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Mercury is Soooooooooooo Retrograde
We had a really nice weekend celebrating Easter and Tom’s birthday. On Friday night, after a very busy week, I realized I had not made a menu or any plan for the holiday dinner, beyond the idea that we were going to have lamb. So I sat down with my laptop with a new idea for organizing this. I searched online for the recipes that are in the cookbooks I own and cut and pasted them into an email. Then I went through those, and through the magic of cutting and pasting, which I am old enough to recognize to still be amazing, I made a menu, a shopping list, and a list of what I wanted to make and in what order.
I had eight pages with everything in one place, sans one recipe for a cucumber soup that was only in a book. I did not get to the grocery store until Saturday afternoon, but this organization method had me so together that most of the prep --- and cooking --- was done that night.
I love my cookbooks, but I truly wish that they all had online versions as well. Cutting and pasting like this made the whole experience so much easier. Oh, and the carrot cake that I made from Mary Kay Andrews’ upcoming THE BEACH HOUSE COOKBOOK was a huge success. You can see it above. What I loved is that I can cut a very slim slice and it does not crumble. Another joy of Easter: a week of eating jelly beans as part of breakfast. I am trying to avoid articles about the dangers of sugar this week. I think the jelly beans will be gone by Monday.
In between Easter dinner prep, I read another book for the Author Buzz interviews that I will be doing at BookExpo. It’s not coming out until next January, but make a note of it now: THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A. J. Finn. It’s a well-plotted thriller and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. I was thinking about Hitchcock a lot as I read it. More about it after BookExpo.
On Tuesday night, I attended a publisher dinner for three big Young Adult books that are coming in the next three months: Ann Brashares' THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER, Jennifer E. Smith’s WINDFALL, and Julie Buxbaum’s WHAT TO SAY NEXT. All three are terrific contemporary novels that are smart and fun. Staying in a YA frame of mind, I have been watching “13 Reasons Why” on Netflix, which is based on Jay Asher’s novel of the same name. In it, Hannah Baker, a high school student, has died by suicide. She has left a series of tapes for a group of kids at the high school, and each gives insight into why she did it. It is very enlightening on the pressures on kids today in the wake of social media and instant communication. The novel came out 10 years ago, and all I could think about was how this whole getting information bits and bites situation has escalated in the last decade. We often get pieces of a story and have to put together the whole story
I could give you 10 examples from this week of the effects of Mercury being retrograde (longtime readers of this newsletter will know this is the one thing in astrology that I note seriously) on my life, but I will spare you. I seriously want to take to my bed with a stack of books until May 3rd.
Now on a brighter note: this week’s update...
The Memory Man is back for his third adventure in David Baldacci’s new thriller, THE FIX. Amos Decker witnesses a murder-suicide, but neither he nor his team can find any connection between the shooter and the victim, or any motive for this seemingly unwarranted attack. The Defense Intelligence Agency is convinced that solving this crime is a matter of urgent national security. Forced into an uneasy alliance with Harper Brown, an agent of the DIA, Decker is focused on cracking the case before it's too late.
According to reviewer Kate Ayers, "David Baldacci delivers a thrill ride, as always. Big time. Pick up THE FIX, and you won’t put it down until you reach the end. Guaranteed. That’s okay, though, because it reads at a breakneck pace."
Anita Shreve, whose bestselling books include THE WEIGHT OF WATER and THE PILOT’S WIFE (an Oprah’s Book Club selection), returns with her first novel in four years. Based on the true story of the largest fire in Maine’s history, THE STARS ARE FIRE introduces readers to Grace Holland, who, along with her two toddlers, manages to survive the fires that destroy her town. With her husband Gene, a volunteer firefighter, nowhere to be found, Grace must pick up the pieces and start a new life for herself and her children. That’s exactly what she does, but just when it seems that Grace finally has it all figured out, the unthinkable happens, and her bravery will be put to the ultimate test.
Reviewer Bronwyn Miller advises, “Fans of THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS and OLIVE KITTERIDGE will enjoy this engrossing story of one woman’s ordeal that ends up being the catalyst that proves to herself and those around her just how strong she really is.” Be sure to check out this Q&A where Shreve talks about her inspiration for the novel, what she learned about disasters, the significance of the book’s title, and much more.
