In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of June 21st and June 28th that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.
This week, we are calling attention to our special contest and author chat opportunity for THE HUSBANDS, an upcoming novel (and future Bets On pick) from Chandler Baker, whose adult debut, WHISPER NETWORK, was a New York Times bestseller. The book doesn’t release until August 3rd, but we’re awarding up to 10 advance copies to 15 groups who will share their comments on it --- and five of these 15 groups will win a chat with Chandler via Zoom. The deadline for your entries is Wednesday, July 7th at noon ET.
We have three new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter. First up is Joshua Henkin, whose latest novel, MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, is this month’s #1 Indie Next pick and will be a Bets On selection. In the book, Pru Steiner falls in love with her Shakespeare professor, Spence Robin. Marrying him means ending her ambition to make a name for herself in New York academia. Decades later, Spence is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and Pru must come to terms with the impact that will have on her life. Layer in a stepson who walks to his own beat and a daughter who is in medical school, and it’s both the story of a marriage and of a family. In the interview, Joshua gives a great deal of insight into how each of his characters drive the story and reveals the parallels to his own life. Carol also talks to him about what it's like to write as a full-time creative writing professor and the ways in which his career motivates his writing work. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
Next up is Zakiya Dalila Harris, whose debut novel, THE OTHER BLACK GIRL, is this month’s Barnes & Noble and “Good Morning America” book club picks. This edge-of-your seat thriller is about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing. Zakiya spent a few years working in the editorial department at Knopf Doubleday. She left to write this book when the kernel of a story idea came to her, and it was too good to ignore. In the interview, Zakiya shares how her experiences in the publishing industry inspired everything from the microaggressions present in Nella's story, to the loose basis of certain characters, to the premise itself. She also talks about pop culture references, career transitions (especially for those who are assistants), and some of the challenges involved in getting the book to meet her vision. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
Carol's third interview is with Lauren Weisberger, the New York Times bestselling author of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Her new novel, WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY, is about sisters, their perfect lives...and their perfect lies. Lauren, who channeled her close relationship with her sister as she wrote the book, talks to Carol about how far she was in her early draft before realizing that she'd have to start over with a different approach, while hoping for the male characters to be nice guys instead of villains. At the same time, she offers fascinating insight into her female characters and how their agency involves them making their own choices. Lauren is excited about the upcoming stage adaptation of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, which she's been working on with Kevin McCollum and Elton John, the latter of whom is writing all the music. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
REMINDER: Event Thursday Night! This is your last newsletter reminder to sign up for this month's “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place this Thursday, June 24th at 8pm ET. Julie Clark will be our special guest, and Carol will talk to her about THE LAST FLIGHT, a Bets On pick that recently released in paperback. She also will be answering questions from those in attendance, including a select few who will join us “on stage.” Click here to register. If you have a question for Julie that you would like to ask on camera, please send Carol an email with the subject line “Question for Julie Clark” by this Wednesday at 6pm ET.