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A Family Milestone and Catching Up
with Some Favorite Authors
This week kicked off with brilliant celebrations of my mom and Tom’s mom, and then Tom and the boys celebrating me. Yes, there were books as presents; I loved selecting ones that I knew the moms would enjoy.
On Tuesday, Cory hit a milestone graduating from NJIT, which had me hit pause on my typical workday to sit back and enjoy celebrating this moment. There were four terrific commencement addresses. What I liked about them is that they all had practical ideas --- be resilient as this is a needed skill, give back and remember about building community and sharing with those around you, be inventive and embrace your role in the growth of the tech sector as an innovator, and recognize that change has its challenges and be part of working through them. While graduations bring plans and dreams, I loved that there was a focus on the twists and turns that life can bring, which is such sage advice. Life is often not a straight road, and reminders of that are good for us all to take note of.
A close family friend, Morris Schwartz, was recognized during the graduation as he had matriculated from the university 70 years ago (they have a tradition of honoring those who graduated at least 50 years ago; Cory will be eligible in 2068), thus we were seated with him in a VIP area, which was lovely. I'm so proud of Cory, who was just a year old when The Book Report Network was conceptualized. And I'm thrilled that he has a job, which he starts on July 2nd. You can see him with his proud grandparents above. By the way, photo sessions with the family are challenging as we cannot seem to get everyone looking good in photos when all seven of us are together; I see some Photoshop editing in my future!
As our lives always involve some dose of humor, Tom and I had spent weeks doing spring cleanup and sprucing up the yard to enjoy a lunch outside following the ceremony. But the day dawned hot and humid (and there was a wild thunderstorm later in the day), so we moved the outdoor plan to an indoor one. We kept looking out the window, noting, "Wow, that mulch looks really great around those plant beds" and "Look how clever we were to plant geraniums in with the palms that we wintered over." But hey, these tasks are now done!
Yesterday was a fun day with authors. First, I had breakfast with Linwood Barclay, who was in town for meetings with his publisher. In the afternoon, he did a Facebook Live event talking about his upcoming thriller, A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS. You can watch this here. I loved the part where his editor spoke with him about the plot of this latest thriller and how they worked together on the editing process, as well as the twists that make the book special. It’s hard to talk about the book without giving away what makes it work so well! You can see a photo of me with Linwood above; note that I am holding an advance reading copy of the book and the cover has changed. You can see the final one here. And as I was writing this newsletter, I saw this blurb for A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS come in from New York Journal of Books: "The first genuine must-read of the summer...a terrific edge-of-your-seat Hitchcockian psychological thriller." I do agree!
I cut out of the office early yesterday to head down to River Road Books in Fair Haven, NJ, to surprise Mary Kay Andrews as she was doing an event there as part of her tour for THE HIGH TIDE CLUB, which is debuting on the New York Times bestseller list at #3! I wish I had had a notebook with me to take notes on her talk, where she spoke about her research. She visited various barrier islands, many of which had been owned through the years by captains of industry like R. J. Reynolds and the Carnegies. She loves to write atmosphere into her books, and the best way for her to do this is by spending time in these places as she writes. She got one idea after climbing a lighthouse, which is closed to the public, on one of these islands. As she was experiencing vertigo on the circular stairway, she looked out the window and a plot idea came to her. To me, THE HIGH TIDE CLUB is her best. It has a lot of dimension and history, as well as her usual strong storytelling. It was fun chatting with other people at the event last night and hearing which of her books had resonated with them. You can see a photo of the two of us above.
MKA, as we call her around the office, has three New Jersey stops on her tour this year; the last one will be tomorrow in Manasquan at Sailor Trading at 11am for those of you who are in the area and want to meet her and buy a book. Your $40 ticket includes a signed first edition hardcover book, a discussion with MKA, light brunch fare and beverages, and swag bags for the first 50 guests. Click here for all the details.
