August 16, 2013

I came home Wednesday night after a business dinner to find my son and his two close friends playing Rock Band in the basement. I wish I could have captured this moment on video, but I know they would have shied from the camera and the moment would have been spoiled. Thus this becomes one of those memories I will run like film in my head. These three have been friends for a decade, and starting Saturday when Son 2A leaves for Miami, they will be headed to college. It’s the end of an era around here. It was too funny watching them so intent on playing as a trio banging on the drums, strumming away on the guitar and singing. They were so unself-conscious about this, clearly comfortable with each other, switching roles, teasing but also encouraging each other, keeping score, but the score not really mattering. This was a metaphor for their friendship: supportive with strong doses of good humor and lots of good-natured ribbing.

The last month or so, they have been moving from one house to the next each night with sleepovers that I think are giving us three moms a taste of what life will be like without them. When one of them is around, there usually have been two or three at any given time. They always have had sleepovers (something people told me would end once they all started driving, but instead have meant more cars in the driveway), but now the pace of them is accelerated. I know Cory is at one of the houses or that someone --- or more than one someone --- else is here. We have been sharing the joy of these boys for a long, long time. I feel like I have three kids going off to school. Cory goes last, which I fear is going to be tough for him, but he does roll with things well.

In a moment that perhaps showed me what life will be in the future, another friend came by later in the evening to join them --- someone who I have been hearing about for a year, but never had met. Another really nice kid. And at the same time, Cory was chatting online with his new roommate about who is bringing the fridge, the microwave (we had one in the attic from Greg) and the television. The roommate has an Xbox. There was something really poignant and nice about the way this night unfolded, rolling the life I know into the new one. I think I needed this night and will be calling up this memory a lot in the months to come. It’s the one I was looking for.

When we left off last week, we were in the Hamptons and I was headed for the Authors Night in East Hampton. Walking into the big tent at Gardiner Farm, there were more than 100 authors and a crowd of 2,000 guests. The event raised nearly $300,000 for the East Hampton Library with more than 3,000 books sold, translating to a record-breaking $52,000 in book sales over last year’s $40,000 amount. BTW…I read about the one author complaining about the scene surrounding Gwyneth Paltrow, who was there signing her cookbook, as she felt she was overshadowed by the star. I found that amusing as we all know star power of the celebrity kind is what draws even more attention to these events.

I spent a long time chatting with Kitty Kelley, who was seated right next to Gwyneth --- and, in fact, it wasn’t until I was chatting with Kitty that I noticed Gwyneth. There was a man in a green shirt speaking with Kitty for a bit while I waited to talk to her. I was un-celeb conscious enough to not immediately note he was Gwyneth’s husband, Chris Martin, from Coldplay and thus chatted him up like he was just another attendee. I know, my celeb radar is soooo lacking. Girls were swooning over him, and then the light bulb went off. Very funny. They also have two adorable kids. By the way, Kitty has a new book about the March on Washington called LET FREEDOM RING: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington, and we also talked about CAPTURING CAMELOT: Stanley Tretick's Iconic Images of the Kennedys, which my mom loved. By the way, watching the crowd, I noted that they were buying stacks of nonfiction titles and coffee table books, which was interesting to note.

I chatted with Nelson DeMille about his new book, THE QUEST, that will be in stores on September 17th. It originally was released in 1975 and is now rewritten and updated, and he told me he thinks it’s his best book. Looking forward to that! I had a fun chat with Susan Isaacs, who is so upbeat; reconnected with an old pal, Barbara Frerichs, who has written a book called WHAT MY DOG HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT MEN: (After All, He's Male Too); introduced myself to Sylvia Day, the mega-bestselling romance author whose first title in the line of books published in conjunction with Cosmopolitan magazine as Red Hot Reads, ENTWINED WITH YOU, came out this week; and met many more authors. I also got to see my old college friend, Thomas Maier (Tom to me), who was signing copies of his book, MASTERS OF SEX, which the Showtime series starting on September 29th (airing at 10PM after “Homeland”) is based on. I did not ask how a nice Catholic boy from Fordham came to write this book! Lots of people stopped by to tell him that they had heard him interviewed on NPR, which was fun. You can see a picture of the two of us at our fun reunion above.

