Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-17-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Readers say it best. Thank you for taking the time to write.

From my Email Bag:

(Winners of the five Fun Boxes will be announced in tomorrow's column. If you missed the column, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3atb2x)

"Dear Suzanne, it's the end of a really busy week for me, which included work over the weekend, some of it between midnight and 2 a.m. But I took the time to read your column, and I'm glad I did. In the past year, I have started to thoroughly enjoy "fun" again. I used to be so responsible, and still do most things in priority order. But lately I've been ranking the importance of some things based on their ability to make me smile. My dog is important--she makes me smile. Spending time with my husband is important--we make each other smile. My brand new four-month-old is important--I've never smiled so much in my life as I do with her! And on my desk right now is a small set of legos and a bobble-head. Why? Because they make me smile, and that's important, too. Thanks again for your column. It's so good to read with friends!"--Karen Ehrich

"Dear Suzanne, I really enjoyed this month's sample of 'The Outsiders' in the Classics Club. The opening grabbed me immediately because it was written so candidly and was relatable....we've all been through the cliques and segregation of high school. The unique names of the boys caught my attention immediately and I am intrigued about the three brothers living on their own without their parents. I couldn't imagine such a scenario today. When I finished the sample and then read the biography of the author, I was completely taken aback that the author is a female, given the majority of male characters in the book and that she wrote the story while in high school and was published while a new college student. Thanks so much for reading the Classics with us!"--Sincerely, Rebecca Schimming

"Suzanne, I just now read Tuesday's [Classic] column. I only needed to read the first line, "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..." The memories of being thirteen and reading that book literally hundreds of times came rushing back, along with the memories of my best friend in the eighth grade, Mary Claire. We read the book obsessively and regurgitated lines while we should have been studying science. I hadn't thought about Mary Claire or Soda and Pony Boy for years. Thanks for bringing a smile to my face and a tear to my eye."--Deborah L. Jones

To sample this month's Classic, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3a2qs2

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Win free copies of books you'll read and never forget from these terrific authors; Linda Fairstein, Killer Heat; Maureen Canning, Lust, Anger, Love; Kirk Curnutt, Breathing Out the Ghost; Diana M. Raab, Regina's Closet: Finding My Grandmother's Secret Journal; Toby Barlow, Sharp Teeth. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/3a2qs2

Dear Reader Column 03-13-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

A friend of mine is learning how to have fun, or perhaps re-learning is more accurate. My friend is in her 40s, having fun came naturally when she was a kid, but somewhere along the way, she adopted the idea that adults need to do things with a purpose.

"What's the purpose of having fun and being silly?" she wondered.

I could see her point. I'm motivated to get my work done, even when I don't feel like it, because work equals lights, groceries and house payment. So what's the purpose of hoola-hooping, or blowing bubbles, or cutting out pictures of cats, laminating each one and then stringing them around my house? "Just because it makes me smile and it feels good," I told her.

Adults are supposed to be responsible and work hard. People pat you on the back, say nice things about you and they might even give you an award. "She's so talented, such a hard worker." But thankfully the past few years, I've been playing as much as I've been working and you know what? I get more done mixing the two.

A few weeks ago when I was in New York City on business, it was strange because at every single one of my appointments, at some point in the conversation we talked about how people want to have fun. Of course we were all in agreement that reading is fun, but we also talked about the silly, child-like things that make us smile. Blowing bubbles, playing with finger puppets, flying kites and coloring--one publishing executive was smiling and laughing as she confessed that behind closed doors she gets out her coloring book and box of 64 crayons.

I had so much fun talking about fun at my appointments that I was inspired to send boxes of fun to some of the publishing executives I'd met with and the boxes were a hit.

"Suzanne, lovely to meet you last week. You must have been over the moon with happiness when you were baking your batch of cookies for us. They are absolutely delicious. The whole office is in love. And thank you for the surprise box that came in the mail today! What fun!! I, the responsible one, refrained from blowing bubbles until 5:01 pm, but my other two colleagues caused quite a ruckus with their gifts this afternoon!"

