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I Was Reading When I Met Him
My husband, Tom, knew I was a reader from the moment he met me. Seriously. We met in Crested Butte, Colorado, 35 years ago (yesterday was the actual date). He had seen me from the chairlift; I was wearing a lavender ski jacket, which at the time was pretty unusual. Later he saw me in the ski lodge bar. I was reading THE CARDINAL SINS by Andrew Greeley, which had a pretty risqué cover. I was trying to hide the cover as I was sitting there waiting for a friend who was driving up from Gunnison to have dinner with me. Tom was with a friend from Columbus, Ohio.
When it became clear that my friend was not going to make it (I later learned the road was closed due to snow; these were the days before instant communication via cell phone), the two of them asked me to have dinner with them. Three years later, to the day, Tom and I were married. And we packed a lot of books and went on our honeymoon --- two weeks of skiing in Colorado and then a week on the beach in Aruba (where we sported some ridiculous ski tans) as we read on the beach. We read a lot of the same books those days. I remember our having a conversation about whether or not it would be okay to rip books in half so we could be reading them at the same time. We did not.
I know a lot of people who say that their spouses do not read. I am very sure that I could not live with someone who did not know the pleasure of staying up half the night to read. I like being around someone who closes a book with a deep satisfying sigh. Tom rarely talks about what he has read; we could never have a book group à deux, and these days we do not read many of the same books. But for 35 years now, 32 of them married, we have been reading together.
A funny thing happened the other day. We use Stamps.com to mail out packages from the office, and the post office has been less than accommodating about picking them up the way they promise. There is also a rule that you have to post packages from the post office near where you are marking the postage from when you are dropping them off. Since winter weather can be unpredictable and the post office in the city is a few blocks from our office, a couple of times we used my home address to mail out some recent prizes, so I could swing by my local post office and drop them off.
On Wednesday, my husband answered the phone at the house, and one of our readers named Leslie was on the line. She was trying to figure out where the books that she had received had come from and had tracked me down via the return address. (Clearly she had not received the email where she had been told she was a winner of our recent Word of Mouth contest.) Tom had a great time chatting with her and sharing that story with me that night! Considering he had no idea what was going on beyond piecing it together as he had seen the packages in the back hallway last week, he did a good job of filling in what was going on!
Our Editorial Director, Tom (not to be confused with husband Tom), and I went to a luncheon for Claire Messud, who talked to us about her upcoming novel, THE BURNING GIRL, which will be in stores on August 29th. In it, two girls, Julia and Cassie, have been friends since nursery school in the small town of Royston, Massachusetts. As they become teens, their lives diverge. Luncheon table conversation was dominated by the meanness of teens, especially girls, and childhood and teen slights. Claire was a delight; I have not read her work before and very much look forward to reading THE BURNING GIRL.
Now to this week’s update:
Jessica Shattuck, the acclaimed author of THE HAZARDS OF GOOD BREEDING, now delivers a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined. THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE is set at the end of World War II. After Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, now fallen into ruin. The widow of a resister murdered in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows. Ultimately, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during and after the war --- each with their own unique share of challenges.
Reviewer Sarah Jackman calls THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE “thoroughly enjoyable. The plot moves along and propels you to keep reading…. The writing is clean, the storytelling is solid, and Shattuck paints a vivid portrait of a reeling, recovering Germany and the humanity contained within it.” I completely agree with Sarah. I have a bit more to read, but this definitely will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.
Hannah Tinti’s THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY is at once a coming-of-age novel and a literary thriller, a father-daughter epic that weaves back and forth through time and across America. Samuel Hawley, a loner who spent years living on the run, has raised his daughter, Loo, on the road. But now that she’s a teenager, Hawley wants to give her a normal life. As they settle down in his late wife’s hometown, Loo grows increasingly curious about the death of the mother she never knew. Soon, everywhere she turns, she encounters the mysteries of her parents’ lives before she was born. As Loo uncovers a history that’s darker than she could have known, the demons of her father’s past spill over into the present --- and together both Hawley and Loo must face a reckoning yet to come.
According to reviewer Sarah Rachel Egelman, “One of Tinti’s great successes here, in addition to her enjoyable narrative and interesting characters, is her ability to assert…romantic truths in a story that also contains such graphic pain and harm.” She ends her review by calling it “a rich, thoughtful, and gripping novel.”
