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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
September 16, 2016 |
Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com
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Is Exhaling Yoga? If So, Then Thursday I Did Yoga...
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As much as I love long weekends, it was nice to have a five-day work week this week. Somewhere around Thursday morning, I found myself able to exhale after a totally insane last week and start of this week. This is not to say that fall is going to be calm. Yesterday our Editorial Director, Tom Donadio, told me that there are 120(!) books on the October review selection list that he sent out to reviewers, and that was after he edited it. I have been having a number of meetings and lunches about Q1 titles for 2017. As I “read ahead,” I am taking copious notes so my memories will be fresh when these books are published.
Yesterday, Tom and I went to a luncheon for Jennifer Ryan, author of THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR, which will be published on February 14th. We had a chance to chat with her before the lunch began, and we loved hearing about her research and her interview process with many of the World War II survivors who inspired the novel. Clearly those who she spoke with wanted to share their stories of the war, and she was amazed at how many of them had optimistic stories to bring to her. It was not all doom and gloom. Told in epistolary style, her book is set in an English village during World War II and follows the paths of five different women and girls. I have been told that those who enjoyed THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY will love this. Looking forward to reading it!
Last weekend, one of our readers, Connie, wrote to ask: “I am curious. Do you speed read? Generally I read 3-5 books a week and think that is a goodly amount. But you seem to read many more and still accomplish many more activities. Back in the late '60s, the company I worked for offered a speed reading course for its department supervisors. I declined as I love the way words flow and sound (to my mind's ear) and was afraid that once learned it would be impossible to turn speed reading off. Actually, I don't even know if speed reading is still around. Do you?”
I replied, "I DO speed read. In fact, here is something funny: When I was in 7th or 8th grade, my mom enrolled me in a speed reading course. It probably was 1970. I went to the first class and they tested me, and I scored like I already had taken the course. I was never taught to read. I read whole words, never sounding them out. My sons did the same thing, which is why they often mispronounce words, like 'epitome.' I am not sure if speed reading still is around." Does anyone know?
As much as I love reading, Friday night at our house is movie night; after a week of writing and emailing, it’s time to watch a movie. We have a Netflix streaming and one disc package. I toss movies into the queue after watching previews, or as I hear about films throughout the year. Last weekend we watched Love & Mercy, a biopic about Brian Wilson, the creator of the Beach Boys’ unique sound. It’s very well done, and I have more respect for him as an artist after watching it. Jim Fusilli wrote a book called THE BEACH BOYS' PET SOUNDS a few years ago that “explores the album, the band’s history and his deeply personal reaction to Wilson’s plight and the deeper meanings of the songs.” Throughout the film were references to The Wrecking Crew, a group of musicians, arrangers and producers who freelanced in the '60s and '70s to create some of the iconic riffs and music that we know today. I discovered a 2008 documentary called The Wrecking Crew on Netflix (streaming), which we watched on Saturday night. It’s really wonderful, and I highly recommend both.
This weekend, Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, is happening in New Orleans. Joe Hartlaub is in town there for the festivities and is reporting back to me, which is wildly fun. We reached out to a number of authors who are attending the conference and have asked them to weigh in on some questions about their experience. Included is the question “What did you drink at the bar?” We’ll have their replies next week!
Acclaimed author Ann Patchett delivers poignancy and humor with her latest novel, COMMONWEALTH, the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter forever changes two families. One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up uninvited to Franny Keating's christening party. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny's mother, Beverly, setting in motion the dissolution of their respective marriages and the joining of two families. Spanning five decades, the book explores how this happenstance encounter resonates throughout the lives of the four parents and six children involved.
Noah Piehl has this to say in her review: “With its episodic structure and chronological fluidity, COMMONWEALTH is a perfect example of how brilliant storytelling can illuminate quiet joys, everyday betrayals and profound tragedies.” Norah and I usually like the same books; I have just started this one, and after reading her review, I look forward to reading more. I heard that Ann’s talking to customers in her bookstore in Nashville, Parnassus Books, has made her more aware than ever what readers are looking for in books. Here is a piece where she talks about her fear and love of bookstores, as well as her new novel.
We’re giving away the audio versions of COMMONWEALTH (read by Hope Davis), along with Sophie Hannah's CLOSED CASKET: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery (read by Julian Rhind-Tutt), in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Monday, October 3rd at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve finished listening to for your chance to win both audio prizes.
