New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder recommends five great thrillers where the predator’s target discovers himself or herself to be in danger, but doesn’t know who the predator is…

Mr. Mercedes: A Novel (The Bill Hodges Trilogy Book 1)

by Stephen King

Kindle price: $8.99

The stolen Mercedes emerges from the pre-dawn fog and plows through a crowd of men and women on line for a job fair in a distressed American city. Then the lone driver backs up, charges again, and speeds off, leaving eight dead and more wounded. The case goes unsolved and ex-cop Bill Hodges is out of hope when he gets a letter from a man who loved the feel of death under the Mercedes’s wheels…

Gone Girl: A Novel

by Gillian Flynn

Kindle price: $9.99

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

The Apprentice: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

by Tess Gerritsen

Kindle price: $4.99

It is a boiling hot Boston summer. Adding to the city’s woes is a series of shocking crimes, in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized. A sadistic demand that ends in abduction and death.

The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently removed from the city’s streets. Police can only assume an acolyte is at large, a maniac basing his attacks on the twisted medical techniques of the madman he so admires. At least that’s what Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks. Forced again to confront the killer who scarred her—literally and figuratively—she is determined to finally end Hoyt’s awful influence . . . even if it means receiving more resistance from her all-male homicide squad.

Rules of Prey (The Prey Series Book 1)

by John Sandford

Kindle price: $3.99

The killer was mad but brilliant.

He left notes with every woman he killed. Rules of murder: Never have a motive. Never follow a discernible pattern. Never carry a weapon after it has been used…So many rules to his sick, violent games of death.

But Lucas Davenport, the cop who’s out to get him, isn’t playing by the rules.

Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter Book 1)

by Thomas Harris

Kindle price: $8.99

FBI agent Will Graham once risked his sanity to capture Hannibal Lecter, an ingenious killer like no other. Now, he’s following the bloodstained pattern of the Tooth Fairy, a madman who’s already wiped out two families.

To find him, Graham has to understand him. To understand him, Graham has only one place left to go: the mind of Dr. Lecter.

Read full post on CrimeReads.com

Matt Salinger: ‘My father was writing for 50 years without publishing. That’s a lot of material’.

Among all the dispute and conjecture that has surrounded the life of JD Salinger, one mystery remains especially puzzling. What did he produce after ceasing to publish his writing in 1965, and will it ever be read? It seemed possible that more work would come to light after Salinger’s death in 2010. In 2013 a documentary and accompanying book claimed, among other things, to describe the contents of five new Salinger books that would be forthcoming by 2020 at the latest, yet here we are at his centenary and there has been no sign.

Read full post on The Guardian

Ursula K. Le Guin’s Daily Routine: The Discipline That Fueled Her Imagination.

Recently tweeted out by writer Michael J. Seidlinger as “the ideal writing routine,” it first appeared in an interview she gave in 1988 (and more recently reappeared in Ursula Le Guin: The Last Interview and Other Conversations).

Beginning at the early hour of 5:30 in the morning, the time to “wake up and lie there and think,” it continues on to breakfast — and “lots” of it — at 6:15, and the commencement of the day’s “writing, writing, writing” an hour later, which lasts until lunch at noon. After that, Le Guin considered what we consider her main work to be done, moving on to such pursuits as reading, music, correspondence, “maybe house cleaning,” and dinner. Past 8:15, she said, “I tend to be very stupid,” a state in which nobody could write the sort of books we remember her for.

Read full post OpenCulture.com

Abramson’s highly anticipated new book, Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts, is scheduled to publish at the beginning of February, but advance copies have begun to circulate through the media. And more than one of the people featured in the book have disputed the facts and truth of Abramson’s writing about facts and truth.

Three weeks before its release, a book by former New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson is continuing to draw controversy, this time after additional journalists have claimed that it contains inaccurate information.

Last week, PBS NewsHour correspondent Danny Gold, who formerly worked for the broadcasting company Vice, took to Twitter to take issue with a passage in Abramson’s forthcoming “Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts.” Gold posted a photograph of a passage in the book about a Vice correspondent reporting on the Ebola crisis in Liberia in which Abramson claims that the journalist failed to wear protective clothing while New York Times reporters did so:

“Wow, this is a straight up lie in @JillAbramson’s book,” Gold wrote.”I was this reporter. Like every other reporter there, i was told by experts not to walk around with a PPE unless you were in the ICU. I also worked alongside Times reporters, who a. Gave me that advice and b. Did the same.” “PPE” refers to personal protective equipment.

On Monday, Vice correspondent Arielle Duhaime-Ross posted a thread on Twitter accusing Abramson of making six errors in a paragraph about her.

