August 21, 2020

August 21, 2020

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Latest Update on Our GoFundMe Campaign

Thank you to those of you who have donated to our GoFundMe campaign. So far, with online and snail mail donations, we have raised $35,600 of our $50,000 goal.

You can read about our plans and donate here. If you would prefer donating via check, please send to:

The Book Report, Inc.
16 Mt. Bethel Road, Suite 365
Warren, NJ 07059

Thank you again for your consideration and your donation.

Carol's latest "Bookreporter Talks To" interview is with Fiona Davis, whose new novel, THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and a Bets On selection.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.

On Thursday, August 27th at 8pm ET, we look forward to celebrating the 24th anniversary of Bookreporter.com. We will be joined by 10 of our longtime Bookreporter reviewers,
each of whom will share three of their favorite summer reads.
Click on the image above to sign up.

On Wednesday, September 16th at 2pm ET, we will host our third "Bookaccino Live" day session.
Carol will present a number of books releasing between September 15th and October 6th,
along with five titles publishing in November, that she is especially excited about.
Click on the image above to sign up.

Last weekend, Carol read THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline (on sale August 25th)
and ONE BY ONE by Ruth Ware (on sale September 8th), both of which will be Bets On picks.
Christina and Ruth will be upcoming guests on our "Bookreporter Talks To" video/podcast series.

Carol had a very peachy week, as you can see above. She made Peaches with Burrata and Basil,
Peach Salsa, and peaches on pancakes with whipped cream and pecans.

A Peachy Week of Reading and Cooking/Baking

Last weekend, we had no company or obligations. So it was a two-book weekend, which is the kind of weekend I love!

I started with THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. You remember her as the author of ORPHAN TRAIN, which has sold more than three-and-a-half million copies. In THE EXILES, Christina takes us to Australia in the mid-1800s when the country was being populated with convicts from the UK, who were sent there by ship, in droves. She tells the story through the eyes of three young women: one from England, one from Wales and one from Tasmania. She gives us such a strong sense of the country, which was so primitive. In next week’s newsletter, we will feature our review of THE EXILES and my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Christina, which I conducted yesterday. My Bets On commentary will appear in the September 11th newsletter, as we will be on our annual summer hiatus on September 4th.

Next up was ONE BY ONE by Ruth Ware, which also will be a Bets On selection. This is Ruth's sixth novel, and I have been a fan since book one. This latest work is her very best. It’s set at a ski resort...and on a very, very hot weekend, I found myself actually chilled as her storytelling was so atmospheric. Staffers from an app company called Snoop are off on a team-building retreat weekend at a luxury home where they will be attended to by two caretakers who are there to see to their every need. This will be challenging on many levels. A storm rolls in, there’s an avalanche, and if that's not enough, members of the Snoop team are being killed, one by one. Ruth is the master of changing up the game for the reader, and even when the killer is revealed, there is still a lot more action. I love to ski and found myself caught up in the descriptions of the mountain as much as the mystery of the killer. I am talking to Ruth next week for an interview that will run on September 8th. You know one of my questions will be about her own skiing adventures. I know that she wrote a black-diamond thriller.

As for peaches, I made Peach Crisp, Peaches with Burrata and Basil, Peach Ginger Sorbet, Peach Salsa, peaches on pancakes with whipped cream and pecans (which is the kind of diner breakfast I would order), and Peach Barbeque Sauce. Thanks to Kathryn and Lisa for sharing recipes. 

We are so excited about our next “Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books” event, which will take place next Thursday, August 27th at 8pm ET. We are celebrating the 24th anniversary of Bookreporter with 10 longtime reviewers of ours, and each will talk about three of their favorite summer reads. Our guest list includes Sarah Rachel Egelman, Pauline Finch, Harvey Freedenberg, Joe Hartlaub, Ron Kaplan, Eileen Zimmerman Nicol, Ray Palen, Norah Piehl, Stuart Shiffman and Katherine B. Weissman. We are so looking forward to introducing them to you, as they are such a part of the heart and soul of Bookreporter. If you would like to attend, click here to sign up.

Also, please keep in mind that our next day session of “Bookaccino Live” will take place on Wednesday, September 16th at 2pm ET. I will present books that are publishing between September 15th and October 6th, along with five titles from November, that I’d love to get on your radar. You can sign up here for this event.

