February 21, 2020

February 21, 2020

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"Bookreporter Talks To" Podcast  |  "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos

  Carol's latest "Bookreporter Talks To" interview is with Alexis Schaitkin,
whose debut novel, SAINT X, is now in stores and will be a Bets On pick.
Click on the photo above for the video and here for the podcast.

On Wednesday night, Carol and her friend, Beverley, went to see Marjan Kamali at the Strand bookstore, where she was interviewed about THE STATIONERY SHOP by Mary Beth Keane,
the author of ASK AGAIN, YES. Pictured above are Marjan (left) and Mary Beth (right).

Carol interviewed Luanne Rice, author of LAST DAY, for a "Bookreporter Talks To" podcast yesterday.
Luanne couldn't make it into the city, so they chatted from two different places,
as you can see above. We will have that podcast for you next week.

 Last weekend, Carol read WRITERS & LOVERS by Lily King (on sale March 3rd) and
LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict, which will be a Bets On pick. She currently is listening to
Diane Chamberlain's BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN, which is narrated by Susan Bennett.
She is looking forward to interviewing Marie on Monday for a "Bookreporter Talks To" segment,
and Lily and Diane at the Tucson Festival of Books in March.

Here is Beth, who was the Grand Prize winner of our End-of-the-Year Bets On Contest, happily posing with all 52 of Carol's Bets On picks from 2019. She is so excited to read and listen to all of them.

Carol talks about this week's Bookreporter update in our latest promo video.

Winter Weekends Are for Cocooning!

Thank you to those of you who sent birthday wishes to Tom Donadio last week. When we came back from the long weekend on Tuesday, he mentioned he received a number of great notes!

I LOVE the picture that I received from Beth, who was the Grand Prize winner of our End-of-the-Year Bets On Contest (you can see it above). She shared, “I just sent you a picture of me with all the Bets On selections from 2019 that I won. I received the last two boxes tonight. I’m so excited to read and listen to them! Thanks so much! I enjoy Bookreporter and ReadingGroupGuides so much, and it’s a dream come true to read all these books!” I am so looking forward to seeing her comments as she reads them.

It was a terrific book-filled short week. Last weekend, I gave in to my cold, curled up and did some reading on Sunday and Monday. What a lovely way to unwind. On my reading list was WRITERS & LOVERS by Lily King, which releases on March 3rd. In it, it’s 1997, and Casey Peabody is an aspiring writer who is waiting tables in Harvard Square and holding up in a rundown garage apartment. She has been working on a novel for six years and is somewhat trapped in her life at age 31. She ends up involved with two men who are different and will send her spinning in many directions. How Lily works the story and nails the ending is so well done. I am looking forward to interviewing her at the Tucson Festival of Books next month.

I am listening to Diane Chamberlain's BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN, read by Susan Bennett. It’s set in a small southern town in North Carolina in two different time frames: 1940 and 2018. In 1940, a young woman named Anna Dale from Plainfield, New Jersey, is hired to paint a mural for an Edentown post office. The mural is unfinished, and in 2018, Morgan Christopher is brought in to restore the mural and to finish it. But there is an outstanding question: What happened to Anna Dale? Diane is doing a wonderful job of sharing the history and ratcheting up the tension. I also am looking forward to talking to her in Tucson.

On Wednesday night, my friend Beverley and I went to see Marjan Kamali at the Strand bookstore, where she was interviewed about THE STATIONERY SHOP by Mary Beth Keane, the author of ASK AGAIN, YES. It was a really fun evening for me as I have interviewed Marjan and Mary Beth for our “Bookreporter Talks To” series. Many in the audience had read THE STATIONERY SHOP and were so vested in talking to Marjan about it. She also was interviewed during a Facebook Live event for Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites program. You can see that here.

This week, I am excited to bring you my latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Alexis Schaitkin, whose debut novel, SAINT X, is now in stores and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Alexis in this interview, and I am happy to share it with you. The book revolves around the murder of 18-year-old Alison, who was found dead while vacationing with her family on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Two decades later, Alison’s younger sister, Claire, crosses paths with Clive, one of the two men who was with Alison on the night she was killed. Claire stalks and then befriends him, determined to find out once and for all who took her sister’s life. I loved talking to Alexis about the ways in which her characters grow to understand their past, the sense of place that serves as both a paradise and a nightmare, and the secret ingredient that keeps her writing. Click here to watch the interview and here to listen to the podcast.