I started listening to the audiobook of Ruth Ware’s THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY on the drive back from the beach last night. Audio listening again will be giving me an opportunity to up my reading time. I have a whole stack of audiobooks lined up, as well as some downloaded on my phone. Perfect!
We were saddened this week to hear of the passing of Tom Wolfe at the age of 87. Wolfe was the author of more than a dozen books, including THE ELECTRIC KOOL-AID ACID TEST, THE RIGHT STUFF, I AM CHARLOTTE SIMMONS, BACK TO BLOOD, and his first novel, THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, which was made into a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith. Among his many honors, Wolfe was awarded the National Book Award, the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence, the National Humanities Medal, and the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. “Push the envelope” and “the right stuff” are two popular phrases attributed to him, and he also is credited with coining the term "The Me Decade." On another note, Wolfe was so dapper and full of sartorial splendor (as you can see above); I feel like his wardrobe should be curated in a fashion exhibit. Retired astronaut Scott Kelly wrote an outstanding tribute to Wolfe that appeared in the New York Times in a piece titled “How Tom Wolfe Changed My Life.” Click here to read it; believe me, you will not want to miss it!
Dorothea Benton Frank returns to her beloved Lowcountry of South Carolina in her latest novel, BY INVITATION ONLY, which promises to be another scorching summer page-turner. The book is “a tale of two families, one struggling to do well, one well to do, and one young couple --- the privileged daughter of Chicago’s crème de la crème and the son of hard-working Southern peach farmers.” According to reviewer Jana Siciliano, “Frank’s trademark whimsy and deep love for her home country and the people who share it with her are on fine display in this latest volume. Their eccentricities and kindness, their anxieties and fears, are all exploited in the best possible literary means in BY INVITATION ONLY. I dare you NOT to love this book!”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include ROBIN, Dave Itzkoff’s revelatory biography of one of America’s most beloved and misunderstood entertainers, the late great Robin Williams; THE SEASONS OF MY MOTHER, a memoir from Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden about her adventures and travels with her mother, who is battling Alzheimer’s disease; and HOW IT HAPPENED, a new thriller from Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Michael Koryta, who Stephen King has called “a master.”
I love when I have read an upcoming book that I think readers will enjoy and want to get into your hands ahead of time to share your thoughts about it. Thus I am happy that this week we are continuing to offer our Sneak Peek contest for MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN, hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine’s debut novel that introduces readers to Rogers Stout. A baseball-loving high school student, Rogers’ life is thrown a wicked curveball when he is invited into an investment bank’s trading room and to a gambling hall dive where he immediately wins big at poker, capturing the attention of his co-workers with his card-playing skills. The book doesn’t release until August 14th, but we’re giving 50 readers the chance to win an advance copy and give us their feedback on it by July 25th. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 24th at noon ET. I love the voice of the main character; Fine does a great job with that and the pacing of the book, which is brisk and smart.
Congratulations to the winners of our Mother’s Day contest! Five lucky readers received all 15 of our featured titles. Many thanks to all who entered!
Now it’s time to switch gears and talk about dads! In this year’s Father’s Day contest, which we’ve brought back for a 13th year, five readers will be awarded a prize package that includes all nine of this year’s featured titles. To enter, all you have to do is fill out this form by Monday, June 18th at noon ET.
Our Summer Reading contests kicked off this week with THE FAVORITE SISTER by Jessica Knoll, MY EX-LIFE by Stephen McCauley, and A NANTUCKET WEDDING by Nancy Thayer. Next week’s prizes will be BEACH HOUSE REUNION by Mary Alice Monroe, THE BOOK OF SUMMER by Michelle Gable, CAMPAIGN WIDOWS by Aimee Agresti, and EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS by Meg Little Reilly, the latter of which we review this week. The first contest of the week will be up and running on Monday, May 21st at noon ET.