Ian McEwan has established himself many times over with his tightly plotted, elegiac prose. Now, he brings us a unique and mesmeric experiment that pays off finely with NUTSHELL. Trudy has betrayed her husband, John. She's still in the marital home --- a dilapidated, priceless London townhouse --- but John is not with her. Instead, she is with his brother, and the two of them have a plan. But they don’t account for an unexpected witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy's womb.
Eileen Zimmerman Nicol has our review and says, “How can a novel this dark be so much fun? Surely the brilliance of the writing has a lot to do with it…. In under 200 pages, McEwan has crafted a taut, literary thriller that can only add to his deservedly lofty reputation.” I so agree. I read this in a day last weekend, blasting through the 192 pages thinking how sharp and entertaining it was. This is one wise little baby to be!
There’s been an 11-year gap since Jonathan Safran Foer’s last novel, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE. He returns in full force with his monumental new work of fiction, HERE I AM. Unfolding over four tumultuous weeks in present-day Washington, D.C., this is the story of a family in a moment of crisis. As Jacob and Julia Bloch and their three sons are forced to confront the distances between the lives they think they want and the lives they are living, a catastrophic earthquake sets in motion a quickly escalating conflict in the Middle East. At stake is the very meaning of home --- and the fundamental question of how much aliveness one can stand.
According to reviewer Sarah Rachel Egelman, “HERE I AM is sprawling yet precise, encompassing a vast emotional landscape. Foer does a great job capturing the particular Jewish-American banter that brings his characters to life and is also successful plumbing the depths of inherited cultural trauma.” This is ripe for discussion with book groups, and we have a guide for it here.
Alan Moore is best known for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA. Now, in JERUSALEM, he delivers a kaleidoscope epic of absolutely everything, told from a vanished gutter. He channels the ecstatic visions of William Blake and the theoretical physics of Albert Einstein through the hardscrabble streets and alleys of his hometown of Northampton, UK, and discovers eternity loitering between housing projects. Embedded in the narrative among its saints, kings and derelicts, a different kind of human time is happening, a soiled simultaneity that does not differentiate between the petrol-colored puddles and the fractured dreams of those who navigate them.
According to reviewer Matthew Burbridge, “JERUSALEM creates a grand scheme and an ambitiously achieved scope unlike any work in years, maybe even in generations." He goes on to say that the book is “an accomplishment on all fronts and not to be missed.”
As promised in last week’s newsletter, we have our review of THE RED BANDANNA, in which Tom Rinaldi tells the story of Welles Crowther, a young man who worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Eight months after the Twin Towers fell, several survivors came forward to say that they and others were led to safety by a stranger, who then turned around and said, “I’m going back up.” One of those survivors clearly remembered that the man was wearing a red bandanna; when Welles was a young boy, his father gave him a red handkerchief that he carried with him everywhere he went.
Jana Siciliano has our review and calls THE RED BANDANNA “a story that will bring tears of remembrance and gratitude to the eyes, minds and hearts of anyone who grasps the largesse of such stories” and “a stellar literary achievement.” Welles’ mother was at last Sunday’s 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero, reading the names of some of the people who passed away 15 years ago on that tragic day and then speaking so movingly about her own son.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include RAZOR GIRL by Carl Hiaasen, in which a crash scam signals just the beginning of the events that spiral crazily out of control; THE JEALOUS KIND, the second book in James Lee Burke’s Holland Family series of novels (we also have a review of the audiobook, narrated by Will Patton, which you can read here); and FATES AND TRAITORS, Jennifer Chiaverini’s latest novel that follows the notorious John Wilkes Booth and the four women who loved him.
THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD, the hilarious debut novel by Jade Chang, is our newest Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight title. Ruined by the financial crisis, immigrant businessman Charles Wang is determined to go to China and attempt to reclaim his family’s ancestral lands. Charles, his two children and their stepmother embark on a cross-country road trip, the destination of which is the New York hideout of his eldest daughter, a disgraced art world it-girl. But Charles may have to choose between keeping his family intact and finally fulfilling his dream of starting anew in China. THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD doesn’t release until October 4th, but we have 25 copies to give away to those who would like to read and comment on it. The deadline for your entries is Thursday, September 29th at noon ET. A number of us have been saying that smart, funny books have been few and far between. As I read this one, I am happy to note its sharp humor.
We also continue our contests for the two Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight titles that launched last week: THE LIFE SHE WANTS by Robyn Carr and MENDING FENCES by Sherryl Woods, the latter of which originally published nine years ago but is now being re-released with a brand-new cover. Click on the titles to enter for your chance to win a copy of each and share your comments on them. The deadline for both giveaways is Thursday, September 22nd at noon ET.