The rest of the weekend I kicked it back a notch. I did patrol the beach snooping on what people were reading. For the record, I saw lots of hardcovers and trade paperbacks but no eReaders. I know that this crowd fits the demo that has a lot of iPad aficionados, and I wonder if that may have been the reason. As iPad screens are not great for reading in the bright sunlight, I am less eager to read manuscripts in PDF format over the summer months.

Onward to this week, where we have lots of book news for you.

Debbie Macomber returns to Cedar Cove’s Rose Harbor Inn for the second installment in her Rose Harbor series, ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM. Here we find Jo Marie Rose welcoming a new set of guests: Mary Smith, who's recovering from a difficult illness, and Anna Newton, who's arranging a celebration for her grandparents' wedding anniversary. Reviewer Hillary Wagy says, “The storybook scenery of lighthouses, cozy bed and breakfast inns dotting the coastline, and seagulls flying above takes readers on personal journeys of first love, lost love and recaptured love without explicit sex scenes. Instead, they present love in its purest and most personal forms.” I read this in manuscript and immediately felt myself transported to the Inn. I felt like I was catching up with the friends I had met in THE INN AT ROSE HARBOR and meeting some other new ones. It’s a great “bright in spirit” summer read.

By the way, have you been watching “Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove” on Hallmark Channel? It stars Andie MacDowell and is based on Debbie’s first series set in Cedar Cove. Season one wraps up on September 28th, the same day that the movie A Cedar Cove Christmas premieres on Hallmark. Don’t worry…we’ll remind you of the movie air date as the time draws closer!

Back in June, we ran a contest for readers to attend the Debbie Macomber Fan Retreat in Nashville. Pat from Brazil, IN won two tickets to attend the retreat, which took place this past weekend. Pat was kind enough to answer some questions for us and share some pictures of the weekend. You can read all about her experiences here.

We have THREE new author spotlights and contests to tell you about. First up is our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight of Jamie Ford, who follows up his 2009 debut, HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, with SONGS OF WILLOW FROST. Readers have been waiting for --- actually clamoring for --- a second book from Jamie, and it was worth the wait. Jamie once again mines historic Seattle for his story. Twelve-year-old William Eng has lived at Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. While at the Moore Theatre, William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost and becomes convinced that the movie star is his mother. We have 50 copies to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on September 10th, and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, September 3rd at noon ET.

Also in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight is Diane Chamberlain, whose latest novel, NECESSARY LIES, will be in stores September 3rd. The book, which is set in rural Grace County, North Carolina in a time of state-mandated sterilizations and racial tension, tells the story of two young women, seemingly worlds apart, but both haunted by tragedy. We’re giving 35 readers the chance to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, September 3rd at noon ET. Reading it, I find myself really sad about how dark those days were for this country.

We’ve brought back our Romantic Suspense Author Spotlight to feature Nancy Bush’s new thriller, NOWHERE SAFE, which releases on August 27th. The book poses this question: Who’s more frightening: a sexual predator or a vigilante hell bent on making them atone --- in blood? We have 25 copies of the book to give away to those who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, September 3rd at noon ET.

Our Third Annual Fall Preview feature is now live! On select days from August 20th to September 19th, we will spotlight a different title and offer a daily contest to win five copies of the book. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce each day's title. You can sign up here to receive the Fall Preview newsletter. (If you cannot get that link to work, please write us at info@bookreporter.com with the subject line “Sign me up for the Fall newsletters!”).

We’ll be kicking Fall Preview off next week with MOONRISE by Cassandra King and MY MOTHER’S SECRET: A Novel Based on a True Holocaust Story by J.L. Witterick. I have read both and can tell you that the great reading is not ending with Labor Day as these books release on September 3rd and 5th, respectively. I am halfway through MOONRISE, where Cassandra nods to Daphne DuMaurier’s classic romance, REBECCA, with her tale of Helen Honeycutt, who is suddenly married to Emmet Justice, an attractive widower still grieving for his late wife, Rosalyn. They spend a summer at Moonrise, a historic estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains that is known for its unique nocturnal gardens (yes, I will be checking this for moonflower news), which have fallen into ruin since the death of its mistress.

