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We have two new "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews to share with you.
First up is Harlan Coben, who talked to Carol about his latest thriller, THE BOY FROM THE WOODS.
Click on the photo above for the video and here for the podcast.
Our second interview is with Rebecca Serle, whose latest novel,
IN FIVE YEARS, is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick
and a Bets On selection. Click on the photo above for the video and here for the podcast.
Carol talks about this week's Bookreporter update in our latest promo video.
Live from My House! It’s “Bookreporter Talks To”!
Spring has arrived! I am so ready for the flowers to start popping up and for more sunshine.
This week, except for a quick trip to the office on Monday to pick up some books, Greg and I have been locked down working from here at the house, while Tom and Austin are also working from their homes. But life has been anything but quiet.
First, I have discovered that escaping with a book is a great way to unwind when dark news is swirling around me. I can turn my very busy mind off doing that. I hope that you can as well.
Secondly, I have created a setup here at the house where we can record videos and podcasts using Zoom. Our first one is an interview with Harlan Coben that we did yesterday. His latest book is THE BOY FROM THE WOODS, and we had a great conversation about that, as well as his Netflix projects. I always enjoy talking to Harlan, so I am happy we are able to bring you our discussion. Click here to watch the interview and here to listen to the podcast. And yes, I am using my new teal microphone.
Ray Palen has our review of THE BOY FROM THE WOODS and calls it "a one-sit read." He goes on to say, "The characters and plotlines are so well drawn out that it is easy to find yourself caught up inside them. At a time when we need a good story to take our minds off of the outside world, you cannot do much better than this thriller."
In our last interview before we vacated the office last week, I talked to Rebecca Serle about IN FIVE YEARS, which we reviewed last week. It is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and one of my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On selections. Click here to find out why I’m betting you’ll love it. Also, be sure to check out the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
My second Bets On title of the week is A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD by Therese Anne Fowler, which we reviewed last week and is this month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. I actually re-read the book this week as I had read an early advance copy a year ago. Click here for my commentary and here for the discussion guide. I am looking forward to interviewing Therese next week.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include Kathy Reichs' new Temperance Brennan mystery, A CONSPIRACY OF BONES, in which the forensic anthropologist must discover the identity of a faceless corpse, its connection to a decade-old missing child case, and why the dead man had her cell phone number; THE RED LOTUS, Chris Bohjalian’s latest thriller about an American man who vanishes on a rural road in Vietnam, and his girlfriend, an emergency room doctor who follows a path that leads her home to the very hospital where they met; and HIT LIST by Stuart Woods, which finds Stone Barrington facing down a vengeful miscreant who has put a hit out on him --- leading to an international cat-and-mouse hunt that has Stone questioning if he has become the predator or the prey.
Our latest Paperback Spotlight title is THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE by Kristin Harmel, which is this month’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites program.
The author of the international bestseller THE ROOM ON RUE AMÉLIE has written a novel that takes place during the darkest days of World War II. Inès has just married Michel, the owner of the prestigious champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, the French-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater --- rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate. When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love --- and the vineyard that ties them together.
We reviewed THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE when it released in hardcover last year; click here for reviewer Cindy Burnett’s take on it. Simon & Schuster is planning to host a Facebook Live Book Club chat about the book on Tuesday, March 31st at 3pm ET. We encourage you to join the conversation with your comments about the novel and interact with your fellow readers.
THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE was one of this week’s Spring Preview prize books, along with BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN (I picked the audiobook as a Bets On selection last week) and SERENADE FOR NADIA by Zülfü Livaneli, which I have on my reading pile. Next week, we are giving away THE FRIENDSHIP LIST by Susan Mallery, which releases on May 26th. The 24-hour contest for it will kick off on Thursday, March 26th at noon ET.
As so many of us are spending more time at home during the pandemic crisis, we’re curious to know if your reading habits have changed at all. Are you reading more books? Fewer books? Are you perhaps downloading more e-books than you have in the past? Let us know what you’re doing (or not doing) by voting in our latest poll.
Our previous poll asked which of 20 fiction titles releasing this month you are planning to read. Here are your top five picks: EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS by Peter Swanson (38%), A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD by Therese Anne Fowler (38%), THE BOY FROM THE WOODS by Harlan Coben (35%), THE RED LOTUS by Chris Bohjalian (34%), and YOU ARE NOT ALONE by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (30%). Click here for all the results.
