May 1, 2020
 May 1, 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 Viola Shipman    Carol is looking forward to chatting with Jennifer Weiner (BIG SUMMER), Scott Turow   During this pandemic, Carol has been able to master all of the remotes pictured above. She now knows Last weekend, Carol made chocolate cake and chocolate mousse for dessert, Will the April Showers Bring May Flowers? We have many remotes, and I rarely pay attention to which ones access the various devices to watch television, DVDs and streaming services, and to adjust the sound system. It took a pandemic, but I finally have mastered all of the remotes pictured above, and I can switch around watching with the best of them. Cory gave us a solo remote for Christmas that was never installed. But desperate times for streaming encouraged the learning curve, and I guess I flattened the remote curve. While my laptop has a camera, my desktop does not, so I ordered one on April 1st. It was to arrive on April 26th; now it’s scheduled for June 19th! And yes, I wish I had bought Zoom stock when it hit the market. It was a very busy Zoom week as we interviewed authors on Monday and Tuesday. There is no promo video again this week as I confess I just plumb ran out of time. I promise to get back to these soon! As for reading, there are times when you just want an escape read, and these past few weeks I feel like that has been what I need. Thus I was so happy to grab some time and read BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner this week. Somehow, just the word "summer" makes me feel happy. It was a cold, rainy and dank month of April, and I am so ready to welcome in May today. In BIG SUMMER, Daphne is shocked that Drue, a friend from whom she was long estranged, asks her to be her maid of honor in a “rich and over the top” wedding. She cannot say no, yet at the same time has her guard up. But what happens up on the Cape that weekend will surprise everyone. I am talking to Jen on Tuesday; I have interviewed her twice before and am looking forward to this. My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Wade Rouse, who writes under the pen name Viola Shipman. Viola’s new novel, THE HEIRLOOM GARDEN, follows two women --- separated by a generation but equally scarred by war --- who find hope, meaning and friendship through a garden of flowers. We had one of those rolling and fun conversations where we covered plenty of ground and had a lot of laughs. Really a lot! Wade discussed his grandmothers, who influenced his writing of five novels, along with the personal grieving he has gone through and how those experiences have shaped him as a gardener and as a writer. We also touched on his humorous memoirs, and he gave readers a glimpse into his upcoming writing plans. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. We also posted a discussion guide for the book on ReadingGroupGuides.com, which you can take a look at here. John Grisham returns to Camino Island in CAMINO WINDS, which is a follow-up to his 2017 novel, CAMINO ISLAND. Just as Bruce Cable’s Bay Books is preparing for the return of bestselling author Mercer Mann, Hurricane Leo heads straight for the island. Florida’s governor orders a mandatory evacuation, and while most residents flee to the mainland, Bruce decides to stay and ride out the storm. One of the apparent victims is a friend of his, Nelson Kerr, who writes thrillers. But the nature of Nelson’s injuries suggests that the storm wasn’t the cause of his death: He has suffered several suspicious blows to the head. Who would want Nelson dead? Stuart Shiffman has our review and says, “The simple becomes complex, the first clues lead to more clues, and an intriguing plot with a wild cast of characters unfolds on the pages of CAMINO WINDS.... Some important social issues are raised, and his characters occasionally step on the soapbox to decry injustice and evil in society.” On Wednesday night, we had dinner with John Grisham and Stephen King. Okay, it was not just us, but rather a lot of other people too as we all were on Stephen’s YouTube channel. But when you sit the laptop at the head of the table, you do feel like they have joined you. If you missed this event, we have it for you here. Lawrence Wright’s latest novel, THE END OF OCTOBER, is an eerily timed medical thriller about a mysterious new virus that is bringing the world to its knees. At an internment camp in Indonesia, 47 people are pronounced dead with acute hemorrhagic fever. When microbiologist and epidemiologist Henry Parsons travels there on behalf of the World Health Organization to investigate, what he finds will soon have staggering repercussions across the globe: an infected man is on his way to join the millions of worshippers in the annual Hajj to Mecca. Now, Henry joins forces with a Saudi prince and doctor in an attempt to quarantine the entire host of pilgrims in the holy city. According to our reviewer Harvey