July 6, 2012

While when we left off last week I was not loving the idea of a single day in the middle of the week to celebrate the 4th of July, it ended up being a lovely interlude that somehow felt like a weekend instead of a solo midday off, probably because most people were not working. A day off in the middle of the week reminded me of when I was a young child and doctors took Wednesdays off; the golf courses usually had lots of golfers on them on Wednesdays. As a perfect escape for a hot summer day, I spent the 4th floating in the pool and reading Emily Giffin’s upcoming book, WHERE WE BELONG, which was brilliantly fun and entertaining, a perfect summer read. It will be in stores on July 24th.

Perfect timing on this as Emily Giffin and WHERE WE BELONG are the subject of our latest Women’s Fiction Spotlight feature. In WHERE WE BELONG, a woman’s seemingly perfect life changes drastically when an 18-year-old girl with a key to her past shows up at her door. We’re raving about the book here at the office --- and are happy to share our new contest that offers 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy and comment on it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Thursday, July 19th at noon ET. Click here for details.

A few weeks ago, I found this photo of a flag cake on the Cake Central site, which is perfect for Independence Day and then I later found this recipe. While I have not made it yet, I WILL for a patriotic occasion. “The flag cake,” as the blogger has named it, has a simple white frosting outside, but by using food coloring and frosting, the inside was designed to make each slice look like a U.S. flag. Check out a picture of my original find above, which is slightly different. Such a festive dessert, which people will remember!

We had some great reader mail this week, including a note from Linda, who let me know that she prints out all our newsletters and puts them into a three-ring binder and refers back to them as she reads. So nice to hear how much this newsletter and our website mean for readers! By the way, we know that summer means vacation time for many of you. If you miss a newsletter because you are traveling, note that they can all be found on the site.

Another note from a reader sparked us to change our featured author spotlight on Chris Bohjalian and his upcoming book, THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, to a Historical Fiction Author Spotlight instead of a Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight. Since we started talking about featuring Chris and his book around the office, we were trying to decide what moniker best suited it. We know that Chris has a huge readership of women, but the subject of this book is also historical in nature. We had been going back and forth on where it belonged for a while. Then Ken, one of our readers who is a bookseller at Books & Co and a huge fan of the book (having read an advance copy), wrote after reading last week’s newsletter.

His note to me said in part, “You're forgiven for classifying Chris Bohjalian's new novel in women's fiction….I finished reading an advanced copy last week and I was blown away by Chris's depiction of the Armenian genocide during WWI. Although the book definitely has a love story contained in it, it doesn't deserve to be pigeonholed as women's fiction. As far as I know, this is the first time that Chris has written about his Armenian heritage. This is a story that he is meant to tell. And we as readers are meant to listen and ask ourselves, 'Why are these horrors still happening?'"

Ken is right that this is the first time Chris has addressed his Armenian heritage, and after I read THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, I had the very same thoughts and found myself doing more research on the genocide. As we announced last week, we have 100 copies of THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. And given Ken’s comments above, we’d love to see some men entering to read this book as well. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Thursday, July 12th at noon ET. Click here for details.

I have two new Bookreporter.com Bets On selections, both of which we also review this week. First, as some background, I love the Olympics, and in fact last week found myself racing home to watch the Olympic Trials for both swimming and gymnastics. Thus it’s poignant that my first Bets On this week is for GOLD by Chris Cleave. GOLD is set in London during this year’s Olympics. Kate and Zoe met at 19 when they both made the cut for the national training program in track cycling. Now at 32, they are facing their last and biggest race: the 2012 Olympics. Each wants desperately to win gold, and each has more than a medal to lose. Reviewer Norah Piehl says, “Chris Cleave...hits so many different emotional chords with GOLD... It all adds up to a novel that will be appreciated at any time, but will be devoured especially now, as Olympic fans consider --- on the page and on their television screens --- what goes into making a true champion.” Along with the review, we have a Q&A with Chris that you can read here. And you can see why I selected it as a Bets On here.

