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It’s so nice to be back in your mailboxes! When I left off in our last newsletter, we mentioned that to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of Bookreporter.com, we were going to do something special and ask our readers to rally to help Virginia Weber, a longtime Bookreporter reader, rebuild her book collection. Many of you will remember that Virginia lost her home in the Thomas Fire in California last year. Many of you wanted to share books with her at that time, but Virginia was waiting on a long-term rental solution so she would have room for books. She finally has that. There are two ways you can help.
First, here is the link to her Amazon Wish List. Virginia noted, “I left out so many classics, though. Truly any books would be gratefully accepted. My husband loves history and Shakespeare and all the classics from English literature classes. My heart belongs to women storytellers --- mysteries and novels by Elizabeth George, Jodi Picoult, and so on.” So do not feel that you need to stick to the list.
Also, Virginia’s local indie bookstore has graciously agreed to join us in this bookshelves-rebuilding effort. Connie Halpern at Mrs. Figs' Bookworm said people can visit her website at www.mrsfigs.com, but they wouldn't be able to order books there to be delivered to Virginia. Instead, they can call her at (805) 482-1384 with their order or send an email to mrsfigs@mrsfigs.com, and she can get books there that Virginia can pick up. Again, any classics or truly anything would be great. Maybe you want to gift Virginia one of your favorite books. We will be sending her books from our office as well.
Thank you in advance; I really look forward to making this something fun for all of us. Let’s get Virginia’s bookshelves filled again!
Some people include photos from their vacations. Instead, above I share the covers of the books that I read as I happily floated in the pool --- one day I was in there for seven hours! I am happy to say that all will be Bookreporter.com Bets On selections. How’s that for some great vacation reading? One book was better than the next. Oh, and all would be great for book group discussions.
I started with LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart, which is not shown above as we are reviewing it this week. As I said in the last newsletter, the book is hilarious, smart and so well done. It’s sharp --- very sharp --- thought-provoking and offers up brilliant insight into so many different people and places across the country. Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter. It also will be one of our first Fall Preview titles next week (more on that later in this newsletter).
Next up was THE GLASS OCEAN. As I was reading it, I was trying to figure out who wrote each of the three main characters, as Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White, known as Team W, wrote this book together. It is so seamless. I found myself folding down pages, making notes for when I interview them for Book Club Girl's Night Out on Wednesday, October 17th. You can see more details about that event here and pick up your tickets for what promises to be a fun night. I have heard that they are not sharing who wrote which section of the book, but I am going to try to tempt it out of them. I will have my Bets On commentary next week, where I will share more about this terrific book whose plot revolves around a crossing of the Lusitania, with lovely period details.
Next up was THE DREAM DAUGHTER by Diane Chamberlain, which will be in stores on October 2nd. This is another book that I was reading closely, as I will be interviewing Diane at the Morristown Festival of Books on October 13th. Here, a number of social issues play out as Carly Sears learns in 1970 that she is carrying a daughter with a heart problem. Her brother-in-law, a brilliant physicist, is familiar with technology that can help her baby receive the in vitro surgery that she needs to survive. How this happens and what intervenes along the way provides lots of food for thought about how things have changed since 1970. I do not want to give away anything about it, as the way it unfolds is so interesting. I really enjoyed it.
THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET by Yara Zgheib will be on sale February 5th. It is a completely captivating novel about a young woman with anorexia and the other women who live in the treatment facility where she is recovering. The pages flew by. The voice and pacing are so compelling. I have read a lot about this subject, but here I really felt that I had an insider view.
THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides also is coming on February 5th from Celadon, a new imprint of Macmillan. Alicia, an artist, has been convicted of brutally killing her husband, a well-renowned fashion photographer, by shooting him five times in the face. Convicted of this murder, she is living at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. After the night of the shooting, she has not spoken a word. There is a therapist determined to draw her to tell her side of the story. It’s a page-turning thriller with a surprise ending.
A CLOUD IN THE SHAPE OF A GIRL by Jean Thompson will be on sale October 9th. This story follows three generations of women in a small Midwestern college town as they navigate their lives trailing some baggage from generation to generation. When I wrote on social media that I was reading this, my friend Vinnie and then Nicole chimed in that they loved Thompson’s collection of short stories, WHO DO YOU LOVE. I love how two friends were so well-versed on this author, who is new to me.
