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A Lovely Week Spent Interviewing Great Authors
and Sharing Excitement with Enthusiastic Readers
Whew, this has been one action-packed week. It kicked off last Friday night with Tom and I escorting William Kent Krueger and Debbi Michiko Florence, a children’s author, to the spirited keynote presentation of the Morristown Festival of Books, which was given by John Kerry, who was interviewed by Ann Curry. In a moment of pure humor, as we went to pick them up, I was in the lobby talking to Debbi, who I had not met before, but tracked down after a few looks at her author photo. My husband was waiting outside in the car while we waited for Kent in the lobby.
He called and said, “I think Kent is out here. There is a guy in front of the hotel who looks like he is from Minnesota.” I walked outside, and sure enough Kent was there. We joked about Tom’s version of profiling, and then later in the evening they spoke about the fact that they are both legally named William, but go by their middle names! It was lovely to enjoy the evening with them both at the talk and at the sponsor reception afterwards, which clearly got the weekend off to a great start. You can see me with Kent and Debbi above.
On Saturday, both of my panels were held in a large church. For the 10am event with Fiona Davis and Kate Quinn, it was standing room only, which was impressive as the weather was bleak and drizzling at the time. Above you can see some of the attendees at the church...and seated to the right in the front row are my parents happily looking on!
Both Fiona and Kate were terrific speakers, sharing stories about their research (trips down the rabbit hole), as well as their upcoming titles. For Kate, that will be THE HUNTRESS, a historical novel about a battle-haunted English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot who join forces to track the Huntress, a Nazi war criminal gone to ground in America, which will be in stores on February 26th. For Fiona, it will be THE CHELSEA GIRLS, as she writes about two actresses living at the iconic Chelsea Hotel; again she looks at two different periods of history. Kate will have three storylines with THE HUNTRESS, which she says was VERY ambitious.
I raced over to hear Kent in conversation with Sujata Massey, the author of THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL. They are old friends and writing colleagues from Minnesota, so the conversation was lively and fun. Many in the audience were huge fans of Kent’s ORDINARY GRACE and were excited to hear that his new stand-alone novel, THIS TENDER LAND, will be in stores next September.
My next event was an interview with Kate Morton (THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER) and Diane Chamberlain (THE DREAM DAUGHTER), again back in the church where the crowd had swelled even more. There were at least 435 people there! Both of their books were just out, thus it was lovely to have the opportunity to introduce them to readers. Kate was carrying a lovely leather satchel, similar to the one that was in her book, which was a gift from her UK publisher. It had the initials of the book title, as well as the date of publication on it. I joked with her that she had a prop with her. They each exchanged stories about their writing and how they conceptualize their work. For Diane, THE DREAM DAUGHTER is a story that she has been nurturing for a while. Kate talked about how she organizes and threads her very complicated plots.
In the third row of photos above, you can see me with (from left to right) Kate Morton, Diane Chamberlain, Fiona Davis and Kate Quinn.
From there, I attended a rockingly good panel with A. J. Finn, whose THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW was a phenomenal debut bestseller, and Megan Abbott, who is not only writing novels these days, but is also writing for television with "The Deuce" and now her own series "Dare Me," based on her book of the same name. The two of them chatted rapidly (Megan talks faster than me, and I am a brisk talker) about noir movies and books, their writing styles, and their passion for both reading and writing. They spoke like old friends. No one would believe that they had met 10 minutes before they walked on the stage!
The rest of the day consisted of more terrific panels. Then I went home and, as promised, delved more deeply into Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook, OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE. Roasted tomatoes with Greek yogurt are fabulous. And the fig and thyme clafoutis was brilliant as well. As were the tomatoes with ginger, cilantro and garlic. For this weekend, I will be trying some recipes from Ina Garten’s COOK LIKE A PRO, and if things go as planned, I want to see her at the B&N in Union Square on Tuesday night. I was lucky enough to score tickets for Nicole and I to see Ottolenghi on Wednesday night at the 92nd Street Y. By the way, our poll question is cookbook-related, and I want to hear from you about it. More on that later!
But that was not all the book fun for the week. On Wednesday night, I moderated the Book Club Girl event at HarperCollins, interviewing Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White, authors of the collaborative novel THE GLASS OCEAN, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that we happen to be reviewing this week. They are a force of nature; I joked that occasionally I got to ask a question, or corral them. They told great stories, and clearly are joined at the hip writing with “one unibrain.” You can read more about this fabulous evening here, in a well-done blog by our own Rebecca Munro. And if you would like to see a video of the event, you can find it here on Facebook Live. Check out the photo above, where I pose with "Team W" and the "Book Club Girl" herself, Jennifer Hart (who is wearing the red shirt).