Freedenberg, “[M]uch of what makes THE END OF OCTOBER so chilling is the feeling that Wright is transcribing conversations overheard today in the White House Situation Room, not inventing scenarios months ago in the quiet of his study.... THE END OF OCTOBER probably should come with a trigger warning for anyone suffering from anxiety over the current pandemic.” Other books we’re reviewing this week include CHOSEN ONES, a fantasy/adventure that is the first novel for adults from Veronica Roth, who is best known for her Divergent YA series; THREE HOURS IN PARIS, a stand-alone spy thriller from Cara Black about a young American markswoman with the temerity --- and drive --- to take on Hitler himself; HAVE YOU SEEN ME?, Kate White’s latest work of psychological suspense about a woman’s dangerous quest to recover lost memories that someone would rather she never find; and MASTER CLASS, a new novel from Christina Dalcher (who wrote the international bestseller VOX) that examines a disturbing near future where harsh realities follow from unreachable standards. Our Mother’s Day Author Blog series is back! For the 11th year in a row, we’re sharing pieces from authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers. We’ve already heard from Megan Miranda (whose new psychological thriller, THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS, releases on June 23rd) and Dete Meserve (the third installment in her mystery series featuring investigative news reporter Kate Bradley, THE GOOD STRANGER, will be on sale May 19th). Still to come are contributions from Marjan Kamali, Kelly Rimmer, Stephanie Scott and Francesca Serritella. And while we’re on the subject, you have until Monday, May 11th at noon ET to enter our Mother’s Day contest. Five readers will win seven prize books for themselves or the moms in their lives. Among them are MORE THAN LOVE: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood by Natasha Gregson Wagner, SIMON THE FIDDLER by Paulette Jiles, and THE SWEENEY SISTERS by Lian Dolan. As we continue to self-isolate, there is no shortage of book-to-screen adaptations releasing in May to enjoy at home. This month's roundup includes the series premieres of HBO's "I Know This Much Is True," Netflix's "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich" and NatGeo's "Barkskins"; the conclusion of "Defending Jacob" on Apple TV+; and the season finales of "Outlander" on Starz, "My Brilliant Friend" on HBO and "Killing Eve" on BBC America. Among May's DVD releases are Emma, The Informer and The Invisible Man. We’re in a summer frame of mind for our new Word of Mouth contest. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win HELLO, SUMMER by Mary Kay Andrews and the aforementioned BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner. Both release on Tuesday, and we’ll have reviews of both in next week’s newsletter. Be sure to enter by Friday, May 15th at noon ET. I talked to MKA (as we like to call her here) on Tuesday; we'll have that interview for you next week, and Jen's the following week. This month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest is now underway. Let us know by Monday, June 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win the audio versions of Michael Connelly’s FAIR WARNING, read by Peter Giles and Zach Villa, and Scott Turow’s THE LAST TRIAL, read by John Bedford Lloyd. I look forward to interviewing Scott soon for a “Bookreporter Talks To” segment. Our latest poll asks which of 25 books releasing in May you’re planning to read, if any. Click here to let us know which of these you’re excited to delve into. One of the titles on the list is Alex George's THE PARIS HOURS; Alex will be another upcoming "Bookreporter Talks To" guest. For our previous poll, we were curious about the activities you enjoy doing indoors during this quarantine (aside from reading, of course). Here are your top choices: Binge-watching series and shows (57%), Cleaning or organizing (56%), Cooking (43%), Baking (42%), Puzzles (40%), Zoom visits with family and friends (37%), and Exercising (36%). Click here for all the results. Yesterday, Mystery Writers of America (MWA) announced the winners of this year’s Edgar Awards, which honor the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2019. They were given out via a live presentation on Twitter (@EdgarAwards). Among the recipients were THE STRANGER DIARIES by Elly Griffiths (Best Novel), THE HOTEL NEVERSINK by Adam O’Fallon Price (Best Paperback Original), and THE LESS PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT US: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity, by Axton Betz-Hamilton (Best Fact Crime). Click here for all the winners, and you can see their acceptance speeches on MWA’s YouTube channel. News & Pop Culture Reader Mail: Diane wrote, “Although we are retired here in Avalon, NJ, and EVERY DAY is Saturday, it is more confusing now that we have nowhere to go. It's