July 17, 2020
 July 17, 2020Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com Reviews | Features | Bookreporter.com Bets On | Upcoming Bets On  Latest Update on Our GoFundMe Campaign Thank you to those of you who have donated to our GoFundMe campaign. So far, with online and snail mail donations, we have raised $34,240 of our $50,000 goal. Thank you again for your consideration and your donation.  Carol's latest "Bookreporter Talks To" interview is with Rachel Beanland,   This week, Kristin Hannah shared an exclusive first look at her new novel, THE FOUR WINDS, which publishes in February 2021. Click on the cover above for more info on the book and to read an excerpt. Last weekend, Carol's husband devoured BERLIN 1936 by Oliver Hilmes,  Calling all book groups! We want to know what book groups have been doing these past few months during the pandemic, so we put together a survey that will help us learn more about your group. Poison Oak and Charred Eggplant: An Odd Combo Sometime over the past week or so, while playing in the garden (aka weeding), I managed to get in the way of some poison oak. Thus I have two fingers that look like something out of a horror show...and, of course, they are on my right hand, which is my dominant hand. I really do not have the time or the patience to be a good patient about this, especially since typing requires bending my fingers. Luckily, the week was busy enough to keep me distracted for at least part of the time...but, yowser, this has not been fun. I have three pairs of gardening gloves, and I have to remember to wear them. I also managed to lose both trowels over the last few weeks. I think I need to get my gardening game a bit more under control. I bought a large dahlia plant and have it in a pot on the deck, ostensibly so it will not be attacked by the Japanese beetles. Every day I check to see if they have discovered it yet. Alas, I may have outsmarted them. They have been eating some of the zinnia leaves of all things. That said, there are fewer beetles this year, and my husband said it may be because there are more blue jays around. He read somewhere that the birds dig up the grubs from the beetles and eat them. I was walking on the grass the other day and saw there were many, many spots where it appeared to have been torn up, and I could not figure out why. This may be the reason. I still am going to harbor the dahlia for a while longer. I bought it on sale, and the tag was clear that it should be pink. Right now it looks like it’s going to be yellow, but since we have not grown them before, I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised. On Sunday night, I roasted an eggplant on the grill for the first time. I left the grill on a low setting, and for the next two hours turned it to get it to char a bit. I am intent on making one of the spreads in the FALASTIN cookbook. I got as far as roasting it and adding hummus and lemon. I still need to make the other steps. I truly get the feeling that when they said I could refrigerate it for a week, it was not with the recipe half done, but that kind of sums up how my week has gone. This week, we premiered a new virtual event: “Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books”. We know that many bookstores and libraries are closed, so we are trying new ways to ensure that books and authors are in front of readers. During this event, I talked about 31 books that were published from late June through August 4th and took a look at five big September titles. I also introduced two members from our staff. We got such wonderful feedback from readers about the program that we have scheduled our next one for Wednesday, August 12th at 2pm ET. Again we will be using Zoom for the program. You can sign up to attend here. We have increased the size of our room, allowing us to have up to 500 attendees, so be sure to extend the invite to your friends who enjoy books and reading. We have some exciting news for all you Kristin Hannah fans out there. This week, exclusively on People.com, Kristin did a cover reveal of her new novel, THE FOUR WINDS, and shared an excerpt from it --- even though it won’t be out until February 2021! The book tells the story of Elsa Martinelli, who must decide to fight for her home as Texas enters the Dust Bowl era, or head west to California. Kristin told People, "Three years ago, I had no idea the Great Depression would become so relevant to today. But history offers us hope. THE FOUR WINDS is a reminder of the strength and durability of the human spirit. We have faced hardships before in America and survived, even thrived." Click here to read more about the book and take a sneak peek at it. I already am looking forward to getting my hands on an advance copy! My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Rachel Beanland, whose much-talked-about debut novel, FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER, is this month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. I started reading it last Saturday, and by the time I finished it on Sunday, I wanted to interview Rachel about it. I was so pleased that we were able to schedule that for Tuesday. The book takes place during the summer of 1934 in Atlantic City and is inspired by a secret that was kept by Rachel’s own family. As it opens, Florence is training to swim the English Channel, and her loved ones are rallying behind her. However, fate steps in the way, and suddenly the Adler family is thrown in a completely different direction, which will test them all. In our conversation, Rachel shared more about her personal story, how she chose to write the book from the point of view of seven characters (I guessed which character was her favorite to write!), and the challenge of bringing Florence to life in just a few pages. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. According to our reviewer Rebecca Munro, the book is "a perfect generational saga that explores the depths of the risks we are willing to take to protect those we love. The Adlers are complicated, and their decision to protect Fannie may seem unbelievable, but Beanland renders them so beautifully that she manages to pack the full breadth of human emotion into nearly every scene. Her prose is tender and frank, but it is her keen eye for emotional nuance that makes her book soar." I will share my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter. On Tuesday, August 4th at 7pm ET, B&N will host a Facebook Live discussion featuring Rachel in conversation with Ann Hood. B&N’s Exclusive Book Club Edition of the book includes a Q&A with Rachel, a recommended reading list and a reading group guide. FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER is one of our current Word of Mouth prizes; the other is Alex Trebek’s highly anticipated autobiography, THE ANSWER IS…: Reflections on My Life, which releases on Tuesday (we will have our review later this month). Let us know by Friday, July 31st at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these titles. THE ORDER is the 20th thriller in Daniel Silva’s series featuring Gabriel Allon. When Pope Paul VII dies suddenly, the art restorer and legendary spy is summoned to Rome by the Holy Father’s loyal private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati. A billion Catholic faithful have been told that the pope died of a heart attack. Donati, though, has two good reasons to suspect his master was murdered. The Swiss Guard who was standing watch outside the papal apartments the night of the pope’s death is missing. So, too, is the letter the Holy Father was writing during the final hours of his life --- which was addressed to Gabriel. While researching in the Vatican Secret Archives, I came upon a most remarkable book… The book is a long-suppressed gospel that calls into question the accuracy of the New Testament’s depiction of one of the most portentous events in human history. Our reviewer Roz Shea raves, “If there was a rooftop from which to shout it, I would grab a megaphone and yell, ‘GET THIS BOOK!’ This absorbing read offers intrigue, but more than that, it is a remarkable historical treasure, reminiscent of James Michener and Herman Wouk --- all at just over 400 pages. THE ORDER is the standout novel of the year, despite being overshadowed by current events.” Other books we’re reviewing this week include WHAT YOU WISH FOR by Katherine Center, an uplifting romance about choosing happiness, even when it feels impossible; THE GOLDEN CAGE, a psychological thriller from Camilla Läckberg that tells the story of the scorned wife of a billionaire and her plot to get her revenge and bring him to his knees; and BECOMING DUCHESS GOLDBLATT, the story behind a beloved pseudonymous Twitter account that reveals how a writer deep in grief rebuilt a life worth living. In this week’s Summer Reading contest, we gave away A WALK ALONG THE BEACH by Debbie Macomber. Next week’s prize will be THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES by Kristin Harmel, and the contest for that will kick off on Tuesday, July 21st at noon ET. We’re awarding the audio version of THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES (read by Madeleine Maby) in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, along with Brad Thor's NEAR DARK (read by Armand Schultz). Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll have a chance to win both these audio titles. There are only a few days left to enter our contest for THE CRUSHING DEPTHS, the second installment in Dani Pettrey's Coastal Guardians series, which we're featuring on the Bookreporter homepage. When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent to take the case. But mounting evidence shows the death may not have been an accident at all, and they find themselves racing to discover the killer’s identity before he eliminates the threat they pose. For your chance to win one of 10 copies of the book, please fill out this form by Tuesday, July 21st at noon ET. On ReadingGroupGuides.com, we have a BIG contest for THREE WOMEN, an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and one