I wrapped up my last day of vacation reading FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang, which will be in stores on October 30th. In it, Stanley Huang is dying of pancreatic cancer. He has an ex-wife, a new wife, and a son and a daughter, all of whom are wondering, What’s in the trust? Stanley has talked about his wealth for years, but he is being so vague. It’s at once a Chinese-American story, a Silicon Valley story, and a family saga with great characters and robust storytelling. It's smart and wickedly funny, too, which is a winning combination.
And now to this week’s update...
We start with the aforementioned LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart, which introduces readers to Barry Cohen, a narcissistic hedge-fund manager who oversees $2.4 billion in assets. Deeply stressed by an SEC investigation and by his three-year-old son’s diagnosis of autism, he leaves New York in search of a simpler, more romantic life with his old college sweetheart. Meanwhile, his wife Seema --- who craved the picture-perfect life that comes with wealth --- must face her own demons.
Sarah Jackman has our review and says, "There are so many layers to LAKE SUCCESS that make it a brilliant, beautiful book.... Thirty pages in, I didn’t know if I could finish it. But by the end, it numbers easily among my favorite books of the year."
The audio version of LAKE SUCCESS (read by Arthur Morey and Soneela Nankani) is one of the prizes in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest; the other is Christina Dalcher's VOX, read by Julia Whelan. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win both these audio titles; the deadline for your entries is Monday, October 1st at noon ET.
VOX is also one of my Bets On titles for this week, along with TRUST ME by Hank Phillippi Ryan, both of which we reviewed in the last newsletter. Click on the titles to see why I’m betting you’ll love these thrillers.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include LEVERAGE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb, in which Lieutenant Eve Dallas puzzles over a bizarre suicide bombing in a Wall Street office building; DEPTH OF WINTER, the 15th installment in Craig Johnson’s Longmire series, which finds Walt Longmire in his worst nightmare, as an international hit man and the head of one of the most vicious drug cartels in Mexico has kidnapped his beloved daughter; THE MYSTERY OF THREE QUARTERS by Sophie Hannah, which marks the return of the legendary detective Hercule Poirot in a baffling mystery set in 1930s London; THE MAN WHO CAME UPTOWN by Emmy-nominated George Pelecanos, in which an ex-offender must choose between the man who got him out and the woman who showed him another path; and THE FALL OF GONDOLIN, the third and final installment of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Three Great Tales, edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien (our reviewers Ray Palen and Stephen Hubbard are such huge Tolkien fans that we decided to run TWO reviews of the book).
THE DUTCH WIFE, a debut novel by Canadian writer Ellen Keith, is the latest title we’re featuring in our New Release Spotlight. In May 1943, Marijke de Graaf and her husband are arrested and deported to different concentration camps in Germany. Marijke is given a terrible choice: to suffer a slow death in the labor camp or join the camp brothel. When SS officer Karl Müller encounters Marijke, this meeting changes their lives forever. Woven into the narrative is Luciano Wagner’s ordeal in 1977 Buenos Aires, during the heat of the Argentine Dirty War. In his struggle to endure military captivity, he searches for ways to resist from a prison cell he may never leave.
As I alluded to earlier, our Fall Preview feature is back for an eighth year! On select days in September and October, we will spotlight a different title and offer a 24-hour contest to win five copies of the book. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce each day's title. If you have not done so already, you can sign up here to receive the Fall Preview newsletter. We kick off this year’s contests by giving away the aforementioned THE DUTCH WIFE, LAKE SUCCESS and TRUST ME. The first contest will go live on Tuesday, September 11th at noon ET.
We would like to call your attention to a contest that we’re currently featuring on the homepage and will be ending soon. It’s for THE SUMMER LIST by Amy Mason Doan, a debut novel about two friends, the summer night they fell apart, and the scavenger hunt that reunites them decades later --- until the clues expose a breathtaking secret that just might shatter them once and for all. We have 25 copies to give away to readers who would like to read the book and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, September 10th at noon ET.
Our New in Paperback roundups for September are now up and running. We have paperback reprints from such bestselling authors as James Lee Burke (ROBICHEAUX), David Baldacci (THE FALLEN), Isabel Allende (IN THE MIDST OF WINTER), and Graeme Simsion (THE BEST OF ADAM SHARP); nonfiction titles, including WHAT HAPPENED by Hillary Rodham Clinton and GRANT by Ron Chernow; and paperback originals like I KNOW YOU KNOW by Gilly Macmillan, THE NIGHTMARE: A Joona Linna Novel by Lars Kepler, and THE STYLIST by Rosie Nixon.