I am planning to read LOOKER by Laura Sims this weekend. Our Editorial Director, Tom, and I attended a Simon & Schuster event this morning where they previewed some of their big books releasing early next year. Laura was there to talk about her debut novel, which is about a woman whose obsession with the beautiful actress on her block drives her to the edge. Her presentation was excellent and made me want to read the book so much that I decided to move it to the top of my reading pile. I still am listening to BRIDGE OF CLAY, in spite of all the traffic this week; I am only about halfway through it. Being read to by Markus Zusak is quite lovely.
I still am smiling over this entire week of book events. The enthusiasm from readers both in Morristown and at the Book Club Girl event was contagious.
Now to this week’s update...
Barbara Kingsolver is back with her first novel in six years. In UNSHELTERED, she interweaves the past and the present to explore the human capacity for resiliency and compassion in times of great upheaval. Willa Knox and her husband followed all the rules as responsible parents and professionals, and have nothing to show for it but debts and an inherited brick house that is falling apart. When the family’s one success story, an Ivy-educated son, is uprooted by tragedy, he seems likely to join them. In another time, science teacher Thatcher Greenwood’s employer forbids him to speak of the exciting work just published by Charles Darwin. His friendships with a female scientist and a renegade newspaper editor threaten to draw him into a vendetta with the town’s powerful men.
Roz Shea calls UNSHELTERED "a beautifully written novel by an author whose talent for metaphor and wit provides an entertaining and informative read that will please her fans and perhaps attract new ones."
We’re giving away the audio version of UNSHELTERED, read by Kingsolver herself, in our Sounding Off on Audio contest, along with THE NEXT PERSON YOU MEET IN HEAVEN, written and read by Mitch Albom (this is debuting on the New York Times bestseller list at #1). Let us know by Thursday, November 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win both these audio titles.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include Tina Turner’s memoir, MY LOVE STORY, in which the rock and roll legend candidly examines her personal history, from her darkest hours to her happiest moments and everything in between; ALASKAN HOLIDAY by Debbie Macomber, a magical Christmas tale set in the Alaskan wilderness about finding love where it’s least expected (you can see the discussion guide here); and A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN, Therese Anne Fowler’s novel of iron-willed Alva Vanderbilt and her illustrious family as they rule Gilded-Age New York (I loved listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Barrie Kreinik).
B. A. Shapiro, the bestselling author of THE ART FORGER and THE MURALIST, is back with a new historical art thriller, THE COLLECTOR’S APPRENTICE, which is our latest New Release Spotlight title. Everyone in Belgium, including her own family, believes Paulien Mertens stole millions in a sophisticated con game perpetrated by her then-fiancé, George Everard. To protect herself from the law and the wrath of those who lost everything, she creates a new identity, a Frenchwoman named Vivienne Gregsby, and sets out to recover her father’s art collection and prove her innocence. When the eccentric and wealthy American art collector Edwin Bradley offers Vivienne the perfect job, she is soon caught up in the Parisian world of post-Impressionists and expatriates. Her life becomes even more complicated when George returns with unclear motives --- and then she is arrested for Bradley’s murder. Don’t miss our review in next week’s newsletter.
NOVEMBER ROAD by Lou Berney, a New Release Spotlight title that we reviewed last week, is my latest Bets On pick. Click here for my commentary.
Our Fall Preview contests wrapped up this week. The final four prize books were THE DREAMERS by Karen Thompson Walker, THE KINSHIP OF SECRETS by Eugenia Kim, KITCHEN YARNS: Notes on Life, Love, and Food by Ann Hood, and SHE LIES IN WAIT by Gytha Lodge. Congratulations to the winners of our 12 contests, and many thanks to all who entered!
Our next series of 24-hour giveaways will be our Holiday Cheer contests, and they kick off on Tuesday, November 13th. If you would like to receive a special newsletter announcing each day’s Holiday Cheer title, all you have to do is sign up here.
In our latest Word of Mouth contest, we’re giving away two of fall’s biggest books: ELEVATION by Stephen King and THE RECKONING by John Grisham. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these highly anticipated thrillers. Please do so by Friday, November 2nd at noon ET.
As I previously alluded to, our latest poll question asks if you use cookbooks when preparing meals. Click here to let us know what you do.
