October 5, 2018
 October 5, 2018Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com Reviews | Features | Bookreporter.com Bets On | Upcoming Bets On       A Week Filled with Bookish AdventuresWhat a gorgeous Friday it is here. I have all the windows open as there is no rain or humidity. Finally. Flowers still are blooming like crazy in the garden, which is making me smile. In fact, the large hibiscus are on a second wave, which is lovely. Zinnias clearly require little attention, as Tom and I literally tossed the seeds onto some mulched area in early June and I fluffed them in a bit with my fingers, and they still grew. Next year I want to remember to plant dahlias as I have seen some spectacular ones in friends’ gardens. A nice weekend is predicted as well. Amen! This was an author- and book-filled week with more to come tomorrow. On Monday night, I was at a Random House "Evening with Jodi Picoult" event, timed for the evening before A SPARK OF LIGHT hit stores. She was interviewed by Christina Baker Kline, the author of ORPHAN TRAIN and A PIECE OF THE WORLD (you can see them in conversation above). I had finished Jodi’s book on Monday night and was still marveling at the structure of it; it is written backwards. She had read a book written this way 25 years ago and always wanted to try it. She started with a 48-page detailed outline, editing with colored post-its to tell the stories of each of her 10 --- yes, 10 --- characters. There were not enough colors of post-its, so some were red/yellow or blue/green. She edited it all in reverse for each character, and then 10 times going forward. She laughed, saying that she is glad she did this, but is not planning to do it again! Oh, and originally there were 16 characters! The book is set in a women’s reproductive health services clinic in Mississippi where a gunman has entered the building and fired shots. Among those on the scene that day is a crisis management police officer, who chillingly learns that his 15-year-old daughter and his sister are inside. He should recuse himself, but does not trust anyone to handle the negotiations, so he keeps this information to himself. Why is the gunman in there? The closing chapters will make you want to re-read it, just to see how to look at the characters again with what you learn as the story concludes. Jodi writes what she calls “moral fiction.” Depending upon where you stand on a topic, you may feel like she is preaching to you or enlightening you. She wants to bring all points of view to the table, even ones you may not agree with. In the afterword, she shares the in-depth research she did --- a real 360 look at the subject of women’s reproductive rights. Book group discussions for A SPARK OF LIGHT will be very interesting. By the way, the book that changed her as a person the most? SMALL GREAT THINGS. Above you can see me with Jodi; in the other photo, Jodi is posing with two Bookreporter.com readers: Denise Neary and Marianne Kaplan. A SPARK OF LIGHT is our latest New Release Spotlight title. According to our reviewer, Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum, “The narrative unfolds in an absorbing and interesting manner. Readers enter the novel at the end of the story and are slowly brought back to the beginning through a series of time frames. This makes for a realistic chronicle of the events that comprise A SPARK OF LIGHT. Picoult’s fans will find themselves riveted to the plot and to the characters, who are believable and sympathetic.” On Tuesday night, there was a really lovely rooftop party for Celadon Books, a new imprint from Macmillan. I already have read THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides (which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick when it releases in February) and CAPE MAY by Chip Cheek, which is coming on April 30th, and it was such fun meeting both authors. I also am looking forward to Ashton Applewhite's THE CHAIR ROCKS: A Manifesto Against Ageism, which looks at the subject of ageism. Abby Wambaugh is another of their upcoming authors, and I had great fun telling her that I was there the night she met her wife at an AAP (Association of American Publishers) dinner a couple of years ago. She loved it. Also, with my wardrobe, I match all Celadon events; see their logo above! Yesterday, I spent a huge part of the day at the terrific programming that New York Comic Con had for teachers and librarians at the New York Public Library, and then I spent a couple of hours walking the show floor at the Javits Center catching up with colleagues. It is really nice to see how the market for graphic novels has grown and to hear what has been exciting people. We have a number of people covering this event for us all weekend, including our Teenreads/Kidsreads Editorial Manager, Rebecca Munro. Now to this week’s update... Our Sneak Peek contest is back! This time, we’re giving away early copies of THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict, whose previous works of fiction, THE OTHER EINSTEIN and CARNEGIE’S MAID, were Bets On titles. I have THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM slated to read next! In her latest novel, Marie turns her attention to Hedy Kiesler, whose marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer allows her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. She overhears the Third Reich's plans while at her husband's side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devises a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape lands her in Hollywood, where she becomes film actress Hedy Lamarr. But Hedy is keeping a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she is a scientist. And she has an idea that might help the country…that is, if anyone will listen to her. We have 35 advance copies of THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM to give away to readers who can commit to previewing the book, which releases on January 15th, and sharing their comments on it by Wednesday, December 12th. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, October 18th at noon ET. Back in June, I raved about BECOMING MRS. LEWIS, which is Patti Callahan’s first work of historical fiction and revolves around the improbable love story of Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis. So I am happy to see that the book is now in stores. Among the many bestselling authors who are singing its praises is Paula McLain, who says, “Patti Callahan seems to have found the story she was born to tell in this tale of unlikely friendship turned true love between Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis, that tests the bounds of faith and radically alters both of their lives. Their connection comes to life in Callahan’s expert hands, revealing a connection so persuasive and affecting, we wonder if there’s another like it in history. Luminous and penetrating.” I echo Paula’s sentiments, which is why BECOMING MRS. LEWIS will be a Bets On pick; don’t miss my commentary in next week’s newsletter. We have our review this week from Bianca Ambrosio, who says, "Through the vibrant and emotional writing in BECOMING MRS. LEWIS, we witness an unlikely romance, especially for our current times, where two perfectly deserving people wait to totally know one another, and themselves, before embarking on a romantic relationship." Other books we’re reviewing this week include BLOOD COMMUNION, a continuation of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, in which Prince Lestat tells the tale of his coming to rule the vampire world and the eternal struggle to find belonging, a place in the universe for the undead, and how he must battle the seemingly unstoppable force determined to thwart his vision and destroy the entire vampire netherworld; THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLES HERE, a memoir and coming-of-age story from Casey Gerald, who takes readers through his journey --- a journey that shows, in his words, “the incredible price that must be paid to be free”; and THE DREAM DAUGHTER by Diane Chamberlain, a novel about one mother's quest to save her child, which will be a Bets On selection (find out why in next week’s newsletter). You may remember that THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLES HERE was one of this year’s Book Expo buzz books --- and now it’s among the 47 titles selected for the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction longlist. Other notable titles on the longlist include LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart, AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE by Tayari Jones, EDUCATED by Tara Westover, and THE MARS ROOM by Rachel Kushner, all of which were Bets On picks. The six-title shortlist --- three each for the fiction and nonfiction medals --- will be chosen on October 24th, followed by the announcement of the winners at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle on January 27th. The audiobook of Sarah Smarsh’s HEARTLAND: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, which I’ve talked about these last couple of weeks, is my latest Bets On pick. Click here to see why I’m betting you’ll love it and why I feel the conversation that it sparks is interesting. Our New in Paperback roundups have been posted. We're featuring paperback reprints from such bestselling authors as Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE), Jojo Moyes (STILL ME), Lisa Gardner (LOOK FOR ME), T. C. Boyle (THE RELIVE BOX) and John Banville (MRS. OSMOND); nonfiction titles, including IT’S ALL RELATIVE: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree by A.J. Jacobs and CODE GIRLS: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy; and paperback originals like UNDER MY SKIN by Lisa Unger and THE NIGHT IN QUESTION by Nic Joseph, both of which we review this week. We’ve also updated our Books on Screen feature for October. Feature films include The Hate U Give, Beautiful Boy and Can You Ever Forgive Me? On the small screen will be the second season premiere of "Midnight, Texas" on NBC, along with the season two finales of EPIX's "Get Shorty" and Audience Network's "Mr. Mercedes." And among this month’s DVD releases are Leave No Trace, Down a Dark Hall and The Catcher Was a Spy. In this week’s Fall Preview contests, we gave away THE LITTLE SHOP OF FOUND THINGS by Paula Brackston. Next week’s prizes will be THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Kate Morton and KICK-ASS KINDA GIRL: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Caregiving by Kathi Koll, both of which also will be New Release Spotlight titles next week. The first contest of the week will go live on Tuesday, October 9th at noon ET. We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win EVERY BREATH by Nicholas Sparks and WINTER IN PARADISE by Elin Hilderbrand. Be sure to enter by Friday, October 19th at noon ET. Melanie, who compiles and edits the submissions in our Word of Mouth and Sounding Off on Audio contests, reports that the aforementioned THE DREAM DAUGHTER (which just released on Tuesday; I am interviewing Diane next Saturday at the Morristown Festival of Books) was trending in a big way for this last contest period, and the aforementioned EDUCATED was getting a surprising number of entries as well. Speaking of which, October’s Sounding Off on Audio contest also went up this week. Let us know by Thursday, November 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win two upcoming audio titles, both of which are read by the authors themselves: THE NEXT PERSON YOU MEET IN HEAVEN by Mitch Albom and UNSHELTERED by Barbara Kingsolver. Our latest poll asks how long it takes you to start reading a book that you’ve gotten for free, a question that was inspired by Melanie. Click here to let us know what you typically do. Our previous poll asked if you look at the New York Times bestseller lists. 