I finished reading MY MOTHER’S SECRET this morning, and I am in awe of it. It’s based on the true story of a woman and her daughter who hid two Jewish families and a German soldier on her farm during World War II. Told from four different perspectives, it’s so tightly and succinctly written that I found myself reading every word. It had been tightened down so much that it seemed that every word mattered. I am so happy to be sharing both with you! Our first prize book will be announced on Tuesday, August 20th at noon ET.

In addition to Fall Preview, soon we will be debuting our "Fall Showcase" feature, which will give you even more ways to win books throughout the fall. We have a lot planned for you and can’t wait to share more books you WILL want to read.

There’s still time to enter our contest for THE STRANGER YOU KNOW by Andrea Kane. A Forensic Instincts team must race to uncover the identity of a serial killer before his ever-tightening circle of death closes in on Casey Woods --- the ultimate target. The book releases on September 24th, but we have 25 advance copies to give away to readers. All you have to do is fill out this form by Thursday, August 22nd at noon ET.

My latest Bookreporter.com Bets On selection is APPROACHING THE SPEED OF LIGHT by Victoria Lustbader, which I raved about in a previous newsletter. Jody is a likable young man, but a secret history has left him scarred and broken inside. His buried secrets hold him back until his trajectory crosses the path of three very different women, who, in their own ways, hold out the tantalizing possibility of healing, connection…or self-destruction. Click here for my Bets On commentary. Jane Krebs has our review and says, “Child abuse is sickening. It is so difficult to believe that any adult would be capable of such a horrendous thing. It is hardest of all, though, to see the world through the victim’s eyes. However, Victoria Lustbader forces us to comprehend a child’s helplessness and then come to some understanding of what the toll could be…” At the same time, readers will understand how a strong inner core is needed to find both light and love.

We also have a review of THESE FEW PRECIOUS DAYS: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie by Christopher Andersen, one of many books about JFK that will be releasing in the months leading up to the 50th anniversary of his assassination. In this rare, behind-the-scenes portrait of the Kenne­dys in their final year together, Andersen shows us a side of JFK and Jackie we’ve never seen before. Reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott has this to say: “THESE FEW PRECIOUS DAYS is not a mere scandal tell-all... Andersen’s account carries weight as it examines the tension, depression and fear at the White House during the crucial days of the Cuban Missile Crisis.” We will be featuring a bookshelf of JFK-themed titles in the weeks to come, so please be on the lookout for that.

By the way, when I saw that Caroline Kennedy was being appointed to the position of Ambassador to Japan, I was happy for her. I think that being in this country over the next few months with endless media recollections of that tragic day would be so hard for her. There are many times when I am watching a movie or TV program and I hear a reference to Kennedy slipped into the storyline, and I wonder what it must be like to be her, watching and seeing a reference to her dad pop up unexpectedly like that.

Also in stores now is THE LAST KISS GOODBYE, the second installment in Karen Robards’s paranormal romantic suspense series featuring serial killer expert Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Stone. While on her evening run, Charlie comes across a bloodied and hysterical woman who raves to Charlie that she was forced to kill two others. Though unsure if this gut-wrenching story is true, Charlie gets her to a hospital. But then she remembers an almost identical story told to her by a prisoner incarcerated at Wallens Ridge. Drawing on her despised ability to communicate with the newly dead, Charlie discovers that a vicious serial killer is on the loose. Click here to read more about the book and here for an excerpt. For more info on Karen and her work, visit her official website here.

If you’re a fan of Mary Kay Andrews and her books, have we got the ultimate fan adventure for you! Mary Kay is inviting readers to sail with her on the beautiful Celebrity Reflection. You’ll be departing Miami on Saturday, February 8th as you embark on a seven-night trip to the Eastern Caribbean. Along the way, you’ll be visiting Miami, San Juan, St. Thomas and Philipsburg. Not only will you meet Mary Kay, you’ll be able to attend a cocktail party, book signing, Q&A session, and so much more. Click here for all the details. As I have spent time with MKA, as we affectionately refer to her, I know this trip will be one rollicking party; sailing will never be the same.

Last week, we featured our review of Linwood Barclay’s latest thriller, A TAP ON THE WINDOW. I found a terrific interview with Linwood that was done at his home, which you can watch here. He talks about his long, twisty road to crime fiction fame, the one book that paved the way for his status as a bestselling author, and his fascination with model trains (starting at the 2:28 mark of the video, check out what has got to be the coolest room in his house!).

