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Herman Wouk, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of such classic novels as THE CAINE MUTINY,
MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, THE WINDS OF WAR and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE,
passed away today at the age of 103. Click on his photo above for a tribute from the New York Times.
Longtime reviewer Stuart Shiffman (center) stopped by the office
to meet Carol and our Editorial Director, Tom.
Carol is currently reading NEVER HAVE I EVER by Joshilyn Jackson (on sale July 30th).
It will be a prize book later this summer in our Summer Reading contests.
Carol previews the titles that we are giving away next week in the video above.
Take a look at Carol's latest preview videos for Bookreporter (left) and ReadingGroupGuides (right).
Carol and her family made spaghetti on Mother's Day with her mom's pasta maker.
In Between Reading, Pasta Making!
A couple of weeks ago, when I was in Fairfield for a library event, I stopped by Tutto Pasta, which had been recommended to me by my friend, Annie, who told me that they make wonderful ravioli, which is a favorite of mine. Sure enough, one of the owners made up an order of spinach ravioli for me right on the spot. As I watched him work with the molds to make it, I thought, This could be a fun project.
My mom had a pasta maker, which she brought to me last weekend, and we started our pasta making with spaghetti on Mother’s Day. For the record, this was not cooking on Mother’s Day...this was doing a craft! With just finely milled flour (which Tom and Greg had to drive around to find), egg and some water, it came out well and beats anything bought in a store. So this weekend, I want to try making ravioli. My friend Deb, who is one of our readers, shared a family recipe. I bought the molds; I will report back on this new project.
For humor, when he saw the ravioli molds, Greg asked if I am ever going to make bread again. I guess he remembered that I bought baguette pans, and in the back fridge we still have sourdough starter. We have many of these gadgets --- like a waffle maker AND a Belgian waffle maker. I will knead dough again!
Last Friday night, I did a really fun event at the Bernardsville Public Library where I spoke to 30 librarians from the Bernardsville and Bernards Township libraries about upcoming summer titles to recommend to their patrons. The two libraries work independently, and it was a nice way to bring the two staffs together. I loved the opportunity to share what is exciting to me for summer, and it was a really enjoyable night. For an icebreaker, we went around the room and said our names, what we did and our favorite color. You will love this: teal and turquoise were the most popular colors. By the time they got to me, I was laughing and shared that these really were my favorite colors by showing my laptop bag, phone case and glasses. They got a kick out of that.
On Tuesday, our Editorial Director, Tom, and I had the pleasure of meeting one of our longtime reviewers, Stuart Shiffman, who was vacationing with his wife in New York and stopped by the office for a visit. Stuart reviews a number of books for us in various genres, but you may know him best for his reviews of John Grisham’s work and his annual golf books roundups. We had a wonderful time chatting with Stuart and getting to know him better. He’s been attending the Tucson Festival of Books for a number of years, so I’m hoping to get together with him and his wife at next year’s festival. He suggested I bring my husband along so they can play a round of golf! We were laughing that we did not know the other was there this year. You can see a photo of us above. As soon as Stuart and his wife returned to their home in Illinois on Wednesday, he submitted his review of David Maraniss’ new book, A GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY: The Red Scare and My Father, which you can take a look at here.
Among the other books we’re reviewing this week are THE NEVER GAME, which kicks off a brand new series for Jeffery Deaver, whose protagonist is an expert tracker named Colter Shaw; SUNSET BEACH by Mary Kay Andrews, which finds a desperate Drue Campbell taking a job at the law firm of her father, who she hasn’t seen in 20 years and is married to her eighth grade frenemy, now his office manager; Wendy Walker’s new thriller, THE NIGHT BEFORE, in which two sisters uncover long-buried secrets when an internet date spirals out of control (this will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection; check out my commentary in next week’s newsletter); FURIOUS HOURS, which finds Casey Cep unraveling the mystery surrounding Harper Lee's first and only work of nonfiction, and the shocking true crimes at the center of it; and DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips, a debut novel that takes readers through a year in Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula, where the disappearance of two sisters (ages 8 and 11) have an enormous impact on a tightly woven community, with the fear and loss felt most deeply among its women.