Our previous poll asked the following: If you get a book for free in a contest, giveaway or other program (not from a library), how long does it typically take you to start reading it? We actually broke it down into two questions --- one for physical copies and the other for digital downloads. Based on the results, you are likelier to start reading books more quickly if they are physical copies as opposed to e-books. Click here for the complete breakdown.
Please also be sure to take our current poll on ReadingGroupGuides.com. We want to know which of the books that appeared on our Top 15 list of "Most Popular Book Group Selections" for September you have read, or are planning to read, with your group. Click here to cast your votes.
It’s rare for a classic to crack the Top 15, but A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith has achieved that. It’s one of PBS’s 100 “Great American Reads,” so I’m sure that has generated much interest among readers and book groups. Speaking of which, be sure to tune in to the finale of “The Great American Read” this Tuesday, October 23rd at 8pm ET, when the best-loved novel in America will be announced. Rebecca and our intern, Ana, will be attending the taping of this final episode on Sunday afternoon, and they are looking forward to it.
MILKMAN by Anna Burns has been awarded the 2018 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Originally published in the UK in May, the novel will release in the US on December 11th from Graywolf Press. Click here for more info on the book and why it was chosen as the winner.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Nancy wrote, “So jealous of your attendance at Lisa Scottoline’s book club event --- and thanks for letting us experience it through your blog post. I loved your session at the Morristown Festival with Fiona Davis and Kate Quinn. I could have listened to the three of you for another hour!”
Last week, I wrote about two women who Greg and I met at Lisa Scottoline’s Big Book Club Party, noting that I never caught their names. It ends up that after we met, they became newsletter subscribers and cleared up my mystery. Maureen wrote, “I was one of the two ladies who sat with you and Greg at Lisa Scottoline’s farm. I’m the nonfiction reader, and my friend, Diana, loves Amy Tan. It was so nice meeting you and Greg, and we are both following your newsletter. So much good information and lots of reading suggestions for our book club, The Chesterfield Chicks.” I love that the mystery is solved and that they are new subscribers.
"Manifest": A new show on NBC on Monday nights. Wendy Corsi Staub recommended it, and two episodes in, I am hooked!
This weekend is not a bookish weekend, but rather a wool/knitting one. I am headed to the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival with friends on Saturday. Trust me, I need no new yarn, but I want to make some more skirts, and I like the Into the Whirled yarn that I found there last year. Now that I know three skeins make a skirt, I can buy more. I am hoping to find something different and special there that screams to me to knit with it.
All the plants that were around the pool are now in my garage, so I can plot what to winter over and move them inside the house. I have some palms that have been wintered over for three years now! Sam, Cory’s girlfriend, got a hedgehog this week, and it is making a visit here this weekend. The rest of the weekend will be winterizing chores and pretending to try to kick it back a notch.
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: UNSHELTERED by Barbara Kingsolver
UNSHELTERED by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Barbara Kingsolver
How could two hardworking people do everything right in life, a woman asks, and end up destitute? Willa Knox and her husband followed all the rules as responsible parents and professionals, and have nothing to show for it but debts and an inherited brick house that is falling apart. When the family’s one success story, an Ivy-educated son, is uprooted by tragedy, he seems likely to join them. In another time, a troubled husband and public servant asks, How can a man tell the truth, and be reviled for it? Science teacher Thatcher Greenwood’s employer forbids him to speak of the exciting work just published by Charles Darwin. His friendships with a female scientist and a renegade newspaper editor threaten to draw him into a vendetta with the town’s powerful men. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
New Release Spotlight:
THE COLLECTOR’S APPRENTICE by B. A. Shapiro
THE COLLECTOR’S APPRENTICE by B. A. Shapiro (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Xe Sands
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE ART FORGER and THE MURALIST comes a new novel of art and intrigue, shifting identities and desire --- THE COLLECTOR'S APPRENTICE.
It’s the summer of 1922, and 19-year-old Paulien Mertens finds herself in Paris --- broke, disowned and completely alone. Everyone in Belgium, including her own family, believes she stole millions in a sophisticated con game perpetrated by her then-fiancé, George Everard. To protect herself from the law and the wrath of those who lost everything, she creates a new identity, a Frenchwoman named Vivienne Gregsby, and sets out to recover her father’s art collection, prove her innocence --- and exact revenge on George.