As we look forward to the May 22nd premiere of “The Great American Read” on PBS, our poll continues to ask if you’re planning to watch the series and participate in the voting. For those who many not know, “The Great American Read” will spotlight America’s 100 best-loved novels. Throughout the course of this eight-part series, viewers can vote for their favorites among the 100, and the top best-loved novel in America will be announced in October.
We also want to know how many of these 100 books you’ve read, so we’ve put together a survey for you to complete. Take a look at the list of titles here and check off the ones you have read by May 22nd at noon ET. We’ll share the top picks with you in next week’s newsletter! I have read a mere 32, but can tell you the plots of at least 34 more. That counts for something, right? We would love to see what you have read!
Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win two much-talked-about debut novels in our Word of Mouth contest: THE MAP OF SALT AND STARS by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar, which we featured in last week’s newsletter, and THE PERFECT MOTHER by Aimee Molloy, which is soon to be a major motion picture starring Kerry Washington, formerly of “Scandal.” Be sure to enter by Friday, May 25th at noon ET. We love introducing our readers to debut writers, and these are two you will not want to miss.
And don’t forget to enter this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, where we’re giving away the audio versions of two highly anticipated releases: the aforementioned THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware (read by Imogen Church) and THE OUTSIDER by Stephen King (read by Will Patton). The deadline for your submissions is Monday, June 4th at noon ET.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Alina wrote, “I finished reading LOVE AND RUIN by Paula McLain. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons. Among them is the fact that the story is well-written, quickly captures the reader’s attention, and is of the historical fiction genre, which I like very much. I also have some deeply personal reasons that made me like the book even more. I was born in Cuba, as were my parents, but my grandparents were born in Spain. It was very interesting to obtain a deeper insight into the Spanish Civil War from the perspective of characters who were in the thick of the action. Additionally, I could picture “La Finca Vigia” and the flora, fauna and delightful Cuban climate. My parents and I left Cuba in 1961 when I was 11 years old, but the book helped evoke wonderful memories of a very happy, long-ago childhood. Thank you very much for sponsoring a contest for a book that brought me back to a past long gone, but never to be forgotten.”
Betsy, our reader who had been looking for a book and shared a description of it a few weeks ago, thanks readers for their suggestions. She shares, “Thanks for sending on the reference to THE PARIS ARCHITECT, which was a book I found when I was unsuccessfully googling to find what I now know is the book I was looking for: THE SAFE HOUSE by Christophe Boltanski. I went back over my Amazon Wish List (where I put books that aren't yet in my library system) and found the book I was trying to remember...I hadn't located it on my Wish List before.”
Judy shared, “Awesome list for summer reading contests!” We agree; take a look at that here.
Researchers Uncover Two Hidden Pages in Anne Frank’s Diary: Read about it here.
Harlan Coben’s “Safe”: I watched all eight episodes last weekend and highly recommend it.
After a month and a half of a myriad of fun family social events, I am looking forward to a weekend of no events and just catching up! I have knitted some skirts that need finishing --- things like waistbands and hems, which are kind of skirt essentials. I will be heading to The Yarn Attic for advice.
I also hear there is some famous and fabulous wedding tomorrow; I wonder if I can figure out how to make scones by dawn. I also will be spending part of the weekend prepping for author interviews for BookExpo; I have notes scattered around and lots of folded-down pages of advance copies where I saw there were ideas that I wanted to explore with the authors. It’s going to be rainy and gloomy again; at some point we will open the pool. I cannot wait to get back in the water.
