We’re Back; Our Version of Back to School!
First, thank you to those of you who sent lovely notes about the 21st anniversary of Bookreporter.com. I have included some in the Reader Mail section later in the opener of this newsletter. The staff and I are so appreciative of your very kind words. We are not resting on our laurels; we already have some big plans on the horizon for the next year!
While it was chillier than I would have liked last week, and my time floating in the pool wasn't as long as I had hoped, my vacation reading was amazing. I am including it in a list form here so it is easy to follow!
THE DIRTY BOOK CLUB by Lisi Harrison, coming on October 10th. It’s fun and well done. Two generations of women both reading the same books decades apart, complete with book commentary from the older generation that has relevance to the younger generation. It’s very original and both dishy and smart, which, yes, is a rare combo. Would be a fun book group read!
THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn, which already is in stores, is about a network of female spies during World War I and is based on a true story. It is such well-done historical fiction; I loved it. I have been praising BENEATH A SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan all summer. If you have read that, read this and vice versa. In a book group? We have discussion guides for both on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES is the latest from Jamie Ford. It will be in stores on September 19th and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Those who loved HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET are going to want to note this book. It’s a beautifully told story set against two time periods in Seattle, layered against the backdrop of two World's Fairs. We will have a discussion guide and an interview with Jamie soon.
IN THE MIDST OF WINTER by Isabel Allende is being published on October 31st. Three people are brought together in a snowstorm. Each has his or her own story of immigration. Each has lost family. There is a car accident involving two of them, a simple rear-end tap collision, BUT the driver of the car that is hit is not legal and does not have a driver's license. It is not her car. There is a body in the trunk. She does not know how it got there. Intrigued? I was. Enough so that I sat by the pool and read it all day. It was made all the more special for interviewing Isabel back in March at the Simon & Schuster Book Club Matinee. So much of the spunk that I saw from her in that interview comes alive on these pages.
EDUCATED by Tara Westover is a brilliant memoir by a young woman who grew up living off the grid with her Mormon family in Idaho. No school. No doctors. Most everyday things are viewed as "outside" and "wrong." Without a lick of traditional schooling, she goes to BYU for college and from there on to Cambridge and Harvard. Yes, you read that right. It's not out until February, but you will want to note it now. I love books like this where the writer has thrived by taking herself from a tough situation and taking big steps to move on. Along these lines, last year I read and loved THE SOUND OF GRAVEL by Ruth Wariner. It was thoughtful reading, and I am looking forward to meeting Tara next Friday at an author luncheon.
THE TRUST by Ronald H. Balson was my last vacation read and will be out on September 19th. His past books have had a World War II theme, including ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS. This one is set in Northern Ireland where Liam Taggart and his wife, Catherine, work together to solve a family mystery. Liam’s Uncle Fergus has died and left his estate to a secret trust, directing that no distributions be made to any person until his killer is found. Did Fergus know, but refuse to name, his killer? Here you will find good insight into "The Troubles" in Ireland, as well as a good storyline.
The week also meant gardening! I pulled the weeds I vowed to pull all summer...they grew crazily! The property in the back is looking good. I wish it was the 4th of July, not the first week of September. It was not the best summer of weather --- too much rain, and last Saturday morning it was 49 degrees! And I finally got two limelight hydrangeas. The bad news: the squirrel that has tortured us all summer literally finished eating TWO of the large hibiscus plants. They are down to bare branches. I never had this happen! Squirrel: 2; Us: 0.
I made lots of great dinners: chilled corn soup with roasted corn garnish, feta cheese roasted pepper dip on sesame crackers, shrimp on rosemary skewers, skirt steak with a cherry marinade, cucumber/poppy seed salad, corn, peach cobbler and wild blackberry gelato for dessert. And once a year I make ketchup. It is amazing. The recipe is here.
Now to this week’s update...
LIE TO ME by J.T. Ellison, which released this week, is one of our new Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight titles. Sutton and Ethan Montclair's idyllic life is not as it appears. As the tension between them mounts, Sutton disappears and leaves behind a note saying not to look for her. Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set up? Did Sutton hate him enough to kill the child she never wanted and then herself?
Joe Hartlaub has our review and says, “[E]verything --- and I mean everything --- is perfectly paced, so that you can’t put down LIE TO ME once you start it, even if you must (there’s no way you will want to). This is the book that will be on everyone’s eyes --- and lips --- for weeks and months to come.” Joe had the opportunity to ask J.T. some questions about the book and her career; click here to read the interview.
Our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight of SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY by Eva Woods wraps up this week with our review and interview. Deep down, Annie Hebden is still mourning the terrible loss that shattered her perfect life and chooses to hide away rather than remember how it used to be. But then she meets the eccentric Polly Leonard, who is determined to finally get Annie out of her funk permanently. How does Polly plan to pull this off? By embarking on a mission: One hundred days. One hundred new ways to be happy. Annie will slowly begin to realize that there's still joy to be found in the world, but then it becomes clear that Polly is about to need her new friend more than ever.