Also updated for this month is our Books on Screen feature. Feature films include Unbroken: Path to Redemption (I always felt there was a second part to this story that needed to be told), Bel Canto and Little Women. On the small screen will be the series premieres of "The Miniaturist" on Amazon Prime Video and "You" on Lifetime, along with the season two finale of USA's "The Sinner." And this month’s DVD releases are Adrift and The Seagull.
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, September 21st at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win BUTTON MAN by Andrew Gross and THE FORBIDDEN DOOR: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz.
For our latest poll, we’ve listed 20 fiction titles releasing in September and we’re asking you to select which ones (if any) you’re planning to read. Click here to cast your votes.
Our previous poll asked if you listen to digital audiobooks. 25% of you do this all the time, 11% listen some of the time (others times they listen to physical audiobooks), 9% prefer physical audiobooks, 7% don’t but would be interested in exploring this, and 48% don’t listen to any audiobooks. I would like to change that latter statistic. I am happy that so many of you have embraced digital audio.
We have coverage of the National Book Festival from three readers --- Denise Neary, Nancy Sharko and Clair Lamb --- and Alison Law reports on the Decatur Book Festival. We thank them all for sharing their feedback with us on these fabulous events for booklovers. And for those who want to attend the Boston Book Festival on October 13th, they just announced their presenters. You can see them here.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
I got some really nice notes from readers about our 22nd anniversary. Here are some of them:
Vicky wrote, “It’s wonderful news that you are celebrating 22 years. Happy Anniversary! You are doing such a wonderful job of reviewing books that are new or coming soon. You are my go-to resource for what I want to buy and read next. Thank you again for a job well done!”
Eve wrote, "Congratulations on 22 years. I've enjoyed your newsletter and reading suggestions for many years. Enjoy your week off and hope you get lots of reading done.”
Nancy wrote, "Congratulations on your 22 years of sharing your love of books!!! That’s a long time and a huge number of deadlines you had to meet!"
Gina wrote, “My congratulations on your 22nd anniversary. I look forward to at least that many more years of your love of books and wonderful sense of humor. You are so kind to readers like me. Thank you.”
Dulcy shared, “Thank YOU for doing this! You do a great job.”
We appreciate your warm wishes and look forward to many more years of sharing books and authors with you.
"The Great American Read" Returns: The PBS show, which had a two-hour launch special in May, returns this Tuesday, September 11th and will air weekly through October 23rd. “The Great American Read” spotlights America’s 100 best-loved novels. Throughout the course of the series, viewers can vote for their favorites among the 100, and the top best-loved novel in America will be announced on October 23rd. Read much more about it here.
"My Brilliant Friend" on HBO: The first of Elena Ferrante’s novels is being made into an eight-episode series on HBO, which will air in November. You can see the trailer, which looks terrific, here.
Ina Garten: I am a huge Ina Garten fan. So I loved this piece on what inspired her upcoming cookbook, COOK LIKE A PRO, which is coming out on October 23rd.
Harlan Coben & Netflix: Harlan has made a big deal with Netflix for TV series and movie adaptations of his books.
"The Deuce": It's back on HBO on Sunday night.
What else did I do on vacation? I went to yoga classes almost every day; I am loving it! I still feel like I am hopelessly uncoordinated, but I am catching on bit by bit. We went to the beach to see my parents one day, which is always fun.
I also watched all five seasons of "Younger" on TV Land. Seriously, 60 episodes. It’s a show based on the book business; some of it they get right, and some of it --- okay, most of it --- is way, way over the top, but fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it. For humor, not noted by me, all five seasons were On Demand until August 27th. On the 28th, I tuned in to the middle of season three and it was gone. I finished seasons four and five, and then watched what I had missed on the TV Land website. It was like I was missing a few chapters in a book and then the story came together. Here is a piece about what the writers of "Younger" are reading when they are not working on the show. And news came in this week that the show is moving to Paramount Network for season six.
My weekend will be low key; the weather looks dicey. Greg is flying to Atlanta to pick up a Land Rover Classic, which does not run. He is trailering it back. There is some plan to combine parts of this car with the one that he already owns. Each time I ask for details, I am informed that I should not worry about this as I will not understand. I agree! Cory and Sam are going to her parents' house for the weekend, but will be here Sunday night. I told them to pick the menu. I am betting Tom plays golf. I am betting that I win that bet.
