August 19, 2016

It was another Olympics-obsessed start to the week, though I confess that my interest waned starting Wednesday night, perhaps because I needed sleep! A few observations from the couch about topics you may not have pondered: 1) While watching the floor gymnastics, I was wondering if, in the future, when the gymnasts hear the choreographed music that they danced the floor exercises to, they break into their routines in, let’s say, the supermarket. 2) Does anyone really know what "a gainer back layout with a full twist" is? What I know is that none of us can do it! 3) I love the Australians' Olympic uniforms. You know...the color. 4) Do you wonder why there are so many ties in swimming and not in other sports? Here’s why. 5) The color of the water in the diving pool was a huge fail. Here's more about the pool in Rio. Did swimmers in some lanes have an advantage?

My Facebook feed the past few weeks has been filled with photos of friends’ children across the country all heading back to school. Cory does not start classes until after Labor Day, so we get a tad of an extension on summer. I am so not ready for summer to end, especially as I feel like it never really got started. The weather has been very unpredictable with lots of rain, hot days, wicked humidity and then some very cool days as well. We barely have eaten outside since many nights have brought with them heat or rain. It's just not been the summer that I usually think of.

The last few mornings I have craved pool time along with reading time, so multitasking me has grabbed a book, jumped in my in-water submerged pool float, pulled on my flippers and kicked laps while reading. It’s been an incredibly fun time of the day for me, and I leave the pool with a real feeling of accomplishment. Since many nights bring thunderstorms, this has been a great option for getting swim time in. There has not been nearly enough water time this summer. And the Olympics seriously cut into my reading time.

Last weekend, I read KAROLINA’S TWINS by Ronald H. Balson. I had loved his book ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS a few years ago and had selected it as a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Releasing on September 6th, this one also will be a Bets On pick. Set during World War II, the story centers on Lena Woodward, who grew up in Poland and survived the camps. Now in her 80s, she is on a quest to find a pair of twins who were lost during the war. Along the way, Balson paints a vivid picture of wartime Poland seen through Lena’s eyes. She approaches a Chicago lawyer, Catherine Lockhart, and her husband, private investigator Liam Taggart, to help her in her quest, and they go after the few clues that they have with tenacity. Catherine is pregnant, and while the story wraps a bit too neatly --- with her heading into labor as the book concludes --- the historical details make this good reading. Note that Catherine and Liam have figured in both of Balson’s earlier works, the aforementioned ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS and SAVING SOPHIE, the latter of which I still want to read. KAROLINA’S TWINS will be a nice “next book” for those who have read THE NIGHTINGALE, SARAH’S KEY or LILAC GIRLS.

Next up was CRUEL BEAUTIFUL WORLD by Caroline Leavitt, which is set in the early '70s. Lucy runs away from home with William, one of her teachers, to live on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. It’s all about love, until it’s not. Her much older half-sister, Iris, who she knows as her aunt, and her teenage sister, Charlotte, are frantic to find her. Love, loss and longing all figure into the story, which is written in Caroline’s signature style that pulls apart everyday lives and finds the deeper stories in them by getting into her characters' hearts and heads. I still have a few more chapters to read but see a Bets On brewing here.

We love when authors come by the office to visit. So when we heard that Wade Rouse was in town, we were thrilled to host him and his husband Gary on Tuesday. (You can see a photo of Greg and me with Wade above.) Wade has written some wry and poignant memoirs, as well as the start of a new series under the pen name Viola Shipman (a tribute to his grandmother). It kicked off with THE CHARM BRACELET, which has become a favorite of readers across the country. Next up is THE HOPE CHEST. They were in town for the East Hampton Authors’ Night, and they gave us the lowdown on the night’s events in the tent where temps were something like 105 degrees! With their reporting, it was like being on the set of "Entertainment Tonight" or "Extra" --- full of celebrity and bestselling author dishing. They have lots of photos on Wade's Facebook page.

We’re happy to share with you our review of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead, which Oprah selected as her latest book club pick. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk. The Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor --- engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. As Whitehead evokes the unique terrors for black people in the pre–Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day.

Reviewer Stuart Shiffman calls THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD “literature at its finest. It will make readers think, and scenes portrayed on its pages will remain with them long after they have finished the book. Simply put, it should be read by all.” We recently posted a discussion guide for the novel on ReadingGroupGuides.com, which you can see here. And here is a Facebook Live interview where Gayle King interviews Colson about the book.

