Bookreporter.com Bets On...

Whisper Network (Audiobook) by Chandler Baker

July 2019

I had seen lots of buzz about WHISPER NETWORK by Chandler Baker. So I quickly grabbed the audiobook, which is narrated by Almarie Guerra, and found it to be one really well-done listen. The book is set at a sportswear company called Truviv, where three women --- Sloane, Ardie and Grace --- have worked for years. The man in line to become the company’s new CEO following the sudden death of his predecessor is Ames Garrett, who women in the company had identified as “trouble.” No, it’s not about his business dealings, but rather about his “women dealings.”

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The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

July 2019

Set on Cape Cod in 1987, THE LAST BOOK PARTY by Karen Dukess is a brisk, smart summer read and a coming-of-age story. And if that’s not enough to entice you, it’s set in the world of publishing, giving readers a fun insider look at what unfolds behind the scenes in the book world.

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Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger

July 2019

Last summer, I read THE BANKER’S WIFE by Cristina Alger and quickly picked it as a Bets On, noting that she was an author I needed to keep an eye on. So I was quick to snag a copy of GIRLS LIKE US when it came into the office. The book is set in Suffolk County, New York, but the places we know and think of in the Hamptons are not the ones depicted here. Instead, we are on the other side of the tracks where life is a lot grittier than glittery.

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The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You by Amulya Malladi

July 2019

THE NEAREST EXIT MAY BE BEHIND YOU by Amulya Malladi is a fun, funny, brisk and smart novel that brings readers a sharp storyline, as well as a deep dive into the culture of global corporate politics.

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A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

July 2019

A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by M.T. Edvardsson has been well translated from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles --- and it’s a complete page-turner. It is set in Sweden and opens at the end of summer with 18-year-old Stella Sandell having been accused of murdering Christopher Olsen, a man in his early 30s. From the start, she garners empathy from readers, mostly due to their age gap. If she is not the older adult in this scenario, how can she be guilty? But let’s face it, she is not a little darling; she’s a teen rebel. Could she have done it?

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The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

June 2019

THE LAST HOUSE GUEST reminded me once again how strong of a writer Megan Miranda is. The plot, you ask? Avery Greer is the townie in a Maine beach town who befriends Sadie Loman, one of the wealthy girls who summers on the island. On the night of an end-of-the-season party, Sadie is found dead on the beach, and all signs point to suicide. But that does not make sense to Avery, who commits herself to figuring out what went awry.

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Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

June 2019

It's been four years since Jennifer Weiner has written a novel for adults (she wrote two children's books and a book of essays), and this book is quite a departure for her. MRS. EVERYTHING is a big sweeping novel telling the story of two sisters between the 1950s and the present with an eye on what happened for women socially through these years. Packed into these seven decades are cultural touchstones that will be familiar to readers. Jen wanted to write a big book, and she pulled it off here. There is a huge difference between wanting to do something and executing it! MRS. EVERYTHING is a big story that flows briskly in Jen’s hands.

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The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

June 2019

THE ISLANDERS by Meg Mitchell Moore is a great summer read to add to your reading pile. The book features three characters whose stories weave together. One of them is an author, Anthony Puckett, and he brings a storyline about books and the world of publishing to explore, which is so well done (Anthony’s dad is a mega bestseller whose shadow he walks in). Joy is a single mom who owns a café called Joy Bombs, where she serves whoopie pies. Her business is threatened by a food truck that has made its way onto the island and is cruising the streets. Lu is a mom who stays home reluctantly with her two young sons. She has a hidden life that will be such fun for readers to delve into.

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The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

June 2019

THE STATIONERY SHOP by Marjan Kamali is a beautifully written book that is full of emotion and heart. I loved it and already can see it will be one of my favorite books of 2019.

It is set in Tehran in 1953 against the backdrop of the political upheaval in Iran. In it, Roya has fallen in love with Bahman, a young boy who loves Rumi's poetry; they are both 17. A small stationery shop is where they meet, and their relationship blossoms under the kind eye of the proprietor of the shop, Mr. Fakhri. The two plan to be married on August 19th, against their family’s wishes, but an uprising thwarts their plans, and Roya loses track of Bahman in the tumultuous days that follow. Sixty years later, they meet again in California, and Roya will get a moment to ask the questions that have haunted her for decades.

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Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok

June 2019

Jean Kwok’s SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE untangles the complicated ties binding three women --- two sisters, Sylvie and Amy, and their mother --- in one Chinese immigrant family, and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears and a series of family secrets emerge. The story unfolds with pitch-perfect pacing from the moment that Amy receives a call from the Netherlands that Sylvie is missing. She first searches Sylvie’s New York apartment, and what she sees there has her hasten her way to the Netherlands to track down those who last saw her older sister. And from there, the quest to find Sylvie gets more and more tangled.

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