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On a Reading Roll, Instead of an Egg Roll
Last weekend, I read three books, and one was better than the next. I love when that happens. I started out with a memoir called A BEAUTIFUL, TERRIBLE THING: A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal by Jen Waite, which will be in stores on July 11th. Jen is married with a newborn daughter when her marriage begins unraveling. She learns it has been built on a web of lies. As she explores what happened to her, she realizes that her husband is a classic psychopath. After the marital abuse in "Big Little Lies," this gives readers insight into a story where abuse is psychological, not physical. It’s equally damaging and chilling.
Next up was a bound manuscript of UNRAVELING OLIVER by Liz Nugent, which will be in stores on August 22nd. This has been selected as a BEA Buzz book (I am reading six Buzz books to interview these authors at BookExpo), and I want to keep it under wraps until after that event. I will share the first sentence: ”I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.” Grabbed you, right? So does the rest of the book, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.
Then I read BEST DAY EVER by Kaira Rouda, which will be available on September 19th. Paul Strom, an advertising executive, has planned a wonderful day for his wife, Mia, keeping in mind all of the things that will make her happy. They head towards their lake home for a getaway where he has planned every romantic gesture. But as they drive, we see sparks of an idea that things may not be as harmonious as we thought. I worked from home on Monday and spent part of the morning finishing BEST DAY EVER, as it was completely addicting. It will be a Bets On pick. Those who loved THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR (another Bets On title) will want to take note of this one.
I read these three books briskly as each had great storytelling and pacing; I finished them and felt such a feeling of satisfaction. I love when books transport me like that.
While I was reading, I was knitting a skirt, which is a really easy knit pattern where you just go round and round in a circle. I was using some yarn from my stash. At one point, I looked and realized that this yarn that I bought years ago was in two different colors, clearly different dye lots. Pictured above is what I have in the two different hues. So I am going to knit one row in one color and one in another, a technique I have learned is called “feathering.” Life is not dull in knitting, even when going round and round thinking “THIS is an easy project!”
Last Thursday night, I handed my husband, Tom, a copy of BENEATH A SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan, which will be in stores on May 1st. Tom has been having trouble sleeping through the night and told me he found the solution. He started reading this book Thursday night and stayed up until 2am reading. He then was able to sleep until morning. Adage here: the way to sleep through the night is to first stay up half the night reading! If I needed any more confirmation that he was enjoying it, he also read it during The Masters. I know, golf heresy.
As I wrote in an earlier newsletter, this is a book that will stay with you. It’s historical fiction based on the life of Pino Lella and his life in Italy during World War II. Pino was a true hero, and Mark brilliantly tells his story. Tom had read most of Mark’s other books, which were thrillers, and commented that the pacing in BENEATH A SCARLET SKY is clearly that of an author who knows how to drive a story both through description and pulse-pounding action. One of the scenes where Pino climbs over the mountains still haunts me! Not believing Tom? It already has 293 (last I looked) reviews on Amazon, and it has five stars!
Now to this week’s update...
Lisa Scottoline’s latest stand-alone novel, ONE PERFECT LIE, is now in stores. The book’s title refers to Chris Brennan, who appears perfect (at least on paper). He's applying for a job as a high school government teacher, he's ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach, and his references are impeccable. But everything about him is a lie. We then are introduced to a number of other characters, all of whom will be impacted in one way or another by this enigmatic individual --- Susan Sematov and her son, Raz, a high school pitcher who has his eye on the major leagues; Heather Larkin, a single mother who fears that her basketball-playing son Jordan is being negatively influenced by one of his teammates; and Mindy Kostis, a surgeon’s wife who has no idea that her husband and her son, Evan, are keeping secrets from her that might destroy them all.
Sarah Rachel Egelman has our review and says, “Scottoline’s style is brisk and no-nonsense, with an emphasis on decision, action and thought, and rarely slowing down for detailed description…. Scottoline creates some good suspense as truths about the characters are revealed.”
We’re awarding the audio version of ONE PERFECT LIE (read by George Newbern), along with Steve Berry’s THE LOST ORDER (read by Scott Brick), in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Monday, May 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both prizes.
