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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
January 15, 2016 |
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BIG Awards Week for Books --- and Movies/TV/Streaming Media
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This week has been all about awards. On Sunday, we had the Golden Globes, where I found myself adding films that I had not seen to my Netflix queue. A couple of reflections on that evening: First, Denzel Washington was the ONE winner who knew in advance that he was getting an award. I think having a speech in hand and carrying glasses might have been a good idea. Second, for both hosts and presenters, the show is being broadcast. If your comments are bleeped, only the people in the room think you are clever. The rest of us think you are not so smart. Third, I screamed so loudly when Brie Larson won that Greg raced downstairs to see what happened. Tom had given up watching as he knew few of the television and streaming programs that were mentioned early on.
On Monday morning, bright and early, the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards were announced; I have found that librarians are VERY early morning people, and there are many 7am breakfasts at their conferences (those are the ones I do not attend). Shara Zaval from our team was on hand in Boston to experience the sheer unbridled book love that overcomes the room on the morning of these announcements. You can see the winners of the Newbery and the Caldecott medals here and the Michael L. Printz Award here, as we link you to the special awards newsletters that went out from Kidsreads.com and Teenreads.com.
When the Academy Award nominations were announced on Thursday morning, I was pleased to see that EVERY adapted screenplay nomination for the Oscars is based on a book: The Big Short, Brooklyn, Carol, The Martian and Room. And I am wildly excited that Room has FOUR big nominations (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay). When we first saw the film, I walked out saying it deserved award accolades, and with Brie Larson’s Golden Globe win already in hand, I was smiling. Last year, I felt the same excitement about Julianne Moore in Still Alice. Room has not been playing widely; I hope these nominations change that. I would like to see The Danish Girl, but alas, it also is not playing anywhere near our house.
Over the weekend, I read RIVER ROAD, a psychological thriller by Carol Goodman. In it, Nan Lewis is a creative writing professor at a state university in upstate New York. One night, as she drives home from a faculty holiday party, she hits a deer in the road. After scrambling in the snow to try to find the animal, she drives to her house and leaves her car at the end of the snowy driveway. The following morning, she finds a police officer at her house. One of her students, Leia Dawson, was killed in a hit-and-run accident on River Road. The damage to Nan’s car has her poised as a suspect. At the party, she had drunk a lot and is now trying to remember how much. She had been upset about being denied tenure. This accusation really stings as Nan’s daughter was killed in a similar accident six years earlier. There are connections between the two in the form of tokens left at the site. But nothing is jiving. Then other secrets are uncovered --- one that Nan has unraveled that may just save her. It’s sharp and a page-turner.
Onward to this week’s update….
Back in November, you may remember a special contest in which we gave readers the chance to win a personalized signed copy of BROKEN PROMISE by Linwood Barclay for a friend or family member; I heard from so many of you about how you loved that contest. Now we have yet another contest involving Linwood’s thrillers to tell you about. In anticipation of the March 8th release of FAR FROM TRUE, book #2 in the Promise Falls trilogy, we’re giving away copies of both BROKEN PROMISE (the first in the series, which will be available in paperback on March 1st) and advance copies of FAR FROM TRUE. We are looking for 23 readers who can commit to reading both books and sharing their comments on them by Friday, March 4th. Enter here by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET.
You may be asking yourself why we’re giving away 23 sets of prizes, and not 20 or 25. Well, 23 is the number that keeps resurfacing in the series of strange events in Promise Falls that runs through the books and will be revealed in THE TWENTY-THREE, the final installment, which publishes on November 16th.
We have THREE new Women's Fiction Author Spotlights to share with you this week. First up is MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON, the latest novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout, which is now in stores. Writer Lucy Barton is in the hospital recovering from what should have been routine surgery when her estranged mother visits. Although it has been years since their last meeting, the two fill their time with gentle gossip about people from their small hometown of Amgash, Illinois. As Lucy reflects on these moments, we learn that her childhood was filled with poverty and dysfunction, the effects of which continue to fill her with tension and longing. In celebration of its release, we’re giving away 25 copies to those who would like to read the book and share their comments on it. Enter here by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET.
Katherine B. Weissman has our review of MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON, which she says “evokes shades of feeling so accurately and unsentimentally that moralizing labels, too often applied to everything from childhood to marriage, begin to seem both clunky and wrong. The book reveals the world in all its complexity: the humanity along with the cruelty, the beauty as well as the pain." Katherine also had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth, and you can read their exchange here. I read MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON after seeing Elizabeth speak at the Random House Open House. I kept in mind her comments about why she set the book in the Midwest, and in the first person, as I read --- questions she also answers in our interview. Her writing is spare but descriptive, which is a tough combo to pull off!
