New England area writers

Knowing about local authors and buying their books will support the writing community near home and may also give you an advantage in finding someone to visit or Skype with your club.
A local independent bookstore is also likely to know who is writing excellent books within your community. Another way to find them is to look for readings at area writing collaboratives, libraries and organizations that spotlight writers in a literary series like the Jewish Community Center series in Worcester. Many regional authors have been profiled or mentioned in this column; a short listing may give your group its next read. (Not all are available for visits or Skype events.)
Ali Hosseini of Hudson, author of “The Lemon Grove” and “The Place of Stones,” beautifully depicts the Iranian culture of his youth and the conflicts in modern Iran that changed what was an idyllic life for its people to one of suffering amid war and loss of their livelihoods. It’s published by Northwestern University Press; his webpage is www.alihosseini.com.
Ursula Wong of Chelmsford, whose fictional series on the Lithuanian resistance to Soviet occupation after World War II began with “Amber Wolf” and continued with “Amber War” and “Amber Widow,” is also the author of short stories and the novel, “Purple Trees.” She is at work on “Black Amber,” about a Boston man who plots to stop Russian plans for a gas line under the Baltic Sea. She will sign books in Putnam, Connecticut, during the July 21 Lithuanian Summer Festival there. Contact urslwng@gmail.com.
Mary Bonina, who grew up in Worcester, became a sought-after teacher of memoir writing after writing her own, “My Father’s Eyes: A Memoir.” A Cambridge resident, Bonina gives readings at libraries and literary events. Contact her at http://www.marybonina.com.
Poet and songwriter Rich Marcello of Harvard has written several novels including “The Color of Home,” “The Big Wide Calm” and “The Beauty of the Fall.” He teaches creative writing through Seven Bridge Writers Collaborative in Lancaster and is writing “The Latecomers,” his fourth novel. Contact him at www.richmarcello.com/contact.
Joe W. Bebo of Hudson recently released “Alex - A Lesson in Courage,” the story of a special needs boy surrounded by many people who cared enough to make his life better. Other self-published books include historical fiction, sci-fi and horror. See more on Facebook. To contact, joewbebobooks@gmail.com.
Frances Brown of Webster writes paranormal romance, women’s fiction and contemporary romance under the pseudonym Claire Gem. If that’s your thing, her books include the newest, “Electricity,” from her Haunted Voices series. Learn more at https://clairegem.com. She’ll read from and sign copies of “Electricity” from 1 to 3 p.m. July 20 in Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main St., Webster. This is Gem’s seventh novel, set on the grounds of a former Massachusetts mental asylum.
Steven E. Huff of Worcester wrote two humorous (and helpful) books based on the “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” TV series. His books are “Don’t Go to Jail!: Saul Goodman’s Guide to Keeping the Cuffs Off” and a follow-up book, “Get Off the Grid! Saul Goodman’s Guide to Staying Off the Radar.” An expert on crime nitty-gritty, he’s appeared on NBC’s “Dateline,” CBS’s “48 Hours Mystery” and MSNBC. Deputy digital editor for Maxim magazine, he writes for various online outlets and founded the first true-crime blog, True Crime Report. He also sings opera! More info at facebook.com/stevehuff.
R.A. Salvatore is an internationally recognized writer of fantasy series. He lives most of the year in California now, working, but is a Leominster resident who began his writing career there. Books include the latest Drizzt novel, “Boundless;” the Forgotten Realms series of trilogies and books; the Demon Wars and Dark Elf series; and “Star Wars: The New Jedi Order.”
Worcester native Thomas Christopher Greene has written a half-dozen books, including “The Headmaster’s Wife” and “The Perfect Liar” (2019). They’re clever and inventive. He lives in Vermont, where he founded the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. Thomaschristophergreene.com.

Authors, book talks dominate Fall '17

Worcester's top annual literary event will be held Oct. 26, with five guest authors at a dinner benefiting the Worcester Public Library.

A Celebration of Authors 2017's moderator Joe Cox, president of the EcoTarium, will present speakers at the 5:30- 9 p.m. event in the White Room at Crompton Collective, 138 Green St.

