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Reading as an Olympic Sport:
On Your Mark, Get Set, Turn the Page!
Confession: While I have been reading a number of manuscripts this week, I am behind on my “finished book” reading as I have succumbed to Olympic watching. Yes, I have fallen down an Olympic rabbit hole; seriously, last night I was holding my breath at the 9.5’ drop onto the Snowboard Cross where just watching is both terrifying and thrilling. I can read 1,040 pages upside down. Does that qualify as a sport? How about reading while running on a treadmill? Okay, walking on the treadmill, slowly, while flipping pages on my iPad quickly. Gold medal to me?
I love hearing from readers who attend book events.
Last weekend, Melanie, who edits our Word of Mouth and Sounding Off on Audio features, went to Lisa Gardner’s event at Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore in Delray Beach, FL. Lisa (whose latest book is LOOK FOR ME) is one of Melanie’s daughter’s favorite authors, so she welcomed the opportunity to meet her. Here’s her report on the event: “Lisa arrived about 15 minutes early, and she invited those of us who were already there to get our books signed before she spoke; she was so warm and friendly. During her talk, Lisa shared that she came to writing by being a very big reader as a child. She wrote her first novel at age 17. She mentioned some books she had recently read by other thriller writers she had enjoyed --- HELLBENT by Gregg Hurwitz and BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley were highly recommended. She also said, 'Read the Lisas --- Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Unger, Lisa Scottoline.' She said she gets fan mail from readers who confuse her with other Lisa writers, and she forwards the fan mail on to the correct Lisa!
"She went on to talk about her writing process. She said she picks a crime, then decides which characters, often from her previous novels, will best fit the crime story. She does a lot of research, speaking with police officers, detectives and FBI profilers. She says when she begins to write, she doesn't know how things will get solved, but she works through that while writing. On a personal note, she relayed that since she writes about such dark, violent subjects, she balances that with being involved with at-risk teens and adopting rescue animals, most recently a 14-year-old Brittany Spaniel (which resonated with me since my daughter just adopted a 13-year-old cockapoo)." You can see Melanie and Lisa in the photo above; Melanie is on the left. Note to all: Get your Lisas straight!
This weekend is the Savannah Book Festival, where they have an all-star lineup. One of our readers, Nancy, has been attending the festival for years, and she will be covering Saturday’s events for us. If anyone else will be there, let me know. A reminder that we have a list of book festivals here on the site. If you are planning on attending any of these events, let us know.
Recently, I received a couple of requests from readers and asked you for your feedback. Joy was looking for a “happy book” suggestion for her book group. As she said, "From the mud in Mississippi, to war-time Europe, trekking through the Amazonian jungle, to President Lincoln mourning his son, these were pretty depressing. I need a happy book to suggest for our book club.” And Lee wrote to us that “a friend of mine is going into the hospital next week for some testing that may lead to heart surgery. Yesterday, when I saw her at our monthly Book Club meeting, she asked me if I could gather a list of great historical fiction titles, which is her favorite genre.”
These requests garnered a HUGE response from our readers --- so much so that we decided to turn both lists into blog posts. Click here for some “happy book” suggestions and here for our reader-recommended list of historical fiction titles. Thank you all for taking the time to come up with these wonderful recommendations!
This week, the ALA Youth Media Awards were announced, which include the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott and Printz prizes. You can see the children’s winners here and the YA winners here.
Now to this week’s update…
Amy Bloom tells a fascinating story in her new work of historical fiction, WHITE HOUSES. Lorena Hickok meets Eleanor Roosevelt in 1932 while reporting on Franklin Roosevelt’s first presidential campaign. Having grown up worse than poor in South Dakota and reinvented herself as the most prominent woman reporter in America, “Hick,” as she’s known to her friends and admirers, is not quite instantly charmed by the idealistic, patrician Eleanor. But then, as her connection with the future first lady deepens into intimacy, what begins as a powerful passion matures into a lasting love, and a life that Hick never expected to have.
