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Glad Reading Can Be Done in Any Weather,
Especially THIS Summer!
Do I remember a day when there was no humidity? Not sure. What a sultry summer this has been, with a collection of rainy weekends. I am ready to ask for a summer do-over! Luckily, weather has no impact on my reading.
Last weekend was a terrific reading weekend. I finished AN ACCIDENTAL CORPSE by Helen A. Harrison, and loved the period details and the brisk storytelling. Next up, I started Jodi Picoult’s A SPARK OF LIGHT, which releases on October 2nd. Jodi is never one to shy away from a controversial topic, and here her story involves a shooter at a women’s reproductive health services clinic. This gunman takes hostages, among them a doctor, a nurse, a wounded woman, a pro-life protestor --- and the 15-year-old daughter of the police hostage negotiator. The book is structured to tell the story backwards through the hours of the day, and as it unwinds we learn why each of these people were at the clinic on that particular day. I am 100 pages in and am looking forward to reading more of it this weekend.
One of the oft-asked questions is “What five people would you invite to a dinner party?” For Sabrina in THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Serle, her list includes her best friend, her estranged father, her college professor, her former boyfriend of nearly a decade, and Audrey Hepburn. Imagine her surprise when one evening she arrives at a restaurant for dinner to find this group seated there. They are gathered together for one dinner --- and one dinner only --- so in these few hours, many stories will be told, truths will be uncovered, coincidences will be rewound, and Sabrina will make sense of so many things that she never quite understood. It’s one of those wonderfully satisfying stories where afterwards you just smile and sigh. It has it all, including lots of heart and soul. The premise is perfect, but where the story goes from there makes it special. The pacing is so well done; as I was reading, I felt vested in these characters. It will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On title. And for those who are entering our Summer Reading contests, this will be one of next week’s prize titles. Not signed up to receive the Summer Reading contest newsletters? Do that now as we head into the last week of contests!
On Wednesday night, I had such fun presenting a list of summer and upcoming book titles to a group of avid readers at the Levittown Public Library. This evening wrapped up their Summer Reading program, and so the audience was comprised of many participants in that program. I also loved seeing some of our readers there, including Roe and Rose --- and others whose names I did not catch. (Confession: I am terrible at remembering names even when I do hear them.) One woman was knitting a stunning baby blanket, and Rose, who was with her, shared that they knit these for children who are undergoing chemotherapy in a program called WeCareBlankets.org. I was so impressed to hear this. I met up with my friend Eileen, who is the Executive Director of the North Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, for dinner before the program and was so happy that she was at the program as well. Just a lovely night.
Next week, I will announce who I will be interviewing for the Morristown Festival of Books on October 13th. I am moderating two panels and will be talking to four fabulous authors. Speaking of book festivals, if any of our readers are attending either the National Book Festival on September 1st or the Decatur Book Festival, also on Labor Day weekend, let me know. We would love to interview you about the experience.
Just four days after my Morristown appearance, I will be headed to the HarperCollins offices for "A Night Out", a book club event presented by Book Club Girl. There, I will be be moderating a panel featuring Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White, whose collaborative novel, THE GLASS OCEAN, releases on September 4th. Attendees will have the chance to mingle with the authors, fellow readers and book clubs, receive an autographed copy of THE GLASS OCEAN and Karen's recent book, DREAMS OF FALLING, as well as advance copies of both Lauren's and Beatriz's upcoming books --- and so much more. Click here for all the details and to purchase your tickets. I am really excited about this evening and hope to see many of you there.
This week brought some tough news as we were saddened to learn of the passing of one of our longtime reviewers, Tom Callahan. Tom and I were fellow Fordham alumni (he was there for graduate school, while I was there for my undergraduate years), and we appreciated some of the same Communications Department professors there. Our Editorial Director, Tom Donadio, had the pleasure of meeting Tom three years ago at The Mysterious Bookshop for an event celebrating the release of the short story anthology DARK CITY LIGHTS: New York Stories, which was edited by Lawrence Block. Tom C. was at the launch party as he was one of the book’s contributors, and both Toms got a huge kick out of seeing each other face to face for the first time. Above you can see a photo of Tom C. (in the center) with Lawrence Block on the left and Tom D. on the right. Tom C. told Tom D. on numerous occasions how much he cherished that night; in fact, a few months ago, he pointed out that the photo had remained on his office wall for all this time. That night also meant a great deal to Tom D., and even more so now as he reflects on Tom C.’s kindness, generosity and impressive body of work (Tom D. and I always appreciated his thoughtful book reviews). I spent some time this week going through old emails from him. He was a true gentleman, and we will miss him!
MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN, our latest Fiction Author Spotlight title, is now in stores, and we’re pleased to share with you our review and author interview. Hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine’s debut novel introduces readers to Rogers Stout, a baseball-loving high school student whose 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.
Bronwyn Miller has our review and calls the book “an enjoyable and appealing coming-of-age story... Fans of Michael Lewis, Andrew Ross Sorkin and Philip Roth will happily ingest this young man’s ripening as he steers clear of the sharks in the direction of his destiny." I was able to ask Jerrold some questions about the book --- what inspired him to write it, his research, the differences between the financial world of the ’70s and ’80s vs. today (I loved hearing about the differences in the hedge funds), and much more. Click here for the interview. Also, we posted a discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com, which you can find here. This will be a Bets On pick; find out why in next week’s newsletter.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include FEARED, the sixth installment in Lisa Scottoline’s Rosato & DiNunzio legal thriller series, which finds Mary DiNunzio’s ruthless nemesis Nick Machiavelli back...with a vengeance; TAILSPIN, Sandra Brown’s new novel of romantic suspense, in which a daring pilot is caught in a race against time; THE BREAKERS, the latest addition to the long-running Sharon McCone series by Marcia Muller, who digs into a particularly disturbing corner of San Francisco's history --- one that Sharon may not escape alive; and LITTLE GIRL LOST, a psychological thriller from Wendy Corsi Staub, in which a young foundling’s path to her biological parents leads to a killer with a chilling agenda.
THE MASTERPIECE by Fiona Davis, which we reviewed last week (and I’ve talked about extensively in previous newsletters), is my latest Bets On selection. Click here for my commentary. Note that Seth Meyers talked about this book on his show, "Late Night with Seth Meyers." He played a game where Fred Armisen from his band was guessing what the book was about by looking at the cover. He was nowhere close in his assessment, but the segment, called “Fred Judges a Book by Its Cover," was pretty funny.
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away THE STOLEN MARRIAGE by Diane Chamberlain, along with the aforementioned MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN and AN ACCIDENTAL CORPSE. Our Summer Reading contests wrap up next week with our final four giveaways: DESOLATION MOUNTAIN by William Kent Krueger, THE DEVOTED by Blair Hurley, the aforementioned THE DINNER LIST, and VOX by Christina Dalcher (an upcoming Bets On pick). The first contest of the week will go live on Monday, August 20th at noon ET.
DESOLATION MOUNTAIN is also one of our latest Word of Mouth prize books; the other is TRUST ME by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Let us know by Friday, September 7th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these novels.
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 #MURDERTRENDING by Gretchen McNeil, I'M NOT MISSING by Carrie Fountain, and THIS STORY IS A LIE by Tom Pollock.
In this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, you could win the audio versions of Linda Castillo's A GATHERING OF SECRETS, read by Kathleen McInerney, and I SEE LIFE THROUGH ROSÉ-COLORED GLASSES, written and read by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to be awarded both these audio titles. Be sure to enter by Tuesday, September 4th at noon ET.
This leads us to our latest poll question. Do you listen to digital audiobooks? Click here to let us know what you think about digital audio vs. physical audio (discs).
Our previous poll asked how often you see movies in theaters. 37% of you go only once or twice a year, while 16% go every few months and 18% do not go at all. Click here for all the results. I was part of the 37%; I so rarely go to the movies.
News & Pop Culture
A new Ernest Hemingway story: In the current issue of The Strand Magazine is a previously unpublished story by Ernest Hemingway, “A Room on the Garden Side.” According to Andrew F. Gulli, The Strand’s managing editor, “The story is set during the end of World War II and is semi-autobiographical, and has several of Hemingway’s favorite themes, such as mortality, nostalgia for a time gone by, mortality, and ultimately hope.”
