Ohhhhh September…You Challenge Me!
September this year has been in high gear! All the projects that were on hold or in slow motion all summer are now racing along at fast speeds. It’s like everyone woke up and called the same week. Case in point: I am writing this newsletter on Thursday night as I am heading into the city on Friday (I typically work in New Jersey on Fridays) for a publisher preview in the morning and then an author luncheon.
I am looking forward to the luncheon as two authors there have written books coming this winter that I am crazy about. First up is Karen Cleveland, whose NEED TO KNOW will be publishing on January 23rd. This was one wildly compulsive read; one of my publishing colleagues told me I would not be able to put it down once I started it, and she was right. I was reading on a Sunday and stopped to eat dinner. As soon as I put down my fork, I raced back to the couch to finish it, vowing to return to do the dishes later; I had to know what was going to happen next. It’s tough to talk about thrillers without giving too much away, so here’s a very bare bones description: Vivian works as an analyst for the CIA uncovering Russian sleeper cells. She has been married to her husband, Matt, for 10 years, and they have four children, one of whom has a medical condition. One day as she is decoding intel, Vivian learns something that will turn her world upside down. What worked about it? For me, everything. I am a huge fan of "The Americans" on FX; this reminded me of that.
The other author is Tara Westover, whose memoir EDUCATED (coming on February 20th) was spotlighted in last week’s newsletter. I have so many questions for her! Both of these books will be Bookreporter.com Bets On selections.
On Wednesday, I had a real New York experience at another author luncheon. Rao’s is an Italian restaurant in East Harlem where you only get in to dine if you are on a closely held list, or are a guest of someone on that list. And that would be for dinner. They do not serve lunch. So it was a really special experience when Rao’s opened for the first time in 123 (that is not a typo) years for a lunch book launch party for Linda Stasi’s BOOK OF JUDAS and Nelson DeMille’s THE CUBAN AFFAIR; both books will be in stores on Tuesday.
I have not read Linda's work before, but look forward to delving into BOOK OF JUDAS this weekend. For the record, Linda has great spunk --- she is a New York Daily News journalist, and she was wearing amazing shoes! When she was introducing Nelson, she reminded me that his book takes place in the Florida Keys and Cuba, two places wickedly ravaged by Hurricane Irma last week. His descriptions may be of places that will not look the same going forward. Hmmm…does that make it historical fiction, though it was set in present day?
Last weekend, I read ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL by Sarah Vaughan, which will be in stores on January 23rd. (I know I am reading a lot of January books; I clearly am getting ahead of myself!) James, a British politician, has been accused of a horrific crime; his wife, Sophie, is embarrassed by the accusation, but stands by him. She doubts he could have done this terrible thing. But she also knows that James has a big secret from the past --- one that could haunt him if it is uncovered. Kate is the prosecutor who is staring down James and is determined to have him pay for his action. But which action does she want him to pay for? Ah, you have to read to find out.
I was crazy about THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict, and it was a Bets On selection. Now I am reading her upcoming title, CARNEGIE’S MAID, which will be in stores on January 16th. (You're getting the feeling that January has some big books in it, right?) Clara Kelley has taken on the role of an experienced Irish maid in the home of Andrew Carnegie in Pittsburgh. But she is actually a poor farmer’s daughter who sailed the ocean to help save her family by sending money back home. I am only about 100 pages in, but am loving the atmosphere and the tiny details that Marie has added to her prose. For those who loved "Downton Abbey," you will revel in the descriptions of life in the Carnegie home here.
Now to this week’s update...
LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES, our latest New Release Spotlight title, is a new work of historical fiction from Jamie Ford, whose debut novel HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET was a Bets On selection. His latest book (which also will be a Bets On pick) introduces readers to 12-year-old Ernest Young, a half-Chinese orphan, who is raffled off at the 1909 World’s Fair in Seattle. The winning ticket belongs to the flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel, where Ernest becomes the new houseboy and befriends Maisie, the madam’s precocious daughter, and a bold scullery maid named Fahn. Fifty years later, in the shadow of Seattle’s second World’s Fair, Ernest struggles to help his ailing wife reconcile who she once was with who she wanted to be, while trying to keep family secrets hidden from their grown-up daughters.