One of the most monstrous crimes in American history is examined in David Grann’s KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON. Grann is the author of THE LOST CITY OF Z, the 2009 bestseller that is now a major motion picture. In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. But then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target --- her relatives were shot and poisoned --- while more and more members of the tribe began dying under mysterious circumstances. Grann revisits these shocking crimes, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals.
Alex Bowditch has our review and says, “[T]he book’s true triumph is Grann’s thorough, earnestly compelling exploration of a labyrinthine conspiracy glossed over by a uniquely American case of historical amnesia." The more I read about this book, the more I want to read it.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON is one of 15 books mentioned in our latest poll, where we’re asking which nonfiction titles you’re planning to read. Click here to let us know!
Other books we’re reviewing this week include Alec Baldwin’s much-talked-about memoir, NEVERTHELESS, in which he chronicles the highs and lows of his life (and is also included in our poll); FALLOUT, the latest installment in Sara Paretsky’s series starring private investigator V.I. Warshawski; and ROUGHNECK, an original graphic novel by Jeff Lemire about a brother and sister who must come together after years apart to face the disturbing history that has cursed their family.
Continuing this week is our special contest for Nora Roberts’ upcoming romantic suspense novel, COME SUNDOWN, which we announced in last week’s newsletter. We have 25 copies to give away to readers; to enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 27th at noon ET. The book will be in stores on May 30th, and we will feature our review in the June 2nd newsletter.
Our Spring Preview contests wrapped up this 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. Many thanks to all who entered these contests, and congratulations to the winners! Be sure to keep an eye out for our Summer Reading contests, which kick off on May 16th. To receive a special newsletter where we announce each day’s title, please sign up for that here.
If you’d like another chance to win a copy of BECOMING BONNIE or THE DISTANCE HOME, you’re in luck! Those are just two of the 13 books we’re giving away in this year’s Mother’s Day contest, a prize package that also includes some goodies to treat yourself or your mom. To have a chance to be one of our five winners, please fill out this form by Monday, May 15th at noon ET.
With the baseball season well underway, it’s time once again to hear from our avid baseball fan, Ron Kaplan, about some of the hottest new titles available this spring about our national pastime. In this year’s roundup, Ron takes a look at books that focus on legendary managers Casey Stengel and Leo Durocher; the 2016 Chicago Cubs and how they were able to break the infamous 108-year drought to become World Series champions; and the Oakland A's of the early 1970s, which won three straight championships and redefined the game for generations to come.
Our current Word of Mouth prize books are BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman and I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell, a future Bets On pick. Let us know by Friday, April 28th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win these two novels, both of which we’ll be reviewing next week.
There’s still time to enter this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll have a chance 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. The deadline for your entries is Monday, May 1st at noon ET.
On Monday, the New York City - Southern New York Chapter of the National MS Society announced the winners of the 21st Annual Books for a Better Life Awards during a ceremony at The TimesCenter in Manhattan. Click here to see a complete list of the winners and finalists.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Julie wrote, “I just read Roz Shea's review of Alexander McCall Smith's MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER. I have read the book and agree with everything she said --- about the book, about AMS's other books and his writing style. Ms. Shea is spot-on. I had the joy of hearing Mr. Smith talk at a bookstore once, and he was just as delightful as you would imagine him to be. Thanks for featuring this title and review.”
Diane wrote and shared, "I laughed at your comment about the wigs on 'The Americans.' During this week's episode, I said the same thing during Elizabeth's scene in Kansas. 'How does she get her wig to stay on?' I also wondered the same thing during Philip and Martha's scenes --- those Russians must know something we don't about wig glue."
Kathryn shared this about the knitting project in my last newsletter: “Love the color of your new skirt...noticed the ‘balls’ of yarn. Do you have a yarn bowl? I find it so useful for these types of balls of yarn as it keeps the yarn feeding off well, and no need to pre-wind. Also works well for those little puff-type balls. A yarn bowl, a swift, a ball-winder for the skein twists and a bracelet Ablet are the four things a knitter should not live without!! The Ablet is the bracelet beaded counter for your rows so you never lose your place. I’ve gotten rid of all my other counters.” I do have a yarn bowl, which is currently full of spare change; how clever of me. I knit all over the house, and thus carrying the yarn bowl was one more thing. I do also have a swift and a ball-winder. Must explore an Ablet. Kathryn went on to share, “I’ve just finished LaROSE by Louise Erdrich ,a good book on a heavy subject that is handled well. Then PACHINKO, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE, another good one from Lisa See. Am now in search of Pu'er tea. And am finishing MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER this afternoon. I enjoy all his series and sense of humor!”
