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The Discussion Before the Meeting
My book group has a lively group chat going between meetings. We often talk about whatever we are reading both for the group and for “outside” reading. Our next read is YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke. These past weeks, there have been lots of thoughts about the characters, the action, trad wives, and much more. I am really looking forward to our discussion in early June!
I wonder how many of you do this. It’s amusing to see what our book tribe talks about between meetings. There are times when I think that our chat has the tone of a great drama or sitcom.
This is your last Reading Group Guides newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place on Tuesday, May 26th at 8pm ET.
Our guest will be Wally Lamb, and he will discuss his instant New York Times bestseller, THE RIVER IS WAITING, which releases in paperback on May 19th. It also was an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection last year.
After I talk to Wally, we will give readers the chance to share a question for him on screen. We have special sign-in directions for these attendees, and they will get to chat with Wally in our “backstage green room” before the program starts. Then we will turn to questions that have been dropped into Zoom’s Q&A feature. Click here to register for the event.
If you would like to ask Wally a question, please fill out this form by Tuesday, May 26th at noon ET. Be sure to include your name, city, state, email address and phone number, as well as your question. And indicate if you would like to be on camera or off.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Kathryn Stockett. Her new novel, THE CALAMITY CLUB, is her first book since THE HELP (which was published in 2009) and will be a Bets On pick.
The story is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression and follows a group of scrappy, strong-willed women who work together to conquer challenges they face, knowing that there are no men to save them. The novel also addresses the societal expectations and hypocrisies of the 1920s and ’30s.
Kathryn balances the book’s serious historical themes with humor. Initially she tried to write a cautious, bland tale that was different from THE HELP to avoid similar criticism, but she realized after a number of years that it lacked heart. Kathryn also discusses the novel’s length, which she justifies by the character development and story complexity. She drew a lot of inspiration from her own mother, to whom THE CALAMITY CLUB is dedicated.
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. We also are featuring the book’s discussion guide, along with our rave review on Bookreporter. Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.
Oh, and in the picture above, I wore that dress as I was amused that it went well with the book cover. My past at Condé Nast and the world of fashion runs deep!
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY, Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout’s new novel, tells the story of a chance incident that sparks a powerful realization in a beloved teacher’s life. It’s a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, parenthood, and the importance of truth in a capsizing world.
Our Bookreporter reviewer Eileen Zimmerman Nicol says, “We come to know Artie Dam as a thoughtful, introspective and considerate man who is still engaged with big questions, pondering his dilemmas, and marveling at the stakes present in an outwardly ordinary life…. I believe the things we never say are Strout’s true territory --- that she says them --- and no one does it better. For her fans, THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY is a cause for celebration.” Click here for the guide and here for the full review.
Oprah’s Book Club pick for May is JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart, who many of you know as the Booker Prize-winning author of SHUGGIE BAIN and YOUNG MUNGO.
Here’s what Oprah says about the book: “This is a story of a young man who’s carrying a big secret about his sexual identity. He’s returning home to care for his ailing grandmother, to a father and community who’s bearing their own secrets of repression. And it’s about struggling to be who you are in a family and culture that says who you are is not enough and it isn’t acceptable.
“Douglas Stuart…brilliantly weaves a complex and compelling story that ultimately shows us the power of love in a world that is hostile, in a world that is judgmental…. JOHN OF JOHN is a satisfying, rich, full read.”
Oprah and Douglas recently talked about JOHN OF JOHN in front of an enthusiastic audience in New York City who read the book and had questions for the author. You can watch their discussion here and access the guide here.
We also have added guides for these five books:
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CALLER UNKNOWN: Gillian McAllister’s latest thriller is May’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick. Jenna says, “Yes, it is a book set in Texas, where I’m from, but also it’s a book that is about motherhood. What lengths we’ll go to to protect those we love.”
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HOMEBOUND: Five interlocking lives. One beloved story. Portia Elan’s debut novel, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick, is a dazzling adventure across centuries and continents in search of the things that hold us together.
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ENORMOUS WINGS: Laurie Frankel’s exuberant and timely new novel is about female agency and bodily autonomy, morality and mortality. It’s about what happens when you don’t get to choose anymore.
