April 17, 2020
 April 17, 2020Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com Reviews | Features | Bookreporter.com Bets On | Upcoming Bets On   Carol's latest "Bookreporter Talks To" interview is with Don Winslow,   Carol helped celebrate her husband Tom's birthday on Thursday Carol's son, Cory, and his girlfriend, Sam, dropped by the house on Easter for a social distancing visit. They brought Carol the orchid that you see above; rest assured, the pot was Lysol-wiped,  Carol talks about this week's Bookreporter update in our latest promo video. Notes from Week Five in Captivity Five weeks ago, I sent the staff home with laptops and docking stations, concerned for them traveling on the New York City subway in what clearly was starting to be a real health crisis. Since then, we have been working longer hours than usual, albeit from home, with a goal to bring you the latest news about books and authors, which we know is coming to you at a time when many bookstores are closed to browsing and libraries are only available remotely. We plan to keep up the pace to keep you reading. During week five in captivity, we celebrated both Easter and my husband’s birthday. They were lower-key celebrations than usual, but I am glad we could be together...though we missed seeing my parents and Tom’s mom. Cory and his girlfriend, Sam, came by for a social distancing visit on Easter, bringing me an orchid in a pot that was Lysol-wiped and handed to me with a gloved hand. We then sat outside on the patio, grateful for a very warm day. He dropped by on Tom’s birthday to deliver a high-end Scotch whiskey and, again, some social distancing. You can see the "birthday brownies," with candles in them, above. With all of us hunkered down in our homes, we thought it would be fun to ask what you enjoy doing while you’re indoors (aside from reading, of course!). Do you like to cook? Knit? Work on puzzles? Exercise? Do arts and crafts? Let us know what your favorite indoor activities are by voting in our latest poll. I wonder if anyone has dusted off the coloring books that they bought a few years ago. I read this with interest this week in Morning Brew: “136-year-old puzzle maker Ravensburger sold an average of seven puzzles per minute in North America. Since the beginning of April, the company’s been selling puzzles at a rate of nearly 20 per minute --- a nearly 286% increase.” I am not into puzzles, but I have seen these cropping up in the social media feeds of many of my friends, along with finished work. If you have done a puzzle that you really love, shoot me an email with the subject line “Puzzle.” Tell me who made it and which it was, and we can share that info next week. Somehow I have less free time than usual. I managed to snag a yoga class last Saturday and a walk with my friend Cathy at lunchtime one day this week, but beyond that it’s been all about work. I spent a chunk of time last weekend going through boxes that I brought home from the office three years ago. There are 20 of them; I barely made a dent, but there are piles to be shredded and lots was tossed. I envy those who have organized closets and shelves. I was thinking I could learn to weave, but the loom has not moved. My desk now has both my laptop and desktop connected with their own monitors; I feel like I am a day trader. This weekend, I am vowing to read --- and I need to --- as we have a number of author interviews scheduled! Speaking of interviews, I had a wonderful conversation with Don Winslow this week for a "Bookreporter Talks To" segment. His book of novellas, BROKEN, is really terrific, and I had an opportunity to talk to him about each story, the pacing in his writing, the return of some familiar characters and a lot more. Don thinks he can get me up on a surfboard after hearing how much I loved THE DAWN PATROL; I still have my doubts. You can watch the video here and listen to the podcast here. I had not read Don's work in a while, and would love to catch up on his backlist at some point. Among this week’s reviews are MASKED PREY, the 30th installment in John Sandford’s series starring Lucas Davenport, who investigates a vitriolic blog that seems to be targeting the children of U.S. politicians; REDHEAD BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, Anne Tyler’s new novel about misperception, second chances and the sometimes elusive power of human connection; AFTERLIFE, the first adult novel in nearly 15 years from internationally bestselling author Julia Alvarez; THE NEW HUSBAND, D.J. Palmer’s psychological thriller that is built around an intriguing premise: “Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you know them.”; and ARE SNAKES NECESSARY?, a female revenge story from world-famous director Brian De Palma and former New York Times editor Susan Lehman. We’re awarding the audio version of THE NEW HUSBAND (read by January LaVoy and Rebecca Soler), along with Julia Spencer-Fleming's HID FROM OUR EYES: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (read by Suzanne Toren), in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Friday, May 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both these audio titles. Don't miss our review of the hardcover of HID FROM OUR EYES in next week's newsletter. HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker, which we featured in last week’s newsletter and is Oprah’s new book club selection, is my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Click here for my commentary. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Bob last week, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here. I heard from so many of you who are reading and enjoying it! It’s my favorite nonfiction book so far this year. Our Mother's Day contest is back for a 15th year! Once again, we’re featuring a number of fiction and nonfiction titles that we think moms will love. Readers will have the chance to win one of our five prize packages, which includes all seven books to treat yourself or your mom. Among them are THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS by Lisa Wingate and THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN by Lisa See (I recently chatted with each of these authors for “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews). The deadline for your entries is Monday, May 11th at noon ET. Click here to take a look at our featured titles and enter the contest. In this week’s Spring Preview contests, we gave away CIRCE by Madeline Miller, THE DAUGHTERS OF ERIETOWN by Connie Schultz, HE STARTED IT by Samantha Downing, and TRUTHS I NEVER TOLD YOU by Kelly Rimmer. Our Spring Preview contests wrap up next week with our final four giveaways: FEELS LIKE FALLING by Kristy Woodson Harvey, THE HEIRLOOM GARDEN by Viola Shipman (the pen name for Wade Rouse, who I look forward to interviewing soon!), MEMBERS ONLY by Sameer Pandya, and THE NIGHT BEFORE by Wendy Walker (a Bets On pick releasing in paperback on April 28th). The first contest of the week will go live on Monday, April 20th at noon ET. CIRCE is also the prize book in our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. Three groups will win 12 copies of this #1 New York Times bestseller, which is now available in paperback. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, May 6th at noon ET. Also, be sure to check out the discussion guide here. Kim Michele Richardson --- whose novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, we featured on the site last year --- has written a timely essay for us. She draws on the history of the Pack Horse Librarians (the subject of her book) to make a plea to readers: Support local bookstores, because today’s booksellers are the Pack Horse Librarians of modern times, delivering wisdom, escape, entertainment and education in a dark time. Many thanks to Kim Michele for this very important and inspiring piece! We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win CAMINO WINDS by John Grisham and IF IT BLEEDS by Stephen King, both of which we will be reviewing over the next couple of weeks. Our previous poll asked which of 22 titles releasing this month you’re planning to read. Here are your top five picks: THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS by Lisa Wingate (49%), THE BOOK OF LONGINGS by Sue Monk Kidd (36%), CAMINO WINDS by John Grisham (35%), REDHEAD BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD by Anne Tyler (32%), and WALK THE WIRE by David Baldacci (28%). Click here for all the results. The 40th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were awarded today. The winners include THE TOPEKA SCHOOL by Ben Lerner (Fiction), YOUR HOUSE WILL PAY by Steph Cha (Mystery/Thriller), and BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF by Marlon James (The Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction). Click here for all the winners and nominees. Also, the finalists for this year’s ITW Thriller Awards were announced earlier this week. They include ONE GOOD DEED by David Baldacci (Best Hardcover Novel); THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides (Best First Novel), which was a Bets On pick; and SUCH A PERFECT WIFE by Kate White (Best Paperback Original Novel). Click here for all the nominees. The winners will be announced in a special presentation on July 11th during “Virtual” ThrillerFest hosted by the International Thriller Writers Facebook page. News & Pop Culture Reader Mail: Jean wrote, "My Bookreporter came 'late' today. I think some of my email is a little slow getting here. But to answer your pandemic question, I heard and then saw an interview on TV. It's official: New Zealand's Prime Minister announced that the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy ARE essential workers; therefore, they are not quarantined. You can't get much more official than an announcement from a Prime Minister.” And now we know! Betty wrote, “I was surprised to see that 'Shtisel' was on your radar! My husband and I watched this series a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very informative, and we learned so much about an Israeli family --- how they are different but also how much families are the same the world over. Stay well. I have knitting projects waiting for me, but I’d rather read a book --- even with all this 'free' time.” I have two episodes left in season two. I really have enjoyed it. My husband wants to know how my Yiddish is coming along since it’s in Yiddish with subtitles. Betsy wrote, “I don’t know how long I have been reading your newsletter. Seems like a long time! Thank you so much for your recommendations. I have purchased books based on your reviews and have passed those books to friends. Just a note to say 'thank you'! I look forward to your newsletters.” We so love that you are one of our readers, Betsy. "Jeopardy!" Fans: Alex Trebek’s THE ANSWER IS...: Reflections on My Life is coming from Simon & Schuster on July 21st. "I want people to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year," he writes. The book combines "illuminating personal anecdotes with Trebek's thoughts on a range of topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success, spirituality and philanthropy." Independent Bookstore Day: Originally scheduled for Saturday, April 25th, but postponed until "late summer or early fall," it has a new date: Saturday, August 29th. "Bosch": A new season kicks off today on Amazon Prime. I am a "Bosch" binger, so I know what some of my weekend hours will be spent doing. "Little Fires Everywhere": The season finale is next Wednesday night. The show has been quite a bit of a departure from the novel, to the point where I was not sure what I missed reading the book. But then I read this week that the show's storyline is deviating a lot from the book. Whew, I thought I was losing my mind. "Normal People": The adaptation of Sally Rooney’s book kicks off April 29th on Hulu. You have time to read the book now. #SaveIndieBookstores: The American Booksellers Association has partnered with the Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation to promote the #SaveIndieBookstores campaign. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, James Patterson has generously donated $500,000 to launch #SaveIndieBookstores. With the support of Reese’s Book Club, their goal is to raise as much money as possible by April 30th. We all know what independent bookstores mean to our families and communities. Donate what you can at SaveIndieBookstores.com. #SocksforBinc: Libro.fm has partnered with a group of illustrators, authors and designers to create 10 designs for pairs of socks that will be sold to book lovers, with profits going to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation that benefits bookstores. The minimum price for a pair of socks is $15, and buyers are encouraged to add donations to the basic price. Libro.fm's pitch to book lovers: "Pull on your socks, put on an audiobook, and stay safe at home while supporting booksellers across the nation." I spotted this bookshelf on Facebook, and Kathryn, one of our readers, mentioned it too. It looks to be nothing special, until you read the titles to see the message that they share. It is very spot-on for a pandemic. My friend Jamie Anderson, who runs Downtown Books in Manteo, North Carolina, shared this great idea. She created a “family quarantine” private Facebook page for all of her extended family. She said, “It’s been a great way to connect, and I throw out a weekly photo challenger to get people to go outside, or just stay in touch.” Two more pandemic thoughts. One, you do not need to wonder if people are home; they are. Two, social distancing is a lot easier when one can engage on social media. The one thing we are doing around our house is cooking, My friend, Jim Killen, made shishito peppers the other day, and they looked terrific. I am going to make those this weekend. Besides going through boxes, I am looking at the house with new eyes, moving some decorative pieces around and hanging some pictures that I have wanted to take care of for a while now. Typically I am out of the house commuting or at the office at least 48 hours a week. Also, working home five days a week instead of one or two, I am playing around with my office setup, and the tweaks have been very successful! I have one more row to go on what I am calling the Corona Scarf. Then I need to cast it off and block it. Another weekend project! I have a new project lined up, Alexandra’s Airplane Scarf, which is on Ravelry here. Stay safe! Read on, and have a great week. Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)    Featured Review: MASKED PREY by John Sandford  MASKED PREY: A Lucas Davenport Novel by John Sandford (Mystery/Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review:  REDHEAD BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD by Anne Tyler (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: AFTERLIFE by Julia Alvarez  AFTERLIFE by Julia Alvarez (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review.  Bookreporter.com Bets On:  HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker (Science/Biography) The book opens with the story of Don and Mimi Galvin, the parents, who meet when they are teenagers. They marry and begin having children quickly, and for many years are a typical large American family. But then signs of fracturing emerge as one, and then another of the boys, start having what they later learn are schizophrenic episodes. Life becomes more violent around the house, and there is a sense that at any moment something new can erupt. Mimi continues to make lovely dinners and tries to perpetuate that all is well when that couldn’t be further from the truth. - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.  Announcing Bookreporter.com's 15th Annual Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books for yourself or the special lady in your life in our 15th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Monday, May 11th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes seven great fiction and nonfiction titles we think moms will love. This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.  Bookreporter.com's Ninth Annual 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 Monday, April 20th at noon ET. This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details Bookreporter.com’s Latest Blog Post:  Kim Michele Richardson’s novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller that released to rave reviews last year. It is based on the true story of the Pack Horse Library Project, a group of librarians who delivered books on horseback to rural areas of Kentucky during the Great Depression. In this timely and much-needed blog post, Kim Michele draws on the history of these brave and dedicated traveling librarians to deliver an important message to readers: Support local bookstores, because today’s booksellers are yesterday’s Pack Horse Librarians, delivering wisdom, escape, entertainment and education during these difficult and uncertain times. THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson (Historical Fiction) Cussy's not only a book woman, however; she’s also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy’s family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she’s going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler. Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere --- even back home. Click here to read Kim Michele Richardson's blog post.    What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com We currently have the following contest running on ReadingGroupGuides.com: "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Win 12 Copies of CIRCE by Madeline Miller for Your Group Here are our latest featured guides:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.   "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.) You can find a list of all of them here. 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. Here is our latest interview: Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
Watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews and listen to our podcasts.    More Reviews This WeekTHE HOUSE OF KENNEDY by James Patterson and Cynthia Fagen (Biography) THE NEW HUSBAND by D.J. Palmer (Psychological Thriller) YOGI: A Life Behind the Mask by Jon Pessah (Sports/Biography) STEALING HOME: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between by Eric Nusbaum (Sports/History) THE COYOTES OF CARTHAGE by Steven Wright (Political Thriller) HOUR OF THE ASSASSIN by Matthew Quirk (Political Thriller) THE BEST FRIEND by Adam Mitzner (Legal Thriller) THIS TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Katrin Schumann (Historical Fiction) ARE SNAKES NECESSARY? by Brian De Palma and Susan Lehman (Thriller) AFTER ME COMES THE FLOOD by Sarah Perry (Gothic Thriller)   
Next Week’s Notables:
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