THE NEVER GAME and THE NIGHT BEFORE are our current Word of Mouth prize books. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, May 24th at noon ET for your chance to win both these highly anticipated thrillers.
SUNSET BEACH kicked off our Summer Reading contests this week, followed by THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware and SUCH A PERFECT WIFE by Kate White. Next week’s prizes will be THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson, CAPE MAY by Chip Cheek, THE GUEST BOOK by Sarah Blake, and THE SUMMER I MET JACK by Michelle Gable. The first contest of the week will go live on Monday, May 20th at noon ET. You can see my teaser video about Summer Reading here.
THE GUEST BOOK, which we featured in last week’s newsletter with our review and interview, is one of this week’s Bets On picks. I am happy to share that it hit the New York Times bestseller list during its first week on sale. Both of my book groups are going to be reading it, and it’s also a contest prize on ReadingGroupGuides.com. The other Bets On title this week is MY EX-BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING by Wendy Wax, in which a wedding dress passed down through generations unravels the tangled threads of three women's lives. Click on each of the titles for my commentaries.
We’re happy to announce the return of our Father’s Day contest, which we’ve brought back for a 14th year! As we’ve done for the past 13 years, we’re giving away a number of fiction and nonfiction titles that we think dads will love. Five lucky readers will win all five of our prize books for themselves or their dad. Be sure to enter by Wednesday, June 12th at noon ET. THINGS MY SON NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD, a collection of heartfelt, humorous essays about fatherhood from Fredrik Backman, is one of this year’s featured titles, and we’re reviewing it this week.
In this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, you can win the audio versions of Karen Cleveland's KEEP YOU CLOSE, read by Erin Bennett, and John Sandford's NEON PREY: A Lucas Davenport Novel, read by Richard Ferrone. Let us know by Monday, June 3rd at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both these audio titles.
Our poll continues to ask in what genre was the last book or e-book you read, and in what genre was the last audiobook you listened to. Click here to let us know.
We learned the sad news today that Herman Wouk has passed away at the age of 103. Wouk is the author of such classic novels as THE CAINE MUTINY (for which he won the 1952 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction), MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, THE WINDS OF WAR and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE, and his later works included A HOLE IN TEXAS, THE LAWGIVER and SAILOR AND FIDDLER: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author. He was just 10 days shy of his 104th birthday, and amazingly had been working on another book when he died, according to his literary agent, Amy Rennert. Read much more about his remarkable life and illustrious career in this tribute from the New York Times.
I am doing three events in June that are open to the public. The first will be a Book Club Girl "Night Out" event on Wednesday, June 19th at the HarperCollins offices in New York City, where I will be interviewing Meg Mitchell Moore, author of THE ISLANDERS (on sale June 11th), and Joshilyn Jackson, author of NEVER HAVE I EVER (on sale July 30th), both of which are part of our Summer Reading contests. Tickets and more details are available here. I am reading NEVER HAVE I EVER now, and just 50 pages in, it’s tugging me to get back to reading it!
Also, I will be at the Rockville Centre Public Library in Rockville Centre, NY, at 7pm on Thursday, June 20th and at the Avalon Free Public Library in Avalon, NJ, on Friday, June 28th at 6pm. I hope to see some of you at these events.
We have some new videos for you, which you can watch above. If you like these, please share them with your friends via our Bookreporter and ReadingGroupGuides Facebook pages or our YouTube channel. Next Tuesday, Melanie Benjamin is stopping by the office to talk about her new book, MISTRESS OF THE RITZ, which releases that day. And if the stars align, there will be a video. In this case, the stars will be that they are not doing construction on the street when she arrives. Fingers crossed!
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Deb wrote, “Thank you so much for selecting me to get a copy of THE GUEST BOOK by Sarah Blake! I can’t wait to read it and share it with social media and my book club friends!”