Jojo Moyes returns with her latest novel to make its way to the US, THE HORSE DANCER. In it, Sarah’s grandfather, Papa, gives her a beautiful horse named Boo in the hopes that she’ll join an elite French riding school just as he did. But when he falls ill, Sarah must try to maintain going to school, visiting Papa in the hospital and continuing her training with Boo on her own. Natasha is a young lawyer who is reeling after her failed marriage and is forced to share her house with her ex-husband. Yet when she crosses paths with 14-year-old Sarah, Natasha decides to take the girl under her wing. Sarah is keeping a big secret, though, and it will change the lives of everyone involved forever.
According to reviewer Vivian Payton, “Jojo Moyes has another hit novel on her hands, and just like ME BEFORE YOU, it would make a great movie. The story really draws you in, especially when she makes the main character realize that she has nothing left in the world but herself.”
We gave away THE HORSE DANCER in this week’s Spring Preview contests; the other prize books were GONE WITHOUT A TRACE by Mary Torjussen, THE ONE-IN-A-MILLION BOY by Monica Wood, and THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg. We wrap up these contests next week with our final four giveaways: BECOMING BONNIE by Jenni L. Walsh, THE DISTANCE HOME by Orly Konig, HARD-HEARTED HIGHLANDER: The Highland Grooms, Book 3 by Julia London, and THE THING ABOUT LOVE by Julie James. The next contest will be up on Monday, April 17th at noon ET.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include Jeffery Deaver’s THE BURIAL HOUR, which marks the return of forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme in his most harrowing case yet; THE ROAD TO JONESTOWN, Jeff Guinn’s examination of the life of preacher Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown Massacre --- the largest murder-suicide in American history; THE PERFECT STRANGER by Megan Miranda, in which a journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all; and MUSIC OF THE GHOSTS, the long-awaited new novel from PEN/Hemingway finalist Vaddey Ratner, whose debut, IN THE SHADOW OF THE BANYAN, was a Bets On pick when it released five years ago.
In anticipation of the May 30th release of Nora Roberts’ latest romantic suspense novel, COME SUNDOWN, we’re giving some lucky readers the opportunity to win it. The Bodine ranch and resort in western Montana is a family business that is kept running by Bodine Longbow with the help of a large staff, including new hire Callen Skinner. There was another member of the family once: Bodine’s aunt, Alice, who ran off before Bodine was born. She never returned, and the Longbows don’t talk about her much. The younger ones, who never met her, quietly presume she’s dead. So when Alice suddenly reappears, the Longbows are shocked. The twisted story she has to tell about the past --- and the threat that follows in her wake --- will test the bonds of this strong family, and thrust Bodine into a darkness she never could have imagined.
We have 25 advance copies to give away; to enter the contest, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 27th at noon ET. Be sure to read COME SUNDOWN. I have to say that Nora really impresses me. This book is even better than her previous ones. I appreciate a bestselling author who continually ramps up her game!
Our Sneak Peek contest for SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS, which we announced in last week’s newsletter, continues. Susan Mallery’s novel about the problem with secrets, the power of love and the unbreakable bond between sisters doesn’t release until July 11th, but we’re giving 15 readers the chance to win an advance copy and give us their feedback on it by Wednesday, May 31st. All you have to do is fill out this form by Thursday, April 20th at noon ET.
Our Mother's Day contest is back for a 12th year! Once again, we’re featuring a number of fiction and nonfiction titles that are perfect for gift giving for moms. Over the next four weeks, readers will have the chance to win one of our prize packages, which includes all 13 books, along with some wonderful gifts to treat yourself or Mom. The deadline for your entries is Monday, May 15th at noon ET. Click here to take a look at our featured titles and enter to win.
I also would like to make sure you have Bianca Bosker’s recently published memoir, CORK DORK, on your radar. Bianca is a professional journalist and was a self-described amateur wine drinker until she discovered a world of elite sommeliers. I met Bianca at an industry event where she had us tasting with an eye on expanding our palates and identifying the notes in the wines. It was lots of fun without any pressure; it was all about appreciating the wines. Subtitled “A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste,” CORK DORK is eminently readable, as well as informative. For those of you who want to talk about books, as well as enjoy wine, this may be a fun way to do it --- and plan some tastings of your own.
In our last poll, we asked you which fiction titles releasing this month you are planning to read. The top five vote-getters were ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout, THE STARS ARE FIRE by Anita Shreve, the aforementioned ONE PERFECT LIE by Lisa Scottoline and THE HORSE DANCER by Jojo Moyes, and THE FIX by David Baldacci. Click here for all the results.