Susan Miura has our review and says, “Amy Bloom’s writing washes over the reader like a sunrise tide on an island shore…. Even those who are not fans of historical fiction will love this book for all the components that make it a masterpiece: Lorena’s unique voice, imagery that transports you to another place and time, touches of wit and humor, characters so real you’ll feel like you are laughing and crying with them, and unsurpassed storytelling.” I was pulled into this book from the first chapter.
Sophie Kinsella returns with a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage in SURPRISE ME. After 10 years together, Sylvie and Dan have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another 68 years…and panic sets in. They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all.
According to reviewer Leah DeCesare, “Kinsella is a master at engaging storytelling, entertaining quips, and developing nuanced, interesting characters…. Fans of Sophie Kinsella will enjoy her classic lighthearted prose, the outrageous antics, the go-get-’em transformation of her female protagonist, and the satisfying ending, with a bit of a twist.”
SURPRISE ME is one of the books we gave away in our Valentine’s Day contest. Congratulations to our five winners! They received all seven of our love-themed titles, along with some delicious chocolate. Those who entered had the option of responding to the question “Who is your all-time literary crush?” You can see your top 10 “Literary Loves and Lusts” here. It is always such fun perusing these lists!
We’re also giving you a chance to win the audiobook of SURPRISE ME (read by Fiona Hardingham), along with Tara Westover's EDUCATED: A Memoir, read by Julia Whelan, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Thursday, March 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll have a chance to win both these audio titles.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include POISON by John Lescroart, in which San Francisco attorney Dismas Hardy is called upon to investigate the murder of a wealthy man whose heirs are all potential suspects; FEEL FREE, a new collection of essays from Zadie Smith, which gathers in one place for the first time previously unpublished work, as well as already classic essays, such as "Joy" and "Find Your Beach"; and Jonathan Abrams’ ALL THE PIECES MATTER, the definitive oral history of “The Wire,” as told by the actors, writers, directors and others involved in its creation.
ISLAND OF SWEET PIES AND SOLDIERS by Sara Ackerman is our latest New Release Spotlight title. Violet Iverson and her young daughter, Ella, are piecing their lives together one year after the disappearance of her husband. As rumors swirl and questions about his loyalties surface, Violet believes Ella knows something. But Ella is stubbornly silent. Something --- or someone --- has scared her. And with the island overrun by troops training for a secret mission, tension and suspicion between neighbors is rising. Violet bands together with her close friends to get through the difficult days. To support themselves, they open a pie stand near the military base, offering the soldiers a little homemade comfort. Try as she might, Violet can’t ignore her attraction to the brash marine who comes to her aid when the women are accused of spying.
THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah and AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE by Tayari Jones, both of which we featured in last week’s newsletter, are my latest Bets On picks. Click on each of the titles to see my Bets On commentaries.
We’d like to remind you of the BIG contest we currently have running over at ReadingGroupGuides.com. We’re giving 10 book groups the chance to win up to six digital or physical copies of the audiobook of THE GREAT ALONE, which is read by the aforementioned Julia Whelan, and share their comments on it. We also are awarding 40 listeners a physical copy of the audiobook. All the contest details can here found here, and the deadline for your entries is Thursday, March 8th at noon ET. Also, be sure to check out the discussion guide, read our review, and listen to an audiobook clip.
AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE, Oprah’s latest Book Club pick, was one of the books we awarded to the winners of this week’s Winter Reading contests; the others were THE LOST GIRLS OF CAMP FOREVERMORE by Kim Fu, A PERFECT UNIVERSE: Ten Stories by Scott O'Connor, and TWO GOOD DOGS by Susan Wilson. This year’s Winter Reading contests wrap up next week with our final three giveaways, and all three prizes are books that will be releasing in May but that we’d like to get on your radar NOW: BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES: A Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience by Allison Pataki, THE HIGH SEASON by Judy Blundell, and THE MADONNA OF MOUNTAINS by Elise Valmorbida. The first contest of the week will be up on Tuesday, February 20th at noon ET.