Our room for both events can hold up to 500 attendees, so feel free to invite your friends! And remember, if you already have signed up for either of these sessions, please do not sign up again. This will help us keep an accurate audience count.

My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Fiona Davis, whose new novel, THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, is August's “Good Morning America” Book Club pick and a Bets On selection. As with her four previous novels, Fiona focuses on a landmark building in New York City. This time it’s the New York Public Library; she chose this setting after learning that a family lived in a seven-room apartment in the library during its early years. In our interview, Fiona shared the long history of the library, along with details that most New Yorkers haven’t even heard about, as well as a few secrets that she wasn’t able to add to the book. She also showed some vintage photos in the video interview, so podcast listeners should tune in there as well. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. And find out why I’m betting you’ll love this book here. Oh, and if you want to see Fiona on "GMA" talking about THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE being their book club pick this month, you can give that a look here.

My other Bets On pick this week is BRONTË’S MISTRESS, Finola Austin’s debut novel that explores the scandalous love affair between Branwell Brontë (Emily, Charlotte and Anne’s brother) and Lydia Robinson. Click here for my commentary. If you missed my interview with Finola last week, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here. And for the record, having Finola and Fiona as back-to-back guests has had me pronouncing their names very carefully.

Continuing this week is our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight & Contest for Caroline B. Cooney’s upcoming novel, BEFORE SHE WAS HELEN. This domestic thriller, which releases on September 8th, brings decades-old secrets to life and explores what happens when the lie you've been living falls apart and you're forced to confront the truth. We’re awarding the book to 35 readers; all you have to do is fill out this form by Friday, August 28th at noon ET.

This week, we are featuring our review of BETTY by Tiffany McDaniel (author of THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING), which has received plenty of buzz leading up to its publication. Set in the rolling foothills of the Appalachians, this novel is about a young girl and the family truths that will haunt her for the rest of her life. According to Sarah Rachel Egelman, “BETTY asks readers to think critically and emotionally about the power (or lack thereof) that comes with structures --- systemic, social and familial --- and of race, class, gender, religion and culture. McDaniel has crafted an affecting story.”

BETTY is one of our current Word of Mouth prizes; the other is the aforementioned THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, August 28th at noon ET, and you’ll have a chance to win both these novels

You may remember Jeff Hobbs as the author of THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE, which was a BookExpo Buzz book and a Bets On pick when it released six years ago. He is back with SHOW THEM YOU’RE GOOD: A Portrait of Boys in the City of Angels the Year Before College, which closely follows four Los Angeles high school boys as they apply to college. Barbara Bamberger Scott has our review and calls it a “thoughtful portrayal”; she goes on to say, “Hobbs wisely does not draw conclusions, since life is for living and there is much on the horizon for his young protagonists. But readers inevitably will wonder if a sequel is envisioned.” I so look forward to reading this book!

Other books we’re reviewing this week include LUSTER, the much-talked-about debut novel of Raven Leilani, a portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life in a tumultuous era; LITTLE DISASTERS, a new novel from Sarah Vaughan (whose international bestseller ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL was a Bets On pick two years ago) that explores the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us; David Joy's thriller, WHEN THESE MOUNTAINS BURN, which tells the tale of a father, an addict, a lawman and the explosive events that come to unite them; and GROWN UPS by Emma Jane Unsworth, which the publisher describes as “‘Fleabag’ meets CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS in this brutally honest, observant, original novel about a woman going through a breakup…but really having more of a breakdown.”

Let us know by Tuesday, September 8th at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win our two Sounding Off on Audio prizes: Emma Donoghue's THE PULL OF THE STARS, read by Emma Lowe, and Sandra Brown's THICK AS THIEVES, read by Kyf Brewer. We will review the print edition of the latter in next week’s newsletter.

Our poll continues to ask if you have set any reading goals for yourself. Would you like to explore the work of different authors, read new genres or join a book club? Click here to let us know!

Book Club Survey Reminder: And speaking of book clubs, if you are in one and haven’t answered our survey about what’s going on with your group these days, may we ask you to take a moment to do that here by Monday, August 24th? We are trying to get a handle on how book clubs have pivoted (the most overused word since March, except for maybe "unprecedented") over the past few months.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

Jayme wrote, “I just wanted to thank you for including the information in the weekly newsletter about Matthew Reinhart’s Harry Potter Pop-up book that is coming out in the fall. My brother collects pop-up books, and this will be the perfect Christmas gift. I hadn’t heard about the book, and I would have missed it.”