Lisa wrote about our Summer Reading contests: "Some of these look great. I love this website. You do a great job! I love the contests too.”
"Game of Thrones": Last bag of "GoT" Oreos to be eaten Sunday night. I mean, the finale is happening. Let's see who ends up on the Iron Throne. I have my guess.
Very Valentine: Adriana Trigiani has shared the official trailer for Very Valentine, which will premiere on Saturday, June 8th at 8pm/7c on Lifetime! You can see the trailer here.
Good Sam: I watched this movie based on the book of the same name by Dete Meserve last night, which just debuted on Netflix. It's a really lovely, feel good film that made me think a lot about random acts of kindness and paying it forward. You can read more about Dete and her books here, including a new book, RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS: Inspiring True Stories.
"Bosch": Season five was terrific; the show keeps getting better and better. Highly recommended.
The Finale of "The Big Bang Theory" and the Season Finale of "Young Sheldon": I confess that I did not watch "The Big Bang Theory" until after I started watching "Young Sheldon." The endings of both shows last night were really terrific and showed how great the writers are. Very satisfying wraps to both. Glad "Young Sheldon" will be back. And I did not miss the mention of Lee Child's Jack Reacher!
"Billions" and "The Chi": I enjoy both on Showtime for different reasons. "Billions" is over-the-top brutally edgy, and "The Chi" is a great character study. I cannot remember the name of one character on "The Chi," but know what each of them does. Odd, but I just realized that this week.
Greg is headed to Utah for a few days to hit some trails in Moab with a Land Rover friend of his from Atlanta. He has an idea for a story for a Land Rover magazine that he wants to write. He flew to Atlanta today, then is driving to Moab tomorrow and is flying back from Salt Lake City on the red-eye on Tuesday night. Tom and I can say nothing since we both can remember doing some pretty crazy last-minute trips in our youth!
Cory is headed to Sam’s family’s house for the weekend as she has finished finals. Thus Tom and I are empty nesters for the weekend. May the weather please hold so I can get some gardening done, and we can get the cover off the pool. Last Saturday, I ran around frantically pulling weeds as the ground was soft from the rain and there were many weeds to be plucked. Dandelion salad, anyone?
I am knitting a shawl called Easy Goes It, which I have made anything BUT easy as I have now reverse-knit it twice as I am editing the pattern. The better news is that I finished knitting two skirts, and they are ready to be worn.
Off now to work on interview questions for Jennifer Weiner, who I am interviewing at Book Expo. Looking forward to this!
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: THE NEVER GAME by Jeffery Deaver
THE NEVER GAME by Jeffery Deaver (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kaleo Griffith
A young woman has gone missing in Silicon Valley, and her father has hired Colter Shaw to find her. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a "reward seeker," traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. But what seems a simple investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of America's tech hub and the cutthroat billion-dollar video-gaming industry. When another victim is kidnapped, the clues point to one video game with a troubled past --- The Whispering Man. In that game, the player has to survive after being abandoned in an inhospitable setting with five random objects. Is a madman bringing the game to life? 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: SUNSET BEACH by Mary Kay Andrews
SUNSET BEACH by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kathleen McInerney
Out of a job and down on her luck, Drue Campbell’s life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a 20-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried --- to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job. It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance: her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach. With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she is drawn into a case that may --- or may not --- involve her father. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit Mary Kay Andrews' website.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE NIGHT BEFORE by Wendy Walker
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE NIGHT BEFORE by Wendy Walker (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Gabra Zackman and Saskia Maarleveld
Devastated by the end of her last relationship, Laura Lochner fled her Wall Street job and New York City apartment for her sister’s home in the Connecticut suburb where they both grew up. Though still haunted by the tragedy that’s defined her entire life, Laura is determined to take one more chance on love with a man she’s met on an Internet dating site. Rosie Ferro has spent most of her life worrying about her troubled sister. Fearless but fragile, Laura has always walked an emotional tightrope. So when Laura does not return home the following morning from her blind date, Rosie fears the worst. As she begins a desperate search to find her sister, she is not just worried about what this man might have done to Laura. She’s worried about what Laura may have done to him. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit Wendy Walker's website.
Click here to read the review.
THE NIGHT BEFORE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 14th Annual
Father's Day Contest: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 14th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, June 12th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE GUEST BOOK by Sarah Blake
and MY EX-BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING by Wendy Wax
THE GUEST BOOK by Sarah Blake (Fiction)
Sarah Blake’s THE GUEST BOOK is one of my favorite books of 2019. I feel like this is going to be one of the most talked-about books this summer. I read it, and once I closed it, I could not wait to share it with people. This is a novel that looks at class, culture and race in America framed against the purview of three generations of the Milton family, a well-bred family that has summered for three generations on Crockett’s Island, an island that they own off the coast of Maine. The island has been the place where many of the family’s memories have been made, but now the third generation finds itself unable to afford the upkeep on the island and is at a crossroads.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our interview with Sarah Blake.
- Click here to read more in our Fiction Author Spotlight.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE GUEST BOOK.
MY EX-BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING by Wendy Wax (Fiction)
MY EX-BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING by Wendy Wax was such a fun read for me. Most of the book is set on the Outer Banks, which was where our family vacationed for summers from 2001 to 2013, as well as for Christmas holidays and spring breaks. I loved the way that Wendy latched on to all the details that make the area so special. She layered in so many of the great places to visit --- and dine --- and captured its spirit so well. Just for that, the novel got high marks from me.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit Wendy Wax's website.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on
MY EX-BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING.
Featured Review: FURIOUS HOURS by Casey Cep
FURIOUS HOURS: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep (True Crime/Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell's murderer was acquitted. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante's trial was Harper Lee, who spent a year in town reporting and many more years working on her own version of the case. Now Casey Cep brings this story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of Lee and her struggle with fame, success and the mystery of artistic creativity. Reviewed by Alex Bowditch.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips
DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ilyana Kadushin
One August afternoon, on the shoreline of the Kamchatka peninsula at the northeastern edge of Russia, two young sisters go missing. In the ensuing weeks, then months, the police investigation turns up nothing. Echoes of the disappearance reverberate across a tightly woven community, with the fear and loss felt most deeply among its women. Taking us through a year in Kamchatka, DISAPPEARING EARTH transports readers to vistas of rugged beauty and into a region as complex as it is alluring, where social and ethnic tensions have long simmered, and where outsiders are often the first to be accused. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through August 23rd, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, May 20th at noon ET.
This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight:
THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER by Kaira Rouda
THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER by Kaira Rouda (Psychological Thriller)
Jane Harris lives in a sparkling home in an oceanfront gated community in Orange County. It’s a place that seems too beautiful to be touched by sadness. But exactly one year ago, Jane’s oldest daughter, Mary, died in a tragic accident, and Jane has been grief-stricken ever since. Lost in a haze of anti-depressants, she’s barely even left the house. Now that’s all about to change.
It’s time for Jane to reclaim her life and her family. Jane’s husband, David, has planned a memorial service for Mary; three days later, their youngest daughter, Betsy, graduates high school. Yet as Jane reemerges into the world, it’s clear her family has changed without her. Her husband has been working long days --- and nights --- at the office. Her daughter seems distant, even secretive. And her beloved Mary was always such a good girl --- dutiful and loving. But does someone know more about Mary, and about her last day, than they’ve revealed?
The bonds between mothers and daughters, and husbands and wives, should never be broken. But you never know how far someone will go to keep a family together.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Kaira Rouda's bio.
- Click here to visit Kaira Rouda's website.
- Connect with Kaira Rouda on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
- Click here to see the 30 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our review of THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER and our interview
with Kaira Rouda in next week's newsletter,
and Carol's Bets On commentary in the May 31st newsletter.