Guests will be celebrated authors Andre Dubus III, John Dufresne, Margot Livesey, Elizabeth Searle and Annie Weatherwax.

Dubus, author of "House of Sand and Fog," "The Garden of Last Days," "Dirty Love" and the memoir, "Townie," teaches fiction at UMass Lowell. His New York Times best sellers have won numerous literary awards. "House of Sand and Fog" became an Academy Award-nominated film starring Ben Kingsley. Dubus grew up in mill towns along the Merrimack; his books are published in more than 25 languages.

Dufresne has written two short story collections, "The Way that Water Enters Stone" and "Johnny Too Bad," and the novels "Louisiana Power & Light" and "Love Warps the Mind a Little," both New York Times Notable Books, along with "Deep in the Shade of Paradise," "Requiem, Mass.," "No Regrets, Coyote" and "I Don't Like Where This is Going." He has written two books on writing fiction. His stories have twice been named Best American Mystery Stories.

Margot Livesey wrote a collection of stories and eight novels, including "Eva Moves the Furniture" and "The Flight of Gemma Hardy." A native of Scotland, she lives in Cambridge and is on the faculty of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. A novel, "Mercury," was published in September 2016. This past summer, Tin House published her "The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing."
Elizabeth Searle has written five novels, most recently, "We Got Him," involving the Boston Marathon bombing manhunt. Previous books include "Girl Held in Home," "A Four-Sided Bed" (being developed as a feature film), "Celebrities in Disgrace," which became a short film, and "My Body to You." A stage work, "Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera," has been produced in Boston and other major cities. Her writing has been published in over a dozen anthologies.

Annie Weatherwax, winner of the Robert Olen Butler Prize for Fiction, has published stories in The Sun Magazine, The Southern Review and elsewhere. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, she previously sculpted superheroes and cartoon characters for Nickelodeon, DC Comics and Pixar. She has written about the link between visual art and language for publications such as Publishers Weekly, The New York Times and Ploughshares. Her debut novel, "All We Had" (later a motion picture), was published by Scribner and was a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award.

Cost of the benefit event is $100. Register on the library website, www.mywpi.org.

***

Book festivals in Concord and Boston:

The Boston book Festival is Oct. 28 at sites surrounding Copley Square; most events are free. Dozens of authors and literary personalities appear in panels, talks and workshops (there's also a daylong event for teen readers featuring Lemony Snicket and Jennifer De Leon). Participants include Claire Messud, Celeste Ng, Ha Jin, Dennis Lehane, Brunonia Barry, Geraldine Brooks, Garnette Cadogan, Tom Ashbrook, Maureen Dowd, Chris Van Dusen, Regie Gibson, Daniel Jose Older and dozens more. Details are at https://bostonbookfest.org.

Concord's Festival of Authors takes place over 17 days, mid-October into November, with talks, readings and discussions featuring Ann Hood, Gish Jen and Margot Livesey, and topics including a "Lecture for Young Readers," "Master Class for Writers," "The Story of the NFL," Memoirists on Writing the Hard Stories," a Mystery Night, and "Breakfast with the Authors." For times and details, check online at www.concordfestivalofauthors.com.

Area book groups:

Worcester Public Library has launched a new book club—the Popular Reads Café—for readers fond of popular books. Anyone is welcome to drop by at 3 p.m., Oct. 10 and Nov. 14, in the Banx Room, for discussion of popular nonfiction and fiction. Local authors are being invited in, and discussion includes news of the latest books from favorite authors. It's free, and Friends of the Library provides refreshments.

Merriam-Gilbert Public Library in W. Brookfield will hold a book group discussion of Michael Ondaatje's "The Cat's Tale," at 7 p.m., Oct. 10.

The Intrepid Readers Book Group at Douglas Library will discuss Michael Tougias’ "The Blizzard of ‘78" on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. New England was knocked to its knees by the February storm—often referred to regionally as the worst storm of the century. Tougias' history includes photographs and chronicles the storm's progression from Cape Cod to Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. It explains how people survived the storm by spending more than 48 hours in their cars, and how coastal homes were torn from their foundations and smashed to smithereens by the vicious surf. Call the Library 508-476-2695 for a copy of the book. New members welcome.