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, March 2nd at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win THE HUSH by John Hart and SUNBURN by Laura Lippman.
We also have a new poll this week. We want to know in what genre was the last book you read, and in what genre was the last audiobook you listened to. Click here to cast your votes!
Our previous poll asked if you reread books. 41% of you have done this, but do not make a habit of it; 38% have favorites that you’ve read more than once; and 33% do not have time to reread, as there is so much out there to read. Click here for all the results.
Last weekend, we learned that Sherman Alexie and Jennifer Egan are the 2018 winners of the Carnegie Medal for literary excellence. Alexie won in nonfiction for his memoir, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME. In fiction, Egan won the prize for MANHATTAN BEACH, her novel set in New York City in the mid-20th century.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
In keeping with our poll question, Betty wrote about enjoying audiobooks for rereading: “I always read your newsletters with great interest and enthusiasm and get lots of good ideas for my book group. I just want to share with you something that I am enjoying enormously. I have read (and loved) all the Louise Penny books since the publication of STILL LIFE. Since I am up to date with this reading, I decided to go back to the beginning and listen to them all in audio versions. It is amazing how much I am enjoying them. I am up to the eighth book now and will continue on until I’ve 'read' them all. Both the original and the current readers are amazing, capturing the nuances of the characters, their words and the situations. I am fortunate in that our library consortium does make them all available from one library or another, so there are no missing volumes. There aren’t many copies of the first three books, but the later ones are widely available. Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors, both for the narrative line and the quality of the writing. I find that less than excellent writing is all too obvious when you listen to the words instead of simply reading them. Books have always given me great pleasure, and I thank you for sharing so many suggestions.” More and more of our readers are appreciating audio, which is so nice to see.
Mudbound: Finally got the chance to watch this adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s book on Netflix. It’s so well done --- tragic and brilliant at the same time.
Last Saturday, as we were grocery shopping, Tom saw the turquoise Dutch oven above and bought it for me as an early Valentine’s Day present. As we were checking out, the cashier saw it and told me she wanted to paint her kitchen that color; yes, we bonded over this. Then she told me that the Dutch oven is great for making bread and told me to check out the No-Knead Bread recipe in the New York Times. I jotted that down and found the recipe when we were in the car. I assembled the ingredients, and about 24 hours later (the bread needs time to do a slow rise), I had the loaf of bread that you see above. I have a copy of KNEADLESSLY SIMPLE: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads by Nancy Baggett on its way to me. I am looking forward to trying more "no knead" recipes. With this method, I need to plan and not wait for the 11th hour to decide to make it.
Tom also bought me flowers (you can see them above) as he knows I enjoy arranging them. Each week, I pick out three different small bunches of flowers (the store near us has a deal where you can get them for $12), and I come home, find a vase and make an arrangement. It’s a fun way to perk up the very bleak days of winter. My arranging secret is that I cut the stems short and pack a vase tight. I already am planning to plant lots of zinnias this summer instead of buying them. This weekend, I have to pull the amaryllis bulbs as sadly those blooms all have faded. I want to plant something else to grow in the house and in my office. Suggestions are welcome.
For humor, as we watched Olympic skiing the other night, Tom reminded me of our ski win. In 1983, we were in Crested Butte, Colorado, and we raced in their Media Cup Race. We won in the Magazine category. At the time, I was working at Mademoiselle; Tom was on my team as my guest. It was quite amusing that we got a plaque for this, which Tom still has in his office here at the house. The boys got a kick out of this. As I watched the skiing the other night, I could remember the excitement of ripping around the slopes like that. Okay, not quite like that. But I had skis on, and I was going downhill and there were gates.
My mother-in-law is celebrating her 90th birthday on Monday, and we are going to have dinner here on Saturday night with the boys. Tom and I have been trading menu suggestions all week. And I have asked him to get a cake suggestion from her. Do I do 90 candles?