Since so many of you answered this poll, we thought we’d turn our attention to some of April’s nonfiction offerings for our current poll. Let us know which of the 15 titles we’ve listed, if any, you are looking forward to reading.
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Submit your comments about the books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll have the chance to win BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman and I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell, the latter of which will be a Bets On pick. The deadline for your entries is Friday, April 21st at noon ET.
It was announced this week that THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; you can read our review here and a discussion guide here. THE SPORT OF KINGS by C. E. Morgan and IMAGINE ME GONE by Adam Haslett were the runners-up for the fiction prize. Click here for the complete list of winners and nominees in the Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music categories.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Ann wrote about one of my favorite books of the last few months: “I was thrilled to receive the contest prize of QUICKSAND and wanted to thank you. What a great book; I can't put it down and hope to finish it Friday. It is so well written, just riveting. Malin Persson Giolito has done an incredible job telling a story with such insight and complexity of the characters and social class system that you forget that it is fiction. Although the story matter is disturbing, you want to understand why, how and what happened to make these young teens do something so awful. I have already told one of my brothers that as soon as I am done, I want him to read it. This is one of those rare books that you have to talk about and want others to read it so you can discuss it with them. Again, thank you so much. I hadn't heard anything about this book, which is so surprising since the fictional tragic event at the core of the story is something that sadly is happening all too often in the world that we live in. So glad that you featured it on Bookreporter, and I hope others will read this outstanding novel.”
Hedy wrote on the subject of audiobooks: “Just wanted to let you know about two wonderful narrations I just finished: THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR and OUR SHORT HISTORY. Both are wonderful books and narrations. Also, has anyone had trouble entering your contests with their Kindles? I cannot get mine to submit lately, and I have an updated one. Also, LUCKY BOY was an excellent narration. I listen to so many that I forget the authors. Enjoy your holiday.” We have not heard anything about people having trouble entering contests from their Kindles. As for my listening, I am still listening to HILLBILLY ELEGY --- not enough free time recently!
Linda wrote, "My husband and I will celebrate our 30th anniversary this fall. My husband is dyslexic. This was a secret heartache for me since I am the most avid reader I know. A few years ago, thanks to iPods and advancements in libraries, he now listens to audiobooks. In fact, this year, so far, he has 'read' one more book than I have. I truly love discussing the books with him (if I've read them, too).”
"The Making of Pet Sounds": Watched this documentary on Showtime about the making of this classic Beach Boys album and enjoyed it. We realized that neither Tom nor I have a copy of it in our rather extensive record and CD collection, thus I ordered it. I think “God Only Knows” is one of my favorite Beach Boys songs.
"Bosch": It’s back on Amazon for Season 3 on April 21st. Catch up on Seasons 1 and 2 now!
Question about "The Americans": For those who watch "The Americans," does anyone else wonder how they pull off these wigs that never seem to move even when they are sleeping...and, okay, "being amorous"?
Terrific Stuffed Poblano Chilis: Made these stuffed poblano chilis for dinner last Sunday night...really good...and will make them again.
Interesting Piece: On the death of the four TV networks and the rise of four others. Given how much we all watch on streaming, it’s not surprising but still interesting.
We are hosting Easter here at the house, and it’s also Tom’s birthday on Sunday, thus I am planning a weekend of celebration. I think we will celebrate his birthday on Saturday night as a bonus, so I will feel less guilty about asking him to grill lamb on Sunday. In lieu of traditional birthday cake, I am planning to make a strawberry rhubarb pie (I froze rhubarb in the fall) and carrot cake, again tapping into Mary Kay Andrews’ THE BEACH HOUSE COOKBOOK (coming May 2nd). She did a Facebook Live event where she made it, and you can find the recipe here. I personally want licorice jelly beans; I know, I am one of those people who likes licorice!
I miss Easter egg hunts. I remember taking Greg to one in Montauk when he was about three. There were MANY older kids out there, and I was thinking he would not get any eggs. He quickly proved me wrong, dive bombing for them and coming back with an entire basket full. Loved it!
Happy Easter to those who are celebrating. And belated Happy Passover to those who continue to celebrate!
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!