Apparently a good time was had by all!

If you need some lessons on how to have fun, I have some FUN BOXES to give away to readers, just like the ones I sent to the publishing executives in New York City. To see the Fun Boxes and to enter the giveaway go to: http://tinyurl.com/37dgxg

Have fun today--and thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Win free copies of books you'll read and never forget from these terrific authors: Paul McComas, Planet of the Dates; Linda Fairstein, Killer Heat; Amanda Stevens, The Devil's Footprints; Michael Winder, An Officer and a Junkie: From West Point to the Point of No Return; and Nicole Seitz, Trouble The Water. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/3a2qs2

Dear Reader Column 03-04-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

It was five in the morning and my husband woke me up. "Suzanne the oven is on, but I can't find the recipe." He wanted to make a batch of my mother's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. John and Diana, our neighbors, were expecting us to show up at 6 a.m. Today was the Sarasota Marathon and the person in the lead would probably run by their house around 6:30.

John called last night and invited my husband and me to watch the race with them. That's when I offered to bring breakfast--"Oatmeal" Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I fell asleep before I got around to baking them. And that's why my husband was up in the wee hours trying to bake cookies. My husband and I are the perfect team. When one of us falls short, the other one steps in and makes up for it.

"Suzanne it's time to get up," my husband was softly nudging me. "Where is your mother's oatmeal cookie recipe?"

"At my recipe blog, online, Dear."

I crawled out of bed and in-between getting dressed to go to the marathon, I mixed and my husband baked.

Last year I watched the marathon alone, sitting in a lawn chair, out in front of our house, with a laptop resting on my knees. I'd stop working to clap and cheer whenever a runner went by. I stayed put until the end. Cheering for the last, final runner was actually the most important to me. I appreciate the challenge an underdog faces, (from whence I came) and periodically I find myself back in that position. When things are going good for someone, no sweat, who needs a cheering section? It's when your confidence hasn't shown up for a few weeks--or you know you're out of your league--but nevertheless you're determined to try anyway, (everybody has to start somewhere right?) that's when you need clapping and cheering the most.

So the four of us, John, Diana, my husband and I, turned into a band of encouragement (literally) for the runners in the marathon. My husband kept the beat going on a drum, I was on tambourine, John had a Didgeridoo (a very long horn that makes deep low sounds) and Diana hooted and hollered for every single runner, "Don't stop now. You can do it!" Our musical cheering section got rave reviews. Marathon runners smiled and laughed, (Even some runners who were making really good time, couldn't help but laugh out loud when they saw us. I worried we might add a few seconds to their finish time). Other runners yelled that we should run behind them and play for the rest of the race, and some of the runners who had turned into walkers--gave us a "thumbs-up," picked up their pace and started sprinting again.

And of course we waited patiently for the last runner. A determined woman who had odds and ends hanging from a belt around her waist and there was a helium-filled balloon tied to the end of a broom, that she carried in her hand while she was running. I guess she was the "clean-up" crew, a whimsical ending to a magical race.

*If you'd like to see a photo of "the band" and the final runner, go
to: http://tinyurl.com/ysyc5o

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Warm regards,

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 02-04-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

There's unusual stuff in every room of my house and each thing tells another story about the quirky side of my personality. I think I have my grandparents to thank for this delightful personality trait.

When I was a kid, Grandma and Grandpa Hale lived in a two-story house that had three bedrooms upstairs. Open a door on the first floor, climb the steep staircase, pass by a wall filled with huge ornately-framed photographs of relatives long gone, walk down the hall, turn to the left, open another door and there it was--the most interesting room in my grandparents' house. And lucky me, whenever I visited them, that's the room I got to sleep in. It was a kid's dreamland, because the spare bedroom was overflowing with interesting stuff--stuff that needed a place when it wasn't being used. Grandma never had to tell me a bedtime story after she tucked me in, because all I had to do was look around the room and every single thing I saw told me a story.

