|
My plan was that I would be in the pool every day in the month of August as I did not swim as much in July as I had hoped. Well, I hit the pool on August 1st and missed the 2nd and 3rd, so there goes that plan. I am so going to regret this in October when it comes time to close the pool. There have been very few reading and floating days, and I want a lot more of those on my calendar. Earlier in the week it was downright chilly. Wish me better luck with the rest of the month!
Last night as planned, I drove to the beach where Patti Callahan Henry was making an appearance. She had a nice crowd and shared personal stories about her background, her writing and the inspiration for THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER’S END. I have known Patti for years, but never knew that she was born in New Jersey and lived in Ridgewood until she was two. She has a really strong drawl, and I just assumed she was southern born and bred. Too funny! I was joined by Meg Walker, who you can see with me and Patti in the photo above. My parents came as well; my mom had gone to another event with Patti a few years ago and looked forward to seeing her again.
And then I got a nice surprise when Beth Settje, one of our readers, introduced herself and told me she had driven down from Connecticut for the event after reading about it in last week’s newsletter. What fun it was to meet her; we had corresponded a while back about audiobooks. It’s always such a pleasure to get to meet our readers! You can see a photo of me with Beth above.
I finished reading THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine. It was a compulsive read and is a future Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. It will be in stores on October 17th. Liv is the pseudonym for the sister writing team of Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. By the way, I am seeing a trend of books about male psychopaths and sociopaths, written by female authors. What am I going to read next? Not sure. There are so many books that I am looking forward to on my reading pile. Next week, I will report back on what I ended up selecting.
Last weekend, in addition to doing a massive amount of cooking and baking, I finally weeded the garden, which was out of control. It looks so much prettier now. We bought the hydrangeas above to replace the roses that were the delight of Japanese beetles. They are a variety called Let’s Dance Rave. I love them because they are blue and purple --- and are continuous flowering. I may need to get more of these! I still want to do limelights and have an idea where they will go, but this location was not going to work for their height. We’ve planted so many perennials, which I love. Oddly the Morning Glory plants wintered over and still are very healthy. I still need something in that area for early spring; I am noodling this.
Now to this week’s update…
Tom Perrotta, the author of such bestsellers as THE LEFTOVERS and LITTLE CHILDREN, is back with a new novel, MRS. FLETCHER. Eve Fletcher is a 46-year-old divorcee who one night receives a text message from an anonymous number that says, “U R my MILF!” Months pass, and Eve still can’t stop thinking about that mysterious message. She becomes a frequent visitor of the website MILFateria.com, which features the erotic exploits of ordinary, middle-aged women like herself. Meanwhile, Eve’s son Brendan, who has just started his freshman year in college, learns that his new campus isn’t nearly as welcoming to his hard-partying lifestyle as he had anticipated. Both Eve and Brendan will find themselves involved in morally fraught situations that come to a head one fateful night in November.
According to reviewer Eileen Zimmerman Nicol, “This engaging novel is at its best mining the territory of how we see ourselves versus what actually motivates us…. Perrotta entertains and titillates us with this tightly plotted romp through our contemporary sexual mores…” I came across a New York Times interview with Tom where he discusses, among many other topics, why his original title for the novel, “The MILF,” had to be scrapped. I had dinner with Tom at Winter Institute back in January and had to force myself to not hum "Mrs. Robinson"; to me, Mrs. Fletcher is the modern version of that iconic character. Coo coo ca-choo, Mrs. Fletcher.
A new Monkeewrench thriller from PJ Tracy is now in stores. When Minneapolis homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called to a crime scene in NOTHING STAYS BURIED, the setting is all too familiar. The discovery of a playing card on the victim's body confirms their worst fears --- a serial killer is on the loose. Meanwhile, Grace MacBride and her unconventional partners at Monkeewrench Software agree to take on a private missing-persons case in a small farming community in southwestern Minnesota. As the violence escalates in Minneapolis, Leo and Gino soon realize their killer is planning to complete the deck, and they enlist Monkeewrench to help stop the rampage.