The Guernsey Movie: I heard from so many of you about how much you enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on Netflix. I love, love, loved it! For a terrific piece about the film, click here.
"The Affair": The season finale is Sunday night. Last week’s episode was over the top with so many twists that one reviewer called "pretzel twists." Often the penultimate episodes of the season are better than the finale, but let’s see what happens this time!
Connelly on "Dateline": Michael Connelly was interviewed by Josh Mankiewicz on "Dateline NBC" --- at Harry Bosch's LA home. You can see it here.
Aretha: The heavens gained a great voice yesterday. Here she is singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water." This is the video of her singing it that Paul Simon tweeted yesterday; I had wondered which version of her singing he would select.
Last weekend, there was a whole lot of great cooking going on. For our dinner guests on Saturday night, we made two Ina Garten recipes. The first was Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta, and the second was a Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tart; both will be reprised as they got kudos. Then on Sunday, I made Oatmeal, Coconut and Sunflower Seed Cookies that were amazing. Another batch is on tap for this weekend. Also, with my many pots of basil, I want to make some pesto.
I went to yoga for the first time last night and enjoyed it. Cory’s girlfriend, Sam, went with me; she has been practicing yoga for a while now, and she was terrific at helping me get set up as I was definitely a fish out of water. But I enjoyed it and look forward to taking more classes. I am not coordinated, and it was nice to be able to follow her techniques. Trust me, there are no worries about my doing a headstand any time soon or becoming a yogi.
There are no weekend plans for any of us, which is lovely. I want to make a corn soup that we had done last year. I saw this technique from Ina for getting the kernels off the cob, which looks brilliant. Last year, I was chasing the kernels all over the place. I just love the purple flowers that you see above the opener of this newsletter, which I have in a planter outside. I need to figure out what they are since I would plant them again next year. I think I will send the photo to the garden center where I bought them. Genius, right?
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: FEARED by Lisa Scottoline
FEARED by Lisa Scottoline (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Burton
When three men announce that they are suing the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm for reverse sex discrimination --- claiming that they were not hired because they were men --- Mary DiNunzio and Bennie Rosato are outraged. To make matters worse, their one male employee, John Foxman, intends to resign, claiming that there is some truth to this case. The plaintiffs’ lawyer is Nick Machiavelli, who already has lost to Mary once and is now back with a vengeance --- determined not only to win, but to destroy the firm. It soon becomes clear that Machiavelli will do anything in his power to achieve his end…even after the case turns deadly. Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: TAILSPIN by Sandra Brown
TAILSPIN by Sandra Brown (Romantic Suspense)
Audiobook available, read by Victor Slezak
Rye Mallett, a fearless "freight dog" pilot, is asked to fly into a completely fogbound northern Georgia town and deliver a mysterious black box to a Dr. Lambert. As Rye's plane nears the isolated landing strip, more trouble than inclement weather awaits him. He is greeted first by a sabotage attempt on his plane that causes him to crash land, and then by Dr. Brynn O'Neal, who claims she was sent for the box in Dr. Lambert's stead. Despite Rye's "no-involvement" policy when it comes to other people's problems, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to the intrigue surrounding his cargo…and to the mysterious and alluring Brynn. Soon Rye and Brynn are in a treacherous 48-hour race to deliver the box before time runs out. Reviewed by Hillary Wagy.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Talks to Jerrold Fine, Author of
MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN
Our Latest Fiction Author Spotlight Title
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, MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Fine explains his inspiration for writing his first work of fiction, why he chose to set the book in the 1970s and early ’80s, and the differences between the financial world and book publishing. He also pays tribute to two mentors who played key roles in his personal and professional lives, offers advice to those who would like to pursue a career in finance, and reveals how close (or not) Showtime’s “Billions” is to real life.
MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN by Jerrold Fine (Fiction)
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. 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 for the discussion guide.
- Click here to see advance readers' comments.
- Click here to read Jerrold Fine's bio.
- Click here to visit Jerrold Fine's website.
- Click here to read more in our Fiction Author Spotlight.
