Leaves Turning and Falling Way Too Fast!
I had a fun day last Saturday at the Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY, with my knitting pals, Annie and Lil. I did not come home with a sheep, a yak, a goat or a sheepdog, though I was very tempted on the latter, but alas we have no sheep to herd. I did find three gorgeous skeins of yarn to finish a project I have been working on. This was a scarf that I had finished, but I thought it needed more to make it even more special, so I unbound it and am adding yarn to it. Backwards to go forward, that’s my knitting motto! After six hours of non-stop walking (including a bit of walking in circles as I have no sense of direction), I longed for a hot tub when I got home. The weather was unseasonably warm, and I had clocked a number of steps! There's a photo above of a sheep being fluffed; I am sure there is a correct term for this, but I am going with fluffed.
I spoke with a few people at the Festival and ended up talking books with them, as many knitters also are readers. I was sharing book ideas as much as I was yarn and pattern suggestions. It’s a perfect combo!
I finished reading Lisa Genova’s EVERY NOTE PLAYED; it’s really terrific. While she explores the ravaging illness that ALS is, she also provided a look into the world of jazz and classical music. I learned a lot while being caught up in a really well-written story of a man and a woman that took me inside their marriage and what tore it apart for them. It will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection when it is published in March. In the Reader Mail section of this newsletter, I share feedback from one of our readers who also read EVERY NOTE PLAYED.
In the September 15th newsletter, I talked about ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL by Sarah Vaughan, a thriller I enjoyed that is coming out on January 23rd --- and now I’m pleased to announce a special contest for it. Sophie’s husband, James, stands accused of a terrible crime, but Sophie is convinced of his innocence. Kate, the lawyer hired to prosecute the case, is certain that James is guilty and wants to make sure he pays for his crimes. Who is right about James? Sophie or Kate? And is either of them informed by anything more than instinct and personal experience? We have 25 advance copies to give away to readers who like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, November 9th at noon ET.
On tap for weekend reading is A HUNDRED SMALL LESSONS by Australian writer Ashley Hay. An older woman has left the Brisbane home that she has lived in for more than 60 years to live in a nearby nursing home. A young family moves into the house, and their stories intertwine. Over the past few weeks, I have met a number of people who are downsizing after decades in the same homes, which spurred me to want to read this. I am looking forward to it!
Quick thing: As October draws to a close, we are giving thought to 2018. Which begs our question, “What features would you like to see on BRC that you are not seeing now?” Shoot me a note with the subject line “What to Add on BRC.” One thing I want to go back to in 2018 is sharing links to books that I have read, all in one place, as well as my Future Bets On selections, which I need to update with even more 2018 titles. Lots of good reading to come!
Now to the rest of this week’s update...
John Grisham is back with his latest legal thriller, THE ROOSTER BAR. Mark, Todd and Zola came to law school to change the world and make it a better place. But now, as third-year students, reality has set in for them. They all borrowed heavily to attend a third-tier, for-profit law school so mediocre that its graduates rarely pass the bar exam, let alone get good jobs. And when they learn that their school is one of a chain owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, these close friends know they have been caught up in The Great Law School Scam. But maybe there's a way out.
Stuart Shiffman has our review and says, “As Shakespeare observed, ‘to do a great right do a little wrong.’ That may be the lesson of THE ROOSTER BAR. There are no good guys in this novel, just bad guys and really bad guys. Fortunately, the bad guys have enough good in their hearts to make their exploits endearing.” Here’s a link to Grisham’s appearance on "CBS This Morning" earlier this week.
The audio version of THE ROOSTER BAR (read by Ari Fliakos) is one of the prizes in our Sounding Off on Audio contest, along with Dan Brown’s ORIGIN, read by Paul Michael. You only have until Wednesday, November 1st at noon ET to let us know what audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win both audio titles.
I’m continuing to listen to --- and loving --- MANHATTAN BEACH on audio; I highly recommend it. Jennifer Egan is a brilliant writer, and the narration is spot on. If you have not listened to audio, I recommend this one!