Featured Review: ONE PERFECT LIE by Lisa Scottoline
ONE PERFECT LIE by Lisa Scottoline (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern
Chris Brennan is applying for a job as a high school government teacher, and he's ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach. But everything about him is a lie. Raz is a high school pitcher who may have a future in the major leagues. However, his father died only a few months ago, leaving him in a vulnerable place where any new father figure might influence him for good, or for evil. Justin is shy, and his mother fears he is being lured down a dark path by one of his teammates. Mindy doesn’t know that her husband and her son, Evan, are keeping secrets from her --- secrets that might destroy them all. At the center of all of them is Chris Brennan. Why is he there? What does he want? And what is he willing to do to get it? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE BURIAL HOUR by Jeffery Deaver
THE BURIAL HOUR: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel by Jeffery Deaver (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
A businessman is snatched from an Upper East Side street in broad daylight, and a miniature hangman's noose is left at the scene. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are called in to investigate. Soon the case takes a stranger turn: a recording surfaces of the victim being slowly hanged, his desperate gasps the backdrop to an eerie piece of music. The video is marked as the work of The Composer. Despite their best efforts, the suspect gets away. So when a similar kidnapping occurs on a dusty road outside Naples, Italy, Rhyme and Sachs don't hesitate to rejoin the hunt. But the search is now a complex case of international cooperation --- and not all those involved may be who they seem. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE HORSE DANCER by Jojo Moyes
THE HORSE DANCER by Jojo Moyes (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Fiona Hardingham
When Sarah’s grandfather gives her a beautiful horse named Boo --- hoping that one day she’ll follow in his footsteps to join an elite French riding school, away from their gritty London neighborhood --- she quietly trains in parks and alleys. But then her grandfather falls ill, and Sarah must juggle horsemanship with school and hospital visits. Natasha, a young lawyer, is reeling after her failed marriage: her professional judgment is being questioned, her new boyfriend is a let-down, and she’s forced to share her house with her charismatic ex-husband. Yet when the willful 14-year-old Sarah lands in her path, Natasha decides to take the girl under her wing. But Sarah is keeping a secret --- a secret that will change the lives of everyone involved forever. Reviewed by Vivian Payton.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
New Special Contest: Enter to Win a Copy of
COME SUNDOWN by Nora Roberts
We are celebrating the May 30th release of COME SUNDOWN by Nora Roberts --- a novel of suspense, family ties and twisted passions --- with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 27th at noon ET.
COME SUNDOWN by Nora Roberts (Romantic Suspense)
The Bodine ranch and resort in western Montana is a family business, an idyllic spot for vacationers. A little over 30,000 acres and home to four generations, it’s kept running by Bodine Longbow with the help of a large staff, including new hire Callen Skinner. There was another member of the family once: Bodine’s aunt, Alice, who ran off before Bodine was born. She never returned, and the Longbows don’t talk about her much. The younger ones, who never met her, quietly presume she’s dead. But she isn’t. She is not far away, part of a new family, one she never chose --- and her mind has been shattered.
When a bartender leaves the resort late one night, and Bo and Cal discover her battered body in the snow, it’s the first sign that danger lurks in the mountains that surround them. The police suspect Cal, but Bo finds herself trusting him --- and turning to him as another woman is murdered and the Longbows are stunned by Alice’s sudden reappearance. The twisted story she has to tell about the past --- and the threat that follows in her wake --- will test the bonds of this strong family, and thrust Bodine into a darkness she never could have imagined.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Nora Roberts’ bio.
- Visit Nora Roberts’ website and blog.
- Click here to connect with Nora Roberts on Facebook.
Click here to enter the contest.
Sneak Peek Contest: Enter to Win an Advance Copy of SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery
and Share Your Comments on It
Our latest Sneak Peek Feature spotlights SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery, a charming tale about the problem with secrets, the power of love and the unbreakable bond between sisters. The book doesn’t release until July 11th, but we have 15 advance copies to give away to readers who can commit to previewing it and sharing their comments on it by Wednesday, May 31st. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 20th at noon ET.
For our Sneak Peek program, your commitment to participate is critical, so please only enter this contest if you truly will have time to read SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS and give us your feedback by the May 31st deadline.
SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
Kelly Murphy's life as a tulip farmer is pretty routine --- up at dawn, off to work, lather, rinse, repeat. But everything changes one sun-washed summer with two dramatic homecomings: Griffith Burnett --- Tulpen Crossing's prodigal son, who has set his sights on Kelly --- and Olivia, her beautiful, wayward and, as far as Kelly is concerned, unwelcome sister. Tempted by Griffith, annoyed by Olivia, Kelly is overwhelmed by the secrets that were so easy to keep when she was alone.