Norah Piehl has our review and calls Jamie Ford a “skillful storyteller” and goes on to say, “His debut novel, HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, is currently under development as a motion picture, and his latest also shares its predecessor’s cinematic descriptions and vivid evocations of a Seattle most readers probably didn’t know anything about.” I had the pleasure of interviewing Jamie about LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES; click here to read what he had to say. We have a discussion guide available for the book on ReadingGroupGuides.com, which you can see here. Also, Jamie has pulled together a walking tour of Seattle, where you can see many of the locations he mentions in his two books. And be on the lookout for my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
Another upcoming Bets On title is LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng, which I’ve talked about in previous newsletters. Everything is planned in Shaker Heights, a progressive suburb of Cleveland, and no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson. Mia Warren comes to town 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. When family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that divides the town. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at a shocking and devastating price.
According to reviewer Maya Gittelman, “Each and every one of these characters speak their truths to the reader. Ng writes with sentences that run clean but deep, rich with detail but not a word out of place.... She is an expert at omniscient narration, weaving timeline and backstories with propulsive forward motion, deepening our investment in the story." Find out why I’m betting you’ll love this book in next week’s newsletter.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include THE GIRL WHO TAKES AN EYE FOR AN EYE by David Lagercrantz, book five in the Millennium series starring Lisbeth Salander (I hear the origin of that famous tattoo is revealed here); SING, UNBURIED, SING, Jesmyn Ward’s first novel since her National Book Award–winning SALVAGE THE BONES (check out the discussion guide here); and SOURDOUGH, Robin Sloan's much-anticipated new novel following his successful debut (and book club favorite), MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE.
Our latest Paperback Spotlight features THE PROVING by Beverly Lewis. Amanda Dienner hasn't seen her Old Order family in five years when she receives word that her mother has passed away and left her Lancaster County's most popular Amish bed-and-breakfast. Now an Englisher, Mandy is shocked: Her twin sister should have been the obvious choice! What's more, the inheritance comes with a catch: The farmhouse inn will only truly be hers if she is able to successfully run it for 12 consecutive months. Mandy accepts the challenge, even though it means returning to Gordonville and the painful memories she left behind at 18. Still, she's determined to prove she is more than capable of running the bed-and-breakfast, even though its loyal clientele are expecting an Amish hostess!
There’s still time to enter our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight contest for BEST DAY EVER by Kaira Rouda, which the publisher calls “a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.” Fifty readers will win a copy of the book and share their comments on it with us. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, September 21st at noon ET. It’s so edgy and so well done.
In our first round of this year’s Fall Preview contests, we gave away LIES SHE TOLD by Cate Holahan, the aforementioned LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng, and THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS: The Journals of Margaret Kelly & Molly McGill by Jim Fergus. Next week’s prize books will be the aforementioned THE CUBAN AFFAIR by Nelson DeMille, THE EXACT NATURE OF OUR WRONGS by Janet Peery, GOOD ME BAD ME by Ali Land, and THE RIVER OF KINGS by Taylor Brown. The first contest of the week will be up on Monday, September 18th at noon ET.
THE VENGEANCE OF MOTHERS is also our Word of Mouth prize book, 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.
Also, be sure to let us know the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to on our Sounding Off on Audio page, and you’ll be in the running 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. The deadline for your submissions is Monday, October 2nd at noon ET.
Note on our poll: if you voted last weekend, please vote again. Some bot jumped in last week and stacked the deck for one of the social media platforms, voting for it over 2,200 times! WE know how to sniff out fraud, so we closed that poll and re-opened it with the same question. Apologies, and here we go again! What social media platforms, if any, do you use on a regular basis? Click here to let us know.
The longlist for this year’s National Book Awards was announced this week. Click here to see all 40 titles in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Young People’s Literature. The finalists will be revealed on October 4th, followed by the announcement of the winners on November 15th.
Also this week, the shortlist for this year’s Man Booker Prize for Fiction was announced. The six titles are 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster, HISTORY OF WOLVES by Emily Fridlund, EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid, ELMET by Fiona Mozley, LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders, and AUTUMN by Ali Smith. The winner will be announced on October 17th.
Here are two author events to have on your radar --- and be sure to book your tickets NOW!
Random House is back with one of their popular signature events, Off the Page, on Thursday, November 9th at the Tishman Auditorium at The New School in New York City. Off the Page presents authors in thought-provoking conversation, exclusive access to the hottest books, tips for the holidays, and a chance to connect with other avid readers throughout a day of dynamic programming. The stellar lineup includes Salman Rushdie (whose new novel, THE GOLDEN HOUSE, we review this week), the founding editors from Food52, Kelly Corrigan, Lucy Kalanithi, Khizr Kahn, Elizabeth Berg, Lisa Wingate and Emily Ruskovich. Click here for all the details and to purchase your ticket.