Contemporary book Club will meet at Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Street, Worcester, at 6 p.m. Oct. 18, to discuss David McCullough's historical account of aviation pioneers, "The Wright Brothers."

O'Connor's Books, Brews & Banter will meet at 6:30 p.m., Oct 25, to discuss "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande. Meeting is at the restaurant, 1160 West Boylston St., Worcester.

Lancaster's Thayer Public Library Adult Book Group will meet at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 31, to discuss "His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the case of Roderick Macrae," a novel.

In Grafton, the Daytimers Book Club will meet at 1:30, Oct. 17, to discuss "The Seventh Plague" by James Rollins. The Mystery Book Club meets at 7:30, Oct. 17, to discuss "Ghost Times Two" by Carolyn Hart.

Correction: The Silent Book Club chapter in Portland, Maine, mentioned in March, is not affiliated with Longfellow Books.

Send club selections and other comments to ann.frantz@gmail.com.

Self-published books a mixed bag, but don't count them out!

Books by self-published authors are a mixed bag, and members will have to sort out their thinking as to what kind of books they want to read, and how perfectly edited they are. You could find a diamond in the rough … or not. Writers at every level are self-producing books.

As e-publishing gains strength—and I think it has—editors and formatters are joining the mix, offering their services to individuals who really want what they write to be at its best. I welcome that from the bottom of my iddy biddy pinch-y editor's heart.

A caution: There's a big difference between an individual self-publishing, and books produced by small, independent publishers or groups that self-publish their members' work. "Indies" are usually professional, well executed and edited.

No, we're talking lone rangers here. And here's the rub: I generally find them under-edited and over-written. Too little fix-finding and too much detail, repetition, confusing points of view and wandering prose. Poorly laid out too, which gives off a stench of amateur publishing.

But if you find a book you believe your group might like, or even if you'd just love to have a local self-published author show up at your book club meeting and talk about what he or she is doing and how, consider these points:

* Is the story good? Does it keep your interest, feed you ideas, leave you feeling changed or enlightened? Is it unique, such as an account of something only that particular writer could tell? More importantly, is it something the group would enjoy discussing?

* Does the writer or the lead character have a strong, interesting voice?

* Is it a satisfying read? Can you get through it without distracting errors that make you wish for a red pencil? Does it flow? Does it stick to the main characters and not veer off in different directions?

* Is it supported by any organization or institution that adds legitimacy to the author's effort? Read the copyright page carefully. Is there an editor on board? Check the author's website, if there is one, to see what else the author has written.

* Google the book title to see if you can find reviews. There are customer reviews for many books at goodreads.com and amazon.com. It's a good idea to read these.

* Typos—a moniker for print errors—are annoying. Outright errors of fact or knowledge make me doubt an author. Regardless, I look for a quality story peeking from beneath the clouds of confusion. If it's there, I might finish the book.

There's a world of possibilities. After all, Mark Twain did it on his own, though he was an accomplished newspaper columnist. Consider—not everyone gets the editing treatment a star writer might receive. I've read quite a few independent authors, and some are pretty good. Moreover, most of them—after paying an editor and finding a publisher—struggle to get their book out there, so your club's interest would be a boost to them.

Dave Eggers, whose McSweeney's magazine/publishing house has created beautiful new ways to publish, chose self-publishing recently. After his awarded traditionally published books, "Zeitoun" and "A Heart-Breaking Work of Staggering Genius," he chose to self-publish "A Hologram for the King." Others are realizing there's more money to be made if they can get the public to buy their book without having to go through the traditional agent-editor-publisher grind. But Eggers is in a class of his own: award-winning, himself an editor/writer, he already has a readership audience.

It's a busy world, and few have the desire to read a book that's not ready for prime time and never will be. So do your homework, and hope to find a winning book.