The set of plaid suitcases over there in the corner, my grandparents and I used those suitcases when we went to visit Aunt Inez. Aunt Inez was my favorite aunt, she never forgot my birthday, even when I was 25. See those stacks of stained berry boxes? Grandma's back yard was filled with berry bushes. She sold berries to everyone in town and helping her pick raspberries, strawberries and grapes was one of my favorite things to do in the summer. And that's Grandpa's brown rattan fishing basket. He'd sling it over his shoulder whenever we went fishing together and we'd use that same basket in the fall to collect walnuts in the woods.

Grandma and Grandpa grew popcorn, too. And so once a year the entire bedroom floor would be covered with rows and rows of popcorn cobs drying on top of newspapers, which was pretty exciting for a kid, except at night when I had to tip-toe through the popcorn to try to get to the bathroom.

The stories behind the stuff--I loved sleeping in that room. And those memories are probably why I feel right at home with some of the odd and interesting stuff in my house today. There's a fish and fishing pole hanging from my ceiling, a wedding gown in my bathroom, a huge circus tent mallet in my living room, and--well here, let me show you--go to: http://tinyurl.com/2o7jbc

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these are five that deserve your attention: Chip St. Clair, The Butterfly Garden; Dana Stabenow, Prepared for Rage; Ann H. Gabhart, Summer of Joy; Karin Neches, Earthly Pleasures; and Ronald Cutler, The Secret Scroll. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 10-25-07

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

If you've ever wondered and wanted to ask me, now's the time. Every day next week, in my column, you can "Ask Suzanne." Email your question today, because over the weekend I'll be working on "making up" answers. No, seriously I'm an open book. Well, at least I think I am. I guess I haven't heard your questions yet.

To get things started, today I'm answering Joanie's question.

"Good morning Suzanne, I wondered how you started this book club and what motivated you. It's always interesting to know why certain people end up doing special and unusual things. I understand your being in the literary world and writing, but have you given that up to do the daily. Or do you still write columns, and novels, etc.? You seem to be such a well rounded, happily married person that you're kind of inspirational, so to speak. Do you have children? If you don't choose to answer all or part, I understand."--Fondly, Joanie

(Suzanne responds:) Joanie, thanks for asking. I always love to hear from readers--I really do.

My husband and I used to own a software company and most of the people who worked for us were stay-at-home moms. They worked part time on their computers and frequently one of the moms would comment, "When my son or daughter gets older I want to go back to school and learn about..."

So one day, I suggested that instead of waiting for the kids to grow up, "Mom" should start reading right now, about whatever she was interested in studying. But I was quickly reprimanded, and rightly so, "Look Suzanne, I cook, clean, do school activities, take care of my children and work for you part time. And now you're suggesting I sit down and read a book? I can't even find time to shave my legs!"

So I started including, in our daily company email, a little portion of a book I was reading, and I kept continuing it the next day, like I do now. Four days later I heard back from the "no-time-to-shave-my-legs" mom, "I'm embarrassed to admit it," she said, "but I'm sneaking over to my computer late at night to see if company email came in early--because I'm hooked on the book you've been sending us."

And that's how the idea for the book clubs was born! (Don't try this at home--unless you're forwarding a friend our daily email. Let me clarify that books are copyrighted and you need permission to send samples. I have permission for all of the books we use.)

I used to write a monthly column for Working Mother magazine, and now I write my daily book club column and yes, I am working on a book. My husband and I raised four children. We had a "yours-mine-and-ours" family. Two were his, one was mine and the "ours" we had together. You're right, we are happily married. It will be thirty years this December. My husband is my best friend. He says he married me because he knew life would never be dull and I don't intend to let him down!