The official lineup has been confirmed for this year’s Hachette Book Club Brunch, a fabulous day of literary programming for book clubs and booklovers in the New York City area. It is returning for its sixth year on Saturday, October 21st at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. Readers will hear from a panel of narrative nonfiction authors (including Liza Mundy, author of CODE GIRLS), a panel of fiction authors (including Betsy Carter, author of WE WERE STRANGERS ONCE, which we review this week), and award-winning author Emma Donoghue, who will be discussing her book, THE WONDER, which is now available in paperback. The event will cap off with a special book club discussion with Madeline Miller, author of the forthcoming novel, CIRCE. All attendees will receive an advance copy of the novel to prepare for this very exciting discussion, as well as lunch and a tote bag full of books at the time of the event. Click here to buy your ticket today.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Stephanie wrote, “Wow, the books you read over your vacation sound so interesting! Thanks for sharing. By the way, I read both THE ALICE NETWORK and BENEATH A SCARLET SKY. I agree that they were simply brilliant. You and your team deserved a great break for sure, but I am glad your newsletter is back.” We are glad to be back too!
Kathryn wrote, “It appears that some libraries are experimenting with eliminating late fees, or, as they seem to persist in calling them, fines. I ran across this story about the Whistler BC library that mentions several others in Canada and the US that have done this also, several of them reporting positive results. Mine is not among those to eliminate them. I finally decided that I just take as long as I need to read the book and pay the late fees (I refuse to call them fines) and consider them a donation to the library. 'Fines' on books returned after the due date seems to me to be a penalty for those who are unable to finish reading a book in the time the library has predetermined, regardless of the length or type. At least most do not charge these for children's books. It seems fines/fees have become a needed source of revenue for libraries, which is too bad. I am sure that when late fees were first instituted, such a thing as a 'line item' did not exist in a library budget. (You can also see a photo of the now-22-year-old Vancouver BC library, which I have always considered so interesting for a library.)" There was a time when my older son had racked up so many fines that I was at the library writing a BIG check!
Lindsey wrote, “Thank you so much for Bookreporter sending me DEATH ON WINDMILL WAY. However, I think I may be in trouble because I like the book so much that I want to read more in the series as they become available and other books by Carrie Doyle! It has been a great read. Thank you.” There are three out now! I read the series rapid fire and selected them as Bets On titles; now you see why!
Nancy wrote about my issue with the squirrels eating the hibiscus plants: “Ah, squirrels! We love our squirrels...they are so entertaining to watch. But they should NOT be eating your plants. Have you tried bribing them with something they like better? They love the black oily sunflower seeds that you put out for cardinals. We keep a bucket of seeds in our backyard and they ignore all plants. And I get to watch them! (You can also try peanuts, whole corn, etc. Experiment to see what they like best.) Squirrels are happy, Carol is happy, flowers are growing.” Um, well this year was a loss. I will share a photo of the non-plants next week. And right now the look I am giving the squirrel would not be anything beatific!
We had a really nice visit with Tom’s mom, his sister Kate, and her daughters Kelley and Glynnis last weekend. While we had CNN and The Weather Channel on to monitor and track the storm that Kate and Glynnis had raced away from in Florida, we had a great time making pizza and eating key lime pie (the latter was my homage to the hurricane). Luckily they were spared damage at their home (Kate’s husband stayed behind to hold down the fort and report in) and did not even lose power.
Our hearts go out to our MANY readers and friends who were in the path of Irma, as well as those who battled Harvey. I was going back and forth with some of our Florida readers in email last weekend. This note from Miriam reminded me how important a good book can be when she said, “I'm hunkered down in Boca at my daughter's having evacuated from my Miami Beach home. Please tell Fiona Davis it's her book that kept me going and busy reading all afternoon. I just finished it, and it was absolutely wonderful. Brava to her for a very well-constructed piece of work.” Now think about it. A book was a perfect escape --- the kind you could not get from Netflix or any other of your usual electronic habits when the storm knocks the power out!
I have a quiet weekend on tap. I am loving my wetsuit in the pool, though this weekend I think the air may ratchet up the pool temps a bit; we shall see. Cory may meander home. Greg is back from his "jumbo adventure," so named for the Jumbo jet he flew on, and I think he has just a bit of jetlag to get over. He has combo jetlag as he went west to east twice as he traveled from Europe to San Francisco over the Pole. I know, it’s confusing. It takes a lot of stamina to keep up with him.