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, April 3rd at noon ET, and you’ll have a chance to win DEVOTED by Dean Koontz and THE LAST ODYSSEY by James Rollins, both of which we’ll be reviewing over the next couple of weeks.
There’s still time to enter March’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, where the prize books are the audio versions of Kate Elizabeth Russell's MY DARK VANESSA, read by Grace Gummer, and THE NIGHT WATCHMAN written and read by Louise Erdrich. Let us know by Wednesday, April 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both these audio titles.
Speaking of audio, Penguin Random House has a “Listen at Home” collection of classic titles accessible via Penguin Random House Audio’s Volumes app (free for iOS and Android) and includes THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ by L. Frank Baum, narrated by Brooke Shields with Paul Rudd; GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES by the Brothers Grimm, narrated by a full cast; and GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Charles Dickens, narrated by John Lee. The free downloads will be available through April 30th.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Lenita wrote this about winning BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN: "What a delightful surprise! With our local library closing for the foreseeable future, this book, which has been on my wish list, will be especially welcomed! Thank you immensely, Carol and staff. Bookreporter has long been my go-to place for bookish news, so thank you also for your week-to-week hard work to keep me and so many others happy and informed. I can hardly wait!"
Jana wrote, “I read A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD and loved it. Thanks for the opportunity.”
Sue wrote, “Imagine my excitement when I was notified I had won copies of THE JETSETTERS and YOU ARE NOT ALONE in the Word of Mouth contest! I was traveling through AZ and NM at the time, but as things started to go haywire and were shutting down around me, I returned home to find the package in my mailbox. What a wonderful surprise, particularly during these trying times. There is nothing like a book to transport your mind and distract you from the current chaos. Thank you, Carol, for all you do to keep us informed about the book world. Stay safe and healthy!”
"The Plot Against America": I started watching this six-part series on HBO Monday night. Confession: I never read the Philip Roth book on which it is based. Here’s David Simon, the creator of the show, and the cast in conversation with Peter Sagal.
"Little Fires Everywhere": I have watched the first three episodes that are now available on Hulu. There will be eight total. This new series, based on Celeste Ng's novel and starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington in the lead roles, is so well done. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of it. It's really tracking the book so well.
The Audie Awards: You can watch the entire ceremony, which took place earlier this month, on C-SPAN2 this Saturday at 10:55pm ET and again on Sunday at 5:30pm ET.
Virtual Museum Tours: You can enjoy some virtual museum tours here.
We are planning to keep shooting our promo videos from here at the house, so you are on top of new books coming out. We have many bookshelves here for me to shoot in front of, and we carried home three bags of upcoming books from the office.
Our reviewers have stepped up their game as well. Many are now reviewing books in e-formats instead of print, as publishers have closed their offices. For some, this is not their chosen format, and I am very grateful to them for doing this. Some contest prizes will be more readily available in e-formats than in print, so we are adding a question to our contests asking if you would like to receive your prize that way.
BookExpo will now be taking place on July 22-24, thus the Speed Dating event that we are doing there has been moved to July 24th. You can sign up here.
Again we are going to share ideas for book buying during the COVID-19 crisis. As a small business, we know the challenges that indie booksellers are facing right now. Here's a piece from Publishers Weekly, "10 Ways to Support Your Indie Bookstore Through Coronavirus and Beyond." We also recommend buying audiobooks from Libro.fm. Did you know that you can buy audiobooks and support the independent bookstore of your choice? You can! Also, we are seeing library closures in some areas, but do keep in mind that both e-books and digital audio can be borrowed even if a library is closed.
I have been so busy this week that we have no new recipes or knitting projects to share. I am knitting a scarf that has 600 stitches on it…which makes for mindless knitting. I am making up the pattern on it. Right now, it’s a seed stitch for 1.5 inches. From there, I am not sure what I am going to do yet. And maybe with more home time this weekend, I can get back to learning to weave. My yoga classes have moved online, but I was too busy all week to enjoy any. This weekend for sure!
Hang in there everyone. We plan to stay locked down working from home in the weeks to come. May we ask you to share our newsletter with your family and friends who enjoy reading? And if you can rate or comment on our videos and podcasts, we would appreciate it. We want as many people as possible to be enjoying these.
