438 ratings | 187 reviews | avg rating:3.96

Ann Pearlman’s Followers (116)

More followers…

Ann’s Bookshelves

read (436)
currently-reading (0)
to-read (3)
thriller (1)

Ann’s Friends (689)

Crystal King

1,057 books | 3,304 friends

Sandra Stiles

2,577 books | 284 friends

David Bain

69 books | 4,570 friends

Laura Thomas

2,890 books | 2,468 friends

Kathryn

997 books | 455 friends

Laura Kay Bolin

1,065 books | 1,662 friends

A.B. Shepherd

891 books | 479 friends

Lyndsey Gillespie

1,594 books | 124 friends

More friends…

Ann Pearlman

Goodreads Author

Born

Washington D.C., The United States

Website

http://www.annpearlman.net/

Twitter

AnnPearlman

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Social Sciences

Member Since

July 2011

edit data

Ann Pearlman was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for INFIDELITY which was also made into a Lifetime movie. Her first novel, THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CLUB has been translated into 6 languages and was a national and international bestseller. A GIFT FOR MY SISTER, following characters first introduced in The Christmas Cookie Club won a prize for best fiction in 2014. THE LOTTERY, the third in the series, was published in the fall of 2014.
She also writes non-fiction, INSIDE THE CRIPS is the story of a gang member from L.A. and KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING sent Ann on a national TV, (Oprah) radio and print tour. She wrote a cookbook with her friend, and hostess of her cookie club, THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE COOKBOOK. OTHER LIVES a ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Ann Pearlman questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Ann Pearlman I’m often asked how I write, how I am sufficiently disciplined to actually get books completed, so I thought I’d share some of my tricks and routines.…moreI’m often asked how I write, how I am sufficiently disciplined to actually get books completed, so I thought I’d share some of my tricks and routines.

First, I’ve been writing since eighth grade, jonesing for the feeling I received completing an assignment. We were asked to write thank you notes for a painting our school received. The painting was of two girls sitting on a beach, behind them was the sea, stretching to the horizon. As I wrote about the sea I was transported into a sensation of taking dictation from the universe. Re-experiencing that sensation propels my writing. I write because I love it; I write because I want that feeling again. Weeks later, when I’m editing, I cannot tell which prose was awe-inspired and which was written prosaically.

For years, I didn’t have the luxury of writer’s block, stealing time to scribble notes in between my job, and running my kids around various activities after school. Each moment stolen to write was precious.

Then I discovered the glory of automatic writing: Get up early, before anyone else is up, and immediately write, do not edit yourself, just inscribe the words that come to you. The only experience between dreams and writing were brushing my teeth and coffee. My language was richer so I habituated myself to write first thing in the morning. Slowly, I rescheduled my life around my writing, instead of pushing it between the edges of my other requirements. My kids growing up made that easier.
So I wake with the sun. I write at least five days a week. At least four hours a day. I don’t let myself be interrupted until I’ve done several hours. Then I’ll eat breakfast, answer calls, emails, twitters, etc.

Other tricks: I have words that I have forgotten, igonored in a bowl. I notice them once again in something I’ve read, write them down, and put them in a bowl. Occasionally, I pick one out to flutter (see, that was one…) into my prose.
If I get stuck, I drum. Yes, I play a Djembe hand drum and the repetitive rhythm seems to encourage ideas. So does jumping up and down on a trampoline.

I work out. This is important. After years on the computer, if I didn’t work out, do yoga, and use an ergonomically correct keyboard, I suspect I’d be crippled by carpal tunnel syndrome.

Music provides an added layer of texture to my setting. Writing Inside the Crips, I listened to the hip hop and gangsta rap ( Snoop Dog, Ice T, N.W.A. ) that set the rhythm and the texture of Colton’s life. Writing a scene that takes place in Detroit in the 70’s, I listen to The Jackson 5, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, etc. Sometimes when I’m writing, sometimes when I’m driving or working out my ipod surrounds me with sounds that ebb the time and place into my soul. I ended up so entranced by the rhythm and rhymes of rap that Tara in A Gift for My Sister became a rap artist.

Writing is as much a part of me as breathing. Writing, even if it’s in my journal, imparts meaning to each day.
(less)

flag

3 likes · like
Comment

What are you currently working on?

Ann Pearlman Today, I completed the final edits, cover, etc. for The Lottery which is the third novel in The Christmas Cookie Club series. Now I wait to see the…moreToday, I completed the final edits, cover, etc. for The Lottery which is the third novel in The Christmas Cookie Club series. Now I wait to see the various pieces coalesce into a new book which should launch in mid October. I'm excited to see it printed and launched. And of course, I'm eager to hear the reaction of all the readers of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for My Sister who've been waiting to learn what happens next to my characters who I've grown to love so much. (less)

flag

1 like · like
Comment

See all 3 answers from Ann Pearlman…

Combine Editions
Ann Pearlman’s books

Average rating: 3.28 · 4,263 ratings · 826 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Christmas Cookie Club 3.22 avg rating — 3,493 ratings — published 2009 — 31 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Inside the Crips: Life Inside L.A.'s Most Notorious Gang by Ann Pearlman (Goodreads Author), Ann Pearlman (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 388 ratings — published 2005 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Gift for My Sister 3.12 avg rating — 296 ratings — published 2011 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Infidelity: A Love Story 3.45 avg rating — 65 ratings — published 2000 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Christmas Cookie Cookbook: All the Rules and Delicious Recipes to Start Your Own Holiday Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman (Goodreads Author), Mary Beth Bayer (Contributor) 3.77 avg rating — 13 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lottery 4.13 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	His Eye is On the Sparrow 4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Other Lives: An Illustrated Short Story for Adults really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angels it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Story of Mr. Blue really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Ann Pearlman…

74 posts
Ann Pearlman's Blog

The Page 99 Test

“Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you.” –Ford Madox Ford

I applied the “Page 99 Test” to the re-released edition of Infidelity and reported the following:

Page 99 of Infidelity centers on ethnicity and race in an American family, which is a secondary theme of my memoir. Every family in the United States has an immigration story tied t...