For those celebrating Rosh Hashanah next week, here’s wishing you a Happy New Year! 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 Jamie Ford,
Author of LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES
A New Release Spotlight Title
Jamie Ford, whose debut novel HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET is being adapted into a film, returns with a new work of historical fiction. Inspired by a true story, LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES is about a boy whose life is transformed at Seattle’s 1909 World’s Fair. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Ford discusses his inspiration for the novel, the social issues that are explored here (specifically class in its many forms as an underlying theme), and his penchant for writing strong female characters. He also talks about his decision to add titles to his chapters, why his original title for the book, “The Consolation Prize,” had to be scrapped, his tendency to overdo it when it comes to his research, and what readers can look forward to seeing from him in the near future.
LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES by Jamie Ford (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Woo Zeller
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 becomes the new houseboy and 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. Fifty years later, in the shadow of Seattle’s second World’s Fair, Ernest struggles to help his ailing wife reconcile who she once was with who she wanted to be, while trying to keep family secrets hidden from their grown-up daughters. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. You can read Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read Jamie Ford’s bio.
- Click here to visit Jamie Ford's website.
- Connect with Jamie Ford on Facebook and Twitter.
- Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Click here to read our interview.
Featured Review: LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE
by Celeste Ng
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jennifer Lim
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. When family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that divides the town --- and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. You can read Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE GIRL WHO TAKES AN EYE
FOR AN EYE by David Lagercrantz
THE GIRL WHO TAKES AN EYE FOR AN EYE: A Lisbeth Salander Novel by David Lagercrantz (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Vance
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. And she will let nothing stop her --- not the Islamists she enrages by rescuing a young woman from their brutality; not the prison gang leader who passes a death sentence on her; not the deadly reach of her long-lost twin sister, Camilla; and not the people who will do anything to keep buried knowledge of a sinister pseudoscientific experiment known only as The Registry. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: SING, UNBURIED, SING
by Jesmyn Ward
SING, UNBURIED, SING by Jesmyn Ward (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Rutina Wesley and Chris Chalk
Jojo and his toddler sister, Kayla, live with their grandparents, Mam and Pop, and the occasional presence of their drug-addicted mother, Leonie, on a farm on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Leonie is simultaneously tormented and comforted by visions of her dead brother, which only come to her when she’s high; Mam is dying of cancer; and quiet, steady Pop tries to run the household and teach Jojo how to be a man. When the white father of Leonie’s children is released from prison, she packs her kids and a friend into her car and sets out across the state for Parchman farm, the Mississippi State Penitentiary, on a journey rife with danger and promise. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE GOLDEN HOUSE
by Salman Rushdie
THE GOLDEN HOUSE by Salman Rushdie (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Vikas Adam
On the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, an enigmatic billionaire from foreign shores takes up residence in the architectural jewel of “the Gardens,” a cloistered community in New York’s Greenwich Village. Along with his improbable name, untraceable accent, and unmistakable whiff of danger, Nero Golden has brought along his three adult sons. There is no mother, no wife. At least not until Vasilisa, a sleek Russian expat, snags the septuagenarian Nero, becoming the queen to his king --- a queen in want of an heir. Our guide to the Goldens’ world is their neighbor René, an ambitious young filmmaker. Researching a movie about the Goldens, he ingratiates himself into their household. Reviewed by Gabriella Mayer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
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.
- 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.
New Paperback Spotlight: THE PROVING by Beverly Lewis
THE PROVING by Beverly Lewis (FIction)
After five years as an Englisher, Amanda Dienner is shocked to learn her mother has passed away and left her Lancaster County's most popular Amish bed-and-breakfast. What's more, the inn will only truly be hers if Mandy can successfully run it for 12 months. Reluctantly, Mandy accepts the challenge, no matter that it means facing the family she left behind --- or that the inn's clientele expect an Amish hostess! Can Mandy fulfill the terms of her inheritance? Or will this prove a dreadful mistake?
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Beverly Lewis' bio.
- Click here to connect with Beverly Lewis on Facebook.
Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight:
LIE TO ME by J.T. Ellison
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. They seem made for each other, but the truth is ugly. 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? The path to the answers is full of twists that will leave the reader breathless.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our interview with J.T. Ellison.
- 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.
