February 23, 2018

February 23, 2018

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Summer Came to Visit This Week

On Saturday night we had seven inches of snow, and then on Wednesday it was close to 80 degrees. I keep coats and jackets in the back seat of my car, so I am ready for everything from a blizzard to rain and sunshine. It’s pretty amusing, but I feel like I have earned the motto “Be Prepared.”

Confession: While last week I was gung-ho on the Olympics, this week I found them to be rather boring. I had them on in the background each night as I worked, which was nice for company, but somehow I never dropped into a deep groove of attention on them. I found the commentary to be lackluster, and while the athletes are more talented by miles than I would be on my best day, they just are not moving me. Greg is excited that the curling team is in the finals for the first time --- and miraculously I finally understand the game. Last weekend, his curling club hosted 175 people each day to give them a taste of what the sport is like. They have had a waiting list for members for a while now!

With my taste of summer this week, I decided to preview a summer read and plucked THE HIGH TIDE CLUB by Mary Kay Andrews from my shelves. It will be in stores on May 8th. Once again, MKA transported me to a summer sunny island, and she is delivering the kind of beach read that is meant to devoured. I pictured myself flipping over on my beach blanket to enjoy the sun as I was reading it. I love the way MKA’s characters come to life so quickly. Here, Josephine Bettendorf Warrick is a 99-year-old heiress who owns Talisa Island, a remote barrier island home with a mere 20,000 acres. Brooke Trappnell, a young attorney, has been summoned to Josephine’s bedside with a mission to protect the island from those who want to overtake it upon her death and to bring together the heirs of the members of The High Tide Club, who were her best friends when she was growing up. The setup is great; it’s screaming "beach read" to me, and since I do not have time to go on spring break (I sure miss the boys’ school vacations that demanded getaway time), I am going to head to the couch for my break.

I typically do not go into the city on Fridays, as I loathe the traffic getting home, but today I went in for a luncheon for Beatriz Williams. I have wanted to meet her for years, but we never have been in the same place at the same time. She is just delightful. She loves writing about the first part of the 20th century, noting that so much happened in the years leading up to the '50s. In the '50s she feels things quieted down a bit, almost like we needed to catch our breaths as a country. And then the '60s rolled in. THE SUMMER WIVES, which releases on July 10th, is set in the '30s, and then the '50s and the '60s. Beatriz started writing the section in the '50s and realized there needed to be more of a back story, so the portion in the '30s was fleshed out. When she writes different time periods, she fleshes out each one completely before intertwining them. I look forward to reading it after hearing her share the back story. She was so interesting to chat with. And her passion? The opera! You can see a picture of the two of us above.

You all have been great about crowdsourcing ideas for readers, so I am seeking advice from you again. A friend who lives in the next town wants to start a book group for working mothers and is looking for suggestions for what to read. Here’s the criteria of the group: “We are a group of working moms of young kids (mostly). We have a love of reading, but not a lot of time to do it (and we’re tired most of the time!). So it needs to be something that isn’t too heavy, but has some depth to it for discussion.” While it is “heavy,” I immediately thought of Jodi Picoult’s SMALL GREAT THINGS. But I am all ears for your ideas. Email me at Carol@bookreporter.com with the subject line “Books for the Young Moms Book Club.”

Laura Lippman’s latest stand-alone novel, SUNBURN, has been getting plenty of buzz ahead of its release this week. It’s been named one of the Most Anticipated Books of 2018 by Bustle, Popsugar, the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly and the Seattle Times, to name just a few. Lippman has written a psychological thriller about a pair of lovers who are locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals --- and cold-blooded murder.

According to reviewer Ray Palen, “Laura Lippman handles the text and subtext of SUNBURN with great ease, and it's apparent she's having a lot of fun with these characters. She is a skilled writer at the top of her own game --- thriller writing --- and this one is a doozy.” I am two chapters into it, and my head already feels vested in these characters. It has a real noir flavor to it and is set in 1995, which is a time I remember very well, as we were in deep preparation to launch Bookreporter.com. I am looking forward to finishing it; I just wish I could do that under a beach umbrella dabbing on some sunblock.

