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Carol with Bonnie Kistler, author of HOUSE ON FIRE (on sale March 12th)
Carol with Alice, one of our readers, during an event at the White Plains Public Library
Rocking Out with Some Readers
Last night, Greg and I went up to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, to see Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. Greg has been an Edie fan since he was five; something about her music resonated with him when he was a kid, and it still does. It was such a fun show; Edie exudes a really playful nature, and the way she related to and played with the crowd was just magical. One of the songs on their new album is called “What Makes You Happy,” and watching the video of it where she is on roller skates most of the time will make you smile. I read that she told her husband that she wants a skate barn on their property, which amused him. Her husband, by the way, is Paul Simon.
We went to the show with Greg’s good friend, Julie, and her boyfriend, Brian. Julie and Brian met a few years ago in a Meetup book club. They attended a few meetings, and then when they both had to miss one discussion where they were scheduled to talk about THE GOLDFINCH, Julie reached out to ask Brian if he wanted to talk about it, and he suggested dinner. From there, they started dating and have been trading and discussing books; they both read constantly and donate books regularly to Little Free Libraries. Julie's typical pattern is that she is listening to two different audiobooks: one in the car where she listens on CDs or via OverDrive, and another on her phone, which is something she downloads. And she also always has a print book going, and so does Brian. I loved that before the show, we were able to talk music, books and life over great Mexican food. Oh, and they no longer are in a book group, except the one that they have à deux.
I so appreciated the warm welcome I got from readers last Sunday at the event that I did at the White Plains Public Library. I presented 51(!) books to a super-engaged audience of 60 readers. You can see a photo of me above with Alice, one of our readers, who was kind enough to drive down from northern Westchester to attend the program. I love meeting our readers during my travels. Alice had read a good number of the books that I spoke about, which made me smile. I am hoping that we have some new newsletter readers this week, who signed up after this program. What a perfect way to spend my extra hour as the clocks changed.
On Tuesday night, I am going to be at [words] Bookstore in Maplewood, New Jersey, at 7:30pm interviewing Jonathan Santlofer, the author of one of my Bookreporter.com Bets On titles, THE WIDOWER’S NOTEBOOK. I am looking forward to this for two reasons. First, I have always wanted to visit [words], and what better way to do that than by doing an event there. And Jonathan and I have known each other for years, and I never have had an opportunity to interview him. He is smart and witty, and has lots to share about becoming a widower, and life. He is an artist, as well as an author, and his stunning illustrations are shown throughout the book. If you are in the area, come on by. And be sure to introduce yourself.
The following night, I will be attending the 69th Annual National Book Awards, which will be hosted by Nick Offerman. The National Book Foundation announced today that the ceremony will be streamed via Facebook Live on their Facebook page as well as their media partner's, BuzzFeed Books. The stream, which will begin at approximately 7:20pm EST on Wednesday, also will be available on the National Book Foundation’s website. I will have lots more to share about this event in next Friday's newsletter.
This week, I read HOUSE ON FIRE by Bonnie Kistler, which is so well done. It will be in stores on March 12th and will be a Bets On selection. In it, Leigh Huyett and her husband, Pete Conley, have taken a short vacation to celebrate their anniversary; it is a second marriage for both. She has a daughter, Chrissy, who is in middle school and twin older sons in college. He has a son, Kip, who is a senior in high school newly accepted to Duke University, and a young daughter. On the way home from a party, Kip is arrested for drunk driving. The truck he was driving crashed into a tree. Chrissy was with him in the car. Twelve hours later, she is dead and he is charged with manslaughter. What happened that night --- and after --- will keep you turning the pages.
Bonnie stopped by the office on Monday; I had 100 pages left and told her I still could not figure out how this was going to turn out. She was very happy to hear that and gave me precisely no hints! Bonnie is an attorney who is no longer practicing; she was in corporate law. Her character Leigh is also an attorney, though her specialty is divorce law. I learned a lot about the law as I read. One factoid in the story is that Kip was 17 the night of the accident and thus a minor. What time did it actually happen? If after midnight, he was 18 and an adult.
I just started reading A THOUSAND DOORS, which is edited by New York Times bestselling author. J.T. Ellison. In it, 40-year-old Mia Jensen is home mulling over the rough patch that she finds her life stuck in. She hears a noise, and as she explores where it is coming from, she is struck and left for dead. Fifteen different thriller authors, many of them bestsellers, take over from there and give voice to what her life might have been. I am looking forward to seeing how these stories take shape. This time of year, as the holidays kick in, a book like this that can be read in bites can be just the right thing for our distracted lives. And it will be one of our Holiday Cheer contest titles; you can read more about this feature later in this newsletter.