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 next prize book will be announced on Monday, September 18th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
ROBERT B. PARKER'S THE HANGMAN'S SONNET: A Jesse Stone Novel by Reed Farrel Coleman (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by James Naughton
Jesse Stone, still reeling from the murder of his fiancée by crazed assassin Mr. Peepers, must keep his emotions in check long enough to get through the wedding day of his loyal protégé, Suitcase Simpson. 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 are the thieves looking for? And what's the connection to Terry Jester and the mysterious missing tape? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
SOURDOUGH by Robin Sloan (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Therese Plummer
Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. Her human contact is limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. But when visa issues force the brothers to close up shop, they give Lois their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. Soon, she is providing loaves daily to the General Dexterity cafeteria and is urged to take her product to the farmer’s market. When Lois comes before the jury that decides who sells what at Bay Area markets, she encounters a close-knit club with no appetite for new members. Then an alternative emerges: a secret market that aims to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, exactly? Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
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. Tracing Bowie’s life from the English suburbs to London to New York to Los Angeles, Berlin and beyond, its collective voices describe a man profoundly shaped by his relationship with his schizophrenic half-brother Terry; an intuitive artist who could absorb influences through intense relationships and yet drop people cold when they were no longer of use; and a social creature equally comfortable partying with John Lennon and dining with Frank Sinatra. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
GEORGE AND LIZZIE by Nancy Pearl (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Nancy Pearl
George and Lizzie have radically different understandings of what love and marriage should be. George grew up in a warm and loving family --- his father an orthodontist, his mother a stay-at-home mom --- while Lizzie grew up as the only child of two famous psychologists, who viewed her more as an in-house experiment than a child to love. Over the course of their marriage, nothing has changed --- George is happy; Lizzie remains…unfulfilled. When a shameful secret from Lizzie’s past resurfaces, she’ll need to face her fears in order to accept the true nature of the relationship she and George have built over a decade together. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
AT THE STRANGERS' GATE: Arrivals in New York by Adam Gopnik (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Gopnik
When Adam Gopnik and his soon-to-be-wife, Martha, left the comforts of home in Montreal for New York, the city then, much like today, was a pilgrimage site for the young, the arty and the ambitious. But it was also becoming a city of greed, where both life's consolations and its necessities were increasingly going to the highest bidder. AT THE STRANGERS’ GATE builds a portrait of this particular moment in New York through the story of this couple's journey --- from their excited arrival as aspiring artists to their eventual growth into a New York family. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
A BOY IN WINTER by Rachel Seiffert (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mark Deakins
Early on a gray November morning in 1941, only weeks after the German invasion, a small Ukrainian town is overrun by the SS. Penned in with his fellow Jews, under threat of deportation, Ephraim anxiously awaits word of his two sons, missing since daybreak. Come in search of her lover, to fetch him home again, away from the invaders, Yasia must confront new and harsh truths about those closest to her. Here to avoid a war he considers criminal, German engineer Otto Pohl is faced with an even greater crime unfolding behind the lines, and no one but himself to turn to. And in the midst of it all is Yankel, a boy determined to survive this. But to do so, he must throw in his lot with strangers. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
WE WERE STRANGERS ONCE by Betsy Carter (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Suzanne Toren
On the eve of World War II, Egon Schneider --- a gallant and successful Jewish doctor, son of two world-famous naturalists --- escapes Germany to an uncertain future across the sea. Settling into the unfamiliar rhythms of upper Manhattan, he finds solace among a tight-knit group of fellow immigrants, tenacious men and women drawn together as much by their differences as by their memories of the world they left behind. They each suffer degradations and triumphs large and small, but their spirits remain unbroken. And when their little community is faced with an existential threat, these strangers rise up together in hopes of creating a permanent home. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
HOLDING by Graham Norton (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Graham Norton
The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama, but when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke --- a former lover of two different inhabitants --- the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated sergeant PJ Collins struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE SHADOW LIST by Todd Moss (Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Piter Marek
We laugh when it pops up in our inbox: the scam letter promising a windfall. We wonder: How does anybody fall for these things? But it is no laughing matter. It is one of the biggest organized crime rackets in the world --- and State Department crisis manager Judd Ryker has fallen right into the middle of it. The disappearance of a young American in London sends Ryker into the heart of a corruption scandal in Nigeria, at the same time his CIA agent wife Jessica finds herself chasing a Russian master criminal known as the Bear. Unknown to either of them, they are pulling at two ends of the same lethal thread, a staggeringly vicious enterprise of piracy, extortion and murder. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on September 18th and 19th
Below are some notable titles releasing on September 18th and 19th 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 18th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
September 18th
HAUNTED: A Detective Michael Bennett Thriller by James Patterson and James O. Born (Thriller)
An idyllic country town in the Maine woods is haunted by an epidemic emptying its streets and preying on its youth. When local cops uncover a grisly crime scene buried deep in the woods, they consult the vacationing Detective Michael Bennett, who jumps at the chance to atone for his own sins.