MERRY AND BRIGHT is another delightful holiday novel from Debbie Macomber. Merry Knight is busy taking care of her family, preparing for the holidays, and trying to stay out of the way of her overbearing boss at the consulting firm where she temps. She’s not even thinking about her social life, much less having a man in her life. Unbeknownst to her, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her (leaving out her photo), and the matches start rolling in. Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger. But meeting face-to-face is far more intimidating, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects --- or desires.
According to reviewer Susan Miura, “If you liked You’ve Got Mail, you’ll certainly enjoy MERRY AND BRIGHT. Warm and sweet as Christmas cookies, this new Debbie Macomber romance is sure to be a hit this holiday season.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include LEONARDO DA VINCI, Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Renaissance artist/inventor that connects his art to his science (I'm looking forward to seeing him at the Miami Book Fair --- Walter, that is); UNCOMMON TYPE, a debut collection of 17 short stories from two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks; and STRANGE WEATHER, a collection of four chilling novels from horror writer Joe Hill that expose the darkness that lies just beneath the surface of everyday life.
Our latest New Release Spotlight title is THE KILLER WHO HATED SOUP, the first installment in Bill A. Brier’s 1950s mystery series, The Killer Who. Energetic and eager to make his mark on what Time magazine called the next great boom town, Bucky Ontario leaves his Louisiana home and hops a bus to Defiance, Oklahoma, a town not particularly averse to murders, just the embarrassment of them. While helping his friend, Kindra, search for a ring that once belonged to her dead mother, Bucky is told: “Find the baby, find the ring.” I read this a couple of months ago, and Brier brings a really strong voice to his writing that stayed with me. He gets the time period spot-on and brings a great sense of humor to his characters.
My latest Bets On pick is THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine, which we reviewed last week. Click here to see why I’m betting you’ll love this debut psychological thriller.
We’ve updated our Young Adult Books You Want to Read feature, books we've recently featured on Teenreads.com that we think will appeal to an adult audience. This month’s titles are TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN by John Green, DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone, and A SHORT HISTORY OF THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Jared Reck. I want to read all three of them!
IN THE MIDST OF WINTER by Isabel Allende and TWO KINDS OF TRUTH: A Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly, both of which we’re reviewing next week, are our current Word of Mouth prizes. Let us know by Friday, November 3rd at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win both novels.
Our poll continues to ask if you are currently in a book club. Click here to cast your vote.
John Shors is the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of BENEATH A MARBLE SKY and UNBOUND, among other works of historical fiction. In an effort to provide readers with an unparalleled travel experience, John launched John Shors Travel in 2014. Through his tour company, he has led small groups of travelers on adventures all over the world to the settings in his novels, including India, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. In this blog piece, John talks about the origin of these unique literary tours and how wonderful it has been to travel with his readers.
We have exciting news to share with you, and fans of Fredrik Backman’s work will especially want to take note. Off the Shelf will be hosting a Facebook Live Book Club discussion of A MAN CALLED OVE on Friday, November 10th at noon EST. Join them at www.facebook.com/OTSBooks as they chat about this dearly beloved novel and all things Backman. Anyone who comments on the video will be entered to win a complete collection of Fredrik Backman’s books.
This year's Miami Book Fair will be taking place from November 12-19. On Saturday the 18th at 10am in Room 3314 in Building 3, I will be doing a presentation featuring great book club reads for fall and winter. I also will be interviewing Ann Hood about her novel, THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST, and her memoir, MORNINGSTAR: Growing Up with Books, as well as her experiences talking to book groups. Click here for more details. At this program, I also will provide a guide to Miami Book Fair sessions of interest to book groups. Hundreds of authors will be attending this year, including Megan Abbott, Isabel Allende, Elin Hilderbrand, Min Jin Lee, Claire Messud, Salman Rushdie, Will Schwalbe, Lisa See, Scott Turow, and many, many more. Click here for the full list.
News & Pop Culture:
Reader Mail:
Cathy agreed with me that the clocks need to change. “I am with you on the Daylight Saving Time thing. I don't like it.” ONE more week of waking in the dead of night…at 7am!