Our second Bets On title is THE WOMAN AT THE LIGHT by Joanna Brady, which is our current Paperback Spotlight. This novel is about a mentally tough woman whose husband, a lighthouse keeper, has disappeared. Now she must raise her children and tend to the lighthouse all on her own. But then a runaway slave washes up on her shore and changes her life forever. Reviewer Melanie Smith says, “Despite the rather ordinary, modern appearance of the book’s cover, THE WOMAN AT THE LIGHT is a true historical novel with many creative nuances and exceptional era details. This is the well-written creation of an experienced writer and a fantastic love story to boot.” Read our review and an interview with Joanna, where she talks about her transition from columnist to author and the controversial issues raised in the novel. You can read why I selected it as a Bets On title here.

We have a review of Karin Slaughter’s latest thriller, CRIMINAL. I have been a longtime fan of Karin's, thus getting my hands on an advance copy of the book a few months ago was a real treat; I can say with conviction that Karin pushes her craft to a whole new level here. She has smart research behind the scenes, the kind that drives the story along, not the show-and-tell kind, as she weaves in a story from the '70s into one from present day, unlocking a lot of clues about the characters that we have come to know. It’s a prequel wrapped into a sequel. Something very tough to do, but she does it brilliantly. Fans are going to love it. I am not giving one more thing away. Reviewer Joe Hartlaub has this to say about the book: “CRIMINAL is full of surprises, whether you have followed Slaughter’s work from the beginning or are encountering her Atlanta environs for the first time. Her portrayal of 1970s Atlanta puts you in the moment in a way that perhaps only George Pelecanos has matched with his portrayal of Washington, D.C. in the mid-1970s.”

We also have a review of the much-talked-about bestseller, GONE GIRL, which has been in top slots on the New York Times bestseller list for weeks now and will move UP to number one this week! I read it last weekend and see why the praise is pouring in. This psychological thriller by Gillian Flynn gets an absolutely rave review from Kate Ayers, who says, “Whatever you do, don’t be lulled into thinking you know what happened until the very last paragraph. By the time you figure it out, you will be gasping, shaking your head and slapping your temple. You will have been batted around like a ping pong ball in a tight match, and you will feel like you have made just as many turnarounds. The book is, quite simply, ingenious. Gillian Flynn couldn’t possibly surprise her readers any more than she has in this amazing thriller.”

In Elizabeth Haynes’ debut novel, INTO THE DARKEST CORNER, Cathy Bailey learns of her former lover's release from prison. When things start to get rearranged in her apartment, one of Lee’s old tricks, Cathy becomes increasingly more and more fearful for her life. Reviewer Joe Hartlaub says, “It’s a great, keep-you-up-all-night reading and thinking exploration of the dark side of relationships with the wrong person.... INTO THE DARKEST CORNER begs for a film adaptation for many reasons, even if there is no possibility that such a movie would be anywhere close to being as good as the book.” By the way, INTO THE DARKEST CORNER has a blurb from the aforementioned Karin Slaughter, where she says, “Check the locks on your doors and windows and surrender to this obsessive thriller.”

Our Summer Reading contests are back after a brief hiatus for 4th of July. Next week’s prize books are JOY FOR BEGINNERS by Erica Bauermeister, NIGHT WATCH by Linda Fairstein and TRAPEZE by Simon Mawer. Also, you can see a list of all the winners to date here.

Our July New in Paperback feature is up. Among the titles releasing in paperback this month are 11/22/63 by Stephen King, THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern, BOND GIRL by Erin Duffy, FLASH AND BONES by Kathy Reichs and THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES by Jussi Adler-Olsen.

The weather has been wickedly hot in New York all week, and all I have wanted to do head into an air-conditioned room. Which is why an air-conditioned movie theater with a really great film is a perfect idea when the temps heat up. So fittingly enough, we’re updating our Books on Screen feature, and we hope these movies will help you forget about the heat outside. The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises comes to theaters in July, along with Savages from award-winning director Oliver Stone and Farewell, My Queen, which brings Marie Antoinette to life on the big screen. Click here for all the feature films, TV shows and DVDs available this month.

Earlier this week on our Facebook page, we posted a link to a trailer from the upcoming Jack Reacher movie, which is based on Lee Child’s bestselling novels. We heard from LOTS of you about that. You can see the trailer link here: What do you think seeing Cruise as Reacher? By the way, there was no surprise around our house that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were splitting; somehow to me, every time they were together, it felt like they were acting.

