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On Tuesday, July 25th, Ann Napolitano appeared at the Ramsey Free Public Library in Ramsey, NJ to talk about her latest novel, HELLO BEAUTIFUL, a New York Times bestseller and Oprah's 100th book club pick. Nancy Sharko, a reader of ours who attended the event, reports on Napolitano’s appearance and some of the insights she shared with the audience.

Linwood Barclay’s newly released novel, THE LIE MAKER, is a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. In this twisty, fast-paced thriller, a man desperately tries to track down his father --- who was taken into witness protection years ago --- before his enemies can get to him. As we approach Father’s Day, Linwood reflects on his own father, who helped fuel his love of reading at a young age and never turned him down whenever he asked for a book or any kind of reading material.

Ronald K. Fried is a veteran TV producer; the author of three novels, most recently FRANK COSTELLO; and a frequent contributor to The Daily Beast. In this piece, which originally ran on HeadButler.com, Fried pays tribute to Martin Amis, who passed away on May 19th at the age of 73 following a battle with esophageal cancer. Amis wrote 15 novels, including INSIDE STORY; the memoir EXPERIENCE; two collections of stories; and seven nonfiction books.

We wrap up this year’s Mother’s Day Author Blog series with Fiona Davis, whose six historical novels are set in iconic New York City buildings: THE MAGNOLIA PALACE, THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, THE CHELSEA GIRLS, THE MASTERPIECE, THE ADDRESS and THE DOLLHOUSE. Her latest work of fiction, THE SPECTACULAR, releases on June 13th and takes place amidst the glitz and glamour of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday. Fiona says, “I’ve learned that small moments are key, both in writing novels and appreciating life as it is, not as we wish it to be.” In our final Mother’s Day blog post of 2023, Fiona talks about one of those small moments, as she and her mother have become “a book club of two.”

In her debut novel, THERE ARE NO RULES FOR THIS (which releases on May 16th), JJ Elliott draws readers into a deeply affecting story of friendship, loss, guilt, healing and forgiveness. Told from the perspective of Ali, the story starts with her close friend Feeney’s suicide and progresses through its aftershocks, while continually flashing back to memorable incidents over the course of the women’s friendship. One reason JJ wanted to write this book is because she finds herself increasingly frustrated by the way suicide is treated in print and on-screen, as a mystery to be solved instead of a multilayered, complex condition that rarely can be boiled down to one specific “reason.” JJ’s blog post is a heartfelt tribute to her mother and an important reminder to those who are suffering that help is just a phone call away.

Brendan Slocumb is a musician, music educator, guest conductor, and the celebrated author of the book club favorite THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY. His latest novel, SYMPHONY OF SECRETS, is another love letter to music wrapped around a compelling mystery that echoes through generations. In his blog post, Brendan recalls growing up immersed in a culture of reading, even though he didn’t realize it at the time. As he says, “Reading was never a punishment; it was just something we did. I had no clue that my mom was quietly giving us the incredible gift of how words could entertain and create new worlds.”

Joanne Leedom-Ackerman is a novelist and journalist whose fiction includes her recent thriller, BURNING DISTANCE, and the upcoming THE FAR SIDE OF THE DESERT. Her younger son is author Elliot Ackerman, whose latest novel is HALCYON. Her older son, Nate, is a mathematician. As a child, Joanne would get lost in the pages of books that her mother read to her or encouraged her to read. This allowed her to travel all over the world and experience the sights and sounds of each destination she visited, all from the comfort of her own home. Joanne followed in her mother’s footsteps by making sure that Elliot and Nate were exposed to the joys and wonders of reading books and creating stories at a young age.

Megan Abbott is the Edgar Award-winning author of such novels as THE TURNOUT, GIVE ME YOUR HAND, YOU WILL KNOW ME, THE FEVER, DARE ME and THE END OF EVERYTHING. Her latest, BEWARE THE WOMAN, releases on May 30th and dissects the ongoing conversations about ownership and womanhood. Megan’s mother, writer Patricia Abbott, introduced her to countless books as a child and was the biggest influence on her reading habits. Patti gave Megan her first “adult” novel to read, which began her love of mysteries and thrillers, helping to pave the way for her career as a bestselling crime fiction author.

We are kicking off this year’s Mother’s Day Author Blog series with Joshilyn Jackson, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous novels, including her newly released psychological thriller, WITH MY LITTLE EYE. Joshilyn and her brother were voracious readers growing up. Their mother happily took them to the library and let them borrow as many books as they were allowed. Joshilyn credits her mom with helping to shape her into the reader and writer that she is today, which started when she was just a newborn. These days, their bond is as strong as ever, thanks in part to their shared love of books.

THE CARGO REBELLION is a stunning graphic narrative that tells a true story of mutiny on the high seas in which 400 indentured Chinese men overthrew their captor, the Connecticut businessman and slave trader Leslie Bryson, taking a stand against an exploitative global enterprise. Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House, talked with the creative team behind the book --- writers Jason Chang, Benjamin Barson and Alexis Dudden, and illustrator Kim Inthavong --- about how this project was conceived, the extensive research they conducted, and what they hope readers will take away from this eye-opening book.