SUNBURN is one of the prizes in our Word of Mouth contest; the other is THE HUSH by John Hart, next week’s New Release Spotlight title that also will be reviewed. Let us know by Friday, March 2nd at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win both these novels.

Another book that’s been getting lots of attention leading up to its publication this week is Tara Westover’s memoir, EDUCATED. Tara was born to survivalists, thus she was isolated from mainstream society and kept out of school. Lacking any formal education, she began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, and went on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she had traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Sarah Rachel Egelman has our review and says, “Westover’s writing style is straightforward, even as she recounts heart-wrenching details and abusive events. Her quest for autonomy, learning, understanding and acceptance can break your heart, even as it has you cheering for her empowerment. EDUCATED is a terrific, if harrowing, read.” For more on Tara’s incredible journey, check out these interviews with her: NPR’s “Fresh Air,” The Guardian and Vogue.

EDUCATED will be my next Bookreporter.com Bets On pick; you can read my commentary in next week’s newsletter. This is a memoir that really stuck with me since I read it months ago, and had the pleasure of meeting Tara and hearing more about her story. She truly is a remarkable woman.

We’re awarding the audiobook of EDUCATED (read by Julia Whelan), along with Sophie Kinsella’s SURPRISE ME (read by Fiona Hardingham), to the winners of this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. This is your last newsletter reminder to enter the contest, so please submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to by Thursday, March 1st at noon ET to be eligible to win both these audio titles.

Other books we’re reviewing this week include ASYMMETRY, a debut novel from 2017 Whiting Award winner Lisa Halliday that explores the imbalances that spark and sustain many of our most dramatic human relations --- inequities in age, power, talent, wealth, fame, geography and justice; NIGHT MOVES, Jonathan Kellerman’s latest thriller featuring psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis; and THE FRENCH GIRL by debut novelist Lexie Elliott, which the publisher describes as “I Know What You Did Last Summer meets the French countryside,” a novel of psychological suspense about a woman trapped by the bonds of friendship.

ROSIE COLORED GLASSES by first-time author Brianna Wolfson is our latest New Release Spotlight title. Rex is serious and unsentimental, and tapes checklists of chores on his daughter Willow’s bedroom door. Rosie is sparkling and enchanting, and meets Willow in their treehouse in the middle of the night to feast on candy. After Rex and Rosie’s divorce, Willow finds herself navigating their two different worlds. She is clearly under the spell of her exciting, fun-loving mother. But as Rosie’s behavior becomes more turbulent, the darker underpinnings of her manic love are revealed. I blurbed this book, saying, “ROSIE COLORED GLASSES begins with love, imagination and wonder, then  slides into haunting loss and longing, but oh, how love remains and bursts forth to fill the story.” ROSIE COLORED GLASSES also will be a Bets On pick; find out why in next week’s newsletter.

This year’s Winter Reading feature wrapped up this week with our final three contests. We gave away three books that are releasing over the next few months that we wanted 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 THE MOUNTAINS by Elise Valmorbida. Congratulations to the winners of our 18 contests, and many thanks to all who entered!

Our next series of 24-hour giveaways will be our Spring Preview contests, and they kick off on Tuesday, March 13th. If you would like to receive a special newsletter announcing each day’s Spring Preview title, all you have to do is sign up here.

Please keep in mind our BIG ReadingGroupGuides.com contest for THE GREAT ALONE, Kristin Hannah’s #1 New York Times bestseller for the second week in a row. Ten book groups will win up to six digital or physical copies of the audiobook, 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. Be sure to enter by Thursday, March 8th at noon ET, and check out these links in the meantime: our review, my Bets On commentary, the discussion guide and an audiobook clip.

We’ve updated our Young Adult Books You Want to Read feature, books we've recently reviewed on Teenreads.com that we think will appeal to an adult audience. This month’s titles are AMERICAN HEART by Laura Moriarty (her YA debut), VOTES FOR WOMEN!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot by Winifred Conkling, and A FEW RED DROPS: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield.