Debbie Macomber’s latest novel, IF NOT FOR YOU, is here just in time for spring reading and spring romance! If not for her loving but controlling parents, Beth Prudhomme might never have taken charge of her own life and moved from her native Chicago to Portland, Oregon, where she has reconnected with her spirited Aunt Sunshine. And if not for her friend Nichole, Beth would never have met Sam Carney; their unlikely friendship evolves into an intense attraction that surprises them both. But when shocking secrets from Sam’s past are revealed, Beth struggles to reconcile her feelings. And when she goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she’s come to love.
Susan Miura has our review calls IF NOT FOR YOU “a light and easy romance” and goes on to say, “Likable characters, a compelling plot, and just enough conflict to keep things interesting make this an enjoyable read and the perfect book to share with mothers, sisters and friends.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include THE BLACK BOOK, James Patterson and David Ellis’ thriller about power, corruption, and the power of secrets to scandalize a city --- and possibly destroy a family; THE CUBS WAY, in which baseball writer Tom Verducci chronicles the Chicago Cubs’ epic journey to become the 2016 World Series champions (this book also will be included in Ron Kaplan’s Spring Baseball Books roundup, which will be posted later in April); and BUM LUCK, Paul Levine’s latest thriller that once again brings together hard-boiled lawyer Jake Lassiter with mismatched law partners Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord.
Following up on last week’s review of Lisa See’s latest novel, THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE, I am pleased to share with you my Bets On commentary on the book. We also will post a discussion guide for it next week on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
I started reading THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER by Jean Hanff Korelitz last week, and soon realized that it, too, should be a Bets On pick. Click here to see why I think so! We will feature our review in next week’s newsletter.
In this week’s Spring Preview contests, we gave away AFTER THE DARK: A Killer Instinct Novel by Cynthia Eden, ALL GROWN UP by Jami Attenberg, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout, and BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley. Next week’s prizes will be DIMESTORE: A Writer's Life by Lee Smith, FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin, THE HALF WIVES by Stacia Pelletier, and MY LAST LAMENT by James William Brown. The first contest of the week will go live on Monday, April 3rd at noon ET.
For our new poll, we list 20 books that are releasing in April and ask which ones, if any, you’re planning to read. Click here to let us know!
Our previous poll asked how you organize the books you haven’t read yet. For 48% of you, no organization is involved; you just dive right in and read. And for 29% of you, it depends on how much you’re anticipating reading each of the books. Click here for all the results.
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, April 14th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win ALL BY MYSELF, ALONE by Mary Higgins Clark and THE PERFECT STRANGER by Megan Miranda.
You only have until this Monday, April 3rd at noon ET to enter our current Sounding Off on Audio contest. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win the audio versions of the aforementioned THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE, read by Ruthie Ann Miles and Kimiko Glenn, and J.A. Jance's MAN OVERBOARD: An Ali Reynolds Novel, read by Karen Ziemba. We’ll announce April’s prize books a few minutes after March’s contest ends.
News & Pop Culture:
Reader Mail:
Sonia wrote this about shelving books: "Aside from small piles in the bedroom, TV room etc, I have a nice glass case bookshelf from Crate & Barrel. The top shelf are books that belonged to my mother that are worth keeping; EXODUS, WE ARE YOUR SONS, etc. on the left; the right are travel guides that I want to keep and some small framed photos. The second shelf is fiction, the left side is what I have read and am keeping, and the right are those "to read." The third shelf is nonfiction and same as above. The bottom shelf is cookbooks. My husband has a bookcase from IKEA not organized at all. There is a bookshelf in TV rooms with more 'to read.' And my nightstand has books I am currently reading.”
Sue shared, "Just wanted to say I LOVE the newsletter! Have followed it for years! So many GREAT books to read. I am reading BEFORE THE FALL; it is really a good book! Thank you so much!"
Mary Higgins Clark on "CBS Sunday Morning": An interview with the "Queen of Suspense" will air this Sunday, April 2nd.
"Big Little Lies": Finale Sunday Night. We will all find out who gets killed. Will it be the same as in the book? There are some big changes between them that are explored here. Also, ABKCO Records digitally released Big Little Lies: Music From The HBO Limited Series today. The soundtrack album includes music from Charles Bradley, Alabama Shakes, Leon Bridges and cast member Zoë Kravitz, among others.
Fran Lebowitz: I always find her amusing, and her “By the Book” piece in the Times last weekend was classic Fran.
"Grace & Frankie": Wildly fun this season; three episodes left to watch. Episode 3 was the funniest.