Megan Elliott has our review and calls it a “deft, accomplished debut.” She goes on to say, “[S]hifting between Claire and Clive’s points of view allows SAINT X to cleverly subvert our expectations, as her assumptions about what happened the night her sister died are gradually challenged by his version of events.” Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter. In the meantime, be sure to check out the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.

SAINT X was the final prize in this year’s Winter Reading contests, which wrapped up this week. Congratulations to the winners of our 12 contests, and many thanks to all who entered! Our next series of 24-hour giveaways will be our Spring Preview contests, which kick off on Tuesday, March 10th. If you would like to receive a special newsletter announcing each day’s Spring Preview title, all you have to do is sign up here.

GOLDEN IN DEATH is the appropriately named 50th(!) installment in J. D. Robb’s series of futuristic thrillers featuring homicide detective Eve Dallas, who this time investigates a murder with a mysterious motive --- and a terrifying weapon. According to our reviewer Jennifer McCord, the book “is an intense, captivating and well-paced thriller. Our tough yet likable protagonist and her mysterious yet formidable husband continue to grow and change, as does their relationship.”

We’re awarding the audio version of GOLDEN IN DEATH (read by Susan Ericksen), along with Steve Berry's THE WARSAW PROTOCOL (read by Scott Brick), in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Monday, March 2nd at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll have a chance to win both these audio titles. We will review the print edition of THE WARSAW PROTOCOL next week.

In Mary Kubica’s new psychological thriller, THE OTHER MRS., Sadie and Will Foust move from Chicago to Maine, where their tiny coastal island is rocked by the death of their neighbor, Morgan Baines. As the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened to Morgan. Our reviewer Pamela Kramer has this to say about the book: “We come to suspect what is happening on one level, and we think we know how to connect the various narrators, but Kubica is diabolical in her ability to mislead and misdirect. The ending is ingenious and satisfying in the extreme, even if there are a few lingering questions.” I heartily agree with Pamela’s assessment, which is why THE OTHER MRS. will be a Bets On pick. Read more about it in next week’s newsletter, and click here for the discussion guide.

Other books we’re reviewing this week include Jenna Bush Hager’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick for February, THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE, Abi Daré’s debut novel about a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to fight for her dreams and choose her own future (click here for the discussion guide); THE HOLDOUT, a legal thriller written by Graham Moore --- the Academy Award–winning screenwriter of The Imitation Game and bestselling author of THE LAST DAYS OF NIGHT --- that poses the intriguing question: One juror changed the verdict. What if she was wrong? (in a "competitive situation involving multiple bidders," Hulu has acquired the series rights to THE HOLDOUT); and WEATHER, a novel about a family, and a nation, in crisis, from the author of the national bestseller DEPT. OF SPECULATION, Jenny Offill.

THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE, Allison Pataki’s new historical novel that we reviewed last week, is my latest Bets On pick. Click here for my commentary. And if you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Allison, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here.

We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win THE JETSETTERS by Amanda Eyre Ward (an upcoming Bets On pick) and YOU ARE NOT ALONE by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, both of which release on March 3rd. Please do so by Friday, March 6th at noon ET.

For our latest poll, we’re curious to know where you find information online about authors. Do you visit our site (of course you do!), author or publisher sites, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, or somewhere else? Click here to let us know.

Our previous poll asked which of 20 paperbacks releasing this month you have read or are planning to read. Here are your top five picks: SUMMER OF ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand (38%), DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid (38%), the aforementioned THE STATIONERY SHOP by Marjan Kamali (36%), RESISTANCE WOMEN by Jennifer Chiaverini (29%), and THE SCENT KEEPER by Erica Bauermeister (25%). Click here for all the results.

The finalists for the 40th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes have been announced, and you can see them all here. Among the nominees are THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead (Fiction), LADY IN THE LAKE by Laura Lippman (Mystery/Thriller), and CATCH AND KILL: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow (Current Interest). The winners will be announced at a ceremony on April 17th, the evening before the L.A. Times Festival of Books begins on the campus of the University of Southern California.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

Claire wrote, “Received my four books won in the Bookreporter Year-End Contest last week and just finished SAVE ME THE PLUMS. What an interesting story! I subscribed to Gourmet and enjoyed reading all the in and outs of publishing the magazine. Thank you, and I am looking forward to reading the other books and maybe will pick one for my book club. Love your newsletter.”