But Olivia's return isn't as triumphant as she pretends. Her job has no future, and ever since her dad sent her away from the bad boy she loved, she has felt cut off from her past. She's determined to reclaim her man and her place in the family…whether her sister likes it or not. For 10 years, she and Kelly have been strangers. Olivia will get by without her approval now.
While Kelly and Olivia butt heads, their secrets tumble out in a big hot mess, revealing some truths that will change everything they thought they knew. Can they forgive each other --- and themselves --- and redefine what it means to be sisters?
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit the book’s website.
- Click here to read Susan Mallery’s bio.
- Visit Susan Mallery’s website, Instagram and Pinterest.
- Connect with Susan Mallery on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to enter the contest.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 12th Annual
Mother's Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books and goodies for you or the special lady in your life in our 12th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Monday, May 15th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes the books listed below, along with some delightful mom-themed treats. With books that are moving, uplifting, humorous and informative, look no further than Bookreporter.com for the perfect gift for Mom.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Review: THE ROAD TO JONESTOWN
by Jeff Guinn
THE ROAD TO JONESTOWN: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern
In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially integrated, and he was a much-lauded leader in the contemporary civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California. He became involved in electoral politics and soon was a prominent Bay Area leader. In THE ROAD TO JONESTOWN, Jeff Guinn examines Jones’ life, from his extramarital affairs, drug use and fraudulent faith healing to the fraught decision to move almost a thousand of his followers to a settlement in the jungles of Guyana in South America. Reviewed by Rebecca Kilberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Now Available: CORK DORK by Bianca Bosker
CORK DORK: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker (Memoir)
Amateur drinker and professional tech reporter Bianca Bosker didn't know much about wine --- until she stumbled on an alternate universe of master sommeliers who could, after a single sip, identify the grape a bottle was made from, in what year, and where it was produced, within acres. Astounded by their fanatical dedication and seemingly superhuman sensory powers, Bosker set out to discover what drove their obsession, and whether she, too, could become a "cork dork."
Thus begins a year-and-a-half-long adventure that takes the reader inside elite tasting groups, exclusive New York City restaurants, a California mass market wine "factory," and even a neuroscientist's fMRI machine as Bosker attempts to answer the most nagging question of all: what's the big deal about wine?
Counterintuitive, compulsively readable and hilarious, CORK DORK illuminates how tasting better can help us live better --- and will change the way you drink wine forever.
Click here to read more about the book.
Bookreporter.com's Sixth Annual
Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases. Our sixth annual Spring Preview Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 20th. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, April 17th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
THE PERFECT STRANGER by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Rebekkah Ross
Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted, and Emmy disappears days later. Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder if she ever really knew Emmy at all. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
HOURGLASS: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Dani Shapiro
HOURGLASS is an inquiry into how marriage is transformed by time --- abraded, strengthened, shaped in miraculous and sometimes terrifying ways by accident and experience. With courage and relentless honesty, Dani Shapiro opens the door to her house, her marriage and her heart, and invites us to witness her own marital reckoning --- a reckoning in which she confronts both the life she dreamed of and the life she made, and struggles to reconcile the girl she was with the woman she has become. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
ARNIE: The Life of Arnold Palmer by Tom Callahan (Sports/Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Danny Campbell
The winner of more than 90 championships, including four Masters Tournaments, Arnold Palmer was a legend in 20th-century sports: a supremely gifted competitor beloved for his powerful hitting, his nerve on the greens, and his great rapport with fans. Perhaps above all others, Palmer was the reason golf’s popularity exploded, as the King of the links helped define golf’s golden age along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. In addition to his talent on the golf course, Palmer was a brilliant entrepreneur off it, and one of the first sportsmen to create his own successful marketing brand. But beyond his business acumen, Palmer was always a larger-than-life character, and ARNIE recounts a host of unforgettable anecdotes from a long life in the spotlight. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
IF WE WERE VILLAINS by M. L. Rio (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff
Oliver Marks has just served 10 years in jail --- for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Timothy Ackroyd