Looking forward to having an extra day this weekend. Yes, I have come up with many ways to spend it…a lot more than 24 hours’ worth. I am sure you are not surprised.
Read on, and have a great week. And for those of you who are celebrating, Happy Chinese New Year! It's the Year of the Dog.
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: WHITE HOUSES by Amy Bloom
WHITE HOUSES by Amy Bloom (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Tonya Cornelisse
Lorena Hickok meets Eleanor Roosevelt in 1932 while reporting on Franklin Roosevelt’s first presidential campaign. Having grown up worse than poor in South Dakota and reinvented herself as the most prominent woman reporter in America, “Hick,” as she’s known to her friends and admirers, is not quite instantly charmed by the idealistic, patrician Eleanor. But then, as her connection with the future first lady deepens into intimacy, what begins as a powerful passion matures into a lasting love, and a life that Hick never expected to have. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: SURPRISE ME by Sophie Kinsella
SURPRISE ME by Sophie Kinsella (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Fiona Hardingham
After 10 years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another 68 years…and panic sets in. They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all. Reviewed by Leah DeCesare (www.leahdecesare.com).
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
New Release Spotlight: ISLAND OF SWEET PIES
AND SOLDIERS by Sara Ackerman
ISLAND OF SWEET PIES AND SOLDIERS by Sara Ackerman (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Carly Robins and Devon Hales
Hawaii, 1944. The Pacific battles of World War II continue to threaten American soil, and on the home front, the bonds of friendship and the strength of love are tested.
Violet Iverson and her young daughter, Ella, are piecing their lives together one year after the disappearance of her husband. As rumors swirl and questions about his loyalties surface, Violet believes Ella knows something. But Ella is stubbornly silent. Something --- or someone --- has scared her. And with the island overrun by troops training for a secret mission, tension and suspicion between neighbors is rising.
Violet bands together with her close friends to get through the difficult days. To support themselves, they open a pie stand near the military base, offering the soldiers a little homemade comfort. Try as she might, Violet can’t ignore her attraction to the brash marine who comes to her aid when the women are accused of spying. Desperate to discover the truth behind what happened to her husband, while keeping her friends and daughter safe, Violet is torn by guilt, fear and longing as she faces losing everything. Again.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read Sara Ackerman’s bio.
- Click here to visit Sara Ackerman’s website.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Featured Review: POISON by John Lescroart
POISON: A Dismas Hardy Novel by John Lescroart (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jacques Roy
Finally recovered from two glancing gunshot wounds, Dismas Hardy is looking forward to easing into retirement and reconnecting with his family. But he is pulled back into the courtroom when Grant Wagner, the steely owner of a successful family business, is murdered. The prime suspect is Wagner’s bookkeeper, Abby Jarvis, a former client of Hardy’s who had been receiving large sums of cash under-the-table from the company --- but she insists that she’s innocent. Preparing for trial, Dismas investigates the Wagner clan, discovering dark, twisted secrets, jealous siblings, gold-digging girlfriends, betrayals and blackmail. The closer he gets to the Wagners, the clearer it becomes that Dismas has a target painted on his back. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: FEEL FREE by Zadie Smith
FEEL FREE: Essays by Zadie Smith (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Nikki Aumka-Bird
Arranged into five sections --- In the World, In the Audience, In the Gallery, On the Bookshelf, and Feel Free --- Zadie Smith’s new collection poses questions we immediately recognize. What is The Social Network --- and Facebook itself --- really about? Why do we love libraries? What will we tell our granddaughters about our collective failure to address global warming? Gathering in one place for the first time previously unpublished work, as well as already classic essays such as "Joy" and "Find Your Beach," FEEL FREE offers a survey of important recent events in culture and politics, as well as Smith's own life. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah
and AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE by Tayari Jones
THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)
I was lucky enough to read THE GREAT ALONE in manuscript. When you read a book like that, there is no setup, no flap copy, no intro to the story. It’s just you and the words on the page, with no one telling you what you are going to see. Immediately I was caught up in the beauty and grandeur of Alaska that Kristin Hannah describes on the pages, as much as I was by the story. Alaska is a place that I have wanted to visit for a long time.