such a nice surprise when I check my email from you and think, 'OH it's SATURDAY!'" I LOVE that we help you know at least one day in the week! Betty wrote, “I laughed out loud when I read your comments in this week’s newsletter. Here in Paramus, we have experienced the same thing as you have. We look out our front window and see all sizes and shapes of walkers --- almost all of whom we have never seen before. We live on a quiet side street with no sidewalks. One of my neighbors thinks they are getting dropped off because the parks are closed, but I think they are just making their way here from blocks away. A strange phenomenon! On another note, I started a writing project with my almost-10-year-old grandson on Cape Cod. We have written a short mystery together --- with me writing a few paragraphs and then he doing the same. We worked on it for a few weeks. It has no ending because we have challenged our family members to accept a challenge to finish it. We will see what happens. It was fun. Thanks for keeping me up on the latest books. I am missing my library so much and can’t wait until it reopens. I, along with many others, will have a long list of books ready that we want to read. Keep well.” I love the idea that Betty is writing with her grandson. A great project! Melanie wrote, "Thank you so much for listing the online book events. I was able to 'attend' the Stephen King/John Grisham discussion that you mentioned last week and enjoyed it. I hope these sorts of online events continue to be available even after we are all able to get around and congregate, as it makes it so much easier to attend --- especially for those of us who find it difficult for whatever reason (location, health issues, lack of time, etc.) to get to physical events!" "Homeland" on Showtime: What a brilliant finale and closure for eight seasons! This is one of the best finales that I have seen; they usually disappoint. We are talking “Six Feet Under” finale kind of brilliance. Here’s more about it for those who watched. "Bosch" on Amazon Prime: Such a well-done series; I have enjoyed every season. I am sorry that the next season will be the last, but impressive work! "Defending Jacob" on Apple TV+: I watched the first three episodes last Friday, and I am looking forward to a new one tonight. This was a Bets On selection sooooo many years ago. I am going to grab the book at some point as I am trying to remember if the show is the same as the book! "Normal People" on Hulu: I watched an episode quickly one night this week, and it has the same vibe as the bestselling book by Sally Rooney. "Billions" on Showtime: Season five kicks off Sunday night; I previewed the first episode, and let’s just say that Bobby Axelrod and Chuck Rhoades are still playing to type, and it’s crazy! Of course, as I was watching, I was wondering why they were still in New York during the pandemic. Seriously, whenever I see people together, I'm thinking, "You MUST social distance!" Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind on HBO: This documentary debuts on Tuesday, May 5th. It explores the personal and professional triumphs and challenges of legendary actress Natalie Wood, which have often been overshadowed by her premature death. Tuesday is also the release day for MORE THAN LOVE, a memoir written by Natalie's daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, which is one of our Mother's Day prize titles. Becoming on Netflix: On Wednesday, May 6th, Netflix will release this documentary film directed by Nadia Hallgren that looks at the life of Michelle Obama and the experiences she had while touring following the release of her memoir of the same name. As I talked about last week, FAMILY MEAL: Recipes from Our Community is a new digital-only cookbook from Penguin Random House that has 100% of the proceeds benefiting America’s restaurants through Restaurant Workers’ COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, which supports on-the-ground efforts in the restaurant community during this challenging time. The contributors include Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, Ruth Reichl, Samin Nosrat, Christina Tosi, Dan Barber, Kwame Onwuachi and many more. It comes out on Tuesday, and you can pre-order it here. I've ordered my copy! Authors are getting creative. I enjoyed this segment that Wendy Walker, whose thriller THE NIGHT BEFORE is just out in paperback, produced. She gathered some writer friends, and they talked about their books and then cleverly discussed which of their characters they would want to quarantine with --- and which they would not. Mary Kubica, the aforementioned Megan Miranda, Liv Constantine and Samantha Downing were her guests. It’s a lot of fun! You can watch more of Wendy's videos on her website here. Tuesday is my mom’s birthday, and we are trying to come up with ways to celebrate in this time of social distancing. I still am noodling this around; I had really hoped we