Edited to add: If you didn’t get your question answered or have follow-up questions, Kelly has started a thread on her own blog so she can answer those questions for you!

Hi, Readers!

Tonight I’m excited and privileged to welcome Kelly O’Connor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, to our Reading Series discussion. She will be here “live” participating in our discussion and answering questions at 6 pm PST (9 pm EST) in the comments section of this post.

The conversation got going in this post, where I posed some discussion questions for everyone and asked for questions for Kelly.

I’ve been gathering your questions for Kelly and, of course, would welcome more. Here’s what we have so far.

Pat from Mille Fiori Favoriti asks:

I am curious as to why Kelly weaves the thread of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves Of Grass” throughout her novel from time to time?  Was there meant to be any special innuendo or reason behind that other than literary reference?

Also, was the loss that summer of  Louisa’s sister Anna’s almost fiancee fictional, or did that really happen?

Did both sisters actually leave the Alcott family at the end of that summer and go off to different places?

Susan Gregg Gilmore, author of Looking For Salvation at the Dairy Queen, asks:

I immediately fell into step with the March sisters.  And even though these women have been in our collective memories for generations now, this story felt wonderfully modern and contemporary.  When you read Little Women as a young girl, Kelly (which I’m assuming you must have done!), did you feel somehow dissatisfied with their story or did you just need more?  Specifically, when did you begin to question what life for the Alcott women must have really been like?  And is Jo’s struggle to find her place in the world one that is familiar to you?

I thought Bronson and Emerson’s exchange in the beginning of the book was beautifully done.  That one conversation shed so much light on the visionary (but far from practical man) that Bronson was and what it must have been like to have lived with him.   What do you personally think of the man and his affect on Louisa as a grown woman — I guess what I’m wondering, at the risk of sounding like Dr. Phil, is if his inability to provide some of the most basic needs for his wife and daughters in some way left the albeit very independent Louisa wary of entering into a lifelong relationship with any man?  And just out of curiosity, were you affected by Geraldine Brooks’s portrayal of the March patriarch?

You will be asked this many times in the months to come, but I must know what you’re planning to treat us with next!

From Lisa at Books on the Brain:

Dear Kelly,

Congratulations on your book!  I thought it was wonderful and thoroughly enjoyed it.

In reading the Author’s Note at the back of the book, it seems as if Louisa herself helped you take the leap into becoming a full time writer and writing this novel.  Can you tell us a little about what it felt like to make that decision?

You immersed yourself in this historical figure while doing your research and during the writing process.  Now that the book is finished and you’re not reading or writing about Louisa every day, do you miss her?

Have you decided yet what you’ll work on next (and if so, can you tell us about it)?  Do you think you’ll base your next novel on a real person?

Lisa at Lit and Life asks:

While the Alcott girls in “Lost Summer” are not entirely mirror images of the March girls, they certainly hold very true to those characters.  Did your research into Alcott lead you to believe that the Alcott girls were that accurately reflected in “Little Women” or did you mold them that way to create a blend between the reality of the Alcotts and the characters that are so beloved?

Ti from Book Chatter is curious:

We all know how challenging it was for Alcott, as a woman, to make a name for herself but I’d like to know what challenges you faced in getting this novel written. For instance, did you receive any pressure to change the ending of Lost Summer?

Besides Little Women, what other novels influenced you in the writing of TLSOLMA?

Just for fun, which character did you identify with the most?

Jennifer from Literate Housewife asks:

Clearly a lot of research went into this novel.  What was the most surprising thing you discovered about Louisa May Alcott along the way?

Margot from Joyfully Retired asks:

I loved your account in the back of the book about how you came to be interested in Louisa May Alcott. How long did all of it take, from that first library book to finding a publisher to print your book?

The character of Bronson Alcott was so well-developed. How much of that is fact and how much is fiction. Were there lots of documents about Mr. Alcott?

Is there another historical figure, literary or otherwise, that you are working on for a future novel and will it be so thoroughly researched?

Come by tonight at 6 pm PST (9 pm EST) to say hi to Kelly and see how she answers our questions!  Hope to see you then!

Edited to add: If you didn’t get your question answered or have follow-up questions, Kelly has started a thread on her own blog so she can answer those questions for you!

During the month of April, quite a few of us are reading or have read The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees. This is a lovely imagined novel about Louisa May Alcott about where her inspiration for Jo and Laurie may have come from.