Click here to read our interview.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE MASTERPIECE by Fiona Davis
THE MASTERPIECE by Fiona Davis (Historical Fiction)
I have been a longtime fan of Fiona Davis’ books, so I was excited to read her third novel, THE MASTERPIECE. Fiona does a fabulous job of weaving history (always two different periods) and iconic New York City locations together. She links her protagonists together, giving readers a rich reading experience that immerses them in the history of the property and conveys a strong sense of each time period.
Here, she looks at Grand Central Terminal. In the past, she has explored The Barbizon Hotel and The Dakota. The setting this time is 1928 and 1974, and the common thread is the Grand Central School of Art. One woman discovers the painting of another there and seeks to find the artist. I have toured Grand Central Terminal a few times and thought I knew most of its history, but once again Fiona has surprised me with details I did not know.
Fiona's writing, plotting and storytelling have gotten stronger with each book. THE MASTERPIECE, like her other novels, will be terrific for a book group discussion. I look forward to seeing what she writes about next!
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here for more books we’re betting you’ll love.
Featured Review: FLIGHTS by Olga Tokarczuk
Winner of the 2018 Man Booker International Prize
FLIGHTS written by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
A 17th-century Dutch anatomist discovers the Achilles tendon by dissecting his own amputated leg. Chopin's heart is carried back to Warsaw in secret by his adoring sister. A woman must return to her native Poland in order to poison her terminally ill high school sweetheart, and a young man slowly descends into madness when his wife and child mysteriously vanish during a vacation and just as suddenly reappear. FLIGHTS explores what it means to be a traveler, a wanderer, a body in motion not only through space but through time. Where are you from? Where are you coming in from? Where are you going? Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: LITTLE GIRL LOST
by Wendy Corsi Staub
LITTLE GIRL LOST by Wendy Corsi Staub (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
May 1968: In Harlem, a church janitor finds an innocent newborn in a basket. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, an elusive serial killer prowls slumbering families, leaving a trail of blood and a twisted calling card. October 1987: Amelia Crenshaw embarks on a search to discover the truth about the birth mother who abandoned her, never suspecting she’s on a collision course with a killer. Detective Stockton Barnes, a brash young NYPD detective, trails a missing millionaire whose disappearance is rooted in a nightmare that began 20 years ago. The past returns with a brutal vengeance as a masked predator picks off victims whose fates intertwine with a notorious murder spree solved back in ’68. Or was it? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit Wendy Corsi Staub's website.
Click here to read the review.
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 book will be announced on Monday, August 20th at noon ET.
This year’s prize books are:
- 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.
Bookreporter.com's Latest Blog Post:
Celebrating the 21st Anniversary of Poisoned Pen Press with Its Founders, Robert Rosenwald and Barbara Peters
Poisoned Pen Press, an independent publisher of mystery novels, was founded in 1997 by Robert Rosenwald (President and Founder), Barbara Peters (Editor-in-Chief), and their daughter Susan Malling. In recognition of their contribution to the publishing industry, Robert and Barbara received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Bouchercon Crime and Mystery conference, and were given the Ellery Queen Award at the 2010 Mystery Writers of America’s annual dinner honoring “writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry.”
This month marks the 21st anniversary of Poisoned Pen Press, and in this interview, Robert and Barbara reflect on the Press’s history --- including the first titles they published, the various challenges they’ve had to overcome, and their proudest accomplishments. They also identify the single most satisfying day they’ve enjoyed thus far as publisher, the publishing trends they would like to implement and reverse if they had the power, and their primary goal for the Press over the next few years.
Click here to read an interview with the founders of Poisoned Pen Press.
TEXAS RANGER by James Patterson and Andrew Bourelle (Western/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christopher Ryan Grant
Across the ranchlands and cities of his home state, Rory Yates' discipline and law-enforcement skills have carried him far: from local highway patrolman to the honorable rank of Texas Ranger. He arrives in his hometown to find a horrifying crime scene and a scathing accusation: he is named a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife, Anne, a devoted teacher whose only controversial act was ending her marriage to a Ranger. In search of the killer, Yates plunges into the inferno of the most twisted and violent minds he's ever encountered, vowing to never surrender. That code just might bring him out alive. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE BREAKERS: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Elizabeth Evans
On a foggy summer morning, private investigator Sharon McCone receives a call from her former neighbors, the Curleys. Their usually dependable daughter, Chelle, hasn't been answering their calls for weeks. Would Sharon check on her? Sharon arranges to visit the building Chelle had been living in and rehabbing in southwest San Francisco. Lurking behind a divider screen is a ghastly art gallery: portraits and caricatures of mass murderers, long ago and recent. What, an alarmed Sharon wonders, was Chelle doing in this chamber of horrors? And where is she now? Reviewed by Roz Shea.
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life --- until the unthinkable happens. Reviewed by Dunja Bonacci Skenderović.
OUR HOUSE by Louise Candlish (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elizabeth Knowelden and Elliot Hill
When Fiona Lawson comes home to find strangers moving into her house, she's sure there's been a mistake. She and her estranged husband, Bram, have a modern co-parenting arrangement: bird's nest custody, where each parent spends a few nights a week with their two sons at the prized family home to maintain stability for their children. But the system built to protect their family ends up putting them in terrible jeopardy. In a domino effect of crimes and misdemeanors, the nest comes tumbling down. Now Bram has disappeared and so have Fiona's children. As events spiral well beyond her control, Fiona will discover just how many lies her husband was weaving and how little they truly knew each other. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
SWEET LITTLE LIES by Caz Frear (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jane Collingwood
Cat Kinsella, a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Force, is called to the scene of a murder, where young housewife Alice Lapaine has been found strangled. Cat and her team immediately suspect Alice’s husband, until she receives a mysterious phone call that links the victim to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing in Ireland 18 years earlier. The call raises uneasy memories for Cat --- her family met Maryanne while on holiday, right before she vanished. Though she was only a child, Cat knew that her father wasn’t telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. Did he do something to the teenage girl all those years ago? Could he have harmed Alice now? Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
THE LINE THAT HELD US by David Joy (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Macleod Andrews
When Darl Moody went hunting after a monster buck he's chased for years, he never expected he'd accidentally shoot a man digging ginseng. Worse yet, he's killed a Brewer, a family notorious for vengeance and violence. With nowhere to turn, Darl calls on the help of the only man he knows will answer: his best friend, Calvin Hooper. But when Dwayne Brewer comes looking for his missing brother and stumbles onto a blood trail leading straight back to Darl and Calvin, a nightmare of revenge rips apart their world. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
SCARFACE AND THE UNTOUCHABLE: Al Capone, Eliot Ness, and the Battle for Chicago by Max Allan Collins and A. Brad Schwartz (True Crime/History)
Audiobook available; read by Max Allan Collins, A. Brad Schwartz and Stefan Rudnicki
A Mystery Writers of America “Grand Master” --- author of the gangster classic ROAD TO PERDITION, long-time "Dick Tracy" writer and multiple Shamus Award winner --- teams up with an acclaimed rising young historian in this riveting, myth-shattering dual portrait of Al Capone, America’s most notorious gangster, and Eliot Ness, the legendary Prohibition agent whose extraordinary investigative work crippled his organization. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
THE SEA QUEEN by Linnea Hartsuyker (Historical Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Matthew Lloyd Davies
Six years after THE HALF-DROWNED KING, Ragnvald Eysteinsson is now king of Sogn, but fighting battles for King Harald keeps him away from home. Ragnvald’s sister, Svanhild, has found the freedom and adventure she craves at the side of the rebel explorer Solvi Hunthiofsson, though not without a cost. As a growing rebellion unites King Harald’s enemies, Ragnvald suspects that some Norse nobles are not loyal to Harald’s dream of a unified Norway. He sets a plan in motion to defeat all of his enemies and bring his sister back to his side. Svanhild finds herself with no easy decisions, and no choices that will leave her truly free. Their actions will hold irrevocable repercussions for the fates of those they love and for Norway itself. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
CHARLOTTE WALSH LIKES TO WIN by Jo Piazza (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Tavia Gilbert
Charlotte Walsh is running for Senate in the most important race in the country during a midterm election that will decide the balance of power in Congress. Once the campaign gets underway, Charlotte is blindsided by just how dirty her opponent is willing to fight, how harshly she is judged by the press and her peers, and how exhausting it becomes to navigate a marriage with an increasingly ambivalent and often resentful husband. When the opposition uncovers a secret that could threaten not just her campaign but everything Charlotte holds dear, she has to decide just how badly she wants to win and at what cost. Reviewed by Amy Haddock.
THE BOUNCER by David Gordon (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Richard Poe
Joe Brody is a strip club bouncer who has a highly classified military history and whose best friend from Catholic school is head mafioso Gio Caprisi. FBI agent Donna Zamora is a single mother stuck at a desk manning the hotline. Their storylines intersect over a tip from a cokehead that leads to a crackdown on Gio’s strip joint in Queens and Joe’s arrest. Outside the jailhouse, the Fed and the bouncer lock eyes, as Gordon launches them both headlong into a nonstop plot that goes from back-road gun show intervention to high-stakes perfume heist and manages to touch everyone from the CIA to the Flushing Triads. Beneath it all lurks a sinister criminal mastermind whose manipulations could cause chaos on a massively violent scale. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE LOCKSMITH’S DAUGHTER by Karen Brooks (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Karen Brooks
Mallory Bright is the only daughter of London's most ingenious locksmith, and has apprenticed with her father since childhood. After scandal destroys her reputation, Mallory has returned to her father's home and lives almost as a recluse. But Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster and a frequent client of Mallory's father, draws her into his world of danger and deception. Mallory's loyalty wavers when she witnesses the brutal and bloody public execution of three Jesuit priests and realizes the human cost of her espionage. And later, when she discovers the identity of a Catholic spy and a conspiracy that threatens the kingdom, she is forced to choose between her country and her heart. Reviewed by Benny Regalbuto.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
AFTER NIGHTFALL by A. J. Banner (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Teri Schnaubelt
Imagine your closest friend utterly betraying you. Years later, when she seeks forgiveness, you invite her to your engagement party as a gesture of reconciliation. But seething hostilities rise to the surface, ruining everyone’s evening. After an awful night, your friend’s battered, lifeless body is found at the bottom of a rocky cliff. Newly engaged Marissa Parlette is living this nightmare. Desperate for answers, Marissa digs deep into the events of the party. But what she remembers happening after nightfall now carries sinister implications. The more she investigates, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
THE DRAMA TEACHER by Koren Zailckas (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elizabeth Knowelden
Gracie Mueller is a proud mother of two and a devoted wife. Her life is complicated by the usual tedium and stressors, and she’s settled down comfortably enough. But when her husband’s failing career as a real estate agent makes finances tight, their home goes into foreclosure, and Gracie feels she has no choice but to return to the creatively illegal and high-stakes lifestyle of her past in order to keep all that she’s worked so hard to have. Gracie has a lot to hide about where she’s from, who she is and who she’s been. And when things inevitably begin to spin out of her control, more questions about the truth of her past are raised, including all the ones she never meant to --- or even knew to --- ask. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
DEAR STUDENTS: Reading, Writing, and the Art of Smelling Books by Jennifer Gavin (Education)
Want to see the future? Ask an English teacher. If you can't remember the last time you were filled with wonder or read anything you loved, read on. Here you won't just find helpful reading and writing tips. You'll also learn about how literacy brings us back from the abyss of modernity and into the heart of what matters. In conversations with Dante, Bradbury, McCarthy, Michelangelo and more, you'll encounter wisdom of the ages, and discover what these greats teach us about our own world: approval addiction, bullying, Kevin Bacon, narcissism, Darth Vader, and the dangerous allure of nihilism. Reviewed by Benny Regalbuto.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 21st
Below are some notable titles releasing on August 21st 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 August 20th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
ARTHUR ASHE: A Life by Raymond Arsenault (Biography)
Raymond Arsenault chronicles tennis superstar Arthur Ashe’s rise to stardom on the court while exploring his off-court career as a human rights activist, philanthropist, broadcaster, writer, businessman and celebrity. Five years after being diagnosed with AIDS, Ashe passed away at the age of 49, leaving an inspiring legacy of dignity, integrity and active citizenship.