Jane shared this about our Valentine’s Day contest and the top 10 "Literary Loves and Lusts" as chosen by our readers: “Wow! I thought my vote for Atticus Finch would be the one and only! Glad to see there are other adults out there.”

Sandy wrote, “I am so excited to have won JFK AND MARY MEYER: A Love Story. I am a longtime reader and supporter. The book arrived yesterday, and I dug into it last night. So far it is everything you said it would be. Thank you so much for the book and for the pleasure you bring to me each week!”

A Letter to the Editor that Caught My Eye: I read a lot online, so the illustrations that accompany the New York Times book reviews are something I rarely think about. Thus this recent "Letter to the Editor" is interesting.

AMERICAN DIRT: Another side to the controversy as a writer looks at many of the ideas in question and refutes them.

"My Brilliant Friend" on HBO: Here's the trailer for the second season, which premieres on March 16th and will be based on Elena Ferrante's second Neapolitan novel, THE STORY OF A NEW NAME.

Miss Americana on Netflix: An interesting documentary about Taylor Swift, who I confess to knowing very little about.

"The Outsider": How did I miss watching this earlier on HBO? I am one episode in and am clearly heading down the rabbit hole with it. Thank you again, Stephen King.

"Spinning Out" on Netflix: Great background watching as I do email and work. It’s about a group of figure skaters who live and train in the Sun Valley, Idaho area. We were in Sun Valley for our first anniversary 34 years ago, and I loved it! January Jones is one of the lead actresses, and it’s bringing back "Mad Men" memories.

Greg had a terrific trip to Maine last weekend, and he was interviewed for the local paper about his off-roading adventure.

Last weekend, I made Sunchoke Soup, which I am less dazzled by than when I first made it. The concept was better than the execution; I think the taste is too intense. I also made Sautéed Chayote Squash. Chayote is called Mirliton in the New Orleans area, as I was told by one of our readers. Our favorite cookbooks when we first got married were the Silver Palate series. One fave from those cookbooks was Pot Roast Pasta, and Tom made one of the best batches ever last Sunday.

For those who are wondering, Mercury IS retrograde, and there are so many little communication things that are making me crazy. But so many terrific things happened as well.

Yesterday, I interviewed Luanne Rice, the author of LAST DAY, for a podcast. She was unable to come into the city, so you can see the photo of the two us above where we were chatting from two different places. The inspiration for the book was something that Luanne experienced in her own family. It’s a fascinating story, and I look forward to sharing the interview with you next week.

On Monday, I am interviewing Marie Benedict. I finished her latest novel, LADY CLEMENTINE, last weekend, and it filled in a lot of missing pieces of history for me. And I also learned that the correct pronunciation of Clementine is Cle-men-teen. I look forward to hearing more about her research when we speak. It will be a Bets On pick.

We are spending tomorrow with my dad at the beach house getting some projects done, and the rest of the weekend will be about reading and kicking it back a notch as I have a really busy next few weeks ahead! I finally am feeling better and have my energy back. Whew, that was not a fun few weeks.

Quick PSA before we sign off. We have been getting so many notes from you that you have been enjoying our newsletters, contests and reviews, as well as our videos and podcasts. I would love you to do a few things. Can you share the newsletter with friends by forwarding it on? Can you share it with your local librarians? If you watch our videos and podcasts, we’d love for you to comment on them and share them. Can you sign up for our podcasts and YouTube videos, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook? We love sharing what we do and would like to grow our community. Thanks in advance. And if you have more ideas on how we can grow, we are all ears.  