Our poll continues to ask in what genre was the last book you read, and in what genre was the last audiobook you listened to. Let us know here!

Four of our readers who attended last weekend’s Savannah Book Festival have shared their thoughts with us about the event. Click here to read what they had to say. We appreciate their taking the time to share their bookish adventure!  

The finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes have been announced, and you can see them all here. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on April 20th, the evening before the L.A. Times Festival of Books begins on the campus of the University of Southern California.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

The “F” Word: Carole wrote about a reader comment in a recent newsletter about her dismay with the prolific use of the “f” word in books today: "I wholeheartedly agree with you. The word is used by authors in settings and eras where it wouldn’t have been commonly used, if ever, and with characters who would not use the word either. It is an ugly, volatile word that by its use diminishes the writing, forcing the reader to focus on that word. And it is as if the editors or publishers are telling the writers that to be relevant, they must have at least one in the book. There have been many times that I would have liked a book but didn’t finish it because it was replete with this word. I am a librarian, and there is not a day when readers of all ages and walks of life do not complain about the overuse of this word, which we don’t hear as the 'norm' in our lives. Unless you want to read a cozy mystery or religious novel, something not particularly interesting, you can’t get away from it. It doesn’t seem to matter how old the author is either: they’ll still throw around the big 'f.' The authors are using it like they’re little kids in school who have suddenly been given the permission to use it and can’t get over it.”

Happy Books: Our blog about Happy Books got some email. Donna said, “I didn’t get to reply about happy books, but can there be any happier books than the wonderful books by Jane Austen? Always a sense of satisfaction after the ending of one of her novels. And wishing they would go on and on and on.“ Julie said, "I am reading a book that definitely comes under the category of a ‘happy book.’ It is laugh-out-loud funny. I didn't see it listed on the blog. The name of the book is THE ALL-GIRL FILLING STATION'S LAST REUNION by Fannie Flagg. I highly recommend this book if you want to laugh while you're reading!”

Vesna wrote this about winning AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE in a recent Winter Reading contest: "Thank you, can't wait to get it and read it! Have a great weekend!"

"Homeland": Have watched two episodes of the seventh season, and the story line feels a bit out of control. 

"Billions": Previewed the first episode of the third season the other night. It returns with season three on March 25th. It is tight and smart. I have to admit that I could live without the dominatrix scenes.

My mother-in-law’s birthday dinner last Saturday was a fun night. And yes, we lit her cake with 90 candles --- with a propane torch. We still are laughing about it. This definitely is one for family lore.

My adventures in bread making continue. Last week, I added Kalamata olives to the dough that I have been working to perfect. My friend Nora gave me a topline lesson in flours this week and has me longing to try sourdough. I am trying to decide what to do this weekend. I am thinking pumpkin and flax seeds. 

Quiet weekend on tap. On Saturday, Greg and Tom may be heading to Connecticut for some car (Greg) and woodworking (Tom) errands. Tom is currently making us a set of outdoor furniture, including two loveseats, two chairs and an ottoman. It’s really stunning; he is an amazing woodworker. Of course, I keep dreaming of projects, but like a true artiste he tells me, “I must be inspired!”

I am going to be reading for pleasure with dueling reads --- THE HIGH TIDE CLUB and SUNBURN --- as some big projects are behind me! The one thing about watching the Olympics is that I managed to get two inches done on the size two needle scarf that I am working on; the end may be in sight, or so I dream! One of my local yarn shops is closing this weekend, Knit-A-Bit, so I want to drop in and say goodbye to Susan. As a small business owner, I feel such a kinship with her, much like I do with indie booksellers.

I learned the other night that Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir are going to emcee the closing ceremonies, which I may peek at. Hey, at least they will not be commenting on the Dutch skating to work like Katie Couric did during the opening ceremony. And they are promising live drones, not the taped ones of the opening ceremony.

Thanks to my team at the office; holiday weeks mean we bring you our update in four days, not five. And once again, they quickened their stride and made it happen.

