If it wasn’t for his faith and the people who “stepped out on nothing” for him, Byron doesn’t believe he would have made it to the place he is today.  When his mother was told he was “stupid” she wouldn’t accept it.  When his best friend in college noticed his limited vocabulary he stepped in to help.  And a when a professor he had never met before found him dejected an about to drop out, she believed in him.

I met Byron at the Atlanta Press Club luncheon several weeks ago as he came through town on his book tour and had the chance to chat with him about the book, his journey and his new role with our partner, the National Center for Family Literacy.

Take a minute to listen to my interview with Byron – and get your copy here on BetterWorldBooks.com where we are giving all of the proceeds from the sale of the book directly to NCFL.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

That’s how I felt when I finished reading OUTCASTS UNITED and knew that I would have the opportunity to meet and interview author Warren St. John and help get the word out about this great book.

The book tells the story of coach Luma Mufleh the soccer team of refugee boys she founded and the town of Clarkston, Georgia that wasn’t sure they wanted them… or their families.

Once I finished reading the book, I knew it would be a perfect fit for The Better World Book Club.  And once again that perfect day stuff starting happening.  I think they call it serendipity.  When I called Warren to let him know his book had been chosen for the December 2009 read for The Better World Book Club – now going live at Whole Foods Markets in Atlanta, he let me know how perfect that was, as he had written a good bit of the book IN the Whole Foods Market at Ponce.  I think I actually got chills.

So – if you’re in the Atlanta area, you can meet Warren and get a signed copy of the book on Saturday October 17th as we kick off the book club with a celebration that will actually move between 3 of the Atlanta area Whole Foods Markets.  And if you’re not in the Atlanta area, you can still check out the interview with Warren and grab a copy of the book right here at BetterWorldBooks.com.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

Since then I’ve gotten to know Mary Kay through various events and saw her again at the Decatur Book Festival earlier this month where I had the pleasure of introducing her and Haywood Smith at their very well attended talk.  This time Mary Kay (whose real name is Kathy) had her daughter and adorable first grand-baby in tow and was proudly introducing them around.  I guess my point is Mary Kay knows who she is and is comfortable sharing that in her work and with her fans.

In this interview about her latest novel, THE FIXER UPPER,  she openly says “I am not writing for Oprah,” but instead says she is writing to give people a laugh and some good old fashioned escapism in this crazy and often stressful world.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

The beginning of the month found CEO David Murphy, Co-founder Xavier Helgesen and myself at the SOCAP09 Conference in San Francisco.  David spoke on a panel called SELLING WITHOUT SELLING OUT with Terry Mollner from Calvert Social Investment Fund and Sunny Vanderbeck from Satori Capital while Xavier took in as many of the talks as he could and soaked up some great information to bring back to the job.

I was there to run the SOCAP / Better World Books bookstore where we had a great selection of the best books on social enterprise along with the latest and greatest titles in the business world. Check out our list and let me know if you have any recommendations for business must reads!

I also got to meet some great people like David Erickson from the Federal Reserve who was signing his new book The Housing Policy Revolution and Steve Goldberg, author of Billions of Drops in Millions of Buckets.  I also got to work with some wonderful volunteers like Anne Peskoe, Saunders Moore, Morgan Springer and Purabi Thakre who really helped keep the store running smoothly.  (Thanks guys…and great to meet each of you!!)

Complete with a shopping guide, recipes for cleaning products and expert opinions, this is a great resource for parents and parents to be (and would make a great baby shower gift…I’m just sayin’).

The best part about the book to me was the celebrity “Parentblog” entries that gave some great insight into how different people (we sort of feel like we already know) have been able to adopt some of these practices.  Celebs in the book include Meryl Streep, Tobey Maguire, Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields, Michelle Obama and more!

I chatted with Chris by phone and I think when you listen you’ll not only get a sense of his passion for creating a healthy world for kids, but also that he is in touch with the real world and the time and economic challenges most parents face.

I hope you enjoy the interview! Click here to check out more great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

I had the opportunity to speak to Lisa on the phone recently about her latest book, why you should consider it for book club and what the genre of literary suspense actually is.  We also tackled some of the big questions in the book like “Was love really real if it didn’t last?”, and “Does someone have to know all your secrets in order to truly know you?”.