Reviewer Megan Elliott calls SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY “an uplifting yet never saccharine novel that makes a convincing case for finding joy even in the bleakest of circumstances.” Megan had the pleasure of interviewing Eva about her North American debut, and you can read their conversation here.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include GLASS HOUSES, the latest installment in Louise Penny’s series starring Armand Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec (we also have a blog piece from Kathy Jund, who attended Louise’s L.A. signing with her daughter, Amber); THE BURNING GIRL, Claire Messud’s novel about two childhood friends whose paths diverge as they enter adolescence; and MY ABSOLUTE DARLING, Gabriel Tallent’s much-talked-about debut novel (and a BookExpo Buzz book) about an abused 14-year-old girl’s fight for her own soul.
We’re kicking off our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight of BEST DAY EVER by Kaira Rouda, which releases on September 19th, with a contest that will give 50(!) readers the chance to win a copy of the book and share their comments on it. Paul Strom has the perfect life: a career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband, which is why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house. And he's promised today will be the best day ever. But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really? To enter the contest, please fill out this form by Thursday, September 21st at noon ET.
By the way, I love, love, love BEST DAY EVER, and the few friends I have shared it with thus far have all given it raves! I met Kaira at BookExpo, and we had such a fun time chatting. I joked that I am not sure what it says about me that I love this book; she said that she is not sure what it says about her that she wrote it! Last week, she had a picture on Facebook of her writing while walking on a treadmill. I asked if she walked faster writing suspenseful scenes. She said she did. Read BEST DAY EVER and picture her running!
THIEF’S MARK, Carla Neggers’ new Sharpe & Donovan novel, is our latest New Release Spotlight title. As a young boy, Oliver York witnessed the murder of his wealthy parents in their London apartment. The killers kidnapped him and held him in an isolated Scottish ruin, but he escaped. Now, after 30 years on the run, one of the two men Oliver identified as his tormentors may have surfaced. Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are enjoying the final day of their Irish honeymoon when a break-in at the home of Emma’s grandfather, private art detective Wendell Sharpe, points to Oliver. They head straight to Oliver, but when they arrive at his country home, a man is dead and Oliver has vanished. Emma and Colin must unravel the decades-old tangle of secrets and lies before a killer strikes again.
My three latest Bets On picks are STAY WITH ME by Ayobami Adebayo, YOUNG JANE YOUNG by Gabrielle Zevin, and UNRAVELING OLIVER by Liz Nugent. Click on each of the titles to see why I’m betting you’ll love them. After I finished writing these commentaries, I recognized a common thread running through all three books: each of these novels is told in the voices of multiple narrators.
Our Fall Preview feature is back for a seventh year! On select days in September and October, we will spotlight a different title and offer a 24-hour contest to win five copies of the book. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce each day's title. If you have not already done so, you can sign up here to receive the Fall Preview newsletter. We kick off this year’s contests by giving away LIES SHE TOLD by Cate Holahan, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng (an upcoming Bets On selection), and THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS: The Journals of Margaret Kelly & Molly McGill by Jim Fergus, the latter of which is the long-awaited sequel to ONE THOUSAND WHITE WOMEN. The first contest will go live on Tuesday, September 12th at noon ET.
We’re also giving away THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS in our new Word of Mouth contest, along with A COLUMN OF FIRE by Ken Follett. Let us know by Friday, September 22nd at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll have a chance to win both novels.
We’ve posted our New in Paperback roundups for September, featuring paperback reprints from such bestselling authors as Emma Donoghue, David Baldacci, Michael Chabon and Douglas Preston; memoirs by John le Carré, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins and Elizabeth Vargas; and paperback originals like the aforementioned LIE TO ME by J.T. Ellison, CLOSE TO HOME by Robert Dugoni, and THE OTHER ALCOTT by Elise Hooper.
We’ve also updated our Books on Screen feature for this month. Highlights include IT and American Assassin in theaters; the season three premiere of "Outlander" on Starz and the movie Our Souls at Night available on Netflix; and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie on DVD.
Our latest poll asks which social media platforms you use on a regular basis. Click here to let us know.
In our previous poll, we wanted to know if you pre-order books online or at bookstores, or reserve books at libraries. 59% of you reserve books from the library all the time, and 40% pre-order books online, depending on how much you are anticipating them. Click here for the full results.
We’re giving away the audio versions of Nelson DeMille's THE CUBAN AFFAIR, read by Scott Brick, and Stephen King and Owen King's SLEEPING BEAUTIES, read by Marin Ireland, 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 Monday, October 2nd at noon ET.