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: SUNBURN by Laura Lippman

SUNBURN by Laura Lippman (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Bennett
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? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away --- or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them? Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read the review.

Featured Review: EDUCATED by Tara Westover
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

EDUCATED: A Memoir by Tara Westover (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
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. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

EDUCATED 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.

New Release Spotlight:
ROSIE COLORED GLASSES by Brianna Wolfson
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

ROSIE COLORED GLASSES by Brianna Wolfson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Devon Sorvari
Just as opposites attract, they can also cause friction, and no one feels that friction more than Rex and Rosie’s daughter, Willow. Rex is serious and unsentimental, and tapes checklists of chores on Willow’s bedroom door. Rosie is sparkling and enchanting, and meets Willow in their treehouse in the middle of the night to feast on candy.

After Rex and Rosie’s divorce, Willow finds herself navigating their two different worlds. She is clearly under the spell of her exciting, fun-loving mother. But as Rosie’s behavior becomes more turbulent, the darker underpinnings of her manic love are revealed.

Rex had removed his Rosie colored glasses long ago, but will Willow do the same?

ROSIE COLORED GLASSES will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. You can read Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.

- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Brianna Wolfson’s bio.
- Click here to visit Brianna Wolfson’s website.

Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.

Special Contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
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. Additionally, we'll be giving 40 listeners a physical copy of the audiobook. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, March 8th at noon ET.

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. We strongly encourage all winners to share their experiences on social media, including reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookreporter.com’s “Sounding Off on Audio” feature.

THE GREAT ALONE Audiobook written by Kristin Hannah, read by Julia Whelan (Historical Fiction)
The newest audiobook sensation from Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of THE NIGHTINGALE.

This program is read by acclaimed narrator Julia Whelan, whose enchanting voice brought GONE GIRL and FATES AND FURIES to life. Kristin Hannah reads the acknowledgments.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier. Thirteen-year-old Leni dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. But as winter approaches, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within.

- Click here to listen to a clip from the audiobook.

Click here to enter the contest.

Featured Review: ASYMMETRY by Lisa Halliday

ASYMMETRY by Lisa Halliday (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Aden Hakim, Fiona Hardingham, Arthur Morey and Candace Thaxton
Told in three distinct sections, ASYMMETRY explores the imbalances that spark and sustain many of our most dramatic human relations: inequities in age, power, talent, wealth, fame, geography and justice. The first section, “Folly,” tells the story of Alice, a young American editor, and her relationship with the famous and much older writer Ezra Blazer. By contrast, “Madness” is narrated by Amar, an Iraqi-American man who, on his way to visit his brother in Kurdistan, is detained by immigration officers and spends the last weekend of 2008 in a holding room in Heathrow. These two seemingly disparate stories gain resonance as their perspectives interact and overlap, with yet new implications for their relationship revealed in an unexpected coda. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read the review.

Featured Review: NIGHT MOVES by Jonathan Kellerman

NIGHT MOVES: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by John Rubinstein
There’s no spilled blood, no evidence of a struggle, and, thanks to the victim’s missing face and hands, no immediate means of identification. And no telling why the disfigured corpse of a stranger has appeared in an upscale L.A. family’s home. Chet Corvin, his wife and their two teenage children are certain the John Doe is unknown to them. Despite that, their cooperation seems guarded. And that’s more than LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware can elicit from the Corvins’ creepy next-door neighbor. As the investigation ensues, it becomes clear that this well-to-do suburban enclave has its share of curious eyes, suspicious minds and loose lips. 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: THE GATE KEEPER by Charles Todd

THE GATE KEEPER: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Prebble
A restless Ian Rutledge drives aimlessly, haunted by the past, and narrowly misses a motorcar stopped in the middle of a desolate road. Standing beside the vehicle is a woman with blood on her hands and a dead man at her feet. She swears she didn’t kill Stephen Wentworth. A stranger stepped out in front of their motorcar and fired a single shot before vanishing into the night. Although he is a witness after the fact, Rutledge persuades the Yard to give him the inquiry, since he’s on the scene. But is he seeking justice --- or fleeing painful memories in London? When a second suspicious death occurs, the evidence suggests that a dangerous predator is on the loose, and that death is closer than Rutledge knows. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read the review.