Our second Women's Fiction Author Spotlight title is THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald, which publishes on January 19th. Sara is a booklover who has just traveled from Sweden to visit her pen pal in Broken Wheel, Iowa. When she arrives, however, she learns the heartbreaking news that her friend has just passed away. Although the residents of Broken Wheel are happy to look after Sara for a bit, they are shocked when she decides to stick around and open a bookstore. They are even more amazed when her bookstore starts bringing them all together and changing their town for the better. In anticipation of its release, we’re giving away 100(!) copies to those who would like to read the book and share their comments on it. Enter here by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET. Booklovers will eat up this book-themed book, which has wonderful characters and is the #1 Indie Next Pick for January!
Our third Women's Fiction Author Spotlight is for Susan Meissner and her latest novel, STARS OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD, which is now available. Christine McAllister is sent on an amazing journey when the iconic hat worn by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind ends up in her vintage clothing boutique by mistake. As she searches for its owner, readers are uprooted to 1938 Los Angeles, where Violet Mayfield has decided to reinvent herself in Hollywood. When she lands a job on the set of Gone with the Wind, she meets the thrilling but enigmatic Audrey Duvall. The two women become close and delight in Hollywood’s glamour --- until their deepest desires collide and they must decide what they each value most. To celebrate its publication, we’re giving away 25 copies to those who would like to read the book and share their comments on it. Enter here by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET. Reading this, I learned so many fabulous details about the making of Gone with the Wind, which made me want to watch it again! Susan gets better and better with each book. I know many readers fell in love with her last one, SECRETS OF A CHARMED LIFE.
Continuing from last week is our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight of THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE, Melanie Benjamin’s upcoming novel (and a future Bookreporter.com Bets On selection) about New York’s “Swans” of the 1950s --- and the scandalous, headline-making friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley. If you’d like to be one of 25 winners who will be awarded the book, which releases on January 26th, and share their feedback on it, be sure to enter here by Thursday, January 21st at noon ET.
Also continuing from last week is our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight of PLATINUM DOLL by Anne Girard, which is set against the dazzling backdrop of Golden Age Hollywood and tells the enchanting story of Jean Harlow, one of the most iconic stars in the history of film. We have 25 copies to give away to those who would like to read the book, which releases on January 26th, and share their feedback on it. Enter here by Thursday, January 21st at noon ET.
We’re happy to announce that our Winter Reading feature has returned for its sophomore year! On select days through mid-February, just like we did for our Holiday Cheer giveaways, we’ll be hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here. Our first three prize books will be the paperback editions of INSIDE THE O'BRIENS by Lisa Genova (a 2015 Bets on selection) and UNBECOMING by Rebecca Scherm (I started this one, and it’s really good), along with AN UNDISTURBED PEACE by Mary Glickman. The first contest kicks off on Tuesday, January 19th at noon ET.
Former Human Rights Watch researcher Ben Rawlence explores the world’s largest and perhaps most dangerous refugee camp in CITY OF THORNS. Located hundreds of miles from any other settlement, deep within the desert of northern Kenya, Dadaab houses half a million residents. To many, the Dadaab refugee camp --- with its mud buildings and bleak economy --- is nothing more than a dangerous hotbed of crisis and terror, but for its residents it is a last resort. Rawlence has spent the last four years in this strange land, meeting its inhabitants and listening to their desperate accounts. In CITY OF THORNS, he weaves together the stories of nine individuals to both illuminate camp life and examine the political forces that keep refugees trapped there.
Sarah Rachel Egelman has our review and calls the book “a good introduction to Dadaab in particular and the harrowing lives of refugees in general. Profound, poignant and often horrific, it offers a significant and meaningful examination of an oft-ignored and little-understood population.” This book got on my radar last spring, and I have been looking forward to sharing it with you. It’s a powerful story about a subject that is very timely!
Sunil Yapa makes a dazzling debut with YOUR HEART IS A MUSCLE THE SIZE OF A FIST, set during the heated conflict of Seattle’s 1999 World Trade Organization protests. On a cold, rainy day we meet Victor, a scrappy teenager who has run away from home. His goal for the day is to sell as much marijuana as possible to the WTO demonstrators who have come together to shut down the city. Although he plans to use his profits to leave Seattle forever, it quickly becomes clear that the 50,000 anti-globalization protesters are growing tense and their peaceful protest will soon become violent. Over the course of the afternoon, the fates of seven people will change forever, foremost among them police Chief Bishop, Victor’s estranged father.