News and Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Karen wrote, “All of you at Bookreporter do such a great job scouting out the best and most interesting reads, and I want to say a big thank you. You have greatly expanded my 'reading horizons' and provided me with countless hours of reading pleasure. For some reason, I am one of those whose friends ask for book recommendations, and it is great to have suggestions to offer them, many of which I have learned about from you. Many thanks, and I look forward to each and every posting.” Thank you for your kind words. Glad we have your back with reading suggestions!
Roe wrote, "Congratulations on Bookreporter's 21st year. You are an inspiration to every book lover out there. I have followed you for many years and have even met you several times. I can honestly report that you are warm, friendly, smart and fun to be around. I am sure your staff is happy to have you as a team leader and friend. I look forward to many more years of hearing from you in any form you wish to pursue, and wish you and your wonderful staff the best in the years ahead.” Roe, you are too kind. I have the BEST staff, and I am very, very lucky to work with them. They are hardworking and smart.
Cheryl wrote, “Just wanted to write about your wonderful 'Bets On' books from this year. Upon finishing EMMA IN THE NIGHT, I read in the Acknowledgements the author's thanks to you for your 'boundless energy and expert advice.' Nice tribute to you! Some friends think it odd that I always read an author's acknowledgements, but it is amazing the information one can learn about a person through this. From these selections, I realized how much you influence my choice of books. Last week I finished A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE and THE LYING GAME. Just yesterday I picked up THE ADDRESS to begin reading this weekend. I have my own rating system kept in my reading log, and of the 65 books read so far in 2017, the majority have been suggested on Bookreporter.com! Retirement is wonderful, and I am so thankful for the time now free for me to read! Thank you so much to you and your staff for providing this valuable service to readers everywhere.” We are glad we are enhancing your retirement!
Cheryle wrote, “I just finished reading the last three weeks of newsletters to catch up. I have been shut off from electronic communication for the last two weeks. My son was in a serious accident in Texas, and I live in Montana. I drove over 1,400 miles to help him recover from his injuries. Where he lives he is in a “dead zone.” I could really identify with your comments from the newsletter from last week. I was unable to use my phone or tablet unless I drove several miles to get connected. He also does not get good television or radio reception. What a reader's paradise!! In my moments between nurses duties, I was able to really focus on reading and thoroughly enjoyed the forced quiet. While all of our electronic devices give us instant gratification, there is something to be said for quiet as well. Thankfully my son is mending, and I am back home in Montana, thus I was able to get caught up with your fantastic newsletters. I always look forward to reading about the books you and your staff recommend. I have the new William Kent Krueger book and am just starting it. I am looking forward to a reading weekend with Sulfur Springs. Krueger is a fantastic author, and his stories always promise a great read. I have read all of the Cork O’Connor books as well as the excellent ORDINARY GRACE. The Summer Reading Program, in which you gave books to many readers, brought to mind a couple of questions. How many states were represented in the winners?” We hope your son continues to be on the mend. And we will see if we can figure out how many states they were from!
Rosalie said, “Hi Carol: Happy 21st Anniversary from a longtime reader! I wish you many more years of success! You are my favorite book site to recommend. As to your 'Bets On,' I may not read them right away, but I do eventually get to many of them. I have just finished BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley; I thoroughly enjoyed it and changed my mind several times as to what or who caused the crash. Thanks for recommending! Enjoy your Labor Day break, and I look forward to the next Bookreporter.com newsletter." Glad you keep track of Bets On for ideas of what to read!
Ingrid wrote, “Just finished reading your newsletter on this sunny Sunday afternoon. For you the first day of a well-deserved break, for me the last day of a six-week school holiday! I have enjoyed it immensely and am still in awe of last week's stay in mesmerizingly gorgeous Portugal! Enjoy, enjoy your week off to the fullest. Looking forward to your news in a fortnight. Big hug from sunny Holland.” Loved hearing from our Holland reader; wish we had been together in Portugal!
Susan Vreeland: Sad news that Susan Vreeland, the author of such novels as GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE and THE PASSION OF ARTEMISIA, passed away at age 71.
Live Event News: We'll Be There; Will You?: Random House presents Off the Page on Thursday, November 9th at the Tishman Auditorium at The New School (63 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003). Featured authors include Van Jones, Salman Rushdie, the founding editors from Food52, Kelly Corrigan, Lucy Kalanithi, Khizr Kahn, Elizabeth Berg, Lisa Wingate and Emily Ruskovich. Tickets are on sale now!
Looking for Yarn Shops while you are on the road? This link is for you to plot your yarn shopping along the way!
Just what does it take to run a grocery store during and after a hurricane? Here's a terrific piece about H.E.B., a big grocery chain in Texas. Will lend a "boots on the ground" look at what people need when and why.
