Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 12-31-07

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,

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get organized, clear off my shelves and start the new year fresh. So I'm giving away books for the next five days (through January 1st). My bookshelves are overflowing with a lot of great titles and they need a good home. Can you help me out?

Send me an email and I'll send you a book. No strings attached. First come first serve. When the books are gone--they are gone! You may request a book in your favorite genre, but I offer no guarantees. (Please be sure to include your mailing address in your email.)

Whoops, one little string, but only so I don't go broke: This offer is limited to the U.S. and Canada.

Send your email to:
[email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these are five that deserve your attention: Linda Lael Miller, Deadly Gamble; Suzanne Kamata, Losing Kei; Debbie Macomber, The Manning Sisters; Heather Summerhayes Cariou, Sixty-five Roses: A Sister's Memoir; and Kathleen Morgan, As High as the Heavens. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-28-07

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,

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get organized, clear off my shelves and start the new year fresh. So I'm giving away books for the next five days (through January 1st). My bookshelves are overflowing with a lot of great titles and they need a good home. Can you help me out?

Send me an email and I'll send you a book. No strings attached. First come first serve. When the books are gone--they are gone! You may request a book in your favorite genre, but I offer no guarantees. (Please be sure to include your mailing address in your email.)

Whoops, one little string, but only so I don't go broke: This offer is limited to the U.S. and Canada.

Send your email to:
[email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-27-07

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,

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get organized, clear off my shelves and start the new year fresh. So I'm giving away books for the next five days (through January 1st). My bookshelves are overflowing with a lot of great titles and they need a good home. Can you help me out?

Send me an email and I'll send you a book. No strings attached. First come first serve. When the books are gone--they are gone! You may request a book in your favorite genre, but I offer no guarantees. (Please be sure to include your mailing address in your email.)

Whoops, one little string, but only so I don't go broke: This offer is limited to the U.S. and Canada.

Send your email to: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Happy Holidays! Win presents--signed copies of books you'll read and never forget from these terrific authors: Laura Caldwell, The Good Liar; Penny Rudolph, Listen to the Mockingbird; Diane Chamberlain, The Secret Life Of CeeCee Wilkes; Allison Brennan, What You Can't See; and Deanna Raybourn, Silent in the Sanctuary. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-26-07

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,

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get organized, clear off my shelves and start the new year fresh. So I'm giving away books for the next five days (through January 1st). My bookshelves are overflowing with a lot of great titles and they need a good home. Can you help me out?

Send me an email and I'll send you a book. No strings attached. First come first serve. When the books are gone--they are gone! You may request a book in your favorite genre, but I offer no guarantees. (Please be sure to include your mailing address in your email.)

Whoops, one little string, but only so I don't go broke: This offer is limited to the U.S. and Canada.

Send your email to: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-25-07

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,

Merry Christmas!

It's been more than a Christmas celebration this year because on December 22nd it was my grandson's first birthday. Thank heavens baby Paul wasn't old enough to understand the whole birthday thing yet, because I've never been very good at keeping presents hidden away until the big day. When I buy someone a present, I get so excited about it that I want to give it to them right away.

So baby Paul received all three of his presents from me before his birthday. But since he's so young and doesn't know any better yet, this year I was able to re-wrap my gifts for his birthday party and he didn't know the difference. At least I don't think he did. Maybe when his vocabulary expands beyond Ma-Ma and Dada, and he can string words together, his first question will be 'What's up with Grandma giving me stuff and then re-wrapping it for my birthday?'

Happy Holidays and thanks for reading with me every day. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-24-07

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 few years ago, I tried my hand at writing some poetry--an amusing version of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, and now it's become a tradition at the book clubs.

Okay, I admit it's a bit hokey, but it's really kind of a catchy little number once you start reading it. It's got a syncopated beat, and if you throw in a little sing-song rhythm, you'll be smiling by the end.

And if you're really daring, you can listen to me recite 'Twas The Night Before Christmas at the Book Clubs. The link is at the end of my column.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas at the Book Clubs

'Twas the night before Christmas and in every house
All good book club readers were clicking their mouse.

They'd hung all their stockings, decorated their trees
And now it was time to sit down and see
What their email had brought them on this Christmas Eve.

A five-minute break to read a good book
Was just what they needed, but oh my--look...

When they opened their email, no read could be found.
"Oh no, we're afraid Suzanne went out of town.
Could she have forgotten to send us our read?
How could she do this in our time of need?"

The readers all panicked, they shivered in fright,
They pined for their emails and settled in for the night.

"Could we have misplaced them? Did we hit the wrong key?
Did it go in our deleted files?" Oh such misery.
And then in a flash, with a stroke of a key,
One by one, they discovered their Christmas Eve reads.

Their eyes how they twinkled, they laughed and they smiled
And they settled into their chairs to read for awhile.

Their hearts were delighted, they felt just like kids,
But it's still such a mystery where that email had hid.
Was it there all the time and they just didn't see?
Or did Santa step in and do a good deed?

Good boys and girls are on Santa's list
And good book club readers he vows never to miss.

It's been a long night, time to climb into bed,
So they shut down their computers and laid down their heads.

But in the quiet of night, before things came to an end,
They heard, "Thanks for reading with me, It's so good to read with friends."