44% of you do some of the time, 35% do not, 19% do all of the time, and 2% do not, but plan to pay more attention to them. News & Pop Culture Reader Mail: Linda wrote in response to my question about "The Miniaturist" on PBS: "I am still enjoying Bookreporter and am also a big PBS fan. I watched 'The Miniaturist' the past three Sunday evenings on PBS, which is my normal weekend activity for the series shows. I enjoyed it immensely and felt it was even better than the book. It was a very strange period of history, and despite Johannes' proclivity to men, you could actually see and feel the love shared between Johannes and Nella, and her trying to help and protect him with great danger to herself. All of the actors portraying the characters did an amazing job. Although it was one of the shorter PBS books portrayed on film, it has haunted me long after both the last page of the book and the final scene of the show." Men's Book Club: Many readers have weighed in with book suggestions for a Men's Book Club, and we will be sharing those recommendations next week. If any others have ideas, send me a note at Carol@bookreporter.com with the subject line "Men's Book Club." For "This Is Us" viewers: An interesting piece about Randall in Tuesday night's episode. "Murphy Brown": I have not watched the reboot of this show. After listening to Candice Bergen's memoir, A FINE ROMANCE, a few years ago, I really thought TV was behind her, especially the pressure of doing a show week after week. We have a long weekend ahead. I close the office on Columbus Day each year as I feel the staff can use a day off between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Tomorrow, Greg and I are heading to Lisa Scottoline’s Big Book Club Party, which she hosts each year at her home in Pennsylvania. 100(!) book groups have been invited on Saturday and an additional 100 on Sunday. I have read about this event through the years and am so appreciative that we will be joining her for what promises to be a really fun day. I will have lots and lots to share about this next week. I am planning the rest of the weekend to be very low-key, as this was a hectic week. The weather looks good, which means there may be pool-floating on the horizon. And I enjoyed Pilates enough that I signed up for their 4x a month plan; I will be layering that in with the yoga practice that I have been enjoying. For years, I have been looking for some exercise routines that I would enjoy and commit to. I finally may be on to something here. I just started reading THE AU PAIR by Emma Rous, which is coming in trade paperback on January 8th. In it, Seraphine Mayes is a young woman who is questioning why her mother committed suicide on the day of the birth of her and her twin brother, Danny. She feels the clue to this may be held by an au pair, named Laura, who had her older brother, Edwin, in her charge that day. She fled right after the suicide. I am not far in, but I am looking forward to reading more. Emma has laid some terrific groundwork. 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:  A SPARK OF LIGHT by Jodi Picoult (Fiction) After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages, he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his 15-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic. But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the crosshairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard. Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day. Jodi Picoult --- one of the most fearless writers of our time --- tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A SPARK OF LIGHT is a story that will inspire debate, conversation…and, hopefully, understanding. - Click here to read a review. Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.  New Sneak Peek Contest: Enter to Win an Advance Copy of THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict  Our latest Sneak Peek Feature spotlights THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict, a powerful novel based on the incredible true story of Hedy Lamarr, the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication. The book doesn’t release until January 15th, but we have 35 advance copies to give away to readers who can commit to previewing it and sharing their comments on it by Wednesday, December 12th. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, October 18th at noon ET. For our Sneak Peek program, your commitment to participate is critical, so please only enter this contest if you truly will have time to read THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM and give us your feedback by the December 12th deadline. THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict (Historical Fiction) She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone --- if anyone will listen to her. A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication, THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM is a masterpiece. - Click here to read an excerpt. Click here to enter the contest. Featured Review: BLOOD COMMUNION by Anne Rice  BLOOD COMMUNION: A Tale of Prince Lestat by Anne Rice (Paranormal Thriller/Fantasy) Click here to read the review. Featured Review: THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLES HERE  THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLES HERE: A Memoir by Casey Gerald (Memoir) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read the review. Featured Review:  BECOMING MRS. LEWIS by Patti Callahan (Historical Fiction) Click here to read the review. BECOMING MRS. LEWIS will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.  Bookreporter.com Bets On: HEARTLAND Audiobook  HEARTLAND: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth (Audiobook) written and read by Sarah Smarsh (Memoir) Sarah learned from her family, not just about the power of family, but also the urgency to get an education and establish solid roots. Her family moved so often through the years that is was difficult for many in each generation to complete a school year in one place, and to have a consistent mailing address and the stability that accompanies that. The book is narrated to her unborn child, one who is a fixture of her imagination. She knows that if that child was real, she could have been trapped in the world that snared her mother and grandmother, each of whom became a teenage mother. And she knows that propelling herself out of poverty means “keeping her jeans zipped” and her focus sharp, not being clouded by escapes with drugs and alcohol. This book took 15 years to write, and along the way, Sarah sought --- and received --- her family’s full cooperation. She tells their stories with love, but never shies away from the tough truths, the hurtful moments or her clear pride in her family’s spirit. When she talks about her grandmother, with whom she lived for many years, there is an appreciation for the world they shared on the farm and on the drives together into Wichita. I have found myself recommending this book frequently since I finished it. HEARTLAND has been longlisted for the National Book Award --- a very deserving achievement. Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.  Bookreporter.com's Fall Preview Contests and Feature Fall is known as the biggest season of the year for books. The titles that release during this latter part of the year often become holiday gifts, and many are blockbusters. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we are spotlighting a number of outstanding books that we know people will be talking about in the days and months to come. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days in September and October, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here. Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, October 9th at noon ET. This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details    October’s New in Paperback Roundups October's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes Jojo Moyes' STILL ME, which follows Louisa Clark as she discovers who she is and who she was always meant to be --- and to live boldly in her brave new world; EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, a gripping mystery centered on television producer Laurie Moran's investigation of the unsolved Met Gala murder --- in which a wealthy widow was pushed to her death from the famous museum’s rooftop; WHITE HOUSES, Amy Bloom's fictional take on the unexpected and forbidden affair between Eleanor Roosevelt and reporter Lorena Hickok; and SOMETIMES I LIE by Alice Feeney, a debut psychological thriller that asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth? Among our nonfiction highlights are LEONARDO DA VINCI, in which Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects Leonardo's art to his science, showing how his genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves --- such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy; BOBBY KENNEDY, a gripping, in-depth, behind-the-scenes portrait of Robert F. Kennedy by Chris Matthews, an esteemed Kennedy expert and anchor of MSNBC’s "Hardball"; IT'S ALL RELATIVE, A.J. Jacobs' hilarious, heartfelt quest to understand what constitutes family --- where it begins and how far it goes --- and his attempt to untangle the true meaning of the “Family of Humankind”; and CODE GIRLS by Liza Mundy, the award-winning national bestseller about the American women who secretly served as codebreakers during World War II. Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of    October’s Books on Screen Feature Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs that are based on books. For a complete list of October’s offerings, please click here.
The Hate U Give Beautiful Boy Can You Ever Forgive Me?
"Get Shorty" "Mr. Mercedes" "Midnight, Texas"
The Catcher Was a Spy Leave No Trace Down a Dark Hall    More Reviews This WeekTHE DREAM DAUGHTER by Diane Chamberlain (Fiction) THE DREAM DAUGHTER will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Don’t miss Carol’s commentary in next week’s newsletter. UNDER MY SKIN by Lisa Unger (Psychological Thriller) HIPPIE by Paulo Coelho (Fiction) WHAT HAVE YOU DONE by Matthew Farrell (Mystery/Thriller) PONTI by Sharlene Teo (Fiction) THE STRANGER GAME by Peter Gadol (Psychological Thriller) THE NIGHT IN QUESTION by Nic Joseph (Psychological Thriller) A KILLER’S MIND by Mike Omer (Psychological Thriller/Mystery) DIXIE DEWDROP: The Uncle Dave Macon Story by Michael D. Doubler (Biography)   
Next Week's Notables:
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