Melanie wrote this about winning a Summer Reading prize book: “Thank you again for sending me ONE YEAR OF UGLY. I just finished the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Given the topic (undocumented immigrants to Trinidad being forced into servitude to a criminal), it shouldn’t have been a light and fun read, but it definitely was. For some reason, it had the flavor to me of the Stephanie Plum books --- maybe it was the general attitude of the narrator, together with the dysfunctional but loving family and the personality of the romantic interest of the main character. Good escapism, but I learned a little too, which is always a nice bonus.”

Linda wrote this about winning THE ORDER by Daniel Silva and THE COLOR OF AIR by Gail Tsukiyama in our Word of Mouth contest: “Thank you, Carol. I love Daniel Silva's books and his Gabriel Allon character, and have read all of his books so far. Gail Tsukiyama is one author I have not read, so I am looking forward to her book.”

"Surviving Jeffrey Epstein" on Lifetime: This powerful four-episode series is a good companion to "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich" on Netflix.

Hilary Mantel: Here’s a piece on why she will not be writing any more historical fiction.

Danielle Steel: Here’s a piece on her writing during a pandemic as she is locked down in Paris, and more.

Malcolm Gladwell: The award-winning journalist and author dives into the world of Lee Child and his legendary wandering warrior in this piece.

I still have about 12 peaches that need to be baked or otherwise served up. The Peach and Berry Cobbler from Mary Kay Andrews' THE BEACH HOUSE COOKBOOK is on the agenda. We are using blackberries. And then I am going to hit up the local peach farm this weekend to see what they have on their trees these days. August 24th is National Peach Day, and I will be ready to celebrate.

Our petunias have faded away, so I did a quick garden center run last weekend to grab some rudbeckia that are annuals and some mums. As I was checking out, I learned that at this garden center they bring in plants as fall one, fall two and fall three. I clearly am going to have to check out two and three! Also, the zinnia seeds that I so eagerly and widely tossed are coming in. I am cutting them and doing lots of arranging with limelight hydrangeas.

Humor for the week: I usually wake up without an alarm clock, so I typically do not set an alarm. But I had an 8:30 appointment on Monday morning and wanted to get up by 7. Mind you, I usually wake up around 6:30. But I set an alarm. Somehow I slept until 7 when the alarm went off. I started to hit the "turn off alarm" on the clock, but it still buzzed. I hit more buttons, but still it did not go off. Then I unplugged it. Same result. Then I realized that it was the alarm on my phone --- the ONLY alarm I have set in something like three years. WHY did I think it was the clock radio? Was this because I finally had a reason to set an alarm for the first time since March?

Then I had another early appointment on Wednesday. So I set my phone alarm for 6am. Before 6, I heard something beeping. What was it? It did not sound like the phone. It was the automatic power supply on my computer in my office. For some reason, on a perfectly calm day, the power went out. So the power supply kicked in, but I did not hear it for an hour. Seriously. It was out from 5am to 8am. I am very glad I was not relying on my clock, but it may be the first time that the automatic power supply woke me up!

I am ready to dig into more reading. May it be another two-book weekend!

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: BETTY by Tiffany McDaniel

BETTY by Tiffany McDaniel (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dale Dickey
"A girl comes of age against the knife." So begins the story of Betty Carpenter. Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a white mother and a Cherokee father, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings. The world they inhabit in the rural town of Breathed, Ohio, is one of poverty and violence --- both from outside the family and, devastatingly, from within. The lush landscape becomes a kind of refuge for Betty, but when her family's darkest secrets are brought to light, she has no choice but to reckon with the brutal history hiding in the hills, as well as the heart-wrenching cruelties and incredible characters she encounters. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: SHOW THEM YOU’RE GOOD
by Jeff Hobbs