Though this was the first Lisa Unger book I had read, it will definitely not be the last.

I hope you enjoy the interview! Click here to check out more great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

The way the schedule worked out at the recent Chicago Green Festival, I was able to sit in on Greg’s lecture before I interviewed him.  It’s always great when I can do that as it gives me whole new level of understanding about an author that I don’t always get by just reading their books.  Listening to Greg Palast talk, I sort of wished I could grow up to be him.  He is fearless in both where he goes and what he says.  He takes chances many of us would never dare to – and he says what he thinks whether you like it or not.

When we sat down for the interview, we talked (and laughed) not only about some of the details of the book ARMED MADHOUSE, but also about some of Greg’s current work which you can see on the Palast Investigates DVDs.

I hope you enjoy the interview! Click here to check out more great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

This is a guy who has won an Edgar, an O. Henry, and even an Emmy for his television writing and he is as unassuming and easy to talk to as you could ever imagine. In addition to his writing, Michael is also a professor at Duke University and as I interviewed him I found myself jealous of his students. This is a guy you could really learn from.

But I digress. The book is the story of Navy pilot Annie Peregrine-Goode and her quest to find her father, the identity of her mother, and most of all herself. Built on a subtle Wizard of Oz base, the story is about love, secrets, and the mysterious bonds of families.

One of the things I loved most about THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE SKY is the detail that went into creating the lives and back stories of even the smallest characters. It’s a large cast and not one character is a cardboard cut out. Quite a feat.

So, if you’d already heard of Michael Malone — you know what I’m talking about. If you hadn’t…well, you have now. Grab a copy of the book and he’ll soon be one your favorite authors.

I hope you enjoy the interview! Click here to check out more great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

Ann came to our office on the last stop of her book tour for her latest book 3 WILLOWS, which is the beginning of a new series for her.  For fans of The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants series, have no fear, you’ll see a couple of your favs making an appearance in the Willow series and rumor has it she may come back to the Pants girls again before it’s all said and done.

Of course we talked about the new book, but we also chatted about the Sisterhood movies and her intruiging next project which sounds like it will be a bit of a departure for her.

I hope you enjoy the interview!  Click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here on the blog and on the new book club page.

Our Latest Pick

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein

I don’t mind a little crying over a good book if then end justifies the tears.  In this case, the ending and much of went on in the middle was predictable, but the book was ultimately worth the tears.

The story is told by Enzo the dog – who is nearly a human trapped in a dog’s body.  Frustrated by his lack of opposable thumbs and his inability to speak, he makes an interesting observer and sometimes participant to the life of race car driver Denny Swift.

I found his loyalty and love for his family to be both doglike and manlike at the same time.  The books deeper messages, couched in racing terms and dog thoughts were a bit like reading a novelization of The Secret.  But who couldn’t use a reminder not to give up and to believe “that which you manifest is before you’?

For some book club discussion questions and a tasty summer recipe, check out the new book club page and feel free to leave some comments and let me know what you thought of the book!

– Dana

What’s great about Perkins’ books is they are written for real people like you and me who are not economists and who are not focused on this stuff on a daily basis.  Each region of the world is discussed not in mind-numbing detail but with just enough information to get you up to speed.  But what really makes the books are John’s real life experiences and observations.

I met John for the second time at the Seattle Green Festival and had the opportunity to sit down with him to talk about his work.

I hope you enjoy the interview!  Click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

And it has paid off.  His books are a unique combination of page turning mystery and well researched historical fiction.

As a book lover, I was especially excited to meet Matthew and chat about his latest book, THE LAST DICKENS when he was in Atlanta on tour recently.  I dug in to the book and got the details on what is fact and what is fiction, along with the acceptable nicknames for Matthew and a clue about what he is working on next.

And since Matthew is fond of sharing “extras” that weren’t in the book on his website, I’ll share a fun fact with you that’s not in the interview.  As a gift to himself when the manuscript was finished, Matthew bought and original Fields & Osgood (Osgood is the main character in the book) copy of The Mystery of Edwin Drood.  He had it with him.  Super cool.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here on the blog.

