February 1, 2019
 February 1, 2019Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com Reviews | Features | Bookreporter.com Bets On | Upcoming Bets On  Latest Update on Our GoFundMe Campaign Thank you to those of you who already have donated to our GoFundMe campaign. So far we have raised over $20,500 of our $50,000 goal, with online donations and checks! While we are on a roll, we do have further to go, and with your help, we know we can get there. Elizabeth: "I so enjoy your newsletter and the chance to win free books (I have won several!). I am one of the 800,000 federal employees who worked without pay for five weeks. Your newsletter was a wonderful distraction! As soon as the government opened up again, I wanted to donate to your campaign!" Lisa: "I love your service and have read sooooo many books that I would never have heard of. Thank you for the wonderful job you do..." The Book Report, Inc. Thank you again for your consideration and your donation. P.S. I still owe thank-you notes to those who sent a snail mail donation. They are coming! And some of the GoFundMe online thank-you notes have gone to SPAM, so please be sure to check there for a reply from me.   Two of Carol's recent reads are THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER by Kaira Rouda (in stores May 21st)  The first of Carol's amaryllis plants has bloomed!  Carol surprised her son, Greg, with 12 packages of these cookies (which he loves) for his birthday, courtesy of a kind flight attendant on her flight back from Albuquerque, And Just Like That, It’s February!Back in 1996, when we started The Book Report Network --- well, actually it was not a network then, it was just one website --- I had two business partners. In recent years, you may be familiar with Jesse Kornbluth, as he has contributed a number of reviews to the site. The other was Murray Bruce, who actually was the one who introduced me to Jesse, in my former life when I was at Conde Nast. We made a couple of documentaries together, all made a lot smarter due to Murray’s talent for seeing a big picture, literally. This week, we got the very sad news that Murray is dying from cancer, which was just diagnosed in November. He’s made a choice about where to spend his last days --- their home in Tortola --- which his family is brilliantly honoring. Jesse wrote a lovely piece about it called "The Art of Dying," which you can read here. Murray is the kind of person who embraces life head on; this piece sums up why I love him and his wife, Gail, so much. They focus on living to make every moment count. I am sending them lots of light and love these days. Here is a sign that you really like the book you are reading. Last week, when I flew back from Albuquerque after attending Winter Institute, the movies on the flight included The Wife (based on Meg Wolitzer's novel of the same name), which I wanted to see. My headphones were in the overhead bin, and it was a crowded flight, but that is not why I quickly dismissed the film. It was because I loved the book that I was reading: ASK AGAIN, YES by Mary Beth Keane. While the conference was busy, I would escape to my room in the evening to read it, even just a few pages, so I was happy to sink into my seat on the plane and read without interruption for hours. The book works on so many levels. It’s a family story. A love story. A story about life’s turns. When I see young couples, I often think that things have not gotten messy yet. Life creeps in, and suddenly dreams are shattered, life zigs instead of zags, and the best plans get reworked. I was thinking about that a lot as I was reading it. It’s out on June 4th, and it will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Last weekend, I was happy to see a galley of THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER by Kaira Rouda, which will be in stores on May 21st, when I arrived home. I had loved her last book, BEST DAY EVER, and again here she nails the voice of her protagonist, who is a narcissist. It is edgy and has much the same tone as BEST DAY EVER. It is a complete page-turner of a train-wrecked life that consumed my last Saturday --- and I loved it. I joked with Kaira, telling her that her characters terrify me. Her reply: "They should!" Now I am reading THE LAST ROMANTICS by Tara Conklin. You may remember her last book, THE HOUSE GIRL, which came out in 2013. Here again, we have a family story about four siblings. I am just at the part where it’s 1981. A tragedy has struck the family, and the kids have come together to support one another during a time in their lives nicknamed “The Pause,” when their mother is unavailable to them emotionally. I am intrigued and looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. It’s in stores next week, so please get this one marked for reading very soon. OUT OF THE DARK, the fourth installment in Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, is now in stores. Someone at the very highest level of government has been trying to eliminate every trace of the Orphan Program by killing all the remaining Orphans and their trainers. After Evan Smoak's mentor and the only father he ever knew was killed, he decided to strike back. His target is the man who started