We reviewed KAROLINA’S TWINS last week, and this week I’m pleased to announce that I’m picking Ronald H. Balson’s new book as my latest Bets On selection. I was introduced to Balson in 2013 when his debut novel, ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS, released. It, too, was a Bets On pick, and I’ve been a fan of his work ever since. You can read my commentary on KAROLINA’S TWINS here.
This year’s Fall Preview feature kicked off this week with our first two prize titles: A LADY UNRIVALED: Ladies of the Manor, Book 3 by Roseanna M. White and MANITOU CANYON by William Kent Krueger. On select days this month and next, we are spotlighting a different title and offering a 24-hour contest to win five copies of that book. Next week, we’ll be giving away THE FAMILY PLOT by Cherie Priest; that contest will launch on Tuesday, September 20th at noon ET.
We know all the cinephiles in our audience will be happy to hear that our latest bookshelf is now up, displaying 20 books that inspired films that will be releasing between now and the end of the year. Highlights include The Light Between Oceans, The Girl on the Train, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Inferno. Click here to peruse the bookshelf.
We’re still curious if you read the epigraphs in books, so please click here to vote in the poll and let us know. For those who may not be aware, an epigraph is a short quotation that appears at the beginning of a book or chapter, and is intended to suggest the theme of that book or chapter.
There’s still time to enter our current Word of Mouth contest. Let us know by Friday, September 23rd at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you just may win HOME by Harlan Coben and THE KEPT WOMAN by Karin Slaughter, both of which we’ll be reviewing next week.
The longlist for this year’s National Book Awards was announced this week. Click here to see all 40 titles in the four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Young People’s Literature. The finalists will be revealed on October 13th, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in New York on November 16th. Also this week, the shortlist for this year’s Man Booker Prize for Fiction was announced. Click here to see those six titles. The winner will be revealed on October 25th in London’s Guildhall. And just yesterday, the winners of the Barry and Macavity awards were announced at Boucheron's Opening Ceremonies. The Anthony Award winners will be revealed later today!
I love meeting readers, and I am happy to share my event calendar thus far for the fall. I will be at the Morristown Book Festival in Morristown, NJ on October 1st where I am moderating two panels. From 10:00-11:00 is a fiction panel called "You Can’t Choose Your Family" with Naomi Jackson (THE STAR SIDE OF BIRD HILL), Lynda Cohen Loigman (THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE) and Matthew Thomas (WE ARE NOT OURSELVES). Then, from 11:15-12:15 is a panel called “It’s All in Your Head: Mind Bending Suspense" with Sharon Guskin (THE FORGETTING TIME), Peter Swanson (THE KIND WORTH KILLING) and Wendy Walker (ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN).
On October 15th, I will be in Hillsborough, NJ from 11:00-1:00 for their first-ever Book Lover’s Tea presenting book group-friendly titles. Signup for this event can be found here. On October 22nd, I am returning to Ocean County for their Book Group Leaders event that is only open to their group members. And I am happy to share that I will be at the Miami Book Fair on November 18-20 with a panel about book groups at a time still to be determined.
The Brooklyn Book Festival is this Sunday in Brooklyn, NY. Our own Rebecca Munro will be there, and she'll have her report for us next week.
News & Pop Culture:
Reader Mail:
Deborah wrote with belated 20th anniversary wishes to us: “I've been meaning to write to say how much I love Bookreporter.com. Big congratulations on 20 years. I know it's been at least 10 for me. This is my go-to for books to read, whether eBooks or hard copy/audio, as I may not have known about them otherwise. You have expanded my perspective and interest in so many varied types of books. I look forward to all your newsletters and save most of them for reference for future reads. If there were only more hours in the day to read all the books on my lists!! Thanks to you and your staff for such great work.”
Kate wrote, “Congratulations on 20 years!! I am so happy to read you on Fridays, although my work schedule means I sometimes don't read you until 3am on Saturday. I attended the first Random House Open House, but am afraid to commit to December as I have a freshman in college and may have to go pick him up on December 15th. The author lineup looks great, and I would love to meet Jon Meacham as I watch way too much 'Morning Joe.' I hope you will attend so I can attend vicariously if my timing does not work out.” We are planning to be there and will have our report.
Vicki wrote, “Just read your most recent newsletter and had to write...I read THE KIND WORTH KILLING this past winter and LOVED it...AND I have a postcard of the picture Christina's World on my mirror where I see it every day. Can't wait to find out her backstory in A PIECE OF THE WORLD.... Keep writing and I'll keep reading...”