Fiona Davis, the author of two of my Bets on selections, THE DOLLHOUSE and THE ADDRESS, came to the office for a visit this week. Her next book, THE WHISPERING GALLERY, is a dual narrative in which a woman in 1974 gets swept up in the quest to save New York City's iconic Grand Central Terminal from destruction, and in the process uncovers the art school once housed within its walls…and the story of the pioneering female artist who made her mark on the school in the 1920s before mysteriously disappearing from history. It was such fun to talk to her. And we were looking at the fabulous pre-war building that is across the street from our office. She loved the view from our windows to our neighborhood. I am looking forward to visiting with her again!
Greg has been off on a bucket list trip. He flew to Edinburgh/Dublin/Rennes and made his way to Brest, then Ushant to do some lighthouse-ing. Next it was Paris to do some geocaching, and then Frankfurt where he caught a flight to San Francisco on a 747 seated on the upper deck, which was the true bucket list part of this trip as United is retiring these planes this year. You can see him above sitting in the cockpit of the plane in a photo taken by the captain. He’s wearing his “If It’s Not Boeing; I’m Not Going” t-shirt, which they all got a kick out of. He’s spending the weekend in Portland before he wings back via San Francisco on the red-eye on Monday night. These days I travel vicariously through him. Cory is back to school where he’s been House Manager at his fraternity this summer, running work details these last weeks to get the house in shape. I am hoping he will come home one day and apply these skills to his bedroom here!
Weekend plans are a tad up in the air. My sister-in-law and her younger daughter who live in West Palm Beach made the spontaneous decision this morning to flee Florida; her older daughter already is in town before she heads off to freshman year at college next week. Dinner here whenever they arrive!
To all those in the path of Irma, our thoughts are with you, as well as with our readers in the Houston/South Texas area. From your emails, we have come to know so many of you. I can well remember the stress of waiting for Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy in 2012, as well as its aftermath. The sound of the generator is not one that brings back fond memories. Please stay safe as you read!
I am off to find my wetsuit since the pool temps have dipped way too low for my liking. 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!
Bookreporter.com Talks to J.T. Ellison,
Author of LIE TO ME
A Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight Title
J.T. Ellison writes dark psychological thrillers starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens, and pens the Nicholas Drummond series with fellow bestselling author Catherine Coulter. Her latest stand-alone novel, LIE TO ME, is about the disintegration of a marriage as grief, jealousy, betrayal and murder destroy the facade of the perfect literary couple. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Joe Hartlaub, Ellison discusses her inspiration for the book, which is more of a domestic thriller than the police procedural to which her fans have become accustomed; talks about how the structure of the novel changed as she was attempting to find the right rhythm for this “rhythm book”; explains what her book journal is and includes a few examples from the journal she used for LIE TO ME; and offers a sneak peek at her numerous upcoming projects.
LIE TO ME by J.T. Ellison (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; performed by Matthew Waterson, Saskia Maarleveld, Sarah Naughton and Julia Whelan
Sutton and Ethan Montclair's idyllic life is not as it appears. Consumed by professional and personal betrayals and financial woes, the two both love and hate each other. As tensions mount, Sutton disappears, leaving behind a note saying not to look for her. Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton Montclair. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set up? Did Sutton hate him enough to kill the child she never wanted and then herself? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read J.T. Ellison's bio.
- Visit J.T. Ellison's website, blog, Instagram, Pinterest and Flickr.
- Connect with J.T. Ellison on Facebook and Twitter.
- Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.
Click here to read our interview.
New Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight & Contest:
BEST DAY EVER by Kaira Rouda
We have 50 copies of BEST DAY EVER by Kaira Rouda --- a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal --- to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on September 19th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, September 21st at noon ET.
BEST DAY EVER by Kaira Rouda (Psychological Thriller)
Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he's the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That's why he's planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he's promised today will be the best day ever.
But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?
Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, BEST DAY EVER crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the bestselling, page-turning vein of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR and THE DINNER, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.
BEST DAY EVER will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. You can read Carol's commentary in the September 29th newsletter.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Kaira Rouda's bio.
- Visit Kaira Rouda's website, Pinterest and Instagram.
- Connect with Kaira Rouda on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight
and enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Talks to Eva Woods,
Author of SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY
A Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight Title
Eva Woods has written two women’s fiction novels, as well as crime fiction under her own name, Claire McGowan, all in the UK. She makes her North American debut with SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY, which finds the two main characters --- one of whom starts out the book cynical and depressed, and the other of whom is initially positive and upbeat --- embarking on a remarkable mission: One hundred days. One hundred new ways to be happy. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com's Megan Elliott, Woods talks about how her own experiences at a young age influenced the writing of her book, her struggle to balance the more uplifting parts of her story with the harsh reality of her protagonist’s illness, and the message she would like readers to take away after turning the last page.
SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY by Eva Woods (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Henrietta Meire
Deep down, Annie Hebden is still mourning the terrible loss that tore a hole through the perfect existence she had once taken for granted --- and hiding away is safer than remembering what used to be. Until she meets the eccentric Polly Leonard, who is determined to finally wake Annie up to life. The mission: One hundred days. One hundred new ways to be happy. Annie will slowly begin to realize that maybe, just maybe, there's still joy to be found in the world. But then it becomes clear that Polly is about to need her new friend more than ever…and Annie will have to decide once and for all whether letting others in is a risk worth taking. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Eva Woods’ bio.
