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Weather Heralding Summer Reading!
I worked at home on Wednesday, as my car was getting four new tires. The day before we got a flat tire driving home, luckily across from one of the five gas stations in New York south of 125th Street (how's that for a factoid?). Greg changed it there; he was able to get to the spare, which is housed under the car. I was glad he needed the instruction book for this; I still would not have figured it out as I never knew the tire was housed there. As Wednesday wore on and the temperature soared to over 90 degrees, I thought about hitting the pool before dinner. But wait, the pool is not open yet, because it was 39 degrees the other day. I think we will open it this weekend, though this crazy heat spell seems to be passing later today, just in time for the weekend.
I managed not to get sick all winter, but last Sunday --- yes, Mother’s Day --- a cold knocked the stuffing out of me. I spent most of the day on the couch reading. I finished THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection when it comes out in August. I loved the history of The Dakota that was woven into the story; I forgot how when it was constructed it was far from the developed part of the city, which was fun to imagine as right now I feel like the entire overdeveloped city is under construction with new tall towers climbing into the sky almost daily. Then I moved on to two manuscripts and finished both! The boys wanted to do a hike, and Cory wanted me to do an Escape Room event with him, but the most I moved was to enjoy dinner with them and Tom.
At last Friday’s Random House Open House, one of my favorite panels had Nancy Thayer, Sarah Jio and Mandy Berman on it. Nancy, who lives on Nantucket, has a house that sits beside a lane to get to the beach. There are hedges next to it that give her privacy; they also give her the opportunity to eavesdrop, which is what she does as she sits in her lawn chair. One day a conversation she overheard gave her the plot for her new book, SECRETS IN SUMMER, which is one of our Summer Reading prizes next week. I have not read Sarah’s books. I loved her energy and stories about her children and her life. Her book, too, is based on something she tripped on in her life in Seattle. One day she saw a homeless man on the street, and he looked like someone she dated. It gave her the premise for ALWAYS. Mandy Berman’s debut novel, PERENNIALS, is about summer camp and also is drawn from personal experience.
Alan Alda (who is now 81!) gave a warm and wonderful talk about empathy and connecting with people. One of my favorite stories of his was one about his becoming ill on a set in Chile. They thought it was appendicitis, but on getting to the hospital the diagnosis was something more dire, having to do with an intestinal issue. The doctor explained the procedure, and Alda shared that he had done that procedure many times in the past, on "M*A*S*H." He was able to relate to the doctor, though there were language barriers. As mentioned in a prior newsletter, his new book is IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU, WOULD I HAVE THIS LOOK ON MY FACE?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating.
Colum McCann, author of LETTERS TO A YOUNG WRITER and LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN, amplified the theme of empathy and talked about a project that his organization, Narrative 4, partnered with New York magazine on in December 2016 bringing together gun advocates and gun victims to see if they could change each other's minds about guns. They talked about their stories and their prejudices. He was in conversation with Lisa Miller, who wrote the piece, which is very thought provoking, here.
Sally Bedell Smith, author of PRINCE CHARLES: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, and Lynne Olson, author of LAST HOPE ISLAND: Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of War, discussed Britain and the royals. I especially enjoyed Sally sharing tidbits about Charles, who over the course of her discussion became much more warm and human to me. My husband is reading and enjoying LAST HOPE ISLAND.
I love talking to readers at these events, hearing about what they are reading and what resonated with them throughout the day. Nicole and I sat at lunch with a librarian from New Jersey and her mom. We exchanged ideas about books we were loving and events we had attended. Some people clearly had attended solo, and seeing them at lunch I now wish I had asked them to join us. The nice thing about these programs is that everyone is enthusiastic and welcoming.
Now to this week’s update...
Scott Turow, best known for such works as IDENTICAL, INNOCENT and PRESUMED INNOCENT, has written a new legal thriller, TESTIMONY. Over a decade ago, following the Bosnian war, an entire Roma refugee camp vanished. Now for the first time, a witness has stepped forward. Ferko Rincic contends that armed men marched the camp's Gypsy residents to a cave in the middle of the night --- and then with a hand grenade set off an avalanche, burying 400 people alive. Former prosecutor Bill ten Boom is tapped by the International Criminal Court to examine Ferko's claims and determine who might have massacred the Roma.