of the most talked-about books of 2019. For nearly a decade, Lisa Taddeo, an award-winning journalist and longtime contributor to New York magazine and Esquire, embedded herself with three ordinary women to write this deeply immersive account of their erotic lives and longings. We have 12 copies to give away to five groups, who then will have an opportunity to chat with Lisa via Zoom or phone. Twenty-five additional winners will receive a single copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, August 19th at noon ET. In March, we asked if your reading habits had changed due to the pandemic. Four months later, we are curious to know about your current reading habits and how they compare to the results we received from the previous poll. Click here to answer this follow-up poll. For our last poll, we listed 20 of my Bets On picks that are now in paperback or will be this month, and we asked which of these you have read or plan to read. Here are your top five picks: THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger (58%), ASK AGAIN, YES by Mary Beth Keane (53%), THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware (45%), THE GUEST BOOK by Sarah Blake (45%), and LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict (39%). Click here for all the results. If you are in a book group, we want to know how your group has been meeting since we all began social distancing back in March, which feels like a lifetime ago. We are going to leave this survey up for the next four weeks, but jump on and answer as soon as you can. I am ruminating on a new idea for book groups, but I can use some intel from you about how you and your group have been meeting before I finalize the next steps on this. LADY CLEMENTINE is our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest title on ReadingGroupGuides.com. Marie’s novel focuses on one of the people who had the most influence during World War I and World War II: Clementine Churchill. Three groups will have the opportunity to win 12 copies of the book; to enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET. And for the record, Clementine is pronounced Cle-men-TEEN. If you missed my interview with Marie when the book was published in hardcover, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here. News & Pop Culture Reader Mail: Our mailbox had a lot of feedback on the "Bookaccino Live" event. Sandy said, “Thank you for the Zoom broadcast of upcoming book titles. I’ve written down quite a few books to check out. Since the pandemic, I’ve been reading so many books and love to receive your newsletter each week to explore more.” Beverley said, “Great idea to do books for now --- just like fashion to wear now is finally becoming more relevant.” Gretchen said, "Totally enjoyed the event. Got lots of good information and have put several of the books on hold at my library. Looking forward to August 12th. Linda said, "I enjoyed today’s Bookaccino Live! Carol did a wonderful job! Looking forward to the August date! Kathy wrote, "It was wonderful! Gave me such a lift and was so much fun.” Nancy humorously wrote, “Great session today. Thank you. We had a Homeowner Association Board meeting via Zoom last night, and I only wish the Board members had had half the enthusiasm you showed today. One of them actually fell asleep online, with more than 100 homeowners able to see his head on his chest. Pretty funny...or sad. I just signed up for August. Nice to see who the rest of the cast of characters are.” Maybe I should hire myself out to homeowner Zoom meetings! Another reader named Nancy wrote, “It was fabulous. I truly enjoyed it and noted many of the books you mentioned. I just signed up for the next session and passed the word along to fellow readers. "With this COVID, I am getting used to Zoom calls. It has been difficult for a senior. I am still the typewriter gal, but I do enjoy the Kindle during this crazy time. I read in a few days COUNTDOWN 1945, Chris Wallace's newest book about the atomic bomb. It was fascinating. I also read BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner and 28 SUMMERS by Elin Hilderbrand, which are good summer reads. I have the John Bolton book on the night table, but can only read bits at a time. It is well written. I, too, am a fast reader and appreciated your answer to the question about how you get to read so much. I also require little sleep and have been inside a lot!" Colson Whitehead: The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner has won the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, making him the youngest author to receive their lifetime achievement award. THE HALLOWS: Victor Methos’ thriller from last year has been named the winner of the 2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The Harper Lee Prize, now in its 10th year, is awarded to a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change. "The Chi" on Showtime: I watched the first three episodes of season three, and again it’s so well done. The first episode opens at Brandon’s funeral. I