Our Latest Pick

ELLA MINNOW PEA by Mark Dunn

I actually read Mark Dunn’s Ella Minnow Pea several years ago for a book club I was part of and it stuck with me, so now I want to share it with you.  While clearly a literary exercise (as letters fall off a statue – they are removed from the written and spoken vocabulary of an island community by its totalitarian government), it is also a really good story and a thought provoking political statement.

I have read other books that felt like literary exercises to me.  Some work and some don’t.  The one that pops into my mind first is Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.    The book was very highly acclaimed but I found myself distracted by some of his literary devices, and for me that took something away for the book.  I felt like it was a project for a graduate level writing class.  It would get an A for sure, but I want to feel the emotion and discover the plot rather than be cleverly deviced to death.

But back to Ella Minnow Pea.  In this book, the literary device framework does not distract.  Instead it lays a fantastical framework for character development and political observation.  Here are some of the questions the book brought up for me.

How silly are some of the things we worship or revere?

How long would you put up with rules or laws that made no sense to you?

Is there something other than language that we take for granted but couldn’t live happily without?

I could go on and on.  But I’ll let you discover the rest on your own.  If you haven’t already, check out the book club email.  It includes the discussion questions and a great recipe for Spiced Pecans from the Starwoodgal’s  Something’s Burning blog.

Let me know if you try the recipe, what you thought of the book and get ready for a great beach read next month!

– Dana

I mean, after all Jodi Picoult is not just any author she’s the kind of author whose books jump to #1 on the list the minute they come out.  Everyone knows who she is.  If you’ve ever walked into a bookstore or even past one in an airport, you’d recognize the cover of a Jodi Picoult book.  And now her most famous book MY SISTER’S KEEPER is about to come out as a major motion picture as well.

So yes, I was nervous because of her fame but it was more than that.  I had just finished HANDLE WITH CARE the night before at about midnight and I was fired up about the ending. Among other things, I was hoping I could politely ask why she chose to end her books  with the shocking and upsetting twists and turns she is famous for.

The book is about Willow, a child born with brittle bone disease and her mother Charlotte’s ensuing wrongful birth lawsuit.  As with all her books, HANDLE WITH CARE will keep you turning pages, caring about the characters and asking yourself what you would do if you found yourself in this situation.

We talked about the characters, the disease, the research that went into the book and yes, the shocking ending as well.   And of course I had to ask about the upcoming movie release of MY SISTER’S KEEPER (June 2009 – starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin).

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

Trust me.  You will.  Susan is a fresh new voice in Southern Literary Fiction and her debut novel is fantastic.  The characters are rich and while you do feel the story is complete at the end, you find yourself wanting to know what happens to these characters next.

The book is the story of three Southern women — a proper Atlanta matron, her rebellious teenage daughter, and their housekeeper’s young daughter and the intersection of their lives.  While Susan tackles some complex issues like religion and gender identity, she does it with humor. 

I sat down with Susan shortly after the launch party to talk about the three main characters, the Big Weaner, and to find out what the heck buttered Saltines are all about. 

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

Dr. Fisher is the chief scientific advisor for CHEMISTRY.COM and her personality type test has already been taken by millions!  She has been seen on 20/20, The Early Show on CBS and even The Colbert Report, so I was especially excited that she was able to take the time to sit down with me.

Once you read this book (and listen to the podcast!) you’ll never look at people (or more importantly, yourself) the same way.

Do you know what it means if your ring finger is longer than your pointer finger?  How ’bout who should pay for dinner and why?  (Scientifically speaking, of course).  Did you ever stop to think you might be living in the wrong place to meet your soul mate?   Wonder what Oprah’s personality type is?  How ’bout Barack Obama?

The answers to these questions and more are right in this podcast (which was really one of the most fun interviews I’ve done).  And of course even more answers and the quiz itself are in the book!

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here on the blog.

Our Latest Pick

HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford

As you can imagine, I love books and authors and love to do what I can to help promote them.  It’s not just my current and former life as a bookseller that makes me feel this way — I have always loved books.  So, when I come across a debut novel like this one, I am especially happy to be able to help get the word out.

Jamie Ford’s HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER & SWEET has officially become one of my new favorite books.  Ford paints a personal picture of race, culture, family, love and loyalty in the 1940s in America.  He shows us, through the eyes of children, a time we, as Americans, would rather forget; when Japanese Americans were rounded up and forced to live in internment camps.  It is a politically important story for sure, but it is the personal story that sweeps you up and makes you unable to stop turning pages.

