These novels all won prestigious awards and well-earned heaps of praise. Fodder for your next book club read?

The Echo Maker (National Book Award)

Copper Sun (Coretta Scott King Award)

Spin (Hugo Award for science fiction)

The Janissary Tree (Edgar Award for mystery)

We called up one of our favorite word lovers to ask her for books picks about a subject near and dear to her heart. Martha Barnette, author and host of public radio's A Way With Words, graciously sent us these terrific recommendations:

Idiom's Delight by Suzanne Brock. In English, "you stand on your own two feet," but in Spanish, you "fly with your own wings." A beautifully illustrated volume of idioms in Spanish, Italian, French, and Latin that I've given as a gift again and again.

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If you love language, you must check out these book picks before your next read! We contacted language authority Erin McKean to ask her for her summer book suggestions. The editor of The New Oxford American Dictionary and the fantastic Dictionary Evangelist website, she graciously sent us this -- amazing -- reply:

I love recommending books about language to people -- even to people who haven't asked for any language book recommendations, and who have, in fact, asked me for something completely different, such as the time, or directions.

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Our contributing editor Magda Pecsenye told us about an eventful summer series her book club read a few years ago. It sounded so good we asked her to share it with you:

Our club called the series "Trashy Novels of Yesteryear," picking it because we knew we wouldn't be able to make it through anything more literary during the summer months. But these novels surprised us -- and inspired some of the best discussions we'd ever had. We talked about how the books reflected the social mores and anxieties of the time periods in which they were written, how women's roles have and haven't changed, and how sex and betrayal are timeless themes. Don't rent the movies until after you've read the books.

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Wait, "sports" and "literature?" You bet your seventh inning stretch. As sports journalist Robinson Holloway explains, "Sport in general attracts superior writers, and great sporting events, with athletes achieving levels of excellence beyond expectation, have for many years provided the fodder for thrilling and poignant works of literature." Robison should know: She's been the ESPN/ABC Sports Editorial Advisor for golf telecasts for the past decade and before that a freelance sportswriter with 3,000 stories under her cleats. Here are her recommendations for great sports lit:  Continue reading...

Starting this week, we're inviting an engaging and eclectic group of folks to recommend reads for the beach and pool this summer. Our first guest contributor is Scott Ginsberg. Known as "That Guy with the Nametag," he's a guy who knows how to think creatively. Scott's an author and professional speaker whose books, including The Power of Approachability, talk about the force and virtues of first impressions. He recommends these books on developing your creativity:  Continue reading...

Knitter, English teacher and Johnstown, Pennsylvania's self-appointed ambassador to Brooklyn, Shannon Reed is also an accomplished playwright whose plays have appeared in prestigious regional festivals. "Currently at work on a play about fairies, vicars and princesses," as she tells us, Shannon graciously laid down her quill for a moment to share these terrific thoughts on playwriting and related books:

Writing plays is a tricky business because you're writing text that will need to be brought to life. Thus, it's worth any beginning playwright's time to read the text of a play they have seen and enjoyed. You might start by watching the movie of The Crucible. The 1996 version has a powerful screenplay by Arthur Miller that skews remarkably closely to his searing playscript. Then read the play itself, an American classic.

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