For those celebrating Rosh Hashanah, we wish you a wonderful holiday with your families. Happy New Year!
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: LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Arthur Morey and Soneela Nankani
Narcissistic, hilariously self-deluded, and divorced from the real world as most of us know it, hedge-fund manager Barry Cohen oversees $2.4 billion in assets. Deeply stressed by an SEC investigation and by his three-year-old son’s diagnosis of autism, he flees New York on a Greyhound bus in search of a simpler, more romantic life with his old college sweetheart. Meanwhile, his super-smart wife, Seema --- a driven first-generation American who craved the picture-perfect life that comes with wealth --- has her own demons to face. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
LAKE SUCCESS will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don’t miss Carol’s commentary in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review: LEVERAGE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb
LEVERAGE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Ericksen
For the airline executives finalizing a merger that would make news in the business world, the 9am meeting would be a major milestone. But after marketing VP Paul Rogan walked into the plush conference room, strapped with explosives, the headlines told of death and destruction instead. The NYPSD’s Eve Dallas confirms that Rogan was cruelly coerced by two masked men holding his family hostage. His motive was saving his wife and daughter --- but what was the motive of the masked men? With the help of her billionaire husband Roarke, Eve must determine whether the root of this crime lies in simple sabotage, or something far more complex and twisted. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: DEPTH OF WINTER by Craig Johnson
DEPTH OF WINTER: A Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by George Guidall
Welcome to Walt Longmire's worst nightmare. In Craig Johnson's latest mystery, DEPTH OF WINTER, an international hit man and the head of one of the most vicious drug cartels in Mexico has kidnapped Walt's beloved daughter, Cady, to auction her off to his worst enemies, of which there are many. The American government is of limited help and the Mexican one even less. Walt heads into the 110-degree heat of the Northern Mexican desert alone, one man against an army. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
New Release Spotlight: THE DUTCH WIFE by Ellen Keith
THE DUTCH WIFE by Ellen Keith (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Abby Craden, Eric Martin and Charlie Thurston
In the bestselling tradition of THE NIGHTINGALE and LILAC GIRLS comes a sweeping story of love and survival during World War II.
Amsterdam, May 1943. As the tulips bloom and the Nazis tighten their grip across the city, the last signs of Dutch resistance are being swept away. Marijke de Graaf and her husband are arrested and deported to different concentration camps in Germany. Marijke is given a terrible choice: to suffer a slow death in the labor camp or --- for a chance at survival --- to join the camp brothel.
On the other side of the barbed wire, SS officer Karl Müller arrives at the camp hoping to live up to his father’s expectations of wartime glory. When he encounters the newly arrived Marijke, this meeting changes their lives forever.
Woven into the narrative across space and time is Luciano Wagner’s ordeal in 1977 Buenos Aires, during the heat of the Argentine Dirty War. In his struggle to endure military captivity, he searches for ways to resist from a prison cell he may never leave.
From the Netherlands to Germany to Argentina, THE DUTCH WIFE braids together the stories of three individuals who share a dark secret and are entangled in two of the most oppressive reigns of terror in modern history. This is a novel about the blurred lines between love and lust, abuse and resistance, and right and wrong, as well as the capacity for ordinary people to persevere and do the unthinkable in extraordinary circumstances.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Ellen Keith's bio.
- Connect with Ellen Keith on Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's
Fall Preview Contests and Feature
Fall is known as the biggest season of the year for books. The titles that release during this latter part of the year often become holiday gifts, and many are blockbusters. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we are spotlighting a number of outstanding books that we know people will be talking about in the days and months to come.
We will be hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days in September and October, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our first prize book will be announced on Tuesday, September 11th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: VOX by Christina Dalcher
and TRUST ME by Hank Phillippi Ryan
VOX by Christina Dalcher (Dystopian Thriller)
I heard Christina Dalcher talk about VOX at a breakfast at BookExpo. Interestingly, she has taught linguistics, phonics and phonology, which gives her expertise about voice and being heard. In VOX, women in this country have been told that they are not allowed more than 100 words a day; by comparison, the average person speaks about 16,000 words (though somewhere I saw that women speak 20,000). Each woman wears a wristband, which has been calibrated to capture the modulation of her voice. At word 101, a shock is delivered to the wrist, which escalates exponentially as more words are shared. Soon there are more and more restrictions on women as they realize that, without their voices, the circle of their lives gets smaller, leading to desperate measures by many of them.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read more of Carol’s commentary on VOX.