was so confused as I did not recall how he died. I almost went back to watch the end of season two. Then I remembered that the actor who plays him was fired from the show due to sexual harassment allegations. No wonder I do not remember how he was killed! "The Baby-Sitters Club" on Netflix: I confess that I never read the middle-grade series that this show is based on, but I had to check it out. So last night, as I was cleaning my office, I had it on. It’s really fun; I think I am on episode four. I clearly see why the books were so popular. Joanna Cole Passed Away: You may not know her name, but I am sure many of you are familiar with her iconic character, Miss Frizzle, and her Magic School Bus, if you have kids of a certain age. A very sad loss, and gone way too young at 75. BERLIN 1936: My husband loves books that are set against a backdrop of history. Last weekend, he devoured BERLIN 1936: Fascism, Fear, and Triumph Set Against Hitler's Olympic Games by Oliver Hilmes (out in paperback on Tuesday). For 16 days in August 1936, Berlin hosted the Olympic Games, and this book looks at those fleeting days through the lens of a number of athletes, dignitaries, diplomats and journalists. It gives readers a good snapshot look into Germany during that time. I have no big weekend plans. The pool has been a perfect temperature. I dashed out to swim the other morning. Yesterday I put on my bathing suit under my clothes with a plan to get outside at lunchtime, but the day was so busy that I did not get into the water until after 8:30pm. I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. There are more than a few books here calling my name. I also have some books that I want to sort onto shelves. It’s supposed to be blazing hot here. Stay cool everyone...and safe! Read on, and have a great week. Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)    Featured Review: THE ORDER by Daniel Silva  THE ORDER by Daniel Silva (Thriller/Adventure) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER  FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER by Rachel Beanland (Historical Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER will be a Bookreporter.com Featured Review: WHAT YOU WISH FOR  WHAT YOU WISH FOR by Katherine Center (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: THE GOLDEN CAGE  THE GOLDEN CAGE written by Camilla Läckberg, translated by Neil Smith (Psychological Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review:  BECOMING DUCHESS GOLDBLATT: A Memoir by Anonymous (Memoir) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review.  Sign Up to Attend "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books" on Wednesday, August 12th at 2pm ET On Wednesday, July 15th, we hosted our first LIVE virtual event on Zoom: “Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books”. With so many bookstores and libraries still closed, we are trying new ways to ensure that books and authors are in front of readers. During this inaugural event, Carol talked about 31 books that released from late June through August 4th and took a sneak peek at five big September titles. We received such wonderful feedback from readers that we have scheduled our next session for Wednesday, August 12th at 2pm ET. Carol will present titles releasing in late August and September, along with a few from October, that she is especially excited about. You can sign up to attend here. We have increased the size of our room, allowing us to have up to 500 attendees, so feel free to invite your friends who enjoy books and reading. Click here to register for our "Bookaccino Live" event  New Special Contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com:  Based on nearly a decade of reporting, THREE WOMEN is a riveting true story about the sex lives of three real American women. We are giving five groups the chance to win 12 copies of this instant New York Times bestseller --- which is now available in paperback --- plus the opportunity to chat with its author, Lisa Taddeo. Twenty-five additional readers will be awarded a copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, August 19th at noon ET. THREE WOMEN by Lisa Taddeo (Women's Studies/Social Science) Declared “the best book of the year” by Elizabeth Gilbert and “a breathtaking and important book” by Cheryl Strayed, THREE WOMEN has won praise everywhere from Columbia Journalism Review (“deeply reported, elegantly written, almost uncomfortably intimate”) to Refinery29 (“the hype for THREE WOMEN is real; in fact, it’s insufficient”), from Esquire (“a heartbreaking, gripping, astonishing masterpiece”) to Time (“THREE WOMEN is a battle cry… For anyone who thinks they know what women want, this book is an alarm, and its volume is turned all the way up.”) In the words of The New Statesman, “This is an unusual, startling, and gripping debut. It feels to me like the kind of bold, timely, once-in-a-generation book that every house should have a copy of, and probably will before too long.” In suburban Indiana we meet Lina, the homemaker and