Thanks to Erick and the Group!

[Rachel-K]

We are nearly at the end of the month! Please help me to thank Erick for joining us!

Erick, you've written an extraordinary novel, and your participation in this discussion has been a great gift. You've been candid, quick-witted, and wonderfully generous in your responses.

You said in your clip that you hoped readers would get a few hours to escape ordinary life--well, we've had that and much more. Thanks for everything!

And to the group--as always, thanks for your thoughtful and challenging posts! It's been a great group, and I hope to see all you in another discussion soon! 

We won't have a First Look for July, but keep an eye out for our next FL announcement. We will have a beautifully written first novel by Julia Gregson in New Reads, East of the Sun.

[JerseyAngel]

Thanks to B&N as always for letting us experience yet another wonderful new author. Special thanks to Paul & Rachel!! It's always such a pleasure!

Thank you to Erick for sharing your talent & spending so much time talking with us & sharing your feelings & thoughts behind the story & characters you brought to life. I look forward to following the success of your first novel. Can't wait for your next!! Thanks to Kerri also!

This was my 2nd FL and it was a great group of people. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed discussing this book with everyone!

Stephanie

[kiakar]

Thanks to the author for this simply fantastic novel. I feel so grateful that I get to read these first look reads and this one is by far the best. Thanks again Erick!

Thanks to Rachel and to the whole staff of B&N that provides us with these wonderful reads.

And of course to the Editor and Publisher that also helps to provide us with these wonderful novels.

And thanks to my fellow readers who made the book come alive even more by discussing it so openly.

[Tarri]

Thank you Rachel, Paul, and Erick for a great selection and discussion.  Because of computer problems I have not been able to participate as much as I would have liked, but I enjoyed the book, discussion, and all of your interactions with the group. 

[LISA-BRYAN]

As a first timer to First Look I had no idea what to expect -- I have had a wonderful time reading and discussing Of Bees and Mist.  It has been a remarkable experience -- thanks to Erick for such a wonderful book! Thanks to Paul and Racheal  for all their work and help.  Thanks to B&N for having such a wonderful program.  Last but not least - thanks to everyone who contributed and posted such wonderful comments.  I am looking forward to the next First Look selection -- I am officially hooked...hmmm, I wonder if there is a support group out there for everyone have been driving crazy for the last month.  Finally, I would like to apologize for anyone I upset by writing spoilers without flagging it as such -- I know better now.

Message Edited by LISA-BRYAN on 06-26-2009 07:34 AM

[thewanderingjew]

Hi Erick,

You wrote in your introductory letter:

"For most of my life, I have had an uneasy relationship with language, and even though I dreamed of it, I never seriously believed I could become a published writer. Silence was the language I was most comfortable speaking while growing up".

Congratulations, you have come a long way. You have realized your dream to become a published author. No one in their right mind would ever accuse you of having an "uneasy relationship with language...". Best of all, you are no longer "silent" and I have a feeling your readers will not let you be.

Thank you for joining us.

twj

[Fozzie]

Thank you to everyone who made this experience possible.

Erick, your responses to our questions were so thoughtful and complete that I know I can read the book again with a much greater appreciation of it.  Thank you.

Happy summer!

[DSaff]

Special thank-you's to Erick for sharing his "baby" with us and for his wonderful participation, as well as to Kerri and Aileen for joining us and answering our questions. Many thanks to Rachel, Paul and the group for great questions and discussion. It has been a pleasure to discuss this book with you all. To the selectors at B&N, thank you for another great selection and for making this group possible. I can't wait for the next one! 

Message Edited by DSaff on 06-26-2009 08:34 AM

[dhaupt]

Erick, I want to mirror all of the thanks that were given to you here. I appreciate all the abuse you took from us and all the time you spent responding to our questions and comments. I know it's hard to be under the microscope here at first look and you handled yourself like the consummate gentleman that you are.

I really enjoyed the book!

And thank you to my fellow first lookers, this was an incredible journey for all of us and I really can't say enough how much I enjoy reading all your posts and learning different ways to look at the same passage I just read, not only do you all give me insight to think differently but just being a community unto ourselves and learning a little bit about each other.

And to Paul and Rachel, thank you for making another first look memorable you each gave direction and help when we needed it and your questions and comments made the experience that much more enjoyable. 

And finally to B&N for making this whole thing possible, I enjoy many of the book clubs here and have found lasting friends in the moderators and some of the posters. But I think that first look is my favorite by far, I read books that otherwise I wouldn't and I learn a little about the authors, and it expands my horizons. I can't wait for the next one!!

Message Edited by dhaupt on 06-26-2009 09:34 AM

[Deltadawn]

Erick, thank you SO much for this outstanding novel and for sharing it with us here. Many Thanks also for discussing the book with us and answering our questions. It has been an honor. Congratulations on this wonderful book!

As always, many thanks to Rachel and Paul, and everyone at Barnes & Noble for this wonderful opportunity!

And of course thanks so much to my fellow First Look book club members! The discussions are always so full of great thoughts and insights. 