Reviewer Lorraine W. Shanley comments, “The denouement of this long novel unfolds on the last pages and delivers on almost every front,” and goes on to say that “much of the book is a fascinating analysis of the tangled loyalties and enmities that propelled the war…”
TESTIMONY is one of the books we’re giving away in our Word of Mouth contest; the other is Michael Crichton’s recently discovered novel, DRAGON TEETH. Let us know by Friday, May 26th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading for your chance to win both titles.
Lincoln Child is back with a new stand-alone thriller, FULL WOLF MOON. Jeremy Logan is an "enigmalogist," an investigator who specializes in analyzing phenomena that have no obvious explanation. He travels to an isolated writers' retreat to finally work on his book when the remote community is rocked by the grisly discovery of a dead hiker whose body has been severely mauled. When Logan is asked to help investigate, he discovers that the list of potential suspects is long and the locals are prone to spreading incredible rumors, one of which has even the forest ranger believing in werewolves.
According to reviewer Ray Palen, “FULL WOLF MOON proves again that mysterious phenomena with a supernatural or otherworldly edge are fully in Child's wheelhouse, and the result this time around is an intense and chilling read.”
Dorothea Benton Frank returns to her magical Lowcountry of South Carolina in SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR. A chance meeting on the Isle of Palms brings former sweethearts Adam Stanley and Eve Landers together again. As they do some major catching up, their respective spouses, Eliza and Carl, strike up a deep friendship of their own. Year after year, all four look forward to their reunion at Wild Dunes, a condominium complex, where they grow closer with each passing day. The devotion and love they share will help them overcome life’s many obstacles as they approach their twilight years.
Jana Siciliano has our review and says, "The ideal beach read needs several things: romance, long-term relationships filled with drama, comic dialogue and set pieces, as well as clear, swimming language and a fresh sense of looking at problems that everyone has had, now and through the end of time. SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR meets all the requirements for a perfect addition to your favorite beach bag this year."
We’re awarding the audio version of SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR, performed by Bernadette Dunne, along with Dennis Lehane's SINCE WE FELL, performed by Julia Whelan, in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both audio titles; please do so by Thursday, June 1st at noon ET.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include NO MIDDLE NAME: The Complete Collected Jack Reacher Short Stories by Lee Child, which includes a new novella and 11 previously published stories, together for the first time; ERNEST HEMINGWAY by Mary V. Dearborn, the first full biography of the legendary novelist in more than 15 years, and the first written by a woman; and NEW BOY, Tracy Chevalier’s retelling of Shakespeare’s “Othello,” which takes place in a 1970s suburban Washington schoolyard.
Phaedra Patrick, whose debut novel THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER we gave away early copies of in our Sneak Peek contest, is back with her sophomore effort, RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE, which is our latest New Release Spotlight title. Benedict Stone has settled into a complacent and predictable routine, but then his teenage niece, Gemma, comes knocking on his door. Gemma is the daughter of his estranged brother, Charlie, who he hasn’t spoken to in almost 20 years. She invites herself into Benedict's world and turns his orderly life upside down. But she just might be exactly what he needs to get his life back on track. We will have our review next week.
Congratulations to the winners of our Mother’s Day contest! Five lucky readers received all 13 of our featured titles, along with some mom-themed goodies. You can see the list of winners here.
Now it’s time to turn our attention to the dads! In this year’s Father’s Day contest, which we’ve brought back for a 12th year, five readers will be awarded a prize package that includes all of this year’s featured titles (which happen to be 12). To enter, all you have to do is fill out this form by Monday, June 19th at noon ET.
Our Summer Reading contests kicked off this week. Our first three prize books were ALMOST MISSED YOU by Jessica Strawser, GINNY MOON by Benjamin Ludwig (a Bets On title), and THE WINTER FORTRESS: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb by Neal Bascomb. Next week we’re giving away BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman, THE LADY TRAVELERS GUIDE TO SCOUNDRELS AND OTHER GENTLEMEN by Victoria Alexander, MATERIAL GIRL, MYSTICAL WORLD: The Now Age Guide to a High-Vibe Life by Ruby Warrington, and the aforementioned SECRETS IN SUMMER by Nancy Thayer. The first contest of the week will be up on Monday, May 22nd at noon ET.