Charles Osgood: He announced his retirement as CBS "Sunday Morning" anchor. He’s now 83 years young! In his words, “For years now, people --- even friends and family --- have been asking me why I keep doing this considering my age…. It’s been a great run, but after nearly 50 years at CBS, including the last 22 years here on ‘Sunday Morning,’ the time has come.” Also heard that a 90-minute special edition of "Sunday Morning" on September 25th will look back at Osgood’s career, with surprise guests and special performances.
Pat Conroy Literary Festival to be held October 20-22 in Beaufort: Read more about this here. I love that his wife, Cassandra King, steered folks away from a tribute in the form of a statue in town to instead create The Pat Conroy Literary Center.
Streetwise Maps: Learned this week that these maps will no longer be manufactured. Really sorry to hear this as they have been my companions on more than one trip. Will treasure the ones I own!
Hereafter: Watched this movie starring Matt Damon over vacation; it’s not brilliant, but I loved seeing the scenes shot at the London Book Fair.
Traffic this week was terrible. On Wednesday, there were five accidents on the way to work and I heard of three others; on Thursday morning, there was a major crash on the way into the city and a minor fender bender on the way out. I was listening to THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Susan Mallery, which was just the escape I needed to combat my frustration!
Last weekend, I finally managed to get some pictures hung, we planted perennials on the rock wall, and we went to a peach farm where some stunning peacocks frequent the property. They were selling peacock feathers that were pretty and to me are souvenirs of the farm. Also, I am nuts about candles from a company called Mixture, and I ordered a number of them. Last night, I went online to see if they had more of this size and saw they are out of stock, but there are many others. You can see both the peacock feathers and candles above. Anna Knapp, one of our chat hosts in the days of our Bookaccino chat room, turned me on to Mixture, and I highly recommend their candles. I am burning “Relaxation” as I write this. Subliminal… Tom and the boys will vote for me to burn this 24/7 since I am very bad at relaxing!
We all are headed to the beach on Saturday night to celebrate my dad’s birthday. My young-at-heart dad is celebrating his 87th(!). This is a man who still bodysurfs, plays golf (walking the course) and paints the house (on a ladder). Amazing…and we are looking forward to feting him!
Last Sunday as I swam, I was picking up leaves in the pool. I wanted a glue gun to get them back onto the trees; I am not ready for summer to end. With that in mind, I just bought a full-body wetsuit (works in water at 50 degrees), plus socks and gloves to extend my swimming season. I have a short suit now, but I think a full suit would be more effective.
Feeling a huge pressure to be “reading ahead.” Q1 2017 is going to be AMAZING for booklovers.
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! |
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Featured Review: COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett
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COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Hope Davis
One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating’s christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny’s mother, Beverly --- thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and the joining of two families. Spanning five decades, COMMONWEALTH explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. Spending summers together in Virginia, the Keating and Cousins children forge a lasting bond that is based on a shared disillusionment with their parents and the strange and genuine affection that grows up between them. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read the review. |
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Featured Review: NUTSHELL by Ian McEwan
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NUTSHELL by Ian McEwan (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Rory Kinnear
Trudy has betrayed her husband, John. She's still in the marital home --- a dilapidated, priceless London townhouse --- but John is not there. Instead, she's with his brother, the profoundly banal Claude, and the two of them have a plan. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy's womb. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read the review. |
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Featured Review: HERE I AM by Jonathan Safran Foer
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HERE I AM by Jonathan Safran Foer (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
Unfolding over four tumultuous weeks in present-day Washington, D.C., Jonathan Safran Foer’s first novel in 11 years is the story of a fracturing family in a moment of crisis. As Jacob and Julia Bloch and their three sons are forced to confront the distances between the lives they think they want and the lives they are living, a catastrophic earthquake sets in motion a quickly escalating conflict in the Middle East. At stake is the meaning of home --- and the fundamental question of how much aliveness one can bear. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the discussion guide.
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Click here to read the review. |
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Featured Review: JERUSALEM by Alan Moore
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JERUSALEM by Alan Moore (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Simon Vance
In JERUSALEM, Alan Moore channels both the ecstatic visions of William Blake and the theoretical physics of Albert Einstein through the hardscrabble streets and alleys of his hometown of Northampton, UK. In the half a square mile of decay and demolition that was England’s Saxon capital, eternity is loitering between the firetrap housing projects. Embedded in the grubby amber of the district’s narrative among its saints, kings, prostitutes and derelicts, a different kind of human time is happening, a soiled simultaneity that does not differentiate between the petrol-colored puddles and the fractured dreams of those who navigate them. Reviewed by Matthew Burbridge.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read the review. |
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New Women's Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD by Jade Chang
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We have 25 copies of THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD by Jade Chang --- a hilarious debut novel about a wealthy but fractured Chinese immigrant family that had it all, only to lose every last cent, and about the road trip they take across America that binds them back together --- to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on October 4th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, September 29th at noon ET.
THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD by Jade Chang (Fiction)
Charles Wang is mad at America. A brash, lovable immigrant businessman who built a cosmetics empire and made a fortune, he’s just been ruined by the financial crisis. Now all Charles wants is to get his kids safely stowed away so that he can go to China and attempt to reclaim his family’s ancestral lands --- and his pride.
Charles pulls Andrew, his aspiring comedian son, and Grace, his style-obsessed daughter, out of schools he can no longer afford. Together with their stepmother, Barbra, they embark on a cross-country road trip from their foreclosed Bel-Air home to the upstate New York hideout of the eldest daughter, disgraced art world it-girl Saina. But with his son waylaid by a temptress in New Orleans, his wife ready to defect for a set of 1,000-thread-count sheets, and an epic smash-up in North Carolina, Charles may have to choose between the old world and the new, between keeping his family intact and finally fulfilling his dream of starting anew in China.
Outrageously funny and full of charm, THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD is an entirely fresh look at what it means to belong in America --- and how going from glorious riches to (still name-brand) rags brings one family together in a way money never could.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to visit the book's official website.
-Click here to read Jade Chang's bio.
-Click here to connect with Jade Chang on 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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Women's Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: THE LIFE SHE WANTS by Robyn Carr
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We have 10 copies of THE LIFE SHE WANTS by Robyn Carr --- in which two friends confront their pasts and move towards their future ---to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on September 27th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, September 22nd at noon ET.
THE LIFE SHE WANTS by Robyn Carr (Fiction)
In the aftermath of her financier husband’s suicide, Emma Shay Compton’s dream life is shattered. Richard Compton stole his clients’ life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City, and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband’s crimes. She is left with nothing.
Only one friend stands by her, a friend she’s known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn’t easy, and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too. And people she’d rather not face, especially Riley Kerrigan.
Riley and Emma were like sisters --- until Riley betrayed Emma, ending their friendship. Emma left town, planning to never look back. Now, trying to stand on her own two feet, Emma can’t escape her husband’s reputation and is forced to turn to the last person she thought she’d ever ask for help --- her former best friend. It’s an uneasy reunion as both women face the mistakes they’ve made over the years. Only if they find a way to forgive each other --- and themselves --- can each of them find the life she wants.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Robyn Carr's bio.
-Click here to visit Robyn Carr's official website.
-Connect with Robyn Carr 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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Women's Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: MENDING FENCES by Sherryl Woods
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We have 15 copies of MENDING FENCES --- a 2007 novel by Sherryl Woods in which devastating secrets tear two families apart --- to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which re-releases in paperback on September 27th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, September 22nd at noon ET.
MENDING FENCES by Sherryl Woods (Fiction)
For 10 years, Emily Dobbs and Marcie Carter have been the closest of friends. They've raised their kids together, shared joy and heartache, and exchanged neighborhood gossip over tea. But when Marcie's son, now a college freshman sports star, is arrested for date rape, the bond between the families could be shattered forever.
As the Carters try to deal with the unthinkable, Emily discovers her daughter has been hiding a terrible secret…a secret that threatens the futures of both families. Recently divorced, Emily struggles to keep it all together --- to support her terrified daughter, to maintain her friendship with Evan's mother, and to have faith in the detective who could change all of their lives.
When things seem darkest, both she and Marcie discover that sometimes the first step toward a better future is mending fences with the past.
Be sure to tune in to Hallmark Channel every Sunday night at 9/8c for "Chesapeake Shores," a new TV series based on Sherryl Woods' novels of the same name.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here for the discussion guide.
-Click here to read Sherryl Woods' bio.
-Click here to visit Sherryl Woods' official website.
-Connect with Sherryl Woods 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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Bookreporter.com Bets On: KAROLINA'S TWINS by Ronald H. Balson
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KAROLINA'S TWINS by Ronald H. Balson (Historical Fiction)
I have been a fan of Ronald H. Balson’s books since I read ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS a few years ago, which I also selected as a Bets On title. In KAROLINA’S TWINS, Balson’s fiction once again looks at a story with its roots in the Holocaust and World War II. Lena Scheinman lived in Chrzanów, Poland, near the Czech border. Her warm family lives a happy life; her father has a successful business, and he is a respected war hero. Her best friend, Karolina Neuman, lives in circumstances not as fortunate as Lena’s, so she spends a lot of time at the Scheinman home.