According to reviewer Megan Elliott, “Yapa’s book arrives at a timely moment, when it seems to have become harder than ever to find connections across political and social divides. YOUR HEART IS A MUSCLE THE SIZE OF A FIST is a testament to the possibility and power of human connection, and an urgent and necessary reminder that protest against injustice is vital….” I had the pleasure of hearing Sunil speak at an event a couple of months ago, and as he spoke, he reminded me of the events of that day that I had completely forgotten about.
I have my first three Bets On selections of 2016 to share with you this week. First up is Chris Bohljalian’s THE GUEST ROOM, which combines murder and human trafficking with deep emotion and powerful storytelling for a remarkable read. Next is Michel Bussi’s AFTER THE CRASH, our latest Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight title, which unpacks the mystery of a baby girl who is the sole survivor of a tragic plane crash. And last but not least is the audio version of THE SOUND OF GRAVEL by Ruth Wariner, a gripping memoir that relays the story of the author’s life being raised by polygamists in abject poverty. This week, I returned no calls from the car as I was completely wrapped up in the experience of listening to Ruth tell her story. It’s the kind of book that will stay with me for a very long time! Click on each of the titles for my Bets On commentary.
Which of the following paid subscription services, if any, do you use: Amazon Prime, basic cable, Cinemax, HBO, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Showtime, Starz? Let us know by voting in our latest poll here.
THE BITTER SEASON by Tami Hoag and the aforementioned RIVER ROAD by Carol Goodman are our current Word of Mouth prizes. Let us know by Friday, January 22nd at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win both these psychological thrillers.
Meanwhile, this month’s Sounding Off on Audio giveaway titles are the audio versions of THE GEOGRAPHY OF GENIUS: A Search for the World's Most Creative Places, from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley, written and read by Eric Weiner, and Bill Bryson’s THE ROAD TO LITTLE DRIBBLING: Adventures of an American in Britain, read by Nathan Osgood. Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to, and you’ll have the chance to win both prizes.
It's been a busy week in the office, thus we will announce the winners of our year-end Bets On Contest in next week’s newsletter. Also, I will share reader mail next week; I know I owe many of you replies. Forgive me!
News and Pop Culture:
The Big Short: Saw it last weekend and it’s excellent, though I really wish it was fiction! Hard to believe the way the system was allowed to spiral up and then crash down.
"Billions": Premieres this week on Showtime. I have previewed six episodes and am hooked, though the opening scene/plotline was a turnoff for me. You will see why if you watch. If you liked The Big Short, I think you will like this.
David Bowie: Stunned, like you, to hear of his death this week. His production company has an office in our office building, and while I never saw him there, other staffers had. And he always was warm and friendly. He was a huge reader, and here is a list of his 100 favorite books that was posted in 2013 on his Facebook page.
Alan Rickman: News of his death bubbled up just as the Oscar nominees were announced, and my news feed was quickly filled with comments about him in his many roles. Talk about star timing! It was not a good week for 69-year-old British celebrities.
Hoping for a quiet weekend ahead after a VERY busy week. Cory flies back from Utah late on Saturday night, which bookends the early morning flight of last Saturday. Greg is running a lighthouse event in southern New Jersey on Saturday for the New England Lighthouse Lovers.
I have a BIG pile of reading on tap for the weekend as I fly to Denver next Saturday for the American Booksellers Association’s Winter Institute. More than 100(!) authors are going to be on hand, and I want to be sure I am well-read enough to attend the dinners and events that are scheduled. I had hoped to have had time to meet with some of our readers while there, but it looks like there is nary a free moment for that on this trip. The good news: I am back the first week in April for the Public Library Association’s Conference.
Most of the holiday decorations are put away, just as my amaryllis plants come into bloom. I really should learn to plant these earlier in the fall, but the gorgeous flowers do brighten January and February. The one pictured above is a lovely shade of maroon, and I am wild about it. I am hoping that they do not all bloom while I am in Denver, which would be such my luck --- much like the peonies that bloom while I am at BookExpo America.
And, of course, this weekend there will be football playoffs to consume my time. New York-area teams do not have a dog in the hunt, thus my allegiance is with Denver to go all the way. What’s fun as I watch the games is I think of friends who live in cities where the playoffs are being held or are fans of each of the teams. It makes watching a lot more fun to do when your team is not in the playoffs.
Mercury is retrograde….maybe that explains why it took 30 minutes to upload the picture of that flower!
Take time this weekend to reflect on Martin Luther King, Jr., the man whose birthday is the reason Monday is a holiday. It’s very easy to lose sight of that.
Read on, and have a great week!