Now to this week’s update...
Family secrets come back to haunt Jack Reacher in PAST TENSE, the latest installment in Lee Child’s long-running series. While on an epic trip across America, Reacher decides to take a detour to the town where his father was born. At the same time, two young Canadians who had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure are left stranded at a motel in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. The next morning, in the city clerk’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home but is told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. As Reacher explores his father’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge.
According to our reviewer Joe Hartlaub, “You will want to read PAST TENSE twice. The first time will be simply for the enjoyment of it. The second time will be to appreciate how Lee Child melds two separate stories (actually two and a half) seamlessly into one while subtly building an atmospheric suspense that provides the catalyst for the book’s explosive conclusion…”
PAST TENSE is one of the books we’re awarding to the winners of our Word of Mouth contest; the other is LONG ROAD TO MERCY: An Atlee Pine Thriller by David Baldacci, which we plan to review next week. Let us know by Friday, November 16th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you may be awarded both these highly anticipated thrillers.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include THE FERAL DETECTIVE, Jonathan Lethem’s first detective novel since MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN; HEADS YOU WIN, a stand-alone work from Jeffrey Archer that promises “a final twist that will shock even his most ardent fans”; IN PIECES, award-winning actress and director Sally Field’s much-talked-about memoir (and an upcoming Holiday Cheer prize book); and FOREVER AND A DAY, Anthony Horowitz’s prequel to CASINO ROYALE that takes readers into the very beginning of James Bond’s career and the formation of his identity as 007.
FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang, which we reviewed last week and is this month’s Pennie's Pick at Costco, is my latest Bets On selection. Click here to see why I’m betting you’ll love this book.
We are happy to announce the start of this year’s Holiday Cheer feature and contests. The giveaways kick off at noon ET on select days this month and next, and run for just 24 hours, so you’ll have to check the site to see what’s being featured. As always, we’ll be sending our Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. Click here to sign up for these email alerts. Our preview email with all the books to be featured will go out on Monday to those who have opted into the Holiday Cheer newsletter, and our first contest will go live on Tuesday at noon ET. Week one’s prize books will be THE CHRISTMAS SISTERS by Sarah Morgan, NINE PERFECT STRANGERS by Liane Moriarty, and NOVEMBER ROAD by Lou Berney, the latter of which is a Bets On pick.
Our New in Paperback roundups are now available for November. We're featuring paperback reprints from such bestselling authors as Jeffery Deaver (THE CUTTING EDGE), Louise Erdrich (FUTURE HOME OF THE LIVING GOD), Anna Quindlen (ALTERNATE SIDE), Alafair Burke (THE WIFE) and Gregg Hurwitz (HELLBENT); nonfiction titles, including PROMISE ME, DAD: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose by Joe Biden and PLAYING WITH FIRE: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics by Lawrence O'Donnell; and paperback originals like PRAGUE SPRING by Simon Mawer and THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE by Heather Rose.
Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win this month’s Sounding Off on Audio prizes: the audio versions of Louise Penny's KINGDOM OF THE BLIND: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, read by Robert Bathurst, and Barbara Taylor Bradford's MASTER OF HIS FATE, read by Joan Walker. Be sure to enter by Monday, December 3rd at noon ET.
Our poll continues to ask which of 20 fiction titles releasing this month you are planning to read, if any. Click here to cast your votes.
As many of you know, each month we highlight select titles from indie booksellers (Indie Next), librarians (LibraryReads), Target and Costco (Pennie’s Pick). We’ve been referring to it as “Reading Roundup,” but we realized that a name change was long overdue. It was just not working for us. Thus we now will be calling it “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks", which we think more accurately reflects the content we are presenting to you. We also plan to expand this feature in the months ahead to include more of our favorite lists from around the web.
If a book group was brand new, what book would you suggest that they start with? We posed this question to our ReadingGroupGuides.com readers, and they came up with some terrific ideas, which you can check out here. Many thanks to all who shared their recommendations with us; as always, your feedback is much appreciated!
We are celebrating Kidsreads.com's 20th anniversary with our biggest contest ever, which includes some of our favorite series from the last two decades. There will be 20 winners who will each receive the first three books of one of the series featured on this page. Enter here between now and Thursday, December 6th at noon ET for your chance to win one of our amazing prize packages!
