Book Suggestions From This Morning's Membership Drive

I was up early this morning with Mitch Wertlieb, Jonathan Butler, and Peter Biello asking our loyal listeners to support VPR with a financial contribution. To sweeten the deal, we were giving away a $1,000 gift certificate to Northshire Bookstore at 9 a.m.

It didn't take long for us to begin making recommendations for books the lucky winner could buy when he or she won the drawing - and congratulations to Margaret A. Johnson of Hanover, NH, who is the winner!

If you didn't win, no worries - there are more drawings ahead this week. Below is a list of the books we recommended this morning. Enjoy!

Busy Monsters, William Giraldi
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach
River Town, Peter Hessler
The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak
Splendid Table How to Eat Weekends, Lynne Rosetto Kasper
Freedom, Jonathan Franzen
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall

Book It: Time for the Vermont Edition Summer Reading Show

I am the luckiest substitute host ever! Seems every time Jane Lindholm goes on vacation, I get to fill in for one of the Vermont Edition reading shows, and I admit to having a special fondness for them because, well, I love to read...and to hear what others are reading so I can get a lead on that next great book!

This Friday we're celebrating the summer reading season with a terrific panel of guests including Linda Ramsdell, owner of The Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick, and Bennington College Librarian Oceana Wilson, who won the 2009 national "I Love My Librarian" award, sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the New York Times.

And of course we'd love to hear your suggestions. Whether it's novels, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, science, even the back of a cereal box you found especially compelling, add your favorites here. I've already listed my recommendations, so hop to it...summer may have only just started, but it's short!

We'll also take your phone calls during the program this Friday at noon. You can catch a rebroadcast that evening at 7.

So forget all that nonsense you hear about "no one reads" anymore...prove that books are alive and well and being devoured by readers like you, by contributing to the annual Summer Reading Show on VPR!

Howard Frank Mosher Talks About His New Book Tuesday on Morning Edition

Fans of Northeast Kingdom author Howard Frank Mosher have been waiting over three years for his new novel.

The wait is over. “Walking to Gatlinburg” is out tomorrow (March 2). It’s the tale of 17-year-old Morgan Kinneson, who leaves his home on Kingdom Mountain and walks to Tennessee to find his brother, Pilgrim, who’s gone missing at Gettysburg. It’s an adventure through a country torn apart by Civil War. And it’s told by one of Vermont’s greatest authors.

Mr. Mosher came into our VPR studios last week to talk about the book with Mitch Wertlieb. As always, there was lots of laughter and great anecdotes, including one about his great-great-grandfather who inspired one of the book’s villains. We’re always impressed by Mr. Mosher’s humility, humanity and mesmerizing story-telling.

Listen for Mitch’s interview with Howard Frank Mosher tomorrow during Morning Edition at 7:50.

You can read an excerpt of the book here.