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound |
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Elizabeth Strout, Author of MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON --- a Women's Fiction Author Spotlight Title & Contest
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Not only is Elizabeth Strout a bestselling author, her work is also critically acclaimed and prize-winning --- including the Pulitzer Prize for OLIVE KITTERIDGE. Her latest book, MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON, features another strong female protagonist, Lucy Barton, a writer whose slow recovery from an operation reunites her with her estranged mother and the life she left behind. Turning a simple hospital visit into the story of a whole life is no easy feat, and in this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Katherine B. Weissman, Strout reveals how all the elements of MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON came together --- intentionally or unintentionally --- from Lucy’s distinctive first-person voice to the setting to the unique structure of the novel. She also discusses her journey as a writer, starting with a very supportive college professor, and why her own high standards are the only ones she strives to meet.
MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Kimberly Farr
Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy’s childhood in Amgash, Illinois, seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lie the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy’s life: her escape from her troubled family, her desire to become a writer, her marriage, her love for her two daughters. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
We have 25 copies of MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which is now in stores, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Elizabeth Strout’s bio.
-Click here to visit Elizabeth Strout’s official website.
-Connect with Elizabeth Strout on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
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Click here to read our interview. |
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New Women's Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald
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We have 100 copies of THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on January 19th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET.
THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald (Fiction)
Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her book-loving pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds Amy’s funeral guests just leaving. The residents of Broken Wheel are happy to look after their bewildered visitor --- there’s not much else to do in a dying small town that’s almost beyond repair.
The one thing you certainly wouldn’t do is start a bookstore. And definitely not with the tourist in charge. You’d need a vacant storefront (Main Street is full of them), and…customers.
The bookstore might be a little quirky. Then again, so is Sara. But Broken Wheel’s own story might be more eccentric and surprising than she thought.
A heartwarming reminder of why we are booklovers, this is a sweet, smart story about how books find us, change us and connect us.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Katarina Bivald’s bio.
-Visit Katarina Bivald’s official website, blog and Instagram.
-Click here to connect with Katarina Bivald on Twitter.
-Click here to enter the “Readers, Recommend Your Bookstore!” sweepstakes on the publisher’s website.
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Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest. |
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New Women's Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: STARS OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD by Susan Meissner
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We have 25 copies of STARS OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD by Susan Meissner to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which is now in stores, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET.
STARS OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD by Susan Meissner (Fiction)
Los Angeles, Present Day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind ends up in Christine McAllister’s vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie…
Los Angeles, 1938. Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone with the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey’s zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood’s glitterati enthrall Violet…until each woman’s deepest desires collide. What Audrey and Violet are willing to risk, for themselves and for each other, to ensure their own happy endings will shape their friendship, and their lives, far into the future.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read Susan Meissner’s bio.
-Click here to visit Susan Meissner’s official website.
-Connect with Susan Meissner on Facebook and Twitter.
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Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest. |
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Special Contest: Enter to Win a Copy of Both BROKEN PROMISE and FAR FROM TRUE by Linwood Barclay --- and Share Your Comments on Them
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We are celebrating the upcoming release of FAR FROM TRUE, the second installment in Linwood Barclay's Promise Falls trilogy, with a special contest. We are giving away copies of both the first book in the series, BROKEN PROMISE (which will be available in paperback on March 1st), and advance copies of FAR FROM TRUE, which releases in hardcover on March 8th. We are looking for 23 readers who can commit to reading both books and sharing their comments on them by Friday, March 4th. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 28th at noon ET.
For this special contest, your commitment to participate is critical, so please only enter if you truly will have time to read BROKEN PROMISE and FAR FROM TRUE and give us your feedback by our March 4th deadline. We take these project deadlines seriously. If you cannot commit, don’t worry…we will have more opportunities like this in the future.
BROKEN PROMISE: Book One of the Promise Falls Trilogy by Linwood Barclay (Thriller)
After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent. Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions that will affect not only his family, but the entire town.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to see advance readers' comments.
FAR FROM TRUE: A Promise Falls Novel by Linwood Barclay (Thriller)
After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theater collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father’s house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it’s clear that salacious activities have taken place --- as well as evidence of missing DVDs. Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to solve two murders --- one of which is three years old --- that he believes are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound. As the lies begin to unravel, Cal is headed straight into the heart of a dark secret as his search uncovers more startling truths about Promise Falls.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to enter the contest. |
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Historical Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Melanie Benjamin
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We have 25 copies of THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Melanie Benjamin to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on January 26th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 21st at noon ET.
THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Melanie Benjamin (Historical Fiction)
Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley. Her flawless face regularly graces the pages of Vogue, and she is celebrated and adored for her ineffable style and exquisite taste, especially among her friends --- the alluring socialite Swans Slim Keith, C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness and Pamela Churchill. By all appearances, Babe has it all: money, beauty, glamour, jewels, influential friends, a high-profile husband and gorgeous homes. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman --- a woman desperately longing for true love and connection.