Bookreporter.com’s Latest Blog Post:
Four Readers Report on the
2018 Savannah Book Festival

Click here to read our blog post on the 2018 Savannah Book Festival.

More Reviews This Week

THE LINE BECOMES A RIVER: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantú (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Francisco Cantú
For Francisco Cantú, the border is in the blood: his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, raised him in the scrublands of the Southwest. Haunted by the landscape of his youth, Cantú joins the Border Patrol. He and his partners are posted to remote regions crisscrossed by drug routes and smuggling corridors, where they learn to track other humans under blistering sun and through frigid nights. They haul in the dead and deliver to detention those they find alive. Plagued by nightmares, he abandons the Patrol for civilian life. But when an immigrant friend travels to Mexico to visit his dying mother and does not return, Cantú discovers that the border has migrated with him, and now he must know the whole story. Reviewed by John Bentlyewski.

THE WOMAN IN THE WATER: A Prequel to the Charles Lenox Series by Charles Finch (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by James Langton
London, 1850: A young Charles Lenox struggles to make a name for himself as a detective…without a single case. But when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime --- and promising to kill again --- Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself. The writer’s first victim is a young woman whose body is found in a naval trunk. With few clues to go on, Lenox endeavors to solve the crime before another innocent life is lost. When the killer’s sights are turned toward those whom Lenox holds most dear, the stakes are raised and Lenox is trapped in a desperate game of cat and mouse. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.

THE FRENCH GIRL by Lexie Elliott (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Katherine McEwan
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. For Kate Channing, Severine was an unwelcome presence, her inscrutable beauty undermining the close-knit group's loyalties amid the already simmering tensions. There are some things you can't forgive. And there are some people you can't forget...like Severine, who was never seen again. Now, a decade later, the case is reopened when Severine's body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she's worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.

THE HOUSE OF IMPOSSIBLE BEAUTIES by Joseph Cassara (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Christian Barillas
It’s 1980 in New York City, and nowhere is the city’s glamour and energy better reflected than in the burgeoning Harlem ball scene, where 17-year-old Angel first comes into her own. When she falls in love with Hector, a beautiful young man who dreams of becoming a professional dancer, the two decide to form the House of Xtravaganza, the first-ever all-Latino house in the Harlem ball circuit. But when Hector dies of AIDS-related complications, Angel must bear the responsibility of tending to their house alone. The Xtravaganzas --- Venus, Juanito and Daniel --- are ambitious, resilient and determined to control their own fates, even as they hurtle toward devastating consequences. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.

FRESHWATER by Akwaeke Emezi (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Akwaeke Emezi
Ada begins her life in the south of Nigeria as a troubled baby and a source of deep concern to her family. Her parents, Saul and Saachi, successfully prayed her into existence, but as she grows into a volatile and splintered child, it becomes clear that something went terribly awry. When Ada comes of age and moves to America for college, the group of selves within her grows in power and agency. A traumatic assault leads to a crystallization of her alternate selves: Asụghara and Saint Vincent. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind and these selves --- now protective, now hedonistic --- move into control, Ada's life spirals in a dark and dangerous direction. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.