TRUST ME by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Thriller)
With TRUST ME, Hank Phillippi Ryan has written her first stand-alone novel, which challenges an author as she steps away from writing her series character. I like it when authors challenge themselves. I like it even better when they brilliantly succeed. The protagonist, Mercer Hennessey, is a journalist who is grieving the loss of her husband, Dex, and daughter, Sophie. Her grief is raw. She wakes up each day, and in the steam on the bathroom mirror notes the number of days since they passed away. At the start we know they died in a car accident; later we learn more about this. Mercer’s own grief makes her vulnerable. What can draw her from the fog that has overshadowed her life?
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read more of Carol’s commentary on TRUST ME.
Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight:
THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE
by Stuart Turton
THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed. Again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend. But nothing and no one are quite what they seem.
Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE is the most inventive debut of the year that twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave readers guessing until the very last page.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Stuart Turton’s bio.
- Click here to connect with Stuart Turton on Twitter.
- Click here to see the 50 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.
THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE releases on September 18th. Don't miss our review of the book and interview with the author
in the September 21st newsletter.
September’s New in Paperback Roundups
September's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes ROBICHEAUX, which marks the return of James Lee Burke's most beloved character in a gritty, atmospheric mystery set in the towns and backwoods of Louisiana; THE FALLEN, David Baldacci's fourth Memory Man thriller featuring Amos Decker, who is investigating four bizarre murders in the space of two weeks but finds that his previously infallible memory may not be so trustworthy after all; Isabel Allende’s IN THE MIDST OF WINTER, a sweeping novel about three very different people who are brought together in a mesmerizing story that journeys from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil; and THE BEST OF ADAM SHARP by Graeme Simsion, a romantic novel about true love, second chances and decades of great music.
Among our nonfiction highlights are WHAT HAPPENED, in which Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history; GRANT, Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow's sweeping and dramatic portrait of one of our most compelling generals and presidents, Ulysses S. Grant; THE BOOK OF SEPARATION by Tova Mirvis, the memoir of a woman who leaves her faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world; and Mary V. Dearborn's ERNEST HEMINGWAY, the first full biography of the legendary novelist and short story writer in more than 15 years, the first to draw upon a wide array of never-before-used material, and the first written by a woman.
Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
September 3rd, September 10th, September 17th and September 24th.
September’s Books on Screen Feature
Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs that are based on books. For a complete list of September’s offerings, please click here.
In Theaters
Bel Canto
Release Date: September 14th (limited)
Based on: BEL CANTO by Ann Patchett
Unbroken: Path to Redemption
Release Date: September 14th (wide)
Based on: UNBROKEN: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Little Women
Release Date: September 28th (wide)
Based on: LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott
On TV
"The Miniaturist" (3-part series)
Air Dates: Sundays on PBS "Masterpiece"; Series Premiere on September 9th at 9pm ET/PT
Based on: THE MINIATURIST by Jessie Burton
"You"
Air Dates: Sundays at 10pm ET/PT on Lifetime; Series Premiere on September 9th
Based on: YOU by Caroline Kepnes
"The Sinner"
Air Dates: Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT on USA; Season Two Finale on September 19th
Based on: THE SINNER by Petra Hammesfahr
On DVD
Adrift
DVD Release Date: September 4th
Based on: RED SKY IN MOURNING: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Survival at Sea, by Tami Oldham Ashcraft with Susea McGearhart
The Seagull
DVD Release Date: September 25th
Based on: THE SEAGULL by Anton Chekhov
THE FALL OF GONDOLIN written by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee (Fantasy)
In the Tale of THE FALL OF GONDOLIN are two of the greatest powers in the world. There is Morgoth of the uttermost evil, unseen in this story but ruling over a vast military power from his fortress of Angband. Deeply opposed to Morgoth is Ulmo, second in might only to Manwë, chief of the Valar: he is called the Lord of Waters, of all seas, lakes and rivers under the sky. But he works in secret in Middle-earth to support the Noldor, the kindred of the Elves among whom were numbered Húrin and Túrin Turambar. Central to this enmity of the gods is the city of Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable. Reviewed by Ray Palen and Stephen Hubbard.