Enter Truman Capote. This diminutive golden-haired genius with a larger-than-life personality explodes onto the scene, setting Babe and her circle of Swans aflutter. Through Babe, Truman gains an unlikely entrée into the enviable lives of Manhattan’s elite, along with unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babe’s powerful circle. Sure of the loyalty of the man she calls “True Heart,” Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake. But once a storyteller, always a storyteller --- even when the stories aren’t his to tell.
Truman’s fame is at its peak when such notable celebrities as Frank and Mia Sinatra, Lauren Bacall and Rose Kennedy converge on his glittering Black and White Ball. But all too soon, he’ll ignite a literary scandal whose repercussions echo through the years.
-Click here to read Melanie Benjamin’s bio.
-Visit Melanie Benjamin’s official website and Instagram.
-Connect with Melanie Benjamin on Facebook and Twitter.
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Click here to read more in our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest. |
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Women's Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: PLATINUM DOLL by Anne Girard
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We have 25 copies of PLATINUM DOLL by Anne Girard to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on January 26th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, January 21st at noon ET.
PLATINUM DOLL by Anne Girard (Historical Fiction)
It's the Roaring Twenties, and 17-year-old Harlean Carpenter McGrew has run off to Beverly Hills. She's chasing a dream --- to escape her small, Midwestern life and see her name in lights.
In California, Harlean has everything a girl could want --- a rich husband, glamorous parties, socialite friends --- except an outlet for her talent. But everything changes when a dare pushes her to embrace her true ambition --- to be an actress on the silver screen. With her timeless beauty and striking shade of platinum-blond hair, Harlean becomes Jean Harlow. And as she's thrust into the limelight, Jean learns that this new world of opportunity comes with its own set of burdens. Torn between her family and her passion to perform, Jean is forced to confront the difficult truth --- that fame comes at a price, if only she's willing to pay it.
-Click here to read Anne Girard’s bio.
-Click here to visit Anne Girard’s official website.
-Connect with Anne Girard on Facebook and Twitter.
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Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest. |
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Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight: AFTER THE CRASH by Michel Bussi
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AFTER THE CRASH by Michel Bussi (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, narrated by Daniel Philpott
A night flight from Istanbul bound for Paris, filled with 169 holiday travelers, plummets into the Swiss Alps. The sole survivor is a three-month-old girl --- thrown from the plane onto the snowy mountainside before fire rages through the aircraft. But two infants were on board. Is the miracle baby Lyse-Rose or Emilie? Both families step forward to claim the child --- one poor, one powerful, wealthy and dangerous.
Filled with delicious twists and riveting psychological suspense, AFTER THE CRASH is an electrifying story of a two-decade mystery, secret love and murder --- perfect for the readers who swarmed to Stieg Larsson, GONE GIRL and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to see why we're betting you'll love this book.
-Click here for advance readers' comments.
-Click here to read our interview with Michel Bussi.
-Click here to read Michel Bussi’s bio.
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Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight. |
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Announcing Bookreporter.com's Second Annual Winter Reading Contests and Feature
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At Bookreporter.com, we are kicking off 2016 with our second annual Winter Reading Contests and Feature. On select days between now and mid-February, we will be hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our first prize book will be announced on Tuesday, January 19th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles include:
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Click here to read all the contest details and see our featured titles. |
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From Edgar Award Winner Stefanie Pintoff Comes HOSTAGE TAKER, the Start of a New Thriller Series Featuring FBI Agent Eve Rossi
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HOSTAGE TAKER by Stefanie Pintoff (Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Tanya Eby
“An urban thriller as modern as tomorrow's New York Times with a main character to die for." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child
In the hushed quiet of early morning Manhattan, in front of the towering bronze doors of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, a young woman holds a sign that reads: HELP ME. For one FBI agent, a madman’s terrified hostages and an entire city, a long and harrowing day is about to unfold.
The hostage taker’s identity is unknown. But he knows who FBI agent Eve Rossi is --- and everything about her past. Along with her presence, he demands five witnesses: ordinary people with some hidden connection. Defying her superiors, Eve begins a deadly dance with an adversary whose intentions are surely sinister, whose endgame is anything but certain, and whose cunning keeps him one step ahead at every turn.
As Eve manages a taut hostage situation, she relies on the combined skills of her team --- a secret unit inspired by France’s most notorious criminal and made up of ex-convicts with extraordinary talents, oversized egos and contempt for the rules.
Eve is up against a rapidly ticking clock. But the dangerous man calling the shots has a timetable of his own --- and a searing question for his targets: What are you guilty of? As shocking revelations surface, so does another crisis nobody could anticipate --- one not even Eve and her team may be able to stop.