***

Oprah's newest book choice:

Oprah Winfrey, maven of perhaps the nation's most famous book club, has picked a new one for summer: "Behold the Dreamers" by Imbolo Mbue.

Oprah's description: "It's got everything that's grabbing the headlines in America right now. It's about race and class, the economy, culture, immigration and the danger of the us-versus-them mentality." All of that wraps around a story of family love and the pursuit of happiness.

I like Oprah's instincts. She seeks out quality writing and themes, plus a good story. Even better, "Behold the Dreamers" is available in paperback and as an e-book.

From beach reads to fall club selections

Toss out those dogeared, water-stained beach reads. It's time to reconnect and talk of ... well, summer beach reads, among other things. No better way to get your head moving again than to share sips, treats and book talk. Doubtless some July and August choices will become selections for the reading year. My own recommendations to the Off-Track Bookies will be Colum McCann's "This Side of Brightness" and "The Orchardist" by Amanda Coplin.

To help "sell" your suggestion, bring along a copy of the book and print out a little information about it; you won't have much time to push your choice, so make it count. If you are really strong on a book, you might consider e-mailing information to group members a few days before the meeting.

Large groups are more tricky; many have a lead person on the process, like the librarian or group leader. Send your recommendation to them; it helps.

Not all groups choose a whole season at once. Ours breaks it up into increments, and some groups go month to month, allowing for flexibility as well as keeping up with books new to the market.   

If you are new to the idea and want to find out if a book club is right for you, start at the library, where you can get the book readily and there's a librarian there to guide the discussion.

Alternatively, if you think you'd like to start a group, contact friends (or coworkers you can stand) and invite them. You can also seek out people interested in a special writer or topic (you may have to list the group on www.meetup.com or at special interest meeting places—colleges, coffee shops, newsletters—to find similar souls). Then, dig up books about or by that author/topic. You can also post your prospective group on library bulletin boards, among your Facebook friends or in a community listing with the local newspaper and town website. Meetup.com is another handy place to find like-minded readers.

Meet at a book store, library or restaurant for starters, until the group sorts itself out. After that, consider home meetings if that's a group preference. Do NOT take advantage of a bookstore or coffee house without buying a little something from them. It's thoughtless and cheap.

To keep your new group going, set up ground rules for smoother meetings: no crosstalk or talking over others, no dominating the conversation; give everyone a chance to speak; try not to repeat what others have said, and stay on topic. Finally, respect other people's opinions. Failing to do these things will lose you members.

Wanted: By the way, if you would be so kind as to share your season's picks with us, I'd love to list them in a "what we're reading for 2014-15" column. E-mail me to the address at the bottom of the column.

This is also a GREAT time to update your meeting info and contacts for "Read It and Reap," as I often reach out to group members for feedback on issues related to book groups and reading. Again, e-mail me as below!

Correction: I erred in a mention of the Speaking Volumes book group last month. The group does not broadcast on WICM 90.5; it uses the sub-carrier of WICN's signal to broadcast. Listeners can catch broadcasts on special radios supplied by the group or on Public Access TV in many towns throughout Worcester County (channel 12 in Worcester). Others may want to listen through the group's website, www.audiojournal.net.

Upcoming meetings:

The C.S. Lewis Society promotes exploration of ideas from science, the arts, culture, and everyday life as they intersect with what C.S. Lewis famously dubbed “mere Christianity.” Its objective is to facilitate engaging discussion and reflection of topics of enduring value for Christians and non-Christians alike. All are welcome. To learn more, visit www.lewisma.org. Steven Barrett will facilitate the 9:15 a.m. session Saturday, Sept. 13 on the first half of "Miracles" in Auburn Public Library, 369 Southbridge St. A second meeting, on the second half, is on Sept. 27, same time.

Meanwhile, Auburn Public Library's Evening Book Discussion Group will consider "The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11.