On the Bookreporter.com homepage, we currently have an ad running for NECESSARY ERRORS by debut novelist Caleb Crain. Here’s the premise: Jacob Putnam has arrived a year too late to witness Czechoslovakia’s revolution, but he still hopes to find its spirit. He discovers a country at a crossroads between communism and capitalism, and a picturesque city overflowing with a vibrant, searching sense of possibility. As the men and women Jacob meets begin to fall in love with one another, no one turns out to be quite the same as the idea Jacob has of them --- including Jacob himself. Click here for more, and watch an interview with the author here.

Our current Word of Mouth contest continues for one more week. Let us know what books you’ve read, along with your comments about them, and you’ll be entered to win the aforementioned ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM by Debbie Macomber, along with LET ME GO by Chelsea Cain (read on for our review) and AFTER HER by Joyce Maynard (which I loved; we’ll have our review for you next week).

I have a quiet weekend on tap here after three crazy ones. Last weekend, I swam in our friend Moe’s pond that was something like 272 feet wide, thus I was doing looooong laps. This weekend, it will be shorter laps in the pool. The nights have been so cool I think we will need to crank up the pool heater. Tom was in Nevada and Arizona on business this week. I was all set to go with him until I saw the forecast of 113 degrees! I know, I know. It’s a dry heat…but I was not buying that!

I also am planning on peach picking, which is something I never seem to do with moderation. I always over-pick! We will have peach everything next week!

It’s time to go peruse the shelves for books to read after I finish MOONRISE. Read on, and I hope you find something to enjoy on a lazy summer weekend and in the week ahead.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
Jo Marie Rose welcomes a new set of guests to the Rose Harbor Inn: Mary Smith, who's recovering from a difficult illness, and Anna Newton, who's arranging a celebration for her grandparents' wedding anniversary. Compassion and joy await Jo Marie, Annie and Mary, as they make peace with their pasts and look boldly toward their futures. Reviewed by Hillary Wagy.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to visit Debbie Macomber’s official website.

We have 50 advance copies of SONGS OF WILLOW FROST by Jamie Ford, which releases on September 10th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, September 3rd at noon ET.

SONGS OF WILLOW FROST by Jamie Ford (Historical Fiction)
Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. On his birthday --- or rather, the day the nuns designate as his birthday --- William and the other orphans are taken to the historical Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song.

Determined to find Willow and prove that his mother is still alive, William escapes from Sacred Heart with his friend Charlotte. The pair navigate the streets of Seattle, where they must not only survive but confront the mysteries of William’s past and his connection to the exotic film star. The story of Willow Frost, however, is far more complicated than the Hollywood fantasy William sees onscreen.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Jamie Ford’s bio.
-Click here to visit Jamie Ford’s official website.
-Connect with Jamie Ford on Facebook and Twitter.

We have 35 copies of NECESSARY LIES by Diane Chamberlain, which releases on September 3rd, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, September 3rd at noon ET.

NECESSARY LIES by Diane Chamberlain (Historical Fiction)
Bestselling author Diane Chamberlain delivers a breakout book about a small southern town 50 years ago, and the darkest --- and most hopeful --- places in the human heart.

After losing her parents, 15-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm. As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.

When Jane Forrester takes a position as Grace County’s newest social worker, she doesn’t realize just how much her help is needed. She quickly becomes emotionally invested in her clients' lives, causing tension with her boss and her new husband. But as Jane is drawn in by the Hart women, she begins to discover the secrets of the small farm --- secrets much darker than she would have guessed. Soon, she must decide whether to take drastic action to help them, or risk losing the battle against everything she believes is wrong.
 

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Diane Chamberlain’s bio.
-Connect with Diane Chamberlain on Facebook and Twitter.

We have 25 copies of NOWHERE SAFE by Nancy Bush, which releases on August 27th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, September 3rd at noon ET.

NOWHERE SAFE by Nancy Bush (Romantic Suspense)
She senses their twisted desires before she meets them. It’s as if fate is helping her stop these monsters from preying on others the way she was preyed upon. And after she has delivered brutal justice, she’ll let the whole world see their guilt.