Roz Shea has our review and says, “The witty trash talk banter between the cops and the unconventional lifestyle of the gamers is as much a part of these entertaining thrillers as the crime-solving plot. Add in the atmospherics that residents of Middle America can relate to --- tornado season --- and you find yourself flipping pages into the wee hours.” PJ Tracy is the pseudonym for the mother-daughter writing team of P.J. and Traci Lambrecht. Sadly, P.J. passed away last December, but in honor of her mother and writing partner, Traci will continue writing about the Monkeewrench gang. She wrote a terrific piece on losing her mom here.
Are you planning to read MRS. FLETCHER or NOTHING STAYS BURIED? For our latest poll, we want to know which fiction titles releasing in August are on your TBR list; we’ve listed 22 for you to choose from. Click here to cast your votes!
Our previous poll asked which television shows out of the 20 we listed do you watch. Here are your top five favs: “This Is Us” (39%), “The Crown” (26%), “House of Cards” (22%), “Dancing with the Stars” (21%) and “Modern Family” (19%). Click here for all the results.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include CRIME SCENE, a psychological thriller from the father-son writing team of Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman; AFTERLIFE by Marcus Sakey, a sci-fi thriller that is soon to be a major motion picture from producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer; and Sulari Gentill’s postmodern novel CROSSING THE LINES, which received advance praise from such bestselling authors as Dean Koontz, Jeffery Deaver, Anne Perry and Gregg Hurwitz (click here to read a Q&A with Sulari; I want to read this one!).
I have three Bets On picks to share with you this week: THE LYING GAME by Ruth Ware and THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond (we featured reviews of both books and interviews with the authors last week) and THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis (we’ll have our review next week). Click on each of the titles for my commentary.
We’ve posted our New in Paperback roundups for August, featuring paperback reprints from such bestselling authors as Alice Hoffman, James Lee Burke, Debbie Macomber, Lisa Scottoline and Jeffrey Archer; memoirs by Bryan Cranston, Amy Schumer and Anna Kendrick; and paperback originals like THE DYING GAME by Asa Avdic and LEONA: THE DIE IS CAST by Jenny Rogneby, both of which we review this week.
We’ve also updated our Books on Screen feature for this month. Highlights include The Glass Castle and The Dark Tower in theaters; the season seven finale of “Game of Thrones” on August 27th and the series premiere of “Get Shorty” next Sunday, August 13th; and The Circle, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul and The Dinner on DVD.
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away DEATH ON WINDMILL WAY, the first installment in Carrie Doyle’s Hamptons Murder Mystery series (I made the series a Bets On selection last week), along with the 20th Anniversary Edition of ONE THOUSAND WHITE WOMEN: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus (in anticipation of the sequel, THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS: The Journals of Margaret Kelly & Molly McGill, releasing on September 12th), and THE WALLS by Hollie Overton. Next week’s prizes will be ANY DREAM WILL DO by the aforementioned Debbie Macomber, EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker (an upcoming Bets On pick), MAP OF THE HEART by Susan Wiggs, and OF MESS AND MOXIE: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker. The first contest of the week will be up on Monday, August 7th at noon ET.
We’re giving away the audio versions of EMMA IN THE NIGHT, read by Therese Plummer and Julia Whelan, and Louise Penny's GLASS HOUSES, read by Robert Bathurst, 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 these audio titles. Be sure to enter by Wednesday, September 6th at noon ET.
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, August 18th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Karin Slaughter and A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE by Shari Lapena.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Betty wrote, “With your mention of Carnegie Hall, I just had to mention a book I read last week, CARNEGIE’S MAID by Marie Benedict (her last book was THE OTHER EINSTEIN). Loved it! But it doesn't come out until January 2018.” I have this on my pile of books to be read and look forward to it!
Stephanie wrote, “Just writing to say how much I look forward to and enjoy reading your newsletter. In reading it, I feel like I am there with you chatting over a cup of tea. I love hearing about the books you have read and the ones you recommend. Keep up the great work!” Thanks for your kind words, Stephanie.
Mary wrote, “Hi Carol, love Bookreporter! We stay at the Manhattan Club, 56th and 7th, a few times a year. We will be up in April. I would love to stop by and say hello. I love the neighborhood. Reading THE SNOW CHILD, A MAN CALLED OVE, ORDINARY GRACE and THE MEDEA COMPLEX by Rachel Florence Roberts; a book in every room. Just finished NINE PARTS OF DESIRE by Geraldine Brooks for our next book group meeting. Enjoyed THE MARRIAGE OF OPPOSITES, INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD and I SEE YOU.” Wow, you are quite a reader! And yes, we love visitors as long as we know in advance, so let us know when you will be in town!