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: BY INVITATION ONLY
by Dorothea Benton Frank
BY INVITATION ONLY by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Susan Bennett, Courtney Patterson and Sarah Naughton
The Lowcountry of South Carolina is where BY INVITATION ONLY begins at a barbecue engagement party thrown by Diane English Stiftel to celebrate her son’s engagement. The bride’s father, Alejandro Cambria, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range, while the mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons. Soon the novel zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates. Nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane is the antithesis of the bright lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred’s second engagement party. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: ROBIN by Dave Itzkoff
ROBIN by Dave Itzkoff (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Fred Berman
From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in “Mork & Mindy” and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations --- all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed. But as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams’ comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt. Reviewed by John Bentlyewski.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE SEASONS OF MY MOTHER
by Marcia Gay Harden
THE SEASONS OF MY MOTHER: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Flowers by Marcia Gay Harden (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Marcia Gay Harden
One of five lively children born to two Texas natives --- Beverly, a proper Dallas lady, and Thad, a young naval officer --- Marcia Gay Harden always had a knack for storytelling, role-playing and adventure. As a military family, the Hardens moved often, and their travels eventually took them to Yokohama, off the coast of Japan, during the Vietnam War era. It was here that Beverly found her own self-expression in ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging. Using the philosophy of ikebana as her starting point, Marcia intertwines the seasons of her mother’s life with her own journey from precocious young girl to budding artist in New York City to Academy Award-winning actress. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: HOW IT HAPPENED by Michael Koryta
HOW IT HAPPENED by Michael Koryta (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff and Christine Lakin
Kimberly Crepeaux is a notorious jailhouse snitch, teen mother and heroin addict whose petty crimes are well-known to the rural Maine community where she lives. So when she confesses to her role in the brutal murders of Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly, the daughter of a well-known local family and her sweetheart, the locals have little reason to believe her story. However, FBI investigator and interrogator Rob Barrett knows that Kimberly’s story --- a grisly, harrowing story of a hit and run fueled by dope and cheap beer that becomes a brutal stabbing in cold blood --- is how it happened. But one thing remains elusive: Where are Jackie and Ian’s bodies? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 13th Annual
Father's Day Contest: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 13th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, June 18th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Sneak Peek Contest: Enter to Win an Advance Copy of MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN
by Jerrold Fine and Share Your Comments on It
Our latest Sneak Peek Feature spotlights MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN by Jerrold Fine, an intriguing look at human aspiration and the interplay of honor, greed, fear and individuality that reveals a time when a new generation upended the status quo on Wall Street and forever changed investing. The book doesn’t release until August 14th, but we have 50 advance copies to give away to readers who can commit to previewing it and sharing their comments on it by Wednesday, July 25th. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 24th at noon ET.
For our Sneak Peek program, your commitment to participate is critical, so please only enter this contest if you truly will have time to read MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN and give us your feedback by the July 25th deadline.
MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN by Jerrold Fine (Fiction)
Drawing from his own experiences in the turbulent '70s and '80s, hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine blends a heartfelt story of a young man fiercely intent on achieving independence with a fascinating insider’s look at the perks and pitfalls of a high-stakes life in the world of financial markets in his debut novel.
Rogers Stout has the gambler’s gifts --- a titanic brain, an uncanny ability to read people, and a risk-taker’s daring. As an apathetic high school student who loves baseball but lacks a 90-mph fastball, he knows that the game does not begin until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. But his life needs direction.
Everything changes the summer he is invited into the boisterous environment of an investment bank’s trading room, and to a gambling hall dive where he immediately wins big at poker, capturing the attention of his co-workers with his card-playing skills. Intrigued by trading markets, Rogers’ intellectual curiosity takes him to Wharton and then Wall Street, where he faces challenges as an outsider who thinks and acts differently from the white-shoe establishment. With his intuition and prowess, he’s ready to rewrite the rules and tackle markets with a flair that leaves his employers flabbergasted.
Rogers senses opportunity and willingly accepts the challenge that awaits him. He leans heavily on his gut instincts and the unusual cadre of friendships he cultivates, but learns the hard way to be alert to the perils that await him. He longs to prove himself and achieve his goals, yet is torn between the thrill of trading and investing, and pursuing a higher purpose in life. And through it all, he still feels the loss of his mother, who died when he was too young to remember her --- an open wound that refuses to heal.