The New Samsung 8 Phone: I have a Samsung 5 that I have had for years and have dropped…a lot. The camera lens has been scratched for years, which means I am not often on Instagram and forever am either using my old-school camera or asking people to send me pictures. I never put a case on it; I know, I live dangerously. The other night I watched a video about the new Samsung 8 phone. In case you are wondering, another "revolutionary" moment in the age of the cell phone has arrived. (These pitches are quite over the top.) I was waiting to see if it makes dinner and folds laundry. The price tag is $840! You can pay it over 24 months at $35 a month (I did the math for you). I miss the days when the phone was free. Let’s see, that could be two books a month for 24 months --- 48 books.
I am off to see Lisa See at her event at Books & Greetings in Northvale, NJ tonight. I have never been to that store, thus I am looking forward to this; I saw Lisa this week when she was in the city, and as we were saying goodbye, she got the fabulous news that THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE will debut on the New York Times list at #6. What a fun moment to share with a favorite author!
Tom is at BMW Instructor School this weekend; Greg is around, and Cory may do a driveby. I figured out how to run the shredder and vroomed my way through part of a stack of paper last week. Need to vroom that a lot more. I read the instructions and am supposed to worry about overheating. I am being careful.
Looking forward to the basketball; I am torn about who I want to win. South Carolina has been pretty amazing, and somehow I am visualizing a SC vs. NC championship game for Monday night, but I think in the end North Carolina may take it all. Look at me, I watch two weekends of college basketball and I am ready to do my own version of Charles Barkley. Let me go find a hoodie I can put on backwards so I can eat White Cheddar Cheetos (which are my absolute snack downfall ruination) from the hood as I watch --- Barkley style.
On the reading agenda: I am finishing THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE and THE MARRIAGE PACT, which is very, very cool --- a real page-turner that is also destined to be a Bets On selection. Next up on audio is HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis written and read by J.D. Vance. It’s been atop and high up on the bestseller list for weeks, and our readers have been recommending that I listen to it for weeks!
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Featured Review: THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE
by Jessica Shattuck
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE by Jessica Shattuck (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Cassandra Campbell
Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors. The widow of a resister murdered in the failed July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows. As Marianne assembles a makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Read Carol's commentary in the April 7th newsletter.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY by Hannah Tinti
THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY by Hannah Tinti (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elizabeth Wiley
A loner who spent years living on the run, Samuel Hawley raised his daughter, Loo, on the road, always watching his back. Now that Loo is a teenager, Hawley wants only to give her a normal life. In his late wife’s hometown, he finds work as a fisherman, while Loo struggles to fit in at the local high school. She also grows more and more curious about the death of the mother she never knew. Soon, everywhere she turns, she encounters the mysteries of her parents’ lives before she was born. As Loo uncovers a history that’s darker than she could have known, the demons of her father’s past spill over into the present --- and together both Hawley and Loo must face a reckoning yet to come. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: IF NOT FOR YOU by Debbie Macomber
IF NOT FOR YOU by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Khristine Hvam
If not for her loving but controlling parents, Beth Prudhomme might never have taken charge of her life and moved to Portland, Oregon, where she’s reconnected with her spirited Aunt Sunshine and found a job as a high school music teacher. If not for her friend Nichole, Beth would never have met Sam Carney, although first impressions have left Beth with serious doubts. Sam is everything Beth is not --- and her parents’ worst nightmare: a tattooed auto mechanic who’s rough around the edges. When shocking secrets from Sam’s past are revealed, Beth struggles to reconcile her feelings. But when Beth goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she’s come to love. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit Debbie Macomber’s website.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See
THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See (Fiction)
Years ago, I read Lisa See’s SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN and remember racing to my computer to google the Chinese art of foot binding. As I read THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE, I found myself doing a search about tea trees and tea leaves, particularly those of the Pu’erh tea, which is explored in this book. Confession: I have never given much thought to tea leaves. Seriously. I never thought about how they were grown or harvested. And I had no idea that there are tea auctions where these leaves are sold for wild sums of money. There is something wonderful about a book that not only makes you enjoy the story, but that you walk away from having learned something new.
THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE opens in the late 1980s in a remote place in Asia, the Spring Well Village, home of the minority hill people of the Akha tribe. When reading the opening pages, the villagers’ lives are so primitive that it’s hard to believe this was just 30 years ago; it feels like they are living a century ago. There is one birth custom that is described at the beginning that feels barbaric to ponder. Their income is derived from tea groves that have been with the tribe for generations.