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: GOLDEN IN DEATH by J. D. Robb

GOLDEN IN DEATH by J. D. Robb (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Ericksen
Pediatrician Kent Abner received the package on a beautiful April morning. Inside was a cheap trinket, a golden egg that could be opened into two halves. When he pried it apart, highly toxic airborne fumes entered his body --- and killed him. After Eve Dallas calls the hazmat team --- and undergoes testing to reassure both her and her husband that she hasn’t been exposed --- it’s time to look into Dr. Abner’s past and relationships. While the lab tries to identify the deadly toxin, Eve hunts for the sender. But when someone else dies in the same grisly manner, it becomes clear that she’s dealing with either a madman --- or someone who has a hidden and elusive connection to both victims. Reviewed by Jennifer McCord.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: SAINT X by Alexis Schaitkin
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

SAINT X by Alexis Schaitkin (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by a full cast
Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Several days later, Alison’s body is found, and two local men --- employees at the resort --- are arrested. But the evidence is slim, and the men are soon released. Years later, Claire is living and working in New York City when a brief but fateful encounter brings her together with Clive Richardson, one of the men originally suspected of murdering her sister. It is a moment that sets Claire on an obsessive pursuit of the truth --- not only to find out what happened the night of Alison’s death but also to answer the elusive question: Who exactly was her sister? Reviewed by Megan Elliott.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Alexis Schaitkin.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here to read our review.

SAINT X will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.

Featured Review: THE OTHER MRS. by Mary Kubica
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

THE OTHER MRS. by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Piper Goodeve and Jeremy Arthur
Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor, Morgan Baines, is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie. But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.

Click here to read our review.

THE OTHER MRS. will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE by Allison Pataki

THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire by Allison Pataki (Historical Fiction)
I confess that I never thought I would love a book where the protagonist was the one-time lover of Napoleon, who went on to become the queen of Sweden. I never hearkened to this particular time period, perhaps due to too many quizzes and tests in high school and college that made history into a series of facts, and not a lot of fun. Well, those attitudes rapidly changed after reading THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE; I was equally impressed with Allison Pataki’s eye for detail as I was with her beautiful prose. She had me completely caught up in the story of Desiree Clary --- and the crazy world that surrounded Napoleon.

While Napoleon was out pillaging and plundering his way across what we now know as Europe, he also was intent on a parallel goal --- an heir. To him, the world he amassed would only matter if he had someone to leave it to. Desiree is witness to both sides of Napoleon: the conqueror and the person who desires a legacy. Early on, she is swept aside for a much older woman, one who brings with her a tangled history of men, but does not bear him a child.

Meanwhile, Desiree marries Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, who is a rival and a foe to Napoleon. Through him, she has a front-row seat to what Napoleon builds…and destroys --- both the cities and the relationships in his life. When she is sent to Sweden to live with Bernadotte, she will escape the cunning, wrath and irrationality of Napoleon and find herself in a world where she and her family can thrive --- a place where her influence can be seen even today through the dynasty that was created during her time.

The details are positively cinematic, and the writing is powerful. Book clubs would have a great discussion about it.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Allison Pataki.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.

Featured Review:
THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE by Abi Daré
Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna"
Today Show Book Club Pick for February

THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE by Abi Daré (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Adjoa Andoh
Adunni is a 14-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education. This, her mother has told her, is the only way to get a “louding voice” --- the ability to speak for herself and decide her own future. But instead, Adunni's father sells her to be the third wife of a local man who is eager for her to bear him a son and heir. When Adunni runs away to the city, hoping to make a better life, she finds that the only other option before her is servitude to a wealthy family. As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife and a powerless slave, Adunni is told, by words and deeds, that she is nothing. But while misfortunes might muffle her voice for a time, they cannot mute it. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club pick.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: THE HOLDOUT by Graham Moore

THE HOLDOUT by Graham Moore (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Abby Craden
Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar real estate fortune, vanishes on her way home from school, and her teacher, Bobby Nock, a 25-year-old African American man, is the prime suspect. It’s an open-and-shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed --- until Maya Seale, convinced of Nock’s innocence, persuades her fellow jurors to return the verdict of not guilty. Flash forward 10 years. A true-crime docuseries reassembles the jury, with particular focus on Maya, now a defense attorney herself. When one of the jurors is found dead in Maya’s hotel room, all evidence points to her as the killer. Now, she must prove her own innocence --- by getting to the bottom of a case that is far from closed. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: WEATHER by Jenny Offill

WEATHER by Jenny Offill (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
For years Lizzie Benson has tended to her God-haunted mother and her recovering addict brother. They have both stabilized for the moment, but Lizzie has little chance to spend her new free time with husband and son before her old mentor, Sylvia Liller, makes a proposal. She's become famous for her prescient podcast, “Hell and High Water,” and wants to hire Lizzie to answer the mail she receives: from left-wingers worried about climate change and right-wingers worried about the decline of western civilization. As Lizzie dives into this polarized world, she begins to wonder what it means to keep tending your own garden once you've seen the flames beyond its walls. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com

We currently have two contests running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

Special Contest: Win 12 Paperback Copies of THE STATIONERY SHOP by Marjan Kamali for Your Group 
We are celebrating the paperback release of THE STATIONERY SHOP by Marjan Kamali --- a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that explores loss, reconciliation and the quirks of fate --- with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies of this poignant, heartfelt novel. Enter here by Wednesday, March 4th at noon ET.

"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Win 12 Paperback Copies of DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Our latest prize book is DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that is now available in paperback. This gripping novel is about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup. Enter here by Wednesday, March 4th at noon ET.

Here are our latest featured guides:

• THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE by Abi Daré
• A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA by Isabel Allende
• MERCY HOUSE by Alena Dillon
• THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire by Allison Pataki
• THE SCENT KEEPER by Erica Bauermeister
• WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS by Andrew David MacDonald

Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

• DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• GOLDEN CHILD by Claire Adam
• LOST CHILDREN ARCHIVE by Valeria Luiselli
• SEPARATE: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation by Steve Luxenberg
• THE STATIONERY SHOP by Marjan Kamali
• TIDELANDS by Philippa Gregory

Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.

 "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts

In late August, we launched “Bookreporter Talks To,” a video and podcast series where we deliver a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, I have moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal --- to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)

By the way, this follows a long history of The Book Report Network delivering compelling programming to readers. Back in 1997, the company hosted the first online interview with John Grisham, which started a tradition of ongoing interviews with authors.

Authors interviewed to date include:

• Linwood Barclay (ELEVATOR PITCH) Video | Podcast
• Patti Callahan (BECOMING MRS. LEWIS) Video | Podcast
• Fiona Davis (THE CHELSEA GIRLS) Video | Podcast
• Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille (THE DESERTER) Video | Podcast
• Sally Hepworth (THE MOTHER-IN-LAW) Video | Podcast
• Marjan Kamali (THE STATIONERY SHOP) Video | Podcast
• Mary Beth Keane (ASK AGAIN, YES) Video | Podcast
• Raymond Khoury (EMPIRE OF LIES) Video | Podcast
• Jesse Kornbluth (JFK AND MARY MEYER: A Love Story) Video | Podcast
• William Kent Krueger (THIS TENDER LAND) Video | Podcast
• Jean Kwok (SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE) Video | Podcast
• Shari Lapena (SOMEONE WE KNOW) Video | Podcast
• Gilly Macmillan (THE NANNY) Video | Podcast
• Liz Moore (LONG BRIGHT RIVER) Video | Podcast
• Heather Morris (THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ; CILKA'S JOURNEY) Video | Podcast
• Allison Pataki (THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire) Video | Podcast
• Alexis Schaitkin (SAINT X) Video | Podcast NEW!
• Whitney Scharer (THE AGE OF LIGHT) Video | Podcast
• Cara Wall (THE DEARLY BELOVED) Video | Podcast
• Sheila Weller (CARRIE FISHER: A Life on the Edge) Video | Podcast
• Karen White (THE CHRISTMAS SPIRITS ON TRADD STREET; ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE) Video | Podcast
• Beatriz Williams (THE GOLDEN HOUR; THE WICKED REDHEAD; ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Marie Benedict (LADY CLEMENTINE)
• Therese Anne Fowler (A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD)
• Luanne Rice (LAST DAY)
• Lisa See (THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN)
• Amanda Eyre Ward (THE JETSETTERS)

Watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews and listen to our podcasts.