-Click here to read a review.
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Click here to read more about the book on the author's website. |
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From Debut Author Alan Osi Comes A HUNTER'S MOON, the First Volume of The Moondust Sonatas
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THE MOONDUST SONATAS: Movement No. 1, A HUNTER’S MOON by Alan Osi (Thriller)
A drug that lets you see God. Imagine the possibilities…
Percival, a young Brooklyn DJ, awakens from a night of debauchery with clear instructions on how to produce moondust. He discovers that this mysterious grey powder provides the ultimate high and gives users a glimpse of the divine. After months of quietly selling it to artists, however, Percival attracts deadly attention from a gang of drug dealers. Facing threats from all sides, he decides to go public with its secrets, although to do so he must risk his both his freedom and his life. The danger he faces pales in comparison to that caused by moondust. In a world that’s a tinderbox of smoldering conflict, moondust could be the match that ignites a global cataclysm.
An edge-of-your-seat thriller, MOVEMENT #1: A HUNTER’S MOON, the first volume of The Moondust Sonatas, takes readers on a wild ride through the underside of the city, the birth of a remarkable new drug and an impending drug war --- while raising provocative questions about spirituality and what we’re really craving.
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Click here to read more about the book on the publisher's website. |
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Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE GUEST ROOM, AFTER THE CRASH and THE SOUND OF GRAVEL
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THE GUEST ROOM by Chris Bohjalian (Fiction)
In Chris Bohjalian’s THE GUEST ROOM, a couple’s life is upended when the husband hosts a bachelor party for his brother at their home. Things get out of hand when the “adult entertainment” turns out to be two Russian women who are victims of human trafficking. The party turns ugly fast when the girls see a moment to free themselves from their captors --- and take it --- and those at the house find themselves wondering just what they were a party to.
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AFTER THE CRASH by Michel Bussi (Psychological Thriller)
AFTER THE CRASH by Michel Bussi is a novel about a night flight from Istanbul bound for Paris in 1980, where 169 (or is it 168?) passengers were killed as it crashed in the Alps. Yes, this sounds eerily like the horrific mountain crash that we heard about last year. In this book, a three-month-old girl survives. There were two babies on board: one from lesser means and one from a powerful family. Which did the child belong to?
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THE SOUND OF GRAVEL: A Memoir by Ruth Wariner (Memoir)
I listened to THE SOUND OF GRAVEL by Ruth Wariner on audio, and I already know it is a story that I will not forget any time soon. It’s a gripping memoir, read by the author, about her life growing up in a family of polygamists. She is the 39th of her father’s 42 children; her father was killed by his brother in a struggle for power in their church, leaving her young mother, Cathy, with four young children. Cathy is then chosen as the second wife of Lane, and she goes on to have six more children with him.
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Click here for more books we're betting you'll love. |
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More Reviews This Week
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CITY OF THORNS: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence (Current Affairs/Ethnic Studies)
Situated hundreds of miles from any other settlement, deep within the inhospitable desert of northern Kenya, Dadaab is a city like no other. Over the course of four years, Ben Rawlence became a first-hand witness to a strange and desperate limbo-land, getting to know many of those who have come there seeking sanctuary. In CITY OF THORNS, Rawlence interweaves the stories of nine individuals to show what life is like in the camp and to sketch the wider political forces that keep the refugees trapped there. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
YOUR HEART IS A MUSCLE THE SIZE OF A FIST by Sunil Yapa (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Aaron Landon
On a rainy, cold day in November, young Victor sets out to sell as much marijuana as possible to the throng of WTO demonstrators determined to shut down the city. With the proceeds, he plans to buy a plane ticket and leave Seattle forever, but it quickly becomes clear that the history-making 50,000 anti-globalization protestors are testing the patience of the police, and what started out as a peaceful protest is threatening to erupt into violence. Over the course of one life-altering afternoon, the fates of seven people will change forever. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
DICTATOR by Robert Harris (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by David Rintoul
At the age of 48, Cicero --- the greatest orator of his time --- is in exile, separated from his wife and children, tormented by his sense of failure, his great power sacrificed on the altar of his principles. And yet, in the words of one of his most famous aphorisms, “While there is life, there is hope.” By promising to support Caesar --- his political enemy --- he is granted return to Rome, where he fights his way back to prominence. Even so, no public figure, however brilliant and cunning, is completely safeguarded against the unscrupulous ambition and corruption of others. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE PAST by Tessa Hadley (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Caroline Lennon
Four middle-aged siblings meet in their grandparents’ home in the English town of Kington for a three-week holiday. They have convened to discuss whether or not to sell the house, but family tensions dominate conversations. The brother has brought his Argentinian third wife, whom the three sisters haven’t met. One sister brings an ex-boyfriend’s teenage son; another laments her unsatisfying love life. THE PAST is a quiet exploration of suppressed desire and internal struggles. Reviewed by Michael Magras.
AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE: Stories by Helen Ellis (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, narrated by Kathleen McInerney, Lisa Cordileone, Rebecca Lowman and Dorothy Dillingham Blue
Meet the women of AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE. They wear lipstick, pearls and sunscreen, even when it's cloudy. They casserole. They pinwheel. They pump the salad spinner like it's a CPR dummy. And then they kill a party crasher, carefully stepping around the body to pull cookies out of the oven. Helen Ellis’ 12 stories take us from a haunted prewar Manhattan apartment building to the set of a rigged reality television show; from the unique initiation ritual of a book club to the getaway car of a pageant princess on the lam; from the gallery opening of a tinfoil artist to the fitting room of a legendary lingerie shop. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
THE LOST TUDOR PRINCESS: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas by Alison Weir (Biography)
Audiobook available, narrated by Maggie Mash
THE LOST TUDOR PRINCESS is the first biography of Margaret Douglas, the beautiful, cunning niece of Henry VIII of England who used her sharp intelligence and covert power to influence the succession after the death of Elizabeth I. Drawing on decades of research and myriad original sources --- including many of Margaret’s surviving letters --- Alison Weir brings this captivating character out of the shadows and presents a strong, capable woman who operated effectively and fearlessly at the very highest levels of power. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
WRITTEN IN FIRE: Book Three of The Brilliance Trilogy by Marcus Sakey (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Luke Daniels
For 30 years, humanity struggled to cope with the brilliants, the one percent of people born with remarkable gifts. Now the White House is a smoking ruin. Madison Square Garden is an internment camp. In Wyoming, an armed militia of thousands marches toward a final, apocalyptic battle. Nick Cooper has spent his life fighting for his children and his country. Now, as the world staggers on the edge of ruin, he must risk everything he loves to face his oldest enemy --- a brilliant terrorist so driven by his ideals that he will sacrifice humanity’s future to achieve them. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE GOOD GOODBYE by Carla Buckley (Psychological Suspense)
Audiobook available, narrated by Ali Ahn, Suzy Jackson and Eva Kaminksy
Natalie Falcone gets a phone call every mother dreads: It’s from a hospital emergency room in the town where her daughter, Arden, attends college. Arden has been in a fire, along with Natalie’s niece, Rory --- her estranged brother-in-law's daughter and Arden’s best friend. Natalie rushes to the hospital and learns that both Arden and Rory lie unconscious, and that another student has died in the blaze. The case unearths a portrait of a complex friendship, a love triangle, a fight, and a girl who was struggling more than anyone realized. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
EVEN THE DEAD: A Quirke Novel by Benjamin Black (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, narrated by John Keating
Quirke’s daughter, Phoebe, gets a mysterious visit from an acquaintance: the woman, who admits to being pregnant, says she fears for her life, though she won't say why. When the woman later disappears, Phoebe asks her father for help, and Quirke in turn seeks the assistance of his old friend Inspector Hackett. Before long, the two men find themselves untangling a twisted string of events that takes them deep into a shadowy world where one of the city's most powerful men uses the cover of politics and religion to make obscene profits. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
CUT ME IN by Ed McBain (Hard-boiled Mystery)
CUT ME IN was a novel originally published by a 29-year-old Ed McBain in 1955 entitled THE PROPOSITION. Literary agent Del Gilbert had a lot of enemies. His partner, Josh Blake, discovers him dead in the office one day next to an open safe. A singed letter worth millions is missing from the safe, forcing Blake to search out a killer. Reviewed by Tom Callahan.
I AM YOUR JUDGE written by Nele Neuhaus, translated by Steven T. Murray (Mystery)
Audiobook available, narrated by Robert Fass
An elderly woman has been shot and killed while walking her dog. A short while later, another murder is committed, and the modus operandi is eerily similar. Two more murders follow in short order. None of the victims had enemies, and no one knows why they were singled out. As fear of the Taunus Sniper grows among the local residents, the pressure rises on Police Detective Pia Kirchhoff. She and her partner, Oliver von Bodenstein, search for a suspect who appears to murder at will, but as the investigation progresses, the police officers uncover a human tragedy. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE CINEMATIC LEGACY OF FRANK SINATRA by David Wills (Photography/Entertainment)
In THE CINEMATIC LEGACY OF FRANK SINATRA, author David Wills presents a stunning collection highlighting the work of one of Hollywood's greatest stars. Pairing more than 200 first-generation photos with reflections on Frank Sinatra from co-stars and work associates, and including contributing essays by his children, it is an unforgettable showcase of the actor's transformation from world-famous singer, to movie star, to Academy Award winner, and finally to one of the most enduring icons in cinema history. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
ALONE ON THE WALL by Alex Honnold, with David Roberts (Sports/Memoir)
Audiobook available, narrated by Andrew Eiden and Will Damron
A 30-year-old climbing phenomenon, Alex Honnold pushes the limits of free soloing beyond anything previously attempted, as he climbs without a rope, without a partner, and without any gear to attach himself to the wall. If he falls, he dies. In ALONE ON THE WALL, Honnold recounts the seven most astonishing achievements thus far in his meteoric career, including free-soloing Sendero Luminoso in Mexico and climbing the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia. Each chapter narrates the drama of one climb, along with reflective and introspective passages that get at what makes Honnold tick. Reviewed by Miriam Tuliao.