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 BOY FROM THE WOODS by Harlan Coben
THE BOY FROM THE WOODS by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Steven Weber
Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. Now an adult, he still doesn't know where he comes from, and another child has gone missing. No one seems to take Naomi Pine's disappearance seriously, not even her father --- with one exception. Hester Crimstein, a television criminal attorney, knows through her grandson that Naomi was relentlessly bullied at school. Hester asks Wilde, with whom she shares a tragic connection, to use his unique skills to help find Naomi. In order to find Naomi, Wilde must venture back into the community where he has never fit in, a place where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Harlan Coben.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
A CONSPIRACY OF BONES by Kathy Reichs
A CONSPIRACY OF BONES: A Temperance Brennan Novel by Kathy Reichs (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Linda Emond
It’s sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she’s anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her. An identified corpse soon turns up, only partly answering her questions. To win answers to the others, including the man’s identity, she must go rogue, working mostly outside the system. But the more Tempe uncovers, the darker and more twisted the picture becomes. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE RED LOTUS by Chris Bohjalian
THE RED LOTUS by Chris Bohjalian (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Lowman
The first time Alexis saw Austin, it was a Saturday night. Not in a bar, but in the emergency room where Alexis sutured a bullet wound in Austin's arm. Six months later, on the brink of falling in love, they travel to Vietnam on a bike tour so that Austin can show her his passion for cycling and he can pay his respects to the place where his father and uncle fought in the war. But as Alexis sips white wine and waits at the hotel for him to return from his solo ride, two men emerge from the tall grass and Austin vanishes into thin air. As Alexis grapples with this bewildering loss, she uncovers a series of strange lies that force her to wonder: Where did Austin go? Why did he really bring her to Vietnam? And how much danger has he left her in? Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: HIT LIST by Stuart Woods
HIT LIST: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Roberts
When Stone Barrington finds his name on a hit list, he plans to lie low until the culprit is caught. But when this foe shows no signs of stopping until his deadly objective is realized in full, Stone is left with no choice but to face the problem head-on. Armed and alert, Stone joins forces with his most savvy connections to catch the perpetrator before the next strike. But it turns out this scum is an expert at evasion in more ways than one, and the international cat-and-mouse hunt that ensues has Stone questioning if he has become the predator or the prey. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
New Paperback Spotlight:
THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE by Kristin Harmel
THE WINEMAKER'S WIFE by Kristin Harmel (Historical Fiction)
The author of the “engrossing” (People) international bestseller THE ROOM ON RUE AMÉLIE returns with a moving story set amid the champagne vineyards of France during the darkest days of World War II, perfect for fans of Heather Morris’ THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ.
Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, the French-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater --- rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.
When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love --- and the vineyard that ties them together.
New York, 2019: Recently divorced, Liv Kent is at rock bottom when her feisty, eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive --- and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Kristin Harmel's bio.
- Click here to visit Kristin Harmel's website.
- Connect with Kristin Harmel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD by Therese Anne Fowler
March’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection
A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD by Therese Anne Fowler (Fiction)
Therese Anne Fowler’s A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD is a novel that I have been thinking about since I read a very early advance copy a year ago. Yes, you read that right, a year ago. I reread it this week and again realized how powerful it is. It’s set in a quiet suburban town in North Carolina, where neighbors are neighborly and life is peaceful…until it’s not. On one of these quiet blocks, a house is razed, and in its place a larger-than-usual house is built, along with a swimming pool. Suddenly the balance of the neighborhood shifts as the new neighbor is someone who has a lofty view of his life compared to others.
Yes, Brad Whitman has an elevated sense of self. He dotes on his wife, stepdaughter and daughter, providing them with his view of “a good life” --- one that they live on his terms and rules. Next door lives Valerie Alston-Holt, a young widow with a biracial son, Xavier. She, too, is giving her son his best life, but with a very different value system from Brad. When they first meet, it’s assumed that Xavier is the hired help. And that will give readers a sense of how things are going to implode for these two families.
- 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 visit the Barnes & Noble Book Club page.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
IN FIVE YEARS by Rebecca Serle
March’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
IN FIVE YEARS by Rebecca Serle (Fiction)
Rebecca Serle’s IN FIVE YEARS is a tightly written novel about a twentysomething woman who has everything planned. Yes, Dannie’s five-year plan is locked and loaded. She will make partner at her law firm, marry her boyfriend and live in Gramercy Park. And nothing is going to get in her way.
