans, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to grow in their faith, The Duck Commander Devotional will both entertain and inspire.

KATE The Future Queen BY KATIE NICHOLL

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Ever wonder how the life of Kate Middleton unravelled and became who she is today? Kate Middleton is a style icon, a powerful symbol of the new British Royal Family, a modern-day princess, and of course, the wife of one future King of England and the new mother of another. But despite the paparazzi that capture her every outfit and wave, surprisingly little is known about Kate herself. Who is this middle-class girl who captured the heart, first of Prince William, and then of her nation and the world? In Kate: The Future Queen, Katie Nicholl, Royal Editor for the Mail on Sunday and contributing editor for Vanity Fair, goes deep beyond the polished accent and impeccable wardrobe to reveal the complete true story of Kate Middleton for the very first time.

Best Selling author of William and Harry Behind the Palace Walls, gives never before heard stories and so much more!

From Royals Expert Katie Nicholl, The Most Intimate and Revealing Account Yet of the Beloved Future Queen of England

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Empty Mansions By Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.

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The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune

Though she owned three palatial homes in California, New York, and Connecticut, they sat vacant while she lived out her final two decades in a New York City hospital, despite being in excellent health. Along with Newell, a cousin of Huguette and one of the few relatives to have had frequent conversations with her, the authors make use of twenty thousand pages of Huguette’s personal and financial correspondence, transporting us into Huguette’s private world, revealing a touching story of a true eccentric, a last jewel of the Gilded Age who lived life on her own terms.

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The Clark family story encompasses the entire span of American history in just three generations, from a log cabin in Pennsylvania to mining camps in the Montana gold rush, from cross-country travel in private railroad cars of the  nineteenth-century to a police investigation in one of the largest apartments on Fifth Avenue in the twenty-first-century.

“Empty Mansions is at once an engrossing portrait of a forgotten American heiress and a fascinating meditation on the crosswinds of extreme wealth. Hugely entertaining and well researched, Empty Mansions is a fabulous read.” – AMANDA FOREMAN, author of A WORLD ON FIRE

Devoted By Rebecca Ascher-Walsh

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Scientists believe that we domesticated dogs some 14,000 years ago—which means we’ve been best friends for millennia. Our canine friends are our welcoming committees, confidants, shoulders to lean on, early morning running buddies and constant companions. If you’ve had a dog, you understand that many of us would do anything for our beloved pets but also that we benefit from the friendship as much as they do.

devotedSadly, each day in America more than 5,500 dogs are euthanized. DEVOTED features the incredible stories of 38 very special dogs and their owners, many of whom fell in love during the adoption process. These dogs went on to save the lives of their owners and others. Ascher-Walsh is hopeful these incredible stories will help more pets reach loving homes.

Each dog profiled has special gifts, like the ability to calm children who have experienced traumas or have disabilities, the foresight to drag their owners out of burning houses, and the power to sniff out cancers not detected by modern medicine. The furry cast of characters includes:

  • Cheyenne, an American Staffordshire Terrier. David E. Sharpe, an Air Force Veteran, was overwhelmed by his PTSD and nearly took his own life until his puppy Cheyenne helped him reconsider all that he had to live for. Sharpe created the organization Companions for Heroes which helps pair veterans with rescue dogs.
  • Ricochet, a Golden Retriever. Ricochet was supposed to be a service dog but failed to complete her training. Judy Fridano, who trains service animals, was frustrated with the petulant pup until she enrolled the dog in a surfing competition and discovered her special talent for riding waves. Ricochet now surfs with people with disabilities to help raise money for treatments.
  • Wilma, a Pitbull. Steve Sietos is a New York City Fireman who became an herbal healer to rescue dog Wilma who suffered from discomforts associated with cerebral palsy. Sietos has gone on to help countless other animals and friends with his herbal medicines.