- Visit Eva Woods’ website and Instagram.
- Connect with Eva Woods on Facebook and Twitter.
- Click here to see the 35 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
- Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.
Click here to read our interview.
Featured Review: GLASS HOUSES by Louise Penny
GLASS HOUSES by Louise Penny (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Bathurst
When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious. Then wary. From the moment its shadow falls over the village, Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. Yet he does nothing. What can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized. But when the figure vanishes overnight and a body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to discover if a debt has been paid or levied. Months later, as the trial for the accused begins, Chief Superintendent Gamache continues to struggle with actions he set in motion, from which there is no going back. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE BURNING GIRL by Claire Messud
THE BURNING GIRL by Claire Messud (Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Morgan Hallett
Julia and Cassie have been friends since nursery school. They have shared everything, including their desire to escape the stifling limitations of their birthplace, the quiet town of Royston, Massachusetts. But as the two girls enter adolescence, their paths diverge and Cassie sets out on a journey that will put her life in danger and shatter her oldest friendship. THE BURNING GIRL is a complex examination of the stories we tell ourselves about youth and friendship, and straddles childhood’s imaginary worlds and painful adult reality. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
New Release Spotlight: THIEF’S MARK by Carla Neggers
THIEF'S MARK: A Sharpe & Donovan Novel by Carla Neggers (Romantic Suspense)
Audiobook available, performed by Carol Monda
As a young boy, Oliver York witnessed the murder of his wealthy parents in their London apartment. The killers kidnapped him and held him in an isolated Scottish ruin, but he escaped, thwarting their plans for ransom. Now, after 30 years on the run, one of the two men Oliver identified as his tormentors may have surfaced.
Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are enjoying the final day of their Irish honeymoon when a break-in at the home of Emma’s grandfather, private art detective Wendell Sharpe, points to Oliver. The Sharpes have a complicated relationship with the likable, reclusive Englishman, an expert in Celtic mythology and international art thief who taunted Wendell for years. Emma and Colin postpone meetings in London with their elite FBI team and head straight to Oliver. But when they arrive at Oliver's country home, a man is dead and Oliver has vanished.
As the danger mounts, new questions arise about Oliver's account of his boyhood trauma. Do Emma and Colin dare trust him? With the trail leading beyond Oliver’s small village to Ireland, Scotland and their own turf in the United States, the stakes are high, and Emma and Colin must unravel the decades-old tangle of secrets and lies before a killer strikes again.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Carla Neggers' bio.
- Visit Carla Neggers' website, blog, Pinterest and Instagram.
- Connect with Carla Neggers on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
New Release Spotlight: SULFUR SPRINGS
by William Kent Krueger
SULFUR SPRINGS by William Kent Krueger (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by David Chandler
On the Fourth of July, just as fireworks are about to go off in Aurora, Minnesota, Cork O’Connor and his new bride, Rainy Bisonette, listen to a desperate voicemail left by Rainy's son, Peter. The message is garbled and full of static, but they hear Peter confess to the murder of someone named Rodriguez. When they try to contact him, they discover that his phone has gone dead.
The following morning, Cork and Rainy fly to Coronado County in southern Arizona, where Peter has been working as a counselor in a well-known drug rehab center. When they arrive, they learn that Peter was fired six months earlier and hasn’t been heard from since. So they head to the little desert town of Sulfur Springs where Peter has been receiving his mail. But no one in Sulfur Springs seems to know him. They do, however, recognize the name Rodriguez. Carlos Rodriguez is the head of a cartel that controls everything illegal crossing the border from Mexico into Coronado County.
As they gather scraps of information about Peter, Cork and Rainy are warned that there is a war going on along the border. “Trust no one in Coronado County” is a refrain they hear again and again. And to Cork, Arizona is alien country. The relentless heat and absence of water, tall trees and cool forests feel nightmarish to him, as does his growing sense that Rainy might know more about what's going on than she's willing to admit. And if he can't trust Rainy, who can he trust?
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read William Kent Krueger’s bio.
- Click here to visit William Kent Krueger’s website.
- Connect with William Kent Krueger on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's
Fall Preview Contests and Feature
Fall is known as the biggest season of the year for books. The titles that release during this latter part of the year often become holiday gifts, and many are blockbusters. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we are spotlighting a number of outstanding books that we know people will be talking about in the days and months to come.