the Program and is now the most heavily guarded person in the world: the President of the United States. But President Bennett knows that Orphan X is after him and has decided to counter-attack. Bennett activates the one man who has the skills and experience to track down and take out Orphan X --- the first recruit of the Program, Orphan A. According to reviewer Joe Hartlaub, “OUT OF THE DARK will singe your hair from the moment you crack its binding.... The action, suspense and character development [here] are more than enough to warrant your time and attention...” I agree with Joe, which is why I'm making it a Bets On pick. Don’t miss my commentary in next week’s newsletter. GOLDEN CHILD by debut novelist Claire Adam is the latest title from Sarah Jessica Parker’s imprint, SJP for Hogarth, and introduces us to a family living in rural Trinidad. Clyde works long, exhausting shifts at a petroleum plant, while his wife, Joy, looks after the home. Their 13-year-old sons, twins Peter and Paul, wake up early every morning to travel to the capital, Port of Spain, for school. When Paul goes walking in the bush one afternoon and doesn't come home, Clyde is forced to go looking for him. As the hours turn to days, and Clyde begins to understand Paul’s fate, he is faced with a decision no parent should ever have to make. Megan Elliott has our review and says, “[T]he sections told from Paul’s point of view are the most poignant. His secret thoughts and fears emerge, highlighting the vast gulf of understanding between him and his father…. [Trinidad is] a place of both great beauty and troubling inequality, where scarce resources force people into impossible decisions, as Adam shows with devastating clarity.” We’ve added the discussion guide for the book on ReadingGroupGuides.com, which you can check out here. Other books we’re reviewing this week include JUDGMENT, Joseph Finder’s new thriller about a female judge and the one personal misstep that could lead to her --- and her family's --- downfall; THE AU PAIR by debut novelist Emma Rous, which the publisher describes as V. C. Andrews and Kate Morton’s “literary love child” (I enjoyed this very gripping, tightly plotted story); and ADÈLE, Leila Slimani’s prize-winning novel about a sex-addicted woman in Paris (you may remember Leila as the author of last year’s bestseller, THE PERFECT NANNY; I must get my hands on this one). Stephanie Land’s MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, which we featured and reviewed in last week’s newsletter, is my latest Bets On selection. Click here for my commentary, and take a listen to this interview with Stephanie on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” I got word yesterday that MAID will debut on the New York Times bestseller list at #3! #1 is BECOMING by Michelle Obama, and #2 is EDUCATED by Tara Westover. Fun fact: These are three memoirs written by women, each with a one-word title. We gave away the aforementioned OUT OF THE DARK in this week’s Winter Reading contest. Next week’s prizes will be AUNTIE POLDI AND THE SICILIAN LIONS by Mario Giordano, THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET by Yara Zgheib (a future Bets On pick), GOOD RIDDANCE by Elinor Lipman, and THE LOST MAN by Jane Harper. Our first contest of the week will go live on Monday, February 4th at noon ET. You’ll also have the chance to win GOOD RIDDANCE, along with six other love-themed books (and some chocolate for good measure!), in our Valentine’s Day contest. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, February 11th at noon ET. We’ve updated our Books on Screen feature for February. This month’s roundup includes the feature films The Changeover, Donnybrook and The Iron Orchard; the series premieres of "The ABC Murders" on Amazon Prime, "Miracle Workers" on TBS and "The Umbrella Academy" on Netflix; and the DVD releases of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Grinch and Mary Queen of Scots. We need your help! Last week at Winter Institute, there was a lot of talk about pre-ordering books. Our latest poll asks if you pre-order books online or at bookstores, or reserve books at libraries. There are a number of qualifiers here, so we know it’ll take some time to answer. But since this was a major topic of discussion at the conference, I’m very curious to find out what you do --- and you know how much we value your feedback! In our previous poll, we asked which of 17 books releasing in January you were planning to read, if any. Here are your top five picks: THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict (43%), THE SUSPECT by Fiona Barton (37%), AN ANONYMOUS GIRL by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (36%), THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS by Pam Jenoff (35%), and the aforementioned MAID by Stephanie Land (26%). Click here for all the results. Speaking of THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM, the Barnes & Noble Book Club will be hosting their Book Club Night in stores nationwide this Tuesday, February 5th to talk about Marie Benedict’s latest novel, which was their January selection. Click here to sign up for the event, which starts at 7pm at your local B&N store. If you’re attending, we would love to hear feedback about your experience. Please send me an email with the subject line “B&N – The Only Woman in the Room.” We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, February 15th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win CONNECTIONS IN DEATH by J. D. Robb and THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides, the latter of which will be a Bets On pick. February’s Sounding Off on Audio contest is now up and running. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win the audio editions of Sophie Kinsella’s I OWE YOU ONE, read by Fiona Hardingham, and Fiona Barton’s aforementioned THE SUSPECT, read by Susan Duerden, Fiona Hardingham, Nicholas Guy Smith and Katharine McEwan. The deadline for your entries is Friday, March 1st at noon ET. Last call for this contest: On ReadingGroupGuides.com, we’re asking book groups to help us compile our "Best Books of the Year" list for 2018. Click here to share both your favorite book that you read with your group last year and your favorite book that you read outside your group by Wednesday, February 6th at noon ET. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded six titles releasing this year that are perfect for book group discussions: THE AGE OF LIGHT by Whitney Scharer, the aforementioned THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET by Yara Zgheib, THE HUNTRESS by Kate Quinn, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN by Lisa See, LOST ROSES by Martha Hall Kelly, and the aforementioned THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict. This week, Malice Domestic announced the nominees for the 2018 Agatha Awards. Among them are KINGDOM OF THE BLIND: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny and TRUST ME by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Best Contemporary Novel), FOUR FUNERALS AND MAYBE A WEDDING: A Royal Spyness Mystery by Rhys Bowen (Best Historical Novel), and AGATHA CHRISTIE: A Mysterious Life by Laura Thompson (Best Nonfiction). The Agatha Awards will be presented on May 4th during Malice Domestic 31. Also this week, Barnes & Noble announced the finalists for their Discover Great New Writers program. The fiction finalists are ONLY KILLERS AND THIEVES by Paul Howarth, A PLACE FOR US by Fatima Farheen Mirza, and THERE THERE by Tommy Orange. The nonfiction finalists are AMERICAN PRISON: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer, the aforementioned EDUCATED: A Memoir by Tara Westover, and HEAVY: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon. The winners will be announced on March 6th. News & Pop Culture Reader Mail: Theresa wrote, ”I wanted to thank you again; I won a review copy of ONCE UPON A RIVER by Diane Setterfield through Bookreporter. It captured my imagination from the very first page. A book about storytelling from a master storyteller, in it I was transported to another place and time. I met vivid and unique characters in a compelling story with many twists and turns. The river itself became a living and breathing character, so real I could almost hear and smell it. Though I’m not a big user of social media, I did manage to post a review of the book on Goodreads. I’ve read many great books I would never have heard of but for Bookreporter. I’ll be placing a check in the mail today to help support your future efforts. I can’t wait to see what’s to come!” So glad you enjoyed it, Theresa, and thank you in advance for the donation. "True Detective" Season 3: This show has its mojo back this season. Anyone else watching? "This Is Us": I confess that this “brother still being alive” thread is not working for me; it feels forced. "Grace and Frankie": They are back on Netflix, and they still are making me laugh! "Quicksand": I loved QUICKSAND by Malin Persson Giolito and have learned that the Netflix series based on the book will premiere on April 5th. "I Am the Night": This is now airing on TNT. I caught the first episode the other night and enjoyed it. Fauna Hodel, who was given away by her teenage birth mother, begins to investigate the secrets to her past, following a sinister trail that swirls ever closer to an infamous Hollywood gynecologist connected to the legendary Black Dahlia murder. The series is inspired by the book ONE DAY SHE’LL DARKEN: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel, which is written by Fauna herself. Paul Simon on Colbert: Amusing interview here, and here he is performing "Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War." My new neighborhood book group met last night. I did not know any of the five women, though I have lived in our town for 30 years and they all live within a few blocks of me. We had a really nice discussion of LILAC GIRLS and tried to flesh out how we are going to manage the group going forward; I think WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING will be our next selection. Lovely evening! On the flight back from Albuquerque, the flight attendant on United handed me one of those Stroopwafel cookies that they serve for breakfast. I am not a fan of them, but Greg is. I mentioned this to her, along with the fact that he loves the airline and his birthday was on Monday. She slipped me a dozen of them, which I happily wrapped up for him. He opened them and just started laughing. It is the little things, folks, the little things. I am going to be interviewing nine authors at the Tucson Festival of Books, so I am reading feverishly and taking tons of notes. I love interviewing authors about their work, but always hope that I am uncovering just the right kernel or nugget to make the conversation interesting. There is a fine line between being too topline and delving in too deeply when people have not yet read the book. Cory has been down for the count with a cold, but is rallying for the weekend. Greg is spending Saturday celebrating his birthday with my parents. I am hoping that I do not move off the couch for the weekend. It feels like a books/knitting/fire in the fireplace kind of weekend. The first amaryllis popped its flower this weekend. You can see it above. Stunning, right? I confess to being less than enthused about the Super Bowl. The non-penalty in the Rams/Saints game still makes me agree with my husband that they won with an asterisk. But there will be mini hot dogs and other festive football food, just because. Read on, and have a great week. 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: OUT OF THE DARK by Gregg Hurwitz  OUT OF THE DARK: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz (Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read the review. OUT OF THE DARK will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Featured Review: JUDGMENT by Joseph Finder  JUDGMENT by Joseph Finder (Legal Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read the review. Featured Review: GOLDEN CHILD by Claire Adam  GOLDEN CHILD by Claire Adam (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read the review.  Bookreporter.com Bets On: MAID by Stephanie Land  MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land (Memoir) Stephanie’s own parents married young, and neither gave her the financial means or the solid foundation that she needed. She spent much time with her grandparents as a child, but there were troubles there as well. After she finds herself pregnant at 19, she decides to keep the baby --- a heady choice as she is not in a stable relationship --- and this plunges her and her daughter, Mia, into a spiraling world of scrambling for needed assistance. As you read, keep in mind that Stephanie was in her late teens/early 20s as this was going on. I read it with that lens on, and I remember how those years without wise guidance and support can be really tough. Click here to read more of Carol's commentary. Featured Review: THE AU PAIR by Emma Rous  THE AU PAIR by Emma Rous (Mystery) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read the review. Featured Review: ADÈLE by Leila Slimani  ADÈLE written by Leila Slimani, translated by Sam Taylor (Fiction) Click here to read the review.  Bookreporter.com's 14th Annual Valentine's Day is only a few heartbeats away. We can't think of a better way to celebrate this special day than to cuddle up with your loved one...and a good book, of course! We're giving readers the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Valentine's Day prize packages, which includes one copy of each of our featured titles and some delicious chocolates. Be sure to enter between now and Monday, February 11th at noon ET for your opportunity to be a lucky (and beloved!) winner. If you're feeling frisky, share with us your all-time book character crush. Don't be shy, we all got 'em! We'll post the top 10 literary loves and lusts --- along with the five winners --- shortly after the contest ends. This year's featured Valentine’s Day titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.  Bookreporter.com's Fifth Annual Our Winter Reading Contests and Feature have returned for a fifth year! On select days between now and Friday, February 15th at noon ET, we are hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter (or a book publishing in the spring that we would like to get on your radar now) and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it. 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 Monday, February 4th at noon ET. This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details    February’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 February’s offerings, please click here.
Donnybrook The Changeover The Iron Orchard
"The ABC Murders" (3-episode limited series) "Miracle Workers"
The Grinch Can You Ever Forgive Me? Mary Queen of Scots    More Reviews This WeekTHE FALCONER by Dana Czapnik (Fiction) AT THE WOLF'S TABLE by Rosella Postorino (Historical Fiction) DEEP CREEK: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston (Memoir/Essays) HERE AND NOW AND THEN by Mike Chen (Science Fiction/Adventure) THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN by Stephanie Barron (Historical Fiction) THE NOWHERE CHILD by Christian White (Psychological Thriller/Mystery) IN AN ABSENT DREAM by Seanan McGuire (Fantasy) THE CROOKED STREET by Brian Freeman (Psychological Thriller/Mystery) RESTORATION HEIGHTS by Wil Medearis (Mystery) ONCE A LIAR by A.F. Brady (Psychological Thriller)   
Next Week’s Notables:
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