Claire wrote, “I read an ARC of EVERY NOTE PLAYED last weekend. I started it on Friday evening and finished it on Saturday morning, much like I read STILL ALICE. Lisa Genova is one of my favorite authors, and this new book really struck a chord with me. It was intense and wonderful, all at the same time. I agree with you as to the educational value of Lisa’s books. The horrors of this ravaging disease cannot be understated. Richard’s gradual acceptance of the disease was so sad to witness. I felt the same about LEFT NEGLECTED, INSIDE THE O’BRIENS and LOVE ANTHONY. STILL ALICE, though, always will be one of my Best Books Ever! I have MANHATTAN BEACH and am looking forward to that and the 80-odd others on my TBR list, but for now I’m reading THE LITTLE FRENCH BISTRO for some light relief.”
Nancy in MA wrote, “Once again I must comment on your wonderful weekly report. I look forward to it. At your suggestion I did read BENEATH A SCARLET SKY. Thoroughly enjoyed it, followed by THE ALICE NETWORK, which I have a tiny bit left. Enjoyed it too. But preferred the first book mentioned. Almost halfway through CODE GIRLS. My daughter heard Liza Mundy speak in DC a few weeks ago and highly recommended it. It is fascinating and informative. Learning so much! Go women. I am a product of an all-female college as is my daughter who graduated from Bryn Mawr in ‘98. Hope to get to the Boston Book Festival. Will send a report if I do attend.”
Nancy in NJ wrote, “The Morristown Festival of Books was, once again, a really wonderful event, from start to finish. I was pleased to attend the two events you moderated, and they were great --- a skilled moderator is so important to engaging and encouraging the authors! Thanks again for your participation and for the wonderful newsletter.” Thank you for the lovely compliment. I was lucky to have such great authors as my panelists.
Judy from GA wrote, “I have just finished SULFUR SPRINGS by William Kent Krueger. Although the location for this book is not MN (which surprised me), Krueger proves he can put his characters in another state and still give his readers a truly great story. His descriptions of the locale made me feel I was actually there. Krueger is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I have read all his books. This book I read quickly because I did not want to put it down. Thank you for the book(s) I won in the Word of Mouth contest. I have read Sue Grafton's book, Y IS FOR YESTERDAY (which was one of the prizes), but it was not one of my favorites. I hate to see her go the way of other authors using the "f" word so freely along with other graphic descriptions I could have lived without. Have never understood why authors think profanities and vulgarities are worth writing. Not!!” We often hear from readers who object to profanity in books. Wondering what others think about it.
"Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold": This 90-minute documentary is available on Netflix today. Directed by her nephew, Griffin Dunne, and produced by her niece, Annabelle Dunne, it’s a look at this iconic writer as never seen before. Some parts jumped around too much for me, and if you do not know any background on Joan, it may be hard to follow, but it’s interesting viewing. I heard her speak a few years ago at an evening event at the Miami Book Fair. I was walking to my car when I turned around and headed back into the auditorium, and waited on a long signing line for her to sign my book. I am not big on getting books autographed, but her talk was so compelling I wanted it signed and to speak with her.
"Mindhunter": I finished season one and loved it, but considering David Fincher’s talent, I am surprised at how lame the opening credit sequence is!
"Ray Donovan": The season wraps this Sunday on Showtime; next year it’s set in New York.
"The Good Doctor": New show this season on ABC that is well done with a young doctor who presents with autism. Lots in there to educate about people on the autism spectrum.
Cory called this morning, which is something of an event as he rarely calls me, so when I saw my phone light up with his name/number this AM, I should have known something was up! Yep, he thought his ankle was sprained or broken, which meant a flurry of calls and a trip for him to get an x-ray. The result: a broken bone in the fifth metatarsal. Easy recovery. Whew!
Right now this is a weekend with NO plans, and I am so happy about this. I fear it is time to close the pool; the leaves are winning!