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DEAR MISSING FRIEND: Susan McGuirk has written an intimate, epistolary saga of passion, resilience and 19th-century life. Through letters exchanged across oceans and Manhattan streets, Irish immigrant Catherine McGuirk --- Susan’s second great-aunt --- navigates love, ambition and heartbreak.
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LIVES OF A SALVAGER: A sweeping tale rooted in nature, magic and moral complexity, book two in Kelsey K. Sather’s Ancient Language of the Earth series explores humanity's relationship to nature and the emotional burden of environmental care.
Alexandra Andrews, the critically acclaimed author of WHO IS MAUD DIXON?, is back with her second novel, THE FINE ART OF LYING, which is Reese’s Book Club pick for May. A young wife and mother is thrust into a world of wealth and privilege, whose rash mistake sets off a domino effect of murder and betrayal. Reese says, “This book feels like a secret I’m not supposed to share…but it’s too good not to!”
GOOD JOY, BAD JOY is this month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? Mikki Brammer, the bestselling author of THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER, has penned a heartwarming and wise novel about the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.
For more May selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
Each month, we share the discussion guides that you have accessed most frequently on our site. Here are the 10 most popular guides from April.
The New York Times bestseller and book club favorite REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES has been adapted into a movie and is now available to stream on Netflix. Shelby Van Pelt was a “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest in February 2024, so we thought it would be fun to revisit that event with you in honor of the film’s release.
During the program, Shelby explains how a short piece that she had penned for a writing class became the start of her book, how growing up with her Swedish grandmother influenced her character, Tova, and why it worked for Marcellus to have his voice in the first person.
Shelby shares background on the cover design, as well as what it was like to be a debut author getting a call that she was the “Read with Jenna” Book Club selection for May 2022 and her experience being on the set of the “Today” show. She also notes that she is working on something new, but readers will have to wait a while to see it.
Click here to watch the program or here to listen to the podcast. I watched the movie last week, and it is very well done. Sally Field is terrific in it!
THE LAKE HOUSE, the second novel in Lori Foster’s Firefly Summer series (following last year’s THE GUEST COTTAGE), is our latest Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight title on Bookreporter.
When Pixie Nolan first came to Bramble, Kentucky, the abandoned and desperate young single mother found hope, healing and a fresh start. With the loving support of her best friends, she is now happily raising her toddler son in a cozy cottage. She never expected to make an electrifying connection with a summer renter. Brogan Rafferty, a retired Navy SEAL, arrives with a baby girl in tow and settles into the lake house next door. But it’s no coincidence that Brogan has found Pixie, and his startling revelations make it clear she’s the key to healing old regrets and building new dreams.
In anticipation of the book’s May 26th publication, we're hosting a contest where we’re awarding a copy to 25 readers. The deadline for your entries is Friday, May 22nd at noon ET. I look forward to talking to Lori about THE LAKE HOUSE in the next few weeks.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
All three of my latest Bets On selections just happen to be set in Australia: MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth, LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper, and A FAR-FLUNG LIFE by M. L. Stedman. Click on each of the titles for my Bets On commentary. If you missed my recent “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Jane Harper, be sure to watch or listen to it.
We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview afternoon event on Wednesday. I talked about 31 books releasing between May 12th and June 2nd, along with 11 from the first half of July, that we wanted to get on your radar. You can watch the presentation here and see a list of the featured titles here.
Next month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview afternoon event will take place on Wednesday, June 10th at 2pm ET. The focus will be on books releasing between June 9th and June 30th, in addition to some titles from the second half of July, plus August, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up.
Terry was one of the winners in our recent contest for LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY by Brisa Carleton. She won copies of the book for her book group, along with a book group chat with Brisa. Here's what she said about it:
“The Jasper (Charleston) Book Club celebrated LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY with Brisa Carleton and cocktails Tuesday evening, and it was delightful! She is brilliant, charming and entertaining. It was easy to see how she went from knowing no one at Sardi's to a brilliant career as a producer on Broadway.
“Thank you for creating an opportunity for our book group to have its own private chat with an author. The cocktails were on-point, and so were the questions going both directions. Having learned from the master at juggling a Zoom call with multiple people in multiple locations, I followed your format and it worked beautifully!”
I love when the matches we make between authors and readers work out like this.
Have a great discussion with your group!
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop/IndieBound. As you check out the discussion guides and various features on our site, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!