As Rogers plays his career hand, life plays another. Should he follow the temptress Elsbeth and her ravishing beauty, or Charlotte, his high-spirited first love?
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Jerrold Fine’s bio.
- Click here to visit Jerrold Fine’s website.
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through August 24th. You will need to check the site to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, May 21st at noon ET.
This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
An Interview with Jon Talton,
Author of THE BOMB SHELTER
Jon Talton is the author of a series of mysteries featuring historian-turned-sheriff's deputy David Mapstone. The ninth and latest installment, THE BOMB SHELTER, is now available and is based on the 1976 car bombing death of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles. In this interview, Talton explains his decision to take on this horrific case, how Mapstone’s frequent ruminations on the changes Phoenix has undergone in the past 50 years mirrors his own feelings on the subject, and why he considers THE BOMB SHELTER to be the toughest book he’s ever written.
THE BOMB SHELTER: A David Mapstone Mystery by Jon Talton (Mystery)
Forty years ago, a Phoenix reporter was killed by a car bomb in one of America's most notorious crimes. Three men went to prison. But was there more to the story of Charles Page's assassination? More than three low-level players? Did a kingpin order the hit and get away with it? And what was the real motive? Despite the work of teams of journalists and law and legal professionals, no one yet knows why. It's a case custom-made for David Mapstone, the historian-turned-sheriff's deputy. And suddenly Mapstone's boss, newly re-elected Sheriff Mike Peralta, promises to reopen the investigation into the only murder of an American journalist, in the US, in modern times. Why? The promise triggers new murders.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the interview.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
THAT KIND OF MOTHER by Rumaan Alam (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Vanessa Johansson
Struggling to juggle the demands of motherhood with her own aspirations, Rebecca Stone reaches out to the only person at the hospital who offers her any real help --- Priscilla Johnson --- and begs her to come home with them as her son’s nanny. Priscilla’s presence quickly does as much to shake up Rebecca’s perception of the world as it does to stabilize her life. Rebecca is white, and Priscilla is black, and through their relationship, Rebecca finds herself confronting, for the first time, the blind spots of her own privilege. When Priscilla dies unexpectedly in childbirth, Rebecca steps forward to adopt the baby. But she is unprepared for what it means to be a white mother with a black son. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
NOT THAT BAD: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay (Gender Studies/Essays)
Audiobook available, read by various narrators
Cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence and aggression they face, and where they are “routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied” for speaking out. Contributions include essays from established and up-and-coming writers, performers and critics, including actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle Union and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz and Claire Schwartz. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
SHOOT FIRST: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Roberts
Stone Barrington is enjoying a round of golf in Key West when the game is violently interrupted --- and it seems as if the target of the disturbance may have been one of his playing companions, the brilliant businesswoman behind a software startup on the cutting edge of technology. It soon becomes clear that this incident is only the first thrust in a deadly scheme to push the beautiful young woman out of the way and put her company's valuable secrets up for grabs. Stone embarks on a quest to protect his lovely new companion while searching for the mastermind behind the plot against her. But he may find that her enemy is far more resourceful --- and dangerous --- than he could have anticipated. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
TIN MAN by Sarah Winman (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Sarah Winman
Ellis and Michael are 12-year-old boys when they first become friends, and for a long time it is just the two of them --- cycling the streets of Oxford, teaching themselves how to swim, discovering poetry, and dodging the fists of overbearing fathers. And then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more. But then we fast-forward a decade or so, to find that Ellis is married to Annie, and Michael is nowhere in sight. Which leads to the question: What happened in the years between? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
ATTICUS FINCH: THE BIOGRAPHY: Harper Lee, Her Father, and the Making of an American Icon by Joseph Crespino (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Dan Woren
The publication of GO SET A WATCHMAN in 2015 forever changed how we think about Atticus Finch. Once seen as a paragon of decency, he was reduced to a small-town racist. In ATTICUS FINCH, historian Joseph Crespino draws on exclusive sources to reveal how Harper Lee's father provided the central inspiration for each of her books. A lawyer and newspaperman, A. C. Lee was a principled opponent of mob rule, yet he was also a racial paternalist. Harper Lee created the Atticus of WATCHMAN out of the ambivalence she felt toward white southerners like him. But when a militant segregationist movement arose that mocked his values, she revised the character in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD to defend her father and to remind the South of its best traditions. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THE ENDING by Malcolm Mackay (Mystery)