But then one night Dannie has a dream, and in it there is not the apartment she knows, and she is in bed with a guy she has never seen before. When she looks at a calendar in this dream, she sees it's five years in the future. None of it makes sense. None of it is part of her life plan. What are all these changes to her perfect plan?
Flash forward a few months, and Dannie’s best friend introduces her to the man she is dating --- and it's the guy from the dream. So how does her planned normal dovetail with what is actually going to happen? You have to read to see.
IN FIVE YEARS works so well with clever plotting and writing from Rebecca. I loved her last book, THE DINNER LIST. I love this one even more.
- 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 Rebecca Serle.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
Bookreporter.com's Ninth Annual
Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases. Our ninth annual Spring Preview Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 24th at noon ET. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Thursday, March 26th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
In late August 2019, 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:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Therese Anne Fowler (A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD)
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Kate Elizabeth Russell (MY DARK VANESSA)
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Lisa See (THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN)
Watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews and listen to our podcasts.
DARLING ROSE GOLD by Stephanie Wrobel (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Megan Dodds and Jill Winternitz
For the first 18 years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. But no matter how many doctors, tests or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with her. It turns out that her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar. After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes. Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling, and she's waited such a long time for her mother to come home. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
FASTER: How a Jewish Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler’s Best by Neal Bascomb (Sports/History)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
They were the unlikeliest of heroes. Rene Dreyfus, a former top driver on the international racecar circuit, had been banned from the best European teams --- and fastest cars --- by the mid-1930s because of his Jewish heritage. Charles Weiffenbach, head of the down-on-its-luck automaker Delahaye, was desperately trying to save his company as the world teetered toward the brink. And Lucy Schell, the adventurous daughter of an American multi-millionaire, yearned to reclaim the glory of her rally-driving days. As Nazi Germany launched its campaign of racial terror and pushed the world toward war, these three misfits banded together to challenge Hitler’s dominance at the apex of motorsport: the Grand Prix. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
THE TWO LIVES OF LYDIA BIRD by Josie Silver (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Olivia Vinall
Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a decade, and Lydia thought their love was indestructible. But she was wrong. On Lydia’s 28th birthday, Freddie died in a car accident. So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants is to hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life --- and perhaps even love --- again. But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
BLACKWOOD by Michael Farris Smith (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mike McColl
The town of Red Bluff, Mississippi, has seen better days, though those who've held on have little memory of when that was. Myer, the county's aged, sardonic lawman, still thinks it can prove itself --- when confronted by a strange family of drifters, the sheriff believes that the people of Red Bluff can be accepting, rational, even good. The opposite is true: this is a landscape of fear and ghosts --- of regret and violence --- transformed by the kudzu vines that have enveloped the hills around it, swallowing homes, cars, rivers and hiding a terrible secret deeper still. Colburn, a junkyard sculptor who's returned to Red Bluff, knows this pain all too well, though he too is willing to hope for more when he meets and falls in love with Celia, the local bar owner. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
FOLLOW ME by Kathleen Barber (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Corey Brill, Erin Moon and Emily Tremaine, with a note read by Kathleen Barber
Audrey Miller has an enviable new job at the Smithsonian, a body by reformer Pilates, an apartment door with a broken lock, and hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers to bear witness to it all. Having just moved to Washington, DC, Audrey busies herself impressing her new boss, interacting with her online fan base, and staving off a creepy upstairs neighbor. But Audrey’s faulty door may be the least of her security concerns. Unbeknownst to her, her move has brought her within striking distance of someone who’s obsessively followed her social media presence for years. No longer content to simply follow her carefully curated life from a distance, he consults the dark web for advice on how to make Audrey his and his alone. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
THE GENIUS OF WOMEN: From Overlooked to Changing the World by Janice Kaplan (Gender Studies/Personal Growth)
Audiobook available, read by Janice Kaplan
Even in this time of rethinking women’s roles, we define genius almost exclusively through male achievement. When asked to name a genius, people mention Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs. As for great women? In one survey, the only female genius anyone listed was Marie Curie. Janice Kaplan set out to determine why the extraordinary work of so many women has been brushed aside. In THE GENIUS OF WOMEN, she makes surprising discoveries about women geniuses now and throughout history. Through interviews with neuroscientists, psychologists and dozens of women geniuses at work in the world today, she proves that genius isn't just about talent. It's about having that talent recognized, nurtured and celebrated. Reviewe by Pauline Finch.