Levi Heywood Memorial Library in Gardner will host its next book group meeting at 4:30 p.m., Sept. 24. Topic is "The Orchardist" by Amanda Coplin, a beautifully written novel about losses and unconditional love in a family created by hardship and need. New members are welcome; for details, call Ann Young at 978 632 7638

Several events happen in September at Leominster Public Library. The Brown Bag Book Discussion group will discuss Kristin Hannah's "Winter Garden," noon to 1 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 4, in the meeting room. Readers may drop by; contact the library to borrow a copy of the book. At 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 28, author Stephen Puleo will speak about his book, "The Caning: The Assault that Drove American to Civil War." Puleo wrote about a congressman's attack on Sen. Charles Sumner—an incident that dissolved any pretense of civility between the South and the North on the slavery debate. The session is free; no pre-registration needed. Lastly, the Evening Book Group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Sept. 29, to discuss Geraldine Brooks' "March," which follows the absent father in Louisa Mae Alcott's "Little Women" as he leaves his family to join the Union cause. Chris Cormier Hayes will lead that discussion. Request a copy of the book at the library's reference desk or online through the library's catalogue. For info, contact Edward Bergman at ebergman@cwmars.org.

The Douglas Library Book Group will consider Ray Raphael's "The First Amendment Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord" at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9. In the years before the Battle of Lexington and Concord, local people took control over their own destinies, overturning British authority and declaring themselves free from colonial oppression, with acts of rebellion that long predated the Boston Tea Party. In rural towns such as Worcester, democracy set down roots well before the Boston patriots made their moves in the fight for independence. Call the library 508-476-2695 for a copy of the book. New members welcome. Refreshments inspired by the title will be served.

The Women's Issues Book Club in Worcester has selected "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent for its Sept. 8 topic. The author, a tenth-generation descendant of Martha Carrier (who was hanged as a witch in Salem in 1692), personalizes the witchcraft trials in a fictional account.

In West Brookfield, members of the Merriam-Gilbert Public Library book group will discuss “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro. Meeting is at 4 p.m., Sept. 25. Call (508) 867-1410 for more information.

Northborough Free Library's Monday Evening Book Group has slated "Death Comes to Pemberley" by P.D. James on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. The Friday Morning Book Group meets at 10 a.m., Sept. 12, to discuss "The Education of Henry Adams," by Henry Adams. This self-described "eclectic book group" considers contemporary fiction, nonfiction and classic fiction. Members also serve tea and the occasional dessert. The group selects books at the November meeting. "We vote and compile a list of 12 books to be read for the ensuing year—four in each genre," said Marie E. Nieber, facilitator. "Books scheduled to be read for the upcoming month are on hand at the library a month ahead of time." 

A flub leads to book suggestions

The inspiration for this column came from clubs—and a flub.

The first is obvious: there are some interesting area groups that haven’t been mentioned, and should be. Because they may interest readers, I present them here.

The “flub” relates to a March 25 column which briefly mentioned a nonfiction book, “The Man Who Loved Books Too Much,” about a rare books thief. Unfortunately, the “thief” I named was Ken Sanders, instead a rare books dealer and former security chairman for the Antiquarian Booksellers Assn. of America—who actually helped apprehend the thief. Ah, dear. I put the mea in culpa, and couldn’t say “sorry” fast enough. I also asked Sanders, who says he’s had more than one chuckle about the mistake, to share some selections T&G area clubs might want to consider. His tips follow the club info.

The Spiritual Book Club meets in Westborough at Tatnuck Book Store, 18 Lyman St. Members are invited to meet beforehand for dinner, at 5 p.m. in the Tatnuck Café. They discuss their book from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. in the events room. Members consider life-changing books that help readers gain insight on themselves, their relationships, and their spirituality. Members read one or more chapters during the meeting, then share insights and perspectives, eliminating the need to read at home. New members, both male and female, are invited, member Jacki Rose says. There are already some male members.

The group has begun Joel Osteen’s “Your Best Life Now,” with remaining discussions slated for Tuesdays, May 29, June 5 and 12, and again on Mondays, June 18 and 25. Next, the group will begin Lynne Robinson’s book on intuition, “Listen.”