Celebrated for THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and widely recognized as an authority on women’s history, Philippa Gregory now brings us THREE SISTERS, THREE QUEENS. When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, sizes her up. With one look, each recognizes the other for a rival, destined --- along with Margaret’s younger sister, Mary --- to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland and France. United by family loyalties and affections, they find themselves pitted against each other.

Amie Taylor has our review and says, “Although the urge to race through the novel to see what happens next is strong, smart readers will read slowly and savor the chance to travel back in time and live in an era that can now be found only in the pages of such a magical book.”

Eric Van Lustbader has captivated audiences with his Jason Bourne series. He continues to blend action and suspense excellently in his new work, ANY MINUTE NOW. Red Rover --- the blackest of black ops teams --- is betrayed during a top-priority mission to capture and interrogate a terrorist. One of their own is killed; the remaining two barely get home alive. Then, without warning or explanation, the team is disbanded. Greg Whitman and Felix Orteño are left adrift in a world full of unanswerable questions. They hook up with Charlie Daou, a brilliant arms expert whose past is entangled with Whit's. Though Charlie grapples with damage of her own, she becomes their moral compass and their reason for resurrecting Red Rover.

According to reviewer Ray Palen, "Eric Van Lustbader is a masterful writer who is able to lead readers down one path only to completely change directions. ANY MINUTE NOW is chock full of suspense, double-crosses and thrills --- everything you expect from a great espionage/military thriller."

Other books we’re reviewing this week include Linda Fairstein's KILLER LOOK, a heart-pounding thriller that explores the dark secrets of Manhattan's iconic fashion scene. Alex Cooper must penetrate the twisted roots and mixed motives among the high-profile players in the Garment District. James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge’s latest, BULLSEYE, also explores the dark side of New York. Caught in the crosshairs of a deadly standoff, Detective Michael Bennett must kill...or be killed. And in I'M SUPPOSED TO PROTECT YOU FROM ALL THIS, Nadja Spiegelman, the daughter of Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly, delivers a memoir of mothers and daughters --- and mothers as daughters --- traced through four generations, from Paris to New York and back again.

Last week, we reviewed BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by B. A. Paris and THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST by Ann Hood. This week, I’m happy to share my Bets On commentary on both books. Click on each of the titles to see why they’re Bets On picks.

Our contest continues for WE ARE UNPREPARED, our latest Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight title. First-time novelist Meg Little Reilly places a young couple in harm’s way --- both literally and emotionally --- as they face a cataclysmic storm that threatens to decimate their Vermont town and the entire Eastern Seaboard. To enter to win one of 25 copies of the book and share your comments on it, please fill out the entry form here by Thursday, August 25th at noon ET.

You also have until Thursday, August 25th at noon ET to enter our very special contest celebrating the 15th installment of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, MANITOU CANYON. One grand prize winner will receive all 15 books in the series, including MANITOU CANYON, all signed by Kent, plus the eBook THE WORLD OF CORK O'CONNOR: A Look Behind the Pages of the Beloved Mystery Series. (Kent was in town this week and signed all 15 books for the grand prize winner. He also signed 1,000 copies of MANITOU CANYON in just a few hours (you can see one signed copy above). My signature looks unreadable after even signing five checks!) Thirty-five additional winners will be awarded the first book in the series, IRON LAKE, and THE WORLD OF CORK O'CONNOR. Fill out this form for your chance to win.

In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away THE GOLDEN AGE by Joan London, and two books by Debbie Macomber: SWEET TOMORROWS: A Rose Harbor Novel and A GIRL’S GUIDE TO MOVING ON. This year’s contests wrap up next week with our final three prize books, all of which will be Bets On titles and all of which are debuts: BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by Imbolo Mbue, THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena, and THE DOLLHOUSE by Fiona Davis. We’re certainly ending these contests on a strong note!

You’ll also have a chance to win THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR, along with A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles, in our latest Word of Mouth contest. Let us know by Friday, September 9th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win both novels.

Interested in listening to the audio versions of BEHOLD THE DREAMERS and THE DOLLHOUSE? Then I suggest you enter this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest by letting us know what audiobooks you’ve finished listening to. Enter by Tuesday, September 6th at noon ET to be in the running to win both these audiobooks.