SHOW THEM YOU'RE GOOD: A Portrait of Boys in the City of Angels the Year Before College by Jeff Hobbs (Social Science)
Audiobook available; read by Fajer Al-Kaisi, Christian Barillas, Tim Chiou, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Timothy Andrés Pabon, Jonathan Todd Ross and Gary Tiedemann
Four teenage boys are high school seniors at two very different schools within the city of Los Angeles, the second largest school district in the nation with nearly 700,000 students. Combining complex social issues with the compelling experience of the individual, Jeff Hobbs takes us deep inside these boys’ worlds. The foursome includes Carlos, the younger son of undocumented delivery workers, who aims to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and attend an Ivy League college; Tio harbors serious ambitions to become an engineer, despite a father who doesn’t believe in him; Jon struggles to put distance between himself and his mother, who is suffocating him with her own expectations; and Owen, raised in a wealthy family, can’t get serious about academics but knows he must. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: LUSTER by Raven Leilani

LUSTER by Raven Leilani (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ariel Blake
Edie is stumbling her way through her 20s --- sharing a subpar apartment in Bushwick, clocking in and out of her admin job, making a series of inappropriate sexual choices. She is also haltingly, fitfully giving heat and air to the art that simmers inside her. And then she meets Eric, a digital archivist with a family in New Jersey, including an autopsist wife who has agreed to an open marriage --- with rules. As if navigating the constantly shifting landscapes of contemporary sexual manners and racial politics weren’t hard enough, Edie finds herself unemployed and invited into Eric’s home --- though not by Eric. She becomes a hesitant ally to his wife and a de facto role model to his adopted daughter. Edie may be the only Black woman young Akila knows. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight & Contest:
BEFORE SHE WAS HELEN by Caroline B. Cooney
Enter to Win a Copy Before Its September 8th Release

Caroline B. Cooney's latest novel, BEFORE SHE WAS HELEN, is an absorbing mystery that brings decades-old secrets to life and explores what happens when the lie you've been living falls apart and you're forced to confront the truth. We have 35 copies to give away to those who would like to read the book, which releases on September 8th. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, August 28th at noon ET.

BEFORE SHE WAS HELEN by Caroline B. Cooney (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
When Clemmie goes next door to check on her difficult and unlikable neighbor, Dom, he isn't there. But something else is. Something stunning, beautiful and inexplicable. Clemmie photographs the wondrous object on her cell phone and makes the irrevocable error of forwarding it. As the picture swirls over the internet, Clemmie tries desperately to keep a grip on her own personal network of secrets. Can 50 years of careful hiding under names not her own be ruined by one careless picture?

And although what Clemmie finds is a work of art, what the police find is a body...and she was the last person at the crime scene, where she left her fingerprints. Suddenly thrown into the heart of a twisted investigation, Clemmie finds herself the uncomfortable subject of intense scrutiny. And the bland, quiet life Clemmie has built for herself in her sleepy South Carolina retirement community comes crashing down as her dark past surges into the present.

- Click here to read Caroline B. Cooney's bio.
- Click here to visit Caroline B. Cooney's website.
- Connect with Caroline B. Cooney on Facebook and Pinterest.

Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight
and enter the contest.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis
and BRONTË’S MISTRESS by Finola Austin

THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis (Historical Fiction)
THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE is the fifth Fiona Davis book that I have selected as a Bets On. It is set at the New York Public Library with two time frames, 1913 and 1993. The first revolves around a young family that lives in a seven-room apartment at the library. While I have spent many hours in the library, I confess to never knowing about this tidbit of history.

Laura Lyons and her husband, Jack, live in the apartment with their two children, as Jack is the superintendent of the library. While his life has purpose and meaning, Laura is looking for something to anchor her. As she is studying at the Columbia Journalism School, she comes across a radical group of women in Greenwich Village who are united in their mission to defend women’s rights. They eagerly take on suffrage, birth control and other topics of interest to women. Through them, Laura questions her life and the choices that she has been forced to make.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Fiona Davis.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to see why the book is August's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary
on THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE.
 

BRONTË’S MISTRESS by Finola Austin (Historical Fiction)
BRONTË’S MISTRESS is a brilliantly strong debut from an author you will want to keep an eye on. I confess to knowing much less about the Brontës than I feel that I should. Finola Austin’s novel was captivating from the opening pages.