We will be hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days in September and October, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our first prize book will be announced on Tuesday, September 12th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: STAY WITH ME,
YOUNG JANE YOUNG and UNRAVELING OLIVER
STAY WITH ME by Ayobami Adebayo (Fiction)
I love powerful slim novels where each page matters as the writing is streamlined and thoughtful. That is what I found reading Ayobami Adebayo’s debut novel, STAY WITH ME. It opens in the early 1980s where two university students, Yejide and Akin, have met and fallen in love. At a time when polygamy is actively practiced in Nigeria, they embrace a modern approach to relationships, vowing to have a single marriage.
- 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.
YOUNG JANE YOUNG by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction)
In YOUNG JANE YOUNG, Gabrielle Zevin, who many of our readers know from THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY, has written a book that at its core looks at what happens when you are young and make a mistake. Well, not just any mistake, but rather you have an affair with your very high-profile boss, a Congressman, when you are an intern and you get outed for it. Where does one go on after this? Well, if you are Aviva Grossman, you leave South Florida and head to Allison Springs, Maine --- and you change your name to Jane Young and become an event planner. Yes, you are following me here, an event planner in Maine.
- Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
UNRAVELING OLIVER by Liz Nugent (Psychological Thriller)
About six months ago, I read an advance copy of Liz Nugent’s UNRAVELING OLIVER in a few hours while my husband was watching a golf match in the other room. I was so excited about it that it’s been hard to not have it in stores to share with our readers until a couple of weeks ago. What kept me plastered to that couch? Liz’s plotting chops as they produced one reveal after the next. One really does unravel Oliver Ryan from page one. Ahhhh Oliver!
- 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 for more books we're betting you'll love.
September’s New in Paperback Roundups
September’s roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes MOONGLOW by Michael Chabon, a novel of truth and lies, family legends and existential adventure --- and the forces that work to destroy us; David Baldacci’s THE FIX, which marks the return of the detective who can forget nothing, Amos Decker, who previously starred in MEMORY MAN and THE LAST MILE; THE WONDER by Emma Donoghue, in which an English nurse who is brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle --- a girl said to have survived without food for months --- soon finds herself fighting to save the child's life; and VICTORIA, the nationally bestselling novel by Daisy Goodwin, who draws on Queen Victoria’s diaries to bring the young 19th-century monarch, who would go on to reign for 63 years, richly to life.
Among our nonfiction highlights are BEING MORTAL, in which practicing surgeon Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession --- how medicine can improve not only life but also the process of its ending; BORN TO RUN, a revelatory memoir by legendary rock star Bruce Springsteen, who tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work; THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD, bestselling author Douglas Preston's shocking and riveting account of his pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world's densest jungle; and BETWEEN BREATHS, Elizabeth Vargas' inspiring memoir in which she discusses her accounts of growing up with anxiety and how she dealt with it as she came of age, to her eventually turning to alcohol for relief.
See what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
September 4th, September 11th, September 18th and September 25th.
September’s Books on Screen Feature
MY ABSOLUTE DARLING by Gabriel Tallent (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Alex McKenna
At 14, Turtle Alveston roams the woods along the northern California coast. But while her physical world is expansive, her personal one is small and treacherous: Turtle has grown up isolated since the death of her mother. Her social existence is confined to her middle school and her life with her tortured and charismatic father, Martin. Then Turtle meets Jacob, a high-school boy who tells jokes and looks at Turtle as if she is the sunrise. And for the first time, the larger world begins to come into focus: her life with Martin is neither safe nor sustainable. Motivated by her first experience with real friendship and a teenage crush, Turtle starts to imagine escape, using the very survival skills her father devoted himself to teaching her. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
SECRETS IN DEATH by J. D. Robb (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Ericksen
Larinda Mars, a professional gossip, has been murdered. As it turns out, she was keeping the most shocking stories quiet, for profitable use in her side business as a blackmailer. Setting her sights on rich, prominent marks, she’d find out what they most wanted to keep hidden and then bleed them dry. Now someone’s done the same to her, literally. Eve didn’t like Larinda Mars. But she likes murder even less. To find justice for this victim, she’ll have to plunge into the dirty little secrets of all the people Larinda Mars victimized herself. Along the way, though, she may be exposed to some information she really didn’t want to know. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE WESTERN STAR by Craig Johnson (Mystery)
Audiobook available, narrated by George Guidall
A younger sheriff confronts Walt Longmire with a photograph of 25 armed men standing in front of a Challenger steam locomotive. It takes him back to when, fresh from the battlefields of Vietnam, then-deputy Walt accompanied his mentor Lucian to the annual Wyoming Sheriff's Association junket. The young Walt was ill-prepared for the machinations of 24 veteran sheriffs, let alone the cavalcade of curious characters that accompanied them. The photograph --- along with an upcoming parole hearing for one of the most dangerous men Walt has encountered in a lifetime of law enforcement --- hurtles the sheriff into a head-on collision of past and present, placing him and everyone he cares about squarely on the tracks of runaway revenge. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
GOOD ME BAD ME by Ali Land (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Imogen Church