Nancy wrote, “Good luck in your new office space. I'm trying to recoup from an accident as a pedestrian hit by a moving car. It was scary, and I walked away with a fractured elbow. It's a long, boring recuperation. No knitting or needlepoint for a bit. Thus all I can do is read and watch TV. I'm reading THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER’S END, and it's a great summer read. I look forward to your weekly letter. Last week, I read the memoir of Jackie Kennedy's assistant, JACKIE’S GIRL. Very interesting.” Sorry to hear about your accident; so scary. And thank you for your kind words about the newsletter, and I love that you are enjoying Patti's book..
Nancy, a bookseller, wrote, “I loved, loved, loved ONE THOUSAND WHITE WOMEN!!! Sold a bunch of them. Have you read THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS? Fantastic also." I have not read it yet, but I have it here.
Free Lunch at the Library: Loved reading this piece.
So how much of the eclipse will you experience? Drop in your zip code to find out here.
"The Last Tycoon" on Amazon: My friend Annie is on episode six and is loving it. Time to give it a whirl this weekend!
Upcoming PBS Series Looks at America’s Favorite Books: Here’s the scoop so far.
Lovely piece by Patti Smith on her friendship with Sam Shepard here.
The Legendary Editor Behind THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, Julia Child, John Updike and Anne Tyler Has Passed Away: Judith Jones was 93; see her obituary here.
I have a quiet weekend on tap, which I am really, really happy about. With three weekends of family in town, it will be nice to just hang around and, in the words of Cory, chillax. Greg is headed to a Land Rover event for the weekend. Everyone brings something. He is bringing an entire burlap sack of fresh-picked corn from our local nursery/farmstand, Malanga’s. No word on whether there will be a Cory sighting or not. I am going to make chilled cucumber soup; I made a gazpacho last week that I loved, and I may replicate that as well! The fresh produce this time of year is a real delight. Tom made a ratatouille the other night that was excellent!
Next weekend, I am thinking about driving out to East Hampton for their Authors Night event, which benefits the library. Let me know if any of you plan to be there!
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: MRS. FLETCHER by Tom Perrotta
MRS. FLETCHER by Tom Perrotta (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Carrie Coon and Finn Wittrock
A 46-year-old divorcee whose beloved only child has just left for college, Eve Fletcher is struggling to adjust to her empty nest when one night her phone lights up with a text message. Sent from an anonymous number, the mysterious sender tells Eve, “U R my MILF!” Over the months that follow, that message comes to obsess Eve, who can’t curtail her interest in MILFateria.com, which features the erotic exploits of ordinary, middle-aged women like herself. Meanwhile, Eve’s son Brendan discovers that his new campus isn’t nearly as welcoming to his hard-partying lifestyle as he had imagined. Both mother and son find themselves enmeshed in morally fraught situations that come to a head on one fateful November night. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: CRIME SCENE
by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman
CRIME SCENE by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dennis Boutsikaris
A corpse lying at the bottom of the stairs. A beautiful but troubled young woman. A brutal, decades-old murder. And the man charged with making sense of it all. Clay Edison is a former star athlete turned coroner’s investigator. It’s his job to care for the dead and the people they leave behind. It’s not his job to solve mysteries. But some cases --- and some people --- can’t be resisted. What he discovers will set him on a quest to overturn a hideous injustice, no matter the consequences. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: NOTHING STAYS BURIED by PJ Tracy
NOTHING STAYS BURIED: A Monkeewrench Novel by PJ Tracy (Mystery)
When Minneapolis homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called to a crime scene in a heavily wooded city park, everything about the setting is all too familiar. And when they discover a playing card on the victim's body, their worst fears are confirmed --- there’s a serial killer operating in the city for the first time in years. Weary of the darker side of their computer work for law enforcement, Grace MacBride and her unconventional partners at Monkeewrench Software agree to take on a private missing-persons case in a small farming community in southwestern Minnesota. As the violence accelerates in Minneapolis, Magozzi and Gino soon realize their killer is planning to complete the deck, and they enlist Monkeewrench to help stop the rampage. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: AFTERLIFE by Marcus Sakey
AFTERLIFE by Marcus Sakey (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Finty Williams
