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When we left off last week, Tom, Greg and I were headed into the city to the Soho Film Festival to see the American premiere of the film adaptation of Linwood Barclay’s NEVER SAW IT COMING. I really hope it gets a U.S. distribution deal as it is so well done. It also reminded me what is special about Linwood’s writing (he also wrote the screenplay) --- it’s all about the clues. They are so deftly woven into the dialogue that often you miss the sleight of hand that places them there until later on when you see what happens. Both Tom and Greg were talking about small moments of dialogue and the layering of clues during our drive home and again on Saturday. It was fun to see how much they appreciated the seemingly innocuous moments that all came into play later. Afterwards there was a Q&A with Linwood, the director, the producer and some of the actors. It was a really fun evening, and the audience loved it. Above you can see Tom and I with Linwood (who's on the left).
I love talking to readers, and this week gave me a lot of opportunity for that. First up, I went to my book group meeting on Monday night where we had a terrific discussion about LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly --- this as a wicked thunderstorm was blowing outside the doors of the firehouse where we meet. I shared a number of selections for personal reading, and we tossed around ideas for the next book, leaving next month’s leader to do her own research on what she wanted to lead a discussion on. Her choice: WHITE HOUSES by Amy Bloom, which was not a title that I had mentioned. I am looking forward to seeing what the group has to say about it.
Wednesday was a bookish doubleheader that started at the Merrick, New York library, where, over the course of two hours, I presented more than 120 titles as a Reader’s Advisory for Nassau County librarians on books to look out for in fall 2018/winter 2019. That evening I was in Rockville Centre for their library kickoff of their Summer Reading Program, where I presented a mix of already published titles I did not want them to miss, great summer reads and a preview of fall books. For both events, this was the third year in a row that I have presented to these audiences; I loved seeing familiar faces and hearing what had resonated with them.
Last night, I went to Albertine Books on the Upper East Side of New York to hear Emmanuelle de Villepin talk about her book, THE DEVIL’S REWARD. I had first met her at Winter Institute in Memphis in January, where we had such fun talking books and life while getting to know each other. Emmanuelle is French and has lived in Milan for the last 30 years; she is an author who has such great style, spunk and passion. I truly wish we could spend more time together. You can see a photo of the two of us above; in many that we took, we both were laughing as we caught up quickly and told stories. THE DEVIL'S REWARD was a Sneak Peek selection, and we gave a number of our readers an early look at it. Then, when the book was published in May, our reviewer, Sarah Rachel Egelman, had this to say about it: "An exploration of secrets and the bonds of family and love, THE DEVIL’S REWARD is a contemplative, thoughtful and honest look at essential relationships.” I am happy to share that it also will be one of our Summer Reading dedicated newsletter selections next week. Emmanuelle has a website that you can take a look at here.
Just in time for the start of summer is Elin Hilderbrand’s new novel, THE PERFECT COUPLE, which happens to be her first murder mystery. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember, but it turns out to be memorable for all the wrong reasons when a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony. Of course that means that everyone in the wedding party is considered a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's mother (a well-known mystery author), and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield --- and no couple is perfect.
Vivian Payton has our review and says, “Hilderbrand’s imagination and ability to craft so many characters and storylines keep the novel riveting. There is abundant detail with plenty of twists and turns as the plot gets thicker and thicker and you hunger for more. I kept wondering who the murderer could possibly be, but my suspicions kept changing!”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include BRING ME BACK, B.A. Paris’ latest novel of psychological suspense that will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax; TURBULENCE by Stuart Woods, in which Stone Barrington finds himself pitted against both man and nature; ISLAND OF THE MAD, the 11th installment in Laurie R. King’s mystery series featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes; and CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN by Sayaka Murata, which introduces readers to Keiko Furukura, who has been working at the same convenience store for almost 20 years --- but a young man who comes to work at the store has the potential to turn her comfortable life upside down.
We’re awarding the audio version of BRING ME BACK, read by Kevin Hely and Cathleen McCarron, in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, along with Barbara Delinsky's BEFORE AND AGAIN, read by Mary Stuart Masterson. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win both these audio titles. Be sure to enter by Monday, July 2nd at noon ET.
Please keep in mind our very special contest that is being sponsored by Talbots, the nationally renowned womenswear retailer. They are hosting a summer-long book club event to get shoppers (and readers!) to share books they love and discover new ones. In partnership with Talbots, we're giving away a $250 Talbots gift card and a bundle of books! To enter, be sure to fill out this form by Friday, June 29th at noon ET.
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away THE COTTAGES ON SILVER BEACH: A Haven Point Novel by RaeAnne Thayne, THE MYTH OF PERPETUAL SUMMER by Susan Crandall, SLOWLY WE DIE by Emelie Schepp, and THEN SHE WAS GONE by Lisa Jewell. Next week’s prizes will be the aforementioned BEFORE AND AGAIN by Barbara Delinsky and THE DEVIL’S REWARD by Emmanuelle de Villepin, along with ALL WE EVER WANTED by Emily Giffin and THE SUMMER LIST by Amy Mason Doan. The first contest of the week will go live on Monday, June 25th at noon ET.
You’ll also have the opportunity to win ALL WE EVER WANTED in our new Word of Mouth contest, in addition to SPYMASTER by Brad Thor. Let us know by Friday, July 6th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win both these novels.
Congratulations to the winners of our Father's Day contest! Five lucky readers received all nine of our featured titles. Many thanks to all who entered!
We have two interesting background pieces to share with you, courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press. First up is a discussion with Thomas Kies and Annie Hogsett; the second installments in their respective series (Kies’ Geneva Chase series and Hogsett’s Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead Mystery series) released earlier this month. Among other topics, they discuss the experience of writing that second novel and how it compares (or not) to their debuts from last year.
We also have a Q&A with Sulari Gentill, whose fifth novel in her Rowland Sinclair series, GENTLEMEN FORMERLY DRESSED, is now in stores. Here, she talks about her inspiration for these period mysteries and describes her painstaking research process, which includes lots of reading, Googling, and talking to people who may be able to help her better understand the places where her books are set.
Our new poll asks which of 20 paperbacks releasing in June you have read or are planning to read. Click here to cast your votes!
In our previous poll, we listed 20 fiction titles that are being published this month and asked which of them, if any, you are looking forward to reading. Here are your top picks: US AGAINST YOU by Fredrik Backman (34%), THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (33%), THE PERFECT COUPLE by Elin Hilderbrand (32%), HOW HARD CAN IT BE? by Allison Pearson (28%), BRING ME BACK by B.A. Paris (28%), and ALL WE EVER WANTED by Emily Giffin (28%). Click here for the complete results.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Melanie wrote this about winning our Summer Reading Contest for MR. FLOOD’S LAST RESORT: “I won! How exciting is this? Thank you so much. I look forward to receiving this book.”
Beverly wrote, “Thank you SO much! I am thrilled to have won a copy of THE PATCHWORK BRIDE by Sandra Dallas and look forward to reading it when it arrives. Bookreporter.com is the best, and the newsletters delivered in Friday's emails are what I look forward to each and every week. I have been reading the newsletter for so many years that I feel like a friend of you and your family, Carol. Thank you for sharing your lives, your recipes and the always dead-on reviews of the books you want your readers to know about.”
Kathryn wrote this about a story she saw about a unique book lending system in Halifax, Canada: “I happened to see a report on this story on CBCNN this morning, and saw a reporter use his library card to access a book and see how the system worked. Here is the story from Toronto Star --- apparently the first in North America at an airport.”
“Pose” on FX: Many terrific moments in this new series, while others are very predictable.
“Younger” on TV Land: I managed to find the first episode from season one online (they are now on season five), and I see why readers are excited about it. How did I miss this?
I finished listening to WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS by Lauren Weisberger, and the audio will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick next week. The narrator, Laura Benanti, is terrific. Each voice was very distinct; I was wildly impressed. I am finishing up listening to THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware and have no idea how this is going to end!
I am absolutely crazy about Patti Callahan’s BECOMING MRS. LEWIS, which is coming out October 2nd; I just finished it this morning. Her writing about Joy Davidman and Joy's relationship with C. S. Lewis is so sharp. There are fabulous period details; I could envision Oxford. And the pacing is pitch-perfect. It will be a Bets On selection!
Last weekend, I made two strawberry rhubarb pies. We had to buy rhubarb as ours is not quite mature; it's rather thin. You can see my attempt at a cooking show above with the ingredients spread out and the final pies. Before you ask, here's the recipe, though I did a lattice crust. Tom said we have some extra strawberries, so I may make a crumble or something this weekend.
Greg is in Ottawa this weekend for a Land Rover event. Cory and his girlfriend, Sam, are here for the weekend. Tonight we are making homemade pizza, and Josh, aka Son 2A, is coming over. After a very busy week, I am looking forward to a weekend with NO formal plans.
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Featured Review: THE PERFECT COUPLE
by Elin Hilderbrand
THE PERFECT COUPLE by Elin Hilderbrand (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Erin Bennett
The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate. But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony --- and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield --- and no couple is perfect. Reviewed by Vivian Payton.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: BRING ME BACK by B.A. Paris
BRING ME BACK by B.A. Paris (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kevin Hely and Cathleen McCarron
Finn and Layla are driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. When he returns, Layla is gone. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story. Ten years later, Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him, even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her. Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla --- hiding in plain sight. If Layla is alive --- and on Finn’s trail --- what does she want? And how much does she know? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN
by Sayaka Murata
CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN written by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Nancy Wu
Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world. So when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, they are delighted for her. However, 18 years later, at age 36, she is still in the same job, has never had a boyfriend, and has only a few friends. She feels comfortable in her life, but is aware that she is not living up to society’s expectations and causing her family to worry about her. When a similarly alienated but cynical and bitter young man comes to work in the store, he will upset Keiko’s contented stasis. But will it be for the better? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: TURBULENCE by Stuart Woods
TURBULENCE: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Roberts
Stone Barrington and several friends are vacationing in Florida when an extreme weather event puts a damper on their trip. Even worse, the hurricane-force winds blow a powerful, noxious politician straight onto Stone's doorstep. Though they part ways before long, Stone soon learns that he hasn't seen the last of his new acquaintance. It turns out that this official has some shady associates who may have destructive plans afoot, and Stone needs an entrée to the inside to figure out their scheme. With the fate of nations at stake, Stone must summon all of his fearless daring to put an end to the audacious plot…but this time he may be in over his head. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: ISLAND OF THE MAD by Laurie R. King
ISLAND OF THE MAD: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jenny Sterlin
Lady Vivian Beaconsfield has disappeared following a supervised outing from Bethlem Royal Hospital. Having spent most of her adult life in and out of one asylum after another, she at last seemed to be adjusting to her confinement at Bethlem. So why did she disappear? And why is there no trace of the nurse who accompanied her? In their search for the missing women, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes follow the trail from the cold, harsh wards of the hospital through to the ethereal beauty of Venice. Caught up in decadent soirees, the rising tide of fascism and the myth of a haunted madhouse, the pair will discover that there are secrets hidden in the lagoon and nothing is quite as it seems. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com's Latest Blog Post:
Writing That Second Novel
A Dialogue Between Thomas Kies and Annie Hogsett
On May 2, 2017, the debut novels of Thomas Kies and Annie Hogsett released, and both were first installments of a series. Kies’ RANDOM ROAD introduced readers to veteran reporter Geneva Chase, and TOO LUCKY TO LIVE kicked off Hogsett’s Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead Mystery series. So it’s only fitting that the second books in their respective mystery series (DARKNESS LANE for Kies and MURDER TO THE METAL for Hogsett) would publish on the same day this year (June 5th). To celebrate, Thomas and Annie have teamed up for a dual interview, where they talk about the challenges of writing a second book in a series, explain what it was like to interact with the public as they promoted their first novels, and offer advice to their younger selves now that they have two published books under their belts.
DARKNESS LANE: A Geneva Chase Mystery by Thomas Kies (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Gibel
The newshound in reporter Geneva Chase spurs her to bad, if not downright dangerous, choices as two unrelated crimes unexpectedly collide. A 15-year-old-girl at her ward's high school has vanished along with her English teacher. Is this same-old, same-old, or something more? And then there's the abused woman who torched her sadistic husband, and how to keep her out of the clutches of powerful mobsters --- and thus, out of the news. Out on the crime beat, Geneva works to unravel the connection, if any, between these two disparate stories while her newspaper is put up for sale, a high-flying Hollywood production lights up the town, and her personal battles accelerate.
- Click here to read more about the book.
MURDER TO THE METAL: A Somebody's Bound to Wind Up Dead Mystery by Annie Hogsett (Mystery)
Ten months after the events detailed in TOO LUCKY TO LIVE, Allie Harper and Thomas Bennington III reside in a rented 9,000-square-foot lakeside mansion. Otis Johnson, Allie's deliverer from last summer's would-be-kidnapper, is now their live-in bodyguard and gourmet chef. Allie's dream of creating the T&A Detective Agency to solve "mysteries of the heart" now has its first case. Lloyd Bunker's obsession with avoiding stoplights has run him and his '67 Pontiac GTO off the road. T&A recruits Allie's former nemesis, Officer Tony Valerio, plus her best friend and ex-landlady Margo and television reporter Lisa Cole, to help them follow a lethal trail of escalating crimes ranging from scrapping to pushing opioids to multiple murders.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the interview.
An Interview with Sulari Gentill,
Author of GENTLEMEN FORMERLY DRESSED
GENTLEMEN FORMERLY DRESSED is the fifth and latest entry in Sulari Gentill’s series of mysteries set in the 1930s featuring Rowland Sinclair, the gentleman artist-cum-amateur-detective. In this interview, Gentill discusses her inspiration for the series, how she conducts her research to give authenticity to the settings, why she is a “pantser” (a novelist who writes by the seat of her pants), the most interesting queries she has received from her readers, and why she often has two or more books going at the same time.
GENTLEMEN FORMERLY DRESSED: A Rowland Sinclair Mystery by Sulari Gentill (Historical Mystery)
In GENTLEMEN FORMERLY DRESSED, Rowland Sinclair and his friends travel to England, where they feel safe. Then Viscount Pierrepont is discovered in his club, impaled by a sword, and sporting a frilly negligée and makeup. His murder, and the suspicion falling on his young niece, quickly plunge the Australians into a queer world of British aristocracy, Fascist Blackshirts, illicit love, scandal, and spies ranging from London and its suburbs to Bletchley Park and Oxford, and inevitably drawing in Wil Sinclair as well as players like H.G. Wells and Winston Churchill. It's a world where gentlemen are not always what they are dressed up to be.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the interview.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer is here! 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, June 25th 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.
Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight:
THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS by Amy Meyerson
THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS by Amy Meyerson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ann Marie Gideon
Miranda Brooks grew up in the stacks of her eccentric Uncle Billy’s bookstore, solving the inventive scavenger hunts he created just for her. But on Miranda’s 12th birthday, Billy has a mysterious falling-out with her mother and suddenly disappears from Miranda’s life. She doesn’t hear from him again until 16 years later when she receives unexpected news: Billy has died and left her Prospero Books, which is teetering on bankruptcy --- and one final scavenger hunt.
When Miranda returns home to Los Angeles and to Prospero Books --- now as its owner --- she finds clues that Billy has hidden for her inside novels on the store’s shelves, in locked drawers of his apartment upstairs, in the name of the store itself. Miranda becomes determined to save Prospero Books and to solve Billy’s last scavenger hunt. She soon finds herself drawn into a journey where she meets people from Billy’s past, people whose stories reveal a history that Miranda’s mother has kept hidden --- and the terrible secret that tore her family apart.
Bighearted and trenchantly observant, THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS is a lyrical story of family, love and the healing power of community. It’s a love letter to reading and bookstores, and a testament to how our histories shape who we become.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Amy Meyerson’s bio.
- Click here to visit Amy Meyerson’s website.
- Click here to connect with Amy Meyerson on Facebook.
Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our review of THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS
and our interview with Amy Meyerson in next week's newsletter!
WHEN KATIE MET CASSIDY by Camille Perri (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Allyson Ryan
Katie Daniels, a 28-year-old Kentucky transplant with a strong set of traditional values, has just been dumped by her fiancé when she finds herself seated across a negotiating table from native New Yorker Cassidy Price, a sexy, self-assured woman wearing a man's suit. At first neither of them knows what to make of the other, but soon their undeniable connection will bring into question everything each of them thought they knew about sex and love. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
THE GREAT BELIEVERS by Rebecca Makkai (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Michael Crouch
It is 1985, and Yale Tishman is the development director for an art gallery in Chicago. As his career begins to flourish, the carnage of the AIDS epidemic grows around him. One by one, his friends are dying, and after his friend Nico's funeral, the virus circles closer and closer to Yale himself. Soon the only person he has left is Fiona, Nico's little sister. Thirty years later, Fiona is in Paris tracking down her estranged daughter who disappeared into a cult. While staying with an old friend, a famous photographer who documented the Chicago crisis, she finds herself finally grappling with the devastating ways AIDS affected her life and her relationship with her daughter. In these intertwining stories, Yale and Fiona struggle to find goodness in the midst of disaster. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
FIRST IN LINE: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and the Pursuit of Power by Kate Andersen Brower (Politics)
Audiobook available, read by Fred Sanders
Vice presidents occupy a unique and important position, living partway in the spotlight and part in the wings. Of the 48 vice presidents who have served the United States, 14 have become president; eight of these have risen to the Oval Office because of a president’s death or assassination, and one became president after his boss’s resignation. But things have changed dramatically in recent years. In interviews with more than 200 people, including former vice presidents, their family members, and insiders and confidants of every president since Jimmy Carter, Kate Andersen Brower pulls back the curtain and reveals the sometimes cold, sometimes close and always complicated relationship between our modern presidents and their vice presidents. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
THE LOST FAMILY by Jenna Blum (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Will Damron
Peter Rashkin, the owner of Masha’s and its head chef, is a survivor of Auschwitz. Running the restaurant consumes him, as does his terrible guilt over surviving the horrors of the Nazi death camp while his wife, Masha, and two young daughters perished. Then June Bouquet, an up-and-coming young model, appears at the restaurant, piercing Peter’s guard. Though she is 20 years his junior, the two begin a passionate, whirlwind courtship. When June unexpectedly becomes pregnant, Peter proposes. But over the next 20 years, the indelible sadness of his horrific memories of the past will overshadow Peter, June and their daughter Elsbeth, transforming them in shocking, heartbreaking and unexpected ways. Reviewed by Leah DeCesare (www.leahdecesare.com).
LIFE IN THE GARDEN by Penelope Lively (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Heather Lloyd
Penelope Lively takes up her key themes of time and memory, and her lifelong passions for art, literature and gardening in this philosophical and poetic memoir. From the courtyards of her childhood home in Cairo to a family cottage in Somerset, to her own gardens in Oxford and London, Lively conducts an expert tour, taking us from Eden to Sissinghurst and into her own backyard, traversing the lives of writers like Virginia Woolf and Philip Larkin while imparting her own sly and spare wisdom. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
THE ANOMALY by Michael Rutger (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Brandon Williams
Nolan Moore is a rogue archaeologist hosting a documentary series derisively dismissed by the “real” experts, but beloved of conspiracy theorists. He sets out to retrace the steps of an explorer from 1909 who claimed to have discovered a mysterious cavern high up in the ancient rock of the Grand Canyon. And, for once, he may have actually found what he seeks. Then the trip takes a nasty turn, and the cave begins turning against them in mysterious ways. The only way out is to answer a series of intriguing questions: What is this strange cave? How has it remained hidden for so long? And what secret does it conceal that made its last visitors attempt to seal it forever? Reviewed by Julianne Holmquist.
BROKEN ICE by Matt Goldman (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by MacLeod Andrews
Nils Shapiro has been hired to find missing Linnea Engstrom, a teenager from the small northern hockey town of Warroad, MN. Most of Warroad is in Minneapolis for the state high school hockey tournament, and Linnea never returned from last night’s game. Linnea’s friend, Haley Housch, is also missing --- and soon found dead. Shot through the arm with an arrow at the Haley Housch crime scene, only the quick work of medical examiner Char Northagen saves Nil’s life. Nils should be in the hospital recovering from his near-fatal injury, but he knows that the clock is ticking. Linnea could be anywhere, and someone doesn’t want her found. Is Linnea a victim, or is she playing a dangerous game? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
TREEBORNE by Caleb Johnson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Courtney Patterson
Janie Treeborne lives on an orchard at the edge of Elberta, Alabama, and in time, she has become its keeper. Elberta has seen fierce battles, violent storms and frantic change --- and when the town is once again threatened from without, Janie realizes it won’t withstand much more. So she tells the story of its people: of Hugh, her granddaddy, determined to preserve Elberta’s legacy at any cost; of his wife, Maybelle, the postmaster, whose sudden death throws the town into chaos; of her lover, Lee Malone, a black orchardist harvesting from a land where he is less than welcome; of the time when Janie kidnapped her own Hollywood-obsessed aunt and tore the wrong people apart. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW: A Memoir by Wendy Mitchell (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Wendy Mitchell
Wendy Mitchell had a busy job with the British National Health Service, raised her two daughters alone, and spent her weekends running and climbing mountains. Then, slowly, a mist settled deep inside the mind she once knew so well, blurring the world around her. She didn’t know it then, but dementia was starting to take hold. In 2014, at age 58, she was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s. In SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, Mitchell shares the heartrending story of her cognitive decline and how she has fought to stave it off. What lay ahead of her after the diagnosis was scary and unknowable, but Mitchell was determined and resourceful, and she vowed to outwit the disease for as long as she could. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
WHY TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD MATTERS: What Harper Lee's Book and the Iconic American Film Mean to Us Today by Tom Santopietro (Literary Criticism/Performing Arts)
Tom Santopietro traces the writing of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, the impact of the Pulitzer Prize, and investigates the claims that Lee’s book is actually racist. Here for the first time is the full behind-the-scenes story regarding the creation of the 1962 film, one that entered the American consciousness in a way that few other movies ever have. From the earliest casting sessions to the Oscars and the 50th anniversary screening at the White House, Santopietro examines exactly what makes the movie and Gregory Peck’s unforgettable performance as Atticus Finch so captivating. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on June 26th
Below are some notable titles releasing on June 26th 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 June 25th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
ALL WE EVER WANTED by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Nina Browning is living the good life after marrying into Nashville’s elite. Yet sometimes she wonders if she has strayed from the person she once was. Tom Volpe is a single dad working multiple jobs while struggling to raise his headstrong daughter, Lyla, who earns a scholarship to Windsor Academy, Nashville’s most prestigious private school. Then one photograph, snapped in a drunken moment at a party, changes everything.
BEFORE AND AGAIN by Barbara Delinsky (Fiction)
Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for just a moment, but the resulting collision was enough to rob her not only of her beloved daughter but ultimately of her marriage, family and friends. Now she lives in Vermont under the name Maggie Reid. When a friend’s teenage son is accused of hacking a powerful man’s Twitter account, Maggie is torn between pulling away and protecting herself --- or stepping into the glare to be at their side.
BETWEEN YOU AND ME by Susan Wiggs (Fiction)
Caleb Stoltz is bound by a deathbed promise to raise his orphaned niece and nephew in Middle Grove. When disaster strikes, Caleb is thrust into an urban environment of high-tech medicine and the relentless rush of modern life. Dr. Reese Powell lives for the addictive rush of saving lives. But when a shocking accident brings Caleb into her life, Reese is forced to deal with a situation that challenges everything she thinks she knows.
BIMINI TWIST: A Jane Bunker Mystery by Linda Greenlaw (Mystery)
A young woman working at the Bar Harbor Inn has disappeared. The Inn employs foreign exchange students from all over the world during the busy summer season, and the missing Bianca Chiriac is one of them. When it becomes clear that Bianca isn’t just sleeping off a late-night party, part-time deputy sheriff Jane Bunker is plunged into the underbelly of the resort town, and must find the missing woman before the worst happens.
SCORPION STRIKE: A Jonathan Grave Thriller by John Gilstrap (Thriller)
An island paradise held hostage. A band of dangerous killers unleashed. A sinister plot that could push the superpowers to the brink of war. For Jonathan Grave and Gail Bonneville, the Crystal Sands Resort has become the ultimate flashpoint. Their mission: defeat the attackers before more lives are lost. Grave may be without weapons, but he’s never without resources. That’s when he’s most lethal.
THE SECRETS BETWEEN US by Thrity Umrigar (Fiction)
Poor and illiterate, Bhima had faithfully worked for the Dubash family, an upper-middle-class Parsi household, for more than 20 years. Yet after courageously speaking the truth about a heinous crime perpetrated against her own family, the devoted servant was cruelly fired. Bhima’s fortunes take an unexpected turn when her path intersects with Parvati, a bitter, taciturn older woman.
A STEEP PRICE by Robert Dugoni (Mystery/Thriller)
Solving the mystery behind the murder of a young woman isn’t Tracy Crosswhite’s only challenge. The detective is keeping a secret of her own: she’s pregnant. And now her biggest fear seems to be coming true when a new detective arrives to replace her. Meanwhile, Tracy’s colleague, Vic Fazzio, is about to take a fall after his investigation into the murder of a local community activist turns violent and leaves an invaluable witness dead.
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Our Latest Poll: June Paperback Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following books releasing in paperback in June have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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THE BURNING GIRL by Claire Messud
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THE CUBAN AFFAIR by Nelson DeMille
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THE DEMON CROWN: A Sigma Force Novel, by James Rollins
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THE GIRL WHO TAKES AN EYE FOR AN EYE: A Lisbeth Salander Novel, by David Lagercrantz
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HUNGER: A Memoir of (My) Body, by Roxane Gay
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I NEED A LIFEGUARD EVERYWHERE BUT THE POOL by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
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KEEP HER SAFE by Sophie Hannah
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LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES by Jamie Ford
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MANHATTAN BEACH by Jennifer Egan
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MATCHUP edited by Lee Child
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MY ABSOLUTE DARLING by Gabriel Tallent
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THE ROOSTER BAR by John Grisham
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THE RULES OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman
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THE SABOTEUR by Andrew Gross
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THE STORE by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
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STRANGE WEATHER: Four Short Novels, by Joe Hill
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SULFUR SPRINGS by William Kent Krueger
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SURPRISE ME by Sophie Kinsella
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THE WANTED: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel, by Robert Crais
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WOLF ON A STRING by Benjamin Black
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, July 6th 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 June 22nd to July 6th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ALL WE EVER WANTED by Emily Giffin and SPYMASTER by Brad Thor.
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 June 4th to July 2nd at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Barbara Delinsky's BEFORE AND AGAIN, read by Mary Stuart Masterson, and B.A. Paris' BRING ME BACK, read by Kevin Hely and Cathleen McCarron.
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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