- 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 more in our New Release Spotlight.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE GREAT ALONE.
AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE by Tayari Jones (Fiction)
I loved Tayari Jones’ 2011 book, SILVER SPARROW, which was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, and I have been looking forward to seeing what she would write next. Patiently. It’s been seven years, something she is all too aware of! When I opened my advance copy of AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE, I was reminded again why I love her work. She captures people and emotions so well. Her characters get messy, get confused, get undone, and then put themselves back together again.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE.
Bookreporter.com's Fourth Annual
Winter Reading Contests and Feature
Our Winter Reading Contests and Feature have returned for a fourth year! On select days between now and February 23rd at noon ET, we are hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter (or a book publishing in the spring that we would like to get on your radar now) and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it. 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 Tuesday, February 20th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
An Interview with Donis Casey,
Author of FORTY DEAD MEN
Having now reached the 10th installment in her series of historical mysteries featuring full-time mother and part-time sleuth Alafair Tucker, Donis Casey is showing no signs of slowing down. Here, this prolific author talks about the potential longevity of the series, as well as familial, historical and authorial inspirations that have (and still do) influence her writing. Read the interview, and then be sure to pick up a copy of FORTY DEAD MEN for yourself!
FORTY DEAD MEN: An Alafair Tucker Mystery by Donis Casey (Historical Mystery)
World War I is over. Alafair Tucker is overjoyed that her elder son, George Washington Tucker, has finally returned home from the battlefields of France. Yet she is the only one in the family who senses that he has somehow changed. One rainy day, Gee Dub spies a woman trudging along the country road. Once made comfortable at the Tucker farm, Holly Johnson reveals she has forged her way from Maine to Oklahoma in hopes of finding the soldier she married before he shipped to France. At the war's end, Daniel Johnson disappeared without a trace. But when he finally turns up, shot dead, Gee Dub is arrested on suspicion of murder, and the entire extended Tucker family rallies to his defense.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the interview.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
We currently have two contests running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Special Contest: Enter to Win the Audiobook Edition of Kristin Hannah's THE GREAT ALONE and Share Your Comments on It
ReadingGroupGuides.com is proud to host a very special audiobook contest for Kristin Hannah's latest novel, THE GREAT ALONE. Ten book groups will win up to six digital or physical copies of the audiobook, which is read by Julia Whelan. In order to qualify as a winning group, your group must be able to commit to listening to and discussing THE GREAT ALONE, and sharing your group's feedback with us, by Friday, May 18th. Additionally, we'll be giving 40 listeners a physical copy of the audiobook. Enter here by Thursday, March 8th at noon ET.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?": Win 12 Copies of A PIECE OF THE WORLD by Christina Baker Kline for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. This month's prize book is the paperback edition of A PIECE OF THE WORLD by Christina Baker Kline, a stunning and atmospheric novel of friendship, passion and art, inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s mysterious and iconic painting, Christina’s World. This edition includes a color reproduction of Christina’s World, along with a Q&A with bestselling author Kristin Hannah and a bonus short story, “Stranded in Ice.” Enter here by Thursday, March 8th at noon ET.