THE PLEA by Steve Cavanagh (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Sims
Billionaire David Child swears he didn’t murder his girlfriend, Clara. But the evidence overwhelmingly shows that David killed her. The FBI believes that David’s arrest and obvious guilt could help them take down a huge money laundering scheme --- if they can get him to testify. Con-artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn is given the job: persuade David to plead guilty and give the agents the evidence they need. If Eddie can’t get David to take a plea bargain, the FBI has incriminating files on Eddie’s wife --- and will send her to jail. But David insists that he didn’t murder anyone. As the FBI pressures Eddie to secure the guilty plea, Eddie becomes increasingly convinced that David is telling the truth. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE RENDING AND THE NEST by Kaethe Schwehn (Post-Apocalyptic Fiction)
When 95 percent of the earth's population disappears for no apparent reason, Mira does what she can to create some semblance of a life: She cobbles together a haphazard community named Zion, scavenges the Piles for supplies they might need, and avoids loving anyone she can't afford to lose. Four years after the Rending, Mira's best friend, Lana, announces her pregnancy. But when Lana gives birth to an inanimate object --- and other women of Zion follow suit --- the thin veil of normalcy Mira has thrown over her new life begins to fray. Then a confident outsider named Michael lures Lana away, and Mira must decide how much she's willing to let go in order to save her friend, her home, and her own fraught pregnancy. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.

HELP I AM BEING HELD PRISONER by Donald E. Westlake (Thriller)
It isn't easy going to jail for a practical joke. Of course, this particular joke left 20 cars wrecked on the highway and two politicians' careers in tatters --- so jail is where Harold Künt landed. Now he's just trying to keep a low profile in the Big House. He wants no part of his fellow inmates' plan to use an escape tunnel to rob two banks. But it's too late; he's in it up to his neck. And that neck may just wind up in a noose. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

TARNISHED CITY by Vic James (Dystopian Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Avita Jay
In a modern Britain where magic users control wealth, politics --- and you --- an uprising has been crushed. In its aftermath, two families will determine the country’s fate. The ruthless Jardines make a play for ultimate power. And the Hadleys, once an ordinary family, must find the extraordinary strength to fight back. Abi Hadley is a fugitive. Her brother, Luke, a prisoner. Both will discover that in the darkest places, the human spirit shines brightest. Meanwhile, amid his family’s intrigues, Silyen Jardine dreams of forgotten powers from an earlier age. As blood runs in the streets of London, all three will discover whether love and courage can ever be stronger than tyranny. Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.

THE DETONATOR by Vincent Zandri (Thriller)
Ike Singer is a demolitions expert. Despite being at the very top of his profession, a personal mistake that led to catastrophe nearly brought Ike's life to ruin. He has spent every day since trying to atone for it and piece his family back together. And he believes he is succeeding. Until today. Suddenly Ike finds himself the target of a brilliant psychopath bent on systematically destroying his life. And this grudge runs as deep as they come. Ike must use every resource in his arsenal to prevent this killer's vengeance, and give everything in his power to save his family and his life before the timer hits zero. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

MY NAME IS NATHAN LUCIUS by Mark Winkler (Noir Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Gideon Emery
Thirty-one-year-old Nathan Lucius is an ad salesman at a Cape Town newspaper. Disaffected, hard-drinking and plagued by blackouts, Nathan lives alone and has only one true friend, a woman named Madge. But Madge is dying slowly of cancer, and when she asks Nathan to end her pain, she sets off a shocking string of events. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on
February 27th and March 1st

Below are some notable titles releasing on February 27th and March 1st 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 26th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

February 27th

THE BAD DAUGHTER by Joy Fielding (Mystery/Thriller)
A voice mail from her estranged sister, Melanie, sends Robin’s heart racing and her mind spiraling in a full-blown panic attack. Melanie’s message is dire: Their father, his second wife and his 12-year-old stepdaughter have been shot, and lie in the hospital in critical condition. As she attempts to mend fences while her father clings to life, Robin begins to wonder if there is more to the tragedy than a botched burglary attempt.

CHICAGO by David Mamet (Historical Thriller)
Mike Hodge --- veteran of the Great War and big shot of the Chicago Tribune --- probably shouldn’t have fallen in love with Annie Walsh. Then again, maybe the man who killed Annie Walsh should have known better than to trifle with Mike Hodge. CHICAGO --- David Mamet’s first novel in more than two decades --- combines spectacular elegance of craft with a kinetic wallop as fierce as the February wind gusting off Lake Michigan.