When the eccentric and wealthy American art collector Edwin Bradley offers Vivienne the perfect job, she is soon caught up in the Parisian world of expatriates and post-Impressionists --- including Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse, with whom Vivienne becomes romantically entwined. As she travels between Paris and Philadelphia, where Bradley is building an art museum, her life becomes even more complicated: George returns with unclear motives...and then Vivienne is arrested for Bradley’s murder.
B. A. Shapiro has made the historical art thriller her own. In THE COLLECTOR'S APPRENTICE, she gives us an unforgettable tale about the lengths to which people will go for their obsession, whether it be art, money, love or vengeance.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to watch the book trailer.
- Click here to read B. A. Shapiro’s bio.
- Click here to visit B. A. Shapiro’s website.
- Connect with B. A. Shapiro on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Featured Review: MY LOVE STORY by Tina Turner
MY LOVE STORY by Tina Turner (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Heather Alicia Simms
From her early years in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her rise to fame alongside Ike Turner to her phenomenal success in the 1980s and beyond, Tina Turner candidly examines her personal history, from her darkest hours to her happiest moments and everything in between. MY LOVE STORY is an explosive and inspiring story of a woman who dared to break any barriers put in her way. Emphatically showcasing Tina’s signature blend of strength, energy, heart and soul, this is a gorgeously wrought memoir as enthralling and moving as any of her greatest hits. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN
by Therese Anne Fowler
A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Barrie Kreinik
Alva Smith, her southern family destitute after the Civil War, married into one of America’s great Gilded Age dynasties: the newly wealthy but socially shunned Vanderbilts. Ignored by New York’s old-money circles and determined to win respect, she designed and built nine mansions, hosted grand balls and arranged for her daughter to marry a duke. But Alva also defied convention for women of her time, asserting power within her marriage and becoming a leader in the women's suffrage movement. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: ALASKAN HOLIDAY
by Debbie Macomber
ALASKAN HOLIDAY by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Laurel Rankin and Luke Daniels
Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community --- in particular, famed master swordsmith Palmer Saxon, who would like nothing more than to make Josie his wife. But Josie can’t imagine abandoning her mother and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town --- not even for a man she’s quickly coming to love. Fate has other plans, though. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
NOVEMBER ROAD by Lou Berney
NOVEMBER ROAD by Lou Berney (Historical Thriller)
I literally read NOVEMBER ROAD by Lou Berney in a day, as it was what I call a propulsive read. The events in Dallas in November 1963 easily could have happened the way Lou plots them out. After all, for decades there have been questions about what really happened to John F. Kennedy. The country was so mob-run in those days; their reach was everywhere. They could have ordered the murder of JFK as the ultimate hit.
In this story, Frank Guidry is a loyal lieutenant to a New Orleans crime boss. The problem: he knows too much and has put even more pieces and clues together --- ones that easily could finger the mob bosses. As a result, he is on the run. And as he tries to save his life, he comes across a woman named Charlotte, who is traveling with her two little girls trying to save what she can of her own life. They travel together, each running from something and for a few weeks running towards each other. Charlotte and the girls lend something soft and innocent to the story next to the toughness of the other thread.
This is a period story that calls up all the emotions of those days and the early ’60s. You can picture Frank and Charlotte driving down the highway together. Every page has you wondering what’s next, as it is original and smart.
I now want to go back and read everything Lou Berney has written. Joe Hartlaub, our Senior Writer and brilliant thriller reviewer, has been raving about Lou for years. Reading NOVEMBER ROAD, I have no doubts as to why.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
Featured Review: THESE TRUTHS by Jill Lepore
THESE TRUTHS: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore (History)
Audiobook available, read by Jill Lepore
The American experiment rests on three ideas --- "these truths," Jefferson called them --- political equality, natural rights and the sovereignty of the people. And it rests, too, on a fearless dedication to inquiry, Jill Lepore argues, because self-government depends on it. But has the nation, and democracy itself, delivered on that promise? THESE TRUTHS tells this uniquely American story, beginning in 1492, asking whether the course of events over more than five centuries has proven the nation’s truths, or belied them. To answer that question, Lepore traces the intertwined histories of American politics, law, journalism and technology. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: WAR OF THE WOLF
by Bernard Cornwell
WAR OF THE WOLF by Bernard Cornwell (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Matt Bates
While Uhtred of Bebbanburg might have regained his family’s fortress, it seems that a peaceful life is not to be --- as he is under threat from both an old enemy and a new foe. The old enemy comes from Wessex, where a dynastic struggle will determine who will be the next king. And the new foe is Sköll, a Norseman, whose ambition is to be King of Northumbria and who leads a frightening army of wolf-warriors, men who fight half-crazed in the belief that they are indeed wolves. Uhtred, believing he is cursed, must fend off one enemy while he tries to destroy the other. In this new chapter of the Saxon Tales series, Uhtred returns to fight once again for the destiny of England. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
We currently have three contests running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?": Win 12 Copies of CODE GIRLS by Liza Mundy 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. Our current prize book is the paperback edition of CODE GIRLS by Liza Mundy, the award-winning national bestseller about the American women who secretly served as code breakers during World War II. Enter here by Wednesday, November 7th at noon ET.