It’s Yorkshire in 1843, and Lydia Robinson lives with her family in Thorp Green Hall. She’s dealing with two personal losses --- her mother and her daughter --- and a husband who has turned cold towards her. It’s not surprising that her son’s tutor, Branwell Brontë, catches her eye --- and suddenly she is wrapped up in an affair with a man who has a lot of baggage. It’s blissful for a while until things get out of control, and her regimented life is upended.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Finola Austin.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on BRONTË’S MISTRESS.

Featured Review: LITTLE DISASTERS by Sarah Vaughan

LITTLE DISASTERS by Sarah Vaughan (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Sophie Roberts, Esther Wane, Elliot Fitzpatrick and Sarah Feathers
She is a stay-at-home mother of three with boundless reserves of patience, energy and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess. Then one moment changes everything. Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface --- and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself. The truth can’t come soon enough. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: WHEN THESE MOUNTAINS BURN
by David Joy

WHEN THESE MOUNTAINS BURN by David Joy (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by MacLeod Andrews
When his addict son gets in deep with his dealer, it takes everything Raymond Mathis has to bail him out of trouble one last time. Frustrated by the slow pace and limitations of the law, Raymond decides to take matters into his own hands. After a workplace accident left him out of a job and in pain, Denny Rattler has spent years chasing his next high. He supports his habit through careful theft, following strict rules that keep him under the radar and out of jail. But when faced with opportunities too easy to resist, Denny makes two choices that change everything. For months, the DEA has been chasing the drug supply in the mountains to no avail, when a lead sets one agent on a path to crack the case wide open. But he'll need help from the most unexpected quarter. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: GROWN UPS by Emma Jane Unsworth

GROWN UPS by Emma Jane Unsworth (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Chloe Massey
Jenny McLaine’s life is falling apart. Her friendships are flagging. Her body has failed her. She’s just lost her column at The Foof because she isn’t the fierce voice new feminism needs. Her ex has gotten together with another woman. And worst of all: Jenny’s mother is about to move in. Having left home at 18 to remake herself as a self-sufficient millennial, Jenny is now in her 30s, and nothing is as she thought it would be. Least of all adulthood. Told in live-wire prose, texts, emails, script dialogue and social media messages, GROWN UPS is a neurotic dramedy of 21st-century manners for the digital age. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Bookreporter.com's 16th Annual Summer Reading Feature

All summer long, we at Bookreporter.com have been sharing some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Feature. While our series of 24-hour contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at our featured titles for some sizzling summer reading ideas.

This year’s featured titles are:

• ASK AGAIN, YES by Mary Beth Keane
• THE BEAUTY OF BROKEN THINGS by Victoria Connelly
• BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner
• THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS by Karen Robards
• THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES by Kristin Harmel
• EAST COAST GIRLS by Kerry Kletter  
• EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER by Linda Holmes
• FINDING MRS. FORD by Deborah Goodrich Royce
• GHOSTS OF HARVARD by Francesca Serritella
• THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah
• THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley
• HER LAST FLIGHT by Beatriz Williams
• HIDEAWAY by Nora Roberts
• HIS & HERS by Alice Feeney
• HOLLYWOOD PARK: A Memoir by Mikel Jollett
• THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN by Lisa See
• THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY by Natalie Jenner
• THE LAST FLIGHT by Julie Clark
• THE LIES THAT BIND by Emily Giffin
• THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP by Susan Wiggs
• MY DARK VANESSA by Kate Elizabeth Russell
• ONE YEAR OF UGLY by Caroline Mackenzie
• THE SILENT WIFE by Karin Slaughter
• THE SWAP by Robyn Harding
• THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger
• THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware
• TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Meg Mitchell Moore
• A WALK ALONG THE BEACH by Debbie Macomber
• THE WOMAN BEFORE WALLIS: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull

- Click here to see the winners of this year's Summer Reading contests.

Click here to learn more about our featured titles.

What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com

We currently have one contest running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Win 12 Paperback Copies of LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Our latest prize book is LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict, which is now available in paperback. This Bookreporter.com Bets On pick is an incredible novel that focuses on one of the people who had the most influence during World War I and World War II: Clementine Churchill. Enter here by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

Here are our latest featured guides:

• THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES by Kristin Harmel
• BRONTË’S MISTRESS by Finola Austin
• CEMETERY ROAD by Greg Iles
• THE COMEBACK by Ella Berman
• THE FRIENDSHIP LIST by Susan Mallery
• HERE FOR IT: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays by R. Eric Thomas
• HIS & HERS by Alice Feeney
• THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis

Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

• FIND ME by André Aciman
• LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict
• THE OTHER MRS. by Mary Kubica
• RIGHT AFTER THE WEATHER by Carol Anshaw

From left to right: Tiffany McDaniel, Eric Weiner, Emma Jane Unsworth

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

As so many book and author events are happening online these days, we are highlighting a number of them that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links below for more info and to register.

