I hope that thus far you all have had a great holiday season. We certainly have enjoyed it, with a lot of entertaining, plenty of new recipes made, and many cookies both baked and eaten.
As promised, this is our annual “lighter than usual” update. I have been collecting links to articles of interest, and weigh in on the films that we watched over the holidays, some of which are based on books. Consider this update a lot of "News & Pop Culture," and a chance to catch up on some of the features that you may have missed in the craziness of December. This is a quiet week for publishing, but we already are ramping up for next week's update. By the way, the Golden Globes are on Sunday night, a very early airing for this awards show.
Speaking of films, I am happy to share that the video of me talking about my 52 Bookreporter.com Bets On selections had more than 1,550 views between Facebook and YouTube over the holidays. If you have not had a chance to give it a look, you can do that here. I am just doing top notes about each book in this video, even briefer than one of my typical book talks. And I am going to reiterate what I shared in the last newsletter: If you want to play a game as you watch, count how many times I say the word “unraveling.” Again, caution if you decide to make it a drinking game and take a drink each time I say it!
The holidays also brought some sad news from the world of publishing. Sonny Mehta, who was first Knopf’s president and editor in chief and then chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group since 2009, died on Monday at the age of 77. He was a brilliant man, publishing a number of well-known literary authors, including Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison and Gabriel García Márquez; many world leaders, including Bill Clinton and Margaret Thatcher; and also E. L. James (Fifty Shades of Grey) and Stieg Larsson (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and the rest of the Millennium Trilogy), among hundreds --- or, more likely, thousands --- more. Publishing high-brow and commercial is an art, and Sonny was a master of it. You can read his obituary in the New York Times here and tributes from some of his writers here. And here’s a brilliant piece from a publishing colleague in India, Chiki Sarkar. A huge loss.
And then we heard the sad news that M. C. Beaton passed away at the age of 83. Beaton was the author of two long-running crime series --- Agatha Raisin (the basis for the television program of the same name, which is currently in its third season) and Hamish Macbeth --- in addition to four Edwardian mysteries. Just last month, we reviewed her 30th Agatha Raisin novel, BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH.
When we talk about the BIG books of 2019, the novel you will hear about the most is WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens. Originally published in August 2018, it will be #1 on the New York Times bestseller lists for both January 5th and 12th of this year --- its 32nd week at that spot; the first time was a year ago January. It has been on the Times list for 69(!) weeks. The New York Times has a front page story about its success, which you can read here. To date, it has sold more than 4.5 million copies.
I learned some trivia about It’s a Wonderful Life: “In 1939, a Rutgers grad, Philip Van Doren Stern, wrote a 4,000-word short story called 'The Greatest Gift,' later to be known as the Frank Capra movie It's a Wonderful Life. Living in the bucolic NJ hills, a Hunterdon County metal bridge was his muse for the one in the story, and the nearby town of Pottersville became the main setting.” Tom and I drove out to Califon and saw the bridge on New Year’s Day. You can read more about this in a 2017 article here.
Megan Abbott was on the "Today" show talking about her new series, "Dare Me," on USA Network, based on the novel of the same name. I watched the first episode on Sunday night, and let’s just say that cheerleading in "Dare Me" is about a lot more than performing on the field. Take a look at the interview here.
The following is a breakdown of what I watched over the holidays:
Rocketman: While the movie was good, I recommend the audiobook of ME by Elton John more. It is narrated by Taron Egerton, who starred in the film. The story in the book is much more fleshed out; the movie feels like the answers to a topline quiz.
1917: This movie is very well done and shot so it looks like it was done in one take. It is based on stories about World War I that were told to its writer/director, Sam Mendes, by his grandfather. In it, two British soldiers are ordered to cross enemy lines to deliver a message to save 1,600 soldiers, including the brother of one of the two comrades.
Just Mercy: A newly graduated Harvard lawyer takes on the case of a man who is on death row for murder, despite a sheaf of evidence that proves his innocence. It is so well done and is based on the book JUST MERCY: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson.
Dark Waters: An attorney, who learns of the death of a number of people from what is presumed to be dumping from a chemical plant, risks his life and the safety of his family to get to the truth. It is a story of sheer tenacity based on the 2016 article "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare" by Nathaniel Rich, published in The New York Times Magazine.
Knives Out: Begin by remembering I have a schoolgirl crush on Daniel Craig, even with the hokey Southern accent that he has here. It’s a romp. It’s witty. And if I watched it a second time, I might even see more clues that I missed. It’s a real caper mystery, and a fun movie that we all watched on Christmas Eve.
Harriet: I confess to not knowing most of this about Harriet Tubman. She guided her life with sheer tenacity! This is a well-done film.
"Modern Love": This Amazon Prime series is an adaptation of some of the "Modern Love" columns from the New York Times. I enjoyed many of the episodes, though not all. I remembered reading some of the original columns that they were based on.
The Two Popes: This Netflix film is a lovely story about the relationship, though fictionalized, between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis.
Queen & Slim: This couple’s first date spirals out of control when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. As the officer becomes aggressive and the situation gets tough, Slim grabs the officer’s gun and shoots him in self-defense. Now labeled as cop killers, Queen and Slim are on the run, but their run as outlaws has them in deep trouble as a viral video of them goes live across the country. It’s intense, but so well done.
Richard Jewell: This is the story of the security guard who was investigated as a suspect in the 1996 Olympics bombing in Atlanta. It’s based on a Vanity Fair article, "American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell," by Marie Brenner, and the book THE SUSPECT: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle, by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen.