Here are our latest featured guides:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
ALL THE PIECES MATTER: The Inside Story of "The Wire" by Jonathan Abrams (Performing Arts)
Audiobook available; read by Jonathan Abrams, January LaVoy, Prentice Onayemi and Arthur Bishop
Since its final episode aired in 2008, HBO’s acclaimed crime drama "The Wire" has only become more popular and influential. The issues it tackled, from the failures of the drug war and criminal justice system to systemic bias in law enforcement and other social institutions, have become more urgent and central to the national conversation. But while there has been a great deal of critical analysis of the show and its themes, until now there has never been a definitive, behind-the-scenes take on how it came to be made. With unparalleled access to all the key actors and writers involved in its creation, Jonathan Abrams tells the astonishing, compelling and complete account of "The Wire," from its inception and creation through its end and powerful legacy. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
WALLIS IN LOVE: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy by Andrew Morton (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Molly Parker Myers
Everyone has heard of Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom Edward VIII so infamously abdicated his throne and birthright. But although her life has constantly been the subject of much fascination, gossip and speculation, her whole story has yet to be told. Now historical biographer Andrew Morton uses diary entries, letters and other never-before-seen records to offer a fresh portrait of Wallis Simpson in all her vibrancy and brazenness as she climbed the social ladder, transforming from a hard-nosed gold digger to charming chatelaine. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
THE ATOMIC CITY GIRLS by Janet Beard (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Xe Sands
In November 1944, 18-year-old June Walker boards an unmarked bus, destined for Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which has sprung up in a matter of months. There, June joins hundreds of other young girls operating massive machines whose purpose is never explained. They spend their evenings socializing and flirting with soldiers, scientists and workmen. June longs to know more about their top-secret assignment and begins an affair with Sam Cantor, a young Jewish physicist who oversees the lab where she works and understands the end goal only too well. Across town, African-American construction worker Joe Brewer knows nothing of the government’s plans. But a breach in security will intertwine his fate with June’s search for answers. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
ONLY CHILD by Rhiannon Navin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kivlighan de Montebello
Squeezed into a coat closet with his classmates and teacher, first grader Zach Taylor can hear gunshots ringing through the halls of his school. A gunman has entered the building, taking 19 lives and irrevocably changing the very fabric of this close-knit community. While Zach's mother pursues a quest for justice against the shooter's parents, holding them responsible for their son's actions, Zach retreats into his super-secret hideout and loses himself in a world of books and art. Armed with his newfound understanding, and with the optimism and stubbornness only a child could have, Zach sets out on a captivating journey towards healing and forgiveness. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE KINGS OF BIG SPRING: God, Oil, and One Family's Search for the American Dream by Bryan Mealer (Memoir/History)
Audiobook available, read by Bryan Mealer
In 1892, Bryan Mealer’s great-grandfather leaves the Georgia mountains and heads west into Texas, looking for wealth and adventure in the raw and open country. But his luck soon runs out. Beset by drought, the family loses their farm just as the dead pastures around them give way to one of the biggest oil booms in American history. They eventually settle in the small town of Big Spring, where fast fortunes are being made from its own reserves of oil. For the next two generations, the Mealers live on the margins of poverty. After embracing Pentecostalism during the Great Depression, they rely heavily on their faith to steel them against hardship and despair. But for young Bobby Mealer, the author’s father, religion is only an agent for rebellion. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
THE PHILOSOPHER'S FLIGHT by Tom Miller (Historical Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Gibson Frazier
Robert Weekes is a practitioner of empirical philosophy --- an arcane, female-dominated branch of science used to summon the wind, shape clouds of smoke, heal the injured, and even fly. When a deadly accident puts his philosophical abilities to the test, Robert wins a scholarship to study at Radcliffe College, an all-women’s school. He falls hard for Danielle Hardin, a disillusioned young war hero turned political radical. However, Danielle’s activism and Robert’s recklessness attract the attention of the same fanatical anti-philosophical group that Robert’s mother fought years before. Robert and Danielle band together to fight for Robert’s place among the next generation of empirical philosophers --- and for philosophy’s very survival against the men who would destroy it. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
SELF-PORTRAIT WITH BOY by Rachel Lyon (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
Lu Rile is a relentlessly focused young photographer struggling to make ends meet. Working three jobs, responsible for her aging father, and worrying that the crumbling warehouse she lives in is being sold to developers, she is at a point of desperation. One day, in the background of a self-portrait, Lu accidentally captures on film a boy falling past her window to his death. The photograph turns out to be startlingly gorgeous, the best work of art she’s ever made. But the decision to show it is not easy, especially as she forges an intense bond with the boy’s mother. Lu becomes torn between equally fierce desires: to use the photograph to advance her career, and to protect a woman she has come to love. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