I’m giddy with excitement to have Kelly here in real time answering any questions you might have on Wednesday, April 14th at 6:00pm PT.  If you’ve read The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, or are curious about it, please mark your calendars and join us as we discuss the book with Kelly! If you have questions for Kelly, please email them to me at trish@heyladydotcom. I’ll be gathering questions for the author in anticipation of her appearance next Wednesday!

Here is a synopsis of the book, followed by a few discussion questions:

In the summer of 1855, Walt Whitman’s controversial Leaves of Grass has just been released, and the notion of making a living as a writer is still a far-off dream for Louisa. She is twenty-two years old, vivacious, and bursting with a desire to be free of her family and societal constraints so she can do what she loves the most—write. The Alcott family, destitute, as usual, moves to a generous uncle’s empty house in Walpole, New Hampshire, for the summer. Here, a striking but pensive Louisa meets the fictional Joseph Singer. Louisa is initially unimpressed by Joseph’s charms. But just as Louisa begins to open her heart, she learns that Joseph may not be free to give his away. Their newfound love carries a steep price, and Louisa fears she may pay with the independence she has fought so hard to protect.

Readers! Let’s get the discussion started! These are just a few questions to get you thinking…you don’t have to answer them all. Please feel free to add your own questions, and respond to each other’s answers, too.

1. What was your overall view of the book?  Did you enjoy it?  Was it what you expected?

2. What kind of details did the author provide that you felt added to the historical authenticity of the book?

3. Before you read this book, is this even remotely similar to what you imagined Louisa May Alcott’s life as being?

4. How did you feel about Louisa’s father? How did you feel about Louisa’s mother?

5. Do you think Louisa’s father played any role in her not wanting to get married?

6. Did you agree with Louisa that it wouldn’t have been possible to have both love and freedom?

7. What do you think the author’s message was?

8. Was the ending what you imagined and/or what you hoped for?

9. Did reading The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott make you want to reread Little Women, or perhaps pick it up for the first time?

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. Thanks for participating in the read along!  And don’t forget to join us on April 14th for our discussion with Kelly!

Holy torpedo! The books for The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott  by Kelly O’Connor McNees went FAST! I’m glad I wasn’t physically handing them out…I think I would have gotten some fingers bitten off. 😉

Here’s the folks participating in the reading series:

1. Lisa from Books on the Brain

2. Jilleen from Seaside Book Nook

3. Kristi from peetswea

4. Laura from Reading and Rooibos

5. Ti from Book Chatter

6. Mari from Bookworm with a View

7. Carrie from nomadreader

8. Colleen from Books in the City

9. Jenn from Jenn’s Bookshelves

10. Susan F.

11. Kathleen W.

12. Jennifer from The Literate Housewife Review

13. Heidenkind from Heidenkind’s Hideaway

14. Diane from bookchickdi

15. Jennifer D.

16. Jenny from Takemeaway

17. Jennifer from Rundpinne

18. Irene Y.

19. Susan Gregg Gilmore

20. Beth Fish from Beth Fish Reads

.

This Reading Series is going to rock my socks, I’m sure. (How can something “rock your socks”? Have I mixed two sayings?) ANYway, all this to say, I can barely contain my excitement for this. This will be like a regular book club meeting but on performance enhancing drugs. 😀 Fun!

All copies have been claimed! I look forward to discussing this book with all of you!

There’s been a lot of buzz about The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees. I mean, who hasn’t read Little Women? Who hasn’t wanted to be Jo, and who doesn’t wish that Jo and Laurie had ended up together?

In case you haven’t heard of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, here’s a description:

In her debut novel, The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, Kelly O’Connor McNees deftly mixes fact and fiction as she imagines a summer lost to history, carefully purged from Louisa’s letters and journals, a summer that would change the course of Louisa’s writing career—and inspire the story of love and heartbreak between Jo and Teddy “Laurie” Laurence, Jo’s devoted neighbor and kindred spirit.

In the summer of 1855, Walt Whitman’s controversial Leaves of Grass has just been released, and the notion of making a living as a writer is still a far-off dream for Louisa. She is twenty-two years old, vivacious, and bursting with a desire to be free of her family and societal constraints so she can do what she loves the most—write. The Alcott family, destitute, as usual, moves to a generous uncle’s empty house in Walpole, New Hampshire, for the summer. Here, a striking but pensive Louisa meets the fictional Joseph Singer. Louisa is initially unimpressed by Joseph’s charms. But just as Louisa begins to open her heart, she learns that Joseph may not be free to give his away. Their newfound love carries a steep price, and Louisa fears she may pay with the independence she has fought so hard to protect.