Paul Stuart, a renowned food writer, finds himself at loose ends after his longtime girlfriend leaves him for her personal trainer. To cheer him up, Paul’s editor, Gloria, encourages him to finish his latest cookbook on-site in Tuscany, hoping that a change of scenery will offer a cure for both heartache and writer’s block. But upon Paul’s arrival, things don’t go quite as planned. A mishap with his rental-car reservation leaves him stranded, until a newfound friend leads him to an intriguing alternative: a bulldozer. With little choice in the matter, Paul accepts the offer, and as he journeys into the idyllic hillside town of Montalcino, he discovers that the bulldozer may be the least of the surprises that await him. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
MARLENA by Julie Buntin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emma Galvin
Everything about 15-year-old Cat’s new town in rural Michigan is lonely and off-kilter, until she meets her neighbor --- the manic, beautiful, pill-popping Marlena. As the two girls turn the untamed landscape of their desolate small town into a kind of playground, Cat catalogues a litany of firsts --- first drink, first cigarette, first kiss --- while Marlena’s habits harden and calcify. Within the year, Marlena is dead, drowned in six inches of icy water in the woods nearby. Now, decades later, when a ghost from that pivotal year surfaces unexpectedly, Cat must try to forgive herself and move on, even as the memory of Marlena keeps her tangled in the past. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
LONG BLACK VEIL by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jennifer Finney Boylan
In 1980, six college students sneak into the dilapidated ruins of Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary, looking for a thrill. But it’s not long before they realize they are locked in --- and not alone. When the friends get lost and separated, the terrifying night ends in tragedy, and the unexpected, far-reaching consequences reverberate through the survivors’ lives. Decades later, the dogged detective investigating the cold case charges one of them --- celebrity chef Jon Casey --- with murder. Only Casey’s old friend, Judith Carrigan, can testify to his innocence. But Judith is protecting long-held secrets of her own --- secrets that, if brought to light, could destroy her career as a travel writer and tear her away from her fireman husband and teenage son. Reviewed by Dunja Bonacci Skenderovic.
MUSIC OF THE GHOSTS by Vaddey Ratner (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jennifer Ikeda
Leaving the safety of America, Teera returns to Cambodia for the first time since her harrowing escape as a child refugee. She carries a letter from a man who mysteriously signs himself as “the Old Musician” and claims to have known her father in the Khmer Rouge prison where he disappeared 25 years ago. In Phnom Penh, Teera finds a society still in turmoil, where perpetrators and survivors of unfathomable violence live side by side, striving to mend their still beloved country. She meets a young doctor who begins to open her heart, immerses herself in long-buried memories and prepares to learn her father’s fate. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
THE BOOK THIEVES: The Nazi Looting of Europe's Libraries and the Race to Return a Literary Inheritance written by Anders Rydell, translated by Henning Koch (History)
Audiobook available, read by Kaleo Griffith
Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves, Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe’s libraries and bookshops, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day. Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
LOLA by Melissa Scrivner Love (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Roxana Ortega
The Crenshaw Six are a small but up-and-coming gang in South Central LA who have recently been drawn into an escalating war between rival drug cartels. To outsiders, the Crenshaw Six appear to be led by a man named Garcia --- yet what no one has figured out is that the gang's real leader (and secret weapon) is Garcia's girlfriend, a brilliant young woman named Lola. Lola has mastered playing the role of submissive girlfriend, and in the man's world she inhabits, she is consistently underestimated. But in truth she is much, much smarter --- and in many ways tougher and more ruthless --- than any of the men around her. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
DANGEROUS ENDS: A Pete Fernandez Mystery by Alex Segura (Hard-boiled Mystery)
When Pete Fernandez’s sometimes partner, Kathy Bentley, approaches him with a potential new client, Pete balks. Not because he doesn’t need the money, but because the case involves Gaspar Varela, a former Miami police officer serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife --- one of the most infamous crimes in Miami history. The client? None other than Varela’s daughter, Maya, who’s doggedly supported her father’s claims of innocence. As Pete and Kathy wade into a case that no one wants, they also find themselves in the crosshairs of Los Enfermos, a bloodthirsty gang of pro-Castro killers and drug dealers looking to wipe Pete off the Miami map. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on April 18th
Below are some notable titles releasing on April 18th 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 April 17th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE AMERICAN SPIRIT : Who We Are and What We Stand For by David McCullough (History/Politics)
At a time of self-reflection in America following a bitter election campaign that has left the country divided, David McCullough has collected some of his most important speeches in a brief volume designed to identify important principles and characteristics that are particularly American.