Sunday, August 23rd at 2pm ET: Boswell Book Company Virtual Event: Boswell hosts a virtual event with British author Emma Jane Unsworth for a chat about her latest book, GROWN UPS, one of Bustle’s Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2020 and a favorite of several Boswell booksellers.

Tuesday, August 25th at 1pm ET: Lemuria Books Virtual Event: Lemuria Books presents two New York Times bestselling authors in conversation: Lee Child and James Lee Burke, the latter of whom will talk about his latest thriller, A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL.

Tuesday, August 25th at 1pm ET: Politics & Prose Live at Lunch!: Politics & Prose Live! presents a Literary Lunch Series event featuring Jacki Lyden in conversation with Eric Weiner, author of THE SOCRATES EXPRESS: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers.

Tuesday, August 25th at 6pm ET: Writing Historical Fiction about Real People: Finola Austin, author of the debut novel BRONTË’S MISTRESS, will be in conversation with writer and actor Susan Wands for a Q&A on the joys and perils of writing fiction based on real historical figures.

Wednesday, August 26th at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites Online Event: Cara Wall will join members of the Simon & Schuster team for a Facebook Live Book Club chat about THE DEARLY BELOVED, which is now in paperback and is this month's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.

Wednesday, August 26th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": Every Wednesday, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe talk books and writing on their "Friends and Fiction" Facebook group page.

Thursday, August 27th at 6:30pm ET: Between the Lines: Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library will host a virtual author event featuring Tiffany McDaniel, who will talk about her latest novel, BETTY.

Thursday, August 27th at 8pm ET: Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books: To celebrate the 24th anniversary of Bookreporter.com, we have invited 10 of our longtime Bookreporter reviewers to share with us three of their favorite summer reads.

 "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts

“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)

Here is our latest interview:

• Fiona Davis (THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Mary Kay Andrews (HELLO, SUMMER) Video | Podcast
• Finola Austin (BRONTË’S MISTRESS) Video | Podcast
• Rachel Beanland (FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER) Video | Podcast
• Julie Clark (THE LAST FLIGHT) Video | Podcast
• Alice Feeney (HIS & HERS) Video | Podcast
• Alex George (THE PARIS HOURS) Video | Podcast
• Bruce Holsinger (THE GIFTED SCHOOL) Video | Podcast
• Mikel Jollett (HOLLYWOOD PARK: A Memoir) Video | Podcast
• Jill McCorkle (HIEROGLYPHICS) Video | Podcast
• Megan Miranda (THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS) Video | Podcast
• Meg Mitchell Moore (TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE) Video | Podcast
• Stephanie Scott (WHAT'S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS) Video | Podcast
• Emma Straub (ALL ADULTS HERE) Video | Podcast
• Scott Turow (THE LAST TRIAL) Video | Podcast
• Jennifer Weiner (BIG SUMMER) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Robert Dugoni (THE LAST AGENT)
• Christina Baker Kline (THE EXILES)
• Ruth Ware (ONE BY ONE)

Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.

More Reviews This Week

KILLER, COME BACK TO ME: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury by Ray Bradbury (Hard-boiled Crime Fiction/Short Stories)
Honoring the 100th birthday of Ray Bradbury, this definitive collection of the master's less well-known crime fiction, published in a high-grade premium collectible edition, features classic stories and rare gems. Is it murder to destroy a robot if it looks and speaks and thinks and feels like a human being? Can a ventriloquist be incriminated by the testimony of his own dummy? Can a time traveler prevent his younger self from killing the woman they both loved? And can the survivor of a pair of Siamese twins investigate his own brother's murder? No other writer has ever rivaled the imagination and narrative gifts of Ray Bradbury, and the 20 stories in KILLER, COME BACK TO ME demonstrate this singular writer's extraordinary range, influence and emotional power. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