HUNTERS IN THE DARK by Lawrence Osborne (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Stephen Hogan
Adrift in Cambodia and eager to side-step a life of quiet desperation as a small-town teacher, 28-year-old Englishman Robert Grieve decides to go missing. As he crosses the border from Thailand, he tests the threshold of a new future. And on that first night, a small windfall precipitates a chain of events --- involving a bag of “jinxed” money, a suave American, a trunk full of heroin, a hustler taxi driver, and a rich doctor’s daughter --- that changes Robert’s life forever. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
THE CROOKED HOUSE by Christobel Kent (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Rachel Atkins
Alison lives her life under the radar. She has no ties, no home, and she spends her days at a backroom publishing job. Which is how she wants it. Because Alison used to be a teenager named Esme, who was the only survivor in a brutal attack on her family. In order to escape from the horror she witnessed, she moved away from her village, changed her name and cut herself off from her past. But soon Alison realizes that that night's events have left a terrible mark on everyone in the village, and she begins to suspect they are all somehow implicated in her family's murder. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
THE THOUSAND DOLLAR DINNER: America's First Great Cookery Challenge by Becky Libourel Diamond (Cooking/History)
In 1851, 15 wealthy New Yorkers wanted to show a group of Philadelphia friends just how impressive a meal could be and took them to Delmonico's, New York's finest restaurant. They were treated to a magnificent banquet, enjoyed by all. However, not to be outdone, the Philadelphia men invited the New Yorkers to a meal prepared by James W. Parkinson in their city. In what became known as the "Thousand Dollar Dinner," Parkinson successfully rose to the challenge, creating a 17-course extravaganza. In THE THOUSAND DOLLAR DINNER, research historian Becky Libourel Diamond presents the entire 17-course meal, course by course, explaining each dish and its history. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano. |
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Next Week's Notables: Noteworthy Books Releasing on January 19th
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Below are some notable titles releasing on January 19th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of January 18th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BLUE by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
Danielle Steel’s latest novel is a probing and emotionally gripping story of dark secrets revealed, second chances, and the power of love and courage to overcome life’s greatest challenges.
EVEN DOGS IN THE WILD by Ian Rankin (Mystery)
EVEN DOGS IN THE WILD reunites Ian Rankin's greatest characters (including John Rebus, Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox) in an explosive story exploring the darkest corners of our desires.
THE MAN WITHOUT A SHADOW by Joyce Carol Oates (Psychological Suspense)
THE MAN WITHOUT A SHADOW tracks the intimate, illicit relationship between Margot Sharpe and Elihu Hoopes, as scientist and subject embark upon an exploration of the labyrinthine mysteries of the human brain.
ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz (Thriller)
The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It's said that when he's reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them. But he's no legend.
THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald (Fiction)
The residents of Broken Wheel never imagined that their bewildered visitor, Sara, would start a bookstore. Or that books could bring them together --- and change everything.
RIVER ROAD by Carol Goodman (Psychological Thriller)
From the award-winning author of THE LAKE OF DEAD LANGUAGES comes a chilling psychological thriller about a professor accused of killing her favorite student in a hit-and-run accident.
THE ROAD TO LITTLE DRIBBLING: Adventures of an American in Britain by Bill Bryson (Travel/Memoir)
Here is the hilarious and loving sequel to a hilarious and loving classic of travel writing: NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, Bill Bryson’s valentine to his adopted country of England.
THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth (Fiction)
Here we meet two 30-year-olds whose minds are no longer their own, but they cling to the few things they can keep. They voluntarily enter into an assisted living facility, and it is there they meet and fall in love.
WARRIORS OF THE STORM by Bernard Cornwell (Historical Fiction/Adventure)
WARRIORS OF THE STORM is the ninth installment in Bernard Cornwell’s series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England. |
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