Speaking of movies and theatrics, I am off to San Diego Comic-Con on Tuesday, which will be five days of complete pop culture immersion. Their programming is stellar this year, and what’s interesting is that there are a number of prose authors who will be in attendance as well as graphic novel and comic programming. I have earmarked at least two panels that are about upcoming movies based on books. Meanwhile, in New York next week, Greg will be covering ThrillerFest for us (he’s been photographing this event for the last five years now, and he knows a number of authors), along with our own Maureen Linehan. Have you seen the terrific Thriller Bookcase that Joe Hartlaub pulled together for us? Click here to see it.

Our new poll asks, “Which of the following books releasing in July and August are you most looking forward to reading?” We have 21 titles listed --- and it’s quite a lineup ---- so we are fairly sure that there is at least one that will be on your list. But you can check ALL that interest you.

We are offering some new books for our Word of Mouth contest, so be sure to enter by Friday, July 13th at noon ET for your chance to win three VERY highly anticipated books: CREOLE BELLE: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James Lee Burke, NIGHT WATCH by Linda Fairstein and SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness.

For the last year, I have been wanting to knock off some weight. I am not swimming as much as I would like to, and my husband and I both love to cook --- and thus eat. And we have two boys who can race through a refrigerator and show no consequences. I am not a fan of any fad diets, but I just read this terrific piece by Mary Kay Andrews about her weight-loss transformation (I thought she was looking perkier in her Facebook photos) and cracked open a bottle of water. Years ago, I used to drink 64 ounces of water a day. Maybe time to get back to it!

Here’s to a great weekend of reading before I get packing; I did not even unpack my suitcase from the last trip yet! Read on for much, much more this week. Our crack editorial team did not miss a beat this week with the day off!

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn (Psychological Thriller)
On a summer morning in Missouri, Nick and Amy Dunne are celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. Or they would be, if Amy hadn't disappeared from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. As the cops close in and the stream of lies, deceits and inappropriate behavior leaks out, everyone in town is wondering how well they know the one that they love. Did Nick kill his clever and beautiful wife? If not, who did? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Read Gillian Flynn's essays on wicked women and her writing routine.
 

Chris Cleave, the author of INCENDIARY and the #1 New York Times bestseller LITTLE BEE, returns with his newest novel, GOLD, just in time for the start of this year's Olympics. In this interview, Cleave talks about the creation of his main characters, the research he conducted that allowed him to write so effectively about little Sophie's illness, and his evolution as a writer.

GOLD by Chris Cleave (Fiction)
Kate and Zoe met at 19 when they both made the cut for the national training program in track cycling. They are built to exploit the barest physical and psychological edge over equally skilled rivals. Now at 32, the women are facing their last and biggest race: the 2012 Olympics. Each wants desperately to win gold, and each has more than a medal to lose. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to see why the book is a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.

We have 25 copies of WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin, which will be in stores July 24th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Thursday, July 19th at noon ET.

WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Marian Caldwell is a 36-year-old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door...only to find Kirby Rose, an 18-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world --- and her very identity --- will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Emily Giffin’s bio.
-Click here to visit Emily Giffin’s official website.

THE WOMAN AT THE LIGHT by Joanna Brady (Historical Romance)
One afternoon in 1839, Emily Lowry’s husband vanishes from Wreckers’ Cay, an isolated island off the coast of Key West where he tends to the lighthouse. As days stretch into months, Emily has no choice but take charge of Wrecker’s Cay and her husband’s duties tending the light to support her three children --- and a fourth on the way.

Unexpected help arrives when a runaway slave named Andrew washes up on their beach. At first, Emily is intensely wary of this strange, charming man, whose very presence there is highly illegal. But Andrew proves himself an enormous help and soon wins the hearts of the Lowry family. And --- far from the outside world and society’s rules --- his place in Emily’s life, as steadfast now as the light, will forever change their futures.

When Emily’s family is ripped apart once again, she faces untold hardships that test her love and determination and show how the passionate love of a defiant, determined woman can overcome any obstacle.