Martin Sivok finds himself tied to a chair inside a deserted warehouse. For now his best hope is figuring out who put him here --- and staying conscious long enough to confront them. To stay awake, he reviews the past year of his life: evading the law in the Czech Republic by running to Glasgow, settling into a borderline respectable relationship with his landlady, and getting back into the life at the very bottom of the criminal ladder, alongside Usman Kassar, a cocky, goofy kid anxious to prove himself. The job should be simple: smash heads, grab cash, run. The trouble with being two outsiders is, you don't always know whose heads are too dangerous to crack, or whose cash is too hot to handle. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
PRETEND I'M DEAD by Jen Beagin (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Candace Thaxton
Mona is almost 24, emotionally adrift and cleaning houses to get by. Handing out clean needles to drug addicts, she falls for a recipient she calls Mr. Disgusting, who proceeds to break her heart in unimaginable ways. In search of healing, Mona decamps to Taos, New Mexico, where she finds a community of seekers and cast-offs, all of whom have one or two things to teach her --- the pajama-wearing, blissed-out New Agers, the slightly creepy client with peculiar tastes in controlled substances, the psychic who might really be psychic. But always lurking just beneath the surface are her memories of growing up in a chaotic, destructive family from which she’s trying to disentangle herself, and the larger legacy of the past she left behind. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
GALE FORCE by Owen Laukkanen (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Karissa Vacker
McKenna Rhodes has never been able to get the sight of her father's death out of her mind. A freak maritime accident has made her the captain of the salvage boat Gale Force, but it's also made her cautious, sticking closer to the Alaska coastline. She and her crew are just scraping by, when the freighter Pacific Lion founders 200 miles out in a storm. This job is their last chance --- but there is even more at stake than they know. Unlisted on any manifest, the Lion's crew includes a man on the run carrying 50 million dollars in stolen Yakuza bearer bonds. The Japanese gangsters and the thief's associates want the money. Another salvage ship, far bigger and more powerful than Gale Force, is racing to the rendezvous as well. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS by Meg Little Reilly (Psychological Suspense)
Audiobook available, read by Amy McFadden
Around midnight, three friends take their partying from bar to boat on a misty fall evening. Just as the weather deteriorates, one of them suddenly and confusingly goes overboard. Is it an accident? The result of an unwanted advance? His body disappears quickly, silently, into the dark water. The circumstances are murky, but what is clear is that the other two need to notify the authorities. Minutes become hours become days as they hesitate, caught up in their guilt and hope that their friend has somehow made it safely to shore. As valuable time passes, they find themselves deep in a moral morass with huge implications as they struggle to move forward and live with their dark secret. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
GIVE-A-DAMN JONES: A Novel of the West by Bill Pronzini (Mystery/Western)
Audiobook available, read by various narrators
Give-a-Damn Jones, a free-spirited itinerant typographer, hates his nickname almost as much as the rumors spread about him. He’s a kind soul who keeps finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s what happened in Box Elder, a small Montana town. Tensions are running high, and anything (or anyone) could be the fuse to ignite them: a recently released convict trying to prove his innocence, a prominent cattleman who craves respect at any cost, a wily traveling dentist at odds with a violent local blacksmith, or a firebrand of an editor who is determined to unlock the town’s secrets. Jones walks into the middle of it all, and this time, he may be the hero that this town needs. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
EVENTIDE written by Therese Bohman, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Fiction)
In her 40s, childless and living alone, Karolina Andersson feels adrift after the breakup of a long relationship. She finds fulfillment in her work, and when she starts advising a new postgraduate student, she is struck by his confidence. He claims to have discovered new materials from a female artist working around 1900 that could change the history of Swedish visual arts. Karolina soon finds herself embroiled in a complex game with both emotional and professional consequences. Reviewed by Stephen Febick.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 22nd
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 22nd 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 May 21st, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BEACH HOUSE REUNION by Mary Alice Monroe (Fiction)
Whisking you back to the shores of her bestselling Beach House series, Mary Alice Monroe weaves together a tale of the struggles and triumphs of the historic Rutledge family of Charleston, South Carolina. Three generations gather together to find the strength, love and commitment to break destructive family patterns and to forge new bonds that will endure long beyond one summer reunion.