Pu'er Tea: For those in search of Pu'er tea after reading Lisa See’s book, she has made arrangements for readers to get the tea (enough for a book group tasting) here. The Bana Tea Company is owned by Linda Louie, and she and Lisa traveled to China together for book research. Also, for those looking for a clever and personalized Mother’s Day gift, Lisa has made arrangements with Pages, an LA bookstore, to handle personalized requests, and the books may be purchased with tea, as well. Also, as Lisa explained in her newsletter today, “You may notice that Linda and I spell the tea differently. It’s Pu’erh, according to the Wade-Giles system of transliteration of Chinese devised by missionaries in the 19th century; Puerh in Taiwan; Pu’er in the People’s Republic of China’s pinyin system; and Ponay or Bonay in Cantonese.”
Book Group Speed Dating at BookExpo: On Friday, June 2nd, from 2:00pm to 3:50pm at BookExpo in New York, ReadingGroupGuides.com will host its 6th Annual Book Group Speed Dating Event. Publisher representatives from 24 publishers will be in attendance to share selections and book group news from their publishing houses in a speed-dating format designed to give booksellers, librarians and book group leaders an inside look at what book groups will want to know for fall and winter. Galley giveaways and ideas for enhancing book group discussions will be part of this event. Advance signup is required by Monday, May 22nd at noon ET. Seating will be assigned. Fill out this form to sign up. Please note: You must be registered to attend BookExpo in order to attend this session. If you are not, click here to register.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on HBO: It airs Saturday night at 8pm, and will also be available on HBO GO.
"Billions": Loving this season. Lara’s expression at the end of last week’s episode has me wondering where this week’s episode is going.
"Victoria," Season Two: For those who enjoyed Season One, here’s Daisy Goodwin on what to expect from Season Two.
This weekend is the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I had hoped to be in L.A. for this event, which I have enjoyed in the past, but alas there is too much going on in the office for me to break away. Can someone please get working on clone technology? I need a traveling clone. If anyone is going to be there, let me know. I would love a report!
Also, next week I am headed to the Fairfield Public Library in Fairfield, Connecticut, to present titles that I think will be of interest to book groups on Thursday, April 27th at 7:00pm. Full details and registration information are here. I am hoping to see some of you there!
The New York Rangers are in the NHL playoffs. I am not sure which makes me more crazy: the screaming of the announcers in hockey or the whispering of the announcers in golf. Feel free to cast your vote!
Tomorrow night, Tom and I are going to the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour as it travels to Princeton University. I have been looking forward to this after hearing great things about the film tour from our longtime reader, Anna Knapp, and a publishing colleague friend, Craig Popelars. The Festival travels the country and typically includes 8-9 films during an evening’s session, which runs about 3 ½ hours. You can read more about this here.
I have reading on my agenda for the weekend, including BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate, which I started late last night and is setting up to be terrific. It’s historical fiction based on a real-life scandal. Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country. It’s being compared to ORPHAN TRAIN, and just 30 pages in, I see why. Also, I will be reading another book for the Author Buzz interviews; four more to go! Check back next week to see what I selected.
Greg is around this weekend. Cory is slated to make a cameo appearance; he has a Semi Formal for his frat tonight and tomorrow is running a Dance Marathon at school to raise money for Children’s Specialized Hospital.