Isn’t this just the perfect book club book? And are you drooling yet? Because you should be. 😉

I’m really excited to tell you that there will be a Reading Series for The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott (TLSoLMA)! Riverhead Books has graciously agreed to provide 20 copies of TLSoLMA.

The way the Reading Series will work is that it’s basically a book club, but you can stay in your jammies at home because the discussion will happen here at Hey Lady. Sounds great, huh? Those who sign up for the Reading Series need to be able to come and discuss the book on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. I’ll post questions about a week before the 14th so you can think about them and mull them over, then on the 14th, we’ll discuss TLSoLMA in the comments, and we’ll even get to have the author, Kelly O’Connor McNees, ‘live’ on Hey Lady for an hour so you can ask her questions and discuss the book with her!

To participate in the Reading Series, all you need to do is email me with your name and address. Please put “The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott” in the subject line, but please only request the book if you know you can participate in the discussion on April 14th! Unfortunately, this is only open to folks in the United States and Canada. The books are first come, first served.

I look forward to discussing this book with you!

Books I HIGHLY RECOMMEND are in bold.

Books read in 2013

1. The Intercept by Dick Wolf (1/3/13) (audio)
2. The Last Man by Vince Flynn (1/18/13) (audio)
3. The Other Woman by Hank Phillipi Ryan (2/4/13) (audio)
4. Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis (2/27/13) (audio)
5. The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon (in progress) (audio)
6. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans (in progress)

Books read in 2012

1. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (528 pages) (2/7/12)
2. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
3. Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy
4. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
5. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (6/3/12)
6. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (6/13/12
7. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson (6/29/12)
8. The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harmon (7/5/12)
9. Boys Should Be Boys by Meg Meeker (7/18/12) (audio)
10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (8/17/12)
11. Criminal by Karin Slaughter (8/19/12)
12. The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis (9/10/12) (audio)
13. Broken Harbor by Tana French (9/14/12)
14. The Twelve by Justin Cronin (10/9/12)
15. Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina (10/9/12) (audio)
16. Live by Night by Dennis Lehane (11/6/12) (audio)
17. Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino (11/12/12) (audio)
18. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (11/29/12) (audio)
19. Rogue by Mark Sullivan (12/7/12) (audio)
20. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (12/14/12)
21. The Last Man by Vince Flynn (12/21/12) (audio)

Books read in 2011

1. The Poet by Michael Connelly (608 pages) (2/20/11)
2. You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon (240 pages) (2/24/11)
3. Heartsick by Chelsea Cain (336 pages) (4/17/11)
4. Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum (384 pages) (4/23/11)
5. The Sentry by Robert Crais (320 pages) (4/26/11)
6. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (288 pages) (4/28/11)
7. Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante (320 pages) (5/2/11)
8. Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan (432 pages) (5/4/11)
9. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (350 pages) (5/8/11)
10. In Hovering Flight by Joyce Hinnefeld (288 pages) (5/13/11)
11. Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain (352 pages) (5/22/11)
12. The Free World by David Bezmogis (368 pages) (6/1/11)
13. Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson (368 pages) (6/12/11)
14. Bloodroot by Amy Greene (384 pages) (7/2/11)
15. The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi (272 pages) (7/5/11)
16. 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson (336 pages) (7/7/11)
17. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (368 pages) (7/17/11)
18. Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner (304 pages) (7/25/11)
19. The All of It by Jeannette Haien (160 pages) (8/15/11)
20. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (400 pages) (12/1/11)