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Linda wrote about my M&M question. “I am addicted to peanut M&Ms. I usually have eight candies in each package, and then I have to count how many of each color. I keep hoping for a package with all green ones.”
Boston Book Festival: They released audio recordings of most of their sessions, as well as some video recordings. Click here to see what is available!
Podcast: "How I Built This": I am crazy about this podcast. This week, I listened to one episode where Miguel McKelvey, one of the founders of WeWork, was interviewed. Miguel was raised by his mom and four other women in Oregon. Each woman had one child as he was growing up, and they dropped out and lived together in a commune-like environment. A second episode featured an interview with Sadie Lincoln, the founder of Barre3. She was raised by the same group of moms. It is fascinating to hear how these two kids who were raised so unconventionally went on to be successful entrepreneurs. Is this a book? Oh, and two of their siblings work at WeWork!
"House of Cards": I watched the entire season last weekend. I hate to say this, but I was very disappointed. Claire has one persona --- intense and conniving. While Frank was much the same, there were the BBQ scenes where he knocked it back a bit. Claire needs a lot more BBQ. Even with flashbacks, it was not enough for me.
I am not going to be at the Miami Book Fair this year. If any of our readers are, and would like to report on it for us, please let me know.
My parents are coming for dinner tomorrow night; I am thinking about what to make. Last weekend, I bought some preserved lemons, and I want to do something with them over the weekend. I tried to make preserved lemons one year, and it was an abysmal failure --- a true waste of lemons. I also am planning to work on my Thanksgiving menu; there will be the usual suspects, like the turkey, but I want to change it up a bit. Change on Thanksgiving is never easy. There may still be a few zinnias in the garden. I am marveling at how long these have lasted. Tomorrow I am going for a double-header of yoga and Pilates; I know, how athletic zen can one get?
To all of our readers who are veterans, a sincere thank you for your service. Reminder: there will be no mail on Monday, and some banks will be closed.
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: PAST TENSE by Lee Child
PAST TENSE: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Scott Brick
While on an epic trip across America, Jack Reacher sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He takes the detour. At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they’re stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The next morning, in the city clerk’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home. He’s told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He’s always known his father left and never returned, but now Reacher wonders, Was he ever there in the first place? As Reacher explores his father’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: HEADS YOU WIN by Jeffrey Archer
HEADS YOU WIN by Jeffrey Archer (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Richard Armitage
Leningrad, Russia, 1968. Alexander Karpenko is no ordinary child, and from an early age, it is clear he is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, he and his mother will have to escape from Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they are confronted with an irreversible choice: should they board a container ship bound for America, or Great Britain? Alexander leaves that choice to the toss of a coin. In a single moment, a double twist decides Alexander’s future. During an epic tale of fate and fortune, spanning two continents and 30 years, we follow his triumphs and defeats as he struggles as an immigrant to conquer his new world. Reviewed by Sonia Chopra.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE FERAL DETECTIVE
by Jonathan Lethem
THE FERAL DETECTIVE by Jonathan Lethem (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Zosia Mamet
Phoebe Siegler first meets Charles Heist in a shabby trailer on the eastern edge of Los Angeles. She’s looking for her friend’s missing daughter, Arabella, and hires Heist to help. A laconic loner who keeps his pet opossum in a desk drawer, Heist intrigues the sarcastic and garrulous Phoebe. Reluctantly, he agrees to help. The unlikely pair navigate the enclaves of desert-dwelling vagabonds and find that Arabella is in serious trouble --- caught in the middle of a violent standoff that only Heist, mysteriously, can end. Phoebe’s trip to the desert was always going to be strange, but it was never supposed to be dangerous. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's
Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature
At Bookreporter.com, we kick off the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, on select days in November and December, we are spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers the chance to win it. You have to visit the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter the 24-hour contest. As always, we are sending our special Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. Click here to sign up for these email alerts.
Our first prize book will be announced on Tuesday, November 13th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Featured Review: IN PIECES by Sally Field
IN PIECES by Sally Field (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Sally Field
Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of 17. From the sweet-faced "girl next door" on “Gidget” to the dazzling complexity of Sybil to the Academy Award-worthy ferocity and depth of Norma Rae and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within. In her memoir, Field brings readers behind the scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships --- including her complicated love for her own mother. Reviewed by Leah DeCesare (www.leahdecesare.com).
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: ALMOST EVERYTHING by Anne Lamott
ALMOST EVERYTHING: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott (Personal Growth/Inspiration)
Audiobook available, read by Anne Lamott
"I am stockpiling antibiotics for the Apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen," Anne Lamott admits at the beginning of ALMOST EVERYTHING. Despair and uncertainty surround us: in the news, in our families and in ourselves. But even when life is at its bleakest --- when we are "doomed, stunned, exhausted, and over-caffeinated" --- the seeds of rejuvenation are at hand. "All truth is paradox," Lamott writes, "and this turns out to be a reason for hope. If you arrive at a place in life that is miserable, it will change." That is the time when we must pledge not to give up but "to do what Wendell Berry wrote: 'Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.'" Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: FOREVER AND A DAY
by Anthony Horowitz
FOREVER AND A DAY: A James Bond Novel by Anthony Horowitz (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Matthew Goode
FOREVER AND A DAY is the story of the birth of a legend, in the brutal underworld of the French Riviera, taking readers into the very beginning of James Bond’s illustrious career and the formation of his identity. The sea keeps its secrets. But not this time. One body. Three bullets. 007 floats in the waters of Marseille, killed by an unknown hand. It’s time for a new agent to step up. Time for a new weapon in the war against organized crime. It’s time for James Bond to earn his license to kill. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang
November's Pennie's Pick for Costco
FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang (Fiction)
In FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang, Stanley Huang is dying of pancreatic cancer. He has an ex-wife, Linda; a new wife, Mary; a son, Fred; and a daughter, Kate. All of them are wondering, What’s in the trust? Stanley has talked about his wealth for years, but these days he is being so vague. The entire family is dancing around the topic, plotting their lives as millionaires, but Stanley is so tight-lipped. Why is he not talking more about his fortune?
Stanley and Linda emigrated from Taiwan to the Bay area. From there they built a very successful life, and they have children who have admirable careers. On the surface their lives look fabulous, but there are many hidden fractures. When Stanley’s diagnosis becomes known, the family dances around the subject of the trust in very comedic ways. Mary, the “new wife,” is seen as a gold digger only after Stanley’s money, but she is also his caretaker, a role that no one else really wants. Linda would like her children to be taken care of by Stanley. And what about those kids? Well, let’s just say that they have made a number of unwise decisions that are haunting them. Everyone appears to be grasping at straws that are just beyond their reach until Stanley comes through. But will he?
FAMILY TRUST is at once a Chinese-American story, a Silicon Valley story, and a family saga with great characters and robust storytelling. It's smart and wickedly funny, too, which is a winning combination.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
November's New in Paperback Roundups
November's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes ALTERNATE SIDE, a provocative novel from Anna Quindlen that explores what it means to be a mother, a wife and a woman at a moment of reckoning; FUTURE HOME OF THE LIVING GOD by Louise Erdrich, a startling portrait of a young woman fighting for her life and her unborn child against oppressive forces that manifest in the wake of a cataclysmic event; THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M., Janet Fitch’s sweeping historical saga of the Russian Revolution, as seen through the eyes of one young lady; and HELLBENT, the third installment in Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series, featuring government assassin gone rogue Evan Smoak.
Among our nonfiction highlights are PROMISE ME, DAD, Joe Biden’s deeply moving memoir that chronicles the year following his son Beau’s devastating diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor that ultimately took his life in May 2015; Lawrence O'Donnell's PLAYING WITH FIRE, an important and enthralling account of the 1968 presidential election, the race that created American politics as we know it today; and BREAKING FREE, a searing memoir by the daughter of Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed Prophet of the FLDS Church, who takes you deep inside the secretive polygamist Mormon fundamentalist cult run by her family and how she escaped it.
Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
November 5th, November 12th, November 19th and November 26th.
ALICE ISN’T DEAD by Joseph Fink (Horror/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jasika Nicole
Keisha Taylor lived a quiet life with her wife, Alice, until the day Alice disappeared. After months of searching, presuming she was dead, Keisha held a funeral, mourned and gradually tried to get on with her life. But that was before Keisha started to see her wife, again and again, in the background of news reports from all over America. Alice isn’t dead, and she is showing up at every major tragedy and accident in the country. Following a line of clues, Keisha takes a job with a trucking company and begins searching for Alice. She eventually stumbles on an otherworldly conflict being waged in the quiet corners of our nation’s highway system --- uncovering a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman. Reviewed by Julianne Holmquist.
MURDER, SHE WROTE: MANUSCRIPT FOR MURDER by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Laurel Lefkow
Jessica Fletcher has had plenty to worry about over her storied career, both as a bestselling novelist and an amateur sleuth. But she never had any reason to worry about her longtime publisher, Lane Barfield, who also happens to be a trusted friend. When mounting evidence of financial malfeasance leads to an FBI investigation of Lane, Jessica can't believe what she's reading. So when Barfield turns up dead, Jessica takes on the task of proving Barfield's innocence --- she can't fathom someone she's known and trusted for so long cheating her. Sure enough, Jessica's lone wolf investigation turns up several oddities and inconsistencies in Barfield's murder. Jessica knows something is being covered up, but what exactly? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
WRECKED: An IQ Novel by Joe Ide (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Sullivan Jones
A series of high-profile wins in his hometown of East Long Beach have made Isaiah Quintabe (IQ for short) so notorious that he can hardly go to the corner store without being recognized. Dodson, once his sidekick, is now his full-fledged partner, hell-bent on giving IQ's PI business some real legitimacy. So when a young painter approaches IQ for help tracking down her missing mother, it's not just the case Isaiah's looking for, but the human connection. And when his new confidant turns out to be connected to a dangerous paramilitary operation, IQ falls victim to a threat even a genius can't see coming. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
AN ELDERLY LADY IS UP TO NO GOOD: Stories written by Helene Tursten, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Dark Humor/Short Stories)
Ever since her father's untimely death, Maud has lived in the family's spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late 80s, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father's ancient armchair. Over the course of her adventures --- or misadventures --- she will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud's apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud's apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan and Jayme Mattler
Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life, renting a new apartment and applying for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known. Finding herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by grief and a relentless lack of sleep. She begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined. Meanwhile, 20 years earlier and 250 miles away, another woman’s split-second decision may hold the key to Jessie’s secret past. Has Jessie’s whole life been a lie, or have her delusions gotten the best of her? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
WAYS TO HIDE IN WINTER by Sarah St.Vincent (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Sarah Mollo-Christensen
After surviving a life-altering accident at 22, Kathleen recuperates by retreating to a remote campground lodge in a state park, where she works flipping burgers for deer hunters and hikers --- happy, she insists, to be left alone. But when a hesitant, heavily accented stranger appears in the dead of winter --- seemingly out of nowhere, kicking snow from his flimsy dress shoes --- the wary Kathleen is intrigued, despite herself. He says he’s a student from Uzbekistan. To her he seems shell-shocked, clearly hiding from something that terrifies him. And as she becomes absorbed in his secrets, she’s forced to confront her own --- even as her awareness of being in danger grows. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
NANTUCKET COUNTERFEIT: A Henry Kennis Mystery by Steven Axelrod (Mystery)
Horst Refn, the widely disliked and resented Artistic Director of the Nantucket Theater Lab, has been found stuffed into the meat freezer in his basement. Most of the actors, all the technical crew, and quite a few of the Theater Lab Board members, whom Refn was scamming and blackmailing, are suspects in his murder. The island's police chief, Henry Kennis, has to pick his way through a social minefield as he searches for the killer. At the same time, his daughter's new boyfriend, football star Hector Cruz, has been accused of sexting her. Carrie knows the offending pictures didn't come from him, so Henry probes into the family secrets of Hector's father, a firebrand agitprop playwright, who happens to be a prime suspect in Refn's murder. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read an interview with Steven Axelrod.
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS ART AND ARCANA: A Visual History by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson and Sam Witwer (Art/Gaming)
From one of the most iconic game brands in the world, this official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS illustrated history provides an unprecedented look at the visual evolution of the brand, showing its continued influence on the worlds of pop culture and fantasy. Inside the book, you’ll find more than 700 pieces of artwork --- from each edition of the core role-playing books, supplements and adventures; as well as Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels; decades of Dragon and Dungeon magazines; and classic advertisements and merchandise; plus never-before-seen sketches, large-format canvases, rare photographs, one-of-a-kind drafts and more from the now-famous designers and artists associated with "Dungeons & Dragons." Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on November 13th
Below are some notable titles releasing on November 13th 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 November 12th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BECOMING by Michelle Obama (Memoir)
In BECOMING, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her --- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address.
THE BOYS IN THE CAVE: Deep Inside the Impossible Rescue in Thailand by Matt Gutman (Current Events)
Award-winning ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman has written the definitive account of the dramatic story that gripped the world: the miracle rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave miles underground for nearly three weeks.