Thanks again for asking Joanie. And if anyone else has a question, remember, now's the time to ask--I'd love to answer. Send your questions to: Suzanne@emailbookclub.com I won't be able to personally answer all of my email next week, but if I use your question in my column, I'll send you a free book as a thank you.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Warm regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Win signed copies of books you'll read and never forget from these terrific authors: Jon Entine, Abraham's Children; Gabriella Herkert, Catnapped!; Tad Waddington, Lasting Contribution; Julia London, The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount; and Kay Williams and Eileen Wyman, Butcher of Dreams. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/yu9uk7

Dear Reader Column 09-11-07

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Hundreds of readers entered the Write a Dear Reader Contest and today I'd like to congratulate Catherine Schinkel, one of the contest winners. Catherine's an HR Director and she's been reading at the book clubs for over two years. Fiction is her favorite kind of read, but her column is all about her personal experiences with the troublesome game of golf. Thanks for entering the contest Catherine. You wrote a wonderful column! And thanks for reading with me every day.--Suzanne Beecher

Dear Reader,

This weekend I turned a corner.

I have been playing golf for 3 years--three long, frustrating years. I took it up when I got engaged to my husband, thinking that it would be a great thing for the two of us to do together. In fact, his wedding present to me was a set of women's clubs. Well, thank goodness that he is a patient man.

Despite hours of lessons and dozens of games, I could never quite get it together. When I'd go to the tee box and drive the ball, it would dribble along the ground instead of flying in an arc towards the green. More than once I wanted to break the club over my knee after hitting the ball into the bush, water or sand. But this weekend, miraculously, everything came together.

I can't put my finger on exactly what happened. Maybe it was that tip I recently read in a golf magazine--something about dragging your club along the ground in your backswing. A simple and basic tip, but something I was missing from my routine. It could also be my new golf instructor--no matter how many times I "whiff" the ball, he is endlessly positive and encouraging: "You've almost got it Catherine! The mechanics are all there--all you need to do now is connect!"

Whatever it was, the ball was flying up into the air, with a decent amount of distance and accuracy, to the point that the group that I regularly golf with was gasping with surprise! A friend's small son even told me, "You're good at this game." With a giant grin I replied, "No one has ever said that to me before!"

Could there be any more breakthroughs on the way? Golf isn't the only area of my life where I have invested a lot of time and effort, only to reap constant frustration. Sometimes the aggravation and disappointment is enough to make me want to pack it in. But what if success is just around the corner? Maybe one small adjustment or one encouraging word is the only thing standing between victory and me. Maybe the next breakthrough is just around the corner.

Catherine Schinkel

Dear Reader Column 06-21-07

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Be sure to check out the AuthorBuzz link today. It's always right after my column on Monday and Thursday. Email an author, and you'll get a reply, and they might even send you a free book.

And today's the day to enter the June Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway. Every month I bake two dozen of my famous Chocolate Chip Cookies for a reader.

I'm supposed to pick one winner, but usually I end up picking two or three. Last month I baked for Sandy Youngblood, who shared the cookies with the teenage girls in her Girl Scout Troop; Misty Smith who shared the cookies with her softball team, The Dewey Decimators (we still haven't heard if they won); and finally Bev Weikel a cancer center volunteer who shared her cookies with the patients she visits every week.

To enter this month's drawing, send an email telling me why you'd like some of my Chocolate Chip cookies. I'd love to bake for you. Send your email to:

enter-to-win@emailbookclub.com

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Books that you'll want to read, authors you'll want to meet and signed copies for winners: Manisha Thakor & Sharon Kedar, On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance; Nikki Arana, As I Have Loved You; Tobias S. Buckell, Ragamuffin; Kate White, You on Top: Smart Sexy Skills Every Woman Needs to Set the World on Fire; and Christina Skye, Code Name: Bikini.  Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Quiet American by Graham Greene and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2xdyfj

Dear Reader Column 05-21-07

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

"Suzanne's Cookies Rock!"

That's what Ken, one of last month's cookie winners, said about my famous chocolate chip cookies. In fact, Ken's entire bowling team can vouch for the magic of my chocolate chip cookies. If you want to improve your bowling score, (or turnaround your tennis, golf or even chess game) "Eat Suzanne's Chocolate Chip Cookies!"