THE STORM KING by Brendan Duffy (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jon Lindstrom
After a tumultuous youth marked by his inexplicable survival of a devastating tragedy, Nate McHale left his Adirondack hometown of Greystone Lake and never looked back. Fourteen years later, he has become a respected New York City surgeon, devoted husband and loving father. Then a body is discovered deep in the forests that surround Greystone Lake. This disturbing news finally draws Nate home. While navigating a tense landscape of secrets and suspicion, resentments and guilt, Nate reconnects with estranged friends and old enemies, and encounters strangers who seem to know impossible things about him. Haunting every moment is the Lake’s sinister history and the memory of Lucy Bennett, with whom Nate is forever linked by shattering loss and youthful passion. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED by Mick Herron (Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Steven Crossley
Twenty-six-year-old Maggie Barnes is someone you would never look at twice. Living alone in a month-to-month sublet in the huge city of London, with no family but an estranged sister, no boyfriend or partner, and not much in the way of friends, Maggie is just the kind of person who could vanish from the face of the earth without anyone taking notice. Or just the kind of person MI5 needs to infiltrate the establishment and thwart an international plot that puts all of Britain at risk. Now one young woman has the chance to be a hero --- if she can think quickly enough to stay alive. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
MISTER TENDER'S GIRL by Carter Wilson (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld
At 14, Alice Hill was viciously attacked by two of her classmates and left to die. The teens claim she was a sacrifice for a man called Mister Tender, but that could never be true: Mister Tender doesn't exist. His sinister character is pop-culture fiction, created by Alice's own father in a series of popular graphic novels. Over a decade later, Alice has changed her name and is trying to heal. But someone is watching her. They know more about Alice than any stranger could: her scars, her fears, and the secrets she keeps locked away. She can try to escape her past, but Mister Tender is never far behind. He will come with a smile that seduces, and a dark whisper in her ear. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE LEGACY by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Lucy Paterson
The only person who might have the answers to a baffling murder case is the victim’s seven-year-old daughter, found hiding in the room where her mother died. And she’s not talking. Newly promoted, out of his depth, detective Huldar turns to Freyja, a psychologist, for her expertise with traumatized young people. Freyja, who distrusts the police in general and Huldar in particular, isn’t best pleased. But she’s determined to keep little Margret safe. It may prove tricky. The killer is leaving them strange clues, but can they crack the code? And if they do, will they be next? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE WINTER STATION by Jody Shields (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Vance
In 1910, people are mysteriously dying at an alarming rate in the Russian-ruled city of Kharbin, a major railway outpost in Northern China. Strangely, some of the dead bodies vanish before they can be identified. During a dangerously cold winter in a city gripped by fear, the Baron, a wealthy Russian aristocrat and the city's medical commissioner, is determined to stop this mysterious plague. Battling local customs, an occupying army and a brutal epidemic with no name, the Baron is torn between duty and compassion, between Western medical science and respect for Chinese tradition. His greatest refuge is the intimacy he shares with his young Chinese wife --- but she has secrets of her own. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
GOOD NEIGHBORS by Joanne Serling (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Susannah Jones
In an idyllic suburb, four young families quickly form a neighborhood clique, their friendships based on little more than the ages of their children and a shared sense of camaraderie. When one of the couples, Paige and Gene Edwards, adopt a four-year-old girl from Russia, the group's loyalty and morality is soon called into question. Are the Edwards unkind to their new daughter? Or is she a difficult child with hidden destructive tendencies? As the seams of the group friendship slowly unravel, neighbor Nicole Westerhof finds herself drawn further into the life of the adopted girl, forcing Nicole to reexamine the deceptive nature of her own family ties, and her complicity in the events unfolding around her. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
STEAL AWAY HOME by Billy Coffey (Fiction)
Owen Cross’ father is a hard man, proud in his brokenness, who wants nothing more than for Owen to succeed where he failed. With his innate talents and his father’s firm hand guiding him, Owen goes to college with dreams of the major leagues --- and an emptiness full of a girl named Micky Dullahan. Owen loved Micky from the first time they met on the hill between their two worlds: his middle-class home and her troubled Shantytown. Years later he leaves her for the dugouts and the autographs, but their days together follow him. When he finally returns home, he discovers that even peace comes at a cost. And that the hardest things to say are to the ones we love the most. Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on February 19th and 20th
Below are some notable titles releasing on February 19th and 20th 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 February 19th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
February 19th
FIFTY FIFTY by James Patterson and Candice Fox (Thriller)
Sam Blue stands accused of the brutal murders of three young students. Only one person believes he is innocent: his sister, Detective Harriet Blue. And she's determined to prove it. But Harry's outburst at her brother's trial earns her a reassignment --- to the outback. With no choice but to leave Sam's case alone, she relocates to Last Chance Valley, where a diary found on the roadside outlines a shocking plan: the massacre of the entire town.