would be out and about by early May, but it seems that both her birthday and Mother’s Day will be in the same quarantine that we have been in since March. I filled up my gas tank on March 16th and still have gas in the tank. No wonder the price of oil is where it is! My husband, Tom, has been the designated “hunter/gatherer,” going to the grocery store and running all errands. I like grocery shopping with him; we literally plan meals while we are in the store. Now I find myself making a list, and I miss the spontaneity of discovery at the food store, which is the same as discovery at the bookstore. Last Saturday night, we were supposed to be at the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival in Princeton, NJ, eating dinner beforehand at Tortuga's. Instead we made enchiladas at home...from scratch. There were lots of steps, but it was sooooo good, and we will make them again. Here’s the recipe...and yes, we made the green enchilada sauce, too. Then I made chocolate mousse and chocolate cake for dessert! The cake was a chocolate mix that I had on hand. The mousse was pudding mix, dark chocolate cocoa powder and heavy cream. Here’s the recipe. We love to cook and have been trying new recipes. I am amused by the number of people making bread; there is no yeast in the stores. I am hoping this love of cooking keeps up for those who have not tried it before! Tom and I are dropping by the office this weekend. There are some books that I want to pick up there, and I want to grab the one plant that we have in the office, which has not been watered in two weeks. I hope it’s still alive. I ordered some seeds online this week after my local nurseries said that they were all out. It seems that people have been embracing gardening in a whole new way, as in growing food for themselves. I love this. But I realize that I do need to get to the garden center early one morning next week to ensure that I get some plants in the ground, as I wait for the seeds to arrive. Here’s to warmer weather in this part of the world. Stay safe. Read on, and have a great week. Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)    Featured Review: CAMINO WINDS by John Grisham  CAMINO WINDS by John Grisham (Mystery/Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: THE END OF OCTOBER  THE END OF OCTOBER by Lawrence Wright (Medical Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: CHOSEN ONES by Veronica Roth  CHOSEN ONES by Veronica Roth (Fantasy) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: THREE HOURS IN PARIS by Cara Black  THREE HOURS IN PARIS by Cara Black (Historical Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: HAVE YOU SEEN ME? by Kate White  HAVE YOU SEEN ME? by Kate White (Psychological Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review.  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 11th Annual  Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for an 11th year! Once again, we are excited to be sharing pieces from authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers. So far, we have heard from Megan Miranda (whose new psychological thriller, THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS, releases on June 23rd) and Dete Meserve (the third book in her Kate Bradley mystery series, THE GOOD STRANGER, will be available on May 19th). Next week, we look forward to contributions from Marjan Kamali, Kelly Rimmer, Stephanie Scott and Francesca Serritella. Click here to read this year's Mother's Day Author Blogs.  .jpg) _1.jpg) May’s Books on Screen Feature As we continue to self-isolate amidst the coronavirus pandemic, there is no shortage of book-to-screen adaptations releasing in May to enjoy at home. Here is a preview of this month's TV shows and DVDs that are based on books. For a complete list of May's offerings, please click here. On TV Series Premieres "I Know This Much Is True" (6-part limited series) "Barkskins" (8-episode limited series) "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich" (4-part docuseries) Series Finale "Defending Jacob" (8-episode miniseries) Season Finales "My Brilliant Friend" "Outlander" "Killing Eve" On DVD The Informer Emma The Invisible Man   "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 WeekTOMBSTONE: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell by Tom Clavin (History) WARHOL by Blake Gopnik (Biography) LITTLE SECRETS by Jennifer Hillier (Psychological Thriller) MASTER CLASS by Christina Dalcher (Dystopian Thriller) SEA WIFE by Amity Gaige (Fiction) TAKE ME APART by Sara Sligar (Psychological Thriller) THIS IS BIG: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World --- and Me by Marisa Meltzer (Memoir) THE ANCESTOR by Danielle Trussoni (Gothic Mystery/Thriller) STOP AT NOTHING by Michael Ledwidge (Thriller) DO NO HARM: A Nathan Heller Thriller by Max Allan Collins (Historical Mystery/Thriller)   
Next Week’s Notables:
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