New Guide: THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett (Historical Fiction)
Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, 11-year-old Meg Lefleur is now one of the unadoptable "big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers that her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates --- and Meg’s --- converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what's rightfully theirs. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Kathryn Stockett.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
THE CALAMITY CLUB will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter.
New Guide:
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by Elizabeth Strout
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
Artie Dam is living a double life. He spends his days teaching history to 11th graders. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbors, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad --- at himself and the people around him --- and turns a question over and over in his mind: How is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us? And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear --- and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart
Oprah’s Book Club Pick for May
JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart (Fiction)
Out of money and with little to show for his art school education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry back home to the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. He returns to the two pillars of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, tweed weaver and lay preacher in the local Presbyterian church, and his maternal grandmother Ella, whose steady warmth helped Cal weather the sudden departure of his mother. Cal privately wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, while John is dismayed by his son’s seeming unwillingness to be Saved. But Cal isn't the only one in the croft house who is keeping secrets. As lambing season turns to shearing season, the threads holding the community together become increasingly frayed, and nothing will remain as it was before.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's Oprah's Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest
on Bookreporter.com: Enter to Win One of 25 Copies of
THE LAKE HOUSE by Lori Foster, Releasing on May 26th
Second chances, surprising revelations, and sweet, unexpected love go hand-in-hand in the tiny lakeside town at the heart of Lori Foster's charming Firefly Summer series, the second installment of which releases on May 26th.
We have 25 copies of THE LAKE HOUSE, which follows last year's THE GUEST COTTAGE, to give away to those who would like to read the book. To enter the contest on Bookreporter.com, please fill out this form by Friday, May 22nd at noon ET.
THE LAKE HOUSE: A Firefly Summer Novel by Lori Foster (Fiction)
When Pixie Nolan first came to Bramble, Kentucky, the abandoned and desperate young single mother found hope, healing and a fresh start. With the loving support of her best friends --- Marlow Heddings and her handsome Marine husband, Cort --- Pixie is now happily raising her toddler son in a cozy cottage, managing Marlow’s thriving boutique and designing firefly logo t-shirts that are selling like hotcakes. The past is behind her, and life is good.
She never expected to make an electrifying connection with a summer renter, a retired Navy SEAL with his own complicated past.
A rugged warrior with scars both seen and unseen, Brogan Rafferty arrives with an adorable baby girl in tow and settles into the lake house next door. And while he’s a stunning addition to the gorgeous scenery, it’s his caring devotion that captures Pixie’s heart --- the way he gently snuggles away the precious infant’s cries or swoops Pixie’s delighted little boy high in the air with his tattooed, muscular arms.
But it’s no coincidence that Brogan has found Pixie, and his startling revelations make it clear she’s the key to healing old regrets and building new dreams. And when a hostile stranger turns up with shocking accusations against Bramble’s new hometown hero, Pixie must put her own fears and heartbreak away for good --- and learn what it truly means to trust.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit Lori Foster's website.
Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight
and enter the contest.
New Guide: CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister
May’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club Pick
CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister (Domestic Thriller)
With Lucy about to leave home for university, she and her mother, Simone, depart the UK for a vacation to Texas to spend some quality time together. But when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone. In her place is a cell phone, and a voice on the other line issues a shocking ransom demand. Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal. Though Simone’s husband urges her to bring in the authorities for help, she knows she can’t take any chances. So that night, she drives to the isolated meet-up. What she finds there changes everything. The mysterious kidnapper doesn’t want money. They want Simone to do something. The unthinkable. A catastrophic chain of events is set in motion, with chilling consequences that extend beyond Simone and her family.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: HOMEBOUND by Portia Elan
May’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
HOMEBOUND by Portia Elan (Science Fiction)
It’s 1983, and Becks can’t wait to get the hell out of Cincinnati. She’s 19, blasting her Walkman, and hiding from the fact that her beloved uncle, the only person who understood her, is dead. But she has work to do: he left her a half-finished game to complete --- one last collaboration to find her way out of loneliness. Little does she know, what Becks is making will echo far into the future and shape the lives of a scientist, a sentient automaton, and a flinty sea captain in ways she cannot imagine. All are bound together by their search for connection --- and by a futuristic traveler on a mysterious mission through space.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: ENORMOUS WINGS by Laurie Frankel
ENORMOUS WINGS by Laurie Frankel (Fiction)
At 77, Pepper Mills is too old to be a stranger in a strange land. She didn’t choose the Vista View Retirement Community of Austin, Texas --- that would be her three grown children --- but when she grudgingly moves in, she not only makes new friends, she falls in love. Then the exhaustion, vomiting and confusion start. She fears it’s cancer, dementia, a stroke. But a raft of tests later, the news is even more shocking: She’s pregnant. As word gets out, everyone wants a piece of her: the press and paparazzi, activists and medical researchers, belly-rubbers and rubberneckers all descending on Vista View while Pepper struggles to determine her next move. Soon she has some hard decisions to make --- and some she’s not allowed to make.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: DEAR MISSING FRIEND by Susan McGuirk
DEAR MISSING FRIEND by Susan McGuirk (Historical Fiction)
Sag Harbor, New York, 1840s: Catherine McGuirk leaves Ireland and a shipboard proposal behind, determined to forge a new life in America. Amid the bustling height of the whaling era, she marries a dashing sailor who vows to give up life on the sea. But when he vanishes westward in pursuit of gold, she is forced to chart her own course as a governess in Manhattan society. Torn between her ambition, the vanished whaleman she married, and the now-wealthy suitor she refused, Catherine must navigate love, loss, and the tides of a changing world.