“I must pay for what I’ve done.” The first victim --- naked, bound, frozen to death --- wore the note strung around his neck. Now there’s another note --- this one attached to Detective September Rafferty’s own stepbrother. Stefan survives, but September is sure he knows more than he’s saying. Someone is eliminating suspected sexual predators. And the only thing more dangerous than a madman is a killer who’s ruthlessly sane.

Racing to predict the next target, September finds herself drawn into a harrowing and deeply personal case. For this time, there are no innocents --- only the one who kills, and those condemned to die.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Nancy Bush’s bio.
-Click here to visit Nancy Bush’s official website.
-Connect with Nancy Bush on Facebook and Twitter.

We are celebrating the September 24th release of THE STRANGER YOU KNOW by Andrea Kane with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, August 22nd at noon ET.

THE STRANGER YOU KNOW: A Forensic Instincts Novel by Andrea Kane (Thriller)
College-age girls with long red hair. Brutally murdered, they're posed like victims in a film noir. Each crime scene is eerily similar to the twisted fantasy of a serial offender now serving 30 years to life --- a criminal brought to justice with the help of Forensic Instincts.

But the similarities are more than one psychopath's desire to outdo another. As more red-haired victims are added to the body count, it becomes clear that each one has been chosen because of a unique connection to Casey --- a connection that grows closer and closer to her.

Now the Forensic Instincts team must race to uncover the identity of a serial killer before his ever-tightening circle of death closes in on Casey as the ultimate target. As the stalker methodically moves in on his prey, his actions make one thing clear: he knows everything about Casey. And Casey realizes that this psychopath won't stop until he makes sure she's dead.

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

APPROACHING THE SPEED OF LIGHT by Victoria Lustbader (Fiction)
I love authors with range, meaning that they are not one-note ponies telling the same story over and over. Victoria Lustbader is just that kind of an author. After reading APPROACHING THE SPEED OF LIGHT, I wrote her and said, “If you were a musician, I would see you playing different instruments so you were able to create your own orchestra. You do such great things with words and the scenarios that you create. And this is such a different direction for you from STONE CREEK, but once again you nailed everything about it --- characters, plot, theme, scene and pacing. I felt myself in each location; they were so well drawn, and I saw the characters.”

In APPROACHING THE SPEED OF LIGHT, Victoria writes great damaged characters with redeeming moments to create a story that is edgy and compelling, with a heart --- a really nice combination. I started reading it on a Sunday afternoon and found myself unable to put it down until I had to sleep. Then I savored the conclusion. I recently learned that Victoria worked on this book for five years --- and it shows as it’s so polished!

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to see all the books we’re betting you’ll love.

THESE FEW PRECIOUS DAYS: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie by Christopher Andersen (Biography)
They were the original power couple --- outlandishly rich, impossibly attractive and endlessly fascinating. Now, in this rare, behind-the-scenes portrait of the Kenne­dys in their final year together, biographer Christopher Andersen shows us a side of JFK and Jackie we’ve never seen before. Theirs is a love story unlike any other --- filled with secrets, scandals and bomb­shells that could never be fully revealed...until now. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

-Click here to read more about the book.

TAMARACK COUNTY by William Kent Krueger (Mystery/Thriller)
Tamarack County, Minnesota, the gateway to the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Within its borders lie a million acres of deep forest, a thousand crystal clear lakes, and a few quiet towns. This is the place that, for most of his life, sheriff-turned-private investigator Cork O’Connor has called home.

As a blizzard swells just days before Christmas, the car belonging to the wife of a retired local judge is discovered abandoned on a rural road. After days without any leads, the search-and-rescue team, assisted by O’Connor, has little hope of finding her alive, if at all.

Early on, Cork notices small details about the woman’s disappearance that tell a disturbing story. And when the beloved pet dog of a friend is found decapitated, he begins to detect a startling pattern of ominous incidents throughout the area. Then Cork’s son is nearly killed, and he knows this is no trick of his imagination. Someone is spinning a deadly web in Tamarack County. At the center is a murder more than 20 years old for which an innocent man may have been convicted.