I wish you peace and joy,

Warm Holidays Wishes,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

*For Suzanne's whimsical reading of our annual book club poem, go to: http://easylink.playstream.com/chapter/xmas.rm

When you click on the link to listen to me read, if it doesn't start playing, you might need to install Real Player. Don't worry, it's free. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/real/

AUTHORBUZZ: Happy Holidays! Win presents--signed copies of books you'll read and never forget from these terrific authors: Laura Caldwell, The Good Liar; Penny Rudolph, Listen to the Mockingbird; Diane Chamberlain, The Secret Life Of CeeCee Wilkes; Allison Brennan, What You Can't See; and Deanna Raybourn, Silent in the Sanctuary. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-21-07

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,

If you're planning your Christmas menu, and you'd like some new recipes, you'll find all of my favorites at: http://tinyurl.com/yuf6aq

You can also visit our Reader Recipe Exchange and see favorite recipes from other book club readers and my staff. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/246ykc

Have fun cooking and spending time with family and friends. Expectations are always what get me into trouble around the holidays, so this Christmas--no expectations for me--rather it's an opportunity to create new holiday memories, whatever they may be.

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-21-07

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,

Suzanne is up to her ears in gift wrap today, so we are running this holiday "Best of." It's one of our favorites.

Dear Reader,

I've always thought my gift-wrapping abilities were unique. I use scraps of this and that and if I do say so myself, I come up with some pretty unusual presentations. But this past holiday season, I had to relinquish my gift-wrapping title when I opened up the Christmas present I received from my friend Bill in Oregon.

I admit it, I told him it was a first for me. I'd never before received a Christmas gift in a box that said on the outside, "Contents: 1 rectal thermometer, 1 breast pump, petroleum jelly, 1 tape measure, and 2 isolation masks," among other intriguing items.

Yeah, boy, Happy Holidays! How did he know what I wanted!

My curiosity was definitely piqued, so I cautiously opened up the box, and much to my relief I found the usual homemade jellies and pancake syrup that I look forward to getting from him every year.

Of course, I had to ask, "Where, why, and how did he get a hold of that box--and why did he send it to me?"

Apparently, an entrepreneur in his area had developed an Infant Care Kit for new mothers, but the company went bankrupt. The bankruptcy court awarded the entire inventory of boxes and kits to a local charity where my friend volunteers. After 15 years of giving baby kits out to every new mother in the area, there were still stacks of boxes, but no more baby kits to put inside them. The boxes were going to be thrown out, but being the good Scotsman that he is, my friend couldn't stand to see them go to waste.

So he saves them for special occasions and friends like me.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these are five that deserve your attention: Lisa Unger, Sliver of Truth; Jane Velez-Mitchell, Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves; Rochelle Jewel Shapiro, Miriam the Medium; M.J. Rose, The Reincarnationist; and Michelle Moran, Nefertiti: A Novel. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-19-07

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,

The authors at AuthorBuzz are waiting to give you a holiday treat. This week you could win a 14 kt. gold Nefertiti Pendant, or a 30-minute book club phone call from an author, and of course signed copies of books. Bookclub readers win stuff all the time!

"I really like the AuthorBuzz feature. I have received at least three different books from two authors and I never win anything."--Skirnir H.

You never know who you'll meet in AuthorBuzz. Upcoming bestselling authors are; Linda Fairstein, John Lescroart, Debbie Macomber, Carla Neggers, Alison Brennan, Elileen Gouge; shining stars like Marcus Shakey and literary luminaries like Lisa Tucker and Joe Olshan.

It just takes a minute to visit. Go to:

http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf

Dear Reader Column 12-18-07

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,

This morning, first thing when I woke up, the realization hit me--Christmas is almost here--should have started singing The Twelve Days of Christmas four days ago, because there are only eight days left.

Breathe Suzanne, breathe.

Every year when I begin preparing for the holidays I've got my "head screwed on straight," as my Grandma Hale used to say. My original "to do" list is very realistic about what I can get done without turning into a crazy person and I'm always so proud of myself for such rational thinking. But then somehow when I'm coming down the home stretch and bells are ringing, lights are twinkling, Christmas cards and presents arrive in the mail--I lose my mind and start adding things to my original list.

Originally I wasn't going to put up outdoor lights, but yesterday, Christmas lights were on sale, (40 percent off), the neighbors have lights up in their yard--they even have cute little penguins with caps and coats on them, lights would look so pretty--so I bought some.

Originally I wasn't going to make cut-out cookies because they're a lot of work. Mixing and rolling the dough, cutting out star, reindeer and Santa shapes--that's the easy part. It's frosting and sprinkling the baked cookie that's the complicated part. But yesterday, when I was in the store, I noticed some tubes of frosting that would let me cheat a bit: "Easy to decorate cookies, just snip the end of the tube, squeeze and then sprinkle." Okay, I could do that. And I did, but the extra writing wand I used, something went wrong and now my grandson's tongue and lips are dark blue and so are my fingers. Hopefully we'll be our original color by Christmas.

Breathe Suzanne, breathe.

Originally I wasn't going to turn into a crazy person this holiday season and after a slight detour, I'm happy to report that on the eighth day of Christmas, I've found my way back.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: The Minister's Wooing by Harriet Beecher Stowe and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2qp8yf