JOHN WOMAN by Walter Mosley (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham
At 12 years old, Cornelius, the son of an Italian-American woman and an older black man from Mississippi named Herman, secretly takes over his father’s job at a silent film theater in New York’s East Village. Five years later, following his father’s death and his mother’s disappearance, Cornelius sets about reinventing himself --- as Professor John Woman, a man who will spread Herman’s teachings into the classrooms of his unorthodox southwestern university and beyond. But there are other individuals who are attempting to influence the narrative of John Woman and who might know something about the facts of his hidden past. Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.
THE MAN WHO CAME UPTOWN by George Pelecanos (Hard-boiled Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by James Shippy
Michael Hudson spends the long days in prison devouring books given to him by the prison's librarian, a young woman named Anna who develops a soft spot for her best student. Anna keeps passing Michael books until one day he disappears, suddenly released after a private detective manipulated a witness in Michael's trial. Outside, Michael encounters a Washington, D.C. that has changed a lot during his time locked up. But what hasn't changed is the hard choice between the temptation of crime and doing what's right. Trying to balance his new job, his love of reading, and the debt he owes to the man who got him released, Michael struggles to figure out his place in this new world before he loses control. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE MYSTERY OF THREE QUARTERS: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt
Hercule Poirot returns home to find an angry woman waiting to berate him outside his front door. Her name is Sylvia Rule, and she demands to know why Poirot has accused her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy. Poirot has no idea what she’s talking about and has never even heard of this man. Shaken, Poirot goes inside, only to find that he has a visitor waiting for him --- a man called John McCrodden, who also claims to have received a letter from Poirot that morning, accusing him of the murder of Barnabas Pandy. Poirot wonders how many more letters of this sort have been sent in his name. Who sent them, and why? More importantly, who is Barnabas Pandy, is he dead, and, if so, was he murdered? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE MAN I NEVER MET: A Memoir by Adam Schefter with Michael Rosenberg (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Schefter
On September 11, 2001, Joe Maio went to work in the north tower of the World Trade Center. He never returned, leaving behind a wife, Sharri, and 15-month-old son, Devon. Five years later, Sharri remarried, and Devon welcomed a new dad into his life. For thousands, the whole country really, 9/11 is a day of grief. For Adam and Sharri Maio Schefter and their family, it’s not just a day of grief, but also hope. This is a story of 9/11, but it’s also the story of 9/12 and all the days after. Life moved on. Pieces were picked up. New dreams were dreamed. The Schefters are the embodiment of that. Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by LeVar Burton
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR, the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, tells the story of this utterly unique and enduring American icon. Drawing on original interviews, oral histories and archival documents, Maxwell King traces Rogers’ personal, professional and artistic lives through decades of work, including a surprising decision to walk away from the show to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood with increasingly sophisticated episodes, written in collaboration with experts on childhood development. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
CROSS HER HEART by Sarah Pinborough (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Antonia Beamish
Lisa lives for her daughter Ava, her job and her best friend Marilyn. But when a handsome client shows an interest in her, Lisa starts daydreaming about sharing her life with him, too. Maybe she’s ready now. Maybe it's time to let her terrifying secret past go. However, when her daughter rescues a boy from drowning and their pictures are all over the news, Lisa's world explodes. As she finds everything she has built threatened, and not knowing who she can trust, it's up to Lisa to face her past in order to save what she holds dear. But someone has been pulling all their strings and is determined to see Lisa and Ava suffer. Because long ago Lisa broke a promise. And some promises aren't meant to be broken. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
WE ALL LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS by Joanne Proulx (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Josh Hurley
One frigid winter night, Mia and Michael Slate's comfortable world dissolves in an instant when they discover that their best friend has cheated them out of their life savings. At the same time, a few doors down, their teenage son passes out in the snow at a party --- a mistake the consequences of which will shatter not just their family, but an entire community. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
NOT OUR KIND by Kitty Zeldis (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Tavia Gilbert
Two years after the end of World War II, a minor traffic accident brings together Eleanor Moskowitz and Patricia Bellamy. Eleanor, a teacher and recent Vassar graduate, needs a job. Patricia’s difficult 13-year-old daughter Margaux, recovering from polio, needs a private tutor. Though she feels out of place in the Bellamys’ rarefied and elegant Park Avenue milieu, Eleanor forms an instant bond with Margaux. Invited to keep Margaux company at the Bellamys’ country home, Eleanor meets Patricia’s unreliable, bohemian brother, Tom. The spark between them is instant and intense. As the summer wears on, the two women’s friendship grows. Until a line is crossed, and both Eleanor and Patricia will have to make important decisions --- choices that will reverberate through their lives. Reviewed by Vivian Payton.