The last thing FBI agent Will Brody remembers is the explosion. He wakes without a scratch. The building is in ruins. His team is gone. Outside, Chicago is dark. Cars lie abandoned. No planes cross the sky. He’s relieved to spot other people --- until he sees they’re carrying machetes. Claire McCoy, the head of an FBI task force, stands over the body of Will Brody. A terrorist has claimed 18 lives and thrown the nation into panic. Against this horror, something reckless and beautiful happened. She fell in love…with Will Brody. But the line between life and death is narrower than any of us suspect --- and all that matters to Will and Claire is getting back to each other. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
An Interview with Sulari Gentill,
Author of CROSSING THE LINES
Sulari Gentill is the author of the award-winning Rowland Sinclair Mysteries, a series of historical crime fiction novels set in the 1930s about Rowland Sinclair, the gentleman artist-cum-amateur-detective. Her latest book is CROSSING THE LINES, a postmodern novel that introduces readers to Madeleine, a successful author of a mystery series who decides to write a stand-alone novel about a literary writer named Edward. In this interview, Gentill talks about her longtime fascination with the reciprocal relationship between author and protagonist, and how that influenced her in the writing of this unique novel. She also admits to still being undecided as to which of her protagonists is real and which is imagined, describes herself as a “pantser” (she writes by the seat of her pants), and explains the odd connection between CROSSING THE LINES and her Rowland Sinclair period mysteries.
CROSSING THE LINES by Sulari Gentill (Psychological Suspense/Mystery)
A successful writer, Madeleine, creates a character, Edward, and begins to imagine his life. He, too, is an author. Edward is in love with a woman, Willow, who's married to a man Edward loathes, and who loathes him, but he and Willow stay close friends. She's an artist. As Madeleine develops the plot, Edward attends a gallery show where a scummy critic is flung down a flight of fire stairs...murdered. Madeleine, still stressed from her miscarriages and grieving her inability to have a child, grows more and more enamored of Edward, spending more and more time with him and the progress of the investigation and less with her physician husband, Hugh, who in turn may be developing secrets of his own. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Click here to read the interview.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE LYING GAME,
THE MARRIAGE PACT and THE ADDRESS
THE LYING GAME by Ruth Ware (Psychological Thriller)
For someone who burst on the scene just two years ago, Ruth Ware has been busy and truly has sealed her place in the world of psychological thrillers. The opening chapter of THE LYING GAME set up a brilliant read. Three boarding school friends are sent the same text from the fourth friend: “I need you.” And they immediately come running.These girls were tight in high school; yes, you can use the word “clique” to describe them. They made their own rules. They did not love outsiders. They pulled together a game with five rules. Rule One: TELL A LIE. Usually aimed at the popular girls, or instructors they disliked, a small fib, just for kicks. Rule Two: STICK TO YOUR STORY. Very important. Do not back down, so that Rule Three --- DON’T GET CAUGHT --- could never happen. Rule Four, the most important one of all, was NEVER LIE TO EACH OTHER.
- Click here to read more of Carol’s commentary.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read an interview with Ruth Ware.
THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond (Psychological Thriller)
In Michelle Richmond’s THE MARRIAGE PACT, Alice is an associate in a high-powered law firm who works long hours, and Jake is a marriage and family counselor. They live in San Francisco and are getting married. Before they are married, someone who Alice casually met through work asks to be invited to their wedding and bring a unique gift --- the opportunity to read The Pact, which outlines steps to be taken in marriage. They sound lovely for kindling romance and passion: 1) Always answer the phone when your spouse calls; 2) Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly; 3) Plan a trip together once per quarter; and 4) Never mention The Pact to anyone.
- Click here to read more of Carol’s commentary.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our interview with Michelle Richmond.
THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis (Historical Fiction)
THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis is set in The Dakota, the iconic luxury apartment building in New York. (You may recall that John Lennon was shot outside The Dakota where he and Yoko Ono lived.) I forgot how when it was constructed it was far from the developed part of the city --- the building was a true outlier, and people wondered if it would be filled --- which was interesting to imagine, as right now I feel like a rabid overdevelopment of the city is underway with new tall towers climbing into the sky almost daily. I thoroughly enjoyed the look back with details on the architecture and amenities provided to the residents. Care was given to every detail to ensure that the property was at the top of its game.