ANY DAY NOW: A Sullivan's Crossing Novel by Robyn Carr (Fiction)
This highly anticipated sequel to Robyn Carr's WHAT WE FIND transports readers back to Sullivan's Crossing, the rustic campground at the crossroads of the Colorado and Continental Divide where good people face their challenges with humor, strength and love.
FALLOUT : A V.I. Warshawski Novel by Sara Paretsky (Mystery)
To her parents, she's Victoria Iphigenia. To her friends, she's Vic. But to clients seeking her talents as a detective, she's V.I. And her new case will lead her from her native Chicago and into Kansas, on the trail of a vanished film student and a faded Hollywood star.
FAST AND LOOSE: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller)
Members of a prestigious family present Stone Barrington with a unique business opportunity. The acquaintance is fortuitous indeed, because it turns out that Stone and his new friends have an enemy in common. When Stone’s sly cunning collides with his adversary’s hair-trigger-temper, the results are sure to be explosive.
FINDING GIDEON by Eric Jerome Dickey (Romantic Suspense)
Gideon launches his biggest act of revenge yet --- one he believes will destroy his adversary, Midnight, once and for all. Yet Midnight and his second-in-command, the beautiful and ruthless Señorita Raven, are launching their own revenge…and Gideon isn’t their only target.
THE FIX by David Baldacci (Thriller)
Amos Decker witnesses a murder just outside FBI headquarters. A man shoots a woman execution-style on a crowded sidewalk, then turns the gun on himself. Solving the murder becomes a matter of urgent national security. Critical information may have been leaked to a hostile government --- or worse, an international terrorist group --- and an attack may be imminent.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (True Crime/History)
David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, the book is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward American Indians that allowed the murderers to operate with impunity for so long.
MANDERLEY FOREVER: A Biography of Daphne du Maurier written by Tatiana de Rosnay, translated by Sam Taylor (Biography)
As an 11-year-old, Tatiana de Rosnay read and reread REBECCA, becoming a lifelong devotee of Daphne du Maurier’s fiction. Now de Rosnay pays homage to the writer who influenced her so deeply, following du Maurier from a shy seven-year-old to a rebellious 16-year-old, a twenty-something newlywed, and finally a cantankerous old lady.
THE RADIUM GIRLS: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore (Biography/History)
THE RADIUM GIRLS fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances.
ROUGHNECK by Jeff Lemire (Graphic Novel)
From the award-winning creator of Essex County, Secret Path, Descender and The Underwater Welder comes an all-original graphic novel about a brother and sister who must come together after years apart to face the disturbing history that has cursed their family.
THE STARS ARE FIRE by Anita Shreve (Historical Fiction)
From the bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF WATER and THE PILOT’S WIFE (an Oprah's Book Club selection) comes a suspenseful new novel about an extraordinary young woman tested by a catastrophic event and its devastating aftermath, based on the true story of the largest fire in Maine's history.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: April Nonfiction Releases to Anticipate
Which nonfiction titles releasing in April are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
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THE AMERICAN SPIRIT: Who We Are and What We Stand For, by David McCullough
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ARNIE: The Life of Arnold Palmer, by Tom Callahan
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BALLPLAYER by Chipper Jones with Carroll Rogers Walton
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BEHAVING BADLY: The New Morality in Politics, Sex, and Business, by Eden Collinsworth
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HOURGLASS: Time, Memory, Marriage, by Dani Shapiro
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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann
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LETTERMAN: The Last Giant of Late Night, by Jason Zinoman
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MANDERLEY FOREVER: A Biography of Daphne du Maurier, by Tatiana de Rosnay
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THE MOST BEAUTIFUL: My Life with Prince, by Mayte Garcia
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MY CUBS: A Love Story, by Scott Simon
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NEVERTHELESS: A Memoir, by Alec Baldwin
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PRINCE CHARLES: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, by Sally Bedell Smith
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RETURN OF THE KING: LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Greatest Comeback in NBA History, by Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin
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THE ROAD TO JONESTOWN: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, by Jeff Guinn
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THE SECRETS OF MY LIFE by Caitlyn Jenner
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None of the above
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're
Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
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 April 14th to April 28th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman and I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell.
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.
Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!
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 April 3rd to May 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Steve Berry's THE LOST ORDER, read by Scott Brick, and Lisa Scottoline's ONE PERFECT LIE, read by George Newbern.
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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