I loved Henry, both as a child and as a man.  He is loyal, brave and young Henry seems wise beyond his years.  What did you think of his quiet disobedience of his father?  What about his father’s rule that he could only speak English at home when his parents only spoke Cantonese?  Keiko and her family were so very American and worldly and open.  Did they change the way you felt about the internment?

What did you think of the jazz in the book and the way it was woven throughout the story?

Anything else you want to chat about?

– Dana

The book doesn’t choose a cause but gives you options whether you prefer fair trade, organic, all natural or buying local.  The other cool thing about the book is that Summer Rayne actually tried many of the products herself and tells you which are her favorites.

The book is more of a resource than the kind of thing you’ll want to sit down and read cover to cover.  Instead, you’ll want to keep it handy and have it as a reference to look at before you get your money out and start spending.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

I was a bit nervous for the call, knowing that in addition to being a New York Times bestselling author, Stephen (I think we’re on a first name basis now) is also this uber famous and connected TV producer but truth be told, he couldn’t have been nicer or more gracious.

We talked about Stephen’s backround, and about the character of Shane Scully, his origins and where he may be headed next.   And though I know you don’t always think of action packed detective stories as being about some of the today’s most pressing issues, this one certainly is.

Both police corruption and immigration issues are focused on in the book and in the interview, Stephen talks about why he highlights these issues and what he wants the reader to take away.

A couple of days after the phone interview, I went to meet Stephen in person at his appearance at The Margaret Mitchell House.  In person, he was just as gracious as on the phone and he is a truly inspiring speaker.  If you ever have the opportunity, I urge you to go and hear him speak.

Oh – and if you’re into TV, Stephen appeared with James Patterson on the pilot episode of Castle on ABC!

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

Although their books feel completely different and are geared to completely different audiences, they share the same story; Nic’s terrifying cycle of drug addiction, recovery and relapse.

As a parent, I related to what David was going through.  These are smart, successful parents with smart and talented kids.  I’m sure, like most of us, they never thought it could happen to them.  Nic could have been my kid or yours.  That’s the scary part.

Reading Nic’s story takes you away from the headlines and the statistics and gives a face and a humanity to the addiction.  By turns I was angry at him, but then wanted to hug him and protect him just they way I know his father does.

I hope you will enjoy the interview and will get great meaning out of both of these incredible books.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

In preparing to interview Dr. Taylor, I watched her 4 part special on Oprah’s Soul Series.  Oprah referred to Jill as not a stroke survivor but a “stroke triumphant” and she truly is.

As a Harvard trained brain scientist, Dr. Taylor was able to observe and later write about the actual experience of having a stroke and the ensuing recovery.  The book is her personal story along with the science behind stroke.  She also gives us some incredible insight into her mind, the medical profession and ways we can all work to quiet the non-stop chatter in our left brains.

I was able to chat with Dr. Taylor on the phone just a couple hours after the historic inauguration of Barack Obama.  It seemed a perfect time to talk to her about her book and her message of peace.

If you’re as fascinated with Dr. Taylor’s story as I am, of course you’ll want to listen to the podcast and you might also want to check out her famous TED talk.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

In her first book Molly Fletcher teaches you how to apply the idea of being a 5 tool player to your job search.

I took my recording equipment to the offices of Career Sports and Entertainment to meet with Molly and talk about the book.  The offices were glamorous but Molly could not have been more down to earth.   Though the book is geared to job seekers just out of school I found that it really applies to all of us.  And in this crazy economy you can’t have too many tools or too many pieces of advice on not only how to find a job, but how to find your dream job.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

The book by former “Sex and the City” writers Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo was a runaway hit for good reason. Who doesn’t have a friend that you just want to smack upside the head for staying with the wrong guy? Who isn’t themselves in need of some good old fashioned head smacking that only a non-interested third party like this book can give you? While I certainly don’t think this is one you have to read before you see the movie, (note the lack of plot, character and surprise ending in the book), I do think you might want to have a copy on hand if you happen to be, well…female. I’m not saying you necessarily need the advice.  Maybe it’s your sister or your best friend.  You could just casually slip it into her backpack or leave it on her coffee table. I’m just saying…

I’ll definitely be checking out the movie (what can I say – I’m a sucker for the chick flicks).  Will you?  Let me know what you think of it!