YOU HAD ME AT HOLA by Alexis Daria (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Seraphine Valentine
After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow --- until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. But after a disastrous first impression, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. Rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

THE ORGAN THIEVES: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South by Chip Jones (History)
Audiobook available, read by JD Jackson
In 1968, Bruce Tucker, a black man, went into Virginia’s top research hospital with a head injury, only to have his heart taken out of his body and put into the chest of a white businessman. Now, in THE ORGAN THIEVES, Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Chip Jones exposes the horrifying inequality surrounding Tucker’s death and how he was used as a human guinea pig without his family’s permission or knowledge. The circumstances surrounding his death reflect the long legacy of mistreating African Americans that began more than a century before with cadaver harvesting and worse. It culminated in efforts to win the heart transplant race in the late 1960s. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

CONVINCE ME by Nina Sadowsky (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Caitlin Davies, Sean Kenin and Carol Monda
When Justin Childs’ body is retrieved from the wreckage of a car accident, his death leaves his loved ones with more questions than answers. In life, his charm and easygoing nature inspired trust, making him friends wherever he went. Now that he’s gone, the cracks begin to show: disturbing discrepancies in his company’s financials, unaccounted-for absences, a medical record that appears to be entirely fabricated. As the secrets and betrayals pile up, his wife, mother and best friend realize their beloved Justin was not the man they thought he was. Was the crash that killed him really an accident --- or did Justin finally get caught in something he couldn’t lie his way out of? Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

THE MYSTERY OF CHARLES DICKENS by A. N. Wilson (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Mark Meadows
Charles Dickens was a superb public performer, a great orator and one of the most famous of the Eminent Victorians. Slight of build, with a frenzied, hyper-energetic personality, Dickens looked much older than his 58 years when he died. Experiencing the worst and best of life during the Victorian Age, Dickens was not merely the conduit through whom some of the most beloved characters in literature came into the world. He was one of them. THE MYSTERY OF CHARLES DICKENS looks back from the legendary writer’s death to recall the key events in his life. In doing so, award-winning biographer A.N. Wilson seeks to understand Dickens’ creative genius and enduring popularity. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.

BLOOD VICTORY: A Burning Girl Thriller by Christopher Rice (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Ezzo
As the test subject of an experimental drug, Charlotte Rowe was infused with extraordinary powers. As the secret weapon of a mysterious consortium, she baits evil predators and stops them in their tracks. But it takes more than fear to trigger what’s coursing through Charlotte’s blood. She needs to be terrorized. Serial killer Cyrus Mattingly is up to the task. Cyrus is a long-haul truck driver, and his cargo bay is a gallery of horrors on wheels. To stop his bloodshed, Charlotte will become his next victim, reining in her powers so she can face each of his evils in turn. Before she can unleash vengeance on a scale this killer has never seen, Charlotte and her team will have to go the distance into hell. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

IMPERSONATION by Heidi Pitlor (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dylan Moore
Allie Lang is a professional ghostwriter and a perpetually broke single mother. Years of navigating her own and America’s cultural definitions of motherhood have left her a lapsed idealist. Lana Breban is a powerhouse lawyer, economist and advocate for women’s rights with designs on elected office. She and her staff have decided she needs help softening her public image and that a memoir about her life as a mother will help. When Allie lands the job as Lana’s ghostwriter, it seems as if things will finally go Allie’s way. But then childcare arrangements unravel, she falls behind on her rent, it turns out that Lana is better at critiquing than actually providing material, and Allie’s boyfriend decides to go on a road trip toward self-discovery. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

UNDER PRESSURE: A Lucas Page Novel by Robert Pobi (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Will Damron
On a beautiful October evening, New York City's iconic Guggenheim Museum is closed for a tech company's private gala. Until an explosion rocks the night, instantly killing 702 people, including every single attendee --- yet the damage to the building itself was minimal. An explosion of that precision was no accident. In response, the FBI mobilizes its entire team, but the sheer number of victims strains their resources. Dr. Lucas Page is uniquely gifted for the task at hand --- he can visualize a crime scene as if he was a bystander and can break down any set of data at a glance. Even though Page wants nothing to do with the FBI, with his city under attack and his family at risk, he steps in to find a killer in a haystack before they strike again. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