LAST LOOKS by Howard Michael Gould (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by John Michael Higgins
Former detective Charlie Waldo now lives in solitude deep in the woods. He has left behind his career and his girlfriend, Lorena, to pay self-imposed penance for an awful misstep on an old murder case. But the old ghosts are about to come roaring back. Alastair Pinch is a onetime Royal Shakespeare Company thespian who now slums it as the "wise" Southern judge on a tacky network show. He's absurdly rich, often belligerent and typically drunk --- a damning combination when Alastair's wife is found dead on their living room floor and he can't remember what happened. Waldo's old flame Lorena, hiding peril of her own, draws him toward the case, and Alastair's greedy network convinces Waldo to take it on. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE BOY AT THE KEYHOLE by Stephen Giles (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Joel Froomkin
Nine-year-old Samuel lives alone in a once-great estate in Surrey with the family’s housekeeper, Ruth. His father is dead and his mother has been abroad for months, purportedly tending to her late husband’s faltering business. She left in a hurry one night while Samuel was sleeping and did not say goodbye. He misses her dearly and maps her journey in an atlas he finds in her study. Samuel’s life is otherwise regulated by Ruth, who runs the house with an iron fist. Only she and Samuel know how brutally she enforces order. As rumors in town begin to swirl, Samuel wonders whether something more sinister is afoot. Perhaps his mother did not leave but was murdered --- by Ruth. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
FORTUNATE SON by J.D. Rhoades (Thriller)
Years ago, the Jakes brothers were found in a trailer where they’d been left by their mother. One found a happy home. The older son never did, but he always dreamed of the day when they would be together again. Thirteen years later, big brother appears, and he’s determined to reunite the family, even if he has to do it by kidnapping his younger brother. Their mother is in New Orleans, and she’s in trouble. Her sons are coming to the rescue, even if one of them is doing it at gunpoint. But things are rapidly spinning out of control in New Orleans. The Jakes boys, the disgraced former sheriff trying to chase them down, and an ambitious Louisiana deputy investigating the mother are in for far more danger than any of them bargained for. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
DEATH AT WHITEWATER CHURCH: An Inishowen Mystery by Andrea Carter (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Melanie McHugh
When a skeleton is discovered in the hidden crypt of a deconsecrated church, everyone is convinced the bones must be those of Conor Devitt, a local man who went missing on his wedding day six years previously. But the postmortem reveals otherwise. Solicitor Benedicta “Ben” O’Keeffe is acting for the owners of the church. Although an unwelcome face from her past makes her reluctant to get involved, when Conor’s brother dies in strange circumstances shortly after coming to see her, she finds herself drawn in to the mystery. Whose is the skeleton in the crypt, and how did it get there? Is Conor Devitt still alive, and if so, is there a link? What happened on the morning of his wedding to make him disappear? Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on September 10th and 11th
Below are some notable titles releasing on September 10th and 11th 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 September 10th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
September 10th
JUROR #3 by James Patterson and Nancy Allen (Legal Thriller)
The murder of a woman from one of Rosedale, Mississippi’s oldest families has the town’s upper crust howling for blood, and the prosecutor is counting on defense counsel Ruby Bozarth's inexperience to help him deliver a swift conviction. As lurid, intertwining investigations unfold after news breaks of a second murder, no one in Rosedale can be trusted, especially the 12 men and women impaneled on the jury.
September 11th
THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Serle (Fiction)
At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in THE DINNER LIST. When Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner, she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past…and Audrey Hepburn.
FEAR: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward (Politics)
With authoritative reporting honed through eight presidencies from Nixon to Obama, author Bob Woodward reveals in unprecedented detail the harrowing life inside President Donald Trump’s White House and precisely how he makes decisions on major foreign and domestic policies.
THE FORBIDDEN DOOR: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz (Thriller)
Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. Equipped with superior tactical and survival skills, Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal. As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane.