THINGS MY SON NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD by Fredrik Backman (Humor/Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Santino Fontana
THINGS MY SON NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD collects the personal dispatches from the front lines of one of the most daunting experiences any man can face: fatherhood. As he conveys his profound awe at experiencing all the “firsts” that fill him with wonder and catch him completely unprepared, Fredrik Backman doesn’t shy away from revealing his own false steps and fatherly flaws, tackling issues both great and small, from masculinity and mid-life crises to practical jokes and poop. In between the sleep-deprived lows and wonderful highs, Backman takes a step back to share the true story of falling in love with a woman who is his complete opposite, and learning to live a life that revolves around the people you care about unconditionally. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
ORANGE WORLD AND OTHER STORIES by Karen Russell (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by a full cast
In “Bog Girl," a revelatory story about first love, a young man falls in love with a 2,000-year-old girl who he’s extracted from a mass of peat in a Northern European bog. In “The Prospectors,” two opportunistic young women fleeing the depression strike out for new territory, and find themselves fighting for their lives. In the title story, a new mother desperate to ensure her infant’s safety strikes a diabolical deal, agreeing to breastfeed the devil in exchange for his protection. The landscape in which these and five other stories unfold is a feral, slippery, purgatorial space, bracketed by the void --- yet within it, Karen Russell captures the exquisite beauty and tenderness of ordinary life. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
A GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY: The Red Scare and My Father by David Maraniss (Biography/History)
Audiobook available, read by David Maraniss
Elliott Maraniss, David’s father, a WWII veteran who had commanded an all-black company in the Pacific, was spied on by the FBI, named as a communist by an informant, called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952, fired from his newspaper job, and blacklisted for five years. Yet he never lost faith in America and emerged on the other side with his family and optimism intact. In a sweeping drama that moves from the Depression and Spanish Civil War to the HUAC hearings and end of the McCarthy era, Maraniss weaves his father’s story through the lives of his inquisitors and defenders as they struggle with the vital 20th-century issues of race, fascism, communism and first amendment freedoms. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
IF SHE WAKES by Michael Koryta (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff
As college senior Tara Beckley drives to deliver a visiting professor to a conference, a horrific car accident kills the professor and leaves Tara in a vegetative state. Or so her doctors think. In fact, she's a prisoner of locked-in syndrome: fully alert but unable to move a muscle. Trapped in her body, she learns that someone powerful wants her dead. But why? And what can she do, lying in a hospital bed, to stop them? Abby Kaplan, an insurance investigator, is hired by the college to look into Tara's case. When she starts asking questions, things quickly spin out of control, leaving Abby on the run and a mysterious young hit man named Dax Blackwell hard on her heels. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
MIDDLEGAME by Seanan McGuire (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Amber Benson
Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story. Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math. Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realize it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet. Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own. Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
LIKE LIONS by Brian Panowich (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Brian Troxell
Clayton Burroughs is a small-town Georgia sheriff, a new father and, improbably, the heir apparent of Bull Mountain’s most notorious criminal family. As he tries to juggle fatherhood, his job, and his recovery from being shot in the confrontation that killed his two criminally inclined brothers last year, he’s doing all he can just to survive. Yet after years of carefully toeing the line between his life in law enforcement and his family, he finally has to make a choice. When a rival organization makes a first foray into Burroughs' territory, leaving a trail of bodies and a whiff of fear in its wake, Clayton is pulled back into the life he so desperately wants to leave behind. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
GUILTY by Laura Elliott (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Laoisha O'Callaghan
On a warm summer's morning, 13-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing. A few days later, Constance's uncle, Karl Lawson, suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect. Six years later, Karl's life is in ruins. His marriage is over, and his family is destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and gorgeous baby boy, Amanda's world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call. In a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother's worst nightmare. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
THE SPECTATORS by Jennifer duBois (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Paul Boehmer and Nancy Linari
Talk show host Matthew Miller has made his fame by shining a spotlight on the most unlikely and bizarre secrets of society, exposing them on live television in front of millions of gawking viewers. However, the man behind “The Mattie M Show” remains a mystery --- both to his enormous audience and to those who work alongside him every day. But when the high school students responsible for a mass shooting are found to be devoted fans, Mattie is thrust into the glare of public scrutiny, seen as the wry, detached herald of a culture going downhill and going way too far. Soon, the secrets of Mattie’s past as a brilliant young politician in a crime-ridden New York City begin to push their way to the surface. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE EAST END by Jason Allen (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Angelo Di Loreto
Corey Halpern, a local high schooler with a troubled home life, is desperate to leave the Hamptons and start anew somewhere else. His last summer before college, he settles for the escapism he finds in sneaking into neighboring mansions. One night, just before Memorial Day weekend, he breaks into the wrong home at the wrong time: the Sheffield estate, where he and his mother, Gina, work. Under the cover of darkness, Leo Sheffield --- a billionaire CEO, patriarch and the owner of the vast lakeside manor --- arrives unexpectedly with a companion. After a shocking poolside accident, everything depends on Leo burying the truth before his family and friends arrive for the holiday weekend. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 21st
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 21st that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of May 20th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE 45th by D.W. Buffa (Political Thriller)
What if a political party in disarray turned to a man to lead them with no political background? What if a country elected a President based not on qualifications, but on hope? Would this man lead the country into a new era of fortune and prosperity? Or would he lead them into total and complete chaos?
BITCOIN BILLIONAIRES: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption by Ben Mezrich (Biography)
Ben Mezrich's 2009 bestseller, THE ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRES, is the definitive account of Facebook's founding. Two of the story's iconic characters are Harvard students Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. BITCOIN BILLIONAIRES is the story of the brothers’ redemption and revenge in the wake of their epic legal battle with Facebook.
CARI MORA by Thomas Harris (Thriller)
Monsters lurk in the crevices between male desire and female survival. No other writer in the last century has conjured those monsters with more terrifying brilliance than Thomas Harris. CARI MORA, his sixth novel, is the long-awaited return of an American master.
THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER by Kaira Rouda (Psychological Thriller)
From the author of BEST DAY EVER comes another gripping novel of psychological suspense set in an upscale Southern California community, for fans of B.A. Paris and Shari Lapena.
MISTRESS OF THE RITZ by Melanie Benjamin (Historical Fiction)
MISTRESS OF THE RITZ is based on the story of the extraordinary real-life American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II --- while playing hostess to the invading Germans at the iconic Hôtel Ritz in Paris.
THE SCENT KEEPER by Erica Bauermeister (Fiction)
Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.
THE SUMMER OF ELLEN written by Agnete Friis, translated by Sinead Quirke Kongerskov (Psychological Thriller)
Agnete Friis’ lyrical, evocative work of psychological suspense weaves together two periods in one man’s life to explore obsession, toxic masculinity and the tricks we play on our own memory.
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Our Latest Poll: The Genres of
Your Last Book, e-book and Audiobook
Which of the following genres best describes the one for the last book or e-book you finished reading? Please check all that apply.
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Autobiography/Memoir
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Biography
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Current Events/Politics
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Fantasy
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Fiction
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Historical Fiction
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History
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Horror
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Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
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Nonfiction
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Romance
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Science Fiction
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True Crime
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Women’s Fiction
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Other (Please specify)
Which of the following genres best describes the one for the last audiobook you listened to? Please check all that apply.
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Autobiography/Memoir
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Biography
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Current Events/Politics
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Fantasy
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Fiction
-
Historical Fiction
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History
-
Horror
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Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
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Nonfiction
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Romance
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Science Fiction
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True Crime
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Women’s Fiction
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Other (Please specify)
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I am not listening to audiobooks at this time.
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I do not listen to audiobooks.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 24th 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 May 10th to May 24th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE NEVER GAME by Jeffery Deaver and THE NIGHT BEFORE by Wendy Walker.
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 May 1st to June 3rd at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Karen Cleveland's KEEP YOU CLOSE, read by Erin Bennett, and John Sandford's NEON PREY: A Lucas Davenport Novel, read by Richard Ferrone.
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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