More Reviews This Week

THE DARK CORNERS OF THE NIGHT: An UNSUB Novel by Meg Gardiner (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
He appears in the darkness like a ghost, made of shadows and fear --- the Midnight Man. He comes for the parents but leaves the children alive, tiny witnesses to unspeakable horror. The bedroom communities of Los Angeles are gripped with dread, and the attacks are escalating. Still reeling from her best friend’s close call in a bombing six months ago, FBI behavioral analyst Caitlin Hendrix has come to Los Angeles to assist in the Midnight Man investigation and do what she does best --- hunt a serial killer. Her work is what keeps her going, but something about this UNSUB --- unknown subject --- doesn’t sit right. She soon realizes that this case will test not only her skills but also her dedication, for within the heart of a killer lives a secret that mirrors Caitlin’s own past. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE CACTUS LEAGUE by Emily Nemens (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Vivienne Leheny, Malcolm Hillgartner, Will Ropp, James Patrick Cronin and a full cast
Jason Goodyear is the star outfielder for the Los Angeles Lions, stationed with the rest of his team in the punishingly hot Arizona desert for their annual spring training. Handsome, famous and talented, Goodyear is nonetheless coming apart at the seams. And the coaches, writers, wives, girlfriends, petty criminals and diehard fans following his every move are eager to find out why --- as they hide secrets of their own. Narrated by a sportscaster, Goodyear’s story is interspersed with tales of Michael Taylor, a batting coach trying to stay relevant; Tamara Rowland, a resourceful spring-training paramour, looking for one last catch; and Herb Allison, a legendary sports agent grappling with his decline. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.

THE RESISTERS by Gish Jen (Dystopian Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by William DeMeritt
The time: not so long from now. The place: AutoAmerica. The land: half under water. The Internet: one part artificial intelligence, one part surveillance technology, and oddly human --- even funny. The people: Divided. The angel-fair "Netted" have jobs and literally occupy the high ground. The "Surplus" live on swampland if they're lucky, on water if they're not. The story: To a Surplus couple --- he once a professor, she still a lawyer --- is born a Blasian girl with a golden arm. Her teens find her happily playing in an underground baseball league. When AutoAmerica rejoins the Olympics, though --- with a special eye on beating ChinRussia --- Gwen attracts interest. Soon she finds herself playing ball with the Netted even as her mother challenges the very foundations of this divided society. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

BROKEN FAITH: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America's Most Dangerous Cults by Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr (True Crime/Religion)
Audiobook available, read by Vivienne Leheny
In 1979, a fiery preacher named Jane Whaley attracted a small group of followers with a promise that she could turn their lives around. In the years since, Whaley’s following has expanded to include thousands of congregants across three continents. In their eyes she’s a prophet. And to disobey her means eternal damnation. The control Whaley exerts is absolute: she decides what her followers study, where they work, whom they can marry --- even when they can have sex. Based on hundreds of interviews, secretly recorded conversations and thousands of pages of documents, BROKEN FAITH is a terrifying portrait of life inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, and the harrowing account of one family who escaped after two decades. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

EVERYWHERE YOU DON'T BELONG by Gabriel Bump (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Korey Jackson
Claude McKay Love is an average kid coping with abandonment, violence, riots, failed love and societal pressures as he steers his way past the signposts of youth. As a young black man born on the South Side of Chicago, he is raised by his civil rights-era grandmother, who tries to shape him into a principled actor for change. Yet when riots consume his neighborhood, he hesitates to take sides, unwilling to let race define his life. He decides to escape Chicago for another place --- to go to college, to find a new identity, to leave the pressure cooker of his hometown behind. But as he discovers, he cannot; there is no safe haven for a young black man in this time and place called America. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.

18 TINY DEATHS: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Nan McNamara
Frances Glessner Lee, born a socialite to a wealthy and influential Chicago family in the 1870s, developed a fascination with the investigation of violent crimes. She was best known for creating the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of dollhouses that appear charming --- until you notice the macabre little details: an overturned chair, or a blood-spattered comforter. And then there are the bodies --- splayed out on the floor, draped over chairs --- clothed in garments that Lee lovingly knit with sewing pins. 18 TINY DEATHS delves into Lee's journey from grandmother without a college degree to leading the scientific investigation of unexpected death out of the dark confines of centuries-old techniques and into the light of the modern day. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