THE HIGH SEASON by Judy Blundell (Fiction)
In a beach town overrun with vacationers and newly colonized by socialites, Ruthie Beamish will go to extreme lengths when the life she loves is upended. Ruthie's house is her nest egg, recently renovated and located by the sea in a quiet village two ferry rides from the glitzier Hamptons. But to afford the house, she must rent it during the summer --- and this year to Adeline Clay, who is elegant, connected and accompanied by a “gorgeous satellite” stepson.
THE OUTSIDER by Stephen King (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
An 11-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens, Terry Maitland. Maitland has an alibi, but Detective Ralph Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, THE OUTSIDER kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense.
THE RESTLESS WAVE: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations by John McCain and Mark Salter (Memoir)
Written while confronting a mortal illness, John McCain looks back with appreciation on his years in the Senate, his historic 2008 campaign for the presidency against Barack Obama, and his crusades on behalf of democracy and human rights in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Always the fighter, McCain attacks the “spurious nationalism” and political polarization afflicting American policy.
RUTHLESS TIDE: The Heroes and Villains of the Johnstown Flood, America's Astonishing Gilded Age Disaster by Al Roker (History)
Central Pennsylvania, May 31, 1889: After a deluge of rain swelled the Little Conemaugh River, panicked engineers watched helplessly as swiftly rising waters threatened to breach the South Fork dam. At 3:10pm the dam gave way, releasing 20 million tons of water. Traveling 40 miles an hour, the deadly floodwaters razed the vibrant steel town of Johnstown in minutes. In RUTHLESS TIDE, Al Roker follows an unforgettable cast of characters whose fates converged because of that tragic day.
THE TESTAMENT OF LOKI by Joanne M. Harris (Fantasy)
The end of the world has occurred, and Loki has been trapped in a seemingly endless purgatory until he finds a way to escape. Back in the ninth world (Earth), Loki finds himself sharing the mind of a teenage girl named Jumps. Odin, Jumps’ one-eyed best friend in a wheelchair, has a plan to bring back the Norse gods ascendancy, but Loki has his own ideas on how things can go --- and nothing goes according to plan.
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Our Latest Poll: “The Great American Read” on PBS
Will You Watch and Vote?
“The Great American Read” is an eight-part series on PBS premiering May 22nd that focuses on America’s 100 best-loved novels. Throughout the course of the series, viewers will be able to vote for their favorites among the 100, and the top best-loved novel in America will be revealed in October. Are you planning to watch this series and participate in the voting?
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I plan to watch the series and vote.
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I plan to watch the series, but probably will not vote.
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I plan to vote, but probably will not watch the entire series.
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I do not plan to watch the series or vote.
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I am not sure what I am going to do.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 25th 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 May 11th to May 25th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE MAP OF SALT AND STARS by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar and THE PERFECT MOTHER by Aimee Molloy.
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 May 1st to June 4th at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Ruth Ware's THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY, read by Imogen Church, and Stephen King's THE OUTSIDER, read by Will Patton.
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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