It's Tuesday which means it is Book New Release Day.  Here's just a few new books on the Amazon Hot New Releases list today. 

• #1 "MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom" by Tony Robbins
• #9 "Captivated By You" (A Crossfire Novel) by Sylvia Day
• #16 "The Escape" (A John Puller Novel) by David Baldacci (There is an 8-page preview on Goodreads.com)
• #18 "You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television" by Al Michaels
• #25 "The Mistletoe Promise" by Richard Paul Evans
• #28 "There Was a Little Girl: The Real Story of My Mother and Me" by Brooke Shields

Amy is one of our most recent new members.  Amy recently moved to this area and was recommended to us by another of our members Jeanette.  We are so pleased that Amy has chosen to join the Lit Chicks.

1. What book are you currently reading? - I'm currently reading this month's book and a terrible book called "My Sister's Grave" that I cannot finish but don't want to give up on. (haven't we all been there?)
   
2. Most memorable book from childhood? - "Lily of the Forest" and "The Lady With the Alligator Purse"
3. What are you favorite genres to read? - Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Fantasy
4. How do you read (i.e. library vs. purchase, electronic vs. physical book, audio)? - I have been reading on my Kindle a TON, but I also frequent the library
5. Where is your favorite place to read? - My bed; but in an ideal world, on a beach somewhere.
6. What book character would you most like to have dinner with? - the narrator from "What is What" by Dave Eggers or maybe Atticus Finch
7. What do you read for guilty pleasure? - Southern chick lit and murder mysteries
8. Favorite thing to drink while reading? - wine!
9. Favorite author? - Dave Eggers (except for his first book), Dorothy Allison, a ton of others
10. Favorite book club read? -Since I'm new to this group, I'll pick one of my old book club books -- "Silver Sparrow" by Tayari Jones

This week there are two movies opening in theaters based on books - both featuring directors who normally appear in front of the camera.

Opening Friday (11/14) on the Big Screen

•  "Homesman" - based on novel by Glendon Swarthout  
• Stars Tommy Lee Jones (who also wrote and directed the film), Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, and John Lithgow, Hailee Steinfield, and James Spader.  When homesteading the Nebraska heartland leads three women to suffer breakdowns, it's Mary Bee's job to bring them back East to safety and asylum.  Knowing the difficult task ahead, she recruits a man with a shady past, George Briggs, to help them along the way.
•  "Rosewater" - based on memoir by Maziar Bahari

• Stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Kim Bodnia, Haluk Bilginer, Golshifteh Farahani, and Clair Foy.  In John Stewart's directorial debut, an Iranian journalist, who has been living in London and working for Newsweek, goes back to his home country to cover their 2009 presidential elections.  When videotaping protests over election results, he is arrested by authorities and accused of being a spy.

This week there are quite a few books by popular authors on  Amazon's Hot New Releases list, including a former President, the king of horror, and the queen of crime.

• #2 - "41: A Portrait of My Father" by George W. Bush
• #3 - "Revival: A Novel" by Stephen King
• #5 - "The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year" by Andy Cohen
• #17 - "The Walking Dead, Vol. 22: A New Beginning" by Robert Kirkman (writer) and illustrators Stefan Gaudiano, Cliff Rathburn, and Dave Stewart
• #21 - "Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace" by Anne Lamott
• #29 - "Flesh and Blood" (a Kate Scarpetta novel) by Patricia Cornwell
• #33 - "The Wild Truth: The Untold Truth of Sibling Survival" by Carine McCandless
• #38 - "Unbroken: (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey From Airman to Castaway to Captive" by Laura Hillenbrand (this is a special version of her bestseller book that has been edited and simplified for younger readers: age 12 and up)

For December, we will be reading "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman.  According to Bookmovement.com (a popular website for book clubs), this book is among the top 5 popular books for book clubs at the moment.  

Amazon.com Description
The years-long New York Times bestseller soon to be a major motion picture from Spielberg’s Dreamworks that is “irresistible…seductive…with a high concept plot that keeps you riveted from the first page” (O, The Oprah Magazine).

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

The second Lit Chick member we are highlighting is Lorene.  Lorene has been with the club for a little bit over 2 years and is known for being a connoisseur of audiobooks, as well as being an excellent pet sitter.  We asked our members 10 book related questions, here are the responses from Lorene:

1. What book are you currently reading? - "Naked" by David Sedaris (reading) and "SuperFreakonomics" (listening)
   
2. Most memorable book from childhood? - "Are You My Mother?" or "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" (really silly but they were books from my mom's childhood library)
3. What are you favorite genres to read? - Fiction and Humor
4. How do you read (i.e. library vs. purchase, electronic vs. physical book, audio)? - I prefer hardbacks, but I am really cheap so I get my books from the library.  I listen to books on tape on the Overdrive Media App on my phone.  I listen to books when I'm driving, walking for exercise, cleaning, and sometimes when I'm grocery shopping - it makes that time seem more productive.
5. Where is your favorite place to read? - I like to read outside, but don't have a practical place to do so, so I normally read in my bed.
6. What book character would you most like to have dinner with? - Chelsea Handler, Jennifer Lancaster, or Jenny Lawson (who are all real people)
7. What do you read for guilty pleasure? - I like to change it up with Chick Lit (like Emily Giffin) and murder mystery books (like Kathy Reichs, James Patterson, or Patricia Cornwell)
8. Favorite thing to drink while reading? - I always think "Hey, I should be drinking wine," but then I usually fall asleep (which from my history of ruining library books is not surprising)
9. Favorite author? - Cheryl Strayed and James Patterson

1. Favorite book club read? - "Let's Pretend This Never Happened", "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness", and "Glitter & Glue"

This weekend there does not appear to be any new releases based on books; however, you may still be able to check out these previously-released movies based on literary material:

• Addicted 
  
• Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
• Before I Go To Sleep
• The Best of Me
• The Equalizer 
• Gone Girl
• The Mazerunner

Despite the lack of new books on screen, there is some screen news this week that you may be interested in:

• Netflix announced that is bringing back Uncle Olaf and the Baudelaire children in a Netflix exclusive live action series of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events".  The first book was brought to the big screen back in 2004 and included acting heavy weights Jim Carrey, Meryl Strepp, Jude Law, and Catherine O'Hara as well as a relatively unknown actress at the time - Emily Browning.  Speculation of who will be cast in this new version has already begun.
• Today Warner Brothers released the official full trailer for the last movie in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
• As the release date for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 approaches (November 21st), news for the series is heating up.  Here is a round-up:
  
• Within the last week, Lionsgate released the both the last trailer (subtitled "Burn") and the first official clip of the movie.
• Today the Lionsgate announced that a live-stage version of the Hunger Games will be coming.   The show is being billed as a "live theatrical experience" and will be premiering in a state-of-the-art theater built specifically for it next to Wembley Stadium in London.  No word if the show will be brought to the United States.
• You can know check out the video for "Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde, the first release from the Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack.  The soundtrack, which Lorde helped curate, is currently available for pre-order and will be released on November 17th.
• Finally in local news, Northern Virginia residents now have one more option when it comes to choosing a movie theater.  The Regal Springfield Town Center 12 theater has finally opened.   The theater features luxury reclining seats, wide space between aisle, the latest digital projection technology, and reserve seating.  Lit Chick member Lorene has already been to the theater and reported that it's her new favorite theater. 

Today's Throwback Thursday takes us to the very recent past: yesterday.  Yesterday was the first Wednesday of the month which meant that it was book club night.  Our November book "Glitter and Glue" by Kelly Corrigan, nominated by our member Alison.  

In the middle of "Glitter and Glue" Corrigan recalls a lecture in college where her professor explained a theory: "More often than not, it's the readers - not the writers - who determine what a book means.  The idea is that readers don't come blank to books.  Consciously and not, we bring all the biases that come with our nationality, gender, race, class, age.  Then you layer onto that the status of our health, employment, relationships, not to mention our particular relationship to each book - who gave it to us, where we read it, what books we've already read." (page 145 of Kindle version)   This theory was very evident in our discussion last night, as we all reacted to the book by looking at our relationships with our own parents, as well as our status as parents, parents-to-be, or non-parents.  

One of the most discussed questions was did parents have to choose between being the glitter or the glue; could parents be both or neither.  It seemed like we all had our own different opinions that we based on our own experiences.  It was truly an interesting discussion, and by the end of the meeting member Julia summed it up perfectly by saying, "Now I really wish I could meet everyone's parents."

Overall the club liked the book.  On the goodreads 5 star scale, the book got mostly 4's and 5's.  Emily described it as "both a love letter to your mother and your children".  The one thing we all did agree on is that it will get you thinking about your mother.


Club News:
November marked the 2 year anniversary for members Alison and Jeanette.  On a sad note, this was the last meeting for members Stephanie and Debra.  We wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors.

The big news was that November marks the 10th Anniversary of the NoVA Lit Chicks.  While none of our members today were at that first meeting, we continue to carry on the tradition of sharing literature and friendship.   To all Lit Chicks past and present, thank you for helping to make the club what it is today, and here's to another 10 years of reading together.

A lot of the books on Amazon's Hot New Releases list came out in October, but here are some of the today's new releases that made the list:

• #7 - "The Burning Room" (a Harry Bosch book) by Michael Connelly
  
• #13 - "Stonewalled: One Reporter's Fight for Truth in Obama's Washington" by Sharyl Attkisson
• #17 - "Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation" by Bill Nye
• #26 - "Prune" (a cookbook) by Gabrielle Hamilton
  
• #38 - "True Love" by Jennifer Lopez
• #39 - "Let Me Be Frank With You" (a Frank Bascombe book) by Richard Ford

A book club is not just about books, it's also about its members.  Over our 10 year history, the Lit Chicks have been fortunate to count many awesome NoVA women on its roster. We're starting a feature here on the Lit Chicks Blog called, "Get to Know Us" where you can get to know the current members of the NoVA Lit Chicks.  

The first member we are highlighting is Sara.  Sara has been with the club for 7 years and has a rep of being one of our toughest book critics.   We asked our members 10 book related questions, here are the responses from Sara:

1. What book are you currently reading? - This month's book :)  ["Glitter and Glue"]
   
2. Most memorable book from childhood? - "The Seventh Princess" 
3. What are you favorite genres to read? - Contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and decent Young Adult.
4. How do you read (i.e. library vs. purchase, electronic vs. physical book, audio)? - As long as it ISN'T an audio book I'm not picky.
5. Where is your favorite place to read? - The beach, although I can read just about anywhere!
6. What book character would you most like to have dinner with? - No idea.  For awhile I would have said Jonas from "The Giver" just so I know what happened, but now that we have the 4th book it isn't necessary.
7. What do you read for guilty pleasure? - Chick lit
8. Favorite thing to drink while reading? - Wine! But that's my favorite thing to drink regardless of the activity.  Maybe tea if it's winter.
9. Favorite author? - Don't have one.  There are some authors who have more than one book that I've liked, but in general authors don't tend to impress me long term.  After a good book or two things tend to go downhill.
10. Favorite book club read? - I think it would be cheating to pick one of my books ("Those Who Save Us", "Jesus Land").  It also probably doesn't count if I had already read and loved the book before it became a book club selection ("Moloka'i", "Middlesex", "House of Spirits").  In that case I'll go with "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" or "Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir"