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Reading That Sparks All Kinds of Emotions
Last weekend, I definitely dropped into a reading zone, and I loved it. First up, I read VOX by Christina Dalcher, which is coming out on August 21st. I had heard Christina talk about the book at a breakfast at BookExpo; interestingly, she has taught linguistics, phonics and phonology, which gives her expertise about voice and being heard. In VOX, women in this country have been told that they are not allowed more than 100 words a day; by comparison, the average person speaks about 16,000 words. Each woman wears a wristband, which has been calibrated to capture the modulation of her voice. At word 101, a shock is delivered to the wrist, which escalates exponentially as more words are shared. Soon there are more and more restrictions on women as they realize that, without their voices, the circle of their lives gets smaller, leading to desperate measures by many of them.
Dr. Jean McClellan is fighting this word ban, seeing what its effects are on society around her. She watches her young daughter withdrawing as she is whispering mere words a day. So when she gets a chance to do something to avoid this ban, she leaps at it. And from there the book takes on a very fast pace. It’s a book that defies genres; its plot is creative, and the pacing of it is brisk. I dare you to read it and then not think about counting the words you say. And it will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Hmmm…maybe I should try to do that Bets On in just 100 words!
Years ago, I met Jonathan Santlofer at a thriller writer event; I was a fan of his work, and he was a lot of fun to talk to. He has a quick wit and is the kind of person who can turn a casual evening into an adventure, which happened with him more than once. His latest work, THE WIDOWER'S NOTEBOOK, is not a thriller, but rather a memoir where he looks at his first two years as a widower, and in doing so he draws back the curtain on every emotion and the days when he felt void of emotion. Readers will see the cloudy haze of grief that envelops him and how he emerges from that fog.
I remember hearing about four years ago that his wife, Joy, had died suddenly. I knew that after her death, he and his daughter, Doria, had devoted themselves to getting a book that Joy had been working on about the history of food in New York published. But I did not know much more. And I feel like I have not been a very good friend as I did not reach out to him until this week after I read the book.
It’s written with abject honesty as well as humor, the latter of which is often self-deprecating. It has brilliant emotion, heart and pacing. Though it is not a thriller, you can feel strains of that as he chases down the results of Joy’s autopsy, zigging and zagging us with him as he struggles to find answers. There is so much packed into every chapter. The one with the witless things people say will have you thinking before you babble to someone who is grieving, because honestly that is probably what it is going to sound like.
Years ago, when my friend Jamie lost her husband, she told me that what she missed the most was having someone to do nothing with. That feeling of knowing that there is someone in the house and in the room, and you are comfortable talking to them, or not. Jonathan captures that and a lot more in his book; it will be a Bets On pick. Oh, also, in addition to being a compelling writer, Jonathan is a very talented artist. Throughout the book are lovely drawings of his wife, as well as his daughter and himself.
On Tuesday night, I went to the Rizzoli Bookstore where Nick Dybek was in town to talk about his book, THE VERDUN AFFAIR. The Battle of Verdun was so pivotal during the First World War. As Nick said, “It was like Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and the Civil War in that region of France.” To this day, he went on to say, the land still is battle-scarred with the earth rutted in many places. His appearance included his reading various passages. I usually am not a fan of authors reading, but here it enhanced my appreciation of the story.
We reviewed THE VERDUN AFFAIR two weeks ago, and our reviewer, Jana Siciliano, had this to say about the book: “THE VERDUN AFFAIR is a smart and elegant look at a difficult time and difficult legacies. Be sure to leave your cell phone aside as you become engrossed in this enthralling tale." Nick shares some of the photos that he took during his research on his website, NickDybek.com. Above, you can see a photo of Nick with me.
I have been a fan of Robert Dugoni’s work since his first book, THE JURY MASTER, released in 2006. So I am enjoying listening to A STEEP PRICE, his sixth Tracy Crosswhite book, on audio. In it, a young woman has gone missing. What spurred this disappearance? At the same time, there are other plot threads to weave together as there is lots of internal drama with Tracy and her fellow police officers, who are investigating another community crime. You know how a good television show typically has the rule of three, with three separate plots going on and coming together? That is what is happening here. The audio is narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith, and she is a very strong performer. I can see this book series being picked up for a television series; the characters are sharply drawn. We will have our review of the print edition next week.
Now to this week’s update...
Emily Giffin’s new novel, ALL WE EVER WANTED, is the latest title we’re featuring in our New Release Spotlight. Nina Browning is living the good life after marrying into Nashville’s elite. Tom Volpe is a single dad working multiple jobs while struggling to raise his daughter, Lyla, who has earned a scholarship to the prestigious Windsor Academy. But then one photograph, snapped in a drunken moment at a party, changes everything. At the heart of the lies and scandal, Tom, Nina and Lyla must question their closest relationships, asking themselves who they really are, and searching for the courage to live a life of true meaning.
According to reviewer Norah Piehl, “Giffin demonstrates admirable narrative restraint, delivering a satisfying ending while resisting the easy temptation to go for the obvious romantic outcome. Instead, she gives readers something more complex and bittersweet.”
ALL WE EVER WANTED is our current Word of Mouth prize book, in addition to SPYMASTER by Brad Thor, which we will review next week. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read for your chance to win both novels. The deadline for your entries is Friday, July 6th at noon ET.
Our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight of THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS wraps up this week with our review of the book and interview with its author, debut novelist Amy Meyerson. Miranda Brooks loved spending time in her eccentric uncle Billy’s bookstore and solving the inventive scavenger hunts he created just for her. But on her 12th birthday, Billy had a mysterious falling-out with her mother and was not heard from again. Sixteen years later, Miranda learns that Billy has died and left her Prospero Books, which is in danger of going bankrupt, and one final scavenger hunt. Miranda soon finds herself drawn into a journey where she meets people from Billy’s past whose stories reveal a history that Miranda’s mother has kept hidden --- and the terrible secret that tore her family apart.
Bronwyn Miller has this to say in her review: “Amy Meyerson’s debut is a charming family story for lovers of books and bookshops... THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS will appeal to book groups as well as to anyone who longs to get lost in a good book.” Bronwyn also had a chance to ask Amy some questions about the book, including her inspiration for it and why it was so challenging to write certain portions of it. Click here to read the interview.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include BEFORE AND AGAIN, Barbara Delinsky’s new novel about a woman in hiding who finds the courage to face the world again; NUMBER ONE CHINESE RESTAURANT by Lillian Li, a debut novel about the complicated lives and loves of people working in everyone’s favorite Chinese restaurant; and MURDER ON THE LEFT BANK, the 18th installment in Cara Black’s Aimée Leduc Investigation series, in which a confession 50 years in the making puts Aimée on a collision course with the “Hand,” a cabal of corrupt Parisian cops among who masterminded her father's murder.
We’re awarding the audio version of BEFORE AND AGAIN, read by Mary Stuart Masterson, in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, along with B.A. Paris’ BRING ME BACK, read by Kevin Hely and Cathleen McCarron. Let us know what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both these audio titles. You only have until this Monday, July 2nd at noon ET to submit your entries, so please do so now before it’s too late!
Our latest Paperback Spotlight title is THE RULES OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman, which released in paperback this week and is a prequel to her 1995 bestseller, PRACTICAL MAGIC. For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man. Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the ’60s, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. She sets down rules for them, the most important of which is to never fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City, each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.
This week, Simon & Schuster announced the launch of Book Club Favorites, a new initiative that features and promotes noteworthy book club titles, which will debut in July. THE RULES OF MAGIC is the program’s inaugural title. Once a month, Simon & Schuster will select a new book, primarily paperback fiction, and invite readers to join the club. Throughout the month, discussion questions and exclusive content will be available on the dedicated Book Club Favorites website and Facebook group. At the end of the month, readers will be invited to participate in the Book Club Favorites Facebook Live discussion, at which time the following month’s pick will be revealed. Click here for more info on this wonderful new program and how you can get involved! Also, be sure to read our review of THE RULES OF MAGIC here and see the discussion guide for the book on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
As promised in last week’s newsletter, my latest Bets On pick is the audiobook of Lauren Weisberger’s WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS, read by Laura Benanti. You can see my commentary here.
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away the aforementioned ALL WE EVER WANTED and BEFORE AND AGAIN, along with THE DEVIL’S REWARD by Emmanuelle de Villepin and THE SUMMER LIST by Amy Mason Doan. We only have one contest going up next week due to the Fourth of July holiday, but it’s a BIG one and will last more than the usual 24 hours. We’re giving five readers the chance to win all four books in Carrie Doyle’s Hamptons Murder Mysteries series: DEATH ON WINDMILL WAY, DEATH ON LILY POND LANE, DEATH ON WEST END ROAD, and DEATH ON BULL PATH, the latter of which releases on July 23rd. The contest will go live on Monday, July 2nd at noon ET, and you’ll have until noon ET on Friday the 6th to submit your entries. You may recall that the first three books were Bets On selections last year. I am watching my mailbox eagerly as Carrie has promised that she would send me an advance copy of DEATH ON BULL PATH.
And while we’re in the summer frame of mind, don’t forget our Beach Bag of Books contest on 20SomethingReads.com. Enter by Monday, July 9th at noon ET for your chance to win seven wonderful reads, including DIETLAND by Sarai Walker (the show based on this book is airing on AMC), THE FAVORITE SISTER by Jessica Knoll, and THIS IS JUST MY FACE: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe.
A special congratulations to Joyce from Wellington, FL, who is the very lucky winner of our Talbots Summer Book Club contest. Joyce will receive a fabulous grand prize --- a $250 Talbots gift card and a bundle of books! Click here to learn all about the summer-long book club event that Talbots is hosting to get shoppers (and readers!) to share books they love and discover new ones.
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 NEVERWORLD WAKE by Marisha Pessl, THE OPPOSITE OF HERE by Tara Altebrando, and HOW WE ROLL by Natasha Friend.
Our poll continues to ask which of 20 paperbacks releasing this month you have read or are planning to read. Click here to let us know!
It was announced yesterday that Harlan Ellison passed away at the age of 84. The outspoken writer, who was known primarily for his work in the speculative fiction genre, wrote thousands of short stories, novellas, screenplays, comic book scripts, teleplays and essays, and won countless awards, including multiple Edgars, Hugos and Nebulas. It didn’t take long for celebrity tributes to come pouring in. Sean Doorly, our first producer (and first employee) at Bookreporter.com, sat down with Harlan for a wildly entertaining interview back in 1997, which you can take a look at here. I love that Sean had this link posted quickly!
July’s pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times book club “Now Read This” is PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee, which was a National Book Award finalist for fiction, and the New York Times named it one of the 10 best books of 2017. You can read our review here and see the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com here.
The nominees for this year’s Macavity Awards have been announced, and you can see them all here. The winners will be announced at Bouchercon in St. Petersburg, Florida, on September 8th.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Kathleen wrote, “Happy Summer! I absolutely love your newsletter each week! I think I have been a subscriber for the past 14 years! Could that be possible? I am a huge reader and have been thankful to have won some contests over the years. THANK YOU! Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure to attend the event at HarperCollins, and I look forward to reading those exciting books; it was a great evening. I wish I had the opportunity to meet you there. I feel like I know you so well after all these years and newsletters. Tonight I attended a great 'Girls Night Out' at Sparta Books. Jenny Milchman, author of WICKED RIVER, spoke, and we enjoyed a nice dinner. I am looking forward to reading it soon. I am fortunate that I have the summer off! I teach third grade Special Education and get to relax all summer and read as much as possible. Last summer I read 36 books.”
Metro-North Commuters, Take Note: Penguin Random House is working with Metro-North Railroad to promote recently expanded free wifi in and around Grand Central Terminal with a Grand Central Reads website. I love that this initiative is helping to find free e-book excerpts for railroad commuters, "tailored and timed to the length of individual commutes."
Megan Abbott: I have loved her books, as well as her writing on "The Deuce" on HBO. She’s made a real name for herself with the film world, as much as she has as an author. I read this piece that celebrates her, talking about Hollywood’s interest in her work. She has a whole lot going on on that front.
Megan Abbott interviews Gillian Flynn: Vanity Fair has this piece where they talk about "Sharp Objects," which premieres on HBO on July 8th.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie: This morning I got word from Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books that Netflix has just released the US trailer for the film that his movie production company has made, which will be shown beginning August 10th. Random House has also published a movie tie-in edition.
“No Second Chance”: I rarely watch films or shows with subtitles, but last weekend, I enjoyed this six-part series that had been created by Harlan Coben, subtitles and all. It's in French.
Brain on Fire on Netflix: It's a very well-done film adaptation of the 2012 book by Susannah Cahalan.
Unbroken: Path to Redemption Release Date Change: The release date for the movie based on Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 bestseller has been moved up from October 5th to September 14th. Watch the trailer here.
It is supposed to be beastly hot this weekend. I picture mad dashes to the pool, and maybe some floating and reading. I have a lovely stack of books that I am looking forward to escaping with. Cory is going to head to the beach for a couple of days before he starts his new job on Monday. I am not sure of Tom's or Greg’s plans. I think it’s going to be a weekend where things just roll very slowly and lots of meals get cooked on the barbecue.
Make it a firecracker 4th in spite of the fact that it’s a solo day of celebrating as it breaks on a Wednesday this year, which is not the most fun.
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!
New Release Spotlight: ALL WE EVER WANTED
by Emily Giffin
ALL WE EVER WANTED by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Dorothy Dillingham Blue, Milton Bagby and Catherine Taber
In the riveting, new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of FIRST COMES LOVE and SOMETHING BORROWED, three very different people must choose between their family and their values.
Nina Browning is living the good life after marrying into Nashville’s elite. More recently, her husband made a fortune selling his tech business, and their adored son has been accepted to Princeton. Yet sometimes the middle-class small-town girl in Nina wonders if she’s strayed from the person she once was.
Tom Volpe is a single dad working multiple jobs while struggling to raise his headstrong daughter, Lyla. His road has been lonely, long and hard, but he finally starts to relax after Lyla earns a scholarship to Windsor Academy, Nashville’s most prestigious private school.
Amid so much wealth and privilege, Lyla doesn’t always fit in --- and her overprotective father doesn’t help --- but in most ways, she’s a typical teenaged girl, happy and thriving.
Then, one photograph, snapped in a drunken moment at a party, changes everything. As the image spreads like wildfire, the Windsor community is instantly polarized, buzzing with controversy and assigning blame.
At the heart of the lies and scandal, Tom, Nina and Lyla are forced together --- all questioning their closest relationships, asking themselves who they really are, and searching for the courage to live a life of true meaning.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Emily Giffin’s bio.
- Visit Emily Giffin’s website and YouTube channel.
- Connect with Emily Giffin on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Bookreporter.com Talks to Amy Meyerson,
Author of THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS
Our Latest Women's Fiction Author Spotlight Title
Amy Meyerson’s debut novel, THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS, introduces readers to Miranda Brooks, who inherits a beloved bookstore from her eccentric uncle and sets forth on a journey of self-discovery. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Meyerson talks about her inspiration for the book --- an article she read in the New York Times Book Review that detailed the strange and memorable objects readers have found in used books. She also explains how she chose the novels that figure prominently in the clues Miranda is given for her literary scavenger hunt (it was a long and painstaking process), discusses the ways in which her work as a professor has informed her writing (and vice versa), and gives us a sneak peek at her next work of fiction --- a family mystery involving a historic diamond that has been missing for a century.
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 about 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. Miranda 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. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- 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 see the 30 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
- Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.
Click here to read the interview.
New Paperback Spotlight:
THE RULES OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman
The First Pick in Simon & Schuster's New
"Book Club Favorites" Program
THE RULES OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Marin Ireland
From beloved author Alice Hoffman comes the spellbinding prequel to her bestseller, PRACTICAL MAGIC.
For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.
Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the '60s, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair; shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts; and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.
From the start, Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City, each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.
The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in PRACTICAL MAGIC, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, THE RULES OF MAGIC is a story about the power of love, reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.
THE RULES OF MAGIC is the inaugural title for Simon & Schuster's new "Book Club Favorites" initiative. Click here for all the details.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read Alice Hoffman’s bio.
- Click here to visit Alice Hoffman’s website.
- Connect with Alice Hoffman on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
Featured Review: BEFORE AND AGAIN
by Barbara Delinsky
BEFORE AND AGAIN by Barbara Delinsky (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mary Stuart Masterson
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. She’s thankful for the new friends she’s made, though she can’t risk telling them too much. But she isn’t the only one in this peaceful town with secrets. When a friend’s teenage son is thrust into the national spotlight, 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. As the stunning truth behind their case is slowly revealed, Maggie’s own carefully constructed story begins to unravel as well. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: NUMBER ONE CHINESE RESTAURANT
by Lillian Li
NUMBER ONE CHINESE RESTAURANT by Lillian Li (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Nancy Wu
When disaster strikes at the Beijing Duck House, each character is forced to confront the conflicts that fast-paced restaurant life has kept at bay. Owner Jimmy Han hopes to leave his late father’s homespun establishment for a fancier one. Jimmy’s older brother, Johnny, and Johnny’s daughter, Annie, ache to return to a time before a father’s absence and a teenager’s silence pushed them apart. Nan and Ah-Jack, longtime Duck House employees, are tempted to turn their 30-year friendship into something else. And when Nan’s son, Pat, and Annie find themselves in a dangerous game that implicates them in the Duck House tragedy, their families must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice to help their children. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS Audiobook
written by Lauren Weisberger, read by Laura Benanti
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS Audiobook written by Lauren Weisberger, read by Laura Benanti (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook listeners know that it’s all about the narrator. I was wildly impressed with Laura Benanti, who narrated Lauren Weisberger's WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS. Every character’s voice was distinct and completely captured their personalities and nuances, which made the listening experience all the more fun. I found myself laughing out loud so many times.
Lauren hit the same groove that worked so well in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. This time, the setting is Greenwich, Connecticut, and she captures the “I can one-up you” vibe of the town in pitch-perfect style.
Miriam has moved there as her husband sold his company, and they wanted their three children to grow up outside the city. She has given up her high-powered job as an attorney with some longing and regret. Emily Charlton, who many will remember as an assistant to the infamous Miranda Priestly, is now an image consultant to the stars. But there’s a feeling that she’s a bit long in the tooth, and out of the social media groove, and her clients are zipping off to the new guard for their coddling.
But then the perfect opportunity comes along. Karolina Hartwell, a former supermodel who walked the runway for Victoria’s Secret, among others, is arrested for a DUI. Karolina is married to a well-connected senator, and suddenly her world inside the Beltway is plucked away. She retreats to Greenwich where Miriam knows her, and Emily sees her as a way to make a comeback --- and, in an interesting way, Miranda lends a hand.
It’s a fast-paced romp of a read, and I mean that in the best possible sense. Lauren layers great lines on top of one another and consistently ups the ante. Enjoy it on audio if you can!
- Click here to read more about the audiobook.
- Click here to read a review of the hardcover.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
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(s) 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 books will be announced on Monday, July 2nd at noon ET.
This year’s prize books include:
- Click here to see the winners of our Summer Reading Contests.
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
We currently have FOUR contests running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of MANHATTAN BEACH by Jennifer Egan for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. This month's prize book is the paperback edition of MANHATTAN BEACH by Jennifer Egan, which tells the haunting story of Anna Kerrigan, who becomes the Brooklyn Naval Yard's first female diver during World War II, and her search for her missing father. Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, this is Egan's first novel since her Pulitzer Prize-winning A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD and is this year's "One Book, One New York" pick. Enter here by Tuesday, July 10th at noon ET.
Enter to Win 12 Copies of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng for Your Group
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, the runaway New York Times bestseller from Celeste Ng that released last September and will be an eight-episode limited series on Hulu starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, is a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. We are celebrating the book's continued success with a special contest that will give three readers the chance to win 12 copies for their group. Enter here by Tuesday, July 10th at noon ET.
Enter to Win 12 Copies of TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN by John Green for Your Group
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN, John Green's widely acclaimed and instant #1 New York Times bestseller, tells the story of 16-year-old Aza Holmes, a high school student with multiple anxiety disorders, and her search for fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett. We are giving three groups the opportunity to win 12 copies of the novel, which released last October and is currently being adapted into a major motion picture. Enter here by Tuesday, July 10th at noon ET.
Enter to Win 12 Copies of RAINY DAY FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis for Your Group
We are celebrating the release of RAINY DAY FRIENDS --- a moving story of heart, loss, betrayal and friendship --- with a special contest that will give three groups the opportunity to win 12 copies of the book, which is the stand-alone second novel in Jill Shalvis' Wildstone series. Enter here by Wednesday, July 25th at noon ET.
Here are our latest featured guides:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
THE PATCHWORK BRIDE by Sandra Dallas (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Barbara McCulloh
Ellen is putting the finishing touches on a wedding quilt made from scraps of old dresses when the bride-to-be --- her granddaughter June --- unexpectedly arrives and announces she’s calling off the marriage. With the tending of June’s uncertain heart in mind, Ellen tells her the story of Nell, a Kansas-born woman who goes to the High Plains of New Mexico Territory in 1898 in search of a husband. Working as a biscuit-shooter, Nell falls for a cowboy named Buddy. She sees a future together, but she can’t help wondering if his feelings for her are true. When Buddy breaks her heart, she runs away. In her search for a soul mate, Nell will run away from marriage twice more before finding the love of her life. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
MURDER ON THE LEFT BANK: An Aimée Leduc Investigation Set in Paris by Cara Black (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Carine Montbertrand
A dying man enters the office of Éric Besson, a lawyer in Paris’s 13th arrondissement. He is carrying a dilapidated notebook full of meticulous investment records. For decades, he has been helping a cadre of dirty cops launder stolen money. The notebook contains his full confession. He is adamant that Besson get the notebook into the hands of La Proc, Paris’s chief prosecuting attorney, so the corruption can finally be brought to light. But en route to La Proc, Besson’s courier --- his assistant and nephew --- is murdered, and the notebook disappears. Private investigator Aimée Leduc is reluctant to get involved, as her father was a cop and was murdered by the same dirty syndicate the notebook implicates. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
LITTLE PANIC: Dispatches from an Anxious Life by Amanda Stern (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Brittany Pressley
Growing up in the 1970s and ’80s in New York, Amanda Stern experiences the magic and madness of life through the filter of unrelenting panic. Plagued with fear that her friends and family will be taken from her if she's not watching, Amanda treats every parting as her last. Shuttled between a barefoot bohemian life with her mother in Greenwich Village, and a sanitized, stricter world of affluence uptown with her father, Amanda has little she can depend on. And when Etan Patz disappears down the block from their MacDougal Street home, she can't help but believe that all her worst fears are about to come true. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
SALT LANE by William Shaw (Mystery/Thriller)
Sergeant Alexandra Cupidi, a recent transfer from the London metro police to the rugged Kentish countryside, faces a bizarre case: a woman found floating in local marsh land, dead of no apparent cause. The case gets even stranger when detectives contact the victim's next of kin, her son, a high-powered graphic designer living in London. Adopted at the age of two, he'd never known his mother until a homeless woman knocked on his door, claiming to be his mother, just the night before --- at the same time her body was being dredged from the water. Detective Cupidi must discover who the woman really was, who killed her, and how she managed to reconnect with her long lost son, apparently from beyond the grave. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
THE KILLING HABIT: A Tom Thorne Novel by Mark Billingham (Mystery/Thriller)
While DI Nicola Tanner investigates the deadly spread of a dangerous new drug, Tom Thorne is handed a case that he doesn’t take too seriously, until a spate of animal killings points to the work of a serial killer. When the two cases come together in a way that neither could have foreseen, both Thorne and Tanner must risk everything to catch two very different killers. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE BOOK OF THE UNWINDING: A Witches of New Orleans Novel by J. D. Horn (Fantasy/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Sophie Amoss
With their magic diminishing, warring factions of New Orleans witches desperately search for the Book of the Unwinding --- a legendary grimoire, hidden by spells, that holds the key to unimaginable powers. As a ruthless struggle erupts in a maelstrom of malevolent magic, psychic Nathalie Boudreau finds her destiny intertwined with that of an exiled witch. Her name is Alice Marin, a vulnerable young woman trapped in a realm of illusion. Only Nathalie can free her, but first she must come to understand and master her own extraordinary abilities. Now, in a world where betrayals have become the order of the day, it will fall to two women to restore rightful balance amid terrifying chaos. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
ALL THAT IS LEFT IS ALL THAT MATTERS: Stories by Mark Slouka (Fiction/Short Stories)
In these 15 stories --- ranging from occupied Czechoslovakia to California’s Central Valley to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest --- Mark Slouka explores moments in life when our back is to the wall. Here he captures the depth and emotional range of an array of characters --- from a young boy attempting to shield his father from painful memories in "The Hare’s Mask" to a lonely man whose beloved dog inexplicably begins to sprout razor blades from her skin in "Dog." Whether battling the end of desire, the fact of injustice, or death itself, the men and women in these stories are doing everything possible to tighten their grip on life. Reviewed by Sonia Chopra.
THE FAIRFAX INCIDENT by Terrence McCauley (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
Mrs. Fairfax, a wealthy widow, hires Charlie Doherty to prove that her husband’s suicide was actually murder. He expects to pocket a nice chunk of change to prove what everyone already knows: Walter Fairfax walked into his office in the Empire State Building one morning, took a phone call and shot himself. But he quickly finds out that there is more to the Fairfax incident than a simple suicide. Before long, he discovers that Mr. Fairfax was leading a double life. In an investigation that quickly involves global implications, Doherty finds himself against not only some of the most powerful people in New York City, but against the most evil men in the world. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT: A DCI Lorimer Novel by Alex Gray (Mystery)
When the body of a red-haired young man is washed up on the shore of the beautiful Isle of Mull, Detective Superintendent Lorimer’s tranquil holiday away from the gritty streets of Glasgow is rudely interrupted. The body has been bound with twine in a ghoulishly unnatural position that strongly reminds Lorimer of another murder: a 20-year-old Glasgow case that he failed to solve as a fledgling detective constable. As a local cop takes charge of the island murder investigation, Lorimer tries to avoid stepping on her toes. But as the similarities between the young man’s death and the cold case grow more obvious, Lorimer realizes that there could be a serial killer on the loose after all these years. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 3rd
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 3rd 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 July 2nd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE DYING OF THE LIGHT by Robert Goolrick (Historical Fiction)
From the author of the bestselling A RELIABLE WIFE (a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick) comes a dramatic, passionate tale of a glamorous Southern debutante who marries for money and ultimately suffers for love.