- Click here to read more of Carol’s commentary.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
August’s New in Paperback Roundups
August’s roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes FAITHFUL by Alice Hoffman, a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself; THIS WAS A MAN, the seventh and final volume in Jeffrey Archer’s Clifton Chronicles, which brings the epic saga of the Clifton family’s love, loss and ambition to a stunning conclusion; THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST, an enthralling novel from Ann Hood about love, loss, secrets, friendship and the healing power of literature; and KAROLINA'S TWINS by Ronald H. Balson, a saga inspired by the true events of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to return to Poland and fulfill a promise.
Among our nonfiction highlights are OUR REVOLUTION, in which Bernie Sanders shares his personal experiences from the 2016 campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible; A LIFE IN PARTS, a poignant, funny and inspiring memoir --- both a coming-of-age story and a meditation on creativity, devotion and craft --- from Bryan Cranston, the beloved star of "Breaking Bad"; INCARCERATION NATIONS, in which Baz Dreisinger goes behind bars in nine countries to investigate the current conditions in prisons worldwide; and ROGUE HEROES by Ben Macintyre, the incredible untold story of World War II's greatest secret fighting force.
See what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
July 31st, August 7th, August 14th, August 21st and August 28th.
August’s Books on Screen Feature
Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs that are based on books. For a complete list of August’s offerings, please click here.
In Theaters
The Dark Tower
Release Date: August 4th (wide)
Based on: The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
The Glass Castle
Release Date: August 11th (wide)
Based on: THE GLASS CASTLE: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
On TV
"Game of Thrones"
Air Dates: Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on HBO; Season Seven Finale on August 27th
Based on: A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin
"Get Shorty"
Air Dates: Sundays at 10pm ET/PT on EPIX; Series Premiere on August 13th
Based on: GET SHORTY by Elmore Leonard
On DVD
The Circle
DVD Release Date: August 1st
Based on: THE CIRCLE by Dave Eggers
The Dinner
DVD Release Date: August 8th
Based on: THE DINNER by Herman Koch
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer is here! 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, August 7th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles include:
See the prize books that were awarded in May, June and July
and that will be awarded in August.
Click here to read all the contest details.
DEAD ON ARRIVAL by Matt Richtel (Technothriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Jonathan Yen
An airplane touches down at a desolate airport in a remote Colorado ski town. Shortly after landing, Dr. Lyle Martin, a world-class infectious disease specialist, is brusquely awakened to shocking news: Everyone not on the plane appears to be dead. The world has gone dark. While they were in the air, a lethal new kind of virus surfaced, threatening mankind's survival, and now Martin --- one of the most sought-after virologists on the planet until his career took a precipitous slide --- is at the center of the investigation. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
FIERCE KINGDOM by Gin Phillips (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours, she keeps on running. Joan’s intimate knowledge of her son and of the zoo itself --- the hidden pathways and under-renovation exhibits, the best spots on the carousel and overstocked snack machines --- is all that keeps them a step ahead of danger. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
MOTHEREST by Kristen Iskandrian (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Fortgang
It's the early 1990s, and Agnes is running out of people she can count on. A new college student, she is caught between the broken home she leaves behind and the wilderness of campus life. What she needs most is her mother, who has seemingly disappeared, and her brother, who left the family tragically a few years prior. As Agnes falls into a new romance, mines female friendships for intimacy, and struggles to find her footing, she writes letters to her mother, both to conjure a closeness they never had and to try to translate her experiences to herself. When she finds out she is pregnant, Agnes begins to contend with what it means to be a mother and, in some ways, what it means to be your own mother. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
BLAME by Jeff Abbott (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Bailey Carr, Lauren Fortgang, Vanessa Johannson and Greg Tremblay
Two years ago, Jane Norton crashed her car on a lonely road, killing her friend David and leaving her with amnesia. At first, everyone was sympathetic. Then they found Jane's note: I wish we were dead together. From that day, the town turned against her. But even now, Jane is filled with questions: Why were they on that road? Why was she with David? Did she really want to die? Most of all, she must find out who has just written her an anonymous message: I know what really happened. I know what you don't remember... Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
LIGHTS ON, RATS OUT: A Memoir by Cree LeFavour (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Cree Lefavour
As a young college graduate a year into treatment with a psychiatrist, Cree LeFavour began to organize her days around the cruel, compulsive logic of self-harm: with each newly lit cigarette, the world would drop away as her focus narrowed on the blooming release of pleasure-pain as the burning tip was applied to an unblemished patch of skin. Her body was a canvas of cruelty; each scar a mark of pride and shame. LIGHTS ON, RATS OUT brings us closely into these years. We see the world as Cree did --- turned upside down, the richness of life muted and dulled, its pleasures perverted. The heady thrill of meeting with her psychiatrist, Dr. Adam N. Kohl, comes to be the only bright spot in her days. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE WITCHES OF NEW YORK by Ami McKay (Historical Fantasy)
Audiobook available, performed by Julia Whelan
At their humble teashop, Tea and Sympathy, Adelaide Thom and Eleanor St. Clair provide a place for whispered confessions, secret cures and spiritual assignations for a select society of ladies, who speak the right words and ask the right questions. But the profile of Tea and Sympathy is about to change with the fortuitous arrival of Beatrice Dunn. When 17-year-old Beatrice leaves the safety of her village to answer an ad that reads "Respectable Lady Seeks Dependable Shop Girl. Those averse to magic need not apply," she has little inclination of what the job will demand of her. Beatrice doesn't know it yet, but she is no ordinary small-town girl; she has great spiritual gifts --- ones that will serve as her greatest asset and also place her in grave danger. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
THE LOST ONES by Sheena Kamal (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Bahni Turpin
It begins with a phone call that Nora Watts has dreaded for 15 years --- since the day she gave her newborn daughter up for adoption. Bonnie has vanished. The police consider her a chronic runaway and aren’t looking, leaving her desperate adoptive parents to reach out to her birth mother as a last hope. Caring despite herself, Nora sets out to find Bonnie, knowing she risks reopening wounds that have never really healed --- and plunging into the darkness with little to protect her but her instincts and a freakish ability to detect truth from lies. The search uncovers a puzzling conspiracy that leads Nora on a harrowing journey of deception and violence. Reviewed by Dunja Bonacci Skenderovic.
EVERY DAY ABOVE GROUND: A Van Shaw Novel by Glen Erik Hamilton (Thriller)
A terminally ill ex-con tells Van Shaw of an easy fortune in gold, abandoned and nearly forgotten after its original owner died in prison. For the dying man, the money is a legacy to ensure his preteen daughter’s future. For Van, the gold is cash he desperately needs to rebuild his destroyed family home. However, the safe holding the fortune is a trap --- set by a mysterious player armed with tremendous resources and a lifetime of hatred. Now, Shaw’s partner is in the clutches of the hunters, and the former army ranger may be their next prey. But when the ex-con’s innocent daughter is threatened too, Van’s own hard childhood means he can’t let her come to harm. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE DYING GAME by Asa Avdic (Dystopian/Psychological Suspense)
Audiobook available; read by Cassandra Campbell, Mark Deakins and Steve West
The year is 2037. The Soviet Union never fell, and much of Europe has been consolidated under the totalitarian Union of Friendship. On the tiny island of Isola, seven people have been selected to compete in a 48-hour test for a top-secret intelligence position. One of them is Anna Francis, a workaholic bureaucrat with a nine-year-old daughter she rarely sees and a secret that haunts her. Her assignment: to stage her own death and then to observe, from her hiding place inside the walls of the house, how the six other candidates react to the news that a murderer is among them. Who will take control? Who will crack under pressure? But then a storm rolls in, the power goes out, and the real game begins.