DON’T CALL ME PRINCESS: Essays on Girls, Women, Sex, and Life by Peggy Orenstein (Social Science/Essays)
Named one of the “40 women who changed the media business in the last 40 years” by Columbia Journalism Review, Peggy Orenstein is one of the most prominent, unflinching feminist voices of our time. In DON’T CALL ME PRINCESS, Orenstein’s most resonant and important essays are available for the first time in collected form, updated with both an original introduction and personal reflections on each piece.

THE HUSH by John Hart (Thriller)
It’s been 10 years since the events that changed Johnny Merrimon’s life and rocked his hometown to the core. Since then, Johnny has fought to maintain his privacy, but books have been written of his exploits. Living alone on 6,000 acres of once-sacred land, Johnny’s only connection to normal life is his old friend, Jack. But Jack sees danger in the wild places Johnny calls home; he senses darkness and hunger, an intractable intent.

RASPBERRY DANISH MURDER: A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes! by Joanne Fluke (Mystery)
Hannah throws herself into a baking frenzy while endless holiday orders pour into The Cookie Jar. She even introduces a raspberry Danish pastry to the menu, and P.K., her husband’s assistant at KCOW-TV, will be one of the first to sample it. But instead of taking a bite, P.K., who is driving Ross’ car and using his desk at work, is murdered. Was someone plotting against P.K. all along, or did Ross dodge a deadly dose of sweet revenge?

TIME PIECES: A Dublin Memoir written by John Banville, photographs by Paul Joyce (Memoir)
Born and bred in a small town a train ride away from Dublin, John Banville saw the city as a place of enchantment when he was a child. And though, as an adult, Dublin became a frequent backdrop for his dissatisfactions, it remained in some part of his memory as fascinating as it had been to his seven-year-old self. As he guides us around the city, he interweaves the memories that are attached to particular places and moments.

March 1st

BONE MUSIC: A Burning Girl Thriller by Christopher Rice (Thriller)
Charlotte Rowe spent the first seven years of her life in the hands of the only parents she knew --- a pair of serial killers who murdered her mother and tried to shape Charlotte in their own twisted image. Her real father exploited her tabloid-ready story for fame and profit --- until Charlotte finally broke free and fled. But just when she thinks she has buried her personal hell forever, Charlotte is swept into a frightening new ordeal.

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Young Adult Books You Want to Read

Here are this month's books we reviewed on Teenreads.com that we think will appeal to an adult audience:

AMERICAN HEART by Laura Moriarty (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Luci Christian Bell
Imagine a United States in which registries and detainment camps for Muslim-Americans are a reality. Fifteen-year-old Sarah-Mary Williams lives in this world, and though she has strong opinions on almost everything, she isn’t concerned with the internments because she doesn’t know any Muslims. She assumes that everything she reads and sees in the news is true, and that these plans are better for everyone’s safety. So when she happens upon Sadaf, a Muslim fugitive determined to reach freedom in Canada, Sarah-Mary at first believes she must turn her in. But Sadaf challenges Sarah-Mary’s perceptions of right and wrong, and instead Sarah-Mary decides to do all she can to help Sadaf escape.

VOTES FOR WOMEN!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot by Winifred Conkling (History)
Audiobook available, narrated by Christina Moore
On August 18, 1920, American women finally won the right to vote. Ratification of the 19th Amendment was the culmination of an almost 80-year fight in which some of the fiercest, most passionate women in history marched, protested and sometimes broke the law to achieve this huge leap toward equal rights. In this expansive yet personal volume, author Winifred Conkling covers not only the suffragists’ achievements and politics but also the private journeys that fueled their passion and led them to become women’s champions.

A FEW RED DROPS: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield (History)
Audiobook available, read by J.D. Jackson
On a hot day in July 1919, five black youths went swimming in Lake Michigan, unintentionally floating close to the "white" beach. An angry white man began throwing stones at the boys, striking and killing one. Racial conflict on the beach erupted into days of urban violence that shook the city of Chicago to its foundations. This mesmerizing narrative draws on contemporary accounts as it traces the roots of the explosion that had been building for decades in race relations, politics, business and clashes of culture.

Click here for more young adult books we recommend you read.

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