IT ALL FALLS DOWN by Sheena Kamal (Psychological Thriller)
The brilliant, fearless, deeply flawed Nora Watts --- introduced in THE LOST ONES --- finds deadly trouble as she searches for the truth about her late father in this thriller that moves from the hazy Canadian Pacific Northwest to the gritty, hollowed streets of Detroit.
THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager (Psychological Thriller)
In this latest thriller from the bestselling author of FINAL GIRLS, a young woman returns to her childhood summer camp to uncover the truth about a tragedy that happened there 15 years ago.
THE NIGHT FERRY: A Konrad Simonsen Thriller by Lotte Hammer and Søren Hammer (Mystery/Thriller)
Sixteen children and four adults are killed in a devastating boat crash in Copenhagen. Detective Chief Superintendent Konrad Simonsen is called in, only to discover that this was no accident and that one of the passengers has a very personal connection to the homicide team.
SAFE HOUSES by Dan Fesperman (Thriller)
A young woman discovers a nefarious truth at the heart of the CIA’s operations in postwar Berlin and goes on the run for her life. Years later she’s gruesomely murdered along with her husband, and her daughter begins to chase down these startling secrets from her past.
SPYMASTER by Brad Thor (Thriller)
Across Europe, a secret organization has begun attacking diplomats. Back in the United States, a foreign ally demands the identity of a highly placed covert asset. In the balance hang the ingredients for all-out war. With his mentor out of the game, counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath must take on the role he has spent his career avoiding.
WHAT TO READ AND WHY by Francine Prose (Literary Criticism)
In this follow-up to Francine Prose’s READING LIKE A WRITER, the distinguished novelist, literary critic and essayist celebrates the pleasures of reading and pays homage to the works and writers she admires above all others, from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to Jennifer Egan and Roberto Bolaño.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Young Adult Books You Want to Read
Here are this month's books we reviewed on Teenreads.com that we think will appeal to an adult audience:
NEVERWORLD WAKE by Marisha Pessl (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Phoebe Strole
Once upon a time, back at Darrow-Harker School, Beatrice Hartley and her five best friends were the cool kids. Then the shocking death of Jim --- their creative genius and Beatrice's boyfriend --- changed everything. One year after graduation, Beatrice is returning to Wincroft --- the seaside estate where they spent so many nights --- hoping she'll get to the bottom of the dark questions gnawing at her about Jim's death. Then a mysterious man knocks on the door. Blithely, he announces the impossible: time for them has become stuck, snagged on a splinter that can only be removed if the former friends make the harshest of decisions. Now Beatrice has one last shot at answers…and at life.
THE OPPOSITE OF HERE by Tara Altebrando (Mystery/Thriller)
Natalie's parents are taking her and her three best friends on a cruise for her 17th birthday. But it's only been a few short months since Natalie's boyfriend died in a tragic accident, and she wants to be anywhere but here. Then she meets a guy on the first night and sparks fly. After a moonlit conversation, Natalie pops down to her cabin to get her swimsuit. But when she returns, he's gone. Why do her friends think she's crazy for wanting to make sure he's okay? Also, why do they seem to be hiding something from her? And how can she find him when she doesn't even know his name? Most importantly, why is the captain on the intercom announcing the urgent need for a headcount?
HOW WE ROLL by Natasha Friend (Fiction)
Quinn is a teen who loves her family, skateboarding, basketball and her friends, but after she's diagnosed with a condition called alopecia, which causes her to lose all of her hair, her friends abandon her. Jake was once a star football player, but because of a freak accident --- caused by his brother --- he loses both of his legs. Quinn and Jake meet and find the confidence to believe in themselves again, and maybe even love.
Click here for more young adult books we recommend you read.
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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