BEHIND THE RED DOOR by Megan Collins (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Patricia Santomasso and Alexandra Allwine
When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a 34-year-old missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her. And when Astrid appears in Fern’s recurring nightmare --- one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading --- Fern fears that it’s not a dream at all, but a memory. Back at her childhood home to help her father pack for a move, Fern purchases a copy of Astrid’s recently published memoir and discovers more evidence that she has an unsettling connection to the missing woman. With the help of her psychologist father, Fern digs deeper, hoping to find evidence that her connection to Astrid can help the police locate her. But the disturbing truth will change both of their lives forever. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

THE DAZZLING TRUTH by Helen Cullen (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Patrick Moy
In the courtyards of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1978, aspiring actress Maeve meets pottery student Murtagh Moone. As their relationship progresses, marriage and motherhood come in quick succession, but for Maeve, with the joy of children also comes the struggle to hold on to the truest parts of herself. Decades later, on a small Irish island, the Moone family are poised for celebration but instead are struck by tragedy. Each family member must find solace in their own separate way, until one dazzling truth brings them back together. But as the Moone family confront the past, they also journey toward a future that none of them could have predicted. Except perhaps Maeve herself. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.

THE SEARCH PARTY by Simon Lelic (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Fiona Button, Ben Arogundade, Sacha Dhawan, Jack Rowan, Joe Gaminara and Nicole Davis
The entire town thinks 16-year-old Sadie Saunders is dead. Missing now for a week, they say she was murdered. And they think they know who did it. Sadie's five best friends aren’t so sure, and they vow to find out the truth. So they pack their bags and head into the woods where Sadie was last seen. But they’re not just friends, they’re suspects. And each of them has a secret. As the landscape opens up, and the darkness closes in, the reality of their situation becomes clear. This was never really a search party. It’s a witch hunt. And not everyone will make it home alive. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 25th

Below are some notable titles releasing on August 25th 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 available the week of August 24th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER: A Foundlings Novel by Wendy Corsi Staub (Psychological Thriller)
New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub is the master of psychological suspense. In her latest thriller, an investigative genealogist digs for her own biological roots, well aware that some secrets are better left buried.

THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline (Historical Fiction)
The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller ORPHAN TRAIN returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant historical novel that captures the hardship, oppression, opportunity and hope of a trio of women’s lives --- two English convicts and an orphaned Aboriginal girl --- in 19th-century Australia.

HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ON: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham (Biography)
This posthumous biography from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of THE SOUL OF AMERICA is an intimate and revealing portrait of civil rights icon and longtime U.S. congressman John Lewis, linking his life to the painful quest for justice in America from the 1950s to the present.

PAYBACK by Lorenzo Carcaterra (Thriller)
Payback is personal for a former NYPD detective taking on a corrupt cop and a dirty accounting firm in this adrenaline-laced thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of SLEEPERS and TIN BADGES.

THE SOCRATES EXPRESS: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers by Eric Weiner (Philosophy/Essays)
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-socrates-express-in-search-of-life-lessons-from-dead-philosophers
The New York Times bestselling author of THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS embarks on a rollicking intellectual journey, following in the footsteps of history’s greatest thinkers and showing us how each --- from Epicurus to Gandhi, Thoreau to Beauvoir --- offers practical and spiritual lessons for today’s unsettled times.

SQUEEZE ME by Carl Hiaasen (Mystery/Humor)
From the bestselling author of SKINNY DIP and RAZOR GIRL comes a hilarious new novel of social and political intrigue, set against the glittering backdrop of Florida’s gold coast.

SUMMER by Ali Smith (Fiction)
This is a story about people on the brink of change. They’re family, but they think they’re strangers. So: Where does family begin? And what do people who think they have nothing in common have in common? Summer.

THICK AS THIEVES by Sandra Brown (Thriller)
In this tantalizing thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown, a woman uncovers lifelong secrets as she searches for the truth behind her father's involvement in a heist gone wrong.

VESPER FLIGHTS by Helen Macdonald (Nature/Essays)
In VESPER FLIGHTS, Helen Macdonald brings together a collection of her best-loved essays, along with new pieces on topics ranging from nostalgia for a vanishing countryside to the tribulations of farming ostriches to her own private vespers while trying to fall asleep.

Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.

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