Lena’s family is swept from their home as Germany invades Poland, and she is the sole survivor. She scrapes together an existence in the ghetto finding work in a textile factory where the labor is brutal, but she is safe. She is reunited with Karolina there, and the two of them forge a partnership to work together to survive. While the factory work is difficult, it affords them the luxury of being saved from the atrocities of the camps. Their partnership is challenged as Karolina finds herself pregnant. Shortly after the babies are delivered, Lena and Karolina, along with another close friend, are ordered onto trains to the camps. On the way to Auschwitz, Karolina decides that they must toss the babies from the train, as they will have no chance of surviving in the camps. Aghast, but aware she is right, Lena complies.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read more of Carol's "Bets On" commentary on the book. |
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Bookreporter.com's Fall Preview Contests and Feature
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Fall is known as the biggest season of the year for books. The titles that release during this latter part of the year often become holiday gifts, and many are blockbusters. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we are spotlighting a number of outstanding books that we know people will be talking about in the days and months to come.
We will be hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days in September and October, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, September 20th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles include:
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Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our featured titles. |
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More Reviews This Week
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RAZOR GIRL by Carl Hiaasen (Mystery/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by John Rubinstein
When Lane Coolman's car is bashed from behind on the road to the Florida Keys, what appears to be an ordinary accident is anything but. Behind the wheel of the other car is Merry Mansfield --- the eponymous Razor Girl --- and the crash scam is only the beginning of events that spiral crazily out of control. Andrew Yancy believes that if he can singlehandedly solve a high-profile murder, he'll get his detective badge back. That the Razor Girl may be the key to Yancy's future will be as surprising as anything else he encounters along the way. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
THE RED BANDANNA: A Life. A Choice. A Legacy. by Tom Rinaldi (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Tom Rinaldi
One Sunday morning before church, when Welles Crowther was a young boy, his father gave him a red handkerchief for his back pocket. Welles kept it with him that day, and just about every day to come. When the Twin Towers fell, Welles’ parents had no idea what happened to their son, who had taken a Wall Street job there. Eight months after the attacks, his mother read a news account from several survivors who said they and others had been led to safety by a stranger, carrying a woman on his back, down nearly 20 flights of stairs. They didn’t know his name, but despite the smoke and panic, one of them remembered a single detail clearly: the man was wearing a red bandanna. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
AN OBVIOUS FACT: A Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson (Mystery)
Audiobook available, narrated by George Guidall
In the midst of the largest motorcycle rally in the world, a young biker is run off the road and ends up in critical condition. When Sheriff Walt Longmire and his good friend Henry Standing Bear are called to Hulett, Wyoming to investigate, things start getting complicated. As competing biker gangs; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; a military-grade vehicle donated to the tiny local police force by a wealthy entrepreneur; and Lola, the real-life femme fatale and namesake for Henry's '59 Thunderbird (and, by extension, Walt's granddaughter) come into play, it rapidly becomes clear that there is more to get to the bottom of at this year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally than a bike accident. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
ROBERT B. PARKER'S DEBT TO PAY: A Jesse Stone Novel by Reed Farrel Coleman (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by James Naughton
As his ex-wife, Jenn, is about to marry a Dallas real-estate tycoon, Jesse Stone isn’t too sure his relationship with former FBI agent Diana Evans is built to last. But those concerns get put on the back burner when a major Boston crime boss is brutally murdered. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Jesse suspects it’s the work of Mr. Peepers, a psychotic assassin who has caused trouble for Jesse in the past. Jesse and Diana head to Dallas for the wedding and, along with the tycoon’s security team, try to stop Peepers before the bill comes due. With Peepers toying with the authorities as to when and where he’ll strike, Jesse is up against the wall. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE JEALOUS KIND by James Lee Burke (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Will Patton
On its surface, life in Houston is as you would expect. But beneath the glitz and superficial normalcy, a class war has begun, and it is nothing like the conventional portrayal of the decade. Against this backdrop, Aaron Holland Broussard discovers the poignancy of first love and a world of violence he did not know existed. When Aaron spots the beautiful and gifted Valerie Epstein fighting with her boyfriend, Grady Harrelson, at a Galveston drive-in, he inadvertently challenges the power of the Mob and one of the richest families in Texas. He also discovers he must find the courage his father had found as an American soldier in the Great War. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read Roz Shea’s review of the audiobook.