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: THE FIX by David Baldacci
THE FIX by David Baldacci (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kyf Brewer and Orlagh Cassidy
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. Decker and his team can find absolutely no connection between the shooter and his victim. Enter Harper Brown. An agent of the Defense Intelligence Agency, she orders Decker to back off the case. The murder is part of an open DIA investigation, one so classified that Decker and his team aren't cleared for it. But they learn that the DIA believes solving the murder is now 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. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
An Interview with Anita Shreve,
Author of THE STARS ARE FIRE
Anita Shreve, the author of such bestsellers as THE WEIGHT OF WATER and THE PILOT’S WIFE (an Oprah's Book Club selection), has written her first novel since 2013’s STELLA BAIN. THE STARS ARE FIRE tells the remarkable story of a young mother who survives a catastrophic fire that burns down her town and must begin life anew without her husband, who has gone missing. In this interview, Shreve talks about the real-life Maine fires of 1947 that inspired the book, the effects of climate change and natural disasters on the individual, the constraints that the strict gender roles of the 1940s placed on women, and the significance of the novel’s title.
THE STARS ARE FIRE by Anita Shreve (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Suzanne Elise Freeman
In October 1947, after a summer-long drought, fires break out all along the Maine coast and are soon racing out of control from town to village. Five months pregnant, Grace Holland is left alone to protect her two toddlers when her husband, Gene, joins the volunteer firefighters. Along with her best friend, Rosie, and Rosie's two young children, Grace watches helplessly as their houses burn to the ground, the flames finally forcing them all into the ocean as a last resort. The women spend the night frantically protecting their children, and in the morning find their lives forever changed: homeless, penniless, awaiting news of their husbands' fate, and left to face an uncertain future in a town that no longer exists. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the interview.
Featured Review: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
by David Grann
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (True Crime/History)
Audiobook available; read by Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee and Danny Campbell
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. Her relatives were shot and poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more members of the tribe began to die under mysterious circumstances. In KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, David Grann revisits these shocking crimes, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. Reviewed by Alex Bowditch.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
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.
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: NEVERTHELESS by Alec Baldwin
NEVERTHELESS: A Memoir by Alec Baldwin (Memoir)
Audiobook available, performed by Alec Baldwin
In NEVERTHELESS, Alec Baldwin transcends his public persona, making public facets of his life he has long kept private. He introduces us to the Long Island child who felt burdened by his family’s financial strains and his parents’ unhappy marriage; the Washington, DC, college student gearing up for a career in politics; the self-named "Love Taxi" who helped friends solve their romantic problems while neglecting his own; the young soap actor learning from giants of the theater; the addict drawn to drugs and alcohol who struggles with sobriety; the husband and father who acknowledges his failings and battles to overcome them; and the consummate professional for whom the work is everything. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: FALLOUT by Sara Paretsky
FALLOUT : A V.I. Warshawski Novel by Sara Paretsky (Mystery)
Audiobook available, performed by Susan Ericksen
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. Accompanied by her dog, V.I. tracks her quarry through a university town, across fields where missile silos once flourished --- and into a past riven by long-simmering racial tensions, a past that holds the key to the crimes of the present. But as the mysteries stack up, so does the body count. And in this, her toughest case, not even V.I. is safe. Reviewed by Jennifer McCord.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com’s 2017 Spring Baseball Books Roundup
Nostalgia is always a popular topic when it comes to baseball books. This year it seems especially so. Ron Kaplan, our resident MLB aficionado, takes a look at four of these titles in his latest roundup, which includes biographies of two of the sport’s most colorful characters, Casey Stengel and Leo Durocher; Tom Verducci’s book about the 2016 Chicago Cubs and how they broke the 108-year-old curse to become World Series champions; and a tribute to the Oakland A’s of the early 1970s, which author Jason Turbow describes as the most transformative team in baseball history.
Click here for Ron Kaplan’s 2017 Spring Baseball Books roundup.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
Here are the contests currently running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?": Win 12 Copies of THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group.
Our current prize book is THE NIGHTINGALE, Kristin Hannah's longtime bestseller that releases in paperback for the first time on April 25th. The novel tells the stories of two sisters --- separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance --- each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France. Enter here by Tuesday, May 9th at noon ET.
Win 12 Copies of THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER by Jean Hanff Korelitz for Your Group
We are celebrating the release of THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER --- Jean Hanff Korelitz's new novel about a college president, a baffling student protest, and some of the most hot-button issues on today's college campuses --- with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. Enter here by Tuesday, May 9th at noon ET.
