When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.
--Erasmus

Haven't found the perfect holiday presents yet? Give books! You can't go wrong using our featured books as a buying guide. See the tip section below for more recommended books for serious readers.



What's New?
Booker Prize winner Last Orders by Graham Swift and Mary Karr's memoir, Liars' Club, are the current home page features for adults. We can't rave enough about our kids' feature, Tibet Through the Red Box by Peter Sis, a beautifully illustrated, mysterious story for kids and adults.

Several of you have suggested, believe it or not, that we add to the site a way for our readers to donate to BookMuse, since all that you gain from the site is free. So... to send a donation you may now go to the About Us section of the site; for donated amounts over $50 we'll mail you a free book. We here at BookMuse thank you!

Sincere thanks to all of you who returned last month's survey. We're still collating the responses and will use them to help us determine BookMuse's direction for the near future. The free book drawing was December 14, and we'll notify the winners shortly.



Coming Up
One early gleaning from your survey responses is that the book group tips section in resources is a big hit. So we plan to expand it, adding more tips and including general guidelines for starting a book group. We welcome any other suggestions you have.

Another not so good piece of feedback was that many of you didn't know about the extensive information available in the resources section. We are constantly adding to the author's own section, plan to add more author interviews and expand the lists of literary prize winners. Check them out.

Later this month we'll be featuring Muse Notes on The Hours by Michael Cunningham, a Pulitzer-winning book that interweaves the stories of three women, one of whom is Virginia Woolf. Next comes The Night Inspector by Frederick Busch, set just after the Civil War in New York City and narrated by a disfigured veteran who schemes to meet Herman Melville. The plot unfolds with dark humor, violence and exquisite language. Great for discussion.

If the children in your life haven't read J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, now's the time--before they see the first film of the sequel, Lord of the Rings. It would be a wonderful read-aloud over the holidays, too. That way parents won't miss out, and you can discuss our suggested questions together. After The Hobbit we'll feature The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron, a story with substance for younger readers about a Guatamalan boy who deals with loneliness and poverty, as he finds his place in the world.



Book Group Tip by Kristine
Here are a few books that I regularly use in my job as a book group facilitator. Most are pricey, but well worth the investment, when reading is your obsession.

My favorite reference book is Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia. Forget when the Spanish American War was? Your book keeps referring to Ovid and you lost your Latin in 8th grade? Want a plot summary of Twelfth Night before you see the play? This book has almost everything.

The Bloomsbury Guide to Women's Literature, ed. Claire Buck, is just what it says it is.

Books of the Century: A Hundred Years of Authors, Ideas and Literature from The New York Times. This is less of a reference book than an enlightening look at what intelligent critics thought of books at the time they were published.

Who's Who in the Bible by Peter Calvocoressi. This beautifully illustrated, accessible book is for those of us who need help with all those Biblical names we come upon in our reading. You might be surprised at how many contemporary authors draw their characters' names from the Bible--and want you to know what they mean.



Dear Muse:
Q--I have been a librarian for decades but I have never, until three months ago, led a discussion group. What help can you give me? Our next book is The Red Tent.
A--The site does not have Muse Notes for The Red Tent, but you can still find help for leading discussions in our book group tips (click on resources in the left column of the home page, then go to book group tips). We will be adding significantly to this section in the next few weeks. Next time, choose a book we feature, particularly a Muse Notes Plus, and you'll find a tremendous amount of information.

Q--I was excited to read the interview on the Kids page with the mother/daughter book club. I am a mother of a 6 year old and wish to start a summer book club at his school. The school thinks it's a great idea but doesn't have any resources to offer. Are there any resources, "how to" books, ideas, activities, etc for parent-child book groups? I want ours to be successful and hope to expand and continue it. I have been to the local library and bookstore, and all I find is how-to books concerning ADULT bookclubs.
A--You are right that there does not seem to be much written on the subject. Please continue reading our newsletter (and refer to the book group tips page on the site), as we will probably feature more tips on leading discussions for kids. You can also consult the kids section of our website for help. Our suggestions for books and accompanying discussion questions can save you a lot of time in preparing for your book club.

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