I am looking forward to Halloween. We live on a street where there are many steps between the houses, and little legs in costumes usually migrate to blocks where there is more candy per street. I am trying to lure kids back to our neighborhood with a reminder to their parents that we have full-size candy bars. Last year, we had no trick-or-treaters, so I ate way, way too many Peanut M&Ms. We'll see how this goes. I'm working home Tuesday so I can leap from my desk when the doorbell rings. I'm not sure if any of you saw the meme where it was touted that Dole was making “fun size” salad packs to give out on Halloween (it was found not to be true). As one librarian friend wrote on social media, “Fun size! Great for Trick or Treaters who are into health. Said no kid ever.”
Last week, we were at a neighborhood family garden center. I asked the younger granddaughter what she was going to be for Halloween, and she said Batgirl. As I was leaving the store, she quietly asked, “What are you going to be?” I told her I might be a witch; she thought that was a great idea, so I may have to go find my witch hat. So cute…and it reminded me of when the boys were young. I miss making costumes!
And for bookish humor, over the summer the older granddaughter at the garden center, who is six, sold four-page “books” that she drew herself and wrote a few sentences for. They were so cute. She sold them for $12.99 and taped a penny to the back so you could give dollars and make change. I think she made $2 a word. I went in the following week and they were sold out! Entrepreneurship starts very young these days.
Happy Halloween to all of you. Oh, and since the Yankees did not win, I am pulling for the Astros. As my husband says, “When your team does not win, you want the team they lost to to go all the way." Also, Houston needs some joy after Hurricane Harvey!
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Featured Review: THE ROOSTER BAR by John Grisham
THE ROOSTER BAR by John Grisham (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
Mark, Todd and Zola came to law school to change the world, to make it a better place. But now, as third-year students, these close friends realize they have been duped. They all borrowed heavily to attend a third-tier, for-profit law school so mediocre that its graduates rarely pass the bar exam, let alone get good jobs. And when they learn that their school is one of a chain owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, the three know they have been caught up in The Great Law School Scam. But maybe there's a way out. Maybe there’s a way to escape their crushing debt, expose the bank and the scam, and make a few bucks in the process. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: LEONARDO DA VINCI
by Walter Isaacson
LEONARDO DA VINCI by Walter Isaacson (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Alfred Molina
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. Reviewed by John Bentlyewski.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
New Special Contest: Win an Advance Copy
of ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL by Sarah Vaughan
and Share Your Comments on It
We have 25 advance copies of ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL by Sarah Vaughan --- an astonishingly incisive and suspenseful novel about a scandal amongst Britain’s privileged elite and the women caught up in its wake --- to give away to readers who would like to preview the book, which releases on January 23rd, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, November 9th at noon ET.
ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL by Sarah Vaughan (Thriller)
Sophie’s husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart.
Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes.
Who is right about James? Sophie or Kate? And is either of them informed by anything more than instinct and personal experience? Despite her privileged upbringing, Sophie is well aware that her beautiful life is not inviolable. She has known it since she and James were first lovers, at Oxford, and she witnessed how easily pleasure could tip into tragedy.
Most people would prefer not to try to understand what passes between a man and a woman when they are alone: alone in bed, alone in an embrace, alone in an elevator… Or alone in the moonlit courtyard of an Oxford college, where a girl once stood before a boy, heart pounding with excitement, then fear. Sophie never understood why her tutorial partner Holly left Oxford so abruptly. What would she think, if she knew the truth?
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Sarah Vaughan’s bio.
- Click here to visit Sarah Vaughan’s website.
- Connect with Sarah Vaughan on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Review: UNCOMMON TYPE by Tom Hanks
UNCOMMON TYPE: Some Stories by Tom Hanks (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Tom Hanks
A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country's civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game --- and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN's newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. An eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down-and-out motel, romance and a bit of real life. These are just some of the tales that Tom Hanks tells in this first collection of his short stories. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: STRANGE WEATHER by Joe Hill
STRANGE WEATHER: Four Short Novels by Joe Hill (Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; performed by Wil Wheaton, Kate Mulgrew, Stephen Lang and Dennis Boutsikaris
In STRANGE WEATHER, a collection of four chilling novels, Joe Hill deftly exposes the darkness that lies just beneath the surface of everyday life. A Silicon Valley adolescent finds himself threatened by "The Phoenician," a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories. A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump…and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud. On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails --- splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. And a mall security guard courageously stops a mass shooting, but under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: MERRY AND BRIGHT
by Debbie Macomber
MERRY AND BRIGHT by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Em Eldridge
Merry Knight is taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her --- minus her photo --- and the matches start rolling in. Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects --- or desires. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to visit Debbie Macomber’s website.