The following guides are now available:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
ROUGHNECK by Jeff Lemire (Graphic Novel)
Derek Ouelette’s glory days are behind him. His hockey career ended a decade earlier in a violent incident on ice, and since then he’s been living off his reputation in the remote northern community where he grew up, drinking too much and fighting anyone who crosses him. But he never counts on his long-lost sister, Beth, showing up one day out of the blue, back in town and on the run from an abusive boyfriend. Looking to hide out for a while, the two siblings hunker down in a secluded hunting camp deep in the local woods. It is there that they attempt to find a way to reconnect with each other and the painful secrets of their past...even as Beth’s ex draws closer. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
ARARAT by Christopher Golden (Supernatural Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Fass
When an earthquake reveals a secret cave hidden inside Mount Ararat in Turkey, a daring, newly engaged couple are determined to be the first ones inside. The cave is actually an ancient, buried ship that many quickly come to believe is really Noah’s Ark. When a team of scholars, archaeologists and filmmakers make it inside the ark, they discover an elaborate coffin in its recesses. Inside the coffin they find an ugly, misshapen cadaver --- not the holy man they expected, but a hideous creature with horns. Shock and fear turn to horror when a massive blizzard blows in, trapping them thousands of meters up the side of a remote mountain. All they can do is pray for safety. But something wicked is listening to their prayers --- and it wants to answer. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
THE LAST DAYS OF CAFE LEILA by Donia Bijan (Fiction)
When we first meet Noor, she is living in San Francisco, missing her beloved father, Zod, in Iran. Now, dragging her stubborn teenage daughter, Lily, with her, she returns to Tehran and to Café Leila, the restaurant her family has been running for three generations. Iran may have changed, but Café Leila, still run by Zod, has stayed blessedly the same; it is a refuge of laughter and solace for its makeshift family of staff and regulars. As Noor revisits her Persian childhood, she must rethink who she is --- a mother, a daughter, a woman estranged from her marriage and from her life in California. And together, she and Lily get swept up in the beauty and brutality of Tehran. Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
GONE WITHOUT A TRACE by Mary Torjussen (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Pennant-Rea
Hannah Monroe's boyfriend, Matt, is gone. His belongings have disappeared from their house. Every call she ever made to him, every text she ever sent, every photo of him and any sign of him on social media have vanished. It's as though their last four years together never happened. As Hannah struggles to get through the next few days, with humiliation and recriminations whirring through her head, she knows that she'll do whatever it takes to find him again and get answers. But as soon as her search starts, she realizes she is being led into a maze of madness and obsession. Step by suspenseful step, Hannah discovers her only way out is to come face to face with the shocking truth. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
A WELCOME MURDER by Robin Yocum (Mystery)
After his unspectacular professional baseball career ends with a knee injury in Toledo, Ohio, Johnny Earl gets busted for selling cocaine. After serving seven years in prison, all he wants to do is return to his hometown of Steubenville, retrieve the drug money he stashed before he went to jail, and start a new life where no one has ever heard of Johnny Earl. However, before he can leave town with his money, Johnny is picked up for questioning in the murder of Rayce Daubner, the FBI informant who had set him up on drug charges in the first place. Then his former prison cellmate shows up --- a white supremacist who wants the drug money to help fund an Aryan nation in the wilds of Idaho. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE DELIGHT OF BEING ORDINARY: A Road Trip with the Pope and the Dalai Lama by Roland Merullo (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by P. J. Ochlan
What happens when the Pope and the Dalai Lama decide they need an undercover vacation? During a highly publicized official visit at the Vatican, the Pope suggests an adventure so unexpected and appealing that neither man can resist. Before dawn, two of the most beloved and famous people on the planet don disguises, slip into a waiting car, and experience the countryside as regular people. Along for the ride are the Pope's overwhelmed cousin Paolo and his estranged wife Rosa, an eccentric hairdresser with a lust for life who cannot resist the call to adventure --- or the fun. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TO LISTEN: Van Cliburn's Cold War Triumph, and Its Aftermath by Stuart Isacoff (Music/History)
Audiobook available, read by Stefan Rudnicki
In April 1958, the Iron Curtain was at its heaviest, and the outcome of the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition seemed preordained. Nonetheless, as star musicians from across the globe descended on Moscow, an unlikely favorite emerged: Van Cliburn, a polite, lanky Texan whose passionate virtuosity captured the Russian spirit. This is the story of what unfolded that spring --- for Cliburn and the other competitors, jurors, party officials, and citizens of the world who were touched by the outcome. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
FORKS, KNIVES, AND SPOONS by Leah DeCesare (Fiction)
There are three kinds of guys: forks, knives and spoons. That is the final lesson that Amy York’s father sends her off to college with, never suspecting just how far his daughter will take it. Clinging to the Utensil Classification System as her guide, Amy tries to convince her skeptical roommate, Veronica Warren, of its usefulness as they navigate the heartbreaks and soul mates of college and beyond. Beginning in 1988, their freshman year at Syracuse University, Amy and Veronica meet an assortment of guys --- from slotted spoons and shrimp forks to butter knives and sporks --- all while trying to learn if the UCS holds true. Reviewed by Allison Sharp.