TAMARACK COUNTY releases on Tuesday, August 20th.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read William Kent Krueger’s bio.
-Click here to visit William Kent Krueger’s official website.
-Connect with William Kent Krueger on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to see the 25 winners who were selected to read and comment on the book.

TELL NO LIES by Gregg Hurwitz (Thriller)
Daniel Brasher has always been something of a disappointment to his old-money aristocratic San Francisco mother. Daniel left his high-paying job as a money manager to marry his community organizer wife and work at a job he loves, leading group counseling sessions with recently paroled ex-cons. Now he’s ready to move on and start a private practice.

But before he leaves, he finds an envelope in his department mailbox --- one intended for someone else that was placed in his slot by accident. Inside it is an unsigned piece of paper, a note that says only “admit what you’ve done or you will bleed for it. you have 'til november 15 at midnite.” The deadline has already passed and the person to whom the envelope was addressed was brutally murdered. But this first warning is only the beginning.

TELL NO LIES releases on Tuesday, August 20th.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Gregg Hurwitz’s bio.
-Click here to visit Gregg Hurwitz’s official website.
-Connect with Gregg Hurwitz on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to see the 25 winners who were selected to read and comment on the book.

LOOKAWAY, LOOKAWAY by Wilton Barnhardt (Fiction)
Jerene Jarvis Johnston and her husband, Duke, are exemplars of Charlotte, North Carolina’s high society, where old Southern money --- and older Southern secrets --- meet the new wealth of bankers, boom-era speculators, and carpetbagging social climbers. Steely and implacable, Jerene presides over her family’s legacy of paintings at the Mint Museum; Duke, the one-time college golden boy and descendant of a Confederate general, whose promising political career was mysteriously short-circuited, has settled into a comfortable semi-senescence as a Civil War re-enactor. Jerene’s brother, Gaston, is an infamously dissolute bestselling historical novelist who has never managed to begin his long-dreamed-of literary masterpiece, while their sister, Dillard, is a prisoner of unfortunate life decisions that have made her a near-recluse.

LOOKAWAY, LOOKAWAY releases on Tuesday, August 20th.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Wilton Barnhardt’s bio.
-Click here to see the 25 winners who were selected to read and comment on the book.

THE SOUND OF THINGS FALLING by Juan Gabriel Vásquez (Fiction)
An article transports Antonio Yammara back to when the war between Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel and government forces played out violently in Colombia’s streets and in the skies above. Troubled by disturbing memories of a friend's murder, Antonio begins to discover the many ways in which his own life and his friend’s family have been shaped by his country’s recent violent past. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

LET ME GO: An Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell Novel by Chelsea Cain (Thriller)
Escaped serial killer Gretchen Lowell is back, and detective Archie Sheridan’s nemesis and sometimes lover has something special in mind for him, something she’s been planning for a very long time. With time running out, and the life of someone close to Archie on the line, Archie knows his only chance is to give Gretchen exactly what she wants. But Gretchen will prove more horrifying and unpredictable than Archie could ever imagine. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

THE BEAST: A Decker/Lazarus Novel by Faye Kellerman (Mystery)
Over the years, Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus have faced a number of tough challenges at home and on the job. Consumed by chasing serial killers and psychopaths, they never forgot their first priority: raising their close-knit family and sustaining the bonds of love, devotion and trust that define their marriage. But two very different cases will challenge their most heartfelt beliefs and lead them to reevaluate everything they hold dear. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE COLOR MASTER: Stories by Aimee Bender (Fiction/Short Stories)
This latest volume of tales by the bestselling author of THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE features characters who pursue connections through love, sex and family, including a golden-haired girl who appears in an orchard to apple-eating attendants, a woman who cannot resume normal life after sharing a fantasy with her husband, and an unattractive woman who stays with her ogre husband after he accidentally eats their children. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

HOTHOUSE: The Art of Survival and the Survival of Art at America's Most Celebrated Publishing House, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux by Boris Kachka (History)
Farrar, Straus and Giroux is arguably the most influential publishing house of the modern era. Boris Kachka deftly reveals the era and the city that built FSG through the stories of two men: founder-owner Roger Straus and editor Robert Giroux. Vast but detailed, full of both fresh gossip and keen insight into how the literary world works, HOTHOUSE is the product of five years of research and nearly 200 interviews. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