Books read in 2010

1. Liar by Justine Larbalestier (376 pages) (1/5/10)
2. The First Rule by Robert Crais (320 pages) (1/8/10)
3. The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris (320 pages) (1/15/10)
4. The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale (368 pages) (1/19/10)
5. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (384 pages) (2/1/10)
6. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow (256 pages) (2/4/10)
7. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (352 pages) (2/9/10)
8. The Passage by Justin Cronin (784 pages) (2/20/10)
9. The Outlander by Gil Adamson (416 pages) (2/24/10)
10. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (288 pages ) (3/7/10)
11. The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker (448 pages) (3/12/10)
12. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolick (320 pages) (3/17/10)
13. Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey (400 pages) (3/23/10)
14. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (336 pages) (3/30/10)
15. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees (352 pages) (4/5/10)
16. The Tunnels by Michelle Gagnon (304 pages) (4/9/10)
17. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (352 pages) (4/12/10)
18. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist (272 pages) (4/25/10)
19. Faithful Place by Tana French (416 pages) (5/7/10)
20. L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais (416 pages) (6/1/10)
21. The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch (288 pages) (6/4/10)
22. The Local News by Miriam Gershow (384 pages) (6/20/10)
23. Based Upon Availability by Alix Strauss (352 pages) (7/3/10)
24. A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield (288 pages) (7/23/10)
25. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (688 pages) (8/5/10)
26. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (395 pages) (9/12/10)
27. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (850 pages) (9/26/10)
28. Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane (336 pages) (10/31/10)
29. Kidnap & Ransom by Michelle Gagnon (416 pages) (11/10/10)
30. The Bright Forever by Lee Martin (304 pages) (11/25/10)
31. These Things Hidden (352 pages) (12/24/10)

Books read in 2009:

1. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (897 pages) (1/6/09)
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (754 pages) (1/12/09)
3. The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver (350 pages) (1/15/09)
4. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (337 pages) (1/19/09)
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (444 pages) (1/22/09)
6. In the Land of No Right Angles by Daphne Beal (276 pages) (1/29/09)
7. Blindness by Jose Saramago (293 pages) (2/10/09)
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (374 pages) (2/11/09)
9. Wake by Lisa McMann (210 pages) (2/13/09)
10. Silk by Alessandro Baricco (91 pages) (2/15/09)
11. The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram (257 pages) (2/23/09)
12. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (348 pages) (2/26/09)
13. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (285 pages) (3/3/09)
14. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan (262 pages) (3/6/09)
15. We Have Always Lived in the Castle (146 pages) (3/13/09)
16. Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors (419 pages) (3/17/09)
17. Tea and Other Ayama Na Tales by Eleanor Bluestein (234 pages) (3/22/09)
18. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (288 pages) (3/24/09)
19. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult (423 pages) (3/31/09)
20. Serena by Ron Rash (367 pages) (4/5/09)
21. The Shanghai Moon by S. J. Rozan (373 pages) (4/13/09)
22. Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton and Erin Torneo (291 pages) (4/18/09)
23. Rape: A Love Store by Joyce Carol Oates (154 pages) (4/21/09)
24. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (198 pages) (4/29/09)
25. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (302 pages) (5/3/09)
26. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (278 pages) (5/5/09)
27. Water Ghosts by Shawna Yang Ryan (5/11/09)
28. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff (517 pagees) (5/17/09)
29. No One You Know by Michelle Richmond (306 pages) (5/22/09)
30. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (213 pages) (5/23/09)
31. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (265 pages) (5/31/09)
32. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (391 pages) (6/1/09)
33. The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second by Drew Ferguson (258 pages) (6/3/09)
34. Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers (232 pages) (6/7/09)
35. Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (352 pages) (6/13/09)
36. The Host by Stephenie Meyer (619 pages) (6/16/09)
37. The Reader by Bernard Schlink (224 pages) (6/24/09)
38. The Purloined Boy by Mortimus Clay (249 pages) (7/1/09)
39. Afraid by Jack Hilborn (384 pages) (7/1/09)
40. Every Last Cuckoo by Kate Maloy (277 pages) (7/5/09)
41. After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr (336 pages) (7/7/09)
42. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (432 pages) (7/10/09)
43. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (320 pages) (7/18/09)
44. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith (448 pages) (7/25/09)
45. The Gathering by Anne Enright (272 pages) (7/30/09)
46. The Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch (304 pages) (8/9/09)
47. The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf (373 pages) (8/11/09)
48. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (320 pages) (8/15/09)
49. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (416 pages) (8/21/09)
50. Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji (345 pages) (8/25/09)
51. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (374 pages) (9/14/09)
52. Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire by Margot Berwin (266 pages) (9/16/09)
53. Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews (320 pages) (9/18/09)
54. Wildflowers by Lyah Beth LeFlore (384 pages) (9/23/09)
55. 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton (240 pages) (9/28/09)
56. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (471 pages) (9/30/09)
57. Lost by Jacqueline Davies (242 pages) (10/5/09)
58. Night Runner by Max Turner (288 pages) (10/7/09)
59. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell (310 pages) (10/14/09)
60. Thanksgiving at the Inn by Tim Whitney (223 pages) (10/16/09)
61. What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman (373 pages) (10/21/09)
62. The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer (195 pages) (10/27/09)
63. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (519 pages) (11/3/09)
64. Fire by Kristin Cashore (480 pages) (11/8/09)
65. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (479 pages) (11/13/09)
66. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (288 pages) (11/18/09)
67. The Gatekeeper by Michelle Gagnon (409 pages) (11/22/09)
68. Wishin’ & Hopin’ by Wally Lamb (275 pages) (11/26/09)
69. Good People by Marcus Sakey (323 pages) (12/1/09)
70. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (370 pages) (12/3/09)
71. When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge (352 pages) (12/9/09)
72. The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen (400 pages) (12/11/09)
73. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami (624 pages) (12/26/09)
    