LEONA: THE DIE IS CAST by Jenny Rogneby (Hard-boiled Thriller)
Naked and bloody, a seven-year-old girl walks into a bank in central Stockholm in broad daylight and gets away with millions. Leona Lindberg of Stockholm's Violent Crimes Division agrees to work on the case. With a long, distinguished history in the police force, she seems to be the perfect choice. But Leona is grappling with deep issues of her own --- a gambling addiction, a strained marriage --- that could jeopardize the investigation. As she struggles to keep the volatile pieces of her life under control, the line between right and wrong becomes increasingly unclear --- and even irrelevant. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
DON'T GIVE YOUR HEART TO A RAMBLER: My Life with Jimmy Martin, the King of Bluegrass by Barbara Martin Stephens (Memoir)
As charismatic and gifted as he was volatile, Jimmy Martin recorded dozens of bluegrass classics and co-invented the high lonesome sound. Barbara Martin Stephens became involved with the King of Bluegrass at age 17. DON'T GIVE YOUR HEART TO A RAMBLER tells the story of their often tumultuous life together. Barbara bore his children and took on a crucial job as his booking agent when the agent he was using failed to obtain show dates for the group. Female booking agents were non-existent at that time, but she persevered and went on to become the first female booking agent on Music Row. She also endured years of physical and emotional abuse at Martin's hands. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 8th
Below are some notable titles releasing on August 8th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of August 7th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
ANY DREAM WILL DO by Debbie Macomber (Fiction)
Shay Benson adored her younger brother, Caden, and that got her into trouble. Pastor Drew Douglas adored his wife. But when he lost her, it was all he could do to focus on his two beautiful kids, and his flock came in a distant third. Shay and Drew meet in church one day and strike up a friendship that, over time, turns into something deeper and possibly romantic.
BARELY LEGAL: A Herbie Fisher Novel Featuring Stone Barrington by Stuart Woods and Parnell Hall (Thriller/Adventure)
Under the tutelage of Stone Barrington, Herbie Fisher has transformed from a bumbling sad sack into a capable man about town and the youngest partner at the white shoe law firm Woodman & Weld. Now all of his training will be put to the test as he finds himself embroiled in his most daring adventure to date.
BIBLIOMYSTERIES: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores edited by Otto Penzler (Mystery/Short Stories)
Most mystery readers know that the word “bibliomystery” refers to a mystery story that involves the world of books: a bookshop, a rare volume, a library, a collector or a bookseller. The stories in this unique collection were commissioned by the Mysterious Bookshop and were written by some of the mystery genre’s most distinguished authors.
THE COLOR OF FEAR: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller (Mystery)
Sharon McCone learns that her father has been the victim of a vicious, racially motivated attack, and she resolves to track down his attackers herself. But when she begins receiving hate-filled, racist threats from a shadowy group, it becomes clear that her pursuit of justice may be putting her own life in jeopardy.
EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker (Psychological Thriller)
One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family, Dr. Winter uncovers a life where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime.
THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Karin Slaughter (Psychological Thriller)
Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. Now, 28 years later, Charlie has followed in her father's footsteps to become a lawyer herself. But when violence comes to Pikeville again --- and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized --- Charlie is plunged into a nightmare.
THE LAST TUDOR by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days. Her father and his allies crowned her instead of the dead king’s half-sister Mary Tudor, who quickly claimed her throne and locked Jane in the Tower of London. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner’s block. What will happen when the youngest Grey sister, Mary --- the last Tudor --- defies her ruthless and unforgiving cousin Queen Elizabeth?
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll:
August Fiction Releases You’re Anticipating
Which fiction titles releasing in August are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
-
THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis
-
ANY DREAM WILL DO by Debbie Macomber
-
THE BURNING GIRL by Claire Messud
-
THE COLOR OF FEAR: A Sharon McCone Mystery, by Marcia Muller
-
CRIME SCENE by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman
-
EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker
-
EXPOSED by Lisa Scottoline
-
GLASS HOUSES by Louise Penny
-
THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Karin Slaughter
-
I KNOW A SECRET: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel, by Tess Gerritsen
-
THE LAST TUDOR by Philippa Gregory
-
MRS. FLETCHER by Tom Perrotta
-
MY ABSOLUTE DARLING by Gabriel Tallent
-
NOTHING STAYS BURIED: A Monkeewrench Novel, by PJ Tracy
-
THE SABOTEUR by Andrew Gross
-
SEEING RED by Sandra Brown
-
STAY WITH ME by Ayobami Adebayo
-
THE STORE by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
-
A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE by Shari Lapena
-
SULFUR SPRINGS by William Kent Krueger
-
UNRAVELING OLIVER by Liz Nugent
-
Y IS FOR YESTERDAY by Sue Grafton
-
None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, August 18th at noon ET.
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 August 4th to August 18th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Karin Slaughter and A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE by Shari Lapena.
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 August 1st to September 6th at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Wendy Walker's EMMA IN THE NIGHT, read by Therese Plummer and Julia Whelan, and Louise Penny's GLASS HOUSES, read by Robert Bathurst.
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.
|