THE END OF THE END OF THE EARTH: Essays by Jonathan Franzen (Essays)
In THE END OF THE END OF THE EARTH, which gathers essays and speeches written mostly in the past five years, Jonathan Franzen returns with renewed vigor to the themes --- both human and literary --- that have long preoccupied him.
FOX 8: A Story by George Saunders (Fiction)
Fox 8 has always been known as the daydreamer in his pack, the one his fellow foxes regard with a knowing snort and a roll of the eyes. That is, until he develops a unique skill: He teaches himself to speak “Yuman” by hiding in the bushes outside a house and listening to children’s bedtime stories.
A LADDER TO THE SKY by John Boyne (Fiction)
Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London, Maurice Swift hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall.
LONG ROAD TO MERCY: An Atlee Pine Thriller by David Baldacci (Thriller)
When one of the Grand Canyon's mules is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon --- and its rider missing --- FBI agent Atlee Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear that the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind. But just as Pine begins to put together clues pointing to a terrifying plot, she's abruptly called off the case.
LOOK ALIVE TWENTY-FIVE: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich (Mystery)
There's nothing like a good deli, and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. It’s world-famous for its pastrami, cole slaw and disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth. They'd better figure out what's going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum.
NIGHT OF MIRACLES by Elizabeth Berg (Fiction)
Thanks to the inspiration of her dearly departed friend Arthur Truluv, Lucille Howard has begun to teach baking classes. Her classes have become so popular that she’s hired Iris, a new resident of Mason, Missouri, as an assistant. Iris doesn’t know how to bake, but she needs to keep her mind off a big decision she sorely regrets.
QUARTERBACK: Inside the Most Important Position in the National Football League by John Feinstein (Sports)
Award-winning sportswriter John Feinstein’s new book dives deep into the most coveted and hallowed position in the NFL --- exploring the stories of five top quarterbacks and taking readers inside their unique experiences of playing the position and holding the keys to their multi-billion-dollar teams.
THANKS A THOUSAND: A Gratitude Journey by A.J. Jacobs (Memoir/Humor)
The idea was deceptively simple: A.J. Jacobs decided to thank every single person involved in producing his morning cup of coffee. The resulting journey takes him across the globe, transforms his life, and reveals secrets about how gratitude can make us all happier, more generous and more connected.
WITNESS: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom by Ariel Burger (Memoir)
Elie Wiesel --- a Nobel laureate, activist, adviser to world leaders, and the author of more than 40 books --- taught at Boston University for nearly four decades. With this book, Ariel Burger --- devoted protégé, apprentice and friend --- takes us into the sacred space of Wiesel’s classroom. There, Wiesel challenged his students to explore moral complexity and to resist the dangerous lure of absolutes.
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Our Latest Poll: November Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in November do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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BEAUCHAMP HALL by Danielle Steel
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A CHRISTMAS REVELATION by Anne Perry
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THE COLORS OF ALL THE CATTLE: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (19) by Alexander McCall Smith
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THE FERAL DETECTIVE by Jonathan Lethem
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FIRE & BLOOD: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones (A Targaryen History) by George R. R. Martin
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FOREVER AND A DAY: A James Bond Novel, by Anthony Horowitz
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HAZARDS OF TIME TRAVEL by Joyce Carol Oates
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HEADS YOU WIN by Jeffrey Archer
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KINGDOM OF THE BLIND: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, by Louise Penny
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LONG ROAD TO MERCY: An Atlee Pine Thriller, by David Baldacci
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LOOK ALIVE TWENTY-FIVE: A Stephanie Plum Novel, by Janet Evanovich
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MASTER OF HIS FATE by Barbara Taylor Bradford
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NIGHT OF MIRACLES by Elizabeth Berg
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NINE PERFECT STRANGERS by Liane Moriarty
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PAST TENSE: A Jack Reacher Novel, by Lee Child
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ROBERT B. PARKER'S BLOOD FEUD: A Sunny Randall Novel, by Mike Lupica
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THE SPLENDOR BEFORE THE DARK: A Novel of the Emperor Nero, by Margaret George
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TARGET: ALEX CROSS by James Patterson
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TONY'S WIFE by Adriana Trigiani
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YOU DON'T OWN ME by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke
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None of these
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, November 16th 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 November 2nd to November 16th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of LONG ROAD TO MERCY: An Atlee Pine Thriller by David Baldacci and PAST TENSE: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child.
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 November 1st to December 3rd at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Louise Penny's KINGDOM OF THE BLIND: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, read by Robert Bathurst, and Barbara Taylor Bradford's MASTER OF HIS FATE, read by Joan Walker.
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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