Please note: An interview with Susan McGuirk will be published on May 29th by the Historical Novel Society.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read critical praise.
- Click here to visit Susan McGuirk's website.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: LIVES OF A SALVAGER by Kelsey K. Sather
LIVES OF A SALVAGER: Ancient Language of the Earth, Book Two by Kelsey K. Sather (Fantasy)
In the ancient world of Aligaea, Laurel serves the Anima’s army, wielding plant magic, potions and powerful artifacts in the ongoing Task to restore ecological balance. Across centuries, she witnesses empires rise and fall, magical forces evolve, and the fragile order of the natural world begins to collapse. As a master of botanical magic, she crafts deadly charms, invisibility tinctures, and Birch Skin armor --- magical tools shaped by the pressures of war. But as the Imperium rises --- the greatest threat Aligaea has ever faced --- Laurel begins to question the ethics of everything to which she has devoted her life. If saving the world requires endless war, sacrifice and manipulation, is it a mission worth completing? Is the Task truly restoring balance?
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an interview with Kelsey K. Sather.
- Click here to visit Kelsey K. Sather's website.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Our Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for May
Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads. We also feature a number of other prominent selections, including the Barnes & Noble Book Club, the “Good Morning America” Book Club, Oprah’s Book Club, the PBS Books Readers Club, the “Read with Jenna” Book Club, Reese's Book Club, and the Target Book Club.
Below is a preview of May's “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.” For the complete Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, as well as additional links pertaining to this month's selections, please click here.
Indie Next
#1 Pick: MAKE BELIEVE: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett
THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett
THE LOST BOOK OF LANCELOT by John Glynn
ENORMOUS WINGS by Laurie Frankel
WE BURNED SO BRIGHT by TJ Klune
LibraryReads
Top Pick: CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister
FIVE by Ilona Bannister
I KNOW A PLACE: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours, by Nat Cassidy
THE BURNING SIDE by Sarah Damoff
A PARADE OF HORRIBLES by Matt Dinniman
Barnes & Noble Book Club
GOOD JOY, BAD JOY by Mikki Brammer
"Good Morning America" Book Club
HOMEBOUND by Portia Elan
Oprah's Book Club
JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart
PBS Books Readers Club
THIS IS NOT ABOUT US by Allegra Goodman
"Read with Jenna" Book Club
CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister
Reese's Book Club
THE FINE ART OF LYING by Alexandra Andrews
Target Book Club
THE LIBRARY OF FLOWERS by L.C. Chu
Click here for May's Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth,
LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper,
and A FAR-FLUNG LIFE by M. L. Stedman
(It's a coincidence that all three books are set in Australia!)
MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth (Domestic Thriller)
When I tell you that I think MAD MABEL is Sally Hepworth’s best book, I am saying that after having devoured everything she has written.
Here we have an older protagonist, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, who is 81 years old and definitively grumpy. Elsie is the neighbor whom people watch and tell their children to be quiet around. She’s living in a Melbourne suburb where she minds her own business until a neighbor is found dead.