We’ve posted a new History Books roundup for August. Among our featured titles are Jeffrey Toobin’s much-talked-about book about the kidnapping and trial of Patty Hearst, AMERICAN HEIRESS (which we reviewed two weeks ago); A SQUARE MEAL, a culinary history of the Great Depression by Jane Ziegelman and her husband, Andrew Coe; and John Strausbaugh’s CITY OF SEDITION, which focuses on the huge --- and hugely conflicted --- role New York City played in the Civil War (you can see our review later in this newsletter).

Our last poll question asked if you ever read the acknowledgements in books (click here for all the results). This time, we’re curious to know if you ever read the dedication page in books. Click here to weigh in!

News and Pop Culture:

Reader Mail:

Readers loved the blog with the list of suggested authors for my friend Cathy to binge read. Kate wrote, “Thank you SO much for sending us all your blog with the lists of authors to binge read. Many I've read and enjoyed, but so many I haven't. I can hardly wait to get started!"

Continuing on this topic, Mabel wrote, “I just looked through the posts, and I am surprised no one mentioned Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series. He is my favorite author, and although he has passed, his work is being carried on by Kyle Mills. When I first found his books, I binge read all that were available at the time.”

Suzanne wrote, “I anxiously await the newsletter every week. I have been an avid reader since I first learned to read. As I was an only child, books were my closest friends. This spring I went on a fabulous cruise that included France, Belgium and St. Petersburg, Russia. I must confess when I step into these cities I have read about and only traveled to in my journeys through books, I become quite emotional. I have seen them all in my mind, and now I see them visually. I truly realize how hard authors work to transport us there. What a wonderful journey reading can be.”

Kathryn wrote with her Olympics-watching tip: “My husband has solved the 'time' problem of watching the Olympics. We watch a movie or something on PBS while he tapes the events. Then once several hours are taped, he can watch four hours in about one hour's time by fast-forwarding through some of the jibber-jabber and commercials. Makes for a much more 'efficient' viewing."

Atheleah shared this piece from the Washington Post on how book lovers live longer. Many of us should live longer than a century at this rate.

Good Piece on Book Groups from Publishers Weekly: It looks at indie stores around the country and what they are doing with book groups. Read it here.

Laura Hillenbrand, the author of SEABISCUIT and UNBROKEN: She has suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME/CFS, for years. Here's a piece on some breakthroughs in her world.

Football Season and a Book Club: “Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett wants to try something new with his teammates: a book club," ESPN reported, adding that the lineman "pitched the idea to Seahawks vice president of player engagement Maurice Kelly, and Kelly liked what he heard. The first book on the list is OUTLIERS by Malcolm Gladwell."

Tax on Olympic Medals: I had no idea there is a tax on Olympic medals and that there is a cash prize from the United States Olympic Committee as well.

For Those Who Ponder Their Weight and Always Want to Be Thinner: This is a terrific piece by Ann Hood, and it is excerpted from THE BITCH IS BACK: Older, Wiser and (Getting) Happier, edited by Cathi Hanauer and scheduled to be released on September 27th.

For Those Who Loved Boomer Phelps and His Headphones: Here is a fun piece.

"Making a Murderer" Update: For those who, like me, binged this series over the holidays, news came in last week just as the newsletter was going out that Brendan Dassey’s conviction had been overturned. I thought he was not well defended, especially for someone his age, and I am happy to see this.

On Wednesday night, Cory made great barbeque chicken and amazing chocolate chip cookies; I ate waaay tooooo many cookies. Next week Tom is off on a business trip, and Cory has told us he will be cooking for the week. He is pulling together a plan for his fraternity to have their own meal plan this year, and he is plotting the recipes/organization for this. He’s a really good cook, so I embrace this concept. Greg managed to come home from last weekend’s wedding/camping trip without one photo of the bride or the bridal party (he was IN the bridal party, too). We saw pictures of the cool glasses that were the groomsmen gifts, the groom’s cakes that got smashed in transit, a lineup of Land Rovers (one of his Rover friends was married, and the wedding party was "Rover Guys"), and photos from the post-wedding camping trip and food made over a fire. I called this “A Guy’s View of a Wedding.”

Our websites continue to have some lingering tech issues, so please be patient if pages are slow to load or not loading at all. After much back-and-forth with our tech team and server company, we seem to be very close on a solution to this!