Books read in 2008:

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (600? pages)
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (759 pages)
3. The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett (357 pages)
4. The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (216 pages)
5. Moloka’i by Alan Brennert (389 pages)
6. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby (131 pages)
7. Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton (392 pages)
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (296 pages)
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (236 pages)
10. Keeper & Kid by Edward Hardy (294 pages)
11. Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan (168 pages)
12. Loose Girl by Kerry Cohen (210 pages)
13. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (601 pages)
14. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (198 pages)
15. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (371 pages)
16. Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs (336 pages)
17. The Good Guy by Dean Koontz (496 pages)
18. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton (284 pages)
19. Apologies Forthcoming by Xujun Eberlein (141 pages)
20. The Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England by Brock Clarke (303 pages)
21. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond (397 pages)
22. Bunko Babes by Leah Starr Baker (367 pages)
23. Far World – Water Keep by J. Scott Savage (413 pages)
24. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (702 pages) (7/18/08 )
25. Up For Renewal by Cathy Alter (320 pages) (7/27/08 )
26. Someone Not Really Her Mother by Harriet Scott Chessman (160 pages) (7/28/08 )
27. Woman of a Thousand Secrets by Barbara Wood (483 pages) (8/5/08 )
28. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson (175 pages) (8/6/08 )
29. Matrimony by Joshua Henkin (291 pages) (8/12/08 )
30. A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell (276 pages) (8/12/08 )
31. The River, By Moonlight by Camille Marchetta (359 pages) (8/28/08 )
32. The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent (332 pages) (9/2/08 )
33. Hidden Empire by Kevin J. Anderson (619 pages) (9/5/08 )
34. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (170 pages) (9/8/08 )
35. In the Woods by Tana French (429 pages) (9/13/08 )
36. Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks (239 pages) (9/18/08 )
37. The Last Beach Bungalow by Jennie Nash (265 pages) (9/21/08 )
38. The Darker Side by Cody McFadyen (353 pages) (9/25/08 )
39. The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason (347 pages) (9/29/08 )
40. The Likeness by Tana French (466 pages) (10/7/08 )
41. Immortal Laws by Jim Michael Hansen (420 pages) (10/9/08 )
42. First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader (400 pages) (10/13/08 )
43. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Schaffer and Annie Barrows (274 pages) (10/15/08 )
44. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (498 pages) (10/19/08 )
45. The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga (369 pages) (10/22/08 )
46. The Best Place to Be by Lesley Dormen (174 pages) (10/28/08 )
47. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (321 pages) (10/29/08)
48. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer (563 pages) (11/4/08 )
49. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (323 pages) (11/12/08 )
50. Boneyard by Michelle Gagnon (376 pages) (11/17/08 )
51. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (396 pages) (11/18/08 )
52. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani (368 pages) (11/21/08 )
53. Thinner by Richard Bachman (309 pages) (11/28/08 )
54. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (238 pages) (12/2/08 )
55. Who By Fire by Diana Spechler (343 pages) (12/5/08 )
56. Losing You by Nicci French (293 pages) (12/7/08 )
57. The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller (306 pages) (12/14/08 )
58. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (629 pages) (12/17/08 )
59. Face of a Killer by Robin Burcell (381 pages) (12/28/08 )