Win 12 Copies of THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S DAUGHTER by Hazel Gaynor for Your Group
We are celebrating the release of THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S DAUGHTER by Hazel Gaynor --- a historical novel inspired by true events, and the extraordinary female lighthouse keepers of the past 200 years --- with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. Enter here by Wednesday, November 7th at noon ET.
Win 12 Copies of WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE by Marjorie Herrera Lewis for Your Group
Marjorie Herrera Lewis’ debut historical novel, WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE, tells the inspiring true story of high school teacher Tylene Wilson, a woman who surprises everyone as she breaks with tradition to become the first high school football coach in Texas. We are celebrating its release with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. Enter here by Wednesday, November 7th 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 BIG FELLA: Babe Ruth and the World He Created by Jane Leavy (Sports/Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Jane Leavy
After hitting his 60th home run in September 1927 --- a total that would not be exceeded until 1961, when Roger Maris did it with the aid of the extended modern season --- Babe Ruth embarked on the mother of all barnstorming tours, a three-week victory lap across America, accompanied by New York Yankees teammate Lou Gehrig. Business manager Christy Walsh called the tour a "Symphony of Swat." The Omaha World Herald called it "the biggest show since Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey, and seven other associated circuses offered their entire performance under one tent." Jane Leavy recreates that 21-day circus, and in so doing captures the romp and the pathos that defined Ruth’s life and times. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
TIME'S CONVERT by Deborah Harkness (Paranormal Thriller/Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Saskia Maarleveld
On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one, and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus' deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality and brotherhood. Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor --- the young employee at Sotheby's for whom Marcus has fallen --- is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
DECK THE HOUNDS: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Grove Gardner
Andy Carpenter doesn’t usually stop to help others, but seeing a dog next to a homeless man inspires him to give the pair some money. Soon after, man and dog are attacked on the street. The dog defends its new owner, and the erstwhile attacker is bitten but escapes. The dog is quarantined, and the man, Don Carrigan, is heartbroken. In a matter of days, Don and his dog Zoey are living above Andy’s garage. It turns out that Don is wanted for a murder that happened two years ago. Don not only claims he’s innocent, but that he had no idea he was wanted for a crime he has no knowledge of in the first place. It’s up to Andy to exonerate his new friend, if he doesn’t get pulled into the quagmire first. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
IN THE HOUSE IN THE DARK OF THE WOODS by Laird Hunt (Historical Fiction/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Vanessa Johansson
In this horror story set in colonial New England, a law-abiding Puritan woman goes missing. Or perhaps she has fled or abandoned her family. Or perhaps she has been kidnapped, and set loose to wander in the dense woods of the north. Alone and possibly lost, she meets another woman in the forest. Then everything changes. On a journey that will take her through dark woods full of almost-human wolves, through a deep well wet with the screams of men, and on a living ship made of human bones, our heroine may find that the evil she flees has been inside her all along. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE WINTERS by Lisa Gabriele (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Rankin
After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded Long Island mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter, a wealthy politician and recent widower. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell. She soon realizes there is no clear place for her in this twisted little family. As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets --- the kind of secrets that could kill her, too. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
THE GLASS OCEAN by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available; read by Vanessa Johansson, Saskia Maarleveld and Brittany Pressley
From the New York Times bestselling authors of THE FORGOTTEN ROOM comes a captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century --- two deep in the past, one in the present --- to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania. Reviewed by Leah DeCesare (www.leahdecesare.com).
- Click here for the discussion guide.