Li-yan is the daughter of the tribe’s midwife, training to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She is wildly smart, a star at the local school, and it is recommended that she pursue further education. She is called in to speak with traders as they come to town, and she keeps the secret of the ancient trees hidden. At the same time, she has fallen for a boy, the class imp who everyone has cautioned her against. She finds herself pregnant and husbandless as the boy she loves has moved to Thailand. She flees the village, gives birth outside her town, and drops her child at an orphanage that harbors abandoned baby girls, tucking a Pu’erh tea cake with the baby.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to watch Lisa See talk about the book.
- Click here to visit Lisa See's website, where you can find details about how to have your own tea tasting, as well as background on Lisa's research.
Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary on the book.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Fiction)
In THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER by Jean Hanff Korelitz, Naomi Roth is the first female president of Webster College. Webster prides itself on students who are progressive and passionate. In the fall, students assert themselves to protest a popular professor’s denial of tenure; he’s African American and, yes, there are cries of racial prejudice. But rules of confidentiality means that the true reason for this judgment cannot be disclosed, though it is a very valid one.
Students gather at “The Stump,” forming a tent city there. To complicate things, among the protestors is Naomi’s daughter, a freshman at the college. Picture dealing with professional and familial strife on a hotbed topic. The leader of this somber band is Omar Khayal, a Palestinian student who has come to the school via Oklahoma; his storied past is flecked with violence.
Suddenly Naomi is embroiled in a personal and professional situation that is ripping her apart. These days the process of getting into college has gone to insane levels. This book looks at what happens to a carefully cultivated student body (it’s the kind of place where everyone wants to be chosen to attend) once they are admitted --- something not studied in fiction quite like this before. As she did with her earlier novel, ADMISSION, Jean has me thinking a lot more about how colleges and universities function these days. At the same time, we get another peek inside the world of academic faculty where passions, slights and competition all run high.
Given the high level of anxiety we are seeing around the country and the passions that have been ignited, this is a very timely book on many levels. There’s a lot to discuss if you are in a book group.
It is smartly written. The pages fly by as the story moves forward, with lots of very juicy morsels served up oh-so-smartly, and one very riveting “aha” moment that will give you pause.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Read our review of THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER in the April 7th newsletter.
Featured Review: THE BLACK BOOK
by James Patterson and David Ellis
THE BLACK BOOK by James Patterson and David Ellis (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
A horrifying murder leads investigators to an unexpected address --- an exclusive brothel that caters to Chicago's most powerful citizens. There's plenty of incriminating evidence on the scene, but what matters most is what's missing: the madam's black book. Now shock waves are rippling through the city's elite, and everyone is desperate to find it. As everyone who's anyone in Chicago scrambles to get their hands on the elusive black book, no one's motives can be trusted. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: BONE WHITE by Wendy Corsi Staub
BONE WHITE: Mundy's Landing Book Three by Wendy Corsi Staub (Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Allyson Ryan
“We shall never tell.” Spurred by the cryptic phrase in a centuries-old letter, Emerson Mundy travels to her ancestral hometown to trace her past. In Mundy’s Landing, she connects with long-lost relatives --- and a closet full of skeletons going back centuries. In the year since former NYPD Detective Sullivan Leary solved the historic Sleeping Beauty Murders, she --- like the village itself --- has made a fresh start. But someone has unearthed blood-drenched secrets in a disembodied skull, and is hacking away at the Mundy family tree, branch by branch. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit Wendy Corsi Staub’s website.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: BUM LUCK by Paul Levine
BUM LUCK by Paul Levine (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Luke Daniels
Jake Lassiter’s client, Miami Dolphins’ running back Thunder Thurston, has been cleared of murdering his wife. Jake didn’t expect to win (or want to win) since he is sure his client is guilty. When Thurston walks free, Lassiter vows to seek his own kind of justice. Street justice. Vigilante justice. Law partners Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord can’t believe their friend has become so obsessed with killing Thurston. Convinced Jake’s unhinged behavior is due to concussive brain injuries suffered during his football career, they beg him to seek treatment. But as Lassiter’s raging fixation on vengeance grows, Solomon and Lord wonder if they’re too late to help. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit Paul Levine’s website.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com's Sixth Annual
Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases. Our sixth annual Spring Preview Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 20th. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, April 3rd at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
MURDER ON THE SERPENTINE: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel by Anne Perry (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jenny Sterlin
The body of Sir John Halberd, the Queen’s confidant, has been found in the shallow water of the Serpentine in Hyde Park, bearing the evidence of a fatal blow to the head. At Her Majesty’s request, Sir John had been surreptitiously investigating Alan Kendrick, a horse-racing enthusiast who seems to have had an undue amount of influence on her son, the Prince of Wales. Now Thomas Pitt must navigate the corridors of power with the utmost discretion and stealth, for it seems certain that Sir John’s killer is a member of the upper classes. Aided by his wife, Charlotte, and her social contacts, Pitt seeks out the hidden motives behind the polite façade of those to the manner born --- and uncovers a threat to the throne that could topple the monarchy. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE CUBS WAY: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse by Tom Verducci (Sports)