***

Leominster’s Reading, Sharing and Laughing meets at Chaibo, a Fitchburg coffee house. Toni Morrison’s writings will be the topic for the group’s 7 p.m., June 27 meeting. For specifics (or to join), contact Heather Munkacsy at: http://www.meetup.com/Reading-Sharing-and-Laughing.

Members meet the last Wednesday of the month, “except when we do field trips or movie night,” Munkacsy said. “We once read “Dark Tide,” about the molasses flood in Boston's North End. We took a tour of the North End, discussing the book while eating yummy Italian food at a North End restaurant.” They plan to read “Little Women” and tour the Alcott House in Concord, followed by discussion at a Concord café.

“We watched Eat, Pray Love at a member's house a few months after reading the book,” she said. “Attendees brought Italian, Indonesian or Indian food. We've also gone to see Water for Elephants and The Help, which we read prior to watching the movies.”

Summer reading is often light or funny in nature. An earlier read: ‘My Fair Lazy’ by Jen Lancaster (a funny account of escaping reality TV addiction).

***

Northborough Metaphysical Book Club, formed last month, focuses on personal growth, spiritual beliefs and teachings. The group is reading Deepak Chopra’s “Seven Spiritual Laws of Success,” with a meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 5, in the Northborough Free Library, 34 Main St. For details, call the library, 508-393-5025, or contact organizer Harry Kroner at www.meetup.com.

***

 And now, Ken Sanders’ list: “Here are just a few observations on books I've read the past few years that have stuck with me,” he writes. “No particular theme, or order; fiction and non-fiction intertwined. As I'm in the rare and used book business, I often don't stumble across an author or actually read a particular book until long after its pub (publication) date. In some instances, decades!”

Wendell Berry. “Kentucky poet farmer, essayist and novelist, Wendell Berry writes extremely well in any genre and is one of our most important authors.” He suggests: “Nathan Coulter,” “Hannah Coulter” (novels), “The Unsettling of America,” “The Gift of Good Land” (essays) and “The Mad Farmer Poems” and “Leavings” (poetry).

Charles Bowden. “Blood Orchid: An Unnatural History of America.” Blood Orchid is first in a trilogy as “original and hard-hitting examinations of America and Americans. Not for the faint of  heart.” Other titles include “Blues for Cannibals” and “Some of the Dead Are Still Breathing.” Sanders describes Bowden, a former Tucson-based journalist, as “the most fearless literary voice in America today.” He also suggests: “Killing the Hidden Waters,” “Red Line,” “Desierto,” and “Dreamland: The Way Out of Juarez.”

Peter Bowman. “Blood Red, the first anti-war novel published after the war in November of 1945. A prose poem really, this novel is written in two-page pairings, ending with an aphorism, and with each stanza intending to represent one minute in real time in a Pacific beach invasion during the war.” This book, he says, “makes Norman Mailer's ‘The Naked and the Dead’ read like a children's fairy tale. Despite being a Book of the Month Club main selection, the book has not been reprinted to date, and never appeared in paperback.” He calls it “a book ahead of its time.”

Scott Carrier. “Running After Antelope” and “A Prisoner of Zion.” Sanders says: “Quirky sometime-NPR  journalist (This American Life, The Friendly Man), has only published two slender volumes of stories, but they're worth seeking out. (He) has a voice and a viewpoint unlike any other in radio.”

Michael Chabon. “The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay.” “Although a Pulitzer prize-winning novel, Chabon's fictional account of the birth of the comic book industry in America, and the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1930s and ’40s may well be the best history yet written on that subject.”

Carlos Ruiz Zafón. “The Shadow of the Wind.” A Barcelona-set biblio-mystery involving a ‘forgotten’ library and an even more obscure author and his forgotten novels. Old world, romantic, mysterious, brooding and intriguing.”

What’ is your group going to read next season? Share your choices by contacting me at ann.frantz@gmail.com.

This column, about  Central Massachusetts book clubs and books, is published the last Sunday of each month in the Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Mass. Clubs are welcome to comment or ask questions here or to ann.frantz@gmail.com.