mother of two whose marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks and, after reconnecting with an old flame through social media, embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming. In North Dakota we meet Maggie, the 17-year-old high school student who allegedly has a clandestine physical relationship with her handsome, married English teacher; the ensuing criminal trial will turn their quiet community upside down. Finally, in the northeast we meet Sloane, the successful, refined restaurant owner whose husband enjoys watching her have sex with other men and women. Click here to enter the contest. Bookreporter.com's 16th Annual  Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through the end of August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here. Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, July 21st at noon ET. This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.    From left to right: Ace Atkins, Kristin Harmel, Brad Thor Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events As so many book and author events are happening online these days, we are highlighting a number of them that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links below for more info and to register. Saturday, July 18th at 2pm ET: Murder By The Book Facebook Live Event: Ace Atkins and Jeff Abbott will be in conversation with Megan Abbott about their latest thrillers, THE REVELATORS and NEVER ASK ME, respectively. Sunday, July 19th at 1pm ET: Writer's Block Bookstore Virtual Event: Rachel Beanland will be in conversation with author Fiona Davis as she discusses her debut novel, FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER. Sunday, July 19th at 5pm ET: We Are Family: A Virtual Adventure by the Book: Adventures by the Book is pleased to partner once again with the Carlsbad City Library for a second entertaining Summer Reading Virtual Adventure featuring four New York Times bestselling authors, all of whom have new books that are just ripe for discovery. Join Aimee Liu, Megan Miranda, Kristin Rockaway and Amy Stanley for this virtual event, and you’ll find some great books to add to your reading queue. Monday, July 20th at 7pm ET: RWR Presents: Unputdownable Novels: What's better than an unputdownable novel in the summer? THREE unputdownable novels, that's what! Join Megan Miranda, Erica Katz, Samantha Downing and Robin Kall of "Reading With Robin" for a fast-paced chat about plot, characters and how they keep us turning those pages. Tuesday, July 21st 6:30pm ET: Fountain Bookstore Virtual Event: There is nothing better than a trip to the beach in the summer! Join Fountain Bookstore for a discussion with Rachel Beanland about her new release, FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER. Tuesday, July 21st at 7pm ET: A Virtual Event Courtesy of Print: A Bookstore: J. Courtney Sullivan will discuss her new book, FRIENDS AND STRANGERS, with Lily King, author of WRITERS & LOVERS. Wednesday, July 22nd at 6pm ET: Union League Club Virtual Event: The Union League Club of Chicago presents a virtual event with Brad Thor, who will discuss the latest installment in his Scot Harvath series, NEAR DARK. Wednesday, July 22nd at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": Every Wednesday, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe talk books and writing on their "Friends and Fiction" Facebook group page. Thursday, July 23rd at 4pm ET: Changing Hands Bookstore Digital Event: New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman (BIRD BOX) discusses his new horror novel, MALORIE, in conversation with #1 bestselling author Joe Hill (THE FIREMAN, NOS4A2, HORNS). Friday, July 24th at 5pm ET: Happy Hour with Kristin Harmel: Be a part of a live, interactive conversation with author Kristin Harmel to discuss her latest book, THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, capturing the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil.   "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts “Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has 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 is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.) Here is our latest interview: Other authors we've interviewed include:
Click here for a complete list of our    More Reviews This WeekTHE ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones (Horror) OUTSIDER by Linda Castillo (Mystery/Thriller) A BEAUTIFULLY FOOLISH ENDEAVOR by Hank Green (Science Fiction/Humor) DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America's Soul by A. J. Baime (Politics/History) THE LANTERN MEN by Elly Griffiths (Mystery) HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke (Fiction) WONDERLAND by Zoje Stage (Psychological Thriller/Horror) THE BRIGHT LANDS by John Fram (Supernatural Thriller) A DANGEROUS BREED by Glen Erik Hamilton (Thriller) ARTIFACT by Arlene Heyman (Fiction) THEY DID BAD THINGS by Lauren A. Forry (Psychological Thriller)   
Next Week’s Notables:
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