February 20th
DEATH OF AN HONEST MAN: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by M. C. Beaton (Mystery)
Nobody loves an honest man, or that was what police sergeant Hamish Macbeth tried to tell newcomer Paul English. Paul had moved to a house in Cnothan, a sour village on Hamish's beat. He attended church in Lochdubh. He told the minister, Mr. Wellington, that his sermons were boring. Voices saying "I could kill that man" could be heard from Lochdubh to Cnothan. And someone did. Now Hamish is faced with a bewildering array of suspects.
DOWN THE RIVER UNTO THE SEA by Walter Mosley (Mystery)
Joe King Oliver was one of the NYPD's finest investigators, until he is framed for assault by his enemies within the NYPD, a charge that lands him in solitary at Rikers Island. A decade later, King is a private detective, running his agency with the help of his teenage daughter, Aja-Denise. When he receives a card in the mail from the woman who admits she was paid to frame him those years ago, King realizes that he has no choice but to take his own case.
EDUCATED: A Memoir by Tara Westover (Memoir)
Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho and isolated from mainstream society, she lacked any formal education. So she began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement.
THE FRENCH GIRL by Lexie Elliott (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
They were six university students from Oxford spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway...until they met Severine, the girl next door. Now, a decade later, Severine's body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate Channing stands to lose everything she's worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her.
SUNBURN by Laura Lippman (Psychological Thriller)
They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through. Yet she stays and he stays --- drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other --- dangerous, even lethal, secrets. Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan?
WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?: Essays by Marilynne Robinson (Essays)
In her new essay collection, Marilynne Robinson trains her incisive mind on our modern political climate and the mysteries of faith. Whether she is investigating how the work of great thinkers about America like Emerson and Tocqueville inform our political consciousness, or discussing the way that beauty informs and disciplines daily life, Robinson’s peerless prose and boundless humanity are on full display.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: The Genres of
Your Last Book and Audiobook
Which of the following genres best describes the one for the last book you read? Please check all that apply.
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Biography
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Current Events/Politics
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Fantasy
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Fiction
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Historical Fiction
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History
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Horror
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Memoir
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Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
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Nonfiction
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Romance
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Science Fiction
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Other (Please specify)
Which of the following genres best describes the one for the last audiobook you listened to? Please check all that apply.
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Biography
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Current Events/Politics
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Fantasy
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Fiction
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Historical Fiction
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History
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Horror
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Memoir
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Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
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Nonfiction
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Romance
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Science Fiction
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I am not listening to audiobooks at this time.
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I do not listen to audiobooks.
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Other (Please specify)
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, March 2nd 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 February 16th to March 2nd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE HUSH by John Hart and SUNBURN by Laura Lippman.
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 February 1st to March 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Tara Westover's EDUCATED: A Memoir, read by Julia Whelan, and Sophie Kinsella's SURPRISE ME, read by Fiona Hardingham.
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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