-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read an interview with Joanna Brady.
-Click here to read Joanna Brady’s bio.
-Click here to visit Joanna Brady’s official website.
-Click here to see why the book is a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.

THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, Chris Bohjalian's 15th book, is a spellbinding tale that travels between Aleppo, Syria, in 1915 and Bronxville, New York, in 2012 --- a sweeping historical love story steeped in the author’s Armenian heritage, a subject his legions of fans have been asking him to write about for years.

We have 100 copies of THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, which will be in stores July 17th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Thursday, July 12th at noon ET.

AFRAID TO DIE: A Selena Alvarez/Regan Pescoli Novel by Lisa Jackson (Thriller)
The town of Grizzly Falls is on edge, and Detective Selena Alvarez is no exception. A string of terrifying murders has been solved, but a new nightmare is about to unfold. Two women are missing --- both of whom Selena knew. In a small town like Grizzly Falls, that’s no surprise. But when their bodies are found, frozen solid and deliberately displayed, Selena is shocked to the core. Each victim wears a piece of her jewelry.

Selena’s partner, Detective Regan Pescoli, and the entire department are on the case, as is P.I. Dylan O’Keefe --- a man Selena got too close to once before. But this killer already knows too much about the mistakes Selena has tried to outrun. The secrets of her past are coming to the surface, one by one. And soon a madman bent on revenge will show her just how much she has to lose…

July’s New in Paperback roundups include the following highlights:

11/22/63 by Stephen King (Historical Fiction)
If you had a way to go back in time and prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, would you do it? Jake Epping, a high-school English teacher, has that chance. And he doesn’t hesitate to take it. But if he’s successful, what ripple effect might it have on the future of America?

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (Fiction)
The circus arrives without warning, opens at dusk and closes at dawn. And under the black and white tents are the most incredible of enchantments, delighting all those who attend. But the circus-goers must remain unaware that the tents are the setting of a binding competition, pitting two magicians against each other in this soaring tale of revelry, love and very high stakes.

BOND GIRL by Erin Duffy (Fiction)
Alex Garrett has always dreamed of conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. And though she's prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys' club, she quickly realizes she's in over her head. No matter. She's determined to make it in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of the Street's most esteemed brokerage firms.

FLASH AND BONES by Kathy Reichs (Thriller)
Just as 200,000 fans are pouring into town for Race Week, a body is found in a barrel of asphalt next to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The next day, a NASCAR crew member comes to Temperance Brennan’s office at the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner to share a devastating story. Twelve years earlier, Wayne Gamble’s sister, Cindi, disappeared, along with her boyfriend.

THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Psychological Thriller)
Chief detective Carl Mørck used to be one of Copenhagen's best homicide detectives. Now Carl has been selected to run Department Q, a new special investigations division that turns out to be a department of one. But when his colleagues snicker about the time he's wasting trying to find a missing politician who vanished five years earlier, Carl may have the last laugh --- and redeem himself in the process.

-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of July 2nd, July 9th, July 16th, July 23rd and July 30th.

Summer is well underway, and that means big summer blockbusters are battling it out for that top spot at the box office. When you aren't enjoying the Great Outdoors, be sure to check out July's books on screen adaptations, which are sure to entertain (or at least get you out of the hot sun for a few hours).

In The Amazing Spider-Man, join a revamped Peter Parker on a new adventure to discover his own identity, by finding out the truth about what happens to his parents. Spider-Man is not the only superhero looking for answers in his city. Batman returns for the final installment of the mega-hit franchise in The Dark Knight Rises. What will happen when a new terrorist decides to attack Gotham City, and Batman refuses to protect the city that has labeled him a villain for the last eight years?

From award-winning director Oliver Stone comes the highly anticipated Savages, in which two men share not just their love of marijuana, but also their love of a girl. The duo decides not to team up with an extremely powerful drug cartel, and their mutual love gets kidnapped as a result.

From drug empires, to the French empire, Farewell, My Queen brings us the desperate escape attempt of Marie Antoinette just before she and her husband Louis XVI were beheaded at the start of the French Revolution. Another strong woman in Trishna must hold her own as her lover's wealthy family tries desperately to break them apart in this Thomas Hardy-inspired adaptation.