Read full post in The LA Times

Pre-Order your copy of Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts here/

LONDON (Reuters) – A British company plans to launch a Braille e-reader for blind people this year that should greatly enhance their reading experience and spare them from lugging around hefty print volumes.

Since it was developed by Louis Braille in the 19th Century, the alphabet of raised dots has brought the joy of reading to millions of blind and partially-sighted people.

But in its printed form it’s not exactly convenient or portable: A Braille copy of the Bible can take up about 5 feet (1.5 meters) of shelf space.

British firm Bristol Braille Technology hopes to change this with Canute 360, their new ‘Kindle for the blind’ which it says is the world’s first multi-line Braille e-reader, displaying nine lines of text at a time, or about a third of a page of regular print.

“This means you only have to press the forward button every 360 characters rather than every 20,” said Stephanie Sergeant, whose company Vision Through Sound provides training for blind people and has been working with Bristol Braille.

“It refreshes a line at a time, starting at the top. So even though it takes a little while for all the lines to refresh, you can start reading almost as soon as you press the forward key.”

Any text that has been translated into Braille format can be downloaded into the Canute, potentially putting an endless supply of reading material at the user’s fingertips.

Read full post on Reuters.

Which Kindle “Of The Day” is for you? Take this quiz and find out!

Racking your brain on last minute gifts for the avid reader in your life? We got you covered – Here’s a list of unique gifts for your beloved book lover. Order by the end of today, Tuesday, December 20 and get them in time for Christmas! (Cutting it pretty close there, huh?)

Scented Candles(Lavender)Soy Wax Aromatherapy Candles 8oz tinplate

Price: $10.95

Scent name: Lavender. Soy candles are made from soybeans and are completely biodegradable. They are renewable, sustainable, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable, water-soluble. Since the melting point for soy wax is relatively lower than paraffin, petroleum or beeswax, they are longer lasting and have a cooler burn.

Fintie SmartShell Case for Kindle Paperwhite – The Thinnest and Lightest Leather Cover Auto Sleep / Wake for All-New Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Price: $14.99

Protect your Kindle Paperwhite with this Fintie Smartshell Case at all times! The Fintie Smartshell Case sports a simple and classy design. The back shell is made from durable polycarbonate material so you do not need to worry about any damages. It offers an easy clip-on application. The cover is designed to fold back, so you can read comfortably with just one hand. Our innovative cover was designed to specifically fit your Kindle Paperwhite and secures your device without any hinges or straps. Thin, lightweight, and durable, this cover is perfect for taking Kindle Paperwhite wherever you go. The Fintie Smartshell Case comes in a variety of bright, fun colors, the widest selections to suite your taste.

Banned Book Coffee Mug – The Best Books that Were Thought To Be Too Scandalous or Subversive To Read

Price: $14.95
Boldly displays the title of some the world’s most famous banned books, from Galileo’s Dialogo to Rushdie’s Satanic Verses and 22 titles in between.
12 oz. mug. Dishwasher and microwave safe.
From the Unemployed Philosophers Guild. Don’t worry. We are employed, just not as philosophers. We’re a small, Brooklyn based company specializing in gifts for the sophisticated gift giver. For whatever you need, we have presents of mind.

The Storymatic Classic – 540 Unique Cards – Tell Stories, Play Games, Make Art, and More – Includes Booklet with Prompts, Games, and Activities

Price: $29.95

Six trillion stories in one little box. Which one will you tell? No wires. No screens. No batteries. Simply combine a few of the cards and let your imagination do the rest. Play by yourself or in groups. Perfect for writers, kids, parents, teachers, artists, and anyone who loves stories. A sure way to get people talking, listening, and laughing. Ideal for road trips, parties, game nights, improv, writer’s block, classrooms, camping trips, sunny days, and rainy nights. A perfect birthday present, all-purpose gift, and stocking stuffer.

LINENSPA Shredded Foam Reading Pillow

Price: $54.99

Perfect for Reading or Watching TV: Prop yourself up and settle in for a good book or a favorite movie. The LINENSPA Reading Pillow is filled with clusters of foam for just the right amount of comfort and support as you rest. This reading pillow is designed with foam pieces that can be patted and plumped for a customized fit and allow for excellent airflow. Use it in bed to properly support your back. This lounge pillow has a plush velour cover, cozy arm rests and a convenient carry handle on top. Pillow is 18 inches tall and measures 15 inches wide at the top and 26 inches wide from arm to arm. Cover: 100 percent polyester, Filling: 100 percent polyurethane foam