Click here to read the review.
New Release Spotlight: THE KILLER WHO HATED SOUP by Bill A. Brier
THE KILLER WHO HATED SOUP: The Killer Who Series, Book 1 by Bill A. Brier (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
The Internet? Never heard of it. Smart phones? Who you kiddin’? We’re talkin’ 1956.
Energetic and eager to make his mark on what Time magazine called the next great boom town, Bucky Ontario leaves his Louisiana home and hops a bus to Defiance, Oklahoma, a town not particularly averse to murders, just the embarrassment of them.
While helping his friend, Kindra, search for a ring that once belonged to her dead mother, Bucky is told: “Find the baby, find the ring.”
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Bill A. Brier’s bio.
- Visit Bill A. Brier’s website and blog.
- Connect with Bill A. Brier on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine
THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
In THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine (a pseudonym for the sister writing team of Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine), Daphne Parrish lives a fairy-tale life with a gorgeous home in Connecticut, a lake house, and a luxury lifestyle with her real estate mogul husband, Jackson, and two darling daughters. It’s the life that Amber Patterson wants.
Amber deeply envies Daphne and sets out to oust her from her marriage so that she can become THE Mrs. Parrish. Amber initiates her plot by insinuating herself in Daphne’s life and taking up a cause that is dear to Daphne: cystic fibrosis, the disease that killed her sister, Julie. Amber invents a sister with the disease for herself, and from that dark moment, all bets of how she will twist her life to oust Daphne are off. There is fawning, trickery and lots of games being played. But who is playing who here?
The pacing is brisk once you are drawn in with the setup, and it becomes one compulsive read as you are whipped around from one plot twist to the next. Everyone has secrets. And who will draw the card to one-up the next player is something that is constantly on the table. It’s a terrific debut, and I look forward to seeing what the Constantine sisters do next!
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
AMERICAN WOLF: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee (Science/Nature)
Audiobook available, read by Mark Bramhall
Once abundant in North America, wolves were hunted to near extinction in the lower 48 states by the 1920s. But in recent decades, conservationists have brought them back to the Rockies, igniting a battle over the very soul of the West. Nate Blakeslee tells the gripping story of one of these wolves, O-Six, who is a kind and merciful leader, a fiercely intelligent fighter and a doting mother. But as she raises her pups and protects her pack, O-Six is challenged on all fronts: by hunters, who compete with wolves for the elk they both prize; by cattle ranchers who are losing livestock and have the ear of politicians; and by other Yellowstone wolves who are vying for control of the park’s stunningly beautiful Lamar Valley. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
THE POWER by Naomi Alderman (Dystopian/Science Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Adjoa Andoh
In THE POWER, the world is a recognizable place. There's a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool; a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature; an ambitious American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But then a vital new force takes root and flourishes, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power --- they can cause agonizing pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world drastically resets. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
MIND GAME by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Scotland holds a treasure that Jane MacGuire has been hunting for years. But as she scours the highlands in search of it, she’s plagued by dreams of a girl in danger. Who is this girl, and what is she trying to tell Jane? And will Jane figure it out before it’s too late --- for her and the mysterious young woman? Things are further complicated when Seth Caleb comes back into Jane’s life. This time, Jane finds herself pulled unexpectedly into his world as she fights to save him. But Caleb isn’t the only person sweeping her up into startling developments. When Eve Duncan surprises Jane with news of her own, Jane comes face to face with stunning changes in the lives of those she loves most. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
THE CHICAGO CUBS: Story of a Curse by Rich Cohen (Sports/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Grupper
When Rich Cohen was eight years old, his father took him to see a Cubs game. On the way out of the park, his father asked him to make a promise. "Promise me you will never be a Cubs fan. The Cubs do not win,” he explained, “and because of that, a Cubs fan will have a diminished life determined by low expectations. That team will screw up your life.” As a result, Cohen became not just a Cubs fan but one of the biggest Cubs fans in the world. In this book, he captures the story of the team, its players and crazy days. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