On the small screen, "Longmire", "Rizzoli & Isles", "True Blood" and "Pretty Little Liars" continue their respective seasons. And just in case you missed them in theaters, be on the lookout for Being Flynn, The Hunter and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which release on DVD this month.

PULSE: A Frank Quinn Novel by John Lutz (Thriller)
The killer’s depravity is insatiable; what he does to his victims is unthinkable. Homicide Detective turned P.I. Frank Quinn has seen this M.O. before. A demented ritual, it’s the work of Daniel Danielle --- a notorious serial killer who blurs the line between male and female, human and monster. Danielle disappeared 10 years ago. Is a copy cat repeating the crimes, or has Danielle made a deadly return? Either way, this time the killing won’t stop…

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read John Lutz’s bio.
-Click here to visit John Lutz’s official website.
-Connect with John Lutz on Facebook and Twitter.

Summer is officially here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contest and Feature. We are spotlighting a different title on select days through July 31st, so you have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter. We also are sending a special daily newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, July 9th at noon ET. Our featured titles will be JOY FOR BEGINNERS by Erica Bauermeister, NIGHT WATCH by Linda Fairstein and TRAPEZE by Simon Mawer.

We have a number of contests currently running on our other sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com. Please take a look at them below, and enter for your chance to win some fabulous books!

20SomethingReads.com

Beach Bag of Books
In our First Annual Beach Bag of Books contest, five readers each will receive a beach bag filled with some of this summer's hottest reads: GHOST CROWN: The Tracks, Book Two by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel, RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles, SPRING FEVER by Mary Kay Andrews, TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER by Tom McNeal, and WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin. Along with the books, winners will find their striped beach bag stocked with a polka-dot beach towel, Coppertone Sport Sunblock, and a plastic sports bottle to keep your drink cool. The deadline for entries is Monday, July 30th at noon ET.

Teenreads.com

Beach Bag of Books
In our Sixth Annual Beach Bag of Books contest, five readers each will receive a beach bag filled with some of this summer’s hottest reads: THE FEAR by Charlie Higson, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER… by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, THE SLEEPWALKERS by J. Gabriel Gates, TAKEN BY STORM: A Raised by Wolves Novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin. Along with the books, winners will find their striped beach bag stocked with a polka-dot beach towel, Coppertone Sport Sunblock, and a metallic sports bottle to keep your drink cool. The deadline for entries is Monday, July 16th at noon ET.

Fierce Reads
To celebrate the release of four books that are being featured in Macmillan's Fierce Reads campaign, we're giving five readers the opportunity to win them all! Enter by Tuesday, August 7th at noon ET for your chance to be awarded MONUMENT 14 by Emmy Laybourne, OF POSEIDON by Anna Banks, SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo, and STRUCK by Jennifer Bosworth.

SEVENTEEN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BEAUTY and SEVENTEEN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STYLE
We are celebrating the July 10th release of SEVENTEEN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BEAUTY: The Best Hair, Skin, Nails & Makeup Ideas for You, a girl's handbook to celebrating her natural beauty, with a special contest. 15 readers will have the opportunity to win a copy of the book, along with SEVENTEEN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STYLE: How to Find Your Perfect Look. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, July 24th at noon ET.

Kidsreads.com

IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL...FOREVER! by R. L. Stine
Artie Howard has the worst first day of school in the history of first days of school. When it’s all over, he’s relieved knowing it can never happen again. Or can it? Artie relives the first day of school over and over, and there’s nothing he can do to stop it! To celebrate the paperback release of IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL...FOREVER! by R. L. Stine, Kidsreads.com is giving 10 readers the chance to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, July 24th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com

FaithfulReader.com Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, 25 readers will be awarded a copy of all three books in Linda Windsor’s historical fiction series, The Brides of Alba: HEALER, THIEF and REBEL. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, July 17th at noon ET.

THE NIGHTMARE by Lars Kepler (Mystery/Thriller)
On a summer night, police recover the body of a young woman from an abandoned boat. The next day, a man turns up dead, hanging from a lamp hook. The obvious explanation for both would be suicides, but the circumstances in each case make that impossible. Detective Inspector Joona Linna begins to piece the two mysteries together, but the logistics are a mere prelude to a dizzying and dangerous course of events. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here for the reading group guide.