STRONG RAIN FALLING: A Caitlin Strong Novel by Jon Land (Thriller)
A pitched gun battle forces fifth Generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong and her lover, Cort Wesley Masters, down a winding trail through the past and the present with danger at every turn. Along the way, they will confront terrible truths dating all the way back to the Mexican Revolution and the dogged battle Caitlin’s own grandfather and great-grandfather fought against the first generation of Mexican drug dealers. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE INFATUATIONS by Javier Marias (Metaphysical Mystery)
María Dolz eats breakfast every morning in the same café as an elegant husband and wife with whom she has never spoken. She knows nothing about them, not even their names. When they fail to show up one morning, she reads in the newspaper later that day that the man has been murdered, the victim of an apparently random attack. THE INFATUATIONS is a brilliant meditation on fate and the vagaries of desire. Reviewed by Michael Magras.

BREWSTER by Mark Slouka (Historical Fiction)
Wracked by guilt over his older brother’s childhood death, 16-year-old Jon Mosher turns his rage into victories running track. Meanwhile, Ray Cappicciano is trying to take care of his baby brother while staying out of the way of his abusive father. Jon and Ray form a tight friendship, but it’s not until Ray falls in love with Karen Dorsey that the three friends begin to dream of breaking away from Brewster for good. Freedom, however, has its price. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

TRAGIC by Robert K. Tanenbaum (Thriller)
A villainous union leader is willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to protect his corrupt longshoremen’s union. When a whistleblower tries to clean up the system, the leader sees his way of life threatened by this bold newcomer. He orders an open hit contract to kill the man, which is carried out by three of his underlings. Soon the law picks up on the trail, and Marlene Ciampi and Butch Karp team up to expose the man for the fraud and murderer that he is before the body count increases. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

THE BOY WHO COULD SEE DEMONS by Carolyn Jess-Cooke (Psychological Thriller)
Anya, a child psychologist, is about to meet the most extraordinary boy she's ever feared. Alex Connolly is under observation because his mother's destructive tendencies have put them both at risk. He exhibits deeply disturbing signs: seeing an imaginary "friend" named Ruen, a demon who makes increasingly violent demands of Alex. Getting inside Alex's head could save the child from himself, but it's Anya who is most desperately seeking redemption. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

EVA'S EYE: An Inspector Sejer Mystery by Karin Fossum (Mystery)
In this first novel of the Inspector Sejer mystery series --- available for the first time in English --- Eva and her young daughter, Emma, are walking by the river when Emma spots something floating in the water. It's the body of a man, and what's more, a man Eva recognizes. Inspectors Sejer and Skarre piece together the stories behind two unsolved murders. Does it all lead back to Eva? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

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!

ReadingGroupGuides.com

ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes
We are celebrating the paperback release of ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes --- a heartbreakingly romantic novel that brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common --- with a special contest. 50 readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of the book, which is now available in paperback, for their group. The deadline for entries is Thursday, September 5th at noon ET.

ALL GOOD THINGS by Sarah Turnbull
We are celebrating the upcoming release of ALL GOOD THINGS --- Sarah Turnbull’s follow-up memoir to ALMOST FRENCH, in which she explores a new paradise: Tahiti --- with a special contest. 45 readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of the book, which will be in stores on September 12th, for their group. The deadline for entries is Thursday, September 5th at noon ET.

"What Are You Reading?" Monthly Contest Feature
Let us know what your group is reading in August, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is NW, Zadie Smith’s tragicomic novel that follows four Londoners as they try to make adult lives outside of Caldwell, the council estate of their childhood. We have 12 copies of the book, which will be available in paperback on August 27th, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Thursday, September 5th at noon ET.

Teenreads.com

Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway
Even though summer is winding down and a deep-seated dread may be beginning to settle in your stomach, Teenreads.com has something for you to celebrate the back-to-school season. In our brand new Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway, you'll have the chance to win a bunch of books in a school bag! Between now and Monday, September 9th, teens can enter to win a prize package with books to perk you up this fall.

FaithfulReader.com
 

FaithfulReader.com’s Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, five readers will receive a copy of EVERY WAKING MOMENT by Chris Fabry, an uplifting, human tale of an ordinary woman with an extraordinary gift. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, September 17th at noon ET.