"Lord!" he said, "when you sell a man a book you don't sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue--you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night--there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book I mean."--from Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

What have you been reading? In next month's newsletter, we'll publish our summer reading list made up of suggestions from all of you (and us). Click here to send us your recommended titles and authors for fun summer reading. If you'd like to add one-line descriptions, we'll include those, too.

What's New?

Check out the resources section. We're starting an exciting new partnership program with independent bookstores and are linking to local libraries. Also, if you're looking for a book group to join or a leader to get your group out of a rut, send in a BookMuse personal. From advance requests, this promises to be a well-read section!

You'll notice ovals in front of some of our titles throughout the site. To add breadth as well as depth to our book recommendations, we now have two kinds of adult Muse Notes: Mini and Plus. Minis give you a brief review of the book, as well as suggestions for reading and topics for discussion. Muse Notes Plus are the seven-part in-depth Notes we've had since the beginning. So we'll be adding Mini Muse Notes to the site every week, and Muse Notes Plus somewhat less frequently, so as to give our reviewers time to write these thorough and thoughtful Notes.

The revamped reader review forms make it easier to write your reviews. Gone are the required email addresses and unnecessary form questions, so that you can spend your time simply writing about the book.

The home page features Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, not at all as "dusty and outworn" as you might think--a great book group read--and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli should be required reading for all high school students and their parents. And everyone else, for that matter.

Coming Up

In the next month, you'll find Muse Notes Plus on Feast of Love by Charles Baxter, a Midwestern Midsummer Night's Dream, with love in all the wrong and some of the right places, and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison's first novel, The Bluest Eye.

Kids' Corner will feature Ursula LeGuin's sweet quartet of Catwings tales for younger readers and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, a compelling, heartening story for middle readers, set in Denmark during the Holocaust. We add new Kids' Muse Notes every week, so browse the full list by reading level or category often.

Book Group Tip

Most book groups meet at people's homes or in public places like bookstores and libraries. If you meet in people's homes, I suggest scheduling the place of your meetings well in advance. Someone always calls and cancels at the last minute, but at least most of the time people will stick to the schedule. I type up a schedule for the whole session, which runs from September through June and mail it out in August or pass it out at the September meeting. It includes the book names, authors, meeting dates, times and places. And make lots of copies, since people always lose them during the year! (This brings up another good idea, which is to take the summer months off. Then readers return refreshed and invigorated in the fall.)

Free Books

BookMuse will offer Muse Notes Plus on Walter Mosley's new mystery, Fearless Jones, in July--great summer reading--and our first mystery! The publisher, Time Warner Books, has offered to give away 20 or 30 free hardcovers or audio versions through the BookMuse site. So send us an email if you'd like to enter to win a free book. Drawing is June 5, 2001.

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Dear Muse:
A selection of the questions you've asked us this month.

Q--My book club is reading Edith Wharton's The House Of Mirth. I wonder if you could give me some information about Edith Wharton herself and some thoughts of what you think about the book itself. It was written so many years ago but is so timely. Also do you have any suggestions of questions I could discuss with the group? Thank you.

A--The BookMuse web site has LOTS of information on Edith Wharton and The House of Mirth. Go to www.bookmuse.com. Please click on "muse notes" in the left column of the home page for a list of all the Muse Notes we have available. Then click on The House of Mirth from that list. There is a menu at the top that tells you all the different sections available for that particular book. You'll find a printable list of excellent discussion questions on the book as well as an insightful commentary and plenty of author information.

Q--I'm working on a piece about the personality conflicts and social dynamics that go on in book groups. Wondering if you know of anyone who feels intimidated in their book group? Alienated by dominant personalities? etc. The piece is about the infighting and sniping that sometimes comes when people get together to talk about books. Thanks for your help--Chris Borrelli, reporter for the Toledo Blade.

A--I lead several book groups, but would rather not give you names of people who might feel intimidated by others in the group. In fact, part of my job is to make sure people don't feel that way!

Editor's Note--If you'd like to respond, please send your email to and we'll pass it on.