Milly’s mother is a serial killer. Though Milly loves her mother, the only way to make her stop is to turn her in to the police. Milly is given a fresh start: a new identity, a home with an affluent foster family, and a spot at an exclusive private school. But Milly has secrets, and life at her new home becomes complicated. As her mother’s trial looms, with Milly as the star witness, Milly starts to wonder how much of her is nature, how much of her is nurture, and whether she is doomed to turn out like her mother after all. When tensions rise and Milly feels trapped by her shiny new life, she has to decide: Will she be good? Or is she bad? She is, after all, her mother's daughter. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
ALL THE DIRTY PARTS by Daniel Handler (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Josiah Tristan
Cole is a boy in high school. He runs cross country, he sketches, he jokes around with friends. But none of this quite matters next to the allure of sex. He fantasizes about whomever he's looking at. He consumes and shares pornography. And he sleeps with a lot of girls, which is beginning to earn him a not-quite-savory reputation around school. This leaves him adrift with only his best friend for company, and then something startling starts to happen between them that might be what he's been after all this time. And then he meets Grisaille. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN by Jo Furniss (Apocalyptic Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Fiona Hardingham
Struggling with working-mother guilt, Marlene Greene hopes a camping trip in the forest will provide quality time with her three young children --- until they see fires in the distance, columns of smoke distorting the sweeping view. Overnight, all communication with the outside world is lost. Knowing something terrible has happened, Marlene suspects that the isolation of the remote campsite is all that’s protecting her family. But the arrival of a lost boy reveals they are not alone in the woods, and as the unfolding disaster ravages the land, more youngsters seek refuge under her wing. The lives of her own children aren’t the only ones at stake. When their sanctuary is threatened, Marlene faces the mother of all dilemmas: Should she save her own kids or try to save them all? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
THE MASSACRE OF MANKIND: The Sequel to War of the Worlds by Stephen Baxter (Science Fiction/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Nathalie Buscombe
It has been 14 years since the Martians invaded England. The world has moved on, always watching the skies but content that we know how to defeat the Martian menace. Machinery looted from the abandoned capsules and war-machines have led to technological leaps forward. The Martians are vulnerable to earth germs. The Army is prepared. So when the signs of launches on Mars are seen, there seems little reason to worry. Unless you listen to Walter Jenkins, the narrator of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. He is sure that the Martians have learned, adapted and understood their defeat. He is right. Thrust into the chaos of a new invasion, a journalist --- Jenkins' sister-in-law --- must survive, escape and report on the war. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
DEAD WOMAN WALKING by Sharon Bolton (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Barrie
Just before dawn in the hills near the Scottish border, a man murders a young woman. At the same time, a hot-air balloon crashes out of the sky. There’s just one survivor. She’s seen the killer’s face --- but he’s also seen hers. And he won’t rest until he’s eliminated the only witness to his crime. Alone, scared and trusting no one, she’s running to where she feels safe --- but it could be the most dangerous place of all. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE RESURRECTION OF JOAN ASHBY by Cherise Wolas (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Gabra Zackman and Michael Dickes
Joan Ashby is a brilliant and intense literary sensation acclaimed for her explosively dark and singular stories. When she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she is stunned by Martin’s delight, his instant betrayal of their pact (“work is paramount, absolutely no children”). She then makes a fateful, selfless decision to embrace her unintentional family. Challenged by raising two precocious sons, it is decades before she finally completes her masterpiece novel. Poised to reclaim the spotlight, to resume the intended life she gave up for love, a betrayal of Shakespearean proportion forces her to question every choice she has made. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR by Robert K. Tanenbaum (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Berkrot
When a cop shoots down the son of a respected inner-city Baptist preacher, the community rises up in anger and demands to have the officer prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But there’s something more than a call for justice at work here: a plot to bring down the city’s police force through a conspiracy so vast and malicious that only Butch Karp and his band of truth-seekers can untangle it. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES by Holly Seddon (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Mandy Williams and Elizabeth Knowelden
Driven by fears and obsessions, Robin Marshall is haunted by what happened to her family when she was a girl. Her only connection to the outside world is through her rear windows and the lives she spies upon in the apartment house across the way. Then a stranger starts pounding on her door. Sarah Marshall, Robin’s estranged twin, has recently lost custody of her child and has set off on her own, hoping that somewhere in England she can find Robin. While Sarah, slowly unraveling, searches for her sister’s hiding place, Robin sees another life hanging in the balance in the lighted windows across the street. It is a life only Robin can save --- as long as she never looks away. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on September 12th
Below are some notable titles releasing on September 12th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of September 11th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
A COLUMN OF FIRE by Ken Follett (Historical Fiction)
In 1558, as power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty and love. Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva.
DAVID BOWIE: A Life by Dylan Jones (Biography)
Drawn from over 180 interviews with friends, rivals, lovers and collaborators, some of whom have never before spoken about their relationship with David Bowie, this oral history unfolds the story of a remarkable rise to stardom and an unparalleled artistic path.