FATES AND TRAITORS: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth by Jennifer Chiaverini (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Christina Moore
The subject of more than a century of scholarship, speculation and even obsession, John Wilkes Booth is often portrayed as a shadowy figure: a violent loner whose single murderous act made him the most hated man in America. Lost to history until now is the story of the four women whom he loved and who loved him in return: Mary Ann, the steadfast matriarch of the Booth family; Asia, his loyal sister and confidante; Lucy Lambert Hale, the senator’s daughter who adored Booth yet tragically misunderstood the intensity of his wrath; and Mary Surratt, the Confederate widow entrusted with the secrets of his vengeful plot. Reviewed by Allison Sharp.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
BRIGHT, PRECIOUS DAYS by Jay McInerney (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Russell Calloway, an independent publisher, has superb cultural credentials yet minimal cash flow. As he navigates a business that requires, beyond astute literary judgment, constant financial improvisation, he encounters an audacious, potentially game-changing --- or ruinous --- opportunity. Meanwhile, his wife Corrine devotes herself to helping feed New York City’s poor. Soon they discover they’re being priced out of the newly fashionable neighborhood they’ve called home for most of their adult lives, with their son and daughter caught in the balance. Then Corrine’s world is turned upside down when the man with whom she’d had an ill-fated affair in the wake of 9/11 suddenly reappears. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.
THE LAST DAYS OF NIGHT by Graham Moore (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Johnathan McClain
New York, 1888. Gas lamps still flicker in the city streets, but the miracle of electric light is in its infancy. The person who controls the means to turn night into day will make history --- and a vast fortune. A young untested lawyer named Paul Cravath, fresh out of Columbia Law School, takes a case that seems impossible to win. Paul’s client, George Westinghouse, has been sued by Thomas Edison over a billion-dollar question: Who invented the light bulb and holds the right to power the country? As Paul takes greater and greater risks, he’ll find that everyone in his path is playing their own game, and no one is quite who they seem. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
SMOOTH OPERATOR: A Teddy Fay Novel Featuring Stone Barrington by Stuart Woods and Parnell Hall (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Roberts
When President Kate Lee calls Stone Barrington to Washington on an urgent matter, it’s soon clear that a potentially disastrous situation requires the kind of help more delicate than even he can provide…and he knows just the right man for the job. Teddy Fay: ex-CIA, master of disguise, and a gentleman not known for abiding by legal niceties in the pursuit of his own brand of justice. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
JUNIPER: The Girl Who Was Born Too Soon by Kelley and Thomas French (Memoir)
Juniper French was born four months early, weighing in at one pound, four ounces. Babies like Juniper, born at the edge of viability, trigger the question: Which is the greater act of love --- to save her, or to let her go? Kelley and Thomas French chose to fight for Juniper's life. Here, they explore the border between what is possible and what is right. They marvel at the science that conceived and sustained their daughter and the love that made the difference. They trace the journey of their family from its fragile beginning to the miraculous survival of their now-thriving daughter. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
HIDDEN FIGURES: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly (History)
Audiobook available, read by Robin Miles
Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, HIDDEN FIGURES follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
THE LAST DAYS OF NEW PARIS by China Miéville (Fantasy/Alternate History)
Audiobook available, read by Ralph Lister
1941. In the chaos of wartime Marseille, American engineer --- and occult disciple --- Jack Parsons stumbles onto a clandestine anti-Nazi group. What he unwittingly unleashes is the power of dreams and nightmares, changing the war and the world forever. Nine years later, a lone Surrealist fighter, Thibaut, walks a new, hallucinogenic Paris, where Nazis and the Resistance are trapped in unending conflict, and the streets are stalked by living images and texts --- and by the forces of Hell. To escape the city, he must join forces with Sam, an American photographer intent on recording the ruins. But Sam is being hunted. And new secrets will emerge that will test all their loyalties --- to each other, to Paris old and new, and to reality itself. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
PERFUME RIVER by Robert Olen Butler (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Robert Olen Butler
Robert Quinlan is a 70-year-old historian, teaching at Florida State University, where his wife Darla is also tenured. Their marriage, forged in the fervor of anti-Vietnam-war protests, now bears the fractures of time, both personal and historical. For Robert and Darla, the cracks remain under the surface, whereas the divisions in Robert’s own family are more apparent. He has almost no relationship with his brother, Jimmy. Their father, a veteran of WWII, is coming to the end of his life. And an unstable homeless man whom Robert at first takes to be a fellow Vietnam veteran turns out to have a deep impact not just on Robert, but on his entire family. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
THE BUTCHER'S SON by Grant McKenzie (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Berkrot
Ian Quinn is a Child Protection Officer who has spent his life protecting children from the monsters that live among us. Ian's own father left years ago, leaving him and his sister alone. But, out of the blue, Ian is called by an attorney, claiming his father has recently died and named Ian in his will. Ian had assumed his father was long dead, and is confused as to what he could possibly be needed for. When Ian goes to the lawyer's office, he is given three items: The first is a key. The second is a deed to his grandfather's old butcher shop. The third is a letter from his father that reads simply and cryptically: "Sorry for everything, son, but it's your burden now." Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
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Next Week's Notables: Noteworthy Books Releasing on September 20th
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Below are some notable titles releasing on September 20th 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 September 19th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BLOOD AT THE ROOT: A Racial Cleansing in America by Patrick Phillips (History)
In September 1912, three young black laborers in Forsyth County, Georgia, were accused of raping and murdering a white girl. One man was dragged from a jail cell and lynched on the town square, two teenagers were hung after a one-day trial, and soon bands of white “night riders” launched a coordinated campaign of arson and terror.
