Minutes before joining the snaking line outside Coolidge Corner theater in Brookline, my husband and I tucked into soft corn tacos and guacamole and even an elote (corn on the cob) at Boston's awesome Dorado restaurant. The 500-some people waiting in line were the lucky ones with tickets to a reading by my all-time favorite author, Junot Diaz.

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We recently received an email from Sarah asking advice on an all too common book club problem. She wrote:

"I started a book club about a year ago which has 14 members. We make book recommendations twice a year and then we vote on what books to read. It is expected that everyone rotate being a host and a discussion leader.

One member has not attended a meeting for six months, and doesn't even RSVP to let us know that she won't be attending (which we agreed was something we'd all do when we formed the group). I know she is not sick or traveling. Should I try to feel her out and ask if she wants to continue as a club member? Should our club care when members are no-shows and don't participate?"

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Wondering what films based on books will release in Fall 2012?

BookBrowse has the answer!

(this blog was first posted on Sept 4 and was updated on Sept 24 to add additional films - which are indicated with *.

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Thousands of books are due to publish in the next few weeks as the Fall season gets underway. We've been trawling through the catalogs and early reviews to pick out the literary diamonds from among this vast number, and have whittled the list down to about 100 September books, which members can view in full here. From among this number, here are a dozen to whet your appetite including 6 novels, 3 biographies and 3 books for older children and teens.

Enjoy!

Davina, BookBrowse editor

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Why do we feel so satisfied when we engage our creativity? Why is singing, writing a play, cooking a wonderful meal, designing a building or outfit, composing a song or sonata, capturing a particular moment in a photograph, or coming up with a new idea, method, or a way of looking at things in the brainstorming session at work so fulfilling? Why does using our imagination feel so wonderful? Why does making the metaphor that perfectly describes something by comparing it to something else feel so gratifying? Why do people make art anyway? Why do people write?

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A few weeks ago, while visiting family in England, we took a long overdue visit to see a production at London's new Globe Theatre. Located in the heart of London's South Bank close to the Thames (just 750 feet away from the location of the original Globe), the Globe plays to a capacity crowd of 1600 twice a day and has, in the fifteen years since it opened, become one of London's most popular tourist destinations. Considering the pride that the British have in Shakespeare you might have thought that a reconstruction of the Globe would have been a "no brainer" project supported by people across the United Kingdom - but that was far from the case. In fact, I hope it will warm the cockles of BookBrowse's mostly American readers to know that the modern-day Globe Theatre would not exist if it wasn't for the vision and determination of one singular American - Sam Wanamaker.

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