Audiobook available, read by Tom Verducci
It took 108 years, but it really happened. The Chicago Cubs are once again World Series champions. How did a team composed of unknown, young players and supposedly washed-up veterans come together to break the Curse of the Billy Goat? Tom Verducci, twice named National Sportswriter of the Year and co-writer of THE YANKEE YEARS with Joe Torre, has full access to team president Theo Epstein, manager Joe Maddon and the players to tell the story of the Cubs' transformation from perennial underachievers to the best team in baseball. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE: A Brit in the FBI Thriller by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by MacLeod Andrews and Renee Raudman
FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are the government’s Covert Eyes --- leading a top-notch handpicked team of agents to tackle crimes and criminals both international and deadly. But their first case threatens their fledgling team when the Fox calls from Venice asking for help. Kitsune has stolen an incredible artifact from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, and now the client wants her dead. She has a warning for Nick and Mike: she’s overheard talk that a devastating Gobi desert sandstorm that’s killed thousands in Beijing isn’t a natural phenomenon, but rather is produced by man. The Covert Eyes team heads to Venice, Italy, to find out the truth. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
IN FARLEIGH FIELD: A Novel of World War II by Rhys Bowen (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Gemma Dawson
World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham’s middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility. As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela’s help, stop them before England falls? Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
A BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN by Susan Meissner (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kim Bubbs
World War II is over, and Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina, and Simone Deveraux, the wronged daughter of a French Resistance spy, join hundreds of other European war brides aboard the renowned RMS Queen Mary to be reunited with their American husbands. But when the voyage ends at New York Harbor, only one of them will disembark. In the present day, and facing a crossroads in her own life, Brette Caslake visits the famously haunted Queen Mary. What she finds will set her on a course to solve a 70-year-old tragedy that will draw her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides --- and ultimately will lead her to reconsider what she has to sacrifice to achieve her own deepest longings. Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
OUR SHORT HISTORY by Lauren Grodstein (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Karen White
Karen Neulander has always been fiercely protective of her son, Jacob. When Jacob’s father, Dave, found out Karen was pregnant and made it clear that fatherhood wasn’t in his plans, Karen walked out of the relationship, never telling Dave her intention was to raise their child alone. But now Jake is asking to meet his dad, and with good reason: Karen is dying. When she finally calls her ex, she’s shocked to find Dave ecstatic about the son he never knew he had. With just a few more months to live, Karen resists allowing Dave to insinuate himself into Jake’s life. She wrestles with the truth that the only thing she cannot bring herself to do for her son --- let his father become a permanent part of his life --- is the thing he needs from her the most. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
CONVICTION by Julia Dahl (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Andi Arndt
In the summer of 1992, a year after riots exploded between black and Jewish neighbors in Crown Heights, a black family is brutally murdered in their Brooklyn home. A teenager is quickly convicted, and the justice system moves on. Twenty-two years later, journalist Rebekah Roberts gets a letter: I didn't do it. Frustrated with her work at the city’s sleaziest tabloid, Rebekah starts to dig. But witnesses are missing, memories faded, and almost no one wants to talk about that grim, violent time in New York City --- not even Saul Katz, a former cop and her source in Brooklyn’s insular Hasidic community. So she goes it alone. And as she gets closer to the truth of that night, Rebekah finds herself in the path of a killer with two decades of secrets to protect. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
A TWIST OF THE KNIFE by Becky Masterman (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Suzanne Toren
Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn, now happily settled in Tucson, doesn’t visit her family in Florida much. But her former partner on the force, Laura Coleman --- a woman whose life she has saved and who has saved her life in turn --- is living there now. So when Laura calls about a case that is not going well, Brigid doesn’t hesitate to get on a plane. On leave from the Bureau, Laura has been volunteering for a legal group trying to prove the innocence of a man who is on death row for killing his family. Laura is firmly convinced that he didn’t do it, while Brigid isn’t so sure. But the date for his execution is coming up so quickly that they’ll have to act fast to find any evidence that may absolve him before it’s too late. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
THE BRIDGE by Stuart Prebble (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Alex Collins
Michael Beaumont is head over heels with the woman of his dreams. But Alison is harboring a dangerous secret, one that threatens to break loose once Michael introduces her to his last remaining relative. Michael's grandmother Rose, who raised him from childhood, isn't quite the woman she used to be --- her memory is failing her, and she's prone to fits of wild emotion. But something about Rose's outburst upon meeting Alison seems like more than just a simple delusion. And something about the string of murders terrorizing London, with incidents occurring just blocks from Michael, feels like more than just a coincidence. What is Rose not telling Michael? What is Alison hiding? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on April 4th
Below are some notable titles releasing on April 4th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of April 3rd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
ALL BY MYSELF, ALONE by Mary Higgins Clark (Mystery/Thriller)
A glamorous cruise on a luxurious ocean liner turns deadly in this latest mystery from the “Queen of Suspense,” Mary Higgins Clark.