THE GUILTY DEAD: A Monkeewrench Novel by P. J. Tracy (Mystery/Thriller)
Gregory Norwood is Minnesota’s most beloved philanthropist, and the story of his son’s overdose was splashed across the front page of all the papers. When a photojournalist sets out to get a candid shot of the highly successful businessman on the one-year anniversary of his son’s death, he’s shocked to find Norwood dead with a smoking gun in his hand. Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called in to handle the delicate case.
HOME AFTER DARK by David Small (Graphic Novel)
Thirteen-year-old Russell Pruitt, abandoned by his mother, follows his father to California in search of a dream. Suddenly forced to fend for himself, Russell struggles to survive in Marshfield, a dilapidated town haunted by a sadistic animal killer and a ring of malicious boys who bully Russell for being “queer.” Rescued from his booze-swilling father by Wen and Jian Mah, Russell betrays their generosity by running away with their restaurant’s proceeds.
KATERINA by James Frey (Fiction)
KATERINA is a sweeping love story alternating between 1992 Paris and Los Angeles in 2018. At its center are a young writer and a young model on the verge of fame --- both reckless, impulsive, addicted and deeply in love. Twenty-five years later, the writer is rich, famous and numb, and he wants to drive his car into a tree, when he receives an anonymous message that draws him back to the life, and possibly the love, he abandoned years prior.
THE REAL LOLITA: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman (True Crime/History)
Vladimir Nabokov’s LOLITA is one of the most beloved and notorious novels of all time. And yet, very few of its readers know that the subject of the book was inspired by a real-life case: the 1948 abduction of 11-year-old Sally Horner. Weaving together suspenseful crime narrative, cultural and social history, and literary investigation, THE REAL LOLITA tells Sally Horner’s full story for the very first time.
ROBERT B. PARKER'S COLORBLIND: A Jesse Stone Novel by Reed Farrel Coleman (Mystery)
Jesse Stone is back on the job after a stint in rehab, and the road to recovery is immediately made bumpy by a series of disturbing and apparently racially motivated crimes. His own deputy, Alisha --- the first black woman hired by the Paradise police force --- then becomes the target of a sophisticated frame-up. At the same time, the mysterious Cole Slayton rolls into town with a chip on his shoulder and a problem with authority --- namely, Jesse.
SHADOW TYRANTS: A Novel of the Oregon Files by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison (Thriller/Adventure)
Nearly 2,000 years ago, an Eastern emperor charged a small group with safeguarding secrets powerful enough to change the history of mankind. They went down in legend as the Nine Unknown Men --- and now two rival factions of their descendants are fighting a mighty battle. Juan Cabrillo and his team of expert operatives aboard the Oregon find themselves trapped between two power-hungry adversaries, both of whom are willing to use shocking means to accomplish their goals.
SHE WOULD BE KING by Wayétu Moore (Historical Fiction/Magical Realism)
Wayétu Moore’s debut novel reimagines the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three characters who share an uncommon bond. When these individuals meet in the settlement of Monrovia, their gifts help them salvage the tense relationship between the African American settlers and the indigenous tribes, as a new nation forms around them.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: September Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in September are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
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THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton
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BUTTON MAN by Andrew Gross
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DARK TIDE RISING: A William Monk Novel, by Anne Perry
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DEPTH OF WINTER: A Longmire Mystery, by Craig Johnson
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THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Serle
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THE FORBIDDEN DOOR: A Jane Hawk Novel, by Dean Koontz
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A FORGOTTEN PLACE: A Bess Crawford Mystery, by Charles Todd
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THE GLASS OCEAN by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
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THE GUILTY DEAD by P. J. Tracy
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IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS by Danielle Steel
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JOHN WOMAN by Walter Mosley
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JUROR #3 by James Patterson and Nancy Allen
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KATERINA by James Frey
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LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart
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LEVERAGE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb
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THE MAN WHO CAME UPTOWN by George Pelecanos
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RED WAR: A Mitch Rapp Novel, by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills
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ROBERT B. PARKER'S COLORBLIND: A Jesse Stone Novel, by Reed Farrel Coleman
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TRANSCRIPTION by Kate Atkinson
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A WILLING MURDER by Jude Deveraux
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, September 21st at noon ET.
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 September 7th to September 21st at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BUTTON MAN by Andrew Gross and THE FORBIDDEN DOOR: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz.
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 September 4th to October 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Gary Shteyngart's LAKE SUCCESS, read by Arthur Morey and Soneela Nankani, and Christina Dalcher's VOX, read by Julia Whelan.
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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