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VOICE ONE:
Health and love, crime, secrets from the past — these are someof the subjects that readers in the United States currently likebest. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Faith Lapidus. Welcome to This Is America, from VOASpecial English. This week, we tell about some of the books thatpeople in the United States are reading right now.
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VOICE ONE:
Newspapers and magazines tell us what books people are buying.What the lists of best sellers clearly show is that Americans areworried about their health, especially the risks of being too fat.
Several books of advice about howto lose weight are among America’s top selling books. ArthurAgatston and Phillip McGraw are the authors of two of them.
In “The South Beach Diet,” DoctorAgatston suggests ways that people can get thinner while stilleating foods they like best. Phillip McGraw is a mental healthspecialist and television personality known as “Doctor Phil.” Hisbook is called “The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution.” [Editor’s note:the correct title is “The Ultimate Weight Solution.”] It offersseven ways to lose weight.
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Other books on the best-seller lists might help readers forgettheir own troubles. These books tell of romantic love and mysteriousevents from the past that return to threaten the heroes of thestories.
Among novels, romance writer Danielle Steel has a best sellerwith “Answered Prayers.” It tells about two people who were friendsas children. They meet again years later and fall in love. DanielleSteel has now written fifty-six best sellers. Nora Roberts isanother popular romance writer. “Lawless,” her novel about love inthe American Old West, is a best seller. Many people are also buyinganother book by Nora Roberts called “Temptation.”
VOICE ONE:
Mitch Albom has written a best-selling novel about an old mannamed Eddie. Eddie repairs rides in an amusement park. He is bitterthat he has not lived a more meaningful life. Then, on hiseighty-third birthday, Eddie dies. He loses his own life as he triesto save the life of a little girl.
After the man dies, five people who played a part in his lifeexplain to Eddie his existence on Earth. The book is called, “TheFive People You Meet in Heaven.”
VOICE TWO:
People who like mysteries have made several books into bestsellers. One is “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. This story tellswhat happens to an American professor when a museum director inParis asks to meet with him. Clues linked to works of art byLeonardo da Vinci lead to ancient secrets. James Patterson isanother popular author. He wrote the best-selling mystery “FourBlind Mice.” As the story begins, investigator Alex Cross preparesto resign from his job as a policeman in Washington, D.C. Just then,Cross learns that an old friend in the military is accused ofmurder. Cross and the officer he works with, John Sampson, go towork to save the soldier.
VOICE ONE:
Many lists of best sellers in America also include books forchildren. One of these is the first book for young people byMadonna. The singer, and mother, has written the storybook “TheEnglish Roses.” It is for ages four to eight, and deals withfeelings and emotions.
Another popular children’s book has a long name. It is called “ASeries of Unfortunate Events Number Ten: The Slippery Slope.” Thewriter, Lemony Snicket, follows three children as they travelthrough mysterious and frightening mountains.
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Some books continue to sell many copies years after they werefirst published. The books in the “Chicken Soup” series are a goodexample. They are among the best selling books in the history ofpublishing. The series began in nineteen-ninety-three with “ChickenSoup for the Soul.” This book of stories was written by JackCanfield and Mark David Hansen.
The “Chicken Soup” books get their name from the traditional ideathat chicken soup makes people feel better. Some of the stories makereaders cry, but others make them smile or laugh.
VOICE ONE:
People loved the first “Chicken Soup” book. Another followed,called “A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul.” Since thenthere have been many other books. They have names like “Chicken Soupfor the Golfer’s Soul” and “Chicken Soup for the Cat & DogLover’s Soul.”
Other writers have joined Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen to writestories for the series. And many other people send material tosuggest for the books.
Thirty publishers had rejected the first “Chicken Soup” bookbefore it was finally printed. Today, about eighty million of thesebooks have been printed in North America. And “Chicken Soup” bookshave been translated from English into thirty-five other languages.
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Mystery and horror stories by Steven King have also sold millionsof copies. Some of his most famous – and most frightening — booksare “Carrie,” “The Shining,” and “The Green Mile.” These and manyothers have been made into films.
On November nineteenth, the National Book Foundation will honorStephen King. He will receive the award for DistinguishedContribution to American Letters.
Stephen King lives in Bangor, Maine. Visitors often drive by hishome. Carvings of witches and black cats sit on the iron barrierfence around his huge red house.
In nineteen-ninety-nine, a truck hit Stephen King as he walkedalong a road. He recovered, but the injuries almost killed him.
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VOICE ONE:
In recent years, Oprah Winfrey and her television talk show havegreatly influenced reading in America. Mizz Winfrey started anationwide book club in the late nineteen-nineties. She suspended itfor awhile. But now she is again helping Americans find what shebelieves is the best literature.
Oprah Winfrey chooses a book she likes. She announces her choiceon her show from Chicago. Then she asks people to read the book.During the first years of her club, Mizz Winfrey often picked booksthat had not gained huge public interest. That would immediatelychange, once the books became choices of Oprah’s Book Club.
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Now Oprah Winfrey is choosing books from the past. For example,she suggests that club members read “East of Eden,” by the Americanauthor John Steinbeck. This huge novel explores family relationsover a long period of time. The story uses themes similar in someways to the biblical story of the brothers Cain and Abel.
Another choice is “Cry the Beloved Country” by South Africanwriter Alan Paton. This nineteen-forty-eight classic tells whathappens when a black clergyman goes to Johannesburg to find his son.
Alan Paton was a white man. He was born in South Africa innineteen-oh-three. He worked as director of a corrections center forboys, where he made many reforms. He opposed colonialism andapartheid, the former system of racial separation in South Africa.
VOICE ONE:
A number of other television programs besides “Oprah” also havebook clubs that reach millions of people. But there are thousands ofsmall book clubs across the country. Members of these discussiongroups may gather in homes, libraries, offices or religious centers.Some meet in eating and drinking places. Members of book clubs mayread classics like “The Odyssey of Homer.” They may read poetry. Ormystery stories. Or love stories. Or, they may read books aboutpolitics and current events. There are also books that offerdirections for book clubs.
Book clubs are not the only big development in recent years. Thepublishing industry itself has changed. Many small, independent booksellers are struggling to survive. There are now huge book storesowned by a few national companies. Buyers can also order booksthrough the Internet. One thing that has not changed, though, isthat people can still borrow books from their local public library.
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Book clubs are more than just reading groups. They are socialgroups, too. Many book club members become friends. They discusstheir families and jobs as well as the books they read.
The meetings let people learn what other readers are thinking. Asone book club member says, “It is very satisfying to talk about whatyou read with good friends.”
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VOICE ONE:
Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and Jill Moss. CatyWeaver was our producer. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Faith Lapidus. Join us again for more about life in theUnited States on our VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.