September 19th
BEST DAY EVER by Kaira Rouda (Psychological Thriller)
Paul Strom has the perfect life, and he’s the perfect husband. That’s 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.
THE BEST KIND OF PEOPLE by Zoe Whittall (Fiction)
George Woodbury, a beloved science teacher at a prep school, has been charged with sexual misconduct with students from his daughter’s school. As he sits in prison awaiting trial and claiming innocence, his wife Joan vaults between denial and rage as friends and neighbors turn cold.
CAROLINE: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller (Historical Fiction)
In the frigid days of February 1870, Caroline Ingalls and her family leave the familiar comforts of the Big Woods of Wisconsin for a new life in Kansas Indian Territory. The pioneer life is a hard one, especially for a pregnant woman with no friends or kin to turn to for comfort or help. But Caroline's new world is also full of tender joys.
THE CUBAN AFFAIR by Nelson DeMille (Thriller)
Daniel Graham MacCormick is living in Key West, the proud owner of a 42-foot charter fishing boat, The Maine. But truth be told, his finances are more than a little shaky. Carlos, a hotshot Miami lawyer heavily involved with anti-Castro groups, wants to hire Mac and The Maine for a 10-day fishing tournament to Cuba.
AN ECHO OF MURDER: A William Monk Novel by Anne Perry (Historical Mystery)
A Hungarian warehouse owner lies in the middle of his blood-sodden office, pierced through the chest with a bayonet and eerily surrounded by 17 candles, their wicks dipped in blood. Suspecting the murder may be rooted in ethnic prejudice, Commander William Monk turns to London’s Hungarian community in search of clues but finds his inquiries stymied by its wary citizens and a language he doesn’t speak.
KEEP HER SAFE by Sophie Hannah (Psychological Thriller)
Pushed to the breaking point, Cara Burrows flees her home and family and escapes to a five-star spa resort she can't afford. Late at night, exhausted and desperate, she lets herself into her hotel room and is shocked to find it already occupied --- by a man and a teenage girl. Soon Cara realizes that the girl she saw alive and well in the hotel room is someone she can't possibly have seen: the most famous murder victim in the country.
KILLING ENGLAND: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (History)
Told through the eyes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Great Britain’s King George III, KILLING ENGLAND --- which transports readers to the Revolutionary War --- chronicles the path to independence, taking the reader from the battlefields of America to the royal courts of Europe.
THE NINTH HOUR by Alice McDermott (Fiction)
On a dim winter afternoon, a young Irish immigrant opens the gas taps in his Brooklyn tenement. He is determined to prove --- to the subway bosses who have recently fired him and to his badgering, pregnant wife --- that “the hours of his life belonged to himself alone.” In the aftermath of the fire that follows, Sister St. Saviour appears, unbidden, to direct the way forward for his widow and his unborn child.
THE SCARRED WOMAN: A Department Q Novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen
(Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
In a Copenhagen park, the body of an elderly woman is discovered. The case bears a striking resemblance to another unsolved homicide investigation from over a decade ago, but the connection between the two victims confounds the police. Across town, a group of young women are being hunted. The attacks seem random, but could these brutal acts of violence be related?
TO BE WHERE YOU ARE: A Mitford Novel by Jan Karon (Fiction)
A beloved town character lands a front-page obituary. But who was it, exactly, who died? And what about the former mayor who’s still running for office? All this, of course, is but a feather on the wind compared to Muse editor J.C. Hogan’s desperate attempts to find a cure for his marital woes. Twenty minutes from Mitford at Meadowgate Farm, newlyweds Dooley and Lace Kavanagh face a crisis that devastates their bank account and impacts their family vet practice.
THE TRUST by Ronald H. Balson (Historical Fiction)
When his uncle dies, Liam Taggart reluctantly returns to his childhood home in Northern Ireland for the funeral. But when he arrives, Liam learns that not only was his uncle shot to death, but that he had anticipated his own murder. In an astonishing last will and testament, Uncle Fergus has left his entire estate to a secret trust, directing that no distributions be made to any person until the killer is found.
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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 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.
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 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.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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