Our poll continues to ask about your reading style. Are you a fast reader, a slow one, somewhere in between, or does it depend on factors such as the book itself, your schedule or your mood? Click here to let us know!
This year’s Anthony Award nominations were announced yesterday in eight categories, including Best Novel, Best Short Story, Best Critical Nonfiction Work, and Best Anthology. Click here to see all the nominees; the winners will be announced at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Toronto on October 15th.
News and Pop Culture:
Reader Mail:
Beth wrote this when she got the preview email about our Summer Reading contests: “Wow, I have never been so excited for one of the reading contests! Even if I don't win any, I clearly have a list to work from over the next few months.” You can sign up for the Summer Reading newsletter here.
Lani wrote, “I just have to tell you how much I loved GINNY MOON. Between that and BEARTOWN, I am totally beside myself!”
Betty wrote, “You might enjoy a nonfiction work that reads like a novel (an unbelievable one), KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann. It recounts what happened to the Osage Indians of Oklahoma in the 1920s. This is a piece of history unknown to many of us. At the time, they were apparently the richest people in the world per capita, thanks to the oil reserves under their lands. The long and short of it is that they were systematically killed by those who wanted their wealth. This is a well-written, well-researched and well-told tale of a sorry part of our nation’s history.” This is on my “to be read” list. Been hearing such wonderful things about it, and we reviewed it here. Hmmm…this may be a great audiobook selection. Speaking of which….
Dawn wrote, “Like probably the majority of your subscribers, I am an avid, voracious and indiscriminate reader. As such, I fear that I am undecided and perhaps intimidated by audiobook versions. An audiobook virgin, if you will. I am so set in my ways and such an evangelist for the written word, I confess that I have never even explored this format in my local library. My question is if you would consider allowing those of us yet to experience the format to enter your Sounding Off on Audio contest, or have a contest for us newbies? Maybe if I were to luck out and win a title, I would feel obligated to try, thus teaching an old dog new tricks as it were? Thank you for all of the hard work and utter joy you put into your newsletters. It shows and is greatly appreciated!” We will think about this!
Talbots’ Summer Book Club: For those of you who like to mix books and fashion, this one is for you. Talbots has a “give a book, get a book” underground lending library at your local Talbots stores. Every time you enter a Talbots store this summer, bring your latest favorite read to drop off for someone else to enjoy and pick up a new story to get lost in. You can even personalize the experience by adding a bookplate to the inside cover with all the reasons you fell in love with the story --- like the recommendations at your local bookstore, only way more fabulous. Happy reading!
Two Women; Each Lost a Husband: Elizabeth Alexander, author of my Bets On selection THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, and Sheryl Sandberg, author of OPTION B, talk about love, loss and what comes next.
Forgot to share this sooner: Author Ann Hood married fellow author Michael Ruhlman. Loved this story!
Fences: Very powerful film. Definitely could see its genesis as a play. Very well done. I see why Viola Davis won the Oscar.
Mommy Dead and Dearest on HBO: This is one very sad and very strange story.
Warning: This Drug May Kill You, an HBO documentary: Well-done piece on addiction to opioids brought on after taking painkillers for treatment.
Greg is headed to Martha’s Vineyard for the weekend for a trip with the New England Lighthouse Lovers. Cory may make a cameo appearance, hopefully in time to pull off the pool cover. I know...what a way to lure him home!
I am reading and enjoying Heather Gudenkauf’s NOT A SOUND. In it, her protagonist, Amelia Winn, is a nurse who is deaf following an accident years ago. She discovers a body of a fellow nurse near a river in the woods by her cabin. It’s very well done. I ran into a librarian at the Penguin Random House Open Book event two weeks ago, and she was raving about it, especially how brilliantly Heather captured what it is like to be hearing impaired and wondered how she did this so well. I wrote Heather, and she shared that she is deaf in one ear, which helped to inform her experience.
Next up will be THE LYING GAME by Ruth Ware, which I am looking forward to. Ruth’s first novel, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, was a BookExpo Buzz selection two years ago. As I am prepping my interview questions for the Buzz authors for this year (pre-interviewing them all early next week), I am looking back on her success and smiling.
Since the pool is not open, I share above a picture of some yarn called In The Deep Hue Sea, which I picked up at StevenBe in Minneapolis. I just finished a summer weight scarf made from it. I still have a skein and a half left and am wondering if I should live dangerously and try to make a tank top from it…dangerously as I am not sure I have enough yarn; may have to pattern this out with some old software I have called Sweater Wizard.
The weeds are calling.
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: TESTIMONY by Scott Turow
TESTIMONY by Scott Turow (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Wayne Pyle
When former prosecutor Bill ten Boom is tapped by the International Criminal Court --- an organization charged with prosecuting crimes against humanity --- he feels drawn to what will become the most elusive case of his career. Over 10 years ago, in the apocalyptic chaos following the Bosnian war, an entire Roma refugee camp vanished. Now for the first time, a witness has stepped forward: Ferko Rincic claims that armed men marched the camp's Gypsy residents to a cave in the middle of the night --- and then with a hand grenade set off an avalanche, burying 400 people alive. Only Ferko survived. Boom's task is to examine Ferko's claims and determine who might have massacred the Roma. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: FULL WOLF MOON by Lincoln Child
FULL WOLF MOON by Lincoln Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Johnathan McClain
Jeremy Logan is an "enigmalogist," an investigator who specializes in analyzing phenomena that have no obvious explanation. He travels to an isolated writers' retreat deep in the Adirondacks to finally work on his book when the remote community is rocked by the grisly discovery of a dead hiker on Desolation Mountain. The body has been severely mauled, but the unusual savagery of the bite and claw marks call into question the initial suspicions of a wild bear attack. When Logan is asked to help investigate, he discovers no shortage of suspects capable of such an attack --- and no shortage of locals willing to point the finger and spread incredible rumors. One rumor, too impossible to believe, has even the forest ranger believing in werewolves. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR
by Dorothea Benton Frank
SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Bernadette Dunne
A chance meeting on the Isle of Palms brings former sweethearts Adam Stanley and Eve Landers together again. Their respective spouses, Eliza and Carl, fight sparks of jealousy flaring from their imagined rekindling of old flames. As Adam and Eve get caught up on their lives, their partners strike up a deep friendship of their own. Year after year, Adam, Eliza, Eve and Carl eagerly await their reunion at Wild Dunes, a condominium complex at the island’s tip end, where they grow closer with each passing day. The devotion and love they share will help them weather the vagaries of time and enrich their lives as circumstances change, their children grow up and leave home, and their twilight years approach. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide,
Click here to read the review.
New Release Spotlight: RISE AND SHINE,
BENEDICT STONE by Phaedra Patrick
RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE by Phaedra Patrick (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by James Langton
Phaedra Patrick's debut novel, THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER, was hailed as "poignant" and "utterly endearing." Now she returns with RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE, a gem of a novel about family, forgiveness and one man's second chance at happiness.
Moonstone for empathy. Azurite for memories. Lapis lazuli for truth… In the quiet village of Noon Sun, Benedict Stone has settled into a complacent and predictable routine. Business at his jewelry shop has dried up; his marriage is on the rocks. His life is in desperate need of a jump start.
And then a surprise arrives at his door.
Gemma is Benedict's audacious teenage niece --- the daughter of his estranged brother, Charlie. The two Stone brothers had a falling out and haven't spoken in almost two decades, since Charlie left for America. Reckless and stubborn, Gemma invites herself into Benedict's world and turns his orderly life upside down. But she might just be exactly what he needs to get his life back on track.
Filled with colorful characters and irresistible charm, RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE is a luminous reminder of the unbreakable bonds of family, and shows that having someone to embrace life with is always better than standing on your own.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Phaedra Patrick’s bio.
- Click here to visit Phaedra Patrick’s website.
- Connect with Phaedra Patrick on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 12th Annual
Father's Day Contest: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 12th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, June 19th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Review: NO MIDDLE NAME by Lee Child
NO MIDDLE NAME: The Complete Collected Jack Reacher Short Stories by Lee Child (Thriller/Short Stories)
Get ready for the ultimate Jack Reacher experience: a thrilling new novella and 11 previously published stories, together for the first time in one pulse-pounding collection from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child. NO MIDDLE NAME begins with “Too Much Time,” a brand-new work of short fiction that finds Reacher in a hollowed-out town in Maine, where he witnesses a random bag-snatching but sees much more than a simple crime. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: ERNEST HEMINGWAY
by Mary V. Dearborn
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: A Biography by Mary V. Dearborn (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Tanya Eby
Here is a revelatory look into the life and work of Ernest Hemingway, considered in his time to be the greatest living American novelist and short-story writer, winner of the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Mary Dearborn's biography gives the richest and most nuanced portrait to date of this complex, enigmatically unique American artist, whose same uncontrollable demons that inspired and drove him throughout his life undid him at the end, and whose seven novels and six short-story collections informed --- and are still informing --- fiction writing generations after his death. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: NEW BOY by Tracy Chevalier
NEW BOY by Tracy Chevalier (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Prentice Onayemi
Arriving at his fifth school in as many years, diplomat’s son Osei Kokote knows he needs an ally if he is to survive his first day --- so he’s lucky to hit it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But one student can’t stand to witness this budding relationship: Ian decides to destroy the friendship between the black boy and the golden girl. By the end of the day, the school and its key players --- teachers and pupils alike --- will never be the same again. The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime, and practice a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through August 24th, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are 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 Monday, May 22nd at noon ET.
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
ROBERT B. PARKER'S LITTLE WHITE LIES: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Joe Mantegna
Connie Kelly thought she’d found her perfect man on an online dating site. She fell so hard for M. Brooks Welles that she wrote him a check for almost $300,000, hoping for a big return on her investment. But within weeks, both Welles and her money are gone. Enter Spenser, who quickly discovers that everything about Welles is phony. But uncovering the truth won’t be easy, as he’ll have to keep the mystery man alive long enough to get back his client’s money. As the trail winds from Boston to backroads Georgia, Spenser will need help from trusted allies Hawk and Teddy Sapp to make sure Welles’ next con is his last. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
HOUSE OF NAMES by Colm Tóibín (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Juliet Stevenson, Charlie Anson and Pippa Nixon
“I have been acquainted with the smell of death.” So begins Clytemnestra’s tale of her own life in ancient Mycenae, the legendary Greek city from which her husband King Agamemnon left when he set sail with his army for Troy. Clytemnestra rules Mycenae now, along with her new lover Aegisthus, and together they plot the bloody murder of Agamemnon on the day of his return after nine years at war. Judged, despised, cursed by gods she has long since lost faith in, Clytemnestra reveals the tragic saga that led to these bloody actions. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
ASSASSIN'S FATE: Book III of the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy by Robin Hobb (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Elliot Hill
FitzChivalry Farseer’s young daughter, Bee, has been kidnapped by the Servants, a secret society whose members not only dream of possible futures but use their prophecies to add to their wealth and influence. As Bee is dragged by her sadistic captors across half the world, Fitz and the Fool, believing her dead, embark on a mission of revenge that will take them to the distant island where the Servants reside --- a place the Fool once called home and later called prison. It was a hell the Fool escaped, maimed and blinded, swearing never to return. For all his injuries, however, the Fool is not as helpless as he seems. And though Fitz is no longer the peerless assassin of his youth, he remains a man to be reckoned with. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
IT'S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND by Michele Campbell (Psychological Suspense/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy
Kate, Aubrey and Jenny first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, despite being as different as three women can be. As an unlikely friendship formed, the three of them swore they would always be there for each other. But 20 years later, one of them is standing at the edge of a bridge, and someone is urging her to jump. How did it come to this? Kate married the gorgeous party boy, Aubrey married up, and Jenny married the boy next door. But how can these three women love and hate each other? Can feelings this strong lead to murder? When one of them dies under mysterious circumstances, will everyone assume, as is often the case, that it’s always the husband? Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
THE AWKWARD AGE by Francesca Segal (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jayne Entwistle