ENIGMA: An FBI Thriller by Catherine Coulter (Thriller)
When Agent Dillon Savich saves Kara Moody from a seemingly crazy man, he doesn’t realize he will soon be facing a scientist who wants to live forever and is using “John Doe” to help him. But when the scientist, Lister Maddox, loses him, he ups the stakes and targets another to take his experiments to the next level. It’s a race against time literally as Savich and Sherlock rush to stop him and save both present and future victims of his experiments.
FOREST DARK by Nicole Krauss (Fiction)
In the wake of his parents’ deaths, his divorce from his wife of more than 30 years, and his retirement from the New York legal firm where he was a partner, Jules Epstein has felt an irresistible need to give away his possessions. With the last of his wealth, he travels to Israel, with a nebulous plan to do something to honor his parents.
THE GIRL WHO TAKES AN EYE FOR AN EYE: A Lisbeth Salander Novel by David Lagercrantz (Thriller)
Lisbeth Salander has never been able to uncover the most telling facts of her traumatic childhood, the secrets that might finally, fully explain her to herself. Now, when she sees a chance to uncover them once and for all, she enlists the help of Mikael Blomkvist, the editor of the muckraking, investigative journal Millennium.
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng (Fiction)
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson. Enter Mia Warren, who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter and rents a house from the Richardsons. But Mia carries a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this community.
LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES by Jamie Ford (Historical Fiction)
Twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a half-Chinese orphan, is raffled off at the 1909 World’s Fair. The winning ticket belongs to the flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel, famous for educating her girls. There, Ernest befriends Maisie, the madam’s precocious daughter, and a bold scullery maid named Fahn. But as the grande dame succumbs to an occupational hazard and their world of finery begins to crumble, all three must grapple with hope, ambition and first love.
ROBERT B. PARKER'S THE HANGMAN'S SONNET: A Jesse Stone Novel by Reed Farrel Coleman (Mystery)
Jesse Stone’s loyal protégé, Suitcase Simpson, is getting married. The morning of the wedding, Jesse learns that a gala 75th birthday party is to be held for folk singer Terry Jester. Jester has spent the last 40 years in seclusion after the mysterious disappearance of the master recording tape of his magnum opus, The Hangman's Sonnet. That same morning, an elderly Paradise woman dies while her house is being ransacked. What's the connection to Terry Jester and the mysterious missing tape?
THE ROMANOV RANSOM: A Sam and Remi Fargo Adventure by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell (Thriller/Adventure)
In 1918, a ransom of enormous size was paid to free the Romanovs from the Bolsheviks. But the Romanovs died anyway. And the ransom? During World War II, the Nazis stole it from the Russians, and after that, it vanished. Until now. When a modern-day kidnapping captures the attention of husband-and-wife team Sam and Remi Fargo, the couple soon learn that these long-lost riches may be back in play.
THE UNQUIET GRAVE by Sharyn McCrumb (Historical Fiction)
The Greenbrier Ghost is renowned in American folklore, but Sharyn McCrumb is the first author to look beneath the legend to unearth the facts. Using a century of genealogical material and other historical documents, McCrumb reveals new information about the story and brings to life the personalities in the trial.
UNSTOPPABLE: My Life So Far by Maria Sharapova (Memoir)
Maria Sharapova’s career has always been driven by her determination and by her dedication to hard work. Her story doesn’t begin with the 2004 Wimbledon championship (her first grand slam title), but years before, in a small Russian town, where as a five-year-old she played on drab neighborhood courts with precocious concentration.
THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS: The Journals of Margaret Kelly & Molly McGill by Jim Fergus (Historical Fiction)
In 1873, Margaret Kelly participated in the U.S. government's "Brides for Indians" program, the conceit of which was that the way to peace between the United States and the Cheyenne Nation was for One Thousand White Women to be given as brides in exchange for 300 horses. These "brides" were mostly fallen women, but many of them fell in love with their Cheyenne spouses and had children with them...and became Cheyenne themselves.
WHAT HAPPENED by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Politics/Memoir)
For the first time, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll and
Word of Mouth/Sounding Off on Audio Contests
Poll:
Which of the following social media platforms do you use on a regular basis? Please check all that apply.
-
Facebook
-
Instagram
-
Pinterest
-
Twitter
-
None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, September 22nd at noon ET.
Word of Mouth:
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from September 8th to September 22nd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of A COLUMN OF FIRE by Ken Follett and THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS: The Journals of Margaret Kelly & Molly McGill by Jim Fergus.
Click here to enter the contest.
Sounding Off on Audio:
Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from September 6th to October 2nd at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Nelson DeMille's THE CUBAN AFFAIR, read by Scott Brick, and Stephen King and Owen King's SLEEPING BEAUTIES, read by Marin Ireland.
Click here to enter the contest.
|
