2012 BookBrowse Favorites
We are delighted to present our annual roundup of BookBrowse's Favorite Books. As in past years these books have been selected not simply on the number of votes each book received (as is the way with most "popular awards") but by asking our members and subscribers to rate each book they've read from a shortlist of titles, so that we can gauge how good a book is rather than just counting votes - as a simple vote count tends to favor the best selling books, which as we all know, aren't always the best! Only those already on our mailing list were eligible to vote so as to minimize vote stuffing - about 5000 votes were cast.

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Below are ten of our favorite author interviews from 2012 - a collection of video Q&As, transcribed interviews, and compelling conversations that go deeper than just asking the authors about their writing schedules or what advice they'd give to budding writers. These interviews look at issues and events from around the globe and provide readers with plenty of food for thought.

I hope you enjoy them!

Davina, BookBrowse Editor

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So many books. So little time! How many times have you caught yourself saying just that? And when it comes to picking what works for your book club, it's not enough to pick just what you want to read, it has to appeal to the rest of your reading buddies as well.

We make this task-- of winnowing just the right picks -- easy for you! Many of our reviews are of books that make perfect reading choices for book clubs. Here we feature a dozen carefully selected books, all of which will publish in paperback in early 2013. To help you decide, you can browse through an excerpt and a range of review opinion for each book (and, if you're a member, BookBrowse's full review and backstory). Most also have a handy printable reading guide. I know you'll find plenty in here that will spark lively discussions in your book club.

So the only thing you have to worry about at your next discussion is -- who will bring the wine and cheese!

Davina, BookBrowse Editor

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Sometimes, I think, we are under the magical assumption that a writer has an idea, writes a story, then an editor at a publishing house acquires it, and it is published. Four clean, clear steps in a straight forward-moving line.

Sigh. Maybe I should revise that we to an I.

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We might not see each other very often during the year but my friend Barbara and I always make it a point to go in to the Boston Book Festival together. Our kids are in the same grade in high school and Barbara and I share a love of books so the train ride in and back is a chance for us to reconnect, complain about the kids, and talk books. This year, Hurricane Sandy was a blot on the horizon but the day of the festival was a crisp fall day in Boston.

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A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of hearing Sara Pennypacker give a talk to children's librarians, during which she mentioned a program that she and a few of her children's author friends have launched:

"Share Our Books was born from a conversation a few of us children's authors had about how much we loved Community Reads. The idea is for an entire elementary school community from the principal and teachers to the bus drivers and nurses and, of course, the students and their families to share the experience of reading the same book at the same time. It's an honor and a joy to have our books chosen to help bond a community this way. What could we do to encourage more of it, we asked each other? The answer was obvious...provide the books."

The concept is simple:

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