DOUBLE FEATURE by Donald E. Westlake (Hard-boiled Mystery)
DOUBLE FEATURE contains two classic Donald E. Westlake novellas, "A Travesty" and Ordo." In New York City, a movie critic has just murdered his girlfriend --- well, one of his girlfriends (not to be confused with his wife). Will the unlikely crime-solving partnership he forms with the investigating police detective keep him from the film noir ending he deserves? On the opposite coast, movie star Dawn Devayne --- the hottest It Girl in Hollywood --- gets a visit from a Navy sailor who says he knew her when she was just ordinary Estelle Anlic of San Diego. Now she's a big star who's put her past behind her. But secrets have a way of not staying buried. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE ONLY CHILD by Mi-ae Seo (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Greta Jung
Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong receives an unexpected call one day. Yi Byeongdo, a serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world, wants to be interviewed. Refusing to speak to anyone until now, he asks specifically for her. Seonkyeong agrees out of curiosity. That same day, Hayeong, her husband’s 11-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door after her grandparents, with whom she lived after her mother passed away, die in a sudden fire. Seonkyeong wants her to feel at home, but is gradually unnerved as the young girl says very little and acts strangely. At work and at home, Seonkyeong starts to unravel the pasts of the two new arrivals in her life and begins to see startling similarities. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

GHOSTS OF THE MISSING by Kathleen Donohoe (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Laura Knight Keating and Tom Picasso
Culleton, New York has a long history --- of writers, of artists and of unsolved mysteries. It’s where Adair grew up before she moved to Brooklyn to try to make it as an artist. But after years away from her hometown and little to show for it, Adair decides to return. She moves back into Moye House, the old mansion and current writer’s retreat, imbued with her family's legacy. Ciaran is a writer staying at Moye House in the hopes of finally solving the mystery of what happened to Rowan Kinnane --- his sister, and Adair’s childhood best friend. As the two begin investigating, secrets long buried rise to the surface, complicating their sense of themselves and their understanding of what happened on that fateful day. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on February 24th and 25th

Below are some notable titles releasing on February 24th and 25th 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 February 24th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

February 24th

BLINDSIDE: A Detective Michael Bennett Thriller by James Patterson and James O. Born (Thriller)
The mayor of New York has a daughter who's missing and in danger. Detective Michael Bennett has a son who's in prison. The two strike a deal.

February 25th

APARTMENT by Teddy Wayne (Fiction)
From the award-winning author of LONER and THE LOVE SONG OF JONNY VALENTINE comes a powerful novel about loneliness and friendship, gender and sexuality, and the political schisms that dominate our times.

APEIROGON by Colum McCann (Fiction)
From the National Book Award–winning and bestselling author of LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN comes an epic novel rooted in the unlikely real-life friendship between two fathers.

THE BIG LIE: A Jack Swyteck Novel by James Grippando (Legal Thriller)
As the Electoral College battle for the White House lands in a Florida courtroom, Miami attorney Jack Swyteck has never felt farther from the truth, fighting for a “faithless elector,” caught between a corrupt president and his manipulative opponent --- with each revelation more explosive than the next.

COCONUT LAYER CAKE MURDER: A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes! by Joanne Fluke (Mystery)
Bakery owner Hannah Swensen is leaving Lake Eden to help a friend in sunny California. But an unexpected phone call swiftly brings her back to a cold Minnesota winter...and murder.

FACEBOOK: The Inside Story by Steven Levy (Biography)
He has had unprecedented access to Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg for three years. And now renowned tech writer Steven Levy delivers the definitive history of one of America’s most powerful and controversial companies: Facebook.

ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE TREADSTONE RESURRECTION by Joshua Hood (Thriller/Adventure)
The first novel in an explosive new series inspired by Robert Ludlum's Bourne universe, THE TREADSTONE RESURRECTION introduces an unforgettable hero and the shadowy world that forged him.

THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson (History)
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY and DEAD WAKE delivers a fresh and compelling portrait of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz.

TROUBLE IS WHAT I DO by Walter Mosley (Mystery)
Morally ambiguous P.I. Leonid McGill is back --- and investigating crimes against society's most downtrodden --- in this installment of the beloved detective series from an Edgar Award-winning and bestselling crime novelist.

THE WARSAW PROTOCOL by Steve Berry (Thriller)
In New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s latest Cotton Malone adventure, one by one the seven precious relics of the Arma Christi, the weapons of Christ, are disappearing from sanctuaries across the world.

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