DEAD MAN RUNNING: An Alex McKnight Novel by Steve Hamilton (Thriller)
A vacationer logs on to the security-camera feed from his home and spots an intruder. When he shifts to the bedroom camera, he sees a dead body. Martin T. Livermore is the prime suspect in the abduction and murder of at least five women. When the FBI finally catches him, he declares he'll only talk to one person: Alex McKnight.
DESOLATION MOUNTAIN by William Kent Krueger (Mystery/Thriller)
Cork O’Connor and his son, Stephen, work together to uncover the truth behind the tragic plane crash of a senator on Desolation Mountain and the mysterious disappearances of several first responders. This is a heart-pounding and devastating mystery the scope and consequences of which go far beyond what father or son could ever have imagined.
OHIO by Stephen Markley (Fiction)
On one fateful summer night in 2013, four former classmates converge on the rust belt town where they grew up, each of them with a mission, all of them haunted by regrets, secrets and lost loves.
THE OTHER WOMAN by Sandie Jones (Psychological Thriller)
Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam is perfect. Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves. Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants.
PIECES OF HER by Karin Slaughter (Thriller)
Andrea thinks she knows everything about her mother, Laura. All that changes, though, when a trip to the mall explodes into violence, and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.
SMALL ANIMALS: Parenthood in the Age of Fear by Kim Brooks (Memoir/Sociology)
One morning, Kim Brooks made a split-second decision to leave her four-year-old son in the car while she ran into a store. What happened would consume the next several years of her life and spur her to investigate the broader role America’s culture of fear plays in parenthood.
SUMMER by Karl Ove Knausgaard (Memoir)
SUMMER is the grand finale of Karl Ove Knausgaard's intensely personal series about the four seasons. Documenting his family's life in rural Sweden and reflecting on a characteristically eclectic array of subjects, Knausgaard braids the various threads of the previous volumes into a moving conclusion.
SWIFT VENGEANCE by T. Jefferson Parker (Thriller)
Returning hero and private investigator Roland Ford is on the trail of a mysterious killer who is beheading CIA drone operators and leaving puzzling clues at each crime scene. He strikes an uneasy alliance with San Diego-based FBI agent Joan Taucher, who is haunted by what she sees as the Bureau's failure to catch the 9/11 terrorists.
VOX by Christina Dalcher (Dystopian Thriller)
On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her. Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. For herself, her daughter and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.
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:
#MURDERTRENDING by Gretchen McNeil (Dystopian Thriller/Horror)
Welcome to the near future, where good and honest citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society's most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0. When 17-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, she realizes she's about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn't commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse prove she's innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman's cast of executioners kill them off one by one?
I'M NOT MISSING by Carrie Fountain (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Soler
It’s senior year, and Miranda Black’s best friend, Syd, has run away --- suddenly and inexplicably, leaving behind nothing but a pink leopard print cell phone with a text message from the mysterious HIM. Everyone wants to know why Syd left, but the truth is, Miranda has no idea. When Miranda’s mother abandoned her as a child, Miranda had found shelter in her friendship with Syd, who wore her own motherlessness like a badge of honor. Now Miranda has been left behind again, left to untangle the questions of why Syd left, where she is --- and if she’s even a friend worth saving, all while stumbling into first love with the most unlikely boy in school.
THIS STORY IS A LIE by Tom Pollock (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tim Gerard Reynolds
Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a math genius. He also suffers from devastating panic attacks. Pete gets through each day with the help of his mother --- a famous scientist --- and his beloved twin sister, Bel. But when his mom is nearly assassinated in front of his eyes and Bel disappears, Pete finds himself on the run. Dragged into a world where state and family secrets intertwine, Pete must use his extraordinary analytical skills to find his missing sister and track down the people who attacked his mother. But his greatest battle will be with the enemy inside: the constant terror that threatens to overwhelm him.
Click here for more young adult books we recommend you read.
Our Latest Poll: Digital Audiobooks
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Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, September 7th 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 August 17th to September 7th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of DESOLATION MOUNTAIN by William Kent Krueger and TRUST ME by Hank Phillippi Ryan.
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 August 1st to September 4th at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Linda Castillo's A GATHERING OF SECRETS, read by Kathleen McInerney, and I SEE LIFE THROUGH ROSÉ-COLORED GLASSES, written and read by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella.
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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