There’s a reason that Elsie keeps more to herself than most. She has something of a history to her. Years ago she was known as Mad Mabel Waller, and she had the honor --- or onerous distinction --- of being Australia’s youngest convicted killer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on MAD MABEL.
LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper (Mystery/Thriller)
Jane Harper’s LAST ONE OUT is set in Carralon Ridge in rural New South Wales. More than a decade ago, a mining company discovers what they want on the border of the town. Slowly they have encroached on the property around it, and much of the town has been bought up by them as they expand. It’s not just the riches below the ground that the company is looking for, but rather the ability to build roads and easily facilitate their business.
The hum of the mining mission is behind the entire story like a character. The noise is relentless and the dust ever present, as are memories of the places that are both fresh and buried.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Jane Harper.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on LAST ONE OUT.
A FAR-FLUNG LIFE by M. L. Stedman (Historical Fiction)
In 2012, I read THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS and loved the power of M. L. Stedman’s writing. I did not think it would be 14 years until I could read something from her again. I listened to A FAR-FLUNG LIFE and enjoyed the narration by Lewis Fitz-Gerald. I constantly found myself swept up in the storytelling.
The book is set on the MacBride family’s sheep station, the million-acre Meredith Downs in Western Australia, which has been in the family for generations. It’s the kind of place where the weather is charted as much as the number of sheep. The story begins in the 1950s and follows the family as they cope with an accident on a remote road in 1958. Phil and his oldest son, Warren, are killed. His youngest son, Matt, is hospitalized with severe injuries, memory loss, and the new burden of being the only man in the family.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on A FAR-FLUNG LIFE.
Bookreporter.com's 22nd Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature.
We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through mid-August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win.
We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
From left to right: Ilona Bannister, Wally Lamb, Mary Kay Andrews
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are nine upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Monday, May 18th at 3pm ET: Murder By The Book: Kim Sherwood will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about HURRICANE ROOM, the final installment in her thrilling Double O trilogy. This time, Jame Bond must team up with the rest of the Double O Section to stop a threat from inside the agency itself.
Tuesday, May 19th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Alison Gaylin will talk about her latest novel, ROBERT B. PARKER'S BOOKED, which finds Boston PI Sunny Randall investigating a popular book critic on a mean streak...only for her to wind up dead.
Tuesday, May 19th at 10pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Michael Connelly will talk about his new book, IRONWOOD, which continues his Catalina series. Sworn to protect a scenic island meant to be far from the evils of the mainland, Detective Sergeant Stilwell can feel danger closing in.
Thursday, May 21st at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's presents Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie as they discuss their new book, A FOUNDING MOTHER, with Rachel McMillan. This stunning historical novel is a sweeping, intimate portrayal of Abigail Adams, whose wit, willpower and wisdom helped shape the fledgling republic.
Tuesday, May 26th at 8pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Wally Lamb about his instant New York Times bestseller, THE RIVER IS WAITING, an Oprah's Book Club pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Wally also will answer questions from guests who will be “on stage,” as well as from other members of the audience.
Tuesday, May 26th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Alex Finlay about his new novel, THE ANNIVERSARY. This addictive murder mystery and nail-biting thriller is also a tender, heartrending story about fate, innocence lost, and two people bound by a single day.
Wednesday, May 27th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with F&F's own Mary Kay Andrews about her latest novel, ROAD TRIP. Pack your bags for a summer journey shaped by family secrets, long-buried history, and charming men with Irish accents.
Thursday, May 28th at 7pm ET: Buzz Books Fall/Winter 2026 Fiction Author & Editor Panel: Hosted by Leigh Haber and Mary Ann Naples, this starry seasonal fiction panel features five authors in conversation with their editors: Chloe Benjamin (UNDER STORY), Joseph Fink (THE NUDGE), Chad Harbach (THE BRIGHTNESS), Lydia Millet (FAIR ONES), and Wayétu Moore (ABILA).
Saturday, May 30th at 1pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's presents Ilona Bannister as she discusses her new book, FIVE, with Jason Blitman. Five lives. Five stories. Four will live, one will die. Who will it be? In this slow-burn masterpiece of psychological fiction, the choice is all yours.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers long-form, in-depth author interviews. 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:
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Rachel Beanland (THE HALF LIFE)
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Lori Foster (THE LAKE HOUSE: A Firefly Summer Novel)
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Jenny Jackson (THE SHAMPOO EFFECT)
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John Searles (SINGLE GIRLS)
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Ruta Sepetys (A FORTUNE OF SAND)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett (Historical Fiction)
The multimillion-copy-selling author of THE HELP returns with a bold, bighearted novel about a group of unbreakable women fighting for what’s rightfully theirs --- and the power of friendship to change everything.
CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister (Domestic Thriller)
How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock --- and finds herself on the wrong side of the law --- in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter.
DEAR MISSING FRIEND by Susan McGuirk (Historical Fiction)
Sag Harbor, New York, 1844: An Irish immigrant is torn between becoming a governess, the missing seaman she married, and the wealthy speculator she didn’t.
ENORMOUS WINGS by Laurie Frankel (Fiction)
ENORMOUS WINGS is an urgent novel about motherhood and family, sex and love and friendship, and how those bedrocks --- even so late in the day --- can still change and then change everything.
GHOST TOWN by Tom Perrotta (Fiction)
From New York Times bestselling author Tom Perrotta comes a gripping and darkly nostalgic tale about a tumultuous summer in 1970s suburban New Jersey from the perspective of a middle-aged writer looking back on a series of events that changed his life.
HOMEBOUND by Portia Elan (Science Fiction)
A novel about our deep interconnectedness, HOMEBOUND is a clear-eyed, hopeful adventure into humanity’s future and capacity for love.
HOW TO CHEAT YOUR OWN DEATH by Kristen Perrin (Mystery)
From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest installment in the award-winning Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series.
JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart (Fiction)
From the Booker Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author of SHUGGIE BAIN and YOUNG MUNGO comes a vivid, moving novel following a young man returning to his Hebridean island home, a portrait of a father’s expectations and a son’s desires.
KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN by Sadeqa Johnson (Historical Fiction)
In this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE HOUSE OF EVE, one American woman’s vision in post-WWII Germany will tie together three people in an unexpected way.
LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME by Tolani Akinola (Fiction)
LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME is a poignant exploration of forgiveness, unconditional love and becoming who you want to be, asking the question: What do we owe to our families, and what do we owe to ourselves?
LIVES OF A SALVAGER: Ancient Language of the Earth, Book Two by Kelsey K. Sather (Fantasy)
One Salvager. Two thousand years. An unstoppable empire is destroying the world. LIVES OF A SALVAGER is a stand-alone book in this multigenerational fantasy series about plant magic, memory, and the cost of saving a dying planet.
MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth (Domestic Thriller)
From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who’s not done breaking the rules just yet.
THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson (Fiction)
Susan Patterson and James Patterson's follow-up to THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER revolves around the emotional reunion of the Mother-Daughter Book Club --- four longtime college friends and their five daughters --- which leads to surprising revelations.
THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME: The Book Woman's Legacy by Kim Michele Richardson (Historical Fiction)
In this stand-alone and companion novel to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series, our heroine for the ages, legendary book woman Cussy Lovett, returns home.
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
Pulitzer Prize–winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout’s new novel tells the story of a chance incident that sparks a powerful realization in a beloved teacher’s life.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
THE MANOR OF DREAMS by Christina Li (Gothic Fiction)
MEXICAN GOTHIC meets THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.
MANSION BEACH by Meg Mitchell Moore (Fiction)
From nationally bestselling author Meg Mitchell Moore comes a sparkling new novel following a young woman entwined in the opulent lives of her neighbors on Block Island, set against a backdrop of scandal, secrets and a not-so-subtle love triangle.
SLEEP by Honor Jones (Fiction)
From a dazzling new talent comes the story of a newly divorced young mother forced to reckon with the secrets of her own childhood when she brings her daughters back to the big house where she was raised.
SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins (Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeanine Cummins comes a deeply felt multigenerational family story that asks: What does it mean to call a place home?
SPECTACULAR THINGS by Beck Dorey-Stein (Fiction)
Two sisters examine what they owe each other and what they are willing to sacrifice to make their dreams come true.
THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO by Adriana Trigiani (Fiction)
From beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani comes a novel about one woman’s quest to build her own life before it’s too late.
YOU BELONG HERE by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller)
Megan Miranda has penned a campus thriller and a psychological suspense novel featuring a decades-old secret that haunts a mother and her college-bound daughter.
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