THE ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENT: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World by A. J. Baime (History)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Messano
Chosen as FDR’s fourth term Vice President for his well-praised work ethic, good judgment and lack of enemies, Harry S. Truman was the prototypical ordinary man. That is, until he was shockingly thrust in over his head after FDR’s sudden death. During the climactic months of the Second World War, Truman had to play judge and jury, pulling America to the forefront of the global stage. THE ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENT escorts readers into the situation room with Truman during this tumultuous, history-making 120 days, when the stakes were high and the challenge even higher. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
THE FLOATING WORLD by C. Morgan Babst (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Christa Lewis
THE FLOATING WORLD takes readers into the heart of Hurricane Katrina with the story of the Boisdorés, whose roots stretch back nearly to the foundation of New Orleans. Though the storm is fast approaching the Louisiana coast, Cora, the family’s fragile elder daughter, refuses to leave the city, forcing her parents, Joe Boisdoré, an artist descended from a freed slave who became one of the city’s preeminent furniture makers, and his white “Uptown” wife, Dr. Tess Eshleman, to evacuate without her, setting off a chain of events that leaves their marriage in shambles and Cora catatonic --- the victim or perpetrator of some violence mysterious even to herself. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE UNQUIET GRAVE by Sharyn McCrumb (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Roger Casey and Candace Thaxton
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: the prosecutor, a former Confederate cavalryman; the defense attorney, a pro-Union bridgeburner, who nevertheless had owned slaves; and the mother of the murdered woman, who doggedly sticks to her ghost story --- all seen through the eyes of a young black lawyer on the cusp of a new century, with his own tragedies yet to come. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
DYING TO LIVE: A Detective Kubu Mystery by Michael Stanley (Mystery)
A Bushman is discovered dead near the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Africa. Although the man looks old enough to have died of natural causes, the police suspect foul play, and the body is sent to Gaborone for an autopsy. Pathologist Ian MacGregor confirms the cause of death as a broken neck, but is greatly puzzled by the man’s physiology. Although he’s obviously very old, his internal organs look remarkably young. He calls in Assistant Superintendent David “Kubu” Bengu. When the Bushman’s corpse is stolen from the morgue, suddenly the case takes on a new dimension. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
LITTLE SECRETS by Anna Snoekstra (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Saskia Maarleveld
An arsonist is on the loose in Colmstock, Australia, most recently burning down the town’s courthouse and killing a young boy who was trapped inside. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for Rose Blakey. With nothing but rejections from newspapers piling up, her job pulling beers for cops at the local tavern isn’t nearly enough to cover rent. Rose needs a story --- a big one. In the weeks after the courthouse fire, precise porcelain replicas of Colmstock’s daughters begin turning up on doorsteps, terrifying parents and testing the limits of the town’s already fractured police force. Rose may have finally found her story. But as her articles gain traction and the boundaries of her investigation blur, Colmstock is seized by a seething paranoia. Soon, no one is safe from suspicion. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on October 31st
Below are some notable titles releasing on October 31st 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 October 30th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BOBBY KENNEDY: A Raging Spirit by Chris Matthews (Biography)
Overlooked by his father and overshadowed by his war-hero brother, Bobby Kennedy was the perpetual underdog. When he had the chance to become a naval officer like Jack, Bobby turned it down, choosing instead to join the Navy as a common sailor. It was a life-changing experience that led him to connect with voters from all walks of life. Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Chris Matthews pulls back the curtain on the public and private worlds of Robert Francis Kennedy.
THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME by Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
It all begins with a father telling a story to his son on Christmas Eve. But this isn’t your typical Christmas story. The father admits to his son that he’s taken a life, but he won’t say whose --- not yet. One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. He is given the unexpected chance to do something selfless that could change her destiny.