HOME by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
A decade ago, kidnappers grabbed two boys, demanded ransom, and then went silent. Now, Myron Bolitar and his friend, Win, finally believe they have located one of the boys, now a teenager. Where has he been, and what does he know about the day he was taken? And most critically: What can he tell Myron and Win about the fate of his missing friend?
INFAMY by Robert K. Tanenbaum (Legal Thriller)
Prosecutor Butch Karp and his wife, Marlene Ciampi, return to solve the suspicious murder of a US Army colonel and battle corruption at the highest levels of the United States government. Intrigue, murder, corruption and dramatic courtroom battles combine to make INFAMY another must-read in Robert K. Tanenbaum’s series of legal thrillers.
THE KEPT WOMAN by Karin Slaughter (Psychological Thriller)
On the case of a murdered ex-cop, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Sara Linton, GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover, begin a fight against time to find the second victim of the crime, still alive according to bloody footprints at the scene. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case, which will tear through his life.
NO ECHO: A Hanne Wilhelmsen Novel by Anne Holt (Mystery)
After a celebrity chef is stabbed to death on the steps of the Oslo police headquarters, Hanne Wilhelmsen discovers that he not only suffered stab wounds, he also had ingested a lethal dose of painkillers. As the plot thickens, Hanne and police investigator Billy T. are pulled deeper into the nefarious world in which the chef lived.
PUSHING UP DAISIES: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M. C. Beaton (Mystery)
Amidst a cozy British town, a despised land developer is found dead. The list of suspects includes his own son and most of the town. Soon after, a newcomer is found murdered, and Agatha Raisin gains the help of the victim’s love interest in attempting to untangle the web of contempt obscuring the killer’s identity.
SOUL AT THE WHITE HEAT: Inspiration, Obsession, and the Writing Life by Joyce Carol Oates (Essays)
"Why do we write?" With this question, Joyce Carol Oates begins an imaginative exploration of the writing life, and all its attendant anxieties, joys and futilities. Do subjects haunt those that might bring them back to life until the writer submits? Or does something "happen" to us, a sudden ignition of a burning flame?
THRICE THE BRINDED CAT HATH MEW'D: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley (Historical Mystery)
Twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce discovers the town’s reclusive wood-carver’s body hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. The only creature in the house is a cat that shows little interest in the disturbing scene. Flavia is energized by the investigation, but what awaits will shake her to her very core.
THE WONDER by Emma Donoghue (Psychological/Historical Thriller)
Tourists flock to the cabin of 11-year-old Anna O'Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. What follows is a tale of two strangers who transform each other's lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.
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Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter. |
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Our Latest Poll: Book Epigraphs
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Do you read the epigraphs in books? An epigraph is a short quotation that appears at the beginning of a book or chapter, and is intended to suggest the theme of that book or chapter.
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Always
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Most of the time
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Some of the time
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No, but I will look for these in the future.
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Never
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Click here to vote in the poll. |
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Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
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Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from September 9th to September 23rd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of HOME by Harlan Coben and THE KEPT WOMAN by Karin Slaughter.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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Click here to enter the contest. |
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Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!
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Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from September 6th to October 3rd at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Sophie Hannah's CLOSED CASKET: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery, performed by Julian Rhind-Tutt, and Ann Patchett's COMMONWEALTH, performed by Hope Davis.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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Click here to enter the contest. |
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As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.
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