Julia Alden has fallen deeply and unexpectedly in love. American obstetrician James is everything she didn't know she wanted --- if only her teenage daughter, Gwen, didn't hate him so much. Uniting two households is never easy, but when Gwen turns for comfort to James' 17-year-old son, Nathan, the consequences will test her mother's loyalty and threaten all their fragile new happiness. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
BAD DREAMS AND OTHER STORIES by Tessa Hadley (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, performed by Emma Gregory
In these short stories from the award-winning author of THE PAST, it’s the ordinary things that turn out to be most extraordinary. Two sisters quarrel over an inheritance and a new baby; a child awake in the night explores the familiar rooms of her home, made strange by the darkness; a housekeeper caring for a helpless old man uncovers secrets from his past. The first steps into a turning point and a new life are made so easily and carelessly. Each of these stories illuminate crucial moments of transition, often imperceptible to the protagonists. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
WHAT MY BODY REMEMBERS written by Agnete Friis, translated by Lindy Falk van Rooyen (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Boyce
Ella Nygaard has been a ward of the state since she was seven years old, the night her father murdered her mother. She doesn’t remember anything about that night or her childhood before it --- but her body does. The PTSD-induced panic attacks she now suffers incapacitate her for hours at a time, sometimes days. After one particularly bad episode lands Ella in a psych ward, she discovers that her son, Alex, has been taken from her by the state and placed with a foster family. Desperate not to lose him, Ella kidnaps Alex and flees to the seaside town in northern Denmark where she was born. But being there forces Ella to confront the demons of her childhood --- the monsters her memory has tried so hard to obscure. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
HONG KONG BLACK by Alex Ryan (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by MacLeod Andrews
Former Navy SEAL Nick Foley reluctantly agrees to help investigate when American CIA operative Peter Yu goes missing in China. But when Yu’s mutilated body washes up on a beach near Hong Kong, along with dozens of other victims, the case takes a macabre turn. Suddenly, Nick finds himself embroiled in another bio-terrorism investigation being conducted by China's elite Snow Leopard counter-terrorism unit and the Chinese CDC, this time involving illegally harvested organs. But Nick’s investigation does not go unnoticed. After thwarting an attempt on his life, he is forced to go off the grid and enlist the help of beautiful CDC microbiologist Dr. Dazhong “Dash” Chen to help unmask his would-be killer. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 23rd
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 23rd that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of May 22nd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
ALLIE AND BEA by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
Bea barely has been scraping by since her husband died. So she decides to head toward the Pacific Ocean on a mission to reclaim what’s rightfully hers. When 15-year-old Allie’s parents are jailed, she is sent to a group home. But when her life is threatened by another resident, she escapes --- and fate throws her in Bea’s path.
DRAGON TEETH by Michael Crichton (Historical Thriller/Adventure)
Michael Crichton, the bestselling author of JURASSIC PARK who passed away in 2008, returns to the world of paleontology in this recently discovered novel --- a thrilling adventure set in the Wild West during the golden age of fossil hunting.
ENEMY OF THE GOOD by Matthew Palmer (Thriller)
Matthew Palmer has written a tense, complex and twisting diplomatic thriller in which one woman must choose between morality and compromise. In either case, the consequences may be deadly.
THE FROZEN HOURS: A Novel of the Korean War by Jeff Shaara (Historical Fiction)
Jeff Shaara turns his discerning eye to the Korean War in THE FROZEN HOURS, which tells the dramatic story of the Americans and the Chinese who squared off in one of the deadliest campaigns in the annals of combat: the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as Frozen Chosin.
THE LONG DROP by Denise Mina (Psychological/Historical Thriller)
In 1950s Glasgow, a household of women were found slaughtered in their beds. The father, William Watt, had a cast iron alibi, but police were convinced he was guilty. Determined to clear his name, Watt let it be known that he would pay for information. Step forward career criminal Peter Manuel, with compelling details only the murderer could know.
RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS by Kevin Kwan (Fiction)
Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of CRAZY RICH ASIANS and CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND, is back with a new novel of a family riven by fortune, an ex-wife driven psychotic with jealousy, a battle royal fought through couture gown sabotage, and the heir to one of Asia's greatest fortunes locked out of his inheritance.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: What Type of Reader Are You?
Which of the following best describes the type of reader you are? Please check all that apply.
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I am a fast reader.
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I am a slow reader.
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I am neither fast nor slow; I am somewhere in between.
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It depends on the book.
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It depends on my schedule.
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It depends on my mood.
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 May 12th to May 26th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of DRAGON TEETH by Michael Crichton and TESTIMONY by Scott Turow.
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 May 1st to June 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Dorothea Benton Frank's SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR, performed by Bernadette Dunne, and Dennis Lehane's SINCE WE FELL, performed by Julia Whelan.
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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