EVEN IF IT KILLS HER: A Bailey Weggins Mystery by Kate White (Mystery/Thriller)
Bailey Weggins’ new friend in college, Jillian Lowe, had everything going for her. All of that dramatically changed during her sophomore year, when a neighbor became unhinged and murdered her family. Now, 16 years later, Bailey is shocked to see Jillian at her book event. The man accused of murdering her family is on the brink of being cleared of the crime through new DNA evidence. With the real killer walking free, Jillian is desperate for Bailey’s help to identify him and allow her the closure she yearns for.
HIDDENSEE: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire (Historical Fantasy)
Having brought his legions of devoted readers to Oz in WICKED and to Wonderland in AFTER ALICE, Gregory Maguire now takes us to the realms of the Brothers Grimm and E. T. A. Hoffmann --- the enchanted Black Forest of Bavaria and the salons of Munich. HIDDENSEE imagines the backstory of the Nutcracker, revealing how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how he guided an ailing girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a Christmas Eve.
IN THE MIDST OF WINTER by Isabel Allende (Fiction)
Richard Bowmaster, a 60-year-old human rights scholar, hits the car of Evelyn Ortega --- a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala --- in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn. What at first seems just a small inconvenience takes an unforeseen and far more serious turn when Evelyn turns up at the professor’s house seeking help. At a loss, the professor asks his tenant Lucia Maraz --- a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile --- for her advice.
PARTING SHOT by Linwood Barclay (Thriller)
After a tragedy rocks the community of Promise Falls, Cal Weaver is asked to investigate the threats being made to the accused's family. He's heard all about it on the news: the young man who drank too much, stole a Porsche and killed a girl, and who claimed afterwards not to remember a single thing. The whole town is outraged that he got off lightly, but for reasons Cal can't explain, he accepts the job. Then he finds himself caught up in a vicious revenge plot, chasing someone set on delivering retribution.
TWIN PEAKS: THE FINAL DOSSIER by Mark Frost (Supernatural Thriller)
While THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS served to expand the mysteries of the town and place the unexplained phenomena that unfolded there into a vastly layered, wide-ranging history, TWIN PEAKS: THE FINAL DOSSIER tells us what happened to key characters in the 25 years in between the events of the first series and the second, offering details and insights fans will be clamoring for.
TWO KINDS OF TRUTH: A Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly (Thriller)
Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drug store where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Bosch and the town's three-person detective squad sift through the clues, which lead into the dangerous, big business world of pill mills and prescription drug abuse. Meanwhile, an old case from Bosch's LAPD days comes back to haunt him when a long-imprisoned killer claims Bosch framed him, and seems to have new evidence to prove it.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Young Adult Books You Want to Read
Here are this month's books we featured on Teenreads.com that we think will appeal to an adult audience:
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN by John Green (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Rudd
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League --- but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, with the windows rolled down and the music turned way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Jared Reck (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Mike Chamberlain
Matt Wainwright is constantly sabotaged by the overdramatic movie director in his head. He can’t tell his best friend, Tabby, how he really feels about her, he implodes on the JV basketball team, and the only place he feels normal is in Mr. Ellis’ English class. If this were a movie, everything would work out perfectly. Instead, Matt watches Tabby get swept away by senior basketball star and all-around great guy Liam Branson. Losing Tabby to Branson is bad enough, but screwing up and losing her as a friend is even worse. After a tragic accident, Matt finds himself left on the sidelines, on the verge of spiraling out of control and losing everything that matters to him.
Click here for more young adult books we recommend you read.
Our Latest Poll: Are You in a Book Club?
Are you currently in a book club?
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Yes
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Yes, and in fact, I am in more than one!
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I have been in a book club in the past, yet I am not in one now, but would like to be.
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I never have been in a book club, but would like to be.
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No, I am not interested in being in a book club.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, November 3rd at noon ET.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from October 20th to November 3rd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of IN THE MIDST OF WINTER by Isabel Allende and TWO KINDS OF TRUTH: A Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly.
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 October 2nd to November 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Dan Brown's ORIGIN, read by Paul Michael, and John Grisham's THE ROOSTER BAR, read by Ari Fliakos.
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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