The Art of Racing in the Rain: My schedule and Tom's were too hectic when it was in theaters, so we finally got a chance to watch it on New Year’s Eve. We loved it! Years ago, Tom owned a BMW much like the one that Denny drives. Sadly it was totaled in a car accident when a woman ran a stop sign. Each dog in the film is so perfect.
The Report: I found the pacing to be tedious, with Adam Driver having outbursts that punctuated trying to get everyone else to do what he needed. Again and again. But in many ways, I think it’s a realistic look at how slow bureaucracy works.
Parasite: A South Korean film with subtitles, it is filled with social satire as the wealthy Park family is duped into hiring an entire lower class Kim family. It is definitely not for everyone, but the commentary is strong.
Jojo Rabbit: I just found this disturbing and looked away…a lot.
The Woman in the Window movie trailer: Here you go. It will be in theaters on May 15th.
This is your last newsletter reminder to enter our very special End-of-the-Year Contest, which ends on Monday, January 6th at noon ET. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded all 52(!) of my Bets On picks from last year, while 13 other winners will receive four of these titles. Here are some of the books you can win: THE CHELSEA GIRLS by Fiona Davis, THE GIFTED SCHOOL by Bruce Holsinger, SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE by Jean Kwok, SOMEONE WE KNOW by Shari Lapena, THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware, and WATCHING YOU by Lisa Jewell.
If you haven't had a chance yet, be sure to take a look at our Reviewer Picks for 2019 (we've been getting nice feedback about them), as well as various "Best Of" 2019 lists from around the web. You may want to add some of these books to your 2020 TBR pile!
On ReadingGroupGuides.com, we're giving readers the opportunity to win six novels releasing this year that we think will be perfect for book group discussions. All you have to do is let us know your favorite book that you read with your group in 2019 and your favorite book that you read outside your group. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins, A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD by Therese Anne Fowler, LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict, LONG BRIGHT RIVER by Liz Moore, THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire by Allison Pataki, and SAINT X by Alexis Schaitkin. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, February 3rd at noon ET. We will share our reader-compiled "Best Of" list with you in early February.
LADY CLEMENTINE is also one of the prizes in our Word of Mouth contest, along with DEAR EDWARD by Ann Napolitano. Submit your comments about the books you've read by Friday, January 10th at noon ET, and you'll have a chance to win these highly anticipated novels, both of which we will review next week.
Our current Sounding Off on Audio contest is open until Monday, January 6th at noon ET. Let us know by then what audiobooks you've listened to, and you'll be in the running to win the audio versions of Michael Crichton and Daniel H. Wilson’s THE ANDROMEDA EVOLUTION, read by Julia Whelan, and Bernard Cornwell’s SWORD OF KINGS, read by Matt Bates.
Our poll questions continue to ask how many print books and e-books you read last year, and how many audiobooks you listened to. Click here to let us know by Friday, January 10th at noon ET. We run a similar poll each year; this time, though, we changed it up a bit to give us even more insight about your reading in 2019.
Reader Mail:
Nancy wrote, "Just want to wish you and the staff a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You all work so hard, and I hope you realize how much we all appreciate you. I look forward to reading your newsletter Friday nights with pencil in hand to write down book titles that you suggest and recommend. I wish more readers would show their appreciation by donating to your fund. Hopefully, they'll make that a resolution for next year.”
Lory wrote, "Happy Holidays, Carol. Thank you for sharing the reviewer recommendations. It's such an extensive list, and I am astounded as to the diversity of all the books listed...so many I have never heard of, despite my attempt to be more 'aware' of current reads and recommendations this past year. I recognized many titles, but will be slowly reviewing the list and likely adding many more to my never-ending TBR --- 'thanks but no thanks' --- LOL. I appreciate you and your team. Looking forward to 2020."
Greg did an epic trip over the break with eight Land Rover friends, heading to the back country of Quebec along the James Bay Road. He ended the trip with New Year’s Eve in Montreal. Amusingly, Cory and his girlfriend, Sam, also headed to Montreal for New Year’s Eve. And no, they did not meet up; I was reminded that it’s a big city!
My husband gave me a loom for weaving for Christmas, and he also put it together for me. I joked that this was an adult version of assembling the kids’ toys on Christmas Eve. He helped me warp the first loom. "Warp" and "weft" are my two new vocabulary words for the week. I feel like we are in an episode of "Little House on the Prairie" as I weave. I still need to work on how to make smooth edges, but I also am designing some layouts for it in my head. I can see me sketching things out. I will keep knitting as that is a lot more portable. But for things I am knitting on size 2 needles, weaving as an alternative is a dream!
Tom's mom is coming here for homemade pizza tomorrow night. I spent yesterday and today sorting books for my future reading. I read a few books over the break, but I am holding off on sharing news about them now for three reasons: for one, I am meeting the author in January; for the second, the cover is not final; and for the third, I am prepping for an interview with the author.
We will be back with a full newsletter next Friday. In addition to the aforementioned DEAR EDWARD, LADY CLEMENTINE and LONG BRIGHT RIVER (the latter of which is the "GMA" Book Club pick for January and a future Bets On selection), we will feature reviews of SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid (this month's Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick), GOOD GIRLS LIE by J.T. Ellison, NAKED CAME THE FLORIDA MAN by Tim Dorsey, and many more.
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!