JONATHAN SWIFT : The Reluctant Rebel by John Stubbs (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Derek Perkins
One of Europe’s most important literary figures, Jonathan Swift was also an inspired humorist, a beloved companion, and a conscientious Anglican minister --- as well as a hoaxer and a teller of tales. John Stubbs’ biography captures the dirt and beauty of a world that Swift both scorned and sought to amend. It follows Swift through his many battles, for and against authority, and in his many contradictions, as a priest who sought to uphold the dogma of his church; as a man who was quite prepared to defy convention, not least in his unshakable attachment to an unmarried woman, his “Stella”; and as a writer whose vision showed that no single creed holds all the answers. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
CASTLES: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain by Marc Morris (History)
Audiobook available, read by Derek Perkins
Beginning with their introduction in the 11th century, and ending with their widespread abandonment in the 17th, Marc Morris explores many of the country’s most famous castles, as well as some spectacular lesser-known examples. At times this is an epic tale, driven by characters like William the Conqueror, King John and Edward I, full of sieges and conquest on an awesome scale. But it is also by turns an intimate story of less eminent individuals, whose adventures, struggles and ambitions were reflected in the fortified residences they constructed. Be it ever so grand or ever so humble, a castle was first and foremost a home. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on April 25th
Below are some notable titles releasing on April 25th 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 24th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
Elizabeth Strout’s new novel explores the whole range of human emotion through the intimate dramas of people struggling to understand themselves and others.
BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
BEARTOWN explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain.
GOLDEN PREY by John Sandford (Thriller)
Lucas Davenport’s first case as a U.S. Marshal sends him into uncharted territory in this latest installment of John Sandford’s Prey series.
HANK GREENBERG IN 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War by Ron Kaplan (Sports/History)
Ron Kaplan’s latest book chronicles the events of 1938, both on the baseball diamond and the streets of Europe. As Hank Greenberg’s bat had him on course for Babe Ruth’s home run record, Adolf Hitler’s “Final Solution” was beginning to take shape. Jews across the US, worried about the issues overseas, looked to Greenberg as a symbol of hope.
I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Suspense)
Two decades of secrets, a missing husband, and a man with no memory are at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s new novel of psychological suspense.
NO EASY TARGET by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
With danger in hot pursuit, Margaret Douglas finds herself matching wits with a man who refuses to stop or be stopped. Turning from the hunted to the hunter, Margaret must use everything she has ever learned not only to survive, but to defeat a great evil.
OPTION B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant (Memoir/Self-Help)
From Facebook’s COO and Wharton’s top-rated professor --- the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of LEAN IN and ORIGINALS --- come a powerful, inspiring and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks.
THE RED HUNTER by Lisa Unger (Thriller)
What is the difference between justice and revenge? In this new stand-alone thriller from Lisa Unger, two wronged women on very different paths find themselves in the same dark place.
THE SECRETS OF MY LIFE by Caitlyn Jenner (Memoir)
In this remarkable memoir --- written during her pivotal first years of becoming her authentic self --- Caitlyn Jenner reflects on her past as she looks to her future.
WALKAWAY by Cory Doctorow (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Cory Doctorow’s first adult novel in eight years is an epic tale of revolution, love, post-scarcity and the end of death --- a multi-generation SF thriller about the wrenching changes of the next hundred years and the very human people who will live their consequences.
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: A History, 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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