Only a novel! . . . in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humor are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language. Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Summer is winding down, and we still have long, patient summer reading lists. The real finds so far have been Thomas Savage's The Power of the Dog, Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich (soon to be a BookMuse feature), Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (likewise), and Katherine Sturtevant's At the Sign of the Star (for younger readers), already a Kids' Muse Note.

The word on BookMuse is spreading. The site was mentioned in a recent Sunday San Francisco Chronicle, and the June 25 issue of Publishers Weekly ran a great article on the new BookMuse bookseller program.

What's New?

We've added several new bookstores to our resources and buy book sections, partly due to the laudatory Publishers Weekly article. See if your favorite independents are on the list and, if not, encourage them to join our program.

On the home page, you'll find Muse Notes Plus on Fearless Jones, the page-turning new detective novel by Walter Mosley, along with Gail's outstanding interview with the author. We also feature Muse Notes on Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres, coming soon to a theater near you, so read the book first! The current Kids' Muse Notes feature for young adults is Fahrenheit 451, the classic 1950s sci-fi novel by Ray Bradbury.

Coming Up

For the first time, we will feature Muse Notes on a nonfiction book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. Most nonfiction books do not lead to stimulating book discussions, but this is one of the exceptions. Give it a try. White Teeth by Zadie Smith comes next, a funny, messy, energetic story of multicultural present-day London.

Kids' Corner will feature Notes on the hot new fantasy by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, and The Nose from Jupiter by Richard Scrimger, the science-fiction story about a boy with an alien in his nose. Not to be missed!

Book Group Tip

Where do you find the names of books to consider reading?

• Whenever a fellow reader whose taste you trust recommends a book, jot it down. Word of mouth is THE best recommendation.
• The same goes for people you know in other book groups. Ask which books they've read that have been successful for discussion.
• Skim the Sunday New York Times Book Review (or your local paper's reviews), or assign one person in your group to do this. After a while you'll figure out how to read between the lines of the book reviews and discern which books your group would enjoy the most.
• Publishers' web sites often review books, though the recommendations are not always reliable. If you like Oprah's choices, pick those. Perhaps you want to read prize winners.
• Of course, we think you should save yourself a lot of trouble by coming to BookMuse for your reading ideas.

Q--Thank you so much for your excellent/interesting articles. I am a retired librarian who holds a weekly book club (ladies from 20's to 90's!) and would really like to see your previous newsletters. (I have just started with #4.) Is there a page where they are available? Thank you for letting me know. Dee C

A--At your (and others') request, we have added links to past BookMuse newsletters on the newsletter sign-up page.

Q--I wonder if you could help me find a review regarding the book Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I need to know about the author, the story itself, and some questions and answers for my book club. Thank you. Dorothy N

A--I suggest doing a search on the Internet for Margaret Atwood's name and/or the book title, and see what comes up. You might also check the New York Times Book Review online and see what their reviewer said about the book.