MIKE HAMMER: MASQUERADE FOR MURDER by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (Hard-boiled Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Stefan Rudnicki
After Mike Hammer witnesses Wall Street superstar Vincent Colby getting clipped by a speeding red Ferrari, the shaken victim's stockbroker father hires Hammer to find the driver. But the toughest private eye of them all soon is caught up in a series of bizarre, seemingly unconnected slayings marked by a forbidden martial arts technique. What do a lovely redhead, a short-tempered bartender, an exotic call girl, a murdered police inspector and a movie stuntman have to do with a scheme that might have transformed young Colby into a psychological time bomb? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE PANDA OF DEATH: A Gunn Zoo Mystery by Betty Webb (Mystery)
California zookeeper Theodora Bentley is now happily married to Sheriff Joe Rejas. The Gunn Zoo is celebrating the arrival of Poonya, an adorable red panda, who forms a strong bond with Teddy. All appears fairy tale blissful in the small Monterey Bay village of Gunn Landing until Teddy's mother-in-law, mystery writer Colleen Rejas, has discovered through DNA testing that Joe has sired a son he knew nothing about. Eighteen-year-old Dylan Coyle arrives to meet his biological family, and then is arrested for murder. By the end of the book, besides solving the crime, Teddy and Colleen have learned that the term "family" does not always mean blood kin. It often includes those who --- although no blood relationship --- are still held close in our hearts. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read an interview with Betty Webb.
THE MISFORTUNES OF FAMILY by Meg Little Reilly (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
As the four adult sons of retired senator John Bright head with their partners to the annual family reunion, they have everything they need, except self-awareness. This year, the senator has agreed to let a producer document the reunion at the lake house. As petty jealousies surface, Philip, the youngest, reveals a surprising personal decision that earns the ribbing --- or is it scorn? --- of his brothers, JJ, Spencer and Charlie. Then the senator unexpectedly announces his desire for another political run. Not everyone is on board, especially matriarch Patty, who is keenly aware of the toll it will take on their private lives. Suddenly closely held family secrets start tumbling out and keep coming, including the biggest one that will rock this family to the core. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on March 24th
Below are some notable titles releasing on March 24th 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 March 23rd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE FACELESS OLD WOMAN WHO SECRETLY LIVES IN YOUR HOME: A Welcome to Night Vale Novel by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (Fantasy/Horror)
From the New York Times bestselling authors of WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE and IT DEVOURS! and the creators of the hit podcast comes a new novel set in the world of Night Vale and beyond.
THE GLASS HOTEL by Emily St. John Mandel (Mystery)
From the award-winning author of STATION ELEVEN comes an exhilarating novel set at the glittering intersection of two seemingly disparate events --- a massive Ponzi scheme collapse and the mysterious disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea.
THE K TEAM by David Rosenfelt (Mystery)
From bestselling mystery author David Rosenfelt comes a new series --- a spinoff of the much beloved Andy Carpenter mysteries --- about a dynamic new investigative team featuring a determined former cop and his loyal German Shepherd.
THE LAST ODYSSEY by James Rollins (Thriller/Adventure)
To save the world and our future, Sigma Force must embark on a dangerous odyssey into an ancient past whose horrors are all too present in this page-turning thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins that combines cutting-edge science, historical mystery, mythology and pulse-pounding action.
THE LAST TOURIST by Olen Steinhauer (Thriller)
In Olen Steinhauer’s AN AMERICAN SPY, reluctant CIA agent Milo Weaver thought he had finally put “Tourists” --- CIA-trained assassins --- to bed. A decade later, Milo is hiding out in Western Sahara when a young CIA analyst arrives to question him about a series of suspicious deaths and terrorist chatter linked to him.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: Reading Books in This Time of Crisis
Have your reading habits changed during these uncertain times? Please check all that apply.
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I have been reading more physical books.
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I have been reading more e-books.
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I have been listening to more audiobooks.
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I have been reading fewer physical books.
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I have been reading fewer e-books.
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I have been listening to fewer audiobooks.
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I have been too distracted to read any books or listen to any audiobooks.
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My reading habits have not changed.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, April 3rd 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 March 20th to April 3rd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of DEVOTED by Dean Koontz and THE LAST ODYSSEY by James Rollins.
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 March 2nd to April 1st at noon ET, one lucky reader will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Kate Elizabeth Russell's MY DARK VANESSA, read by Grace Gummer, and THE NIGHT WATCHMAN written and read by Louise Erdrich.
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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