AMERICAN WAR by Omar El Akkad (Fiction)
Omar El Akkad’s debut novel, which revolves around a second American Civil War, asks what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons upon itself.
EARTHLY REMAINS: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon (Mystery)
In this 26th installment of Donna Leon’s mystery series, Commissario Guido Brunetti’s endurance is tested more than ever before when, during an interrogation of a suspected drug dealer, he does something that he will quickly come to regret.
THE LOST ORDER by Steve Berry (Thriller)
From the backrooms of the Smithsonian to the deepest woods in rural Arkansas, and finally up into the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico, this latest Cotton Malone thriller is a perilous adventure into our country’s dark past, and a potentially even darker future.
MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction)
A feast for the senses and a poignant meditation on the complexity of human relationships, Alexander McCall Smith’s latest stand-alone novel is all about one man’s adventures in the Italian countryside.
NEVERTHELESS: A Memoir by Alec Baldwin (Memoir)
In Alec Baldwin’s memoir, the multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actor, producer, comedian and philanthropist transcends his public persona, making public facets of his life he has long kept private.
NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US by Stephanie Powell Watts (Fiction)
With echoes of THE GREAT GATSBY, Stephanie Powell Watts’ debut novel is about an extended African American family and their colliding visions of the American Dream.
PRINCE CHARLES: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith (Biography)
Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at Prince Charles, the oldest heir to the throne in more than 300 years.
PRUSSIAN BLUE: A Bernie Gunther Novel by Philip Kerr (Historical Thriller)
With his cover blown, Bernie Gunther --- our compromised former Berlin bull and unwilling SS officer --- is waiting for the next move in a cat-and-mouse game that, even a decade after Germany’s defeat, continues to shadow his life.
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Our Latest Poll: April Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which fiction titles releasing in April are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
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ALL BY MYSELF, ALONE by Mary Higgins Clark
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ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout
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BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman
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THE BURIAL HOUR: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel, by Jeffery Deaver
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EARTHLY REMAINS: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery, by Donna Leon
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FALLOUT: A V.I. Warshawski Novel, by Sara Paretsky
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FAST AND LOOSE: A Stone Barrington Novel, by Stuart Woods
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THE FIX by David Baldacci
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GOLDEN PREY by John Sandford
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THE HORSE DANCER by Jojo Moyes
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I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell
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THE LOST ORDER by Steve Berry
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MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER by Alexander McCall Smith
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NO EASY TARGET by Iris Johansen
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ONE PERFECT LIE by Lisa Scottoline
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THE PERFECT STRANGER by Megan Miranda
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THE RED HUNTER by Lisa Unger
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THE STARS ARE FIRE by Anita Shreve
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TWO FROM THE HEART by James Patterson and Frank Costantini
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WALKAWAY by Cory Doctorow
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None of the above
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're
Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from March 31st to April 14th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ALL BY MYSELF, ALONE by Mary Higgins Clark and THE PERFECT STRANGER by Megan Miranda.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!
Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from March 1st to April 3rd at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Lisa See's THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE, read by Ruthie Ann Miles and Kimiko Glenn, and J.A. Jance's MAN OVERBOARD: An Ali Reynolds Novel, read by Karen Ziemba.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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