Fiction Reading on the Rise: Good news

At last there's some good news. The National Endowment for the Arts Report Found Fiction Reading on the Rise. Yahoo! Of course, if you read ONE book a year that counts as reading. But reading is reading, and hopefully this study and the attention it's getting will send some kind of message to publishers. Hope springs eternal.

On the subject of reading, Mystery Readers International and Mystery Fanfare has a listing of mystery reading groups all over the world. Check to see if your group is listed, and if not, let me know, and I'll add it. Authors enjoy talking to book clubs, and I know many use our listing to let groups know when they'll be in their area. Send name, contact, location, and time.

Book Clubs

Several authors offer their services to bookclubs. They ask to visit, offer books, suggest conference calls. Most book groups like this, but I've had notes from a few who feel they're being bombarded by authors. My feeling is that this should be the worst of their troubles. One can always say no. Some of the authors can be intense with their marketing methods, but I find that most are pretty lowkey.

N. M Kelby has a few contests and book club offers that came across my email yesterday, and I thought I'd share it will you.
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I'd like to make an offer to the membership, if I can. I would like to give each book club one copy of MURDER AT THE BAD GIRL'S BAR AND GRILL. The first 20 clubs to e-mail me at nmkelby@yahoo.com will receive a book.

If the book is chosen for the club, I have a special gift pack I send out. I am also available to speak to the group via phone.

www.nmkelby.com/www.nmkelby.com/Book_Club_Offer.html

There's also a contest. I'm giving away $100 gift certificate for the bookstore of your choice. Here's the link.
www.nmkelby.com/www.nmkelby.com/Contest!.html

Don't forget to check out the Mystery Readers International list of Mystery Book Clubs/Reading Groups. Send your group, location, meeting times, contact emails and phone numbers, what you're reading and anything else relevant. See the MRI, NorCal chapter, Fall reading list in this blog.

Tuesday Mystery Readers Group List of Books

Mystery Readers International's East Bay mystery group has been meeting for over 35 years. Hard to believe! We meet every Tuesday night at my home in Berkeley. Sometimes we have a group of books with a theme (Music mysteries, Italian Mysteries, food mysteries, award winners), and sometimes we read just recent good books.

For the Fall group, I've put together a group of well written books that because of an ongoing theme that some will find disturbing will make for good discussion. Interesting that so many news mysteries have the same theme. I've tried to break up that theme with a variety of lighter or different themed books.

September 9 Ariana Franklin's The Mistress of the Art of Death
September 23 Tana French's In the Woods
September 30 Sally Wright's Pursuit and Persuasion
October 7 Jennifer McMahon's Island of Lost Girls
October 14 Laura Lippman's What the Dead Knows
October 21 Martin Suter's A Deal with the Devil
October 28 Lisa Lutz' The Spellman files
November 4 John Hart's The King of Lies
November 11 Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness

Group is open to everyone. Let me know if you'd like to join us.