INTO THE DARKEST CORNER by Elizabeth Haynes (Psychological Thriller)
Catherine (now Cathy) Bailey learns of the impending release of her former lover Lee, whose erratic, controlling behavior frightened her. She begins to return home to find objects subtly rearranged in her apartment, one of Lee’s old tricks. Convinced she is back in his sights, Cathy prepares to wrestle with the demons of her past for the last time. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

RANSOM RIVER by Meg Gardiner (Mystery/Thriller)
Rory Mackenzie is back in her hometown of Ransom River, California, a place she vowed she would never visit again. While most of the town is focused on the tense and shocking circumstances of a high-profile murder trial, Rory’s return dredges up troubling memories that she can no longer ignore. But she soon realizes that exposing these dark skeletons has connected her to an old case that was never solved, and bringing the truth to light just might destroy her. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

SERPENT’S KISS: A Witches of East End Novel by Melissa de la Cruz (Urban Fantasy)
Joanna and her daughters, bookish Ingrid and wild-child Freya, are just settling into the newfound peace that has been cast over their small, off-the-map town of North Hampton. With the centuries-old restriction against practicing magic lifted, casting spells, mixing potions, and curing troubled souls has never felt so good for the three witches. That is, until everything gets turned upside down. Reviewed by Kathleen M. Purcell.

BETWEEN YOU AND ME by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (Fiction)
Logan Wade has built a life for herself in New York City, far from her unhappy childhood in Oklahoma. But when she gets the call that her famous cousin needs a new assistant, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. However, their reunion is quickly overshadowed by the toxic dynamic between Kelsey and her parents, causing Logan to question if their childhood has left them both too broken to succeed. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

SUMMER BREEZE by Nancy Thayer (Fiction)
Three women strike up a friendship while living on gorgeous Dragonfly Lake in Massachusetts. In spite of complications and misunderstandings, their closeness helps one another as each grapples with her particular romantic relationship and searches for her purpose in life. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

HARBOR NOCTURNE by Joseph Wambaugh (Mystery)
When Dinko Babich, a young longshoreman, delivers Lita Medina, a young Mexican dancer, from the harbor to a Hollywood nightclub, their lives are forever changed, as their love develops among the myriad cops and criminals who occupy the harbor. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

THE STONECUTTER by Camilla Lackberg (Mystery)
The remote resort town of Fjallbacka has seen its share of tragedy, though perhaps none worse than that of the little girl found in a fisherman’s net. Local detective Patrik Hedstrom has the grim task of discovering who could be behind the murder of a child both he and his partner Erica knew well. What he does not know is how this case will reach into the dark heart of Fjallbacka, spanning generations, ripping aside its idyllic façade, perhaps forever. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

Poll:

Which of the following books releasing in July and August are you most looking forward to reading? Please check as many as apply.

AND WHEN SHE WAS GOOD by Laura Lippman
BONES ARE FOREVER by Kathy Reichs
BROKEN HARBOR by Tana French
THE FALLEN ANGEL by Daniel Silva
CRIMINAL by Karin Slaughter
GOLD by Chris Cleave
THE GOOD DREAM by Donna VanLiere
A HUNDRED FLOWERS by Gail Tsukiyama
I, MICHAEL BENNETT by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
THE INN AT ROSE HARBOR by Debbie Macomber
KILL YOU TWICE by Chelsea Cain
THE KINGMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Philippa Gregory
THE NEXT BEST THING by Jennifer Weiner
NIGHT WATCH by Linda Fairstein
ODD APOCALYPSE: An Odd Thomas Novel, by Dean Koontz
THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS by Chris Bohjalian
SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness
SNEAKY PIE FOR PRESIDENT by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
TRICKSTER'S POINT by William Kent Krueger
WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin
None of the above

-Click here to answer the poll.


Word of Mouth:

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from June 29th to July 13th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of CREOLE BELLE: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James Lee Burke, NIGHT WATCH by Linda Fairstein and SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.

-Click here to enter the contest.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.