YOU WERE ALWAYS MINE by Nicole Baart (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Nina Alvamar
When Jessica Chamberlain’s phone rings one quiet morning, her world is shattered. As she tries to pick up the pieces and make sense of what went wrong, Jess begins to realize that a tragic death is just the beginning. Soon she is caught in a web of lies and half-truths --- and is horrified to learn that everything leads back to her seven-year-old adopted son, Gabriel. Years ago, Gabe’s birth mother requested a closed adoption and Jessica was more than happy to comply. But when her house is broken into and she discovers a clue that suggests her estranged husband was in close contact with Gabe’s biological mother, she vows to uncover the truth at any cost. Reviewed by Dunja Bonacci Skenderović.
OPEN YOUR EYES by Paula Daly (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Emma Fenney
Jane Campbell avoids confrontation at any costs. Given the choice, she’ll always let her husband, Leon --- a bestselling crime writer --- take the lead, while she focuses on her two children and her job as a creative writing teacher. After she receives another rejection for her novel, Leon urges Jane to put her hobby to rest. And why shouldn’t she, when they appear to have the perfect house and the perfect life? But then Leon is brutally attacked in their driveway, and suddenly their perfect life becomes the stuff of nightmares. Who would commit such a hateful offense? With her husband in a coma, Jane must open her eyes to the problems in her life, as well as the secrets that have been kept from her. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
DEVIL'S DAY by Andrew Michael Hurley (Gothic Horror/Thriller)
Every autumn, John Pentecost returns to the farm where he grew up, to help gather the sheep down from the moors for the winter. Very little changes in the Endlands, but this year, his grandfather --- the Gaffer --- has died and John's new wife, Katherine, is accompanying him for the first time. Each year, the Gaffer would redraw the boundary lines of the village, with pen and paper but also through the remembrance of tales and timeless communal rituals, which keep the sheep safe from the Devil. But as the farmers of the Endlands bury the Gaffer and prepare to gather the sheep, they begin to wonder if they've let the Devil in after all. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
TOWNIES: And Other Stories of Southern Mischief by Eryk Pruitt (Crime Fiction/Short Stories)
TOWNIES collects, for the first time, Eryk Pruitt's short fiction in a single volume. The title story, "Townies," details what really happened one night, after hours, in a once-popular East Texas sports bar, and the sinister revenge that would soon follow. "Let's Be Awful" tells the story of a cocktail waitress who decides that, after a horrid round of revenge porn, her days of playing the victim have past. In "A Lot Prettier (When You Smile)," we are introduced to a woman who can wrap any man around her finger and decides to put that powerful skill to use one last time. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on October 23rd
Below are some notable titles releasing on October 23rd 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 available the week of October 22nd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
A CLOUD IN THE SHAPE OF A GIRL by Jean Thompson (Fiction)
From the National Book Award finalist and the New York Times bestselling author of THE YEAR WE LEFT HOME comes a moving family saga about three generations of women who struggle to find freedom and happiness in their small Midwestern college town.
THE FOX by Frederick Forsyth (Thriller)
Adrian Weston, former chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service, is awoken in the middle of the night by a phone call from the Prime Minister. The Pentagon, the NSA and the CIA have been hacked simultaneously, their seemingly impenetrable firewalls breached by an unknown enemy known only as "The Fox."
MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES by Sarah McCoy (Historical Fiction)
This marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the 19th century, imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak --- and unimaginable greatness.
THE RECKONING by John Grisham (Historical Thriller/Mystery)
Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son --- a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor and faithful member of the Methodist church. Then, one cool October morning, he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell.
THE THREE BETHS by Jeff Abbott (Psychological Thriller)
This psychologically intense and emotionally gripping new suspense novel is about a daughter's desperate search for her missing mother --- one that may lead her closer to home than she ever anticipated.
VENDETTA by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
With his dying breath, Carl Venable, head of the CIA task force on terrorism and Jude Brandon’s final link to terrorist ringleader Max Huber, gives Brandon a mandate: keep his daughter, Rachel, safe at any cost. But then Rachel’s medical clinic in Guyana is attacked by Huber --- the same man who murdered her father and kept her imprisoned for months.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: Do You Use Cookbooks?
Do you use cookbooks when you are preparing meals?
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Always. I continually seek out new ones, as well as using old favorites.
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Always. I use old favorites and occasionally seek out new ones.
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I always am using old favorites.
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Sometimes
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Only on holidays or special occasions
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Never
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, November 2nd 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 October 19th to November 2nd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ELEVATION by Stephen King and THE RECKONING by John Grisham.
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 October 1st to November 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of THE NEXT PERSON YOU MEET IN HEAVEN written and read by Mitch Albom and UNSHELTERED written and read by Barbara Kingsolver.
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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