Quiet weekend on tap here. My goal is to buy a shredder as I have a ton of paperwork to shred. I'm looking at this one. I'm hoping that the weather cooperates for some al fresco dining. We can count on two hands the number of nights we have been able to dine outside, and sadly there have been a lot of nights that were too hot or rainy for outdoor reading as well. But I remain optimistic!

This weekend, I am planning to finish CRUEL BEAUTIFUL WORLD and also A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW (which my husband had whisked away a few weeks ago). Next up is Andrew Gross’ THE ONE MAN, which is on sale next week. It represents a very different direction for him, with a book set during World War II that was inspired by events in his own family. The praise has been outstanding, and I look forward to reading it.

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!

• AFTER YOU by Jojo Moyes
• AGE OF CONSENT by Marti Leimbach
• ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN by Wendy Walker
• ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD by Caroline Angell
• THE ALLIANCE by Jolina Petersheim
• BACHELOR UNFORGIVING by Brenda Jackson
• BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley
• BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by Imbolo Mbue
• BEN-HUR: A Tale of the Christ by Carol Wallace
• BLUEPRINTS by Barbara Delinsky
• BUKOWSKI IN A SUNDRESS: Confessions from a Writing Life by Kim Addonizio
• CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain
• CLEAR TO LIFT by Anne A. Wilson
• THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena
• DAUGHTERS OF THE BRIDE by Susan Mallery
• THE DAY OF THE DONALD: Trump Trumps America! by Andrew Shaffer
• DEAD WAKE: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
• DECEPTION ISLAND by Brynn Kelly
• DETROIT HUSTLE: A Memoir of Love, Life and Home by Amy Haimerl
• DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY by Bill Clegg
• DISCOVERING YOU: A Whiskey Creek Novel by Brenda Novak
• THE DOLLHOUSE by Fiona Davis
• AN ELEGANT FAÇADE: Hawthorne House, Book 2 by Kristi Ann Hunter
• ENCHANTED AUGUST by Brenda Bowen
• FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin
• THE GIRLS by Emma Cline
• A GIRL’S GUIDE TO MOVING ON by Debbie Macomber
• THE GOLDEN AGE by Joan London
• GOOD AS GONE by Amy Gentry
• HOUSE OF THIEVES by Charles Belfoure
• HOW TO START A FIRE by Lisa Lutz
• THE JAPANESE LOVER by Isabel Allende
• JUST LIFE by Neil Abramson
• KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. Ryan Stradal
• THE LAKE HOUSE by Kate Morton
• LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly
• MAGICAL JUNGLE: An Inky Expedition and Coloring Book for Adults by Johanna Basford
• MARLENE by C. W. Gortner
• THE MERMAID'S SECRET by Katie Schickel
• MISSING PIECES by Heather Gudenkauf
• MURDER ON THE QUAI: An Aimée Leduc Investigation by Cara Black
• THE NURSES: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital by Alexandra Robbins
• RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles
• SLEEPLESS IN MANHATTAN by Sarah Morgan
• SOBER STICK FIGURE: A Memoir by Amber Tozer
• STRANGER, FATHER, BELOVED by Taylor Larsen
• SWEET TOMORROWS: A Rose Harbor Novel by Debbie Macomber
• A TAPESTRY OF SECRETS by Sarah Loudin Thomas
• TWAIN'S END by Lynn Cullen
• UNDER THE HARROW by Flynn Berry
• THE WEEKENDERS by Mary Kay Andrews
• WHEN WE MEET AGAIN by Kristin Harmel
• THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 by Ruth Ware

• THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
  Kristin Hannah's mega-bestselling THE NIGHTINGALE has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 70 weeks --- and counting! We're so thrilled by its success that we're giving a whopping 350(!) readers the chance to win a copy. Whether you still haven't read it or you're looking for a good reason to read it again, now is a great time to win this powerful World War II story. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 7th at noon ET.
   
• LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly
  We are celebrating Martha Hall Kelly's remarkable debut, LILAC GIRLS --- an incredible story of love, redemption and terrible secrets, set during World War II --- with a special contest that will give 25 readers the chance to win a copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 7th at noon ET.

• BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by Imbolo Mbue
  We are celebrating the release of BEHOLD THE DREAMERS --- Imbolo Mbue's unforgettable debut about a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy --- with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 21st at noon ET.