Series by Ann Pearlman

Christmas Cookie Club (3 books)
by

Ann Pearlman (Goodreads Author)

3.22 avg rating — 3,805 ratings

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

rss
Ann’s Recent Updates

Ann Pearlman wrote a new blog post The Page 99 Test “Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you.” –Ford Madox Ford I applied the “Page 99 Test” to... Read more of this blog post »
Feb 02, 2019 12:46AM · like
Ann Pearlman rated a book it was amazing Educated by Tara Westover (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Riveting with a view of a different world and way of life. Witness the power of resilience, hard work, and dreams.
Jan 30, 2019 01:24PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Educated by Tara Westover. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Educated by Tara Westover <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Ann Pearlman rated a book really liked it Washington Black by Esi Edugyan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Fascinating story, beautifully written with insight into the slavery, and much of the world from the Caribbean to Arctic to US south to England to North Africa. Characters are vivid and compelling.
Jan 28, 2019 10:01AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Washington Black by Esi Edugyan <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Ann Pearlman rated a book really liked it Light Years by James Salter	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Close and eloquent examination of a marriage, of the wonders and appreciation of life and how the search for more happiness, more passion, more perfection destroys the glory of what his.
Jan 18, 2019 01:37PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Light Years by James Salter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Light Years by James Salter <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Ann Pearlman rated a book liked it The Retreat of Western Liberalism by Edward Luce	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Examination of democracy as well as populism and authoritarianism throughout history and where we are, and how we got here. Less clear on how to get to where we need to go to prevent the loss of democracy.
Dec 31, 2018 01:00PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Retreat of Western Liberalism by Edward Luce. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Retreat of Western Liberalism by Edward Luce <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Ann Pearlman rated a book really liked it Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Appreciated the weaving of the two stories separated by two generations. The stories from the past seemed more immediate than the present day. But the plot forces the reader to root for the characters.
Dec 27, 2018 08:17AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Ann Pearlman has completed the 2018 Reading Challenge Ann Pearlman has completed her goal of reading 24 books for the 2018 Reading Challenge! 26 of 24 (108%) Create your own 2018 Reading Challenge »
Dec 22, 2018 07:27AM · 3 likes · like · view books
Ann Pearlman rated a book really liked it The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
poetic and engaging read about a girl and a snake that encompasses life. Perfect read for now.
Dec 20, 2018 05:48AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Ann Pearlman rated a book it was amazing Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I re read this book this year after reading it in the late 50s for the first time. This time I saw, was entranced by different aspects and enjoyed it as much, though it seemed, almost, like a different book. Speaks both to how much I've changed and h ...more
Dec 10, 2018 02:23PM · 1 like · like · see review
Ann Pearlman rated a book really liked it Ohio by Stephen Markley (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A novel of lost hopes and dreams of teenagers destroyed by war, drugs, recession, meanness, and sex to prove power. A window into what is going on in for way too many people in way too many cities.
Nov 16, 2018 01:52PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ohio by Stephen Markley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ohio by Stephen Markley <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Ann's books…

Quotes by Ann Pearlman

“I am the head cookie bitch and this is my party.”
― Ann Pearlman, The Christmas Cookie Club

16 likes

“Every day we walk a razor thin line between the ordinary and the tragic."...First line of Gift For My Sister.”
― Ann Pearlman

4 likes

“And some man can't be the door to what you want. All a man can do is love you, be family with you, help you fulfill your dreams.”
― Ann Pearlman, A Gift for My Sister

3 likes

See all Ann Pearlman's quotes »

Polls

December's read will be Christmas themed. Some of these books have less than 200 pages so if two such titles end up at the top, we will read both. One the first two weeks and one the second two weeks. Discussion will start on Tuesday, December 6th. This poll will be open until Sunday, November 20th.

Louisa May Alcott

5 votes, 50.0%

Richard Paul Evans

2 votes, 20.0%

Cecelia Ahern

2 votes, 20.0%

Wally Lamb

1 vote, 10.0%

Ann Pearlman

0 votes, 0.0%

Elizabeth Yates

0 votes, 0.0%

Anne Perry

0 votes, 0.0%

Greg Kincaid

0 votes, 0.0%

Julie Salamon

0 votes, 0.0%

David Sedaris

0 votes, 0.0%

10 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Readers and Reading: March 2010 reads	50	78	Apr 25, 2010 03:50PM
Every one's Choice: 3 Winners for December	42	32	Dec 02, 2010 05:30AM
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2010-2011 Completed Tasks (do not delete any posts)	2589	970	Feb 28, 2011 09:05PM

More…

Ann’s Quotes

“Every day we walk a razor thin line between the ordinary and the tragic."...First line of Gift For My Sister.”
― Ann Pearlman

4 likes

“I consider the luck of simply being born, of being plucked out of the cosmos and bestowed with eyes to see, and nerves to feel, and ears to hear. Our senses. Our speech. Our breath. How crucial and insistent our ceaseless moving lungs from our first cry to our last.”
― Ann Pearlman, A Gift for My Sister

1 likes