I met Benyamin here at the Better World Books offices to chat about the book and the fact that his dad thinks Ben Stiller would be perfect for the part of Benyamin should there ever be a movie!

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of chatting on the phone with internationally acclaimed and award-winning activist Van Jones about his book The Green Collar Economy.  Van was both informative and funny – at one point comparing clean coal to having unicorns pull our cars.  I sincerely hope you enjoy listening to the interview as much as I enjoyed talking to him.  The Green Collar Economy has been endorsed by Nancy Pelosi, Tom Daschle and Al Gore and both Van and the book have been written up in both Time Magazine and The New York Times.

In addition to being an author, Jones is the founder and president of Green for All, a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.  For more information on Green for All, go to www.greenforall.org.

Van Jones

I sauntered over to the wasteland of casual verbiage that is Urban Dictionary to find this:

[I'm not even going to touch "totes," that curious mixture of hipster/Hilton speak that I can't get away from in SF].  Now mind you I understand the concept–contextually it’s fairly easy to glean–but does anyone else think “beasties” when they see that?  Is this one of those things that just works better in voice than in writing?

Dana recently had a chance to sit down with Barbara Ehrenreich after her talk at the Green Festival in Washington DC. Ms. Ehrenreich is a political activist and satirist and the author of over 20 books including the New York Times Bestsellers Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch. \Her latest book This Land is Their Land is a collection of essays on the current state of the country.  No stone goes unturned as Ms. Ehrenreich tackles gay marriage, the disparity of the classes and even the Disney princesses.

Today’s edition: Karen White, author of the recent The House on Tradd Street as well as earlier The Memory of Water and The Color of Light.

Southern novelist Karen White’s first book for NAL, The Color of Light, was named one of the Top Ten Summer Reads by Atlanta Magazine, became a Southeast Bookseller Association best seller, and was honored with awards and nominations from writers’ organizations in her home state, Georgia, and as far afield as Wisconsin and Colorado. Pieces of the Heart, Learning to Breathe and The Memory of Water followed and, in November 2008, NAL releases The House on Tradd Street. Quintessential “Karen White” it tells of characters on the road to discovery, shares a story rooted in the past, and evokes emotions that touch off waves of recognition among readers.

Today’s edition: Annette Gordon Reed, author of The Hemingses of Monticello and Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy as well as co-author of Vernon Can Read! A Memoir.

In addition to her work as an author Ms. Reed is a professor of law at New York Law School and a professor of history at Rutgers University.

In The Hemingses of Monticello, Ms. Reed expands on her earlier work on the controversial and often denied relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings to include the history and lives of the entire Hemings family; a family unique in their time because of their connection to the White House and to one another.

I have always been a fan of Lisa Jewell, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Remember a few years back (okay more than a few) when Bridget Jones’s Diary hit the big time and we all wanted to read anything British? Well that’s when Lisa Jewell hit it big in the states

Ralph’s Party and Thirty Nothing were really great – and though Ms. Jewell is marketed as chick lit, her characters are very real and likable as well. I think it’s fair to say she got that label because chick lit was all the rage at the time. In fairness, her books should really just be considered contemporary fiction.

Vince & Joy is kind of like a British When Harry Met Sally except that instead of starting out friends, the pair in this story start out as lovers – each others first, in fact. Circumstances separate them and they go on to live their own very normal, very that-could-be-me lives. We experience them over a nearly twenty year period as they live their lives and bump into each other every several years along the way. The supporting cast is well thought out and interesting from the parents to the roommates to the transgender neighbor and the psychic cat.

I don’t know why I thought I would do better with the topic of The Almost Moon.  It’s a tough one to swallow, too.  I’m not giving anything away by telling you that on page one we learn that the main character has killed her aging mother.

While the work is crafted with great skill – the main characters are all fairly unsympathetic and the opening chapter is so disturbing I almost put the book down.

That said, I do think The Almost Moon would make a good book club selection if you can stomach it.  The conversations it would open up and the character discussions could be very meaningful and engrossing.  I can just hear my book club both complaining about it and really getting into it.