• MISSING PIECES by Heather Gudenkauf
  We are celebrating the paperback release of New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf's MISSING PIECES --- the chilling page-turner about a woman who uncovers earth-shattering secrets about her husband's family --- with a special contest that will give two groups the chance to win 10 copies. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 21st at noon ET.

• RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles
  In anticipation of the September 6th release of his latest book, A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, we're giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies of Amor Towles' RULES OF CIVILITY --- his beguiling debut about a young woman whose life is on the brink of transformation. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 7th at noon ET.
   
• A CERTAIN AGE by Beatriz Williams
  Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Our current prize book is A CERTAIN AGE --- a beguiling reinterpretation of Richard Strauss’ comic opera Der Rosenkavalier, set against the sweeping decadence of Gatsby’s New York --- by Beatriz Williams, the bestselling author of A HUNDRED SUMMERS. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 7th at noon ET.

• THE AMERICAN GIRL by Kate Horsley
• BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley
• THE BONES OF PARADISE by Jonis Agee
• A CERTAIN AGE by Beatriz Williams
• HOME FIELD by Hannah Gersen
• LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly
• A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin
• PURITY by Jonathan Franzen
• RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles
• SECRETS OF NANREATH HALL by Alix Rickloff
• THIS IS NOT MY BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Victoria Fedden
• THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead

• ALL THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS by Adriana Trigiani
• CITY ON FIRE by Garth Risk Hallberg
• FLOOD OF FIRE by Amitav Ghosh
• MISSING PIECES by Heather Gudenkauf

Below are some notable titles releasing on August 23rd 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 August 22nd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by Imbolo Mbue (Fiction)
BEHOLD THE DREAMERS is a debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race and the trapdoors in the American Dream. It’s the story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy.

THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena (Psychological Thriller)
Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all. But one night, when they are at a dinner party, a terrible crime is committed. They soon discover that the other has been keeping secrets for years. What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family --- a chilling tale of deception, duplicity and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final twist.

THE DOLLHOUSE by Fiona Davis (Fiction)
Fiona Davis' debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where in the 1950s a generation of aspiring models, secretaries and editors lived side-by-side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon's glitzy past.

FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Romantic Comedy)
Piper Dove’s first job as a detective is to trail former Chicago Stars quarterback Cooper Graham, who might be in serious danger. Piper soon finds herself hired by Graham himself: to keep an eye on the employees at his new nightclub. If only she weren’t also dealing with Middle Eastern princesses, a Pakistani servant girl seeking freedom, a needy teenager, and an elderly neighbor demanding that Piper find her very dead husband.

THE MANNINGS: The Fall and Rise of a Football Family by Lars Anderson (Sports/Biography)
What the Kennedys are to politics, the Mannings are to football. Longtime Sports Illustrated writer Lars Anderson delivers the never-before-told story of this singular athletic dynasty --- a story that shows us how finding strength in the face of catastrophe can be the key to success on and off the playing field.

THE ONE MAN by Andrew Gross (Historical Thriller)
Poland, 1944. Physics professor Alfred Mendl is sent to the men’s camp, where his belongings are burned. The Nazis have no idea that they've just destroyed knowledge that could end the war, knowledge that now only resides in the minds of two men. Meanwhile, Nathan Blum works at an intelligence office in Washington, DC. He longs to contribute to the war effort, but never expected that the government wants him to take on the most dangerous assignment of his life: to sneak into Auschwitz on a mission to find and escape with one man.

SURRENDER, NEW YORK by Caleb Carr (Psychological Thriller)
In impoverished Burgoyne County, New York, a pattern of strange deaths emerges: teenagers are being murdered, their corpses left in gruesome, ritualistic fashion. Senior officials are quick to blame a serial killer, but their efforts to apprehend this criminal are strangely ineffective. Meanwhile, in the county's small town of Surrender, Trajan Jones, a psychological profiler, and Michael Li, a trace evidence expert, teach online courses in profiling and forensic science from Jones' family farm. Alone and armed mainly with their wits, the outcast pair are secretly called in to consult.

• Always, before I start the book.
• Always, when I finish the book.
• Most of the time
• Some of the time
• Never
• Only if it is an author with whom I am familiar.
• I am not even aware that there is a dedication page.