Looking forward to future First Look experiences!!

Dawn

[CathyB]

Thanks to all!

B&N, Paul and Rachel - this is a fantastic program and the selections are always interesting. P&R do a fantastic job as the admin and moderator of the group. I am also glad that they are able to participate in the discussion.

Aileen & Kerri - you added some great insights on the process behind selecting this book.

Erick - thank you for writing the book. It certainly generated a great deal of discussion which I think is fantastic. Your participation in the Q&A section was exceptional!! We will certainly be following your career. Good luck on your future endeavors.

The group - what can I say. Magnifico as usual.

Looking forward to our next adventure!

CathyB

[libralady]

Thanks Paul and Rachel for all of your work in bringing us another excellent book! 

Thanks Erick for allowing us the opportunity to read this wonderfully written debut novel.  Thanks also for making the time to join in our discussions.  Your responses were very candid, humorous, witty, informative and thought provoking.  I know this book will do very well and I look forward to reading your next book. 

Thanks to the entire group.  As always, it has been a pleasure exchanging ideas, opinions, predictions, etc. with all of you. 

[ClaudiaLuce]

Thanks to Erik for writing an incredible debut novel! Thanks to Barnes and Noble for providing us with this excellent opportunity! And hats off and a very special thank you to Paul H and Rachel for their paitence and kindness with putting up with our wonderful group!

First Look is a very special opportunity, for me in particular. There is no where else that I could or would get this kind of exposure to the authors that you all have allowed me to become aquainted with.  I have developed new favorites from this unique experience, including Erik Setiawan.  I can't wait for the follow-up to Of Bees and Mist!

Thank You All, again.

Claudia

[Sunltcloud]

Thank you Barnes & Noble, Rachel, Paul, Erick, and group. You have made the month of June a memorable reading and discussion experience. It was my first with the First Look group, but - I hope - not the last.

Erick, my best wishes for you and  "Of Bees and Mist" and whatever comes next. You certainly deserve an A+ for overcoming obstacles and showing courage in taming, so eloquently, a language that you did not grow up with. No longer silent!

May the mists rise above the Golden Gate and may the bees bring only honey,

Gisela

[Erick_Setiawan]

I am truly touched by all your comments and reviews.  When I said yes to First Look, I had no idea that I would be sharing my book with a community of readers who are smart and thoughtful and devoted and generous (and perhaps a tad obsessive at times--in a good way!). Whoever said that reading is a dying art clearly hasn't met any one of you.  For that I feel lucky and privileged.  If this is the sort of reaction the book will receive once it's out, then I have nothing to worry about.

Thank you everyone for making the last three weeks a joy and a pleasure!  I'll see you in the "real world!"

[vivico1]

I want to thank B&N for the opportunity the first look clubs bring and also to Paul for watching over us and taking care of a great club this month.

Erick, Thanks so very much for coming and hanging with us for a full month! That is an awesome thing to do and a real treat for us readers. It is very special to have a book in your collection that you can look at and think back to actually having talked with the author about it. You have been most gracious with your time, talent, and responses. We could not ask more from an author in a club! Your talent does excite us all you know. And you will have a following. For all the questions I have had, or even some disappointments, for some of the things I didn't get but wouldn't let go of either, I wanted to wait until now to tell you something tho. Of all the first look clubs I have been in, and all the books from them (and I have done all but one I think), Erick, this was actually my favorite and I am not kidding. I may not like it all, but the story line, the pacing, the phrasing and the wonderful characters, truly great characters, this is my favorite first look book. Yeah, I know, so don't faint lol. It is not a 5 star to me, but you are a 5 star gentleman with a great future ahead and a good start.

Thank you again. You will miss my 'bees" you know!

[mv5ocean]

Thanks to Erick, Kerri, the moderators and the "posters", this was by far the most enjoyable discussion I've participated in of all the First Look books.

Erick I felt like you took the time to give well thought answers while remaining gracious for our input and of course you were oh so funny!

Thanks to B&N for allowing us the opportunity to become critics........

What the heck will I do in July?...........

I guess pray for August......lol!

Best wishes Erick for your continued success!

[MSaff]

Paul, Rachel and Erick,

  To Paul and Rachel, you again did a wonderful job moderating this discussion as always.  It's a pleasure working with both of you.   

  To Erick,  You have written a absolutely fabulous novel, and as I said in one of my posts to you,  You will be going a long way as an author.  Thank you again so much for allowing us to ready your first novel, and for answering all of our questions so distinctly and promptly.  

[Paul_Hochman]

Thanks to everyone for another great First Look. Erick most especially. My hat's off to you and your bright future!

We're hoping to announce the next Selection some time next week, so keep an eye on the announcements and this board!

Until next time, I remain your humble admin!

[emmagrace]

Thanks Eric and everyone else who made this a wonderful discussion! This was an amazing book and I have enjoyed discussing it with everyone.

Thanks to Eric for sharing his book with us. I found it very hard to put the book down. I have even had a couple of dreams about bees trying to attack me. I look forward to any upcomping novels that you may decide to write!