Enter this month's cookie giveaway, see a photo of Ken and his bowling buddies, and read all about their cookie-inspired bowling success. I'm ready to bake for you, but you've got to enter to win. Go to:

http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cookie14.html

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Find out about new books you'll read and never forget from these wonderful authors: Diana Meehan, Learning Like a Girl; Margaret Ahnert, The Knock at the Door; Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson, The Potluck Club Takes the Cake; Resa Nelson, The Dragonslayer's Sword; and Leslie Schnur, Late Night Talking. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: My Antonia by Willa Cather and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/358deh

Dear Reader Column 12-22-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Tuesday's column was about my favorite Christmas gift when I was a kid and hundreds of readers wrote and told me about their favorite gift, too.

From my Email Bag:

"Hi Suzanne, my favorite holiday gift was my shortest-lived gift. When I was about 9 I received a copy of 'Black Beauty'. I was so thrilled. I loved horses and Black Beauty was gorgeous. I had to leave my present under the tree when we went to church. When we came back, we found our dog in the midst of shredded wrapping paper...and shredded 'Black Beauty'. I was heartbroken! I got another copy shortly after, but I didn't talk to my dog for weeks."--Lisa E.

"My best Christmas present was a llama. No, I didn't actually get a llama. My family gave a llama to a family in a developing nation through Heifer International. To go with the gift, I got a llama marionette that reminds me of how valuable charities like Heifer are. It's a tradition now for my family to give to a charity in my name rather than buy a gift. And you know what? I don't even miss the presents."--Jan W.

"Believe it or not, my favorite holiday gift was a roll of field fencing from my father with a promise to put it up! We raised cattle, and they kept coming to the house at 5 or 6 AM and rubbing on the wall right outside my window. So my father gave me that fencing and put it up the next week. I will never get a better gift!"--Linda

"One of my favorite childhood gifts was an action figure of Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man. I had the biggest crush on Lee Majors and never missed that TV show!"--Stacey D.

"Hi Suzanne, when I was seven Santa brought me an Easy Bake Oven. It was a wonderful Christmas not just because of the Easy Bake Oven, but it snowed as well. What more could a kid want? Well, it wasn't good enough for me. I was sick with a bad cold and feeling sorry for myself. Poor little grumpy me! My father took pity on me and had my mother bundle me up, scarf, hat, mittens, snow boots. He wrapped a blanket around me and carried me out to the sled. It was a clear night with a million stars. My Dad towed me up and down the streets of our neighborhood for what seemed like an hour. He jogged right down the middle of the snow covered street. When we finally arrived back at the house, I wanted to do something for him. Mom made hot chocolate and I made a cake with my new Easy Bake Oven. Dad ate the whole thing in two bites and said it was the best cake he'd ever eaten. My father's been dead for ten years now and I still miss him. This is one of those special memories that I'll always treasure. Thanks for reminding me! Have a beautiful Christmas
Suzanne."--Christi

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: The House of Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=25

Dear Reader Column 12-07-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Suzanne is under the weather today, so she is running one of her favorite columns.

Dear Reader,

Life is ups and downs and treading water in-between...

...and that's ok, because when I was a young girl at Girl Scout Camp I was never the best swimmer, but I was really good at treading water.

It was unfortunate that I never realized, until I was older, what an important life skill I had learned. I was always dreaming of being the best swimmer. Treading water seemed so boring, after all they didn't hand out prizes for it.

But knowing how to stay calm and tread water has served me well. It's true, treading water isn't too exciting and sometimes it feels like I'm not making any progress, but I know from past experiences that I really am.

Treading water in life is staying alive until help arrives, or until I find the answer to that problem that's been driving me crazy. Or sometimes it's the more difficult task of just waiting for something to happen. Waiting for things to change.

And sometimes, when I'm in one of those troublesome situations in life, I can still hear my instructor's words, "You're really not in any danger, Suzanne. Just relax, breathe slowly and tread water. You're just taking a break and then you can swim to safety."

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Early Holiday gifts for readers of DearReader.com! WIN signed free books from these terrific authors: Alison Kent, Beyond a Shadow; Lynn Emery, Soulful Strut; Annette